The landscape of consumer electronics reached a significant inflection point in 2025, characterized by the shift from experimental features to refined, AI-integrated ecosystems. Gizmodo’s annual ‘Best Tech’ awards have long served as a benchmark for industry excellence, and this year’s list of winners reflects a marketplace focused on utility, sustainability, and seamless user experiences.
At the forefront of this year’s selection is the maturation of artificial intelligence. Unlike the fragmented software updates of previous years, the 2025 winners demonstrate how ‘Agentic AI’ is being baked directly into hardware. From smartphones that manage complex workflows autonomously to laptops that optimize power consumption in real-time based on user behavior, the award-winning devices represent a new era of proactive computing. These innovations move beyond the hype of generative models, focusing instead on privacy-centric, on-device processing that enhances daily productivity.
In the hardware sector, foldable and rollable display technologies have finally moved past their nascent stages to become durable, mainstream contenders. Gizmodo’s top honors highlighted devices that prioritized ergonomic refinement and battery longevity without sacrificing the experimental form factors that define the current generation. Meanwhile, the computing category saw a decisive victory for ARM-based architectures, which have now established a new standard for performance-per-watt, effectively closing the gap between ultra-portable tablets and high-end workstations.
Wearables and smart home integration also saw significant breakthroughs. The 2025 winners in the health-tech space have shifted toward non-invasive preventative monitoring, offering medical-grade insights within consumer-grade aesthetics. Simultaneously, the smart home ecosystem has embraced universal interoperability standards, finally delivering on the promise of a cohesive, frictionless automated environment.
As we look toward the remainder of the decade, Gizmodo’s 2025 award winners serve as more than just a buyer’s guide; they are a roadmap for the future of the industry. These products prove that while raw power is still vital, the true winners are those that leverage technology to disappear into the background, making our digital lives more intuitive and our physical lives more connected.
