The Best Gadgets of 2024: Our Favorite Phones, Laptops, Speakers, and More

The iPhone needed to level up to compete with the latest phones from Google and Samsung, and boy, did it come through in big ways. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus feature a new camera control button that will change the way you take photos in the best way possible by giving you more control over your shots. The rollout of Apple Intelligence features has been slow, but what’s already available has us eagerly awaiting the fully upgraded Siri.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a lot of phone, and that’s a good thing. It highlights everything we love about the Android ecosystem while introducing a few new tricks. The built-in stylus is great for taking notes, and Galaxy AI features like Circle to Search don’t feel like gimmicks. It also has the best battery life of any Galaxy phone. If you love a big phone that can do it all, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is for you.

Back in 2004, the Motorola Razr was the flip phone to own. Twenty years later, what is old is new again, and the Motorola Razr+ is the best flip smartphone around. Nostalgic clamshell design aside, the Razr+ has a useful external display for keeping tabs on notifications and a decent camera that excels in low-light conditions. There’s also just something special about a smartphone that actually fits in your pocket.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is like having a small tablet in your back pocket that can take amazing photos. When the phone is unfurled, you’re greeted with a beautifully large 8-inch OLED Super Actua display that makes watching movies, playing games, or simply reading an article an absolute joy. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold takes advantage of Gemini AI features like Pixel Screenshots and Call Notes. Out of all the foldables we tried this year, this one makes it feel less like a novelty and more like a premium piece of tech.

The Pixel 8a gives you access to the same Gemini AI features we love on the pricier Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 phones, for less than $500. If you don’t care about AI, the Pixel 8a is still an outstanding budget phone, offering a solid camera and above-average battery life. Plus, it’s a cheaper phone that doesn’t look cheap.

The iPad Pro is easily Apple’s best tablet, and thanks to the M4 chip, it could easily be your everything device when paired with a Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard. Once you see your favorite show on the Ultra Retina OLED screen, watching on any other tablet will be hard. The iPad Pro has enough horsepower to double as a reliable gaming device and mini-editing suite. It may not replace your Macbook yet, but it’s getting closer than ever.

We’ll always have a soft spot for the old Alienware Aurora case that looked like a spare part of a cosmic pick-up truck. But the sleeker, more practical design of the Aurora R16 means you can finally fit one of these things on your desk. It’s one of the most powerful gaming desktops money can buy, and while we aren’t crazy about the proprietary motherboard, it still offers all the performance you want from a high-end gaming PC.

As gaming consoles become increasingly expensive, a gaming PC starts looking like a better deal. The RDY Scale from iBuyPower is a fantastic budget gaming rig that starts for under $1,200 and punches well above its weight class. You’ll get solid performance in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Horizon: Zero Dawn at medium to high settings. In some cases, it has just enough horsepower to game at 4K. The RDY Scale is a great first step into PC gaming.

Money can’t buy happiness, but it can get you a fantastically overpowered gaming laptop that still fits into a tote bag. With the Razer Blade 16, you can play pretty much any game you want at a triple-digit framerate, thanks to the powerful RTX 4090 GPU squeezed into its thin frame. If that isn’t enough, there’s a beautiful OLED with a 240hz refresh rate. Hey, there are worse ways to spend $4,000.

The HP Elite x360 1040 isn’t just a solid productivity machine; it can also transform into a stylish tablet. The added security and privacy features ensure your work doesn’t end up in the wrong hands and that you don’t fall victim to malware. You’ll love the all-day battery that lets you work as long as you need without interruption.

Good things come in small packages, and the ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop is no exception. Many 14-inch gaming laptops sacrifice performance for portability, but the Zephyrus G14 gives you both while looking incredibly chic. Its stunning OLED screen provides exceptional contrast and deeper blacks than its predecessors’ mini-LED. The tiny bezels mean you get more screen real estate than other 14-inch gaming laptops. It’s an attractive laptop with plenty of utility for non-gaming endeavors.

Alienware created something special with its m16 R2 gaming laptop, finding the perfect balance between performance, design, and price. It’s 15% smaller than last year’s model, making it more travel-friendly while still having enough power under the hood for work and play. What’s most surprising is that it costs under $2,000. The revamped keyboard and palm rest make it one of the most comfortable laptops we tested this year.

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a powerhouse of a gaming laptop disguised as a work computer. While not as flashy as your typical gaming laptop, this Legion Pro 7i still has charm. When you’re not playing games on the highest graphics settings possible, the Legion Pro 7i passes as a heck of a workstation that will handle anything you throw at it. It starts at $3,200, but you’ll find it’s worth every penny.

The ROG Ally X is lighter than its predecessor and feels good in your hands, even after hours of gaming. The wildly impressive battery life sets the Ally X apart from other handheld PCs we tested this year. Even though Windows 11 on handhelds still has a way to go, the game launcher and UI on the Ally X mitigate much of that frustration in an easy-to-use package.

If you’re serious about competitive PC gaming, you’ll need a controller to keep up with your elevated Call of Duty play. The wireless SCUF Envision Pro is all about feel and customization. The joysticks are great, and the buttons are pleasingly clicky. The extra side buttons and back paddles allow for clever remapping of controls. A row of buttons on the bottom of the controller let you set custom macros or shortcuts. What’s so special about this SCUF controller is that the customization options are almost endless.

Any mobile gamer will tell you that all the best games need a controller. The problem is finding one that fits your device. What we love most about the Razer Kishi Ultra is that it can accommodate phones and tablets up to 8 inches. Little touches like the built-in 3.5mm audio jack or USB-C passthrough make Kishi Ultra feel like you’re playing a bonafide console controller. If you just want an extra PC controller, you can use it for that, too.

The biggest obstacle to VR gaming has always been cost, but the Meta Quest 3S may finally be the headset to change that. It does everything the Meta Quest 3 does for a couple hundred bucks cheaper. Sure, it lacks some of the visual fidelity of Quest 3, but the hardware is the same, so you’re not losing out on performance. It’s a better value than the Apple Vision Pro, with better games and apps at a fraction of the cost.

The usual red and black ‘gamer’ aesthetic can get a little boring. The Philips Evnia display line is for people who want something different, while keeping all the specs of a serious gaming monitor. This Evnia is a beauty of a 42-inch OLED gaming monitor, with gorgeous colors and a tasteful design. It’s not quite as feature-rich as a typical OLED TV, but the gaming features and speedy panel make up for it. You just need to make sure you’ve got a desk that’s big enough.

The curved AW3225QF lets you fully immerse yourself into your games. The 32-inch curved QD-OLED display offers sharp contrast, deep blacks, and vibrant color. It supports a 240 Hz refresh rate at a 4k resolution—just make sure you have a PC that is up to the task.

We love OLED TVs as much as anyone else, but mini-LED TVs are having a moment. They tend to be cheaper than OLEDs while offering better brightness. The Sony Bravia 7 is our favorite mini-LED TV because it’s packed with useful features, including a Google TV interface and PlayStation 5-specific bonuses. Films are a joy to watch on this TV because of its bright display and excellent HDR.

The Beats Pill has always been one of our favorite portable speakers, and this year is no different. At $150, the Pill offers awesome sound, long battery life, and a host of features we only see in more expensive options. It may not be able to take as much of a beating as some other speakers, but it’s lightweight and travels well. If you have more than one Beats Pill, you can link them up in Amplify and Stereo Modes. The lossless audio over a USB-C connection means you can enjoy hi-res audio when connected to a laptop or phone.

If you spend a lot of time at your desk, there’s a good chance you get tired of wearing headphones all day. But it’s rare to find desktop speakers that sound good without being total eyesores. The Edifier QR65 speakers are sleek and powerful and will give your office desk or entertainment center a modern look. They offer multiple connection options, which means these speakers are versatile and suitable for all your sound and music needs.

The JBL Go 4 has no business being this good for only $50. While it doesn’t provide the rich sound of, say, the Beats Pill, it’s still a solid speaker that can withstand the elements. Stellar dust and water resistance make it an ideal poolside or hiking speaker that easily attaches to your bag. The JBL Go 4 proves you don’t need to spend a fortune to hear your favorite music while adventuring.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are the perfect earbuds for drowning out the subway sounds during your daily commute. The Buds 3 Pro may look like colorful buttons sticking out of your ears from a distance, but the rich sound and powerful active noise canceling really solidify their top spot over the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. These are the best-fitting earbuds we’ve used all year; you’ll never have to worry about them falling out during a workout.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE show that sometimes a no-nonsense pair of earbuds can do the job just right. For $100, they have shockingly good active noise cancellation. While not as feature-rich as the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, the Buds FE offer the same excellent fit and long battery life as its more expensive cousin.

The Bose Ultras are the only buds we used this year that could pass as high-tech jewelry. These distinctive, comfortable earbuds offer fantastic sound and even better battery life. The only downside is the lack of active noise cancellation. So these really are for people who want to wear earbuds all day while still being aware of their surroundings.

If there was ever a smartwatch that can make you feel like a cyborg, it’s the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Athletes will appreciate the breadth of data you’ll gain from your workouts. The watch face is detailed and ultra-customizable. It’s a big watch, but it’s comfortable to wear even for long periods, and the nearly two-day battery life means you won’t have much reason to take it off.

The Fujifilm X100VI is compact, easy to use, and just plain gorgeous. Even though it looks like a classic film camera, it has all the bells and whistles of a premium digital camera. However, if you’re feeling nostalgic, there is a mode that mimics different types of film, like the iconic 35mm. You’re in for a treat if you can get past the $1,600 price point.

You can’t escape video calls these days, but most work computers have awful webcams. The Logitech MX Brio 4K will give you the best picture quality you can ask for under any sort of lightning. It’s also one of the few 4K webcams with a decent microphone, so you don’t sound like you’re speaking into a tin can. It is pricey at $200, but if you have to be ‘camera on’ for your daily standups, why not get a webcam that makes you look your best?

The Odd Ball is a unique music maker that’s fun for both kids and adults. All you need to do is sync up the Odd Ball to its companion app, and you’ll be DJing in minutes. Use gestures like spinning and shaking to create different effects that you can map out. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can record your own sounds to really show off at your next party.

The DJI Neo is the right size and price for anyone looking to become an amateur drone pilot. This $200 quadcopter fits into the palm of your hand and takes surprisingly stunning 4K video. What we love about the Neo is how easy it is to set up for newbies. The battery only lasts about 15 minutes, so investing in a few spare batteries would be wise. Besides that, the Neo is the perfect gateway into the world of drones.

What drives us nuts about robot vacuums is how often you have to babysit them. They get stuck under tables, tangled up in cables, or trapped by a thick rug. The $1,600 Qrevo Curv’s special chassis allows it to vault over thresholds more than 1.5 inches high, going to places other robot vacuums only dream of. Its powerful suction means it can take on even the shaggiest of carpets. On top of all that, it’s easy to use and maintain and handles pet hair like a champ.