12 best gadgets in the world today: SK's definitive list of the top tech you can own
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Sennheiser Momentum Wireless, Sony A7R II and more make the cut
Here we present the best gadgets available right now in 12 key categories, to save you the hard work of doing all the research yourself. In short, if you’re starting from scratch and want the very best there is, then this is your new shopping list.
This list will only be updated when something new emerges that is capable of toppling an existing product from its perch – there may therefore be months when the 12 products featured here don’t change.
But this is an exclusive club, and only tech that is capable of achieving a towering standard of excellence gets in.
1. Best smartphone - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
The S6 Edge was, quite simply, the best smartphone of 2015. It was also the best smartphone of early 2016 too, with a combination of a stylish glass and metal build, gorgeous curved screen and stunning camera turning iPhone and Windows Phone users green with envy. However, Samsung have since dropped the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and, while not delivering radical advancement, the company has upgraded and honed last year's flagship with super impressive results. When reviewing the phone, SK said that:
"Whether you value the premium glass and aluminium chassis, the high-end specs, or the outstanding camera. This smartphone has it all."
Price: £541.98
2. Best home audio - Naim Mu-so Qb
When undertaking an ears-on with this stunning piece of audio tech.
"This thing sounds superb. Cracking. As Jim Bowen would say, super, smashing, lovely, great. It [delivers] a rich, delicious, chocolaty sound with plenty of well controlled bass and even a reasonable stab at stereo, considering the small size. All in all, there's very little to complain about with the Qb. Given how well its £895 big bro' did it should absolutely fly off the shelves, and it deserves to."
Price: £595.00
3. Best tablet - iPad Pro 9.7
The iPad Air 2 ruled the roost here for ages as, really, it has enough power and performance to satisfy most people. However, finally the iPad Pro 9.7 has taken it down, with its awesome 2048 x 1536 resolution screen, A9X CPU and 4K video shooting capability helping it take the crown.
Tasty hardware specs mixed with Apple's trademark flair and style? Yes please!
Price: £499.00
4. Best headphones - Sennheiser Momentum Wireless
We simply hate mediocre sound quality here and, in the bloated, hype-tastic field of headphones, we choose and recommend only the absolute best cans on the market.
The Momentum Wireless from Sennheiser tick all the boxes you would want from a premium set of headphones, delivering deep, rich sound, a lovely premium finish and some tasty active noise cancellation tech in one amazing package.
Woof!
Price: £289.95
5. Best TV - LG 55EG960V
Ok, we know, that’s some serious brass to layout on a TV, however we can absolutely guarantee that it will be money well spent as this OLED 4K, ULTRA HD TV from LG is just stunning. With a sound system designed by Harman / Kardon, as well as packing a Smart TV interface, 4K upscaler and LG’s Perfect Black tech, watching both 2D and 3D content on this bad boy is simply a dream. A jaw-dropping combination of total black, cracking colour, judder-free video, a reflection-free curve and an innate ability to make standard-def sources ripple with realism.
Price: £2,299.00
6. Best smartwatch - Apple Watch
Apple’s first wearable isn’t perfect, however after selling out on launch and now a recognisable sight on the highstreet, there’s no doubting its impact. And, looking at the tech, it’s not hard to see why. The OLED display is beautiful, with great contrast, the battery life is solid and the functionality rich and varied. The Apple Watch is luxury over necessity for sure, but as luxury tech goes, it’s really rather attractive.
Price: Various
7. Best TV streamer - Amazon Fire TV
Delivering Ultra HD, 4K streaming capabilities at a budget price, the Fire TV is a great choice if you’re looking to augment your entertainment setup with a capable media centre. This is especially true if you’re a Amazon Prime subscriber, with its vast library of content slickly accessible through the Fire’s responsive and intuitive UI.
Price: £79.99
8. Best fitness tracker - Fitbit Blaze
The Blaze didn't blow SK away when it arrived earlier this year, however there is no doubting that if you want to buy a fitness tracker right now it is the best on the market. It's an attractive and functional wearable that, thanks to a new 1.6-inch, 240 x 180 colour touchscreen, helps elevate it away from the throng. When reviewing the Fitbit Blaze.
"The Blaze may not be a revolutionary device, but it fills a gap in Fitbit’s line-up. It should appeal to those after a cheap smartwatch with good battery life."
Price: £155.95
9. Best laptop - Dell XPS 15
Loaded with Dell’s InfinityEdge virtually borderless display, a GeForce GTX 960M 2GB GDDR5 graphics card and premium aluminium and carbon fibre chassis, the XPS 15 is one hell of a laptop. When you consider this machine at this price point comes stocked with 16GB of RAM, a Core i7 Quad-Core processor and a 1TB SSD, then you’re looking at a system with simply monstrous power and potential. If you can afford it and need a laptop, the XPS 15 is the obvious choice.
Price: £1,899.00
10. Best connected home - Nest Learning Thermostat
Despite a rapid influx of smart home tech flooding the market, the Nest Learning Thermostat remains king of the category thanks to some really solid tech, slick and stylish design and - crucially - genuine everyday use.
This latest, 3rd generation, comes with some really wizzy features too, such as auto-scheduling, remote hot water control and auto-away, the latter a feature where the Nest automatically detects when nobody is at home and turns down the temperature accordingly.
Price: £192.87
11. Best camera - Sony A7R II
Canon and Nikon have dominated the camera market for years, however new kid Sony is really starting to make waves in the market with a series of excellent products.
One of the most notable of these is the superb A7R II, an absolute corker of a camera that comes with a massive 42-megapixels, making it perfect for landscape and portrait photography.
Partner this with a solid and premium feel compact body, as well as rather tasty video capabilities, and you've got one hell of a camera.
Price: £1,910.00
12. Best automotive - Volvo XC90 T8
It looks mint, drives well and surrounds you with incredible materials, build quality and confidence that it is one of the safest cars in the world. In addition, if you choose the T8 variant then you get added green points by installing a petrol plug-in hybrid engine.
And, crucially, with entry level prices coming in lower than the BMW X5, Audi Q7, Mercedes M-Class and Land Rover Discovery, it is one of the most compelling and affordable packages on the market.
Price: £60,455
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