We rigorously test dozens of tech products every year here at Underscored, and only a select few end up earning a permanent spot in our daily digital lives. Sometimes it’s a great new laptop or phone that meaningfully improves on last year’s model; other times it’s a small accessory that ends up having a big impact. Perhaps just as often, it’s a cool gadget we bought with our own cash and can’t imagine living without, whether it be a useful portable charger or an expensive Game Boy clone.
In a year filled with major updates to the iPhone, MacBook Pro and Meta Quest as well as a ton of surprise winners from every category in between, here are the 11 products that truly stood out to our tech experts in 2023.
I made the mistake of thinking I could spend a week without this 10,000mAh power bank, loaning it to our photographer so we could get a perfectly pretty photo for our coverage. Now, relying on power banks I’m far less fond of, I miss the Anker Nano Power Bank’s cable that doubles as a strap. I miss its digital display that tells you the specific percentage of its remaining charge. And I also miss its high-capacity internal battery, which is enough to refuel my iPhone 15 Pro Max twice. Now, I need to spend 75 minutes on the NYC subway system to get it back. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writer
This year was absolutely stacked with amazing new video games, so of course I spent most of it playing a bunch of old Game Boy cartridges. That's all thanks to the Analogue Pocket, a premium retro gaming handheld that plays all of your old Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games — and makes them better than ever with a stunning 1600 x 1440 screen, multiple display modes and a bunch of other handy modern niceties. I snapped up one of the gorgeous new transparent models in a FOMO-induced, "treat yourself" blackout this fall, and its since overtaken my Switch as the handheld I play the most. There's just something extra cozy about its compact design that looks like a Game Boy, but feels and performs much better.
I've since had a blast taking this thing on flights (after picking up this excellent, affordable carrying case), trawling eBay and local retro stores to flesh out my game collection and exploring the wealth of community-developed emulators that let you play an even wider range of retro consoles. But the true joy of the Analogue Pocket has come from simply being able to play my childhood cartridge collection at a level of fidelity that 7-year-old Mike — who spent many a car ride squinting his way through Tetris — could only dream of. — Mike Andronico, senior tech writer.
Apple's new premium iPhone, which won my pocket thanks to its 5x optical zoom, cannot be glossed over. As an annual update, I'll admit that the iPhone 15 Pro Max is not the most exciting option, but smoother edges and a lighter titanium chassis help it feel like Apple did far more than just dump Lightning for USB-C and drop in a chip capable of playing GOTY-tier games on an iPhone. Not that I understand the urge to play the gorgeously grotesque Resident Evil Village on any screen other than my 4K TV, but it's nice to know the power is there. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writer
I didn't know I was a big-screen laptop guy until the new 15-inch MacBook Air landed in my lap this summer. This notebook takes everything I loved about last year's MacBook Air M2 — excellent overall performance, a snappy keyboard, the handy MagSafe charger — and simply packs it all into a bigger canvas. I got my review unit in the middle of a work trip, where it quickly proved its worth; the notebook's larger frame still barely made a dent in my backpack, and its gorgeous 15-inch display provided tons of real estate for juggling Google Docs, Slack and email all on a single screen. And despite being a complete smudge-magnet, my unit's blue-ish Midnight finish just pops so nicely on the bigger MacBook Air. It's still my go-to notebook for watching YouTube and trawling Reddit threads at home to this day. — Mike Andronico, senior tech writer
The biggest splurge I wish I could make, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max I reviewed earlier this year is proof that excellence doesn't come cheap. Available in Apple’s sleek new Space Black hue, this battleship packs tons of brawn for those who upgrade it to with the M3 Max, which delivers the punch for near-4K gaming on big name titles like Baldur's Gate 3, Lies of P and Death Stranding. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writer
Earlier this year, I picked up a cute little Galaga desk toy at my local collectibles store, not knowing that it would soon lead to a full-blown obsession with home arcade products. That fixation quickly led me to Arcade1Up, a brand that makes arcade machines of all sizes that mostly look and feel like the real thing you may have grown up playing in the '80s and '90s; sticky floors and cigarette smells not included.
As someone who lives in a one-bedroom apartment — and loves Galaga — I didn't hesitate to snatch up this Arcade1Up Class of 1981 Countercade once I saw it deeply discounted for Black Friday. It's small enough to sit on my work desk, constantly tempting me away from productivity with the familiar bleeps and bloops of Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga (you can also play Dig Dug, Galaxian and the hella underrated Galaga '88 on this thing). Between this machine and the Marvel Super Heroes Countercade I also scored on sale this year, I've now got a full-blown mini arcade in my room packed with some of my favorite retro games of all time. It's been a beautiful oasis to escape to, whether I'm going for a new high score in Galaga or just turning up the volume, letting the attract screens play and soaking up the sweet ambiance of the arcades I lost so many hours and quarters to growing up. — Mike Andronico, senior tech writer
I never saw myself as an ergonomic keyboard person, mostly because I thought mechanical keyboards were best (and combinations of the two are rare). Also, their split-chassis designs and other physical eccentricities always pushed me away. Logitech, however, brought me into the fold with its excellent ergonomics-for-beginners keyboard, the Wave Keys. Featuring a comfy built-in cushion for a wrist rest and programmable buttons, it quickly replaced the Matias Tactile Pro mechanical keyboard at my work desk, and I’ve now written more on the Wave for Underscored than any other keyboard. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writer
For some, the Meta Quest 3 headset is a gateway into immersive gaming that lets you hack and slash your way through fantasy realms or traverse the literal Upside Down from Stranger Things. For others, it's a productivity and entertainment tool that can instantly add a screen to any room for working or watching YouTube. For me? It's a personal gym, and the only one I'll ever go to.
I've been obsessed with working out in VR ever since I first broke a sweat in my Meta Quest 2 back in 2021, and Meta's new headset makes that experience I love even better. The lush landscapes and moving targets of my beloved Supernatural workout app look that much crisper on the Quest 3, and more crucially, the device's improved pass-through cameras make it extra-easy to pop back into reality whenever I need to grab a sip of water or make sure I'm not about to step on my dog. — Mike Andronico, senior tech writer
When is a wall-wart power adapter more than just a mere plug? When it practically demands I call it in for testing, that’s when. Packing for trips just got easier with this remarkably small gallium nitride (GaN) charger with dual USB-C output. It delivers enough power for a laptop and a phone, so you can probably forget about that bulky power adapter you would rather leave at home. I’ve seen plenty of these chargers over the years, but this is the first that was small enough to make me take notice. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writer
2023 has been a year for defying expectations, and nowhere is that more obvious than the way PopSocket’s MagSafe-compatible PopGrip changed how I used my phone. This simple little telescoping disc snaps onto the back of my iPhone and makes it so easy to hold (especially when shooting photos and video) that I’ve been convinced to stop using an actual iPhone case. Yes, with this Pop-Grip, I no longer worry about dropping my phone. It also includes a magnetic adapter, so you can snap it onto phones from outside of Apple’s walled garden. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writer
Those of us firmly ensconced in the Apple ecosystem keep getting deeper and deeper in, which becomes a problem when there are simply too many things to keep charged. And without a 3-in-1 Apple device charging stand, a rat’s nest of cables ties itself together faster than Marie Kondo could tidy it away. I truly love the HiRise 3 Deluxe, though, because it does the one thing that most charging stands don’t: packs its wireless iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods chargers into a much narrower stand, so it doesn’t overcrowd your desk or counter. Its vegan leather and rotating MagSafe pad for the iPhone round out the package nicely. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writer
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Our tech editors’ 11 favorite gadgets of 2023 - CNN Underscored
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