Technology & Innovation
Tech & Gadgets
The latest technology, expert reviews, and the gadgets actually worth your money — tested so you don't have to guess.
Our tech editors evaluate the latest gadgets and share their honest picks. Get our weekly roundup free.
Weekly tech roundup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
The latest technology, expert reviews, and the gadgets actually worth your money — tested so you don't have to guess.
This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. — Learn more
The world's most wanted smartphones — what everyone is buying right now, tested and ranked by our editors.
Editor's Choice
A18 Pro chip, 5x telephoto, 4K 120fps video, titanium design, satellite connectivity, and impressive battery life. Apple's most capable iPhone to date.
Check Current Price
Best Android
Snapdragon 8 Elite, 200MP camera, built-in S Pen, and a long OS update commitment. Samsung's most feature-rich flagship.
Check Current Price
Best Value
Google's Tensor G4 chip, best computational photography available, 7 years of updates, competitive pricing.
Check Current Price
Best Over-Ear
Highly regarded noise cancellation, strong battery life, multipoint connection, and premium audio. A consistent top pick from our editors.
Check Current Price
Best Earbuds
Acclaimed ANC earbuds — 8hr battery (24hr with case), 360 Reality Audio, premium sound. The earbuds that set the bar.
Check Current Price
Apple Pick
Adaptive Transparency, H2 chip, Personalized Spatial Audio, MagSafe charging. The earbuds for the Apple ecosystem.
Check Current Price
Luxury Audio
Computational audio, Active Noise Cancellation, H1 chip in each ear cup, premium aluminum design. The most luxurious earphones Apple makes.
Check Current Price
Best Overall
M4 Pro chip, generous unified memory, Liquid Retina XDR display, and outstanding battery life. Apple's most impressive MacBook Pro to date.
Check Current Price
Best Windows
Intel Core Ultra 9, OLED 4K display, NVIDIA RTX 4070, 64GB RAM option. The premium Windows laptop for power users.
Check Current Price
Best for Students
M3 chip, 15.3" Liquid Retina display, 18hr battery, fanless design, up to 24GB RAM. The best laptop you can buy.
Check Current Price
Thermostat
Learns your schedule, auto-adjusts, remote control, energy savings of up to 15%.
Check Current Price
Security
3D Motion Detection, Head-to-Toe HD video, Bird's Eye View. Know exactly who's at your door.
Check Current Price
Smart Lighting
Millions of color options, voice and app control, and music sync. A well-regarded smart lighting system that adds ambiance to any room.
Check Current Price
Hub
10" HD display that rotates to follow you, premium sound, smart home hub, built-in Zigbee hub.
Check Current PriceOur editors test hundreds of gadgets. These three earned unqualified recommendations — no asterisks, no caveats.
Apple's most accomplished earbuds represent a category-defining leap — the H2 chip delivers noise cancellation that rivals over-ear headphones at twice the price, while Personalized Spatial Audio places music around your head in three-dimensional space. The transparency mode is so natural that our editors occasionally forget they're wearing them in meetings.
Battery life reaches 30 hours total with the MagSafe case; the fit is exceptionally comfortable even for extended sessions. If you own an iPhone and you're not using AirPods Pro, you're leaving genuine quality-of-life improvements on the table.
PROS
CONS
The most capable thin-and-light laptop ever made — full stop. The M3 chip outperforms Intel-based machines that weigh twice as much and run twice as hot, while the fanless design means absolute silence whether you're in a library or a first-class lounge. Eighteen-hour battery life is not marketing language; our editors achieved it repeatedly under real workloads.
The 13.6" Liquid Retina display is exceptional in daylight; the 15-inch variant offers more screen real estate at a modest premium. For creative professionals, executives, and anyone who carries their computer everywhere, the MacBook Air M3 is the unrivaled choice.
PROS
CONS
Samsung's most ambitious Android tablet delivers a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display that is genuinely breathtaking — 120Hz, HDR10+, and 420 nits peak brightness that renders content with a vibrancy that Apple's iPad Pro has not yet surpassed. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor is, in one word, formidable.
The S Pen stylus is included at no extra cost — a meaningful advantage over Apple's Pencil upsell. For Android power users, creative professionals, and those who prefer the flexibility of DeX desktop mode, the Tab S9 Ultra is the definitive flagship Android tablet of 2026.
PROS
CONS
Ranked by our editors after real-world testing — the gadgets that actually deliver on their promises.
The world's most purchased premium earbuds — H2 chip ANC, Personalized Spatial Audio, and 30-hour total battery in MagSafe case. Nothing else in the true wireless category comes close for Apple users. Check Current Price
Eight microphones, dual processors, and the most refined over-ear noise cancellation on the planet. What everyone in the know is buying when they travel, focus, or simply demand to hear their music without the world's interference. Check Current Price
Fanless, featherlight, and ferociously capable — the MacBook Air M3 with its 18-hour battery is the premier choice for mobile professionals who refuse to compromise on performance. The most celebrated laptop of its generation. Check Current Price
The thinnest Apple product ever made — 5.1mm — with an Ultra Retina XDR OLED display that represents the most visually stunning screen on any portable device. For creative professionals, it is without peer. Check Current Price
The most capable smartwatch ever made — titanium case, 60-hour battery in Low Power Mode, dual-frequency GPS, and dive computer functionality to 100m. For those who demand the best in every category. Check Current Price
The portable power bank that redefined the category — 26,800mAh capacity, three USB ports, charges two iPads simultaneously, and costs a fraction of what lesser competitors charge for half the capacity. The editor's choice for travel preparedness. Check Current Price
Quantum Dot technology delivers 100% color volume, HDR10+ content looks exceptional, and Neo QLED local dimming achieves contrast ratios that challenge OLED without OLED's burn-in risk. The most purchased Samsung TV at this price tier. Check Current Price
Head-to-toe video view with 3D motion detection, enhanced pre-roll, and dual-band Wi-Fi — the premier video doorbell for homeowners who take security seriously. Wired installation means it never needs charging. Check Current Price
Bose's best-ever earbuds — CustomTune technology that calibrates audio to the unique shape of your ear canal, delivering a listening experience as individual as a fingerprint. Immersive Audio mode creates a spatial soundstage that is genuinely remarkable. Check Current Price
The smart home hub that genuinely earns its counter space — 10" HD display, built-in Nest camera, Google Assistant, Chromecast built-in, and the most cohesive smart home management interface available. Check Current Price
We cut through the hype and identified the ten smart home devices that make a measurable difference in everyday life.
The most capable and most purchased smart speaker on the planet — improved audio, temperature sensor, eero Wi-Fi extender built-in, and Alexa's most capable AI response engine to date. The hub every smart home starts with. Check Current Price
The gold standard in smart lighting — 16 million colors, voice control, music sync, and automations that respond to sunrise, sunset, and occupancy. Once you live with Philips Hue, standard lighting feels archaic. Check Current Price
The thermostat that learns your schedule in a week and programs itself — saving an average of 12% on heating and 15% on cooling costs. After seven years on the market it remains the most intelligent home climate device available. Check Current Price
Retrofit smart lock that fits over your existing deadbolt in minutes — DoorSense technology knows if your door is open, locked, or unlocked, and auto-locks behind you. Our editors' most-recommended home security investment. Check Current Price
2K HDR wire-free security camera with color night vision, integrated spotlight, two-way audio, and direct Wi-Fi connection — no hub required. The most sophisticated wire-free outdoor security camera on the market. Check Current Price
Spatial Audio speaker engineered specifically for Dolby Atmos music — six drivers arranged in six directions, Trueplay room calibration, and a soundstage that makes your living room feel like a performance venue. Check Current Price
The best streaming device ever made — A15 Bionic chip, Dolby Vision and Atmos support, HDR10+, and the most fluid TV navigation experience of any device in its class. If you own a 4K HDR TV and you're not using Apple TV 4K, you're not getting what you paid for. Check Current Price
The thermostat that outperforms the Nest at its own game — built-in Alexa voice control, smoke and CO alarm detection, air quality monitoring, and SmartSensor technology that reads temperature in multiple rooms simultaneously. Check Current Price
Self-empties into a CleanBase that holds 60 days of debris, navigates around pets and cords with PrecisionVision, and learns your preferred cleaning schedule over time. The most capable autonomous vacuum on the market. Check Current Price
The keypad smart lock with Apple Home Keys support — tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock in less than a second, create one-time codes for guests, and receive notifications every time your door opens or closes. Elegant, reliable, and genuinely useful. Check Current Price
Five of the most acclaimed over-ear headphones in 2026 — evaluated across every dimension that matters.
| HEADPHONES | PRICE | ANC | BATTERY | BEST FOR | BUY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony WH-1000XM5 | See Price | ★★★★★ | 30 hrs | Travel and focus | Amazon |
| Apple AirPods Max | See Price | ★★★★★ | 20 hrs | Apple ecosystem | Amazon |
| Bose QuietComfort 45 | See Price | ★★★★☆ | 24 hrs | Comfort all-day | Amazon |
| Sennheiser Momentum 4 | See Price | ★★★★☆ | 60 hrs | Audiophile listening | Amazon |
| Jabra Evolve2 85 | See Price | ★★★★☆ | 37 hrs | Professional calls | Amazon |