The most innovative technology devices of 2024

2024 was a very busy year with completely different gadgets and devices that surprised us with their technological sophistication.

Every good product starts with a spark of innovation. The courage to do something new. The risk of failure. And despite the variety of technologies in the list below that came out in 2024, these are all factors that run through them. With 2025 just around the corner, we’re excited to look back and summarize what we saw in 2024.

We’re excited to look back and summarize what we saw in 2024.

The most innovative smartphone: the HMD Fusion

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This isn’t the most technically impressive or capable phone we’ve used this year, but it’s one of the most unique and ambitious.

What makes the Fusion such an interesting device is its modular design. Other companies have tried (and failed) to make modular smartphones work, but HMD is the company that could. It makes and sells its own add-on modules – called “Smart Outfits” – but it’s also made the whole system open source so that anyone can create new modules for the phone.

What makes the Fusion so interesting is that it’s a modular device.

In addition, the HMD Fusion is repairable. By removing a few screws, you can easily replace many key components, including the display and battery. HMD will keep the replacement parts for seven years, giving you plenty of time to use the phone and repair it.

HMD will keep the parts for seven years, so you’ll be able to use it for a long time to come.

The most innovative laptop ever: the Framework Laptop 16

When it comes to innovation, there’s no company that pushes boundaries more than Framework. The Framework Laptop 16 isn’t just ambitious – it’s audacious. The laptop takes the modular internal design of the original 13-inch model, which makes it easy to swap out almost every component, and applies it to the outer casing.

Framework Laptop 16 is not just ambitious – it’s audacious.

Using a variety of spacers and input modules, you can give the keyboard panel any look you want. It could be a number pad inserted to the right of the keyboard, or something more experimental like programmable macro keys or a matrix of LEDs. It’s definitely not for everyone, but those who do want one are unlikely to regret their choice.

The Most Innovative TV: Sony Bravia 9

Over the past 10 years, two types of TV panels have competed for consumers’ attention: LCD and OLED. Neither is perfect, but each is striving for the most desirable results. Innovations in OLED TV technology are aimed at making them brighter, while advances in LCD TV technology are aimed at improving LED backlight technology to improve black levels and therefore contrast.

LED TVs are designed to make them brighter, while LCD TVs are designed to improve LED backlight technology to improve black levels and therefore contrast.

In 2024, Sony’s extraordinarily spectacular Bravia 9 TV will be honored for its new XR Backlight Master Drive mini-LED backlight technology, which brings LCD TV technology closer to OLED than ever before. The backlight technology combines thousands of tiny mini-LEDs with unprecedented precision control thanks to a high-tech integrated circuit developed by Sony engineers.

It turns out that Sony has not only virtually eliminated the bloom and halo effects that have long plagued LCD TVs, but has also been able to create extremely subtle variations in brightness intensity, resulting in images that are as contrasty as they are bright.

Sony’s backlighting technology has also been able to create extremely subtle variations in brightness intensity, resulting in images that are as contrasty as they are bright.

The most innovative reader: the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft

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Since the release of the first Kindle in 2007, the dream of a reader with a color display has kept readers on their toes. It took 17 years to get it, but we finally have it with the help of Colorsoft.

It’s been a long time coming.

As you can imagine, adding a color display to the Kindle e-reader — is simply a magical event. You’ve always been able to read magazines and comics on the Kindle, but it doesn’t feel the same in black and white when the original doesn’t imply it. On Colorsoft, you can read them in all their original colors, just as the authors and publishers intended. The colored book covers on the home screen and images on the lock screen are nice touches as well. Sure, it can’t compare to the brightness on a regular display or hard copy, but it’s much better than monochrome.

Although the Kindle Colorsoft isn’t the first color e-reader mankind has ever seen, having a color screen combined with the rest of the Kindle — is what makes the Colorsoft so special. Amazon’s user interface is second to none, with a simple user interface, easy book buying, and very user-friendly hardware.

And it’s a great way to get the most out of your Kindle.

The most innovative headphones: the Neurable MW75 Neuro

Lately, innovation in headphones has centered around things like spatial audio or new types of connectivity like Wi-Fi. The Neurable MW75 Neuro headphones, on the other hand, introduce a whole new type of functionality: the ability to track your level of mental concentration with discreet electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors embedded in the earcups.

This aspect of listening to music is a big reason why Neurable partnered with New York-based Master & Dynamic (M&D) to create the MW75 Neuro. If you look closely, you’ll notice that with the exception of the distinctive alternating color pattern on the ear cushions (and the higher $100 price tag), these headphones are absolutely identical to M&D’s excellent MW75 wireless earbuds.

Neurable’s MW75 Neuro Neuro Neuros are the same as M&D’s excellent MW75 wireless earbuds.

The M&D app lets you control things like noise cancellation, and the Neurable app lets you set up focus-tracking sessions, record results, and let you know when it detects a decline in focus.

The M&D app lets you control things like noise cancellation, and the Neurable app lets you set up focus-tracking sessions, record results, and let you know when it detects a decline in focus.

Eventually, Neurable says, determining when you’re focused will become a second chip, which will boost your productivity whether you’re working or not.

The most innovative console: the PS5 Pro

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On paper, the PlayStation 5 Pro is hard to call innovative. It’s simply an upgraded PS5 with improved ray tracing and GPU support. But if you look beneath those upgrades, you’ll find what could be the future of gaming: PSSR.

So far, it’s not the only one.

Short for PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, PSSR already feels like the start of the next generation of consoles four years early. It builds on the current trend of increasing resolution with artificial intelligence in PC gaming and brings it to consoles to address this generation’s main hardware hurdle. Ever since the PS5 and Xbox Series X came out in 2020, developers have struggled to release games that can render 4K visuals while maintaining 60 frames per second. PS5 Pro effectively solves this problem by using artificial intelligence to scale the image to a 4K-like state without losing frame rate.

The PS5 Pro effectively solves this problem by using artificial intelligence to scale the image to a 4K-like state without losing frame rate.

What it means. In supported games, players will no longer have to choose between graphics and performance mode. This is a big deal considering how much of a disappointment the current generation of consoles have been when it comes to delivering on Sony and Microsoft’s original promises. Given how well PSSR works, it already seems like this feature will soon be standard across all consoles.

The most innovative wearable device: RingConn Gen 2

2024 has become the year of smart rings like no other. Samsung finally joined in by releasing the Galaxy Ring, smaller companies like Circular and Movano introduced new variants to the market, and Oura released the Oura Ring 4. It’s been an incredibly big and busy year, but one smart ring in particular stands out: the RingConn Gen 2.

The RingConn Gen 2.

The most impressive thing about the RingConn Gen 2 is that it’s the first smart ring capable of detecting sleep apnea. It’s a feature that not everyone needs or even cares about, but the fact that a smart ring has this level of sleep-detection technology is impressive. Combined with RingConn Gen 2’s other features, including sleep and core activity tracking, run/walk/cycle workout tracking, and much more.

The RingConn Gen 2 smart ring can track sleep and core activity, run/walk/cycle workouts, and more.

It’s all packed into a small smart ring that’s comfortable enough to quietly run for a week or more on a single charge. It also doesn’t require a subscription, something that can’t be said for other smart rings and smart watches. RingConn Gen 2 pushes the boundaries of health tracking in this form factor while remaining more affordable than most of its competitors.

The RingConn Gen 2 pushes the boundaries of health tracking in this form factor while remaining more affordable than most of its competitors.

The most innovative monitor: the HP Omen Transcend 32

The HP Omen Transcend 32 monitor didn’t need to do much. With its new QD-OLED display, excellent brightness, and impressive gaming performance, it was always going to be a fantastic monitor. What’s impressive about this monitor is that HP was able to take this OLED display and turn it into a full-fledged monitor with features that few others offer.

And that’s what’s so impressive about this monitor.

The innovative on-screen display and deep controls make the monitor great for gaming and creativity, and the 140 watts of power delivered through the display will support almost any USB-C-powered laptop.

The most innovative speaker ever: Samsung Music Frame

Samsung’s Music Frame speaker —s not the first speaker to hide its identity, but it may be the most successful in the world of audio tech to date.

Samsung’s Music Frame is not the first speaker to hide its identity, but it may be the most successful in the world of audio tech to date.

At first glance, you’d never guess it’s not what it appears to be — a standard (albeit somewhat large) photo frame. Thanks to its removable glass and matte finish, you can insert your 8×8 or 8×10 photo or order a custom glossy art panel in its place. You can even mount it on the wall with the included mounting hardware.

All of the photo frame’s features include a removable glass and matte finish.

Look behind the frame and you’ll see two large subwoofer diaphragms and a thin power cable — that’s the only indication that this frame isn’t just a frame.

See the picture frame for details.

The most impressive thing about the Music Frame, however, is that it hasn’t compromised its audio mission in the slightest. It’s surprisingly powerful and delivers a gigantic amount of bass for its size. It works with Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, and can also be added to Apple Home and Google Home.

And it’s a great way to get the most out of your music.

You can use it as a full Amazon Alexa smart speaker, and there’s even support for Dolby Atmos Music when streaming from Tidal or Amazon Music. Samsung TV owners get even more: the Music Frame can act as a wireless Atmos TV speaker or can be added to some Samsung Q-Symphony soundbars for a wider and more immersive sound experience.

The Music Frame can be used as a wireless Atmos TV speaker or can be added to some Samsung Q-Symphony soundbars for a wider and more immersive sound experience.