Top Tech Picks: How-To Geek Reveals Top Gadgets and Services of 2023

It’s easy to debate the best or worst products of the year, but these are How-To Geek’s 12 favorites from 2023. This isn’t just a hypothetical list of products that look cool or seem like they might be good. Our reviews team went hands-on with over 350 tech and lifestyle products this year and narrowed it down to 12—with a few extra honor mentions thrown in for good measure, too. From laptops to speakers to smart glasses, there was a lot to like in 2023.

Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 8

Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek

The Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 8 is a powerful laptop aimed at playing top-tier games and has a lot of features to support that goal. There’s a capable CPU and GPU, as well as per-key RGB lights and an integrated liquid cooling system, to name a few.

Why it’s great: As reviewer Cianna Garrison writes, “Serious gamers want serious performance from a gaming laptop, and for the most part, the 16-inch Lenovo Legion 9i (2023) serves up gaming on a silver platter. With a top-tier NVIDIA GPU and an HX-rated Intel Core i9 processor, the Legion 9i offers speed, accuracy, a gorgeous chassis, and a 3.2K display for all the eye candy you could want.”

Lenovo Legion 9i (2023)

$3180.59 $3799.99 Save $619.4

The latest Legion 9i hits gaming out of the park with an integrated liquid cooling system, per-key RGB, an Intel Core i9 processor, and a premium NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU.

Lenovo

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Justin Duino / How-To Geek

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro brings all of the company’s cool new photo and AI tech to consumers in the form of a big, beautiful smartphone. It also does this with almost no compromises or concerning flaws—a departure from past Pixel phones.

Why it’s great: The most powerful Pixel phone gets a camera with impressive zoom as well as the ability to reposition people’s faces to get the Best Take. If you want Google’s latest AI advancements in the keyboard and sprinkled throughout Android, then this is the phone to get.

Google Pixel 8 Pro

$900 $999 Save $99

The Google Pixel 8 Pro includes the search giant’s latest CPU, the Tensor G3, is among the best smartphone cameras on the market, and has some of the best AI-powered features.

$900 at Amazon See at Google Store See at Best Buy

Ugreen Nexode 100W 2-in-1 GaN Charging Station

Joe Robinson / How-To Geek

The Ugreen Nexode 100W 2-in-1 Gan Charging Station is a versatile power hub for all kinds of devices, including MagSafe-compatible iPhones. The Nexode 100W is 2.35 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall, making it suitable for use on a desk or small enough to pack and bring on a trip.

Why it’s great: There are lots of great charging devices, but this Ugreen accessory fills a wide range of needs with enough power for plenty of consumer laptop models or anything else that doesn’t need a data connection. The tilting iPhone charger allows StandBy mode to shine.

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Ugreen Nexode 100W 2-in1 GaN Charging Station

The Ugreen Nexode 100W 2-in-1 GaN Charging Station includes two USB-C PD ports, one USB-A and a Qi-certified wireless charging pad at the top of the device. The charging pad can be tilted forward up to 65 degrees and the hub itself can easily be incorporated into desktop workstations.

$110 at Amazon $179 at Ugreen

Nomad 65W Slim Power Adapter

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

On paper, very little is exciting about the Nomad 65W Slim Power Adapter . It’s a charger that features dual USB-C ports and is capable of producing up to 65W of power. Its winning characteristic is its small size, thanks to GaN technology.

Why it’s great: The true value of the 65W Slim adapter is that it’s slim and small enough to fit in a front jeans pocket. This GaN device could significantly cut down on the weight and bulk of the items you travel with but is still powerful enough to charge a MacBook Air or Surface laptop.

Nomad 65W Slim Power Adapter

Designed with GaN technology, 65W Slim Power Adapter effortlessly charges all your devices from the slimmest possible body. Its incredibly slim design fits in even the tightest space and declutters your charging setup at home and on the road.

$65 at Nomad Goods

Dell XPS 15 (2023) Laptop

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Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

The Dell XPS 15 (2023) is a powerful laptop, well suited for school, work, or doing a little bit of everything. The internals make it snappy for most tasks, and Dell has kept the exterior sharp and modern.

Why it’s great: A capable CPU, CPU, and OLED display mean this laptop has both beauty and brains. It might be a little overkill for trivial tasks, but it’s great for a computer that can do it all and do it on the go.

Dell XPS 15 (2023)

A perfect balance of power and portability, the XPS 15 laptop delivers stellar visuals and incredible sound. Your talents now have a device to stream videos, edit photos or create your next masterpiece

See at Amazon See at Dell

Sony WF-1000XM5

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

The Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds make substantial gains in multiple areas over previous models while continuing to deliver rich and powerful sound quality.

Why they’re great: A slimmed-down size makes these premium earbuds much easier to use for longer periods. These are much more comfortable compared to the 1000XM4 earbuds . Active noise-canceling technology is great on these earbuds, too. Touch controls remain fiddly, but the product is a huge step forward overall. (Sony, please add Wide Area Tap to all your earbuds!)

Sony WF-1000XM5

$248 $300 Save $52

The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds offer excellent noise cancellation, superior audio quality, and easily sync with Nintendo Switch. Consider giving them a closer look if you want the best audio possible for your hybrid console.

$248 at Amazon See at Best Buy [See at Sony](https://electronics.sony.com/audio/headphones/truly-wireless- earbuds/p/wf1000xm5-b)

Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are the company’s second attempt at camera and speaker glasses, but this time, it nailed the objective. The glasses feature a 12MP camera, lots of microphones, and speakers in the stems.

Why they’re great: Above all, the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses have fantastic speakers embedded and make listening to music easy without plugging your ears. The camera for photos and videos is solid. Plus, the Meta AI assistant is at least interesting and not a complete waste of time. All bundled together, the pieces make for a compelling product in a stylish, timeless design.

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Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses

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$299 at Meta $299 at Ray-Ban $299.99 at Best Buy

Roborock S8 Pro Ultra

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Justin Duino / Review Geek

The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is one of the most advanced robot vacuums with 6,000Pa suction, improved mopping, astute object avoidance in all lighting conditions, a long battery life, and a docking station capable of holding seven weeks’ worth of dirt.

Why it’s great: The S8 Pro Ultra uses its advanced specs to have minimal impact on your daily life while keeping the floors tidy. It bumps into fewer things and gets into fewer predicaments, meaning less hassle for owners. As long as you can empty its dirty water every other week, it doesn’t need much assistance to be your cleaning assistant.

Roborock S8 Pro Ultra

With Roborock’s all-in-one docking system, S8 Pro Ultra can automatically complete the mop washing and drying process, preventing mold growth and unpleasant odors. Auto self-emptying with a large dust bag allows holding for up to 7 weeks of dust.

See at Amazon See at roborock

Sonos Era 300

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

The Sonos Era 300 is one of the first consumer speakers to go all-in on spatial audio, built for Dolby Atmos music. It features an up-firing driver and plenty of oomph to fill a living room or act as a rear surround sound speaker when two Era 300s are paired with a Sonos soundbar.

Why it’s great: Dolby Atmos mixed tracks feature depth, height, and wide-reaching instrumentation. The Era 300 is truly a transformational speaker for listening at home. It’s compact but able to produce rich and well-rounded music. It has a line-in, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and AirPlay connectivity. Plus, when used as surround sound speakers, it gives movies real height and dimension.

Sonos Era 300

Featuring six optimally positioned drivers all around the front, sides, and top to support Dolby Atmos Music, the breakthrough acoustic design projects sound from wall to wall and floor to ceiling, immersing you in every dimension of the song

See at Amazon See at Sonos

DJI Mini 4 Pro

Bill Loguidice / How-To Geek

The DJI Mini 4 Pro is a slick, prosumer drone that packs a lot of previously high-end features into a more affordable package for people who want cinematic shots.

Why it’s great: The Mini 4 Pro might not be an entry-level drone because of its price, but it’s dead simple to use for beginners or enthusiasts. There are lots of automated and pre-set shot types that do all the work and look spectacular captured on the integrated camera.

DJI Mini 4 Pro

The DJI Mini 4 Pro does just about everything you would want out of a drone in an incredibly compact, convenient, and highly functional package. The ease-of-use and image quality are best in class.

$1159 at Amazon

Amazon Echo Dot With Clock (5th-Gen)

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th-Gen) keeps the same sphere form factor as the previous model but adds in some new features like a temperature sensor to get local temps and an accelerometer for gesture controls.

Why it’s great: Having a built-in temperature sensor means you can ask Alexa about how cold it is in your room. The accelerometer allows you to hit or tap the Dot to snooze an alarm or to stop timers.

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen)

While the looks may not have changed, the Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen) has new temperature sensors and an accelerometer, as well as a larger driver inside for better sound quality.

See at Amazon

Ember Tumbler

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Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

The Ember Tumbler is a 16-ounce mug that keeps drinks hot between 120F and 145F (50C-62.5C) for up to three hours. No need to rush to finish your morning coffee or tea.

Why it’s great: The Ember Tumbler isn’t a revolutionary departure from the company’s other drinkware products that keep liquid warm, but its larger size, multiple lids included, and versatile shape make it perfect for home or travel use. A single cup that can do it all.

Ember Tumbler

Designed to be used wherever life takes you, the Ember Tumbler does more than simply keep your coffee hot. Our largest mug yet, the 16oz Tumbler allows you to set an exact drinking temperature and keeps it there for up to 3 hours, so your coffee is never too hot, or too cold.

See at Ember $199.99 at Best Buy See at Amazon

Honorable Mentions

Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek

There were a plethora of neat electronics and products released in 2023 that didn’t make the cut for the list but are still worth highlighting. For example, the Boox Palma is a phone-sized eReader that excels at portability and makes reading on the go easier when it can quickly be stuffed into nearly any pocket.

The iPhone 15 Pro might look similar to last year’s model, but its titanium frame makes it feel lighter and nicer to hold. Plus, Apple’s latest phone continues to get better at photography.

The Rivian R1S is a stunning electric vehicle. It may cost too much for a lot of people to afford, but its 7-seat configuration, comfortable ride, and off-road capabilities make it a truly special SUV.

Ebikes continue to take over the mobility space, and the Tenways CGO600 Pro is a smooth, fun ride that’s also lightweight and easy to maneuver wherever you store it.

More products released in 2023 could be celebrated, but the time has come to turn the attention to a new, upcoming year. How-To Geek will be covering CES 2024 in early January with full reviews of all the new gear and gadgets to follow. Stay tuned.