Love Pulse Posted December 19, 2021 Posted December 19, 2021 Tech is an essential part of our everyday lives, but finding the right gadgets for your needs — whether it's for working, staying fit or having fun — can be overwhelming. That's why we spend countless hours rigorously testing the latest technology, from measuring how fast the top smartphones and laptops actually are to live with headphones and earbuds for weeks on end. We've tried out lots of great gadgets this year, but here are the ones that truly stood out in every category. Smartphones Best smartphone overall: iPhone 13 (starting at $699; apple.com) iPhone 13 Jacob KrolCNN Apple's iPhone has long been at the top of our list of smartphones, and this year the iPhone 13 replaced the iPhone 12. It has a modern build with an immersive display, along with the best performance and one of the best cameras of all the phones we've ever tested. Runner-up: Samsung Galaxy S21 (starting at $799.99; samsung.com) Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Jacob Krol/CNN Samsung’s Galaxy S21 is an excellent Android with a smooth and vibrant display, a triple camera system and performance that comes close to our top pick. Best budget phone: Google Pixel 5a with 5G (starting at $399, originally starting at $449; google.com) Google Pixel 5a with 5G Google Pixel 5a with 5G Jacob Krol/CNN Google’s Pixel 5a with 5G is a budget phone that feels like a high-end model, with performance that beats out everything else in its price range. A capable camera system and sharp display let you capture and view detailed images, plus a clean Android installation, long battery life and guaranteed updates for three years make it an even more solid buy. • Read more from our testing of phones here. Tablets Best tablet overall: Apple iPad 9th Gen ($329.99; amazon.com) Apple iPad 9th Gen Apple iPad 9th Gen Jacob Krol/CNN The 9th Gen iPad stood out as the best overall option in our testing thanks to a faster processor that crushes everyday tasks with ease. It mixes performance and value in a way that no other tablet can, and tosses in support for core iPad accessories like the Apple Pencil. Best Performance: iPad Pro (starting at $799.99; amazon.com or apple.com) iPad Pro iPad Pro Jacob Krol/CNN The 2021 iPad Pro is the fastest tablet we've ever tested and it runs effortlessly through all sorts of tasks — Photoshop exports, video renders, gaming, productivity tasks and streaming all happen without a hitch. Best Android tablet: Galaxy Tab S7 ($499, originally $649.99; amazon.com) Galaxy Tab S7 Galaxy Tab S7 Jason Cipriani/CNN The Galaxy Tab S7 provides enough power to keep up with whatever you can throw at it and plenty of battery life to get through more than a day. While Android isn't quite on par with iPad OS, Samsung DeX mode brings Windows-like multitasking to the Tab. Best budget tablet under $200: Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus ($64.99, originally $109.99; amazon.com) Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus Amazon The Fire HD 8 Plus can handle a host of everyday tasks and access Amazon's library of content, including streaming movies and TV shows, e-reading and even some light gaming. For its low price tag, it can do a lot, but know that the Amazon App Store is limited. • Read more from our testing of tablets here. Laptops Best Apple laptop: MacBook Air ($899.99, originally $999; amazon.com) Apple MacBook Air Apple MacBook Air Jacob Krol/CNN Even with Apple's newer, more powerful 2021 MacBooks on shelves, the M1 MacBook Air is still the best Apple laptop for most people. It's absurdly fast for the money, has a gorgeous and travel-friendly design and will get you enough battery life for a full workday and then some. Best Windows laptop: Dell XPS 13 ($899; dell.com) Dell XPS 13 Dell XPS 13 Mike Andronico/CNN The Dell XPS 13 stands above all other Windows laptops thanks to its stunning and nearly borderless display, excellent keyboard and very strong performance for the price. It also doesn't hurt that it's one of the most attractive and lightweight laptops you can buy. The upgrade pick: Apple MacBook Pro 14-Inch ($1,999; amazon.com) MacBook Pro 14-Inch Apple MacBook Pro 14-Inch Michael Andronico/CNN If you need more power, the latest MacBook Pro is Apple's best yet. The new 14-inch model is both an evolution and a throwback for the MacBook line, with a healthy selection of useful ports, the return of physical function keys and the most bonkers MacBook performance we've ever seen courtesy of the new M1 Pro and M1 Max processors. Best 2-in-1 laptop: Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (starting at $879.99; amazon.com) Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Michael Andronico Microsoft's Surface Pro 8 is a versatile powerhouse. With a Type Cover keyboard attached, it's a comfortable, speedy and highly portable laptop with enough power to handle everyday multitasking and a good amount of demanding visual work. And when you’re done with email for the day, its beautiful and smooth 2880 x 1920 display and booming speakers make it an excellent tablet for kicking back wi
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