The Pocket-lint 2025 finest in tech awards are right here

2025 has been an uneven yr for tech, with a lot of the yr dominated by uncertainties within the AI market, price hikes in the US due to government policies, huge layoffs, and giant mergers. Nonetheless, there have been some vibrant spots too, as we noticed the blockbuster launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, which went on to be Nintendo’s biggest console launch ever, and TikTok narrowly avoided being banned in the US with some intelligent authorized gymnastics.

Right here at Pocket-lint we have seen some nice tech this yr, from telephones to E Ink tablets, and wished to take a while to acknowledge the devices we really feel actually improved our lives in 2025:

Greatest Cellphone

iPhone 17

Model

Apple

SoC

A19

Show

6.3-inch 2622 x 1206 pixel decision Tremendous Retina XDR

Storage

256GB, 512GB

Ports

USB-C

Working System

iOS 26

The iPhone 17 is quintessentially Apple, combining refined {hardware} with a tried-and-true software program system, and releasing at a value level that continues to be palatable for the on a regular basis client. For the primary time on a non-Professional iPhone, the 17 ships with a sophisticated LTPO show able to refreshing at as much as 120Hz for silky-smooth scrolling, or all the best way all the way down to 1Hz to avoid wasting on battery life. This {hardware} addition additionally permits for the inclusion of an All the time-on Show (AOD), which provides a splash of comfort to the handset.

Whereas it’s true that the iPhone 17 lacks a telephoto digicam lens for zoom images, nearly every thing else concerning the cellphone feels about as premium and meticulously crafted because it will get. The fit-and-finish right here is best-in-class contemplating the value tag, the cellphone’s 6.2-inch kind issue is one thing of a goldilocks measurement for most individuals, and efficiency is lightning quick with the customized A19 chipset working under-the-hood.

In fact, Apple’s new Liquid Glass aesthetic in iOS 26 is considerably polarizing from a visible standpoint, and ecosystem lock-in may make or break your expertise with utilizing the gadget. Android purists can even nonetheless discover friction within the customization division, even when the hole isn’t as pronounced because it as soon as was. For followers of the iPhone, or for anybody trying to soar on the iPhone bandwagon for the primary time, the 17 gives up an undeniably compelling smartphone bundle from high to backside.

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Runner-up: Google Pixel 10

Model

Google

Show

6.3-inch Actua Show 1080 x 2424 pixel decision OLED (60-120Hz)

Working System

Android 16

SoC

Tensor G5

RAM

12GB

Storage

128GB/256GB

With the Pixel 10, Google is focusing on refinement over revolution. The flagship Android smartphone is visually just like its predecessor, which is not any dangerous factor: this can be a well-built piece of package, with the now-iconic digicam bar design sitting proudly on the rear of the unit’s chassis, and with a brand new 5X telephoto lens housed beneath the glass — the primary triple rear digicam setup to hit a non-Professional Pixel handset. With a 6.2-inch show panel, the gadget additionally has compactness going for it, too.

The addition of a Qi2 ring of Pixelsnap magnets for improved wi-fi charging and for peripheral connectivity is one other large boon for the Pixel 10, making it appropriate with Apple’s standard cell MagSafe ecosystem. The handset additionally ships with Android 16 QPR1 out of the field, bringing with it a stunning new software program design language known as Materials 3 Expressive that I personally can’t get sufficient of.

In fact, with all these execs on deck, there have to be a catch, and within the case of the Pixel 10, that catch is the (comparatively under-performing) Tensor G5 processor powering the product. For those who’re a heavy cell gamer, then the Pixel 10 is decidedly not the cellphone for you, however for many Android customers, it’s a well-balanced bundle that’s genuinely exhausting to withstand. Even for iPhone loyalists, there’s lots to like right here, particularly with Pixelsnap lastly bridging the magnetic ecosystem hole with MagSafe.

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Greatest streaming stick

Winner: Roku Streaming Stick Plus

Model

Roku

Show

HDR10+

Working System

Roku OS

Downloadable Apps

1000’s

Connectivity

Wi-Fi

Earlier this yr, Roku launched the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, its new and improved 4K streaming stick. At $40, it packs a punch: full 4K HDR streaming, Bluetooth audio help, and, most significantly, easy accessibility to all of your favourite apps like Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and extra, because of Roku OS’s easy, intuitive interface.

Certain, it does not have all of the bells and whistles of the Roku Extremely or the Roku Streaming Stick 4K — no Dolby Imaginative and prescient or Dolby Atmos right here — however at $40 (and sometimes on sale for as little as $20), it is an extremely succesful streaming stick.

I’ve discovered myself recommending it to mates, household, and mainly anybody searching for a simple, inexpensive technique to stream in 4K. And let’s not neglect The Roku Channel, which gives over 500 free stay TV channels and might help you cut back your streaming invoice. For its mixture of versatility, ease of use, and value, it was a simple alternative for Pocket-lint’s finest streaming stick of 2025.

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Runner-up: Hearth TV Stick 4K Max

Model

Amazon

Decision

4K

Audio codecs

Dolby Atmos

RAM/storage

16 GB

The present-generation Hearth TV Stick 4K Max launched in 2023, however even in 2025, it is nonetheless a robust streaming gadget. At $60, it is pricier than the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, however you get a bunch of extras: Wi-Fi 6E help, Dolby Imaginative and prescient and Dolby Atmos, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage.

Just like the Roku stick, the 4K Max typically goes on sale, regularly dropping to round $40. However that is nonetheless double the value of the Roku Streaming Stick Plus at its sale value, so when you do not want all the flowery extras, the cheaper Roku stick is the smarter choose.

Nonetheless, on the flip facet, in case your TV helps Dolby Imaginative and prescient and Dolby Atmos, otherwise you simply desire a extra highly effective streaming gadget, the 4K Max is a incredible possibility, and it is turn into my go-to streamer for my LG OLED TV. Plus, the 4K Max is far more inexpensive than a Google TV Streamer or Apple TV. For these causes, it simply earns an honorable point out for the perfect streaming stick this yr.

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Greatest E Ink pill

Winner: Kindle Paperwhite

Storage

16GB

Battery

As much as 12 weeks

Ports

USB-C

Show kind

Amazon’s 7-inch Paperwhite show know-how with built-in gentle, 300 ppi, optimized font know-how, 16-level grey scale.

Connectivity

Helps 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz networks

Measurements

7 x 5 x 0.3-inch

E-readers shine as single-use gadgets and should defend their easy roots day by day in a world riddled with do-it-all gadgets. The one e-reader that does it the perfect is the Kindle Paperwhite – amongst all e-readers and Kindle fashions alike. Its premium options aren’t frilly, and don’t include a value your pockets is bound to draw back from.

I typically declare that the fundamental Kindle is the best E Ink pill to advocate to informal readers, however the Kindle Paperwhite packs just a few premium options that noticeably elevate any ebook binging. It packs the identical entry-level 16 GB as the bottom Kindle, however boasts a much bigger 7-inch show with an auto-adjusting entrance gentle, heat show filter for nighttime studying, and as much as double the battery life (12 weeks on a single cost). Plus, as a poolside or bathtub reader, it has an IPX8 ranking that really protects it towards water and mud, so I can devour my tales in peace (and get a tan whereas I’m at it).

None of its ‘premium’ options are frilly – not like the 32 GB and ineffective wi-fi charging on the Signature Editions – that solely exist to squeeze just a few extra greenback indicators out of your pockets. If there was a throne devoted to a wonderfully priced gadget with subsequent to no drawbacks, the Kindle Paperwhite can be sitting proudly atop it at $160. However don’t balk at that, both – it’s nearly all the time on sale.

Runner-up: Boox Tab X C

Storage

128GB

Battery

5500mAh

Decision

B&W 300 PPI + Shade 150 PPI

Display screen Measurement

13.3-inch 3200 x 2400 pixel decision Shade ePaper

Processor

2.8GHz Octa-core CPU

RAM

6GB

For those who’re searching for an E Ink pill that does greater than open books, the Boox Tab X C is solely the perfect out there. This ultra-thin pill measures simply 5.3mm thick and options an enormous 13.3-inch 3200 x 2400 shade E Ink display, making it the proper measurement for basic duties like drawing, studying textbooks, and naturally, studying and marking up PDFs.

Nonetheless, with a customized OS powered by Android 13 and an ​​Octa-Core CPU with 6GB of RAM beneath the hood, the Boox Tab X C is able to doing much more, giving customers the performance of an iPad or laptop computer in an E Ink pill. Although this gadget isn’t low cost, The Boox Tab X C earns excessive marks for being an modern evolution of what E Ink gadgets are able to in 2025, and I look ahead to seeing how Boox continues to drive the business ahead in 2026 and past.

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Greatest gaming handheld

Winner: Nintendo Swap 2

Storage

256GB (expandable with microSD Categorical playing cards)

Battery

5,220mAh

Ports

Two USB-C ports

Connectivity

Wi-Fi / Bluetooth

4K Functionality

Sure

Model

Nintendo

As a large fan of the unique Nintendo Swap, I used to be thrilled when Nintendo lastly unveiled the Swap 2 earlier this yr. I grabbed it on day one, and since then I’ve performed it practically day by day. There’s lots to unpack with the Swap 2, however the two largest enhancements over the Swap 1, for my part, are its efficiency and measurement.

The Swap 2 packs a way more highly effective Nvidia Tegra chipset, making video games look higher and run smoother. That is particularly noticeable in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which now run at a buttery-smooth 60FPS with considerably improved decision in each handheld and docked modes. Due to the {hardware} improve, the Swap 2 may also deal with AAA video games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Star Wars Outlaws, delivering spectacular visuals regardless of its compact kind issue, and lots of extra titles are coming in 2026.

Then there’s the display. Nintendo upgraded it to a stunning 7.9-inch 1080p show, which utterly blows the Swap 1’s 6.2-inch 720p panel out of the water.At $450, it is cheaper than different handhelds just like the Steam Deck OLED or Xbox ROG Ally, and for Nintendo followers, the expertise is leaps and bounds higher than the unique Swap. That is why it is earned its spot as Pocket-lint’s finest gaming handheld for 2025.

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Runner up: Lenovo Legion Go S

Storage

1TB

Ports

2x USB 4 (40Gb/s knowledge switch DisplayPort™ 1.4, + Energy Supply 3.0)

Weight

1.61lb

Chipset

AMD Ryzen Z2 Go

RAM

32GB 6400MHz LPDDR5X

Wi-fi Connectivity

Wi-Fi 6E 2×2 AX & Bluetooth 5.3

2025 noticed greater than a dozen handheld gaming PCs hit cabinets from the excessive finish MSI Claw 8 AI+ to the Xbox-branded ROG Ally X. Nonetheless, although these handhelds made headlines for prime value tags and model identify recognition, my favourite gadget this yr is definitely the Lenovo Legion Go S, a mid-tier gadget that’s practical, inexpensive, and has all of the options you want with nothing you don’t.

This handheld can also be distinctive because it is available in two varieties: the usual, Home windows 11 model, in addition to a Steam OS possibility, making it the one non-Steam Deck handheld to run the working system. With loads of choices, versatility, and a value level that doesn’t instantly make me wish to cry, this under-the-radar handheld is one which I’ve been recommending all yr lengthy to family and friends in 2025. It might not have probably the most superior options, transformer-like controllers, or the Xbox identify slapped on it, but when all you’re searching for is a straightforward gadget that performs the video games in your library, the Lenovo Legion Go S is the proper handheld.

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