The 50 Best Gadgets of 2012

One word to describe this past year in tech: remarkable. Not only did we see some amazing mobile software hit the scene (peep the 50 Best Apps of 2012), but the market was also blessed with cutting-edge products from the industry’s titans. Apple released new models for each of its primary product divisions. Google earned critical praise for its recent wave of Android devices. Microsoft caught up with the competition and proved the Windows 8 platform is a force to be reckoned with. TDK set the standard for wireless audio streaming and Nike gave fitness freaks a gizmo that's changed the way people think about fitness.

Smartphones became, well, smarter and more advanced. Televisions took on colossal dimensions and are now producing IMAX-like visuals. And 3D printers opened us up to a world of insane and innovative inventions. So as we approach the New Year and anticipate the next generation of game-changing devices, it's only right we look back and rank the best gadgets of the 12 months.

Click here to Buy It Now from Jawbone, $300

Jawbone literally took the phrase “Bigger is Better” to heart when assembling the successor to its popular portable speaker. The new Jambox sports a larger form factor, improved sound quality, and longer battery life to keep the party jumping in your living room or work cubicle. Smartphone owners can use it as a speakerphone, too.

Click here to Buy it Now from Plantronics, $100

With smart call routing, enhanced voice commands, and the ability to locate your headset when misplaced—the Voyager Legend truly lives up to its “world’s smartest headset” maxim. Once placed on ear, you can hear who’s calling and check other notifications such as the connection status and battery life. Audio is clear and the boom mic minimizes environmental noise to improve wireless calling. If lost, you can track the headset from the last place it was used via map by downloading the MyHeadset app from Google Play. That's the move.

Click here to Buy it Now from Solid Signal, $350

Why bother installing a DVR service onto your HDTV? The Hopper can store recordings and provide playback on any TV in the crib. Ad-free. With 2TB of internal memory, there's more than enough space to save an entire seasonal lineup of hit television programs. Need recommendations? Check out the 25 Best TV Shows of 2012.

Click here to Buy it Now from the Apple Store, $150

Companies like GoPro and Contour have ushered in a new breed of portable action sports cameras, though the favorable device for capturing on-the-go video still remains the smartphone. Charging case specialists, mophie, introduced a new wide-angle lens that transforms your iPhone 4/4S into an awesome shooter for recording outdoor adventures. Pairing the device with the OUTRIDE app allows users to edit and share footage on the fly via social media, plus the creation of customized playlists automate searches for new content.

Click Here to Buy it Now from Verizon, $300 (w/two-year contract)

The battery efficiency demonstrated on the original Droid RAZR Maxx had Verizon subscribers on cloud nine. So what did Motorola do for an encore? Release an HD version with an even bigger battery and more vibrant display. A 3,300mAh cell and Moto’s patented Smart Actions app boosts phone vitality; squeezing out around eight to 14 hours on heavy use and more than a full day on moderate use. The RAZR Maxx HD produces high-quality visuals through its sharp 4.7-inch Super AMOLED HD screen, along with fast data speeds and processing power.

Click here to Buy it Now from Amazon, $300

Parrot’s second-gen drone flew in under the radar at this year’s CES and had every toy enthusiast on another high when it launched in Q2. The smartphone-controlled gadget features 720p HD video recording, an improved control system, and the ability to create its own Wi-Fi network to connect with an iDevice. Reinforced hulls come bundled in the package: one for outdoors with exposed blades and another for indoor flying that protects blades from colliding with objects like bookshelves. The estimated horizontal range on this baby is 95 feet, which means you can leave the kite at home moving forward.

Click here to Buy it Now from TDK, $200

TDK has been on a tear as of late, releasing a slew of excellent stereos and headpnones that are reintroducing the storied brand to a new generation of users. One of our favorites this year was the company's dual-driver (one for bass, the other for mid and high ranges) in-ear headphones which, when paired with the right ear-tips, deliver a warm and sumptuous sound.

Click Here to But it Now from Sony, $250

Sony's second-gen handheld might be far behind the 3DS in sales, but there’s no denying the Vita’s raw graphics power and cross-platform play. Games and video playback look marvelous on Samsung’s 5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display. Touchscreen input is responsive, while accommodating the manufacturer’s iconic control scheme. Throw in some game franchise exclusives and app support (Netflix, Skype), and Sony has a portable monster that’s far more deserving of a bigger reception.

Click here to Buy It Now from the Apple Store, $200

These innovative light fixtures provide a remote way of maintaining energy control in the household by granting the option to adjust and schedule lighting from a smartphone app. Each bulb supports a number of color schemes that can be chosen from a color palette. Brightness levels peak at 600 lumens and energy consumption is measured at 8.5 watts, which should bring down electricity costs. Let there be light.

Click here to Buy It Now from Sonos, $700

Sonos’ huge TV campaign has brought public awareness to its awesome (and overlooked) Play3 all-in-one wireless music player. And if you’re one of the many audiophiles (along with Janelle Monae) to own the sound system, then investing in the company’s first wireless subwoofer is a must. The Sonos Sub relies on two subwoofers and class-D amplifiers to blast powerful bass and treble through its drivers, promoting an astonishing sound stage. Bang, Bang!

Click here to Buy it Now from B&N, $120

Time to ditch the clip-on light. B&N’s popular e-reader got with the times and welcomes edge lighting to brighten the viewing experience in any environment. The six-inch E Ink Pearl display is both responsive and supports up to six fonts for better reading. In addition, ePub compatibility and the additional memory card slot make it easy to sideload books in different formats.

Click here to Buy It Now from Amazon, $250

If you live most of your life in a browser, the Chromebook is perfect for you. Lightweight, ridiculously cheap, and fast enough to handle everyday Internet activities, Google's new netbook/tablet-fighter is one of the most interesting products to drop this year. There are some setbacks: There's no file management system, so downloading files is out of the question. Everything is done in the cloud, so if you don't have an Internet connection you're SOL. The display is not on par with most ultraportable laptops or tablets. That said, it's a charming little machine, one that will undoubtedly get better as the years pass by and wireless broadband becomes more prominent.

Click here to Buy it Now from Amazon, $300

Forget copping a $1,000 Epson projector or a standalone Roku box. This pico projector packs enough multimedia and hi-tech functionality to make it well worth the investment. Built-in, dual-band Wi-Fi and the integrated Roku stick provides access to a multitude of streaming apps including Netflix, Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, MLB.TV, and more. It fits right in hand and projects DVD-quality onto any flat surface.

Click Here to Buy it Now from Sony, $300

Like every other celebrity-endorsed product to hit the market, we had our reservations about the Sony/Simon Cowell headphone collaboration. Then we took the premium sound cans for a test run and found its “full-range audio” to be stellar. The 50mm drivers dish out monstrous bass that bounces right off your eardrum, plus the snug ear pads feel like pillows on the head when kicking back.

Click here to Buy It Now from MarketBot, $2,200

With 3D printing shifting the face of the production industry, companies like Makerbot are making its mark with today’s creative class. The follow-up to its groundbreaking 3D printer dons a sleeker metal casing and bigger build frame that’s 37 percent larger than its predecessor. Control management is easier thanks to the larger LCD screen and new features such as “Cold Pause” allow builders to pause and resume where they last left off.

Related: The 10 Craziest 3D-Printed Creations (So Far)

Click here to Buy it Now from LG, $20,000

This ginormous HDTV makes for the ultimate living room centerpiece—delivering insane 3D visuals and a 3840 x 2160 resolution onto its 84-inch display. LG’s four-mode Magic Remote serves as a mouse that features point-and-click and gesture commands, plus voice recognition for easier Smart TV navigation. A dual-core processor keeps multimedia streaming moving at lag-free rates, too. You might have to take out another mortgage on the house to get this in your man cave, but it’s a small price to pay to watch the Super Bowl like a bawse.

Click here to Buy It Now from Get Pebble, $150

The Kickstarter project raised over $10 million in funding and became a online phenomenon in a matter of weeks. Compatible with most iOS and Android devices, the Pebble flaunts an e-ink display that conveys time, calls, texts, and email subject lines onto the screen. A number of apps are available for the meta watch that concede music playback and much more, plus it supports an open SDK for aspiring developers to program the device to their hi-tech needs.

Click Here to But it Now from Libratone, $450

Combining a charming design with striking audio quality, Libratone’s AirPlay speaker balances fashion and portable audio with the best of them. Powerful bass levels, along with crisp mids and lows make for great listening sessions, plus dope features like PlayDirect offer the ability to wirelessly stream media without a wi-fi connection. Top that.

Click here to Buy it Now from Astro, $300

Our favorite gaming headset manufacturer outdid itself by integrating wireless capability, Dolby 7.1 surround sound, and its patented MixAmp technology into the A50s. Gamers can now control volume directly from the receiver and switch between three EQ settings (Flat, Media, and Astro) that promote undistorted audio and high bass. Another dope feature is the headset's ability to enable mute mode when flipping up the attached boom mic. Consider it the must-have accessory for any FPS eccentric.

Click here to Buy It Now from Nest, $250

Household automation technologically is a market that’s creeping on the come up and this thermostat is leading the brigade. The Nest helps save money on your cooling and heating costs by adapting to preferred temperatures over time without the need of programming it. And if the urge is felt to adjust the thermal reading, jump into the iOS or Android app and control it straight from any smartphone or tablet.

Click here to Buy It Now from Amazon, $1,400 (Body only)

The Japanese camera manufacturer had photogs dipping into their savings account to pick up its superior mirrorless shooter. Image quality is remarkable under the X-Pro1’s 16.3 MP 23.6 x 15.6mm X-Trans CMOS sensor, which uses a color filtration system to render great-looking photos. Fujifilm also retained its patented optical/electronic viewfinder and provides two magnifications to harbor interchangeable lens. 1080p video recording can also be found here. The $1,400 price tag might be heavy even for the professional crowd, but as we mentioned over the summer, its visual payoff is priceless.

Related: Shots Fired: Zack Arias and the Fuji X-Pro1 Hit the Streets of Atlanta

Click Here to Buy it Now from AT&T, $200 (w/two-year contract)

Click Here to Buy it Now from T-Mobile, $200 (w/two-year contract)

Click Here to Buy it Now from Verizon, $200 (w/two-year contract)

Microsoft failed to make the huge impact it projected with the Windows Phone 7 platform, mainly due to its hardware regulations and weak app selection. Learning from its mistakes, the company enlisted HTC to help build a Windows Phone 8 device from the ground up that would play off huge thanks to a cutting-edge design, the latest specs, and enhanced WP8 platform. Through this marriage, the HTC 8X was conceived. Amazing performance, great call quality, and awesome productivity features make HTC’s handset the best WP8 device, as well as one of the most impressive smartphones of 2012.

Click here to Buy It Now from Logitech, $400

Logitech's purchase of Ultimate Ears gave birth to some great portable speakers and headphones. But our favorite, and arguably the best of the new line, are the 900 headphones. Modeled after the stage monitors professional musicians use when performing, the 900s wrap around your ear for a snug fit that blocks out all outside distractions, leaving you with the beautiful sounds pumped out by its quad-armature driver design.

Click here to Buy It Now from McIntosh, $3,000

When it comes to luxury sound systems, McIntosh is in a class of its own. The company's latest wi-fi stereo supports AirPlay streaming and features a dynamic soundstage that bumps serious bass from its loudspeaker set, which houses dual 4-inch woofers, 2-inch midranges, and .75-inch tweeters. Ethernet and RCA inputs are also present.

Click here to Buy it Now from the Apple Store, $300-$400

Once again, Apple’s updated its revolutionary media player with new features including a 4-inch Retina Display, iOS 6, a slimmer design, wi-fi syncing, and advanced dual-cameras. Each model also comes bundled with a pair of Apple EarPods. Many say it resembles the iPhone 5 without call functionality, but you can just refer to it as the best iPod Touch model ever conceptualized. Just sayin’.

Click here to Buy It Now from Nike, $150

Nike’s hi-tech wristband looks to become the fitness wave of the future, encouraging users to stay active by throwing motivational jabs at them and measuring daily exercises through its unique point system called Fuel points. Built-in sensors measure the length and intensity of movement, while measuring step counts and calorie intake. The sleek-looking bracelet also syncs to the iPhone for on-the-go fitness monitoring.

Click here to Buy it Now from Lenovo, $1,249

Lenovo celebrated the ThinkPad line’s 20-year anniversary in high fashion with the launch of the incredibly powerful and rugged X1 Carbon. Hardware remains the key principal of the series with a top cover dipped in carbon fiber and an interior roll cage built to withstand the serious damage. The Rapid Charge feature boosts battery life up to 80 percent in less than half an hour and the superior keyboard is without a doubt the best of any ultrabook or laptop on the market.

Click here to Buy it Now from Amazon, $120

Sporting the brightest back-lit screen of any e-ink electronic reader out there, the Paperwhite is the perfect companion for nighttime reading. The capacitive display is a major improvement over the IR touch technology featured on other devices, producing responsive and smoother results. Extended battery life and Amazon’s prime e-book selection place the device atop of the e-reader throne.

Click here to Buy It Now from GoPro, $400

Whether you’re climbing Mount Everest or cycling through heavy bike trails, this is the action sports camera you need on hand. The Black Edition is smaller, lighter, and delivers amazing image quality unmatched by its rivals. It’s also capable of 4K video capture, though you’ll need a high-end TV to view the recordings. Wi-fi is now built in to the 12MP camera and there’s a MicroSD card slot that takes up to 64GB of memory.

Click here to Buy it Now from Logitech, $250

The latest addition to the Harmony series brings a slew of upgrades highlighted by its bright and intuitive 2.4-inch QVGA touchscreen. Customize channel icons for faster TV viewing or take advantage of gesture-based controls to change channels and modify volume levels. The Harmony Touch supports up to 15 devices such as set-top boxes and gaming consoles. No living room or bedroom should be without one.

Click here to Buy it Now from B&O, $800

Don’t confuse the Beolit 12 for a fancy-looking picnic basket. B&O’s Airplay system dons one of the most gorgeous designs ever featured on a portable speaker and delivers clear, detailed audio that’s unrivaled by any other product in its price class. Wireless streaming should bring up to four hours of playback, where as a wired connection delivers up to eight.

Click here to Buy it Now from the Apple Store, $1,800 - $2,000

How do you improve the best all-in-one computer? If you're Apple, you figure out a way to remove all the unneeded elements like compact disc drive and work to make it thinner and lighter, as well as faster. All of that happened with the new iMac. Razor thin at the tips, with a new display that allows for better viewing angles, it's a remarkable upgrade.

Performance is stepped up a notch thanks to the latest Intel chips and a new technology Apple's coined Fusion Drive which works to meld together the hard disk and the solid state drives to create one large hard drive that's leaps and bounds faster than traditional drives. Yeah, we call that an improvement.

Click here to Buy It Now from Microsoft, $500 - $700

Everyone expected the Surface to be another massive fail for the PC giant. Wrong. Thanks to dynamic hardware, innovative add-ons (like the touchcover keyboard), and Windows 8 integration, the hybrid has bridged the gap between tablets and laptops, making it one of the elite options for either market.

Click Here to Buy it Now from Beats, $300

The brand known for its colorful models stepped it up a notch for its noise-cancelling model. Gone are the bright plastics, replaced by study, smooth aluminum, and supple leather. Dare we say these are the most comfortable Beats in the whole line up? If nothing else, they're most certainly our favorites.

Click Here to Buy it Now from AT&T, $200 (w/two-year contract)

Click Here to Buy it Now from Sprint, $200 (w/two-year contract)

Click Here to Buy it Now from T-Mobile, $280 (w/two-year contract)

Click Here to Buy it Now from Verizon, $200 (w/two-year contract)

Samsung gave Apple a run for its money and shattered mobile sales records with its multimedia-heavy smartphone. Great processing power, vibrant screen resolution, and superior call quality are just a few of the touchstones highlighted on the GS III. But it’s the handset’s NFC-enabled attributes that won the hearts of most Androidphiles. We can only anticipate what the GS IV will bring come 2013.

Click here to Buy it Now from Amazon, $300

A sharp hi-def screen, fast LTE speeds, and an incredible media ecosystem adds up to the best Kindle Fire model released yet. Amazon’s new interface runs smoother and the larger screen makes for a better viewing experience for travelers. The built-in memory card slot expands media storage, which becomes essential when switching between Google Play and Amazon’s video store downloads.

Click here to Buy it Not from Sony, $25,000

Sony’s pushing hard to make 4K video the standard output for today’s television sets. One look at its gargantuan, 84-inch panel and you’ll be pleading for change more than the president. The next-gen Bravia pushes a 3,840 x 2,160 pixel resolution, an output that's four times more than any regular HD TV. A 10-driver stereo speaker system is mounted on the edges of the display and bumps simulated 5.1 Surround Sound throughout your living room.

Click here to Buy It Now from B&H, $7,950

In a photography world ruled by vintage filters and black-and-white imagery, Leica’s $8,000 shooter fits right in and reigns supreme as the elite option for colorless portraits. Its 18MP full-frame sensor generates higher-detailed and sharper images by taking in more available light. Then there’s the sexy retro-styled body case, a fashion statement that's just as gorgeous as the photos captured on the camera.

Related: Interview: Leica's Roland Wolff and Justin Stailey Talk New M-Monochrom Camera and Black & White Photography

Click here to Buy it Now from the Apple Store, $330-$530

The product we all knew was coming delivered on nearly every front. Sure, there's no Retina Display, but when we finally got one in hand, we honestly didn't think twice about the lack of the high-res display. We were too mesmerized by the excellent build quality, and how good it felt in our hands. There are a lot of seven-inch tablets on the market, but none feel as good as the iPad Mini. Also working in its favor its familiarity. Any app that works on the largest iPad works on the Mini. Using the Mini doesn't feel like a major departure from the iDevice line up, it feels, well, like an iPad Mini. Mission accomplished, Apple.

Click here to Buy it Now from TDK, $300

TDK continues to scream innovation with its portable, sleek-looking sound cube. Pair the sound blaster with a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone and take in rich (and deep) audio from the three large woofers housed on the front, left, and right. The two dials on the front offer access to pump up volume or adjust bass and treble for sound performance enhancement.

Click here to Buy It Now from AT&T, $100 - $200

Click here to Buy It Now from T-Mobile, $150

Ever since our hands on with both One models (S and X) earlier this year, we developed an infatuation with HTC’s new flagship series. Aside from polishing up our favorite Android UI (Sense 4.0), the mobile manufacturer familiarized us with its gaming-changing camera technology powered by its ImageSense processor and capable of shooting photos at over four frames per second. Sleek ergonomics, improved Beats Audio, and an eye-catching 4.7-inch Super LCD 2 display had the One X billed as the best Android phone of 2012 through the mid-year point. And just when we thought HTC couldn’t improve on its original creation, the company launched a faster and more powerful version in the One X+.

Click Here to Buy it Now from AT&T, $300 (w/two-year contract)

Click Here to Buy it Now from Sprint, $300 (w/two-year contract)

Click Here to Buy it Now from T-Mobile, $370 (w/two-year contract)

Click Here to Buy it Now from Verizon, $300 (w/two-year contract)

Consider the Galaxy Note II the Dark Knight of Android phones: bigger, bolder, and more badass thanks to its monstrous spec sheet. Samsung laced its phone/tablet successor with an immensely powerful 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor that delivers high benchmarks, along with a larger (and sharp) 5.5-inch display for great viewing angles. The manufacturer also transferred over multitasking features from its GS III and Note 10.1 models to liven up onscreen interaction.

Click Here to But it Now from Google Play, $400

Google already set the new benchmark for Android tablets with the Nexus 7 and its 10-inch model stands as the most promising iPad alternative yet. From its speedy performance to the stunning visuals produced on its Super PLS display, the Nexus 10 is an all-around performer. The inclusion of Jelly Bean welcomes exclusive features such as having multiples users on one device and the ability to switch accounts without logging off. Samsung’s premium design deserves recognition as well, a far step up from the Galaxy Tab 10.1’s inferior construction.

Click Here to Buy it Now from Best Buy, $200

Most companies fight for their over-ear headphones to be bigger and bulkier, as if their heft is some sort of signpost of sound quality. Bowers & Wilkins thankfully doesn't play that game and designed the P3s to be so light and comfortable you forget they're on your head. But don't mistake the lissome build for weakness. The P3s delivered some of the best soundscapes of any headphone, in any price range, that we tested this year. Bigger is not always better.

Click Here to Buy it Now from Verizon, $200 (w/two-year contract)

HTC’s track record with Big Red hasn’t been great. In fact, the first Droid Incredible stands out as the manufacturer’s only home run on the carrier. But after grazing several foul tips, the mobile giant has finally rounded the bases after re-branding its flagship Verizon series and producing its most powerful handset to date: the Droid DNA. Taking several cues from the One series, the DNA carries over the fantastic camera features of its sibling and combines the latest software (Jelly Bean, Sense 4+), along with a dominant hardware set featuring a 1.5GHz dual-core and the world’s first full HD display (5-inch FHD Super LCD 3). The Beast has awoken.

Click here to Buy It Now from Nintendo, $250 (Basic) and $350 (Deluxe)

The Big N scared the gaming public after announcing its next-gen home console would have a tablet-like controller as its primary peripheral. Pessimism transformed into excitement the moment gamers finally got hands-on with the system, taking in its full high-def visuals and innovative gameplay features. Backwards compatibility for Wii games and its ever-growing lineup of eShop titles should hold owners over till the console expands its IP catalog. And with its TVii video-on-demand service coming down the pipe, the Wii U proves to be a rightful heir to the console that changed everything.

Click here to Buy It Now from the Apple Store, $500 - $700

The device that defined the tablet market was given the upgrade everyone was waiting for: A shiny new Retina Display. Throw in a faster A5X processor, more memory, a better GPU, and you have the best tablet money can buy. Then seven months later, Apple decided that wasn't good enough and upgraded it once more with an even faster A6X processor. Sure, it's heavier than the iPad 2, but we'll take the extra heft for the outstanding performance. We're sure you do, too.

Click Here to Buy it Now from AT&T, $200 - $400 (w/two-year contract)

Click Here to Buy It Now from Sprint, $200 - $400 (w/two-year contract)

Click Here to Buy it Now from Verizon, $200 - $400 (w/two-year contract)

A larger Retina Display, stronger processing power, LTE support, and beautiful ergonomics make the iPhone 5 the best smartphone Apple's ever built. The inclusion of iOS 6 expands on Apple’s ecosystem and introduces new features that take advantage of the handset’s new size and speed. And, as promised, the iPhone 5 delivers longer battery life. Win, win, win.

Click Here to Buy it Now from T-Mobile, $200 (w/two-year contract)

Click Here to But It Now from Google Play, $300 - $350 (Unlocked)

LG lucked out when it scored the manufacturing rights to Google’s new flagship phone. The end product: an amazing smartphone that boasts powerful benchmarks and a gorgeous look. Despite its lack of LTE support, the Nexus 4’s 1.5GHz quad-core picks up the performance slack by zipping through all onscreen interactions and delivering speedy results. Visuals look great on the 4.7-inch True HD IPS+, plus Jelly Bean integration makes for a smoother Android experience. One of the Nexus 4's best features, however, has nothing to do with its specs. It's the price. The fact that you can buy this phone for $300 unlocked is ridiculous. Buying a phone with competing specs without a contract will run you double the coin. Remarkable.

Click here to Buy it Now from Apple, $2,199

Apple loves nothing more than minimizing and removing. With each new product, weight and vestigial features are shed to make way for a more streamlined future. Such was the case with the MacBook Pro with Retina Display, the laptop that outlined the future of Apple's laptop lines. It was only a matter of time before the company applied what it learned building the MacBook Air to building something for people who needed more processing grunt.

The result is a machine that's changed the game. Not only is it thinner and lighter, it's more powerful than ever before. The real highlight here, however, is the mind-melding Retina Display that needs to be seen in person to be appreciated. Like on the iPhone and iPad, pixels melt away giving creatives and users the best tool for working with images on the go. If you wonder what the future of laptops look like, just walk into an Apple store.