2024 has been an exciting year in the world of technology, from AI-infused gadgets, to tons of excellent video games, and everything in between. At Pocket-lint, we’ve carefully considered the full breadth of consumer electronics on the market. After deliberating, we’ve come up with an all-encompassing list of our top products of the year, as voted on by our team of experts. Read on to discover which 2024 devices stand particularly above the rest in our eyes.
Best smartphone
iPhone 16 Pro
This year’s Pro iPhone is an incremental upgrade unless you’re into smartphone photography, and at this point, who isn’t? The addition of Photography Styles completely changed the phone photography game as far as the iPhone is concerned, allowing users to make every photo truly their own. Do you hate those blown-out HDR highlights? Don’t worry, turn down the tone option. Maybe you want a retro look? That’s possible with a few quick swipes, too.
Other upgrades include Apple’s powerful A18 chip and, of course, the Camera Control button (which Apple really doesn’t want you to call a button). Overall, the iPhone 16 Pro is a solid smartphone package, especially if you’re into mobile photography.
iPhone 16 Pro
Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro line features a few notable upgrades over last year’s iPhone 15 Pro, including a dedicated camera button, a new A18 Pro chip, a bigger screen, and several AI-powered Apple Intelligence features.
Runner-up: iPhone 16
iPhone 16
This year’s iPhone 16 line blurs the line between the “Pro” and the base-level iPhone by offering a new camera button and the Action Button, alongside the A18 chip and support for Apple Intelligence AI features.
Best folding phone
Galaxy Z Flip 6
The Galaxy Z Flip 6’s folding screen might not have a practical purpose beyond making the device slightly smaller, but it sure is cool. Snapping it closed is just so satisfying. This year’s key upgrades include a faster chip, Galaxy AI features, and a more squared-off, refined design with minimized bezels.
The foldable also remains far cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, putting it squarely within reach of a lot of people. As far as foldable smartphones go, Samsung’s cuter foldable is the complete package this year.
Galaxy Z Flip 6
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 doesn’t mess with a good thing, but does come with a larger battery, better cameras, and more RAM to make your overall foldable experience smoother.
Runner-up: Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Pixel 9 Pro Fold
$1500 $1800 Save $300
Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold aims to solve the original Pixel Fold’s key issues thanks to its thinner and lighter design, Tensor G4 chip and more fluid hinge. Its larger 8-inch inner display is flanked by smaller and more symmetrical bezels.
Runner-up: Honor Magic V3
Honor Magic V3
Honor’s latest book-style foldable phone is incredibly thin and light — more so than many slab-style devices. The device also comes with tons of AI goodies, as well as Google’s new Circle to Search feature.
Best tablet
iPad Pro (2024)
This year’s high-end iPad featured the most significant redesign to the iPad Pro in years. Along with the powerful M4 chip, the iPad Pro (2024) is incredibly thin — seriously, it’s mind-blowing when you’re holding it in your hand. This makes even the bigger 13-inch version of the M4 iPad Pro feel smaller than it actually is.
The addition of the glare-resistant nano-texture display and its revamped Magic Keyboard are also stellar. It might be pricey, but it’s difficult not to be impressed by the iPad Pro (2024).
iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)
$900 $1000 Save $100
The smaller display sized version of Apple’s most powerful iPad. This new iPad Pro packs a punch with its PC-class M4 processing package, an impressively thin chassis, and an excellent OLED display panel.
Runner-up: iPad mini (2024)
iPad mini (2024)
Apple’s 7th generation miniature-sized iPad, complete with an A17 Pro chip for full-fledged Apple Intelligence support. Its compact size makes it ideal for mobile gaming and for reading ebooks and documents.
Best earbuds
AirPods 4
This year, the lines between the AirPods Pro and AirPods blurred significantly. The new AirPods 4 with ANC features active noise cancellation, improved audio quality that rivals Apple’s high-end wireless earbuds, and most importantly, a comfortable design. The wireless earbuds basically the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) without an in-ear design.
Apple’s AirPods 4 are an all-around solid wireless earbud package and arguably the top option for most iPhone users.
AirPods 4 with ANC
The 4th gen AirPods feature Active Noise Cancelation and pack an upgraded audio punch. The new H2 chip and improved acoustic architecture improve sound quality compared to the previous generation.
Runner-up: Nothing Ear (a)
Nothing Ear (a)
$77 $100 Save $23
The Nothing Ear (a) is a budget-friendly pair of earbuds that pack premium features like ANC at a budget-friendly price and a memorable pop of color. They also offer ChatGPT integration for Nothing phones.
Best headphones
Sonos Ace
Sonos’ first entry into the headphone space is a solid one (let’s just ignore the botched new Sonos app release they’re tied to). The headphones feature a sleek design, a great sound profile, and excellent battery life. Other notable features include excellent ANC and transparency modes, as well as the ability to swap audio to your Sonos sound system easily.
As long as you can swallow their expensive price tag, the Sonos Ace are an excellent pair of wireless headphones.
Sonos Ace
$345 $450 Save $105
Sonos hasn’t quite aced its first attempt at a headphone, but it’s one of the best first-generation products released in a long time. Sonos fans may be disappointed that it doesn’t do more within the ecosystem, but reviewed on its own merits, it could be worth your money.
Runner-up: Sony WH-CH720N
Sony WH-CH720N
$88 $100 Save $12
The Sony WH-CH720N’s are a solid pair of headphones, especially considering the price. They boast a lightweight form factor along with a premium-grade audio quality and ANC capabilities.
Best smartwatch
Apple Watch Series 10
The Apple Watch Series 10 might look a lot like the Apple Watch Series 9 at first glance, but there are a lot of upgrades this year. The smartwatch features a sprawling display, audio playback through its internal speaker, and it’s both noticeably thinner and lighter than the Series 9.
Other key upgrades include the new S10 chip and a 2,000-nit display that makes the screen easier to view under direct sunlight. If you plan to upgrade your Apple Watch this year, the Series 10 is a solid wearable.
Apple Watch Series 10
$380 $430 Save $50
The Series 10 is Apple’s thinnest Apple Watch yet. It also features the company’s largest smartwatch screen to date, allowing the device to display more text and a bigger keyboard for typing. Battery life still comes in at the 18-hour mark.
Runner-up: Garmin Fēnix 8
Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED
The Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED blends smartwatch and adventure watch features into one highly advanced wearable with a vibrant AMOLED display. It features a microphone and speaker to take calls and use voice commands right on your wrist.
Best e-reader
Kindle Paperwhite (2024)
This year, one of the best e-readers got a little bit better. The Paperwhite (2024), the latest version of Kindle’s Paperwhite, features a bigger 7-inch screen and, most importantly, a faster chip. This makes it feel far more responsive than past versions of the Paperwhite, especially if you aren’t coming from its 2021 refresh.
Other upgrades include improved display contrast and, if you upgrade to the Signature Edition, auto-brightness, which can be very useful when reading under darker conditions.
Kindle Paperwhite (2024)
$130 $160 Save $30
Amazon’s new Kindle Paperwhite is its fastest yet, with 25 percent faster page turns. It also has a larger 7-inch display. The device comes with USB-C connectivity, as well as a water-resistant design.
Runner-up: Boox Go Color 7
Boox Go Color 7
An Android-based e-reader with a color e-paper display. It supports USB-C and Bluetooth 5.0 audio, and can run many apps from the Google Play Store. Its 64GB of onboard storage is expandable via microSD cards.
Best gadget
ROG Ally X
If you want to play pretty much every recently released PC game on a portable console, there’s no better option out there than the ROG Ally X. Along with its sleeker design and bigger battery, the handheld also features 24GB of RAM, giving you far more headroom to run higher-end titles, especially compared to the Steam Deck.
Add in the ability to easily play Xbox PC Game Pass titles and nearly anything your gaming PC can run, and the Windows-based ROG Ally X really becomes the Steam Deck killer.
ROG Ally X
The second generation of Asus’ ROG sets a new bar for handheld gaming devices. Improvements to storage, battery life, and 8GB of more RAM, along with a ton of other improvements help make the ROG Ally X the best handheld gaming device.
Runner-up: DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is an upgraded action cam with a 40-megapixel sensor. The device can shoot video at up to 4K at 120 frames per second, and has a battery life of around 4 hours.
Best streaming service with live TV
YouTube TV
If there is one thing the Pocket-lint staff is united in, it is our love for YouTube TV, as every single member of staff voted this as their favorite live TV streamer. Despite the fact that the service has come under fire lately for jacking up prices ( during the holiday season no less), YouTube TV remains the king of live TV streaming services thanks to its diverse channel lineup, unlimited DVR, and intuitive UI. Let’s just hope they cool it with the price hikes in 2025.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is an online-based streaming service that aims to be an alternative to cable TV. The service is available across platforms, and offers tons of on-demand content — the service doesn’t come cheap, however.
Best game
Balatro
If you told me at the start of 2024 that a card-based roguelike that uses Poker-themed mechanics would be topping Game of the Year lists around the Internet we would be… very confused. But here we are at the end of the year and it’s safe to say that the world has caught Balatro fever, with millions around the world saying “just one more run” to themselves repeatedly they burn away countless hours trying to beat the Boss Blinds. The game is widely available on pretty much every platform, from the Nintendo Switch to PC and even iOS, so you can get your fix anytime, anyplace (and Pocket-lint’s staffers often do!)
Balatro
LocalThunk’s Balatro is a deck-building roguelike that uses poker as a launchpad to create something that offers endless possibilities. You’re going to need every edge you can get in order to reach the boss blind, beat the final ante, and secure victory.
Runner-up: Astro Bot
Some people call it a kids’ game, but here at Pocket-lint we call Astro Bot what it is: a loving tribute to 30 years of PlayStation history. And it doesn’t hurt that this title is an outstanding platformer as well. With an intoxicating blend of puzzles and action, and just enough nostalgia, Astro Bot is truly a game for everyone, and we can’t wait to see what the folks at Team Asobi cook up next.
Astro Bot
The follow-up to the PS5 pack-in game Astro’s Playroom, Team Asobi’s Astro Bot is a fully fleshed-out 3D platformer with over 80 stages. Throughout the campaign, Astro will get access to more than 15 abilities.
Runner-up: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a top-down adventure that shakes things up by pushing Princess Zelda into the protagonist role. Alongside a fairy, Zelda will go on an epic journey to protect Hyrule and find the missing Link.
Best streaming device
Apple TV 4K
Look, it may be a little pricey, but if you’re someone who streams content every day, the Apple TV 4K is worth investing in. With a snappy interface, quick loading times, and no ads, streaming content has never felt better than it does on this little box. Add in fun extras like access to Apple Arcade games and Apple Music with Dolby Atmos and you’ve got a streaming device that actually packs great value, despite its high price point.
Apple TV 4K
Apple’s latest generation TV set-top box. This 4K-capable model comes with HDMI 2.1, Bluetooth 5.0, and a USB-C Siri Remote control. The product runs tvOS, Apple’s bespoke big-screen operating system, and offers access to countless streaming services, apps, and casual games.
Runner-up: Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Roku Streaming Stick 4K
$30 $50 Save $20
One of the most reliable plug-and-play streaming solutions on the market, the Roku Streaming Stick lets you pipe 4K entertainment from dozens of services to any HDMI-compatible set. It comes with Dolby Vision support and a voice-controlled remote.
Trending Products
