By Josh Teder
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1. Kindle Paperwhite 2024
The newest Kindle Paperwite is a great starting place for those who have never had a Kindle before. It’s also a worthwhile upgrade if you’ve had your device for a while. Everything is faster, especially using the keyboard and getting in and out of books. If your Kindle is older than my 2021 Kindle Paperwhite – or even if you have that model – it might be time for an upgrade. While I haven’t fully reviewed this new model yet, you can check out my review of 2021’s Paperwhite. The 2024 model is basically that, but a a second or two faster (and slightly heavier, but that’s not something I would have noticed if I hadn’t actually weighed them).
2. Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses
One of the most exciting tech products out there. The Meta Ray-Bans aren’t as space-age or flashy as the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3, but they offer a ton of functionality improvements over your typical designer glasses. You get integrated speakers, a camera, and an AI Assistant you can use to send texts, pick up phone calls, and play music.
3. Pixel 9 Pro phones
I’ve been really impressed with Google’s hardware this year. They’ve mostly knocked it out of the park, and nowhere is this more clear than with the Pixel 9 Pro XL. It has an excellent camera system for a smartphone, as well as a great build quality, weight, and display (though I still think it needs the automatic color temperature adjustments other phone displays have). And Google has made an fantastic foldable, too.
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4. Google Pixel Tablet
The Google Pixel Tablet has really grown on me over the course of the year. While I had some early issues with the product, all of my major problems with it have been resolved. It’s by far the best Google Photos integrated display that Google makes.
It’s also the most expensive. But unlike Nest Hubs, you can do way more with the Pixel Tablet. If you want to use it in the kitchen, for example, you’ll appreciate that it runs full apps, so you can get to your recipes in a browser or through NYT Cooking. It also runs full YouTube and more! And now you can favorite, archive, or share the photos that pop up on your display right from the screensaver.
If rumors are to be believed, Google has scrapped its plans to continue the Pixel Tablet line. But if you pick one up on a significant sale this holiday, it’ll still run and get updates for many years to come.
5. Sony WF-1000XM5
These Sony earbuds continue to impress me over the competition from Apple, Google and Samsung. Buds from the phone makers all have their ecosystem advantages like auto switching from one device to another (or Airpods’ excellent spatial audio with devices like the Apple TV 4K). But if your priority is noise cancellation and sound quality, no earbuds we’ve tested have been beaten out Sony’s buds.
6. Dedicated Camera
If you watched a lot of my smartphone reviews and comparisons this year, you might have noticed I often say something like, “Smartphone cameras can only do so much…at some point, physics comes into play.”
Basically, because of their size and form factor, smartphone camera systems just can’t compete with a dedicated camera. This has been the case since 2007, when the iPhone was released, and is still the case today. Apple and other companies tout using their phones as “carrying around five lenses with you!” but most of this is just marketing. Can a smartphone get you telephoto and macro shots? Technically yes. But do they hold up to actual telephoto and macro lenses on a dedicated camera? No. If you’re serious about photography or want to be more serious about photography or videography, you really should bite the bullet and get a dedicated camera.
The Fujifilm X100VI is a good example of why dedicated cameras are still worth owning in 2024, even for people who don’t necessarily want to carry around a bunch of dedicated lenses. Admittedly, it’s almost impossible to get your hands on one at the moment.
If you don’t mind extra lenses, check out a few other recommendations for cameras below. The Fujifilm XT-5 is similar to the X100VI but has interchangeable lenses, and it has the same excellent sensor and film simulations. The Sony A7 C II would be a good camera for those more interested in videography and vlogging. The A7 IV is the updated version of one of the cameras I use to shoot. It’s perfect for those who want great photos but also want the option to take videos. These recommendations are by no means a comprehensive list; there are other brands to consider like Canon, Nikon, etc; the following are just based on my experience with Sony and Fuji cameras:
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