Being a tech journalist, I am fortunate to review and test hundreds of gadgets before anyone else. Throughout the year, I use hundreds of devices across every category, and it is both fun and challenging to sift through the most interesting products as well as the run-of-the-mill ones. There is something to learn from every piece of tech you review, and it’s okay to be critical of what you don’t like, especially today, when critics are judged and discussed for not liking something, and often haunted by online trolls and fan clubs, particularly in India.
Anyway, the list (below) is very personal and has nothing to do with how well a product was received by consumers or whether it failed to live up to the hype commercially.
Here’s my favourite tech products of 2025, including AI tools in no specific order.
The iPhone Air offers an amazing in-hand experience. (Image credit: Reuters)
Apple iPhone Air
When the iPhone Air was announced, I was in the other camp – completely dissing the product and being overly critical, questioning Apple’s need to make a phone like this in the first place. I was wrong, and I realised that after using it for several months. The iPhone Air is very poetic; it has its own rhythm, and it’s hard to make comparisons. Sure, there are better iPhones in the market (and within Apple, this was no secret), but the beauty of the Air lies in how fresh it feels as a concept, offering a new way of thinking without deviating from what is already good. The iPhone Air is that for me, and I feel only a master craftsman could pull it off. The Air focuses on elegance, adds personality and depth, and yet remains quite functional. I use it everyday. For lovers of intricate tech, the iPhone Air appears like a prototype that is still unfinished – and that, to me, is a big part of its charm.
The Nothing Headphones (1) stand out among a sea of noise-cancelling headphones thanks to their tech-retro-infused design. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Nothing Headphone (1)
The Nothing Headphone (1) highlights a daring attempt at over-ear headphones that remain utilitarian and, quite honestly, feel like any other product one might buy from a department store. Nothing’s first headphones, however, have a boutique-only appeal more like an entry-level luxury watch, with meticulous detailing, featuring the brand’s signature transparent design and intuitive physical controls such as the paddle rocker. These headphones sound pretty good, though they aren’t the best in the market. They look cool and fashionable, reminding me of the era when a Sony Walkman was a thing. They feel nice and comfortable on the head and, overall, deliver good sound quality.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is 8.9 mm thick when folded and 4.2 mm when open. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
I have had a very weird relationship with foldables. I want to use them as my go-to phone, but I get bored after just a few days. I never truly understood what was wrong with foldables, and frankly, I couldn’t fully trust them or accept their flaws. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 was the first device that made me feel something about foldables that I had never experienced before. The Z Fold 7 looks and feels like a normal phone I am so used to. Its dimensions and in-hand feel don’t make you feel like you’re using a foldable. Plus, it doubles as a tablet, so I don’t have to carry another device with me. It’s also shockingly thin for a foldable phone, though I wish it were a bit easier to open.
That’s not to say the Z Fold 7 is perfect; it has its share of flaws. I wish it had longer battery life, and the camera system could have been better. But again, no phone is perfect. That said, I feel there’s a lot of potential in foldable phones, and the category itself hasn’t reached a saturation point yet. I expect more refined versions as the technology gets better. For me, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is different from those that came before, and it’s a surprise smartphone on my list – one I never thought it would be.
Story continues below this ad
The Ray-Ban Gen 2 smart glasses have changed how I travel. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Meta Ray-Ban (Gen 2) AI smart glasses
At first, I was hesitant to wear the Ray-Ban Gen 2 in public, but I took the plunge and now wear them every day. Despite their shortcomings, Meta’s entry-level smart glasses are a lot of fun for what they can do right now. They take pictures, record videos, play music, and take calls. You can use AI voice commands to operate them, translate foreign languages live, or get questions answered right in front of your face (to be clear, they don’t have an in-lens heads-up display). I like the idea of using artificial intelligence on glasses rather than on my phone.
It may sound a bit controversial at first, but trust me – AI on your face actually makes a lot of sense. However, Meta AI is the weakest point of the otherwise excellent Ray-Ban Gen 2 glasses. I wish Meta AI had a personality of its own and could learn from my behaviour. There are still a lot of ifs and buts with Meta AI. That said, I didn’t expect to continue wearing these glasses. They have become my most-used camera for everyday moments and have even replaced Bluetooth earbuds for taking calls. It’s the most discreet gadget I have ever used. Travellers and vloggers will love it but not privacy crusaders, for sure.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is the best Android smartphone of 2025. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
This year, it wasn’t a flagship iPhone but the Pixel 10 Pro XL,. an Android smartphone that impressed me the most. It’s the one phone I used for the longest period (although, at the time of writing, I have switched to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold). Frankly, I got the same feeling I once did when using an iPhone, and that shift in behaviour says a lot about how far Google has come in making its own hardware. I liked its large 6.8-inch display, the bigger 5,200mAh battery, and an impressive camera system that’s hard to beat. Perhaps what truly stands out about the Pixel 10 Pro XL is how easy it is to use, especially its clearly defined AI features. My most-used AI feature is Magic Cue, which is genuinely useful. For example, it can fetch reservation details from your search history and place a card in the Phone app with related flight information. That’s awesome as there’s no need to dig through emails or other apps to find what you are looking for. The software is what has become the biggest enabler of Pixel smartphones, something the iPhone is clearly lacking right now.
The Switch 2 is both critically and commercially successful, and it shows Nintendo’s faith in the hybrid form factor (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Nintendo Switch 2
The Switch 2 didn’t surprise me at all. In fact, I had a fair idea of what it might be long before it was announced. What did surprise me, however, is how Nintendo managed to make an iterative update feel so good that the Switch 2 sometimes feels like an entirely new console (you are free to disagree). The real story of the Switch 2 isn’t the obvious upgrades like more power or a bigger screen, but the small things – the subtle refinements. Details like the sleeker appearance, fun new tricks such as mouse controls and built-in video chat, and great games, both new and old. The core idea behind the original Nintendo Switch was versatility: play it at home on the TV or play it handheld on a plane. That philosophy has carried forward to the Switch 2 as well. The big takeaway with the Nintendo Switch 2 is that it feels less like a radical reinvention of what gaming can be and more like a smartphone upgrade, and that’s okay. Sometimes you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Story continues below this ad
Nothing is replacing the flashing lights of its Glyph Interface for a tiny dot-matrix display on the rear of the Phone 3 and is calling it the Glyph Matrix.(Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Nothing Phone (3)
The more I think about it, the more curious I am about the Nothing Phone (3). The moment you take the Phone 3 out of the box, it feels distinctly Nothing – and distinctly Marc Newson, the famous industrial designer, at least in how I tend to look at it. It’s a designer phone through and through, and while it may not have lived up to the promise – at least as some critics framed it, I loved every bit of the Phone 3. It’s a slightly weird smartphone with its own quirks, especially the new Glyph Matrix display. It might not be the most powerful device on the market, nor does it have the best smartphone camera around, but I enjoy using it. There’s a subtle nostalgic charm at the core of the Nothing Phone (3), yet it still feels strikingly modern. The Phone (3) is for a certain audience – and let’s admit it.
Google Gemini and Perplexity
This year, I spent a lot of time testing Gemini, and it has improved significantly. However, where Gemini truly made a dent was in AI image generation, especially with Nano Banana Pro. In fact, for many of the images I generated, I couldn’t immediately tell whether they were real or created using AI. The images felt more refined, and Nano Banana Pro truly excels at realism.
Another personal favourite AI tool of mine was Perplexity, particularly as an AI search engine. Perplexity is good at sourcing information from trusted sources and delivering it efficiently; in many ways, it feels best suited for verified search. What also makes Perplexity work for me is its slick interface and voice chat capabilities, though I must say that OpenAI’s ChatGPT comes out on top when it comes to deep search.
The Pixel Watch 4 did surprise me, and I wasn’t ready for it. (Image credit: The Indian Express/ Anuj Bhatia)
Honorable mentions
Google Pixel Watch 4
The Pixel Watch 4 was one of those devices I accidentally discovered and fell in love with – and it remains one of my favourite smartwatches for 2025. It has a beautiful design, an impressive display, Google Gemini right on your wrist, good battery life with blazing-fast charging, a slick interface, and the Fitbit ecosystem as a major draw.
Story continues below this ad
The Asus ZenBook A14 weighs less than a kilogram and has smartphone-like battery life. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Asus ZenBook A14
As a seasoned traveller, I look for two things in a laptop: a thin-and-light form factor and long battery life. The Asus ZenBook A14 delivered on both. It weighs just 980 grams, making it easy to carry around or lug in a backpack, thanks to a new Ceraluminum material. The notebook is powered by a Snapdragon X processor – while not the fastest, it is good enough for everyday tasks. Where the ZenBook A14 surprised me the most, however, was its battery life, which exceeded 20 hours on a single charge.
The Motorola Edge 60 Stylus has a built-in stylus, perfect for note taking. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Motorola Edge 60 Stylus
The Edge 60 Stylus is an incredibly well-designed Android smartphone. The main star of the show is the stylus and how seamlessly it works. Sure, this isn’t the first stylus-powered smartphone, but it’s rare to see one at this price point. It offers a smooth, simple experience, long battery life, and a big display on a budget – and yes, with a stylus. It’s hard to go wrong with the Motorola Edge 60 Stylus.
