2026 was the year AI moved from feature to foundation. Here are the products that defined it.
Smartphone of the year
iPhone 16 Pro — Apple Intelligence shipped, the camera control button proved useful, and ProMotion is finally on base models.
Android phone of the year
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra — The most refined Galaxy AI release yet. The S Pen still has no equal.
Laptop of the year
MacBook Pro M4 Max — A near-perfect productivity laptop. Battery, screen, performance — top of class.
Best value laptop
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (2026) — OLED display, Intel Lunar Lake, 18-hour battery at under $1,000.
TV of the year
LG G5 OLED — Brighter MLA panel, perfect blacks, gaming features at every input.
Headphones of the year
Sony WH-1000XM6 — Reclaims the ANC crown and improves battery to 36 hours.
Earbuds of the year
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) — Best ANC in earbud form, refined fit.
Smartwatch of the year
Apple Watch Ultra 3 — Bigger screen, blood pressure, and 5G eSIM.
Tablet of the year
iPad Pro M4 (13") — Tandem OLED is genuinely a revelation.
Camera of the year
Sony A7 V — All-rounder for hybrid shooters.
Gaming console of the year
Nintendo Switch 2 — A patient generational leap that paid off.
Game of the year (tech context)
GTA 6 — The technical achievement of the decade.
Honorable mentions
Rabbit r2, Humane Pin retirement, Meta Ray-Ban Display, and the rise of AI-first phones from Samsung and Google.