CES 2012 preview: Intel Atom smartphone, Nokia Lumia 900 and Samsung tablets all on the horizon

With the Consumer Electronics Show 2012 set to kick off on 9 January, V3 has taken a look at some of the technology treats that are likely to make an appearance at this year's extravaganza in Las Vegas.

The major players at CES 2012 include the usual suspects of Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft (for the last time), Nokia, Nvidia, Samsung and Sony. Apple will not be at the event, though, so any thoughts of an iPad 3 or iPhone 5 announcement will have to wait until the next major Cupertino event.

However, the other heavyweight manufacturers will be looking to create a buzz of anticipation for the products they unveil that will then be released later in the year. We take a look at what the main players are rumoured to be releasing and assess the likelihood of these products appearing based on our past experiences.

Lenovo Ivy Bridge Thinkpads
The Chinese manufacturer had a bumper 2011, overtaking Dell to become the second largest PC vendor and it plans to keep the momentum going in 2012. The firm has shown its hand early and will showcase its latest range of ThinkPad laptops at CES.

The X1 high-end laptop is the jewel in the crown and is aimed at business users. The device will feature Intel's latest Core chips and will also contain a second processor running a separate, low-power environment called Instant Media Mode. This is designed to be used for low-power processes such as web browsing or watching films and aims to double battery life to 10 hours.

Lenovo also plans to offer devices with third-generation Intel chips based on the upcoming Ivy Bridge architecture, expected later in 2012.
Likelihood - 10/10

Intel Atom powered smartphone
Rumours abound that Intel will finally delve into the mobile market in an attempt to grab market share from ARM-based chips, which are found in almost all smartphones and tablets.

Many expect Intel to announce that an Atom-based chip codenamed Medfield will be used in devices made by LG and Samsung.

The unveiling of devices will show Intel's intention to make serious moves into the mobile market, which it has so far failed to break as its chips have been too large and power hungry to be used in small devices.
Likelihood 9/10

Nokia Lumia 900
Fresh from launching the Lumia 800, its first Windows Phone device at the back-end of 2011, Nokia is tipped to unveil its successor in the form of the Lumia 900.

Specifications are thin on the ground, but it has been suggested that the handset could feature a 1.4GHz processor, a larger 4.3in ClearBlack Amoled display and an 8-megapixel camera.

Depending on the launch date and considering Nokia's exclusive partnership with Microsoft it could also ship with the latest version of Windows Phone OS.
Likelihood: 7/10