Gadgets

Gadgets

It's that time again when I start to reminisce about the literally countless gadgets and that have been through my hands over the past year. And just to give you an idea of how many that is, the content that gets reviewed here on ZDNET is just a fraction of what I've started testing. Less than half. Most that don't make the cut are just not up to scratch, others I have some issue partway through the review,

Business Insider editors share their top holiday gift wish list picks for 2025. Editors' choices include kitchen gadgets, stylish bags, and wellness-focused footwear. Gift ideas range from Vitamix blenders to Salomon running shoes and Beats headphones. The editor-selected companies were not involved in the sourcing or writing of this story. The views contained within represent the editor's personal views. The holidays are creeping up faster than our unread Slack messages, which means one thing: wish list season is officially on.

In all, the study calculates that US consumers received a record $1.59bn in value through mobile device trade-ins, representing a 46% year-on-year increase. This comes after a first quarter of 2025 that saw tech consumers receive $1.24bn from mobile trade-in and upgrade programmes, a 40% increase from the same quarter a year earlier, and $1.34bn in Q2 2025, the strongest second quarter on record for smartphone trade-ins.

The vivo S50 series is set to debut in China in the coming days. Ahead of the launch, the S50 has appeared on the China Telecom website, revealing its complete specifications. For starters, the vivo S50 will be powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, which will be paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The phone will come with a 6.59-inch AMOLED display that will offer a resolution of 2750 x 1260 pixels.

For the Culinary Enthusiast If you know someone who enjoys cooking meat, or perhaps they've expressed interest in mastering it, they'd be thrilled if you gifted them the Meater Plus. This wireless meat thermometer monitors internal temperatures, sends real-time updates to your phone, and tells you when to pull your food so it's juicy, at the right temperature, and most importantly, delicious. It's currently 33 percent off, so grab it before the price spikes.

In the meantime, we're publishing a little reminder of some wireless tech terms. You know, in case you forgot. 6G? 4K? 3D? Whether you're a layperson or the leader of one of the most powerful countries in the world, it can be hard keeping a lot of numbers and letters in your head. Not that I'm pointing a finger; surely anyone can forget what a silly little combination of numbers and letters means!

Every week at The Verge, we're tracking what's happening with Trump Mobile's promised and yet undelivered Android phone. Why? Because we cover phones. We also cover vaporware, which the T1 Phone 8002 (gold version) very well may be. The smartphone has now been delayed for months. Trump Mobile no longer claims that it will be made in USA, but "designed with American values in mind" instead. Well, we're still waiting. Stay tuned as we collect all the little red flags along the way.

Gemini's speech-to-speech translation feature has also been updated, so you can now hear real-time translations in your headphones, like with Apple's AirPods Pro 3. Google says the new functionality, which is now in beta in the Translate app for Android (iOS is coming next year) in the US, tries to "preserve the tone, emphasis and cadence of each speaker" so you better understand the direction of the conversation and who said what. It works with any headphones and supports more than 70 languages.

Google Translate's latest update brings live speech translations, originally available only on the Pixel Buds, to any headphones you want, with support for over 70 languages. It's rolling out today in beta and just requires a compatible Android phone with the Translate app (unlike Apple's similar feature, which requires AirPods). It's one of a few new features coming to Google Translate, along with improved text translations.

Sometimes, the best tech features are the ones you don't even actively think about - they're just there when you need 'em, quietly working on your behalf, without any fanfare or intensive effort required. Sometimes, though, those same sorts of scintillating slivers can have the unintended effect of being so seamlessly integrated into an app or process that you completely forget they're there and never get into the habit of actually using 'em. Or, worse yet, maybe you never even notice their arrival at all.

One Anker Laptop Charger - a 140W monster with one USB-A and three USB-C ports and an LED screen that shows power output, port-specific details, and temperature data - should allow you to discard that box once and for all. And if you need two or more of them, now's the time, because a limited-time Amazon deal has it marked down by 35% to just $65.

It isn't flashy or over-the-top, it doesn't house high-end hardware or an OLED screen. Instead, it focuses on being a reliable work device with a midrange price tag. Considering how expensive things are nowadays, we need more laptops like this now more than ever before -- especially if you're a college student. Also: Not enough people are talking about this budget Lenovo laptop that overdelivers For students, the Aspire 16 is a reliable device with enough battery power to get through the day.

I've been dying to get my hands on the latest , mainly because it is a follow-up to the Dell XPS 16, a laptop that I reviewed back in early 2024 and one of my favorite devices I've tested for ZDNET so far. Although the name may be different, it is a similar computer with key upgrades in all of the right places. However, it shares many of the same issues.

Everyone's priorities are a little different in the wireless earbuds world, but the core tenets typically remain the same: you probably want a pair that sounds good, looks decent, and has features like active noise cancellation (ANC). And you probably want a pair with a logical amount of battery life, too. In fact, maybe you want a pair with an illogical battery life. One that has so much battery that it's almost stupid. If that's what you want, JLab's $100 Epic Pods ANC

The new wearable features a 2.01-inch touchscreen and has Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, allowing users to make and receive calls directly from their wrist, via their connected smartphone. The Lyne Lancer 19 Pro supports heart rate and SpO2 monitoring. It supports multiple sports modes. The Lyne Lancer 19 Pro has an IPX4 rating, which means it is splash resistant. It houses a 210mAh battery and is claimed to deliver up to 12 days of standby time on a single charge.

Starting December 17, the computer maker is set to hike prices across its commercial product lines, according to an internal list of upcoming price changes sent to staff on December 9 and seen by Business Insider. The list outlines price hikes for Dell'scommercial business - meaning its sales to corporate clients rather than individual consumers. The commercial business accounts for about 85% of Dell's annual revenue in the Client Solutions Group (CSG), the division that sells laptops and PCs, according to its latest annual results.

It's typically priced at $1,900, but Amazon just took a whopping 72% off it, dropping the machine down to just $540. You're saving over $1,300 on an option that has enough muscle to handle all your everyday tasks. The retailer is also offering a bunch of freebies with your purchase for absolutely nothing, which adds even more value to the purchase. Grab it before the deal expires, or the stock runs out.

The design itself is striking. That bold coral-orange body with black cooking surfaces isn't trying to blend into your kitchen. It wants to be seen, and frankly, it's earned the right. The form flows in this organic, almost architectural way, with a raised section on the left housing the griddle and sandwich maker, while the right side keeps the toaster and waffle maker ready for action. It's like someone finally asked, "What if kitchen appliances were actually cool?"

The best workspace tools seamlessly integrate into your creative flow, making every interaction feel intentional. For designers who spend hours surrounded by materials, implements, and ideas, the objects on their desk become extensions of their thinking process. This holiday season presents an opportunity to replace utilitarian clutter with pieces that spark joy through thoughtful design and refined aesthetics. These five gifts represent a different approach to workspace essentials.

The Roborock Saros Z70 is a premium robot vacuum and mop with all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a flagship, plus a mechanical arm to pick up objects. And I must immediately focus on this robotic grip when reviewing this product. When the robot vacuum is cleaning, it detects small obstacles it can handle and picks them up. The robot then navigates to a predetermined area to drop off the item.

My choice of bag nowadays is a sling bag, and based on my recent experiences, they don't get any better than the anti-theft bags made by Pacsafe. Pacsafe has a range of bags, but my bag of choice is the crossbody, with a 10 liter/610 cubic inch capacity, and enough room for a 13-inch laptop or tablet (my with its fits perfectly).

When it comes to travel essentials, getting Oprah's approval is basically the Michelin star of gifting, and as a self-proclaimed pro gift-giver, I take that level of endorsement very seriously. Every year, her Favorite Things list drops just in time for the holidays, and I immediately dive in to see what she's loving. This season, I reviewed her picks from this year and past years to find the best gifts

Auk Mini is the smaller sibling to Auk's original six-pot system, a four-pot hydroponic planter that has already sold more than 100,000 units. The base is now available wrapped in natural cork, alongside oak and walnut finishes, turning the planter into something closer to furniture than a gadget. It ships with a 100-day money-back guarantee and has won awards from T3 and Esquire, but the story is the cork and how it changes presence.

Sony's BRAVIA Theater System 6 is an all-in-one sound system that has 10 total speakers, including a subwoofer, rear speakers, and a soundbar, to offer a cinematic surround sound by Dolby Atmos/DTS:X. In addition, in the box, you'll find left and right rear speakers, a wireless rear amp box, a remote, batteries for the remote, an HDMI cable, and an AC cord.

Storage has become one of the most frustrating limitations of modern tech. No matter how much space manufacturers promise, it never feels like enough. Our phones eventually fill up with new photos and videos, our PCs balloon with game downloads and media files, and our gaming consoles never seem to have enough room for the next title we want to install. Because of this ongoing struggle, storage deals tend to be some of the best and most reliable purchases you can make. When SSDs, external drives, or microSD cards go on sale, it's usually smart to grab one.

vivo is working on the V70, the successor to the V60 launched back in August. This series refreshes twice a year, with the V50 having arrived in February, so it's unsurprising to see the V70 already getting certified for sale in India by BIS. As is customary, this certification doesn't reveal any specs for the phone, which will have the model number V2538. It does however confirm that the phone is headed to the all-important Indian market.

Despite its small size, the cordless PixelDrive delivers an adjustable 0.5-6Nm of torque, which is strong enough for assembling electronics, putting together furniture, and handling most small home repairs. It also offers several useful features, like a unique built-in pixelated display that lets you check battery life and see which of the six torque levels you're using at a glance. A single multi-function button lets you change direction, switch to an 80RPM precision mode for delicate tasks, or boost up to 200RPM with one finger.

First, as the name suggests, it features a cool, curved, and clear smart display that never leaves you guessing about the torque setting or battery life. It's the first of its kind I've seen on a tool like this, and it's a neat idea. This is a game-changer, and it made me realize just how unintuitive it is to squint at a small dial or blinking LEDs to figure out what setting your tool is in.

If there's a "secret" that power bank manufacturers don't want customers to know, it's that most power banks are built for a gentle life. When I talk about durability, several companies have told me that power banks are primarily used at in warm, dry air-conditioned homes and offices, on sofas and beds and carpeted floors, not in cold, damp woodlands or icy mountains.