The PlayStation 2 sold over 150 million units, making it the most successful home console ever. It's been 20 years since the PS2 first launched in Japan on March 4, 2000. The console easily dominated its competitors with the size of its software library, and it got a huge boost from the fact that it was also an affordable DVD player back when such a thing was hard to find. 

Today, the TechRadar team salutes the PS2 with memories from some of our favorite games of the console's long lifespan. Enjoy. 

• PS5: release date and what we know
• Here's what we can predict about the PS5 price
• The best PS4 games

GTA 3 and the creation of open world games

GTA 1 and 2 were controversial top-down open world games that had a particularly big following in the UK. GTA 3, the series' first PS2 entry, was absurdly ambitious: it translated the same mechanics of car theft, gunfights and exploring an entire city into 3D without sacrificing anything. Its New York-inspired Liberty City setting was unprecedented in detail, from the authentic sound design as you walk the streets to the variety of NPCs found in the world. It had an entire selection of radio stations that you could tune in to. It was breathtaking for the time, and enormously influential. 

Every open world game used GTA 3 as a template – and still does. Without it, the last 20 years of games would've been very different. Subsequent entries Vice City and San Andreas upped the scale and detail of the world, adding licensed music to the radio stations and all-star voice casts. What a coup, looking back, that the PS2 had this first 3D game exclusively for a year before Xbox owners got their turn. – Samuel Roberts

SSX Tricky and getting the highest score

When I was at university, a competition was born in my house. This competition consumed us, turned us against each other, and enraged anyone who wasn't involved. We needed to break one million points in the trick challenge of SSX Tricky's Garibaldi level. 

Any game that takes its title and a good chunk of its mechanics from a Run-DMC track is going to sit well in a hall of fame. Tricky was the peak of the SSX series, with oh so-simple-controls and incredibly satisfying snowboarding. There's nothing quite like maxing out your Tricky meter with some sweet showboating Uber moves, or the crushing realization that you've made a grave timing mistake with your chosen animation. 

It's this elation, frenzy and mystery that has kept SSX Tricky in my life over the years – from its first introduction in 2001, all the way to those weeks of obsessively perfecting the optimal Garibaldi run in 2017 (side note: we did it, and it was historic). – Tabitha Baker

Spider-Man 2's web-swinging

Summer 2004 was a formative time for me – the release of Spider-Man 2 in theaters kicked off a lifelong love of superhero comics and movie, as I'm sure it did for a lot of people, and somehow there was a great tie-in game to go with it. Treyarch's Spider-Man 2 took Peter Parker into the open world genre, and while every level that took you indoors was pretty bad, patrolling the city as Spidey never lost its appeal.

Players' patience might've been tested by the rote open world sidequests, like fetching balloons for kids, but Treyarch nailed the web-swinging through a convincingly rendered New York City. The PS4's Spider-Man game is essentially a spiritual successor to this 2004 classic. – Samuel Roberts

Kingdom Hearts' fusion of Disney and Final Fantasy

Later Kingdom Hearts games spoiled the formula by furthering nonsensical lore that made the series impenetrable, despite the fact that the series features popular Disney characters and settings. The first entry in this action RPG series, though, was far simpler. Journeying between Disney worlds with Donald Duck and Goofy in your Lego-style spaceship, you played as Sora, a boy swept far from his home on a remote island. 

You then play a key role in stories from classic Disney movies, teaming up with guest characters like Tarzan and Aladdin to take on villains from the films. The first one felt like it was really on to something, and the second entry on PS2 vastly improved the combat – but it also dumped a load of characters into the story that made the game slightly harder to enjoy. The series' issues escalated from there, but the fact that people are still invested in these games almost two decades later demonstrates their enduring appeal. – Samuel Roberts

Ico and Shadow of the Colossus introducing players to a new type of game

These games, from the same developer at the now-defunct Team Ico, marked a lot of players' first encounter with games that infused their stories with genuinely emotional moments, and they didn't resemble anything else on the market at the time. 

In Ico, you play as an exiled child who tries to protect a mysterious girl, Yorda, from shadowy figures. In Shadow of the Colossus, you play a man who wants to bring a mysterious woman back from a comatose state at any cost – and slaying unknowably strange creatures that wander a forbidden land is the price he decides to pay. 

Both would influence countless indie games in years to come. Their world-building is incredible, inviting you to speculate about what led to the scenarios in each game, and how they ultimately connect. They've both aged incredibly well, and Shadow of the Colossus is available on PS4, too. – Samuel Roberts

Silent Hill 2 and making horror personal

"In my restless dreams, I see that town…" The first Silent Hill laid the survival horror series' uncanny foundations, but it was Silent Hill 2 that gave mesleepless nights thanks to its powerful, personal storytelling. Pyramid Head, dragging his Great Knife, was one of the most chilling antagonists to grace the PS2, but nothing in Silent Hill 2 was simply scary for the sake of it – there was a reason behind every deformed, twisted creature if you could stand to look closely enough, and ask the unsettling question 'Why?'

The game’s real horror was the way it bred uncertainty, offering fragments of plot and context, and leaving you to assemble a picture of rage, guilt and fear. A gut-wrenching masterpiece that few titles since have matched. – Cat Ellis

Star Wars Battlefront 2, which even non-Star Wars fans could enjoy 

I've never cared for the Star Wars franchise, but one exception is the original Battlefront games, particularly number two. The battles were pure mayhem, with spaceships, tanks and laser beams flying all over the place, and it was the same kind of fun that draws me to the Battlefield games now. 

The campaign modes may not have been hugely inspiring, but the Galactic Conquest mode offered a decent amount of fun, bringing some level of strategy to the shooting (which is great for someone who prefers tactical-style shooters). Having two people spend hours on a push-and-pull campaign like that was a viable alternative to a proper story mode. – Tom Bedford

God of War 2 proving that hardware limitations mean nothing 

The first God of War was an incredibly impressive game for its time, but it was its ultra-violent follow-up, God of War 2, which really blew my mind. Arriving in 2007, an incredible seven years after the PS2 launched, the sheer scale of the game made me stare at my aging console in disbelief. 

The opening level, which involves scaling and battling the huge Colossus of Rhodes was an incredible statement of intent from SCE Santa Monica Studio. The player was dropped right into the thick of the action, and the cinematic battle with the giant statue left many of us wondering what kind of witchcraft had been performed to get this game running on seven-year old technology.

By that point the PS2 had already secured its reputation as the best games console ever made, so the fact that it was able to put out a game of this quality in its remaining years is a real testament to just how good the PS2 was. What a way to go out. – Matt Hanson

Metal Gear Solid 3 taking the legendary series to its peak

Following a divisive, short and disappointing sequel in MGS2, the 2004 prequel MGS3 took us to the jungle in the '60s where the dense lore of the series couldn't really hurt it. Instead, the change of setting gives the story a refreshingly simple feel – we're instead controlling the man who would become Big Boss, Solid Snake's genetic progenitor, as he confronts his old mentor out in the Soviet-controlled wilderness. 

The choice of location allows the developers to give Metal Gear's stealth systems an overhaul, letting you wear camouflage to avoid being spotted by enemies. It even introduced survival mechanics, letting you catch and eat animals found in the environment to restore Snake's health. 

With an absolute gut punch of an ending, this was one of the PS2's best games, even if it never generated the hype that its predecessor did. – Samuel Roberts

Persona 4 becoming a late-generation phenomenon

Over nine years after release, the PS2 was still getting great new games. 2009's Persona 4, a continuation of the Atlus-developed RPG series that combines combat-filled dungeons with life sim-style narrative sections, took the larger Shin Megami Tensei series to the next level in terms of its US and European popularity. 

You can still get Persona 4 on PSN via the PS3, if you've got one of those kicking around. But the PS Vita version is probably the way to go these days. – Samuel Roberts

Final Fantasy continuing its golden age

Final Fantasy's peak arguably came on the PSone with entries 7, 8 and 9, but the PS2 era was probably more significant in retrospect. Each of the three mainline entries were wildly different from one another: Final Fantasy 10 introduced voice acting and kept the turn-based combat from past entries, FF11 was a full-blown MMO and FF12 was a complex RPG that asked you to program your party members to do the fighting for you.

On PS2, we also saw the series' first direct sequel in Final Fantasy 10-2, which marked a turning point for the number of spin-offs we'd see based on past entries in the future. – Samuel Roberts  

• Our PS1 memories

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Whether you've been gifted a company phone or are fully on the BOYD (bring your own device) train, having a mobile at work is essential for many of us. And that goes for those who are always on call, just as much as the workers who love to go off-grid when the clock strikes five.

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With big changes taking place in the mobile industry, you could be working more efficiently and getting back more time to spend with friends and family. Do you wish your company would get you a better handset - or maybe adopt new technology like a smart thermostat that you control? Just how tech-savvy is your workplace?

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Have you ever considered if you prefer the glory of pedalling over sitting on an electric bicycle that thrusts you up a hill? Do you want to pop a GPS computer or basket on the handlebars? In short: what matters to you with cycling?

Well, here's the great thing for you - whether you cycle only in fair weather at the weekend, suit up for the commute on Monday morning, or spend your winters in a virtual world on your indoor trainer, we want to hear from you.

The world of cycling is changing more quickly than ever before, and here at Future Publishing (TechRadar's parent company) we want to help you stay on top of everything - and to do that, we want you to tell us your views.

As most people know, cycling can be an expensive hobby for some, with a range of kit to make your ride more enjoyable, and gadgets to improve fitness and keep you at the top of your game. 

In contrast, some people will use the same tried and trusted bike they’ve had for years, never wanting to let a good pal go or wanting to have to throw money at their bicycle.

The rise of the robots... sort of

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When it comes to gaming, the past was a simpler time. You bought your console, paid for your games, and then you sat down and played them.

No online multiplayer, no downloadable content, no guides to spoil all the fun, and no patches to get in the way of you playing. Sounds nice, doesn't it?

Over the years, several companies have attempted to bring this simplicity back with a variety of retro console revivals.

These boxes plug into the back of your TV, and use emulation software to allow you to play a number of games that would otherwise be impossible (or at least, very expensive) to find as a physical cartridges.

Here are our top picks of the best boxes to have revived these retro consoles and their classic games.

UPDATE: We've added both the SNES Classic Mini and PlayStation Classic to our list of the best retro games consoles. Click through the guide to find out which could take you on a delightful trip down memory lane and which is best to leave in the past.

Following the massive success of the NES Classic Mini, Nintendo has returned to its 90s days in a more compact form with the SNES Classic Mini.

The box plugs into your TV via HDMI and comes with 21 pre-loaded games (one of which is the unreleased Star Fox 2!) as well as two mini controllers that will allow you to take advantage of multiplayer. 

The drawback of Nintendo's retro consoles is that once you've exhausted the fairly limited library you won't be able to play anything else - the console doesn't accept the original cartridges, nor does it let you download more content.

Read our full review: SNES Classic Mini review

Nintendo is going back to the start of its gaming conquest with the NES Classic Edition, a compact version of its iconic 80s console.

The box plus into your TV via HDMI and comes with 30 built-in games and a mini NES controller.

The bad news is that once you've exhausted that library you won't be able to play anything else - the console doesn't accept the original cartridges, nor does it let you download more content.

Still, for US$59.99/AU$99.95 (around £45) it's a nice nostalgic proposition, and one we'll be picking up when it rolls around on November 11.

The ZX Spectrum was one of the first mainstream home computers to come out when it was released in the UK in 1982.

It was to the UK what the Commodore 64 was in the US, a trojan horse for getting computers into homes, and a device that would inspire a generation of coders.

Yes, its keyboard was a bit of a mushy rubber mess, but with a software library that contained classics such as the original Elite, Football Manager, and Manic Miner, you can't exactly fault the little console that could.

The Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega looks nothing like the original console. Rather than having a full QWERTY keyboard, the console is instead packed completely into a controller which has 1,000 games built-in.

The device is available now for £99.99 (around $130), but the manufacturer Retro Computers has recently completed an IndieGoGo campaign to fit the console into a handheld form factor.

• Check out our list of the best games for the ZX Spectrum

Everyone remembers the Mega Drive (or the Genesis as it was known in North America). Acting as Sega's competitor to Nintendo's SNES, the console was home to such classics as Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Earthworm Jim.

Unlike some of the other hardware on this list, the console, which is manufactured by Chinese firm At Games, will play any original Mega Drive cartridges that you have lying around.

Don't worry if you've not got any old cartridges lying around though, since the console comes with 80 game pre-installed, including Mortal Kombat and Golden Axe.

Also unlike the original Mega Drive, the new console supports wireless controllers so you don't have to worry about the mess of controller cables that used to plague console gamers.

The console is available in a console and handheld configuration, which will both be available this October for $65/£49.99.

Whereas other consoles on this list consist of completely custom designed hardware, the Vectrex Regeneration is slightly different since it's first and foremost an iPad app.

Simply download the app onto an iPad, and such classics as Cosmic Chasm, Fortress of Narzod and...Solar Quest?

Ok we're less sold on the games, but if you combine the app with an iCade iPad housing things get a lot more interesting. Simply connect your iPad to the cabinet via bluetooth, slot it in place, and have fun playing games as they were originally intended with arcade controls in a box that closely resembles the form-factor of the original console.

The app itself is available for iOS for $2.99/£2.29, but unfortunately the iCade cabinet appears to be a little harder to come by Amazon US is selling the cabinet new for $195 and Amazon UK has them for £59.99.

It might not be as portable as other handhelds, but the SupaBoy gives you a SNES you can take on the go.

It even goes one better than the NES Classic Edition by accepting original SNES and Super Famicom cartridges.

Other than the 3.5-inch LCD screen, the SupaBoy is designed to look just like the original SNES pad, while the two front ports are compatible with SNES controllers if two of you fancy playing on it like a regular TV.

The length of the rechargeable battery seems to vary a bit, but you'll be looking at close to the four hour mark.

While the handheld's form factor seems convenient, it's unlikely to be of much use to anyone without some old SNES cartridges lying around. Since the SupaBoy is unlicensed, Hyperkin is unable to include any games as built-in software.

So it's appeal might be limited, but if you do happen to have a couple of cartridges lying around then you could do a lot worse than trying out the SupaBoy, which can be found on various auction sites for around $80 (£60).

The PlayStation Classic console is certainly fun, but we feel like it's missing a trick. Sony could’ve followed in Nintendo’s footsteps by releasing a populist's retro console, one that had the undisputed best games of the era like Crash Bandicoot, Final Fantasy 8 and 9 or Tomb Raider. 

But that's not the PlayStation Classic. 

It doesn’t include the majority of the console’s greatest hits and instead opts for some cult classics like Persona and Jumping Flash among a few well-received titles. Using Sony’s retro console is therefore a lot less like walking down memory lane, an experience we had with the SNES Classic and NES Classic Mini, and a lot more like a sample platter of what the PlayStation had to offer 20-some-odd years ago. 

Of course, some people might develop a real attachment to games like Destruction Derby, Ridge Racer Type 4 and Intelligent Qube - and if that's you, then the PlayStation Classic is going to be everything you've ever wanted in a retro console. 

If not, however, then you'll be disappointed with the game selection, unimpressed by the lackluster interface and forced to watch, often in horror, as late '90s FMVs are brought to life like Frankenstein's Monster on your 4K or 1080p TV.

Read our full review: PlayStation Classic review

It's time to crown the finest performers in the mobile world with the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2019, and we need your help to pick the winners from our stellar shortlists - but you'll need to act fast!

Voting is now closed. Thank you to everyone who had their say.

To say thanks, everyone who votes (in the UK) will be in with a chance of winning a prize pack stuffed full of top tech worth over a whopping £1,500!*

You've already helped our judges narrow down our fantastic longlists to the star-studded shortlists you can see at the bottom of this article, and we're calling on you again to help our judges pick the winners from these exclusive shortlists.

Voting for the winners of the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2019 closed at 3pm BST on August 28.

Once we've counted all the votes, and consulted with our expert judges, we'll announce the winners at the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards, on October 10 2019 in London.

• For more information on the awards please visit the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards website

The 2019 Awards Shortlists

Congratulations to all our shortlisted nominees for the 2019 TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards.

Best Repair Service

• Apple Care
• CeX
• i-Fix
• iSmash
• O2 Repair
• Team KnowHow
• Timpson

Best Recycling Service

• CeX
• Envirofone
• Mazuma Mobile
• Music Magpie
• O2 Recycle
• Samsung Recycle
• Vodafone

Best Wearable

• Apple Watch 4
• Fitbit Inspire
• Fitbit Inspire HR
• Fitbit Versa Lite
• Garmin Forerunner 945
• Samsung Galaxy Watch
• Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

Best Value Phone

• Honor 10 Lite
• Huawei P Smart 2019
• Moto G7 Power
• Nokia 4.2
• Samsung Galaxy A20e
• Sony Xperia L3
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 7

Best Mid-Range Phone

• Google Pixel 3a XL
• Huawei P30 Lite
• OnePlus 7
• Samsung Galaxy A50
• Samsung Galaxy A70
• Sony Xperia 10/10 Plus
• Xiaomi Mi 9

Best Camera Phone

• Google Pixel 3/3 XL
• Huawei Mate 20 Pro
• Huawei P30 Pro
• iPhone XS/XS Max
• Samsung Galaxy Note 9
• Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
• Sony Xperia 1

Best Gaming Phone

• Asus ROG Phone
• Huawei P30 Pro
• iPhone XS Max
• OnePlus 7 Pro
• Razer Phone 2
• Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
• Sony Xperia 1

Phone of the Year

• Google Pixel 3 XL
• Huawei Mate 20 Pro
• Huawei P30 Pro
• iPhone XR
• iPhone XS/XS Max
• OnePlus 7 Pro
• Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

Best Value Network

• EE
• giffgaff
• O2
• Sky Mobile
• Tesco Mobile
• Three
• Vodafone

Best Networking for Roaming

• EE
• giffgaff
• O2
• Sky Mobile
• Three
• Virgin Mobile
• Vodafone

Best Network for Data

• EE
• giffgaff
• O2
• Sky Mobile
• Three
• Virgin Mobile
• Vodafone

Best Customer Care

• EE
• giffgaff
• O2
• Sky Mobile
• Tesco Mobile
• Three
• Vodafone

Best Network

• EE
• giffgaff
• O2
• Sky Mobile
• Three
• Virgin Mobile
• Vodafone

Best Smart Home Device

• Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen)
• Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen)
• Amazon Echo Show (2nd Gen)
• Amazon Echo Show 5
• Google Home Hub
• Google Nest Hub Max
• Ring Stick-Up Cam

Best Online Retailer

• Amazon
• Carphone Warehouse
• ebay.co.uk
• EE
• Mobiles.co.uk
• O2
• Vodafone

Best High-Street Retailer

• Argos
• Carphone Warehouse
• EE
• John Lewis
• O2
• Three
• Vodafone

Best In-Store Customer Experience 

• Argos
• Carphone Warehouse
• EE
• John Lewis
• O2
• Three
• Vodafone

Best Quad-Play Provider

• BT
• EE
• Sky
• Virgin

*Terms and Conditions: Voting is open to everyone, however to take part in the prize draw you must be a UK resident. Under 18s must obtain parental consent to enter this competition and be able to demonstrate this to TechRadar's reasonable satisfaction. Nominations must be received by 15:00 (BST) 28/08/2019. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and will be sent the prize free of charge. By taking part in the voting and the competition, you agree to be bound by the full terms and conditions which can be found here http://www.futureplc.com/competition-rules/.

It's that time of the year again. It's time to crown the finest performers in the UK industry, from phone makers to network providers, with the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2019.

We need your help to narrow down our extensive longlists of the leading contenders to stellar shortlists. And there are great prizes to be won with a bumper bundle of tech worth over £1,000!*

The good news is that voting is open, but it closes very soon, so please take a moment to have your say below on who should claim a coveted spot on the shortlist.

Voting on who makes the shortlist for the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards will close on July 24, 2019, so make sure you don't miss out.

Once we've counted all the votes, and consulted with our panel of expert judges, we'll announce the shortlist. You'll then be able to vote for the winners in each of the categories.

The winners will be revealed at the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards, in October 2019 at an exclusive awards ceremony in London, UK.

Vote in the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2019

*Terms and Conditions: Voting is open to everyone, however to take part in the prize draw you must be a UK resident. Under 18s must obtain parental consent to enter this competition and be able to demonstrate this to TechRadar's reasonable satisfaction. Nominations must be received by 17:00 (BST) 26/08/2019. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and will be sent the prize free of charge. By taking part in the voting and the competition, you agree to be bound by the full terms and conditions which can be found here http://www.futureplc.com/competition-rules/.

We announced the categories for the TechRadar 2018 awards a few weeks back, and the list was made up of editorial and people's choice awards. While we worked on picking our favourites, so did you, our readers, who poured in with your votes on your favourite smartphones, online retailer and favourite tech brand of 2018.

It's time to reveal which companies and products were the best from 2018 - here are the winners of TechRadar Middle East's 2018 Awards!

Best Phone: Huawei Mate 20 Pro

In a year where phones from other top-tier manufacturers were iterative upgrades at best, Huawei pulled no stops with the Mate 20 Pro. Featuring a gorgeous design, top-end specs and a fantastic camera, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro stood out from all other phones this year.

Best Mid Range Phone: Honor 8X

The Honor 8X looks like a phone that costs a lot more than it really does. At just AED/SAR 999, it offers a solid performance, a versatile camera and metal and glass build - a combination you don't find in phones that cost twice as much.

Best Camera Phone: Huawei P20 Pro

The triple-camera system with Leica lenses on the Huawei P20 Pro blew us away, with its photographic skills matching what you would normally expect from much larger cameras. It's especially impressive with night-time photography, and with a dash of AI thrown in, you'd have a hard time believing that a phone can be this good at taking photos.

Best Wearable: Apple Watch 4

Apple clearly believes smartwatches are here to stay, and the Watch 4 proves that. The design alone is a big upgrade, with the screen offering far more visibility. The health benefits are a welcome addition and show the direction Apple is heading in.

Best Tablet: iPad Pro (2018)

The iPad Pro 11-inch is excellent, and easily the best tablet Apple has ever made. It's designed as the name suggests, for the professional, and those in creative lines of work will love the power, precision and overall quality on offer.

Best Laptop: Huawei Matebook X Pro

Huawei has crafted a sleeper hit with its MateBook X Pro, a surprisingly sublime marriage of function and form to speak of for all audiences, both professional and prosumer.

Best Headphones: Sony WH-1000XM3

For the third year in a row, the 1000X are Sony’s flagship headphones. Subtle tweaks like a more comfortable pad along the bridge of the headphones, lighter design and a reasonable price make the Sony WH-1000XM3 the new king of noise-cancellation headphones. 

Best TV: LG C8 OLED TV

The LG C8 OLED TV combines an impressive picture, extensive features, attractive design and an unrivaled smart platform to deliver one of the best TVs we have seen. New for this year is the design of the TV itself and its new Alpha 9 processor to deliver a TV that sets the OLED bar very high indeed.

Best Smart Home Device: Ring Doorbell 2

The Ring Video Doorbell 2 is a solid device. It's easy to setup, the app is a breeze to use, motion tracking works great, and the battery lasts long enough to not be a hassle. 

Innovation in Tech: Oppo Find X

In a year where other phone manufacturers went the notch route, Oppo released the futuristic Oppo Find X with a motorized camera that slides out to reveal cameras on the front and back. This all-screen experience with a stunning design set the stage for other sliding phones that followed.

Best Phone: Samsung Galaxy Note 9

While we chose the Huawei Mate 20 Pro as our favorite, the voters awarded the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 as their favorite. Samsung's flagship phone was definitely a close second for us as well, featuring a screen that's unmatched by any phone and the S-Pen that adds functionality not found elsewhere.

Best Mid Range Phone: Honor 8X

The only product that won both the Editor's Choice and the Popular Vote is the Honor 8X and we're not surprised. It's a fantastic device that offers incredible value for money.

Best Camera Phone: Huawei Mate 20 Pro

In a blind test, we put three phone camera against each other- the iPhone XS, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. We chose the night time to frame a shot as almost any phone can take good daytime shots. 

Our viewers preferred the photo take from the Huawei Mate 20 over the other two phones and we're not surprised. Huawei has pushed the boundaries over what is possible with mobile photography.

Best Online Retailer: SOUQ.COM

If there was one vote that was lop-sided, it would be this one. Over 90% of our readers chose souq.com over other ecommerce players in the region. While the integration with Amazon is still underway, the massive catalog of products provided by Souq.com has clearly played out well for the ecommerce giant.

Best Tech Company: Samsung

Our final vote was for the tech company that our readers preferred and Samsung won this award which comes as no surprise. The Korean giant places amongst the top in a vast number of categories such as phones, TVs and household appliances.

It's that time of the year again. It's time to crown the finest performers in the mobile world with the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2018, and we need your help to pick the winners from our stellar shortlists. And there are great prizes to be won!*

You've already helped our judges narrow down our fantastic longlists to the star-studded shortlists you can see at the bottom of this article, and we're calling on you again to help our judges pick the winners from these exclusive shortlists.

The good news is that voting is now open, so please take a moment to have your say on who should claim a coveted award.

Voting the winners of the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2018 will close at 2pm on August 31, so make sure you don't miss out.

Once we've counted all the votes, and consulted with our expert judges, we'll announce the winners at the Mobile Choice Consumer Awards, on October 11 2018 in London.

Follow this link to vote now

Please click the link above to vote in this year's TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards.

The 2018 Awards Shortlists

Best Repair Service

• Apple Care
• CeX
• Fone Doctor
• i-Fix
• iSmash
• Team KnowHow

Best Recycling Service

• CeX
• Envirofone
• Mazuma Mobile
• Music Magpie
• O2 Recycle
• Vodafone

Best Wearable

• Apple Watch 3
• Fitbit Ionic
• Fitbit Versa
• Garmin Vivofit 4
• Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 Pro
• Samsung Gear Sport

Best Value Phone

• Alcatel 3V
• Honor 7A
• Honor 7C
• Moto G6 Play
• Nokia 5.1
• Vodafone Smart N9

Best Mid-Range Phone

• Honor 10
• Moto G6 Plus
• Nokia 7 Plus
• Nokia 8
• Samsung Galaxy A8
• Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra

Best Camera Phone

• Google Pixel 2 XL
• Huawei P20 Pro
• iPhone X
• OnePlus 6
• Samsung Galaxy S9
• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Best Gaming Phone

• Honor 10
• iPhone X
• OnePlus 6
• Razer Phone
• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
• Sony Xperia XZ2

Phone of the Year

• Google Pixel 2 XL
• Huawei P20 Pro
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone X
• OnePlus 6
• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Best Value Network

• giffgaff
• Plusnet
• Sky Mobile
• Tesco Mobile
• Vodafone
• Voxi

Best Networking for Roaming

• EE
• giffgaff
• O2
• Tesco Mobile
• Three
• Vodafone

Best Network for Data

• EE
• giffgaff
• O2
• Sky Mobile
• Three
• Vodafone

Best Network

• EE
• giffgaff
• O2
• Tesco Mobile
• Three
• Vodafone

Best Smart Home Device

• Amazon Echo (2018)
• Amazon Echo Plus
• Amazon Echo Spot
• Apple HomePod
• Google Home Mini
• Sonos One

Best Online Retailer

• Amazon
• Carphone Warehouse
• ebay.co.uk
• Mobiles.co.uk
• O2
• Three
• Vodafone

Best High-Street Retailer

• Carphone Warehouse
• EE
• John Lewis
• O2
• Tesco Mobile
• Three
• Vodafone

Best In-Store Customer Experience 

• Carphone Warehouse
• EE
• John Lewis
• O2
• Tesco Mobile
• Three
• Vodafone

Best Customer Care

• Carphone Warehouse
• EE
• John Lewis
• O2
• Tesco Mobile
• Three
• Vodafone

*Terms and Conditions: Voting is open to everyone, however to take part in the prize draw you must be a UK resident. Under 18s must obtain parental consent to enter this competition and be able to demonstrate this to TechRadar's reasonable satisfaction. Nominations must be received by 17:00 (BST) 31/08/2018. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and will be sent the prize free of charge. By taking part in the voting and the competition, you agree to be bound by the full terms and conditions which can be found here http://www.futureplc.com/competition-rules/.

You're here because you love technology, but you know it's got more to offer - if only someone would listen to you. We've all had the idle thoughts on 'wouldn't it be great if this could do that as well?' while in the shower or bored on the commute to work?

We're looking for graduates to bring those ideas out of their heads and turn them into cold hard cash with us. TechRadar and T3, in partnership with Honor, have begun the search for the next great tech innovation that will make our lives easier.

• Register to attend one of our free talks on innovation in tech in London or Newcastle!

We're looking for ideas from those that graduated no earlier than April 2010, bringing a fresh take on what innovation means and offering some great thoughts that impress our panel of judges.

The amazing thing is this is your chance to fix a problem that you see in the world of technology - whether that be a toy that will get swathes of children learning to code, a smart way to reduce water consumption from the average toilet flush or a cut-price gadget that can do something at scale that used to cost millions.

Heck, even if you've got an idea for a flying bike, we want to hear about it (but only if you can tell us how it would fly, the benefits it would bring the world and why you're passionate about it).

An evening to remember

If we like your idea, we'll invite you down to present to our crack team of judges, explaining why you're ready to change the world with your smart idea - and you'll be invited down to the T3 Awards where the winner will be presented with a first prize of £10,000.

We'll then feature your efforts to bring your idea to life on TechRadar and T3, as you see to change the world with your smart ideas.

Even if you're not selected for the main gong, there are still runners up prizes of £3,000 and £1,500 to be won - so if you've got an idea, let's hear it now!

"The chance to be involved with something so potentially ground-breaking is incredibly exciting to us," says Gareth Beavis, judge and Global EIC for TechRadar. "We're looking for entries from those that live and breathe their passions, with a goal of having a real impact on the world for the better.

"So if you've got an idea that's been idling away at the back of your mind for a while, sit down tonight and sketch out how you think it could happen. You don't need to be an engineering genius - just tell us how you want it to happen, what impact it will have and why you're passionate about it, and you could win the grand prize!"

HOW TO ENTER

To enter, simply CLICK HERE and fill out the form with details of your idea and the benefits you believe it will bring. Your entry should be no longer than 500 words.

When you enter, you will also be asked to confirm that you are either in full time degree-level or higher education, or that you graduated after 1 April 2010.

You must be over 18 to enter.

If your entry is shortlisted, you will later be asked to provide proof of study documentation or proof that you have graduated no earlier than 1 April 2010. This can be official correspondence from UCAS or your university/college that states your name, university, course and whether the course is full time.

Entries will be judged by a panel of judges from T3 and TechRadar. Six shortlisted winners will be invited to attend the T3 awards event in London in September where the winner will be announced.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES CLOSES 21 AUGUST 2018

It's that time of the year again. It's time to crown the finest performers in the mobile world with the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2018, and we need your help to narrow down our extensive longlists of the leading contenders to stellar shortlists. And there are great prizes to be won!*

The good news is that voting is now open, so please take a moment to have your say below on who should claim a coveted spot on the shortlist.

Voting on who makes the shortlist for the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards will close at 2pm on August 1, so make sure you don't miss out.

Once we've counted all the votes, and consulted with our expert judges, we'll announce the shortlist. You'll then be able to vote for the winners in each of the categories.

The winners will be revealed at the Mobile Choice Consumer Awards, on October 11 2018 in London.

Vote in the TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2018

*Terms and Conditions: Voting is open to everyone, however to take part in the prize draw you must be a UK resident. Under 18s must obtain parental consent to enter this competition and be able to demonstrate this to TechRadar's reasonable satisfaction. Nominations must be received by 11:59 (BST) 01/08/2018. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and will be sent the prize free of charge. By taking part in the voting and the competition, you agree to be bound by the full terms and conditions which can be found here http://www.futureplc.com/competition-rules/.

Honor is one of the first companies in the world to release a phone with a chipset inside that features its own artificial intelligence to make everyday tasks faster and easier.

The Honor View10 comes boasting the Kirin 970 chipset that has a game changing new idea that builds an AI directly into the phone so it can better predict the way you’ll use your device and optimise it better you even begin a task.

It all works through an NPU – that’s a whole new part of the processor that sits alongside the GPU and CPU – that uses high-end machine learning algorithms to work out what you’re likely to do next.

If you often play games in the evening on your phone, for example, the View10 will realise that and note its need to save some battery now to power your late-night gaming needs.

But perhaps one of the best assets of the AI-powered View10 is its new photography know how. The AI can be used to help improve your photo taking skills using its dual-sensor rear 20MP monochrome and 16MP colour camera.

The automatic mode on the camera uses the AI algorithms for both real-time scene and object recognition. It’ll then change the settings on your camera to give you the best shot possible.

For example, the camera can notice you’re taking a picture of a plate of food and will change the settings to the optimum mode so you don’t have to.

There are 13 different scenarios on the Honor View10 so it’ll notice when you’re taking photos of cats, dogs, portraits, landscapes and even shooting at night.

By using this feature, it means you don’t have to play around with the camera settings and you know you’re always going to be getting the best shot possible as long as you’re shooting one of the provided scenarios.

Auto-focus on the View10 also utilises the power of its artificially intelligent brains. Motion detection on the camera means it can use the same algorithms to monitor what’s going on and ensure it captures the right moment.

That should mean much less blurry photos when you’re taking shots of moving objects and it’ll allow you to be far more creative with your shooting and not have to worry about whether your photos will be in focus.

Selfies are also upgraded with the AI mastery inside the View10. Portrait mode is nothing new to smartphones, but the AI being used behind the scenes with this phone allows it to be better than ever.

The algorithms are working hard here to work out what the main subject of your selfie image is and it makes it easier for the phone to identify the edges of the subject.

That way it allows your phone to know what areas of the photograph should be blurred in the background and makes it a fantastic selfie shot that immediately highlights the best part of the image.

All of these features and more allow you to be more creative with your photography on the View10 as you spend less time worrying about your photos and more time taking them.

This is a sponsored article is association with Honor

• Be sure to check out the rest of TechRadar's AI week

The Honor View10 is one of the first phones to come with built-in AI. That’s right, Artificial intelligence is now baked into smartphones like the Honor View10. 

To make this work, alongside the CPU and GPU inside the phone’s processor, there’s also a new element called an NPU.

That stands for Neural Processing Unit and it works by using high-end machine learning algorithms to predict the most likely use case for your phone in a variety of different scenarios.

The AI means it can improve your photography by toying with the settings depending on what you’re shooting or turn off certain apps at different points in the day when you’re not using them in order to save battery.

It’s all about optimization and ensuring you’re getting the best use of your phone at all times. This looks to be the future of the way mobile phones will begin to predict what we do to offer a better experience in our everyday lives.

Embracing AI

Battery tech is something phones have struggled with for years, and the Honor View10 has smart power management that may point to a possible solution to the problem of short life on phones.

The algorithms on the View10 work out the way you use your phone to optimize its power for times when it’ll be using the most battery, so this may be one way phones in the future get over the problem of limited battery life.

Rather than packing in more power, smartphone manufacturers are going to focus on what’s already inside and how that can be used more efficiently.

The View10 also comes with an app pre-installed called AI Accelerated Translator, which uses algorithms to translate both text and speech in over 50 different languages.

This is already a great addition to your phone when you’re in a foreign country and need to ask for directions, but this kind of translating tech that works fast and seamlessly will be a big focus of the tech industry in the future.

The AI Accelerated Translator is already being updated with new features. The AI will soon learn how to speak more languages and it’s improving the accuracy of its translations too.

AI technology is also going to help improve your smartphone photography in the future.

The Honor View10 already uses its AI chipset to work out what it’s shooting and switch modes accordingly, meaning the View10 will know if you’re pointing the rear camera at your cat and it’ll then change the settings to take the best photo it can.

This is only the first step in what AI can do for photography and in the future we can expect to see smartphones get even better at predicting what we’re photographing and use the chipset’s intelligence to improve the shot.

Artificial intelligence is set to be one of the most exciting areas in technology over the next few years and the Honor View10 is embracing the tech before a lot of the competition.

Where exactly AI will be able to take us is currently unclear, but it’s sure to make the phones in our pockets more powerful, smarter and even more personalized than ever before.

This is a sponsored article in association with Honor

• Be sure to check out the rest of TechRadar's AI week

Choosing the right gift for your special someone (or yourself) is hard. We've sifted through many excellent products to bring you only the best gift ideas.

Whether it's a new laptop, smartphone, wearable, smart home accessory or a set of headphones you're after, you'll find our take on what's the very best below.

Google Pixel 2

An all-around fantastic phone with an all-star camera
The cool factor of your phone ultimately comes down to one question: does it take good photos? In the case of the Google Pixel 2, the results speak for the phone. This is a phone that, beyond just being an excellent all-around option for enthusiasts and newbies alike, is basically a DSLR replacement.

Oculus Rift

The first VR headset remains the best
Now at an all-time-low price, Facebook’s Oculus Rift headset remains the best of bunch both when it comes to value and support, with a now sizable library of games of all genres. It’s not the most technologically advanced VR headset around, but it has all of the basic ingredients for a fun time immersed in another world, thanks to built-in headphones and optional Oculus Touch controllers. Though, just make sure you or your loved one has a PC that supports the device before picking one up – luckily, the hardware requirements aren’t even that extreme.

iPhone X

The iPhone you’ve been wanting for over 10 years
The new iPhone is one of the best, and maybe also the hardest gifts, to find in 2017. But it’s well worth the effort and the $99 starting price if you want Apple’s redesigned 10th anniversary smartphone. It has an all-screen design, wireless charging, and bigger screen yet smaller body than the iPhone 8 Plus. Oh, and it does Animojis.

DJI Spark

The little drone for everyone
The DJI Spark is the best compact drone you can buy for anyone. It's portable, agile and all so easy to fly for beginners. You'll even be able to launch it from your hand and control it with a wave of your palm like a Jedi.

Apple iPad Pro 10.5-inch

The perfect iPad to replace your laptop
The “perfect” tablet size debate rages on, but at 10.5 inches, this iteration of Apple’s iPad Pro might just hit the sweet spot. The goods are all here - great audio, awesome video feedback, and, thanks to iOS 11, some serious laptop-rivalling capabilities, at a starting price of $649. Giving an iPad as a gift is a guaranteed win. Giving the iPad Pro 10.5 is a slam dunk. 

Nintendo Switch Holiday Bundle

Bring Mario, Link and with you anywhere
Nintendo’s latest system is a gorgeous mobile-console hybrid that’s just as comfortable hanging out with you at a park playing a game like Super Mario Odyssey, as it is sitting on your shelf at home hooked up to your TV. With a plethora of great games already available for the system (including TWO Game of the Year contenders, including Super Mario Odyssey that comes with this bundle) the Switch is too good of a system to pass up.

URB-E Sport

The foldable electric scooter of your dreams
Mashing together a moped and scooter, the URB-E Sport is the ultimate portable electric vehicle. It reaches a top speed of 14mph and goes a fair distance of 16 miles thanks to its electric motor and yet it’s just as maneuverable and portable as an actual scooter thanks to its tight frame.

TCL 55P607 (Roku TV)

The best budget TV of the year, bar none
The problem with buying TV is that, most often, you either have to spend a lot of money to get something that’s going to last you and look great, or grab something at a discount only for the picture to look less-than-perfect for the next two years before it breaks down. TCL’s 55-inch P-Series is the answer we’ve long been searching for: It’s a 4K HDR TV with Dolby Vision, a 120Hz native resolution and a 10-bit panel, and costs just under $600. It’s the perfect compromise between price and performance.

The new iPad

The already-great iPad gets even better
We’re picky reviewers at TechRadar, so when a product earns a perfect score of five stars, it means we really liked the product. That’s the case with the iPad 2017. Not only is it the cheapest of the full-size iPads at $329, it’s simply a fantastic device with a gorgeous screen and great design. 

Sony Alpha A6500

The ultimate powerhouse mirrorless camera
Whether you want to shoot 4K movies, high-speed sports or just take a pretty picture, the Sony Alpha A6500 can do it all. This mirrorless camera is a powerhouse offering the highest specs in its category and impeccable image quality.

Apple MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

The best Mac that money can buy
Meet the best Mac you can buy to date, now with faster processors – not to mention its headline feature: the Touch Bar. This is a thin OLED touchscreen at the top of the keyboard, replacing the function row for a slew of new tasks, like auto-suggesting words as you type, or allowing you to log in with just your fingerprint via Touch ID. While there are Windows laptops out there that offer more hardware for less, steadfast Apple diehards will be well-pleased by this gorgeous and versatile machine.

D.Va Peripheral Suite

Dress up as the undisputed best Overwatch character
As D.Va would say “alright, gameface on.” And you’ll be able to do quite literally that with Razer’s new D.Va Peripheral Suite. While most of this set includes reskinned gaming peripherals, D.Va’s iconic MEKA headset has been lovingly brought to life as a functional analog on-ear headset with integrated mic. It’s a must have item for fans of Overwatch, D.Va lovers, cosplayers and everyone who just wants a cool set of headphones.

Apple Watch Series 3

Apple’s smartest smartwatch can ditch the iPhone
The new Apple Watch 3 comes in two flavors, one with that has a faster processor, battery life and enables Siri to speak from the watch, and one that does all of that and has the bonus of connecting to LTE. This means you don’t need you smartwatch to receive calls and data if you include the Apple Watch 3 LTE as part of your phone plan (for an extra $10). Workouts become 100% easier without a Plus-sized phone jiggling in your pocket.

Dell XPS Tower Special Edition

A VR-capable desktop PC for the everyman
The Dell XPS Tower might look as boring as any old office computer, but beneath it simple, silver veneer is the heart of a gaming PC. Even with the starting model you’re going to get a hexa-core processor with a GPU good enough to get you started on the road to becoming an eSports legend. Thanks to an internal design that folds into itself, this gaming PC is uniquely bigger on the inside a lot like the Doctor’s Tardis.

Hyperice Vyper 2.0 High-Intensity Vibrating Fitness Roller

No time (or money) for a chiropractor? No problem
File this in the “hurts so good” category. If you’ve ever used a roller you know how well they work at kneading out sore muscles. Throw three-setting vibrations in the mix, like the Hypervice Vyper 2.0 does, and you’re looking at maximum muscle relief. Get this $199 roller for the fitness fanatic in your life. Trust us - they’ll thank you.

Canon EOS M100

The perfect mirrorless camera for selifes
In case Animoji and portrait mode selifes aren’t cutting it, the Canon EOS M100 will give you the high-res selifes you and your friends crave. Of course, this camera can do much more than that what with its 24MP sensor and growing family of lenses. It’s far more compact than Canon’s DSLRs and yet offers the same if not better image quality, making it one of the best cameras to buy as a gift.

SNES Classic Mini

Re-live your gaming glory days with this excellent retro console
If you’re anything like us, you probably have some fond memories of the Super Nintendo. Whether you were A Link to the Past lover, Final Fantasy III fanatic or Super Mario World maniac, the Super Nintendo offered some of the greatest experiences (and memories) we’ve ever known. If you want a one-way ticket back to the land of nostalgia, SNES Classic Mini is a holiday season must-have.

GoPro Hero6 Black

The best action camera. Period.
Another year another GoPro is what you might think, but the Hero6 Black is easily the company’s most impressive camera yet. With the ability to shoot at 4K 60fps and Full HD at 120fps, it’s the perfect camera for capture high-speed action at a great resolution.

GorillaPod Magnetic 325

The perfect go anywhere mini tripod
Between its bendy arms and magnetic feet, there’s practically nowhere you can’t mount the GorillaPod Magnetic 325. Carrying around a traditional tripod can be a major pain and ridiculous if you just have a tiny point-and-shoot camera or an action camera. That’s where this pocketable and extremely versatile camera tripod comes to save the day.

Samsung Gear 360

A sleek, affordable 360-degree camera perfect for total immersion
Recording a video is a great way to cement a memory in motion. But as nice as it is, you can do better. The Samsung Gear 360 records footage in a full 360-degrees – perfect for viewing in a virtual reality headset – and best of all, it does it on the cheap. This way, every little detail (even you holding the camera) is captured, letting you look around the frame at things you hadn’t noticed that passed you by when you were in the moment.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack

The ultimate backpack for everyone's everyday
Whether you have a dozen lenses, four camera bodies or a hundred accessories, this Peak Design can hold it all. With two large side opening and a ton of other smart design choices, you can easily access all your gear without even having to take the bag off. Beyond camera gear, this bag has been really designed to be an Everyday Pack for everyone to use and look stylish at the same time.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

Hey Android fans, this is the best tablet that isn’t an iPad
If you prefer Android, this is the best tablet for you. It has a beautiful HDR screen and has four powerful speakers, so it’s fit for multimedia. Productivity? It does that, too. The S Pen is its big headline feature and there’s an option keyboard cover for a clutch 2-in-1 form factor. Yes, the keyboard is extra, but this tablet is now cheaper than the iPad Pro.

Destiny 2

Loot your way through space with this frenetic first-person shooter
When Bungie announced that it would leave the Halo franchise behind, we had our concerns. Halo had to be the pinnacle of what space-themed first-person shooters could be, right? Wrong. Destiny 2 takes the fast-paced gameplay from Halo, sure, but adds in fun RPG-lite mechanics that help make each guardian feel like your own unique avatar on the ever-evolving battlefield.

Star Wars Battlefront 2

Fight your way through the cinematic Star Wars universe
Who would win in a fight between Yoda and Darth Maul? Could Rey ever have escaped from Boba Fett? If Chewbacca had to square up with Emperor Palpatine … well, you get the idea. Star Wars Battlefront II lets you live out your fantasy match-ups in epic 8-on-8, 12-on-12 and even 20-on-20 multiplayer matches.

Call of Duty WWII

COD returns to its roots with authentic battles, weapons and locals
If you like your video games with a little more, uh, historical accuracy, check out the latest Call of Duty game from Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software. After steering the franchise away from the far-flung future, Call of Duty returns to its roots: historically accurate battles set within the greatest conflicts of our time. Add in some addicting multiplayer modes - and the not-totally-accurate Zombies Mode - and you have all the makings of a war hero.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

A homicidal history lesson with the latest Assassin’s Creed game
History isn’t the most peaceful subject - in fact, study it for a few minutes and you’re bound to run into some bloodshed. That being said, Assassin’s Creed takes the idea of sanguine history to a whole new level. The latest installment of the franchise takes us way back to one of the first recorded civilizations - Ancient Egypt. Here you’ll guide Bayek and his wife Aya as they forge the beginnings of the titular Assassin Order.

Super Mario Odyssey

Mario’s latest adventure is his greatest of all-time
Until this year, the award for the best Super Mario game ever made was a tie between Super Mario World on Super Nintendo and Mario Galaxy on the Wii. Why? Both games leveraged the technological advantages of their new platforms to do something fresh, bold and different than anything before it. Super Mario Odyssey does all that and somehow even more. In our opinion, it’s the greatest Mario game ever made.

Nokia Body+ Scale

You need a smart scale more than you think
A smart scale might seem like it’s outside of your needs, but it’s more helpful than it seems. For instance, the Nokia+ Body Scale knows who’s stepping on it based on their weight, body fat percentage and blood pressure reading. Additionally, this smart Wi-Fi enabled scale can integrate with IFTTT, and with some tweaks, can do things like map out trends around your weight loss (or gain) progress automatically in a Google Sheet.

Acer Windows Mixed Reality HMD

The top PC VR experience on the cheap
Not looking to spend what’s still a small fortune on an Oculus Rift? Then, look no further than Acer’s first-ever VR headset for Windows 10 PCs. With its very own position tracking system built-in and custom motion controllers – not to mention an easy-as-pie, USB-based connection to your PC – Acer makes it easier than ever to dive into another world. Plus, even games in Steam’s VR library support the headset, making this one to watch for an affordable VR gaming gift.

Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB

A great entry-level turntable for your favorite vinyl enthusiast
The vinyl revival warms our once-cold digital hearts. And while we’re happy to see so many people getting back into analog, we’re just a hair concerned at the players most folks are picking up at places like Urban Outfitters. Not only are these turntables bad at conveying the intricate grooves of a record, but over time they’ll actually chew up your favorite LPs. Your safest bet? The Audio-Technica AT-LP 120-USB. Not only will it save your collection from utter destruction, but you can even transfer recordings from the player to your PC to preserve that warm analog sound you’ve come to love.

Microsoft Surface Pro

The best tablet is also a laptop
The Surface Pro is in its fifth iteration this year, and Microsoft’s flagship tablet just keeps getting better. Not only does this version maintain a super sharp and color-rich screen, it also continues to run full Windows 10 natively. Better yet, the latest model sees battery life improve by as much as 32% and improved performance through a new Intel processor. Grab the optional Surface Pen stylus and Touch Cover keyboard, and you have one of the most versatile pieces of computing gear around.

Tile

Never lose your keys (or your phone) again.
If you’re looking for some affordable tech for the holidays that can make your life measurably better, look no further than Tile. Latch it onto your keychain and you’ll no longer need to worry about lost keys, or for that matter, a lost phone. Just tap Tile to find a misplaced phone or if you lost your keys, you’ll be able to easily find them via the Tile app.

TiVo Bolt Vox

The DVR of the future
It was probably pretty difficult to improve upon the TiVo Bolt, the DVR that not only recorded shows, but automatically could cut out commercials with the tap of a button. And yet, somehow, TiVo did just that with the new Bolt Vox. The Vox comes in three different configurations - each of which at least pack four separate tuners that can record four shows at once. The top-tier model sports six tuners and a 3TB hard drive that can store 450+ hours of TV. If you’ve got a cable binge-watcher on your list - the TiVo Bolt Vox will be their dream come true.

Google Wifi

The future of wireless networking is cheap
The mission to eliminate Wi-Fi dead spots in the home has gotten easier than ever, thanks in part to Google. Its Google Wifi wireless mesh systems is, frankly, future of routers. Google Wifi’s premise is easy: buy a three-pack set of ‘points’ and place them throughout your house where you use Wi-Fi the most. Then, you simply scan a QR code to set them all up and – boom – you’ve got strong Wi-Fi throughout the house!

Fitbit Charge 2

A reliable, comfortable wearable that’s easy to recommend
Fitbit’s successor to the classic Charge fitness tracker brings several subtle enhancements, as well as a few major ones to the table – er, wrist. First off, the Charge HR 2 features a display that puts this affordable wearable more in the smartwatch ballpark.

Seagate Game Drive for Xbox - Xbox Game Pass Special Edition 

Download ‘ALL’ the games with this Xbox One upgrade
The Xbox One is a great console no matter what iteration you might have or be interested in getting, but its biggest shortcoming is storage. Luckily, you can run games off an external hard drive just as quickly as if you were playing them off the internal storage. While you can plug in any external drive you have on hand including a dollar store thumb drive, you should get something more reliable and nothing’s going to work more perfectly than the official Xbox Game Drive from Seagate.

Samsung T5 Portable SSD

One of the fastest external storage drives
If you’re already on the USB-C bandwagon with one of 2017’s fancy new laptops or tablets, then you ought to treat yourself or a loved one to its biggest benefit: crazy fast data transfer speeds. Samsung’s T5 Portable SSD delivers that in spades, with speeds of up to 540 megabytes per second – that’s a gigabyte of data every two seconds! If you’ve been stuck with a lame external hard drive all these years, grab something that’s 4.9 times faster. It’s worth the cost.

WD MyPassport Hard Drive

High capacity, high style
Looking to give the gift of even more storage. Western Digital's MyPassport hard drives offer an incredible capacity upgrade in a fashionable package. With a ton of color choices and the options between 500GB to 4TB drives, these portable HDD are the perfect stuffing stock for all your friends.

Logitech G903

The ultimate wireless gaming mouse
You won’t find a finer wireless gaming mouse than the Logitech G903. It features a Lightspeed Wireless system that’s faster and more reliable than even some wired peripherals. Then it only gets even better if you also purchase the Logitech Powerplay wireless charging mouse pad, which makes it so you can run this wireless gaming mouse indefinitely.

Samsung Chromebook Pro

A premium Chromebook for less
One of the first Chromebooks to release with Google’s vision for a laptop with Android apps, the Samsung Chromebook Pro is a primo laptop for a decent price. With a 12.3-inch, beyond-HD touchscreen with a 360-degree hinge, this laptop-meets-tablet is lauded for its built-in stylus – a first for a Chromebook. For these reasons, this device ousts not only a majority of laptops in its category, but it’s better than most Android tablets to boot.

Xbox One X

Meet the world’s most powerful console
If you’re after a console powerful enough to process 4K HDR signals like they’re nothing, the Xbox One X needs to be on your radar this holiday season. With 6Tflops of raw power, a 1TB hard drive and a built-in 4K Blu-ray player, the Xbox One X stands second to none in terms of sheer unabashed power. Oh, and yeah, it’s pretty fun to play, too.

Samsung Gear VR or Google Daydream 2

The best mobile virtual reality headsets available
Own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone or a Google Pixel? There’s an excellent virtual reality headset that’s just waiting for you to jump into. Depending on which phone you have, the offering, both in terms of software and hardware, are a bit different. However, each come recommended given their relatively low asking prices and steadily-increasing catalogs of virtual reality experiences.

MSI Trident 3

The gaming PC that was made for your livingroom
The MSI Trident 3 is basically the little gaming PC that could. Although it’s about as compact as the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, it’s substantially more powerful thanks to its quad-core CPU and Nvidia GTX 1070 graphics card. It’s a tantalizing package that comes at a reasonable price, which makes it the perfect gaming PC to have in your living room.

Moto G5S Plus

A fully-featured mid-range phone that doesn’t compromise on style
There’s no shame in wanting to save a buck (or hundreds) when buying a smartphone. Thankfully, there’s also zero shame in donning the Moto G5s Plus, Motorola’s affordable mid-range phone that has all of the style and most of the performance of a flagship, but for less.

Google Pixel Buds

Who knew that earbuds could be so smart?
Google’s new wireless headphones are the perfect complement to the Pixel 2 and other new Android smartphones. They come equipped with Google Assistant, which can handle everything from telling you tomorrow’s weather to texting back your loved ones – all with just your voice. They can even translate foreign languages without blowing up your spot, which is seriously a game-changer.

Dell XPS 13

TechRadar’s best laptop two years running
Thin, feathery, fast and gorgeous, the Dell XPS 13 is the best laptop in the world for 2017 – its second year on top of TechRadar’s buying guides. Come for the ‘Infinity Edge’ display, cramming a 13.3-inch screen into an 11-inch frame with wafer-thin bezels, stay for new quad-core Intel Kaby Lake processors inside. Not only that, but the port selection is equally on point, with USB-C 3.1 as well as USB 3.0 along with the elusive SD card slot. Topping it all off is your choice between an FHD display or a super-sharp touchscreen.

Sonos One

The Sonos One combines Alexa’s smarts with Sonos’ audio prowess
The Sonos One truly is the perfect marriage between two very odd bedfellows. On one hand, it’s a tried-and-true Sonos speaker that’s designed similarly to the Sonos Play:1 and integrates easily into any Sonos system you already have. On the other, it comes stocked with Alexa, the same smart assistant that makes the Amazon Echo such a wonderful, unique gadget. If you’re looking for a speaker that’s smart and sounds like something twice its price, Sonos One deserves a spot on your shopping list

Dell Inspiron Gaming 15 7000

The top gaming laptop for cash-strapped PC gamers
If you want PC gaming on the go and don’t have the scratch for super-thin, super-powered aluminum laptops, the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming laptop is your best option. This notebook is priced well under half of most high-end gaming laptops, offering fantastic value for the money. The Nvidia GeForce GTX-provided graphics inside are easily enough to push the pixels behind the built-in 1080p display, while overall performance in Windows 10 is super smooth, thanks to your choice of an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor – all within a stately, matte plastic frame.

Philips Hue

Let the best smart lightbulb light up your holidays
Hate getting up to turn off the lights when you’re ready to turn in for the night? We’ve been there before - as have hundreds of thousands of people looking for a solution to their lighting conundrum. Cue the Philips Hue Smart Light System. With it, you’ll be able to control your lights either via an app for iOS or Android, or if you’ve invested in one of those smart speakers we’ve been talking about, with the intonation of a few simple words. It’s not a huge time-saver, but it is the pinnacle of convenience.

Polaroid OneStep 2

Party like it 1988 all over again
This instant film camera not only looks like an old-school Polaroid camera, it also instantly spits out any photo you take. The prints look just as vintage as the camera itself with a mix of off colors, low contrast and other imperfections seen in the camera. If you and your friends aren’t sticklers for perfect image quality, it’s the perfect fun shooting camera for parties and little get togethers.

Roku Ultra

4K streaming without the forced ecosystem
For years, Roku has been our go-to streaming video player. While other players strongarm you into using their streaming services (cough, Amazon Fire TV) the Roku Ultra wants you to use whatever streaming service you feel the most comfortable with. If you’re an Amazon Videos person, great. If you’re a Netflix subscriber or would rather hole up with Hulu, that’s fine too. Roku supports all these services and some several thousand more. It’s egalitarian video streaming that lets you pursue cutting the cord however you’d like. 

Canon TS9120 Wireless AIO

Making printers sexy again
Printers are no longer clunky paperweights. The Canon TS9120 Wireless AIO is a sleek yet capable system that wirelessly connects to a smartphone or tablet. Whether printing candid vacation snaps or an important document, you can count on Canon’s creation to deliver quality every time it’s used. At $149.99 (on sale on Amazon), it’s a great value, too.

Roku Ultra

4K streaming without the forced ecosystem
For years, Roku has been our go-to streaming video player. While other players strongarm you into using their streaming services (cough, Amazon Fire TV) the Roku Ultra wants you to use whatever streaming service you feel the most comfortable with. If you’re an Amazon Videos person, great. If you’re a Netflix subscriber or would rather hole up with Hulu, that’s fine too. Roku supports all these services and some several thousand more. It’s egalitarian video streaming that lets you pursue cutting the cord however you’d like. 

Roku Ultra

4K streaming without the forced ecosystem
For years, Roku has been our go-to streaming video player. While other players strongarm you into using their streaming services (cough, Amazon Fire TV) the Roku Ultra wants you to use whatever streaming service you feel the most comfortable with. If you’re an Amazon Videos person, great. If you’re a Netflix subscriber or would rather hole up with Hulu, that’s fine too. Roku supports all these services and some several thousand more. It’s egalitarian video streaming that lets you pursue cutting the cord however you’d like. 

Roku Ultra

4K streaming without the forced ecosystem
For years, Roku has been our go-to streaming video player. While other players strongarm you into using their streaming services (cough, Amazon Fire TV) the Roku Ultra wants you to use whatever streaming service you feel the most comfortable with. If you’re an Amazon Videos person, great. If you’re a Netflix subscriber or would rather hole up with Hulu, that’s fine too. Roku supports all these services and some several thousand more. It’s egalitarian video streaming that lets you pursue cutting the cord however you’d like. 

Manfrotto Befree Advanced

A serious tripod for both novice and pro photographers
So you need a serious tripod for your serious camera, but at the same time you don’t need a massive support system project to just support it. This is why the Manfrotto Befree Advanced is the perfect choice for photographers who need a stable, flexible and ultimately portable system. From hunching down to the ground to giving you a slightly overhead perspective, this tripod does it all and it’s folds up into an incredible compact package too.