BetaNews: My favorite tech items of 2015 [Brian]

jeudi 31 décembre 2015

My favorite tech items of 2015 [Brian]

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According to man-made calendars, today is New Year's Eve. Tomorrow is the first day of 2016, which in the grand scheme of things is inconsequential. Still, it is fun to reflect on the last year and choose the tech that I enjoyed the most.

Yeah, I'm like Oprah or Ellen. Here are my favorite things -- tech related, of course -- for 2015; laptops, smartphones, tablets, and more. While there are many products on my list, there are two products that stand out to me as being rather exceptional -- the crème de la crème, if you will.

The first exceptional device is the iPhone 6s Plus. Believe it or not, this is my first-ever Apple smartphone and I couldn't be happier. Gone are the days of being stranded on Android without updates. The best part (besides the wonderful camera), however, is the amazing apps which seem to be prettier and more fluid than those on Google's platform. I even use Apple Pay regularly, at places like Walgreens and Subway. It is a life-changing device and I love it. Best smartphone of 2015.

The other stand-out product is the HP Spectre x360. This is not only the best laptop of 2015, but one of the best Windows notebooks ever. Where to begin? The body is made of beautiful aluminum, lending to a premium feeling. The trackpad is very large and responsive -- they should all be so good. The keyboard is backlit, and an absolute dream to type on. The screen is gorgeous, and is a touch variant -- you can fold it around the back for a tablet experience. Battery life is exceptional, and the machine is light enough to carry comfortably in a bag -- a road-warrior's dream.

HP offers wonderful support too, by the way. Not to mention, its pre-loaded driver management service is well-designed, offering regular driver and firmware updates. I came away impressed with the whole package -- HP hit a home run and earned my selection for best laptop of 2015 . If you want a solid all-purpose Windows laptop, this is the one to get.

Check out my full list of favorite tech items below. I have included videos where available.