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. Nevertheless, 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 needed to take a while to acknowledge the devices we really feel actually improved our lives in 2025:

Greatest Telephone

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 method, and releasing at a worth 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 way in which all the way down to 1Hz to save lots of 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 digital camera lens for zoom pictures, nearly every thing else in regards to the telephone 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 telephone’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 would possibly make or break your expertise with utilizing the system. Android purists may also 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 bounce on the iPhone bandwagon for the primary time, the 17 affords up an undeniably compelling smartphone package deal from prime 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 much like its predecessor, which isn’t any unhealthy factor: this can be a well-built piece of equipment, with the now-iconic digital camera 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 digital camera setup to hit a non-Professional Pixel handset. With a 6.2-inch show panel, the system 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 well-liked cellular MagSafe ecosystem. The handset additionally ships with Android 16 QPR1 out of the field, bringing with it a beautiful new software program design language referred to as Materials 3 Expressive that I personally can’t get sufficient of.

In fact, with all these professionals on deck, there should be a catch, and within the case of the Pixel 10, that catch is the (comparatively under-performing) Tensor G5 processor powering the product. When you’re a heavy cellular gamer, then the Pixel 10 is decidedly not the telephone for you, however for many Android customers, it’s a well-balanced package deal that’s genuinely laborious to withstand. Even for iPhone loyalists, there’s rather a lot 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

Roku Streaming Stick Plus contents including remote and USB cable

Model: Roku
Show: HDR10+
Working System: Roku OS
Downloadable Apps: Hundreds
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, quick access to all of your favourite apps like Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and extra, due to 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 infrequently on sale for as little as $20), it is an extremely succesful streaming stick.

I’ve discovered myself recommending it to mates, household, and principally anybody in search of a simple, inexpensive option to stream in 4K. And let’s not overlook The Roku Channel, which affords over 500 free reside TV channels and may help you scale back your streaming invoice. For its mixture of versatility, ease of use, and worth, it was a simple alternative for Pocket-lint’s finest streaming stick of 2025.

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Runner-up: Fireplace TV Stick 4K Max

Model: Amazon
Decision: 4K
Audio codecs: Dolby Atmos
RAM/storage: 16 GB

The present-generation Fireplace TV Stick 4K Max launched in 2023, however even in 2025, it is nonetheless a strong streaming system. 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, incessantly dropping to round $40. However that is nonetheless double the value of the Roku Streaming Stick Plus at its sale worth, so if you happen to do not want all the flowery extras, the cheaper Roku stick is the smarter decide.

Nevertheless, 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 system, the 4K Max is a improbable choice, 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 most effective streaming stick this yr.

Person holding Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

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Greatest E Ink pill

Winner: Kindle Paperwhite

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2024 12th generation — Amazon

Storage: 16GB
Battery: As much as 12 weeks
Ports: USB-C
Show sort: Amazon’s 7-inch Paperwhite show know-how with built-in mild, 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 units and should defend their easy roots every single day in a world riddled with do-it-all units. The one e-reader that does it the most effective is the Kindle Paperwhite – amongst all e-readers and Kindle fashions alike. Its premium options aren’t frilly, and don’t include a worth your pockets is certain to draw back from.

I typically declare that the essential Kindle is the best E Ink pill to advocate to informal readers, however the Kindle Paperwhite packs a number of premium options that noticeably elevate any e-book binging. It packs the identical entry-level 16 GB as the bottom Kindle, however boasts an even bigger 7-inch show with an auto-adjusting entrance mild, 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 truly 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 a number of extra greenback indicators out of your pockets. If there was a throne devoted to a wonderfully priced system with subsequent to no drawbacks, the Kindle Paperwhite could be sitting proudly atop it at $160. However don’t balk at that, both – it’s nearly at all times on sale.

Runner-up: Boox Tab X C

Storage: 128GB
Battery: 5500mAh
Decision: B&W 300 PPI + Colour 150 PPI
Display screen Measurement: 13.3-inch 3200 x 2400 pixel decision Colour ePaper
Processor: 2.8GHz Octa-core CPU
RAM: 6GB

When you’re in search of an E Ink pill that does greater than open books, the Boox Tab X C is just the most effective obtainable. This ultra-thin pill measures simply 5.3mm thick and options an enormous 13.3-inch 3200 x 2400 colour E Ink display screen, making it the right measurement for normal duties like drawing, studying textbooks, and naturally, studying and marking up PDFs.

Nevertheless, 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 system isn’t low cost, The Boox Tab X C earns excessive marks for being an progressive evolution of what E Ink units are able to in 2025, and I sit up for seeing how Boox continues to drive the trade ahead in 2026 and past.

The Boox Tab X C sitting on the a carpet

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Greatest gaming handheld

Winner: Nintendo Swap 2

The Switch 2 with Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on it

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 an enormous 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 almost every single day. There’s rather a lot 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 plenty of extra titles are coming in 2026.

Then there’s the display screen. Nintendo upgraded it to a beautiful 7.9-inch 1080p show, which fully 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

Lenovo Legion Go in front of a Stitch backpack.

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. Nevertheless, although these handhelds made headlines for prime worth tags and model identify recognition, my favourite system this yr is definitely the Lenovo Legion Go S, a mid-tier system that’s purposeful, inexpensive, and has all of the options you want with nothing you don’t.

This handheld can be distinctive because it is available in two kinds: the usual, Home windows 11 model, in addition to a Steam OS choice, making it the one non-Steam Deck handheld to run the working system. With loads of choices, versatility, and a worth level that doesn’t instantly make me need 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 essentially the most superior options, transformer-like controllers, or the Xbox identify slapped on it, but when all you’re in search of is a straightforward system that performs the video games in your library, the Lenovo Legion Go S is the right handheld.