What were the must-have gadgets of 2009? We thought we’d launch this personal tech section of the blog with our recommendations on the year’s best devices.
Over the next two weeks, we’ll look at ten different categories, from eReaders to pico projectors, from the best audio experiences to cameras and camcorders.
Smartphones have made the biggest impact this year and, after the jump, are the thoughts of personal tech correspondent Paul Taylor on the best of them (Dollars and hearts represent value for money and desirability, out of five) . We’re also looking at the rise of Android and republishing our reviews of the latest smartphones – the Motorola Droid and Palm Pixi.
“This was the year that smartphones entered the mainstream, with dozens of exciting new launches, many catering to individual preferences. My favourites are the new 3G BlackBerry Bold 9700 ($$$, ♥♥♥) which has the company’s trademark mini-Qwerty keyboard, and the Apple iPhone 3GS ($$$, ♥♥♥♥♥) , with its elegant design and vast number of third-party apps. I also like the Palm Pre ($$$,♥♥♥) and some of the new Google Android-based devices, particularly the Motorola Cliq ($$$, ♥♥♥) and Droid ($$$,♥♥♥♥♥), which have slide-out mini-keyboards as well as touchscreens. HTC’s Android-powered Magic ($$$$, ♥♥♥♥) is also excellent – easy to use, comfortable and definitely worth considering.
A huge range of smartphone accessories has also emerged, ranging from cases to Bluetooth headsets and hands-free wireless speakerphones to use while driving. I like the leather cases from Sena ($$$, ♥♥♥) that fit a number of smartphones and the silicon Jam jackets from DLO ($$$$$, ♥♥♥♥), for the iPhone (and portable media players.)
Wireless Bluetooth headsets are another hot item with a wide range of prices. I like the ultra-cool Aliph Jawbone Prime ($$, ♥♥♥♥♥) and the ultra-simple Plantronics Discover 975 ($$, ♥♥♥♥). In the car, however, I prefer a speakerphone like the sleek BlackBerry Visor Mount Speakerphone VM-605 ($$$,♥♥♥) or the colourful Parrot MiniKit ($$$, ♥♥♥ ).
Other interesting gifts are wireless smartphone/media player charging systems like the excellent but pricey PowerMat ($$, ♥♥♥♥♥) or the cheaper Duracell MyGrid ($$$$, ♥♥) .”
