Gizmodo has officially rolled out its Best Tech of 2026 Awards, culminating an intensely busy year of product evaluations across the consumer electronics market. Every winner featured in the newly published awards list has been tested extensively by the publication's Consumer Tech team, highlighting the hardware that truly stood out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Key takeaways
- Apple's iPhone 17e brings double the starting storage, an A19 chip, and a Ceramic Shield 2 glass screen to the budget market.
- Samsung captured the top Android phone spot with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, featuring four rear optical lenses and a Privacy Display.
- The M5 MacBook Air remains the premier everyday laptop choice thanks to its slim frame and powerful architecture.
- Valve introduced its second-generation Steam Controller featuring TMR joysticks and refined trackpad controls.
Smartphones, tablets, and e-readers lead the charge
Apple and Samsung dominated the mobile device categories this year with iterative refinements and new form factors. The budget-focused iPhone 17e offers double the base storage of its predecessor alongside an A19 chip and Ceramic Shield 2 glass. Meanwhile, the flagship iPhone 18 Pro introduces a variable aperture camera system, a larger vapor chamber for sustained thermal performance, and a smaller Dynamic Island available in Burgundy and Glacier colorways. Apple also entered the foldable market with the iPhone Duo, utilizing a nano-texture layer to minimize inner display creasing and leveraging iOS 27 optimizations for split-screen multitasking.
Samsung countered with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, retaining the signature S Pen while adding four optical lenses and a Privacy Display designed to block prying eyes. In the foldable space, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 delivers a slimmer, lighter chassis with refined AI context actions. Tablet buyers saw strong contenders like the M4 iPad Air running iPadOS 27 alongside the massive 14-inch Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, which boasts dual rear cameras and a vibrant screen capable of functioning as a laptop replacement when paired with an S Pen and Pro Keyboard. Amazon rounded out the category by updating its Kindle Colorsoft with a flush screen design, uniform plastic body, and relocated power button.
Laptops, desktops, and portable gaming gear
Performance upgrades defined the desktop and laptop spaces in 2026, led by Apple's M5 MacBook Air and the compact M6 Mac mini. Microsoft entered the premium tier with the Surface Laptop Ultra, featuring a magnetic USB-C port, a bright screen, and an Nvidia N1X chip tailored for high-compute rendering and AI tasks. Asus found success with the dual-screen Zenbook Duo, which combines two 14-inch OLED displays with a magnetic keyboard, while Razer updated its Blade 16 lineup with energy-efficient Intel processors and discrete Nvidia graphics.
Gaming hardware also saw significant innovation through handhelds and desktop rigs. The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 carved out a distinct position with an OLED display and upgraded controls. For desktop towers, the iBuyPower Element Pulse X and the Maingear Zero—featuring a fishbowl case with a dedicated platform for stacking Lego kits—captured top honors. Valve also made waves by releasing the second iteration of its Steam Controller, incorporating TMR joysticks to make mouse-heavy PC gaming viable on a gamepad.
Audio gear and wireless innovation
Personal audio products emphasized improved active noise cancellation and ergonomic designs throughout the year. Sony's flagship WF-1000XM6 wireless earbuds and WH-CH530 on-ear headphones delivered strong audio fidelity, while Apple updated its non-in-ear lineup with the AirPods 5, boasting 1.5 times better ANC and an extra hour of listening time. Bose expanded the open-ear market with the second-generation Ultra Open Earbuds, bringing improved sound and new color options, and Sonos re-entered the portable market with the minimalist Play speaker.
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