Tech Advisor Awards 2023-24: The best consumer tech products of the year

The Pixel 8 Pro is Google’s most best phone yet. It looks and feels premium, with a matt glass back and a polished aluminium chassis. It’s a big phone, but that does mean that the 6.7in OLED 120Hz display is a delight to use.  

The Tensor G3 processor powers the new AI capabilities, many of which are packed into the camera software. Magic Editor can completely transform photos, as can the face-swapping feature, Best Take, even if it is a little creepy. That technology, combined with amazing cameras makes the Pixel 8 Pro one of the best camera phones money can buy.  

What really makes this phone stand out from the competition is its industry-leading promise of seven years of OS updates, security updates and feature drops, meaning that it is built to last.  

There are two big reasons why folding phones haven’t cracked the mainstream yet: price, and some form of design compromise. 

Motorola jointly addresses these issues better than any other foldable in 2023. While $999/£1,049 isn’t cheap, the Razr 40 Ultra (known as the Razr+ in the US) is right in line with regular flagship phones. 

And the 3.6in, 144Hz OLED outer screen is the star of the show, allowing access to key functions and any app without ever opening the device. Once you do, the 6.9in 165Hz OLED main panel is equally as impressive, with a crease that you’ll barely notice. 

Despite being the largest flip phone around, at 188.5g, it’s still remarkably lightweight. The older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip still delivers great performance, and you even get respectable battery life.  

Aside from some outer screen optimisations, the only other real compromise is the cameras, which are solid but not quite top tier. If you can live with them, you won’t be disappointed by the Razr 40 Ultra. 

Competition among budget phones is fierce, but Samsung stands out yet again. The Galaxy A14 is an absolute bargain, possessing all the fundamentals of a great smartphone. That includes a slick, Galaxy S23-inspired design and a battery that’s capable of lasting two days. Samsung’s One UI is also one of the intuitive versions of Android, and it’ll continue getting updates until 2027.

The 6.6in, 60Hz LCD display and MediaTek Helio G80 chipset are more in keeping with what you’d expect from a budget phone. But you’re still getting rich, vibrant colours and smooth performance. With an impressive main camera and a decent selfie one to boot, there’s a lot to like about the Galaxy A14.

By giving up 5G, which doesn’t really many any difference to most people, Samsung has managed to make an excellent, well-rounded budget phone that will serve you well for years. 

While it might not be hugely different from the original Pixel Watch, it’s hard to blame Google considering how gorgeous and accomplished it was.  

The Pixel Watch 2 builds on this success and retains its place as the best compact smartwatch for Android users, starting with a lighter design made from 100% recycled aluminium. 

A new processor not only improves performance but extends battery life to the point where you can use the device for 24 hours with the screen set to always on. Wear OS 4 has tweaks and optimisations, plus a range of new features from tracking to safety. 

New sensors are behind a lot of this including a more accurate multi-path heart rate monitor, a skin temperature sensor and cEDA (continuous electrodermal activity) sensor. With these the device can also track mental wellbeing among countless other things depending on how deep you want to dive into the metrics. 

Overall, it’s a well-balanced smartwatch which does just about everything you’d want it to. 

When it comes to Samsung tablets in 2023, the Tab S9 Ultra got most of the attention. But that huge 14.6-inch slate is total overkill for most people, and very expensive.  

The Tab S9 Plus isn’t exactly cheap, but it offers all the Ultra’s key features in a more manageable and affordable device. That includes superb performance from a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip that’s been boosted specifically for Samsung devices. 

A 12.4in, 120Hz OLED display is one of the best you’ll find on any tablet, and you can interact with it using your finger or the impressive S Pen stylus included in the box. Alongside quad stereo speakers, it’s an excellent device for content consumption.  

Productivity is more of a challenge, with many third-party Android apps not optimised for such a large screen. But the multitasking features are very good, and you can always use Samsung’s desktop-style DeX interface when connected to an external monitor.  

With solid battery life and a thin-yet-durable design, the Tab S9 Plus is our favourite tablet of the year. 

Its name might be a bit of a mouthful, but this is Samsung’s best 2-in-1 laptop yet. Not only that: it’s the best laptop/tablet hybrid we saw all year.

The 16-inch AMOLED screen runs at up to 120Hz and is, naturally a touchscreen. It’s quite amazing to behold, and wonderful to use for everything from editing photos and sketching (with the bundled S-Pen) to watching videos.

There’s plenty of power on tap thanks to a 13^th-gen Intel Core processor, an i5 with the base model and i7 if you’re prepared to pay more.

It isn’t a gaming laptop, but the trade-off is that it’s super thin and lightweight so you can carry it with you without wishing it weighed less.

If you’re wondering about the 360 part of the name, it’s a nod to the hinge which allows the screen to fold right back flat underneath the keyboard so you can treat it like a tablet.

LG has done it again, leading the way when it comes to highly desirable smart TVs. This year’s flagship model, the G3, is another outstanding set with sublime picture quality, a user-friendly interface and a plethora of features. 

This is the first LG TV with an MLA (Micro Lens Array) OLED panel which offers up dynamic images, captivating levels of detail and some of the most dazzling and vibrant colours you’ll ever see. A powerful processor keeps everything running smoothly and the G3 is capable of 120Hz gaming on all HDMI ports and there’s a dedicated Game mode. 

You’ll love the latest version of LG’s webOS interface with its simplified look and Quick Cards to organise your apps. Capping it off nicely is an extremely slender design that’s intended for wall mounting but you can buy a stand if you want to put it on a TV bench. 

Budget TVs don’t come better than the UF3D. Toshiba’s television beats Amazon’s own 4-Series by running the company’s Fire TV software but also supporting Dolby Vision and Atmos. You even get a ‘proper’ Fire TV remote control with it.

A cheap TV is no good if it’s horrendous to watch, but despite the low price, the UF3D’s pictures look fantastic whether you’re watching native 4K content or merely HD that’s been upscaled to fill all those pixels. The image is uniform and has good contrast, too.

You may not be blown away by the set’s Onkyo speakers but the fact the UF3D will recognise a Dolby Atmos audio stream and output it over eARC to a compatible sound bar is a surprise at this price.

It comes in sizes from 43- to 65-inches, and all at amazingly affordable prices (which are also cheaper than Amazon’s 4-Series).