Tablets will outsell laptops and PCs combined in 2015, which means we'll all need to expand our definition of Personal Computer. No-one has yet launched a new tablet this year, but the Nokia N1 Android tablet is edging ever closer. Also see the best new phones you should be most excited about in 2015.
Bear in mind that the list below is mostly based on historical launch patterns and rumours. We'll be amazed if Apple doesn't release at least one new iPad this year, for example. We'll update this article regularly as new tablets are announced and when we know more details about rumoured models.
See also: the best tablets you can buy right now
Best new tablets 2015: Nokia N1
Expected launch date: February
This one's a definite: having sold off its Lumia brand of smartphones to Microsoft, Nokia is shifting focus to tablets. The N1 may be another Android tablet to add to the already huge list, but Nokia's innovative Z Launcher certainly adds more value to the package.
Another bonus is the expected sub-£200 price, which isn't bad considering the specs: it will be a lot cheaper than the iPad mini with which it shares quite a few on-paper specs.
Best new tablets 2015: Microsoft Surface Pro 4 / Surface Mini
Expected launch date: May
Having make some crazy decisions such as putting Windows RT on the original Surface tablet, Microsoft came good with 2014's Surface Pro 3. Will the company launch another 2-in-1 hybrid device? There are no guarantees, but with Windows 10 due to be released in 2015 and knowing that Microsoft wants to put it on as many devices as possible it's likely there will be a new surface this year.
Quite obviously, the Surface Pro 4 would use the latest Intel chip, probably Broadwell, which could improve both performance and battery life.
The current rumours are that there will be two new screen sizes: 8- and 14inches, which would mean a Surface Pro Mini would join the ranks. Let's just hope that Windows 10's tablet interface is a big step up from Windows 8's.
Best new tablets 2015: Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
Expected launch date: July
Sooner or later, Samsung will launch new tablets in 2015. The Tab S impressed us back in June 2014, and the firm is sure to update the two models - potentially keeping the same 8.4 and 10.5-inch screen sizes.
Since the original models had 32-bit processors, the most obvious upgrade will be to 64-bit chips. They'll also run Android Lollipop, just like virtually every other Android device which will launch in 2015.
Best new tablets 2015: Tesco Hudl 3
Expected launch date: September
Tesco has seen huge success with its own-brand tablet, the Hudl, scoring another win with the follow-up - the Hudl 2 in 2014.
Given that the new model is bigger than the original, it's impossible to say what the Hudl 3 will be like. You can be sure it will be cheap, though. Tesco isn't out to compete with Apple, so even if the third Hudl gets a 9in screen, it should be one of the best-value around.
Best new tablets 2015: iPad Air 3
Expected launch date: October
Unlike Microsoft, Apple has a much more predictable launch cycle. The iPad Air 3 is bound to launch in October, but to try and predict anything beyond a speed increase would be folly. Apple might well stick with the same form factor and screen size, but it could equally come up with a new design - possibly based on the iPhone 6.
Best new tablets 2015: iPad mini 4
Expected launch date: October
By the end of 2015, the iPad mini will be due a major update. The mini 3 was really a mini 2 with an added Touch ID sensor, so we could well see a big hardware upgrade for the iPad mini 4. The most likely path Apple will take is to use the innards from the iPad Air 2 which will, by October, be a year old.
Best new tablets 2015: iPad Pro / iPad Plus
Expected launch date: October
Heavily rumoured in 2014 iPad Pro didn't materialise. Will Apple choose 2015 to launch a super-sized iPad? We simply don't know, but we know there's demand for an iOS-based productivity device. The latest rumours suggest it will be called the iPad Plus.
Apple arguably already has a rival to the Microsoft Surface Pro in the form of the MacBook Air, so there's a decent chance the iPad Pro rumours will remain exactly that.
Best new tablets 2015: Sony Xperia Tablet Z4
Expected launch date: October
Sony is expected to unveil the next tablet in the Xperia range this year. It's unlikely it will surface at Mobile World Congress: an announcement at IFA in September is what most analysts (and rumour mongers) are predicting. The Z4 is hotly tipped to have a larger screen - to rival the rumoured iPad Plus - and possibly a 4K resolution.
See also: Tech predictions for tablets in 2015
