Each year brings significant advancements in technology. With each passing year, the way we interact with the digital world changes drastically and people are slowly becoming more dependent on technology products.

It was in 2012, when for the first time in the last decade, PC sales weakened as users opted for mobile devices i.e. smartphones and tablets, rather than traditional desktops and laptops.

The way we interact with mobile devices has changed since the emergence of Android and iOS ecosystems. On the other hand, RIM has been battling flailing fortunes and failed to release its BlackBerry 10 OS and the next-generation BlackBerry 10 devices on schedule. By contrast, Apple and Android completely redefined the mobile market in 2012 with a slew of innovative gadgets.

In 2012, Android captured 72 percent of the mobile market with more than a million Android devices activated daily. With more than 700,000 apps available in its inventory, Google's Play Store has roughly as many apps as the iOS App Store. Apple and Samsung account for 90 percent of smartphone market profits. Nokia, for the first time in its recent history, dropped from the first place in mobile shipments. Instagram grabbed headlines with its $1 billion acquisition by Facebook. Microsoft released touch-centric Windows 8 OS. Google and Microsoft launched their first tablets - Nexus 7 (Google) and Surface (Microsoft), respectively.

However, there are some technology launches and events that are bigger than others. Here are the top 3 biggest technology highlights of 2012.

Apple Vs. Samsung Verdict

After battling it out for more than a year in different courts around the world, the Apple vs. Samsung patent case finally reached a verdict. The biggest technology battle finally came to an end as a federal judge concluded that Samsung infringes on iPhone and iPad with its Galaxy line-up of products. Samsung paid slightly more than $1 billion to Apple in patent infringements.

Facebook IPO

Facebook IPO (Initial Public Offering) is undoubtedly the biggest IPO in the technology history and probably the biggest technology blunder of the year as well. On May 18, 2012, the social networking giant went public with the initial price per share set at $38. It wasn't surprising when the IPO flopped and the stock price dipped below $20. Now the price per share has settled around $25.

Taller iPhone and Smaller iPad

Since its evolution in 2007, the iPhone has always sported a 3.5-inch display. The iPad, first released in 2010, comes with a 9.7-inch display. However, following heavy demand for a bigger iPhone and a smaller 7-inch iPad, Apple revamped the size of the display for its iPhone 5 to 4-inches and with the 7.9-inch iPad Mini, Apple forayed into the smaller tablet market space.