Despite how much this year was an Annus Horribilis on so many levels, some very good technology products were released. While we cannot list them all, here’s what made the top of our list on Jason Squared at ZDNet. It should come as no surprise that Apple utterly dominated the year’s list of best technology products. Apple brought its A-Game this year, and it is starting to look like an unbeatable force when you compare their product lineup to its competitors. Part of this is attributable to the fact that the company has so much cash and so much money devoted to research and development, that it’s one of the few who have been able to make it through the pandemic without introducing compromises into products it’s releasing. Let’s face it; its customers would not accept anything less. Just about the only thing the company has allowed to slip is delays in shipping and manufacturing. Apple has spread its products over multiple launches and ordering windows, but it’s handling it well. If it’s consciously left features out of products because of the pandemic situation, it’s done an excellent job of concealing it. There were a few things it could have done, like migrate to USB-C on iPhone and potentially get TouchID back as an authentication mechanism on the iPhone as well. But now we are nitpicking.
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Our runner up in the Android department goes to Google, with its Pixel 5. It’s not a super-performer like the iPhone 12, but it’s a very respectable midrange 5G device.
My runner up is the refreshed base-level iPad 8th Generation, which is ideal for students and folks who want a device for casual content consumption.
If you’re an Android user, Samsung and its Tizen OS is your best choice, with Gear S3.
However, I was really impressed with Huawei’s Freebuds Pro this year, in terms of the amount of technology packed into it as well as the noise-canceling performance which exceeded even the Airpods Pro. You might have a problem finding them now in North America, though. Jason Cipriani really likes the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus.
Apple’s new Homepod mini looks cute; the sound is probably decent for smaller drivers than what the full-size Echo 4th Gen has for the same price point. You’ll need to spend $300 at Apple to get an equivalent dynamic range and volume with a smart speaker, the bigger HomePod. And well… Siri isn’t that bright.
Jason Cipriani likes the new Roku Ultra. It does have Apple TV support, but it doesn’t have HBO Max.
Our sister sites also have the following gift guides:
CNET: Stellar gifts for 2020 GameSpot: Gift Ideas for 2020 Chowhound: The best gourmet food and drink giftsETOnline: Best gift ideas for home, beauty, baby and more TechRepublic: Holiday gift guides for techies, remote workers, and everyone else on your listRachel Ray Show: 2020 Holiday Gift Guide
