Best smartphones, 4K TVs, headphones and laptops – Winners of our 2020 gadgets revealed: Report

The world might’ve been in lockdown during most of 2020 but that’s not stopped plenty of top tech and gloriously good gadget from being released. It’s been another stellar 12 months with a feast of phones, tablets, laptops, TVs and headphones being unleashed. Throughout the year, Express.co.uk has been testing all of the latest gizmos and here are our winners.

BEST PHONE iPhone 12 Pro Max – £1,099

It was a tough decision but Apple’s incredible iPhone 12 Pro Max pipped its rivals to win our best smartphone award. It’s striking design, incredible camera, ludicrously fast processor and tougher Ceramic Shield screen all impressed. This is also the year when Apple brought 5G to its phones meaning you stream movies on the moves at speeds that makes home broadband look decidedly sluggish.
• OUR FULL iPHONE 12 PRO MAX REVIEW HERE

BEST BUDGET PHONE • OnePlus Nord – £389

Budget smartphones just got better and better this year but the new Nord from OnePlus was definitely our favourite. It’s hard to believe this feature-packed phone can be popped in your pocket for under £400. For half the price of a new iPhone 12, you’ll get a 6.3-inch screen, quad rear camera and access to 5G data speeds.
• OUR FULL ONEPLUS NORD REVIEW HERE

BEST PHONE ACCESSORY • Belkin 3-in-1 • £99

The Belkin 3-in-1 charger is something all avid Apple fans should have plugged into their walls. This nifty device not only wirelessly refills your iPhone but can also power up your Apple Watch and AirPods all at the same time. That means you don’t need endless cables cluttering up your desk. With Apple ditching the plug from its packaging this is the perfect one-stop charging solution.

BEST TABLET • iPad Air – £569

The iPad has long been the king when it comes to tablets and the new iPad Air makes sure Apple stays in the top spot. This device dazzles with a stunning all-screen look, fast fingerprint scanner and staggeringly fast speeds making this the best tablet in town. The iPad Air is also now fully compatible with the latest Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard case which transforms it into a mini laptop.
• OUR FULL iPAD AIR REVIEW HERE

BEST LAPTOP • Samsung Galaxy Book Flex – £1,349

It’s been a busy year for laptop sales with many of us forced into work from home. Apple, Microsoft, Huawei and Lenovo all released top products but our favourite portable PC has to be the Galaxy Book Flex. This Windows-powered machine can flip into a tablet, wirelessly refill your phone and even includes an S Pen stylus for doodling on the display. 
• READ OUR FULL GALAXY BOOK FLEX REVIEW HERE

BEST IN-EAR • Jabra Elite 85t • £219

Everyone seemed to launch wireless earbuds in 2020 but the mini music makers that impressed us the most were the Elite 85t from Jabra. These noise-cancelling buds are supremely comfortable to wear, sound amazing and offer easy controls so you never have to touch your phone. There’s a comprehensive app which tweaks the audio to your taste and the charging case can get a boost wirelessly.
• OUR FULL JABRA ELITE 85T REVIEW HERE

BEST HEADPHONES • Sony WH-1000XM4 – £349

Those wanting to drown out the din around them should look no further than Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones. These new cans offer improved noise cancellation, ludicrously long battery life and an audio quality that’s tough to beat. Sony had some tough competition in 2020 including a late release from Apple and its AirPods Max but the WH-1000XM4 still hit the all the right notes.
• OUR FULL SONY WH-1000MX4 REVIEW HERE

BEST TV GADGET • Sky Q • From £25 per month

It’s not new but Sky Q remains the best way of watching telly. This year has seen this set-top box get a swathe of upgrades including stunning High Dynamic Range, better voice controls and easier ways to find the content you love to watch. The most recent addition is Amazon Prime Video which can now be viewed straight from Sky’s home screen.

BEST TV • LG RX rollable telly • £66,0000

Yes, you will need a lottery win to own LG’s £66,000 rollable TV but this has to be one of the coolest televisions we’ve ever seen. The bendy screen pops up from its base when you want to binge on Netflix then disappears when you’re not glued to the OLED display. The clever case, that holds the TV, also acts as a booming speaker making sure things sound as good as they look.

BEST STREAMING • Disney+ • From £5.99 per month

Netflix certainly got some stiff competition this year and, if you have kids in the house, Disney+ is a must-have addition to your telly. This £5.99 service comes packed with content from Marvel, Star Wars, Disney and Pixar which is all available in pin-sharp 4K HDR at no extra cost. You can also download shows and films onto your phone to help those long car journeys pass by peacefully,

BEST SMART SPEAKER• Google Nest Audio • £89

It’s not the prettiest speaker but Google’s new Nest Audio is certainly the brightest. This intelligent music maker will answer almost anything you ask of it along with being able to switch on the lights, pump up the heating and reveal what’s in your diary for the day. The new Nest Audio also sounds better thanks to more speakers being tucked under its fabric shell.
• OUR FULL SONY WH-1000MX4 REVIEW HERE

CONSOLE OF THE YEAR • PS5 £469

2020 has been a massive year for gamers with Sony and Microsoft both launching shiny new consoles. They’re all seismic updates which offer faster load times and 4K graphics but the PS5 wins our gong. This machine features a striking new look, some pretty epic launch titles and a new DualSense controller which offers more immersive haptics and clever adaptive triggers.
• OUR FULL SONY PS5 REVIEW HERE

BEST ELECTRIC CAR • Porsche Taycan • From £88,000

Gone are the days when electric cars were a total bore-fest. The Porsche Taycan shows just how exhilarating ditching petrol can be with this battery-powered beast racing from 0-62 in under 3 seconds. Once fully charged it will keep going for 250 miles and its futuristic design should certainly turn a few heads whilst its refilling. Plus you can have all this tyre-screeching fun without wrecking the planet.

BEST WEARABLE • Apple Watch SE • From £269

It was about time Apple made its brilliant smartwatches a little cheaper. The Apple Watch SE comes packed with features such as a pin-sharp Retina display, fitness tracking, heart monitoring and water-resistant design but straps to your wrists for under £270. It’s the perfect way to join the wearable revolution and could help you lose some of that festive flab. 
• OUR FULL APPLE WATCH SE REVIEW HERE

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR • M1 processor

Apple shocked us all this year with the news that is was ditching Intel processors and replacing the brains inside its Macs with its own M1 chip. Some were worried this would make the next generation of MacBooks less powerful but that’s not the case. The recently released MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have seriously impressed with great speed and long battery life…the future looks bright for the Mac.
• OUR FULL APPLE MACBOOK AIR HERE