2026 was a great year for tech, at least in my opinion. We’ve seen so many great devices launch this year, despite component prices complicating things. This was the breakthrough year for wide folding; more and more of them are coming. We have also seen some great smartphones being launched in general, and the cameras on phones have also taken a step forward. Add to that various other devices that have appeared, such as compelling smartwatches, and you get the picture.
Now, in this article, I’m going to talk about my absolute favorite tech of 2026. Of course, it will be a completely subjective article, because this is what I like the most. I’ve had the pleasure of using a ton of devices in 2026, many of which I’ve reviewed. I actually reviewed four of the seven devices on the list below (in no particular order). I used all seven extensively though, and they are still a part of my rotation. I will be more transparent in each section for each device, though. So, without further ado, let’s get to it.
ASUS ZenBook Duo (2026)
I decided to start the list with an unexpected product: a transforming laptop. I have been using this laptop since July this year. My ASUS ZenBook Duo (2026) review was published at the end of the month, and since then it has been my only laptop. I use it mostly for work, I’d say 99% of the time – as for everything else, I’m on the phone. I don’t really use a laptop for anything other than work. However, the ZenBook Duo (2026) is an ideal companion for me.
This laptop can be a normal laptop with a single screen. That’s what you get when you open it. However, it has a magnetic keyboard that sits on top of the second display. When you pull that and the hinge on the back pops out, the real magic happens. You get two 14 inch displays, which are crucial for me when I don’t work from home. Whether I’m working from a coffee shop, my bedroom, or traveling, this feature is a must for me at this point. I can do my work properly on two 14-inch displays because they replace my widescreen monitor sitting in the office. A single 14-inch display is far too limiting, and I’m much slower on such a setup.
This laptop managed to quite surprise me from the moment I unboxed it. Yes, it is thicker than normal laptops, notably, but not as thick as I thought it would be. I can easily use it and carry it around, and the productivity it gives me back is…great. The battery life on this thing is also impressive, even though it’s generally a powerful laptop. This is a device that surprised me the most in 2026, and one that I don’t plan on giving up anytime soon. I don’t think I could go back to a single screen laptop after that.
ASUS ZenBook Duo (2026)
$2,399.99
Vivo X300 Ultra
The Vivo X300 Ultra is still the best camera smartphone on the market, in my opinion. My Vivo X300 Ultra review was published back in April, but I’m still using it as a camera phone. It’s not my main device, as my primary SIM card tends to be in a flip-out one, but I carry this thing with me almost everywhere. I believe this is the best camera phone on the market, closely followed by the OPPO Find X9 Ultra and several other devices. The camera parity that this phone offers, plus the overall quality of the cameras and the ZEISS effect, is hard to beat.
The Vivo X300 Ultra has an outstanding 1/1.2-inch 200-megapixel main camera, supported by a 1/1.4-inch 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera. Its ultra-wide camera is not an afterthought, as it is on many devices, as it is a 50-megapixel 1/1.28-inch snapper. Add ZEISS camera expertise, and the company’s T* coating, and you get an exceptional package. I’ve also been using the camera grip that Vivo has been sending out quite a bit over the past half year or so. This phone is… exceptional overall, but its cameras are a cakewalk.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a phone that my colleague reviewed, but I used it for almost two months. It was my first wide folding one, actually, and I was impressed with the device as a whole. Samsung managed to achieve an unreal weight with this device. At 201 grams it was a joy to use. It was also a lot of light, and it was almost everything I had hoped for after waiting for proper book-style wide folding to be seen again. I’ve been waiting for them because OPPO ditched the form factor after the OPPO Find N2. Back then, the tech wasn’t there to achieve a true 4:3 aspect ratio on the main display, with very thin bezels, and a thin profile. It is now though.
The phone also managed to impress me with its battery life. It doesn’t have a big battery inside, but Samsung has done some serious optimization here. I never need a charger before bed, and I used the phone a lot. In fact, I was impressed in almost every way except one…his cameras. The camera performance on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is disappointing, but then again, I’ve been spoiled by some of the best camera smartphones on the market. So…I was expecting more from the start. I hope next time Samsung will consider ditching the ultra-wide camera and include a periscope telephoto unit with telemacro functionality if it doesn’t jump to three cameras. Either way, the main camera also needs a lot of work, a much bigger and newer sensor for starters.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
$1,899.99
Vivo X Fold 6
This is one of the last devices I used. At this point I have had the device on me for about a month. My Vivo X Fold 6 review came out earlier this month, and I simply love the phone. I’m actually using it as my daily driver as we speak. This phone has the best cameras on any foldable out there. The OPPO Find N6 is also good in this regard, but the Vivo X Fold 6 takes the cake. I was actually impressed by the camera setup here, and that didn’t surprise me a lot. ZEISS and Vivo have cooked again.
In addition, the fact that Vivo decided to curve the device a little more than most of the competition made it feel smaller than it is, which is a good thing, not to mention that it is very comfortable to use. Add to that exceptional display, great battery life, great performance, and phenomenal multitasking in OriginOS 7 Fold… and you get one of the best foldable smartphones on the market, if not the best. If there’s one complaint I have, it’s that the phone’s handling is a step below the best out there, which isn’t a big deal.
Vivo X Fold 6
€2,309.88
OPPO Find N6
The OPPO Find N6 is one of two regular book-style foldables that I enjoy the most in 2026, next to the Vivo X Fold 6. I wrote some features about the phone, but I did not review it on the page, my colleague had the pleasure of doing it. The OPPO Find N6, in my opinion, has the best software of all foldables. I still think the Vivo X Fold 6 has the best multitasking with the Origin Workbench, but overall it’s on OPPO’s side. ColorOS is my favorite Android skin at the moment. It’s just so smooth, customizable, and… great to use.
This phone also has one of the best display bezels on the market, not to mention great design and cameras. The camera performance here is not far behind the Vivo X Fold 6. This is a great package, and I used it as my daily driver for months before switching to the Vivo X Fold 6, mostly because of its cameras and Origin Workbench. I’m really looking forward to seeing wide folding bars from both OPPO and Vivo, in all honesty.
Satechi Slim EX1
The Satechi Slim EX1 is a keyboard I bought this year. Before this I used the Nuphy Air75 V2, but quite honestly I’m faster on good chicklet keyboards compared to mechanical ones. Although Nuphy’s offering was great, and I enjoyed it for months, the low-profile mechanical keyboard has finally been replaced. I finally found what I was looking for in the chiclet keyboard space. Think of the Satechi Slim EX1 as a really good laptop keyboard, kind of. It gives off that vibe and feeling.
It’s a quality piece of hardware that combines metal and plastic, and I’ve been using it for over two months now. I have no problems with it, and I use it in combination with a Wi-Fi dongle for reliability. I don’t know how well bluetooth works on its own. The battery life is great, and the typing experience is exceptional, in my opinion. Typing is a big part of my job, and you need to have the right tool for it. Well, for me it’s the Satechi Slim EX1.
Huawei Watch GT Runner 2
This is the last device I started using from this list. It’s only been a few weeks at this point, but I just love it. For what? Well, mainly because of its design. It’s a bit smaller than most smartwatches out there, well, at least the bigger ones for men. It has a 1.32-inch display, and the fact that it’s a bit smaller is actually part of why I like it. The design is great, especially on the Racing Legend variant that I use.
This watch also has exceptional GPS, and it is mainly made for runners. I’ve always found Huawei’s smartwatch software to be very good, and it’s only gotten better over time. It is super reliable and does everything I need it to do. I use my smartwatch mainly for notifications, occasional exercise in the form of running or cycling, for music control, and as a weather check device; that’s it. As far as my personal use is concerned, of course. This watch also has great battery life, as is the case with Huawei smartwatches, so that’s a big plus.
Huawei Watch GT Runner 2
€202.76