The year 2015 for the tech industry has been largely about change: software companies became hardware manufacturers and social media websites became publishing powerhouses.
In fact, in any industry, change isn't only inevitable. It's very much expected.
More than just trading in one phone for another every year, for instance, the software paired with the hardware is transforming along with the times. And every corporate shakeup entails a fresh new look at strategies, from branding to motivating talent.
With all the groundbreaking changes in the tech world, Tech Times now looks back at 2015's biggest headlines.
Microsoft
Microsoft is the best example so far this year of an old guard company successfully struggling to remain relevant in a market looking for more than just plain old Windows. The company's release of Windows 10 on July 29 marked Microsoft's biggest move to get its mojo back.
In fact, the company skipped a whole number from Windows 8 to Windows 10 to debut its new direction and, in an uncharacteristic move, made its latest operating system free of charge.
Not more than three months later, the aging tech giant again turned heads with one of the most innovative laptop designs ever and the company's first official entry in the segment, the Surface Book.
In addition to the well-received Surface Pro 4 tablet hybrid and its futuristic HoloLens augmented reality wearable, Microsoft is combining the powers of both its tried-and-true software and the industry's best designed gadgets into a very, very solid product lineup.
Apple
Apple haters will never agree, but credit must be given where credit is due, and Apple is king when it comes to seamless integration between hardware and software. Where Microsoft (and in some ways Google) is just starting to unify all of its products and services into a single ecosystem, Apple has long been on its way.
Cupertino's expertise shows in the latest versions of OS X El Capitan for its iMacs and MacBooks equipped with Force Touch; in the more multitasking-friendly iOS 9 with Slide Over, Split View, Picture in Picture, and smarter Siri for its 3D Touch enabled iPhones and iPads; and, of course, watchOS for the Apple Watch.
On top of all that, 2015 has also been a banner year for new Apple hardware. First was the Apple Watch. It's the very first product debut under Tim Cook's reign over Apple. It didn't sell as well as Apple probably thought it would, however.
Second was the iPad Pro. When Steve Jobs said that Apple would never, ever need a stylus for the iPad, Tim Cook went right around and created the biggest stylus ever for a tablet with Apple Pencil.
Google became so dominant in the market in 2015 that it swallowed itself up into another company, Alphabet. Android got a refresh this year in its sixth iteration as Marshmallow with its best feature probably being Doze, which helped Android smartphones get better battery life.
Loon, Alphabet's mission of bringing Internet access to the rest of the world by blanketing the skies with Internet-enabling balloons, took off in more countries around the world and is even set to begin trials in the United States.
The search giant also ventured into making its own hardware coupled with its own software too. The Pixel C proved that the company could also make impressive, well-designed products; ironically, Android just didn't prove as productive in the device's tablet-laptop form factor.
Nonetheless, LG's Nexus 5X and Huawei's Nexus 6P helped solidify Google's position in the midrange to high-end smartphone market.
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat
In the realm of social media, 2015 was the year in which these services became more than just social outlets for friends, family and fans to connect with one another.
This year, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat stole more ground from traditional media companies and became powerhouse publishers themselves. Facebook's Instant Articles, Twitter's Moments and Snapchat's Discover made them the place to get the day's news instead of traditional news outlets.
Moreover, user habits in each social media platform needed a little rewiring, too. Facebook's Reactions finally allowed more than a simple "like" on a post, as other emoji-inspired responses now include anger, sadness, surprise and, of course, love.
Speaking of hearts, Twitter also played switcheroo with its star icon by replacing it with a heart, a move that confused a bunch of its long-time users as the switch totally changed the meaning of a favorited tweet.
In the upper ranks of Twitter Inc., meanwhile, there was also a change of heart after the official naming of Jack Dorsey as CEO in October. The decision may have caused some observers to laud him and others to raise their eyebrows, given the corporate struggles Twitter has been facing as of late, but within the company, employees were celebrating.
Ever the rebel, Dorsey gave back a third of his shares, amounting to about $200 million, to Twitter. The company will distribute the funds in an effort to recruit and motivate its pool of talent.
Finally, in terms of platform improvements, relatively newcomer Snapchat thankfully revamped quite a quirky UI feature that required users to keep a finger on the screen while watching snaps. Now all that's required is a simple "tap to view" to watch Snaps, replays of Snaps (which now cost $0.99), and the service's super fun Lenses.
