The Best Gadgets Of 2016

The Best Gadgets Of 2016


We spend a lot of time playing with gadgets at Gizmodo. A lot! Very few actually impress us, but 2016 did deliver some great gear we actually liked. Here are some of our favourite gadgets this year.


Sony Playstation VR 

With the launch of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, 2016 started out strong as the year virtual reality finally went mainstream, but no headset impressed quite like PlayStation VR — the first that could realistically get a foothold. Compared to more expensive systems, PSVR was easy to set up, relatively cheap, and worked with a console that’s owned by 50 million people. You’ll still get a headache if you pay for too long — as with most other systems — but the games are solid and price isn’t bad either. $550


Anki Cozmo

We’ve seen a lot of pet robots over the years — but none were ever as cute or cheap as the $US180 ($248) Anki Cozmo. With the help of a couple of Pixar animators, toymaker Anki built a robot with two motorised treads, big engaging eyes, and a ton of personality. The robot comes with built-in facial recognition, so it knows who it’s playing with. It also has a couple of simple games in which the little bot moves plastic cubes plastic around a table. When Cozmo loses, it throws the blocks around and sulks. Sore loser, huh? $US180


NES Classic Edition

This year, Nintendo made a splash when it re-released a smaller version of its original NES with 30 classic games built in. Even though the system is miniaturized, the controllers are still full-sized, meaning you’ll now be able to kick arse in Donkey Kong on your huge flatscreen TV. $99


DJI Mavic Pro 4K Drone

The DJI Mavic Pro manages to strike the best balance of any drone we’ve ever used. It’s a great substitute for the more expensive and heavier Phantom 4, and and holds up well even when hit by a strong gust of wind. Its four propellers also fold into the body and its controller folds up too, making it easy to carry around in something like a parka jacket pocket. Plus, and perhaps most importantly, it has an excellent 4K camera and solid in-flight performance. If you’re looking for a great portable drone — this is the one to get. $1699


Google Home

This year, Google hopes to top the success of the Amazon Echo with its own digital assistant speaker, Google Home. The sound quality is definitively better than the original Echo’s, with the obvious catch that the unit can’t hear voice requests when it’s playing at maximum volume. Google Home currently responds to fewer commands than the Echo, but Google just released the an SDK for the device, meaning third-parties can program new capabilities. The catch: Google Home is still not technically available in Australia. Fingers crossed for 2017. $US130 ($179)


GoPro Hero5

What can we say: GoPro still makes the best action camera because it’s simple enough for anyone to use but small enough to go anywhere. This year, GoPro finally released camera that’s waterproof without clunky plastic casing. It also packs in some smart features like automatic bookmarking while recording videos. $550


iPhone 7 and Plus 7

They’re missing a headphone jack, but they’re still the best phones on the market. The newest iPhones include a bunch of deceptively ambitious technology including a dual-camera (on the 7 Plus), a touch-sensor home button, and both models are finally water resistant. That means you can take great photos even after you drop your phone in the toilet (just be sure to give it a thorough rinse if you do). From $1079


Bowers & Wilkins’ P7 Wireless

Wireless bluetooth headphones get a bad wrap for having short battery life and sacrificing sound quality. Not the P7s. These headphones get a ridiculous range out of their drivers and the 17-hour battery life is plenty enough for a full day of work or a super long flight. The P7s also come with the classic look of B&W’s other wireless headphones, so you don’t have to worry about looking like a dweeb with a pair of overpriced phones. $500-$600


Amazon Echo Dot

For a long time, the Echo Dot was only available to Amazon Echo owners. Not anymore. Now, anyone can buy one. The Dot lets you outfit your existing speaker setup with the same artificial intelligence that the Echo uses, meaning your home theatre can also be your personal digital assistant. At its heart, the Dot has the same seven-microphone array that was in the original Echo, so it hears your requests when you belt them out from across the house. It also works with all of the smart home stuff and apps that have been built for Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant. $US40 ($55)


Bose QuietComfort 35 Bluetooth headphones 

You can walk into basically any airport in America and see a pair of Bose headphones within a few minutes. There’s a good reason for that: The company’s noise cancelling headphones have been preferred by travellers for years now, and the company just released a new and improved wireless version. The sound quality on the headphones is still solid, and though they’re not as great-sounding as the Bowers & Wilkins P7s, the 20-hour battery life is one of the longest available and the fact that they collapse into a small burrito-sized package is a nice touch. $550


Asus ZenBook 3 UX390UA

Asus made a solid pitch for its own Zenbook PCs this year when it built a laptop that matches the MacBook in weight and thickness. Price varies depending on the processor, but the cheapest model packs in an Intel i5 processor — more power than the MacBook for cheaper. From around $2100


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At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.