The Finest Devices of December 2025

The time for gift-giving is over. Now, all that’s left is the few days till New Yr’s revelries and the ensuing hangover. So whereas we’ve all been spending time with family and friends, the oldsters on Gizmodo’s shopper tech desk have additionally had the prospect to reminisce on the year’s best, wackiest, wildest, and worst tech merchandise. Fortunately, there have been a couple of standout merchandise which have stored issues attention-grabbing at the same time as we slide into the brand new 12 months.

Lengthy-promised devices, together with pop-out mobile controllers and 360-camera drones, lastly noticed the sunshine of day in December. In the identical month, we went hands-on with some nice, inexpensive earbuds and even an at-home facial system. December’s devices additionally proved that you could’t belief every little thing corporations inform you, particularly relating to newfangled AI units. Senior shopper tech reporter James Pero examined out a purported “AI translator” that proved so bogus, the corporate that made the system requested us to not evaluate it.

Subsequent 12 months shall be a standout for devices. Come January, CES 2026 will unleash a deluge of tech merchandise on our heads. Corporations like LG, Samsung, and extra are already promising all-new TVs and monitors to showcase your shows, artwork, and even the occasional bit of strange 3D gaming content. We count on to see extra laptops, speakers, AR glasses, bird feeders, and much too many devices promising AI will change every little thing. On the identical time, the continuing RAM scarcity brought on by the proliferation of AI information facilities will inevitably spike costs for all computing merchandise, from desktops to laptops to game consoles. We are able to already inform that 2026 will—someway—be much more chaotic than 2025.

Shark’s facial system is constructed to maintain you from spending more money on the salon for one thing you are able to do simply as simply at dwelling. The system consists of a number of attachments that can assist exfoliate your pores and skin, tighten pores, and increase circulation. There are a couple of too many shifting elements to get it working, however truly utilizing the system is comparatively simple and enjoyable.

See Shark FacialPro Glow at Amazon

The Soundpeats Air5 Professional+ show you don’t must spend nicely over $200 to get wonderful transportable audio. The $130 earbuds have a cushty match and an extremely clear, even sound contemplating the worth. The ANC on the earbuds was additionally surprisingly sturdy, partially aided by the tight, comfy match.

See Soundpeats Air5 Pro+ at Amazon

There isn’t any drone just like the Antigravity A1. It’s bizarre, sometimes perfunctory, and simply essentially the most progressive drone to reach in years. As an alternative of a single gimbal-mounted lens, the drone makes use of a 360 digicam. Mixed with the AR headset, this allows you to expertise the skies like the nice witch Glinda from The Wizard of Oz, floating in a large bubble within the sky. The drone additionally makes use of a singular aim-and-fly controller that’s simpler to grasp for any drone novices.

See Antigravity A1 at Best Buy

Cellular controllers are higher when they’re—nicely—cellular. MCON takes that concept and runs with it because of its MagSafe disc that connects to your cellphone. A single button press pops open to disclose a full suite of sport controls, TMR joysticks and analog triggers included. Certain, it received’t really feel as ergonomic as a daily controller or different Backbone-like mobile controllers, but it surely’s actually essentially the most transportable of the bunch.

There are a couple of huge causes you don’t need the Boox Be aware Air 5C e-notetaker. Its shade E Ink show received’t look as sharp as a daily iPad display with its limitation of solely 4,096 colours. It’s not as quick as different, non-E Ink units, both. However for studying and taking notes with a wider shade spectrum obtainable, you received’t discover many extra units for cheaper, a minimum of not one with E Ink. It helps that the Boox Be aware Air 5C feels good in hand and comes with a unbelievable stylus.

See Boox Note Air 5C at Amazon

The identical firm that introduced us the wonderful GB Operator now has a brand new solution to allow you to play bodily Tremendous Nintendo or Tremendous Famicom cartridges in your PC, Mac, or Steam Deck. Just like the similar $50 device constructed for Sport Boy video games, the $60 SN Operator hooks as much as your PC after which makes use of software program emulation to allow you to play your retro titles. The system will allow you to rip your sport information to the PC, and it’ll assist your saves on console or PC. As well as, the SN Operator has additional advantages, like checking for the authenticity of your cart. The related app additionally helps RetroAchievements.

MP3 gamers could have their day within the solar as soon as extra, judging by how big audio nostalgia has turn out to be as of late. The Snowsky Disc is an MP3 participant with a couple of trendy facilities, together with a round touchscreen for controls. In any other case, the digital audio participant has ports for a 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone jack alongside USB-C. It helps as much as a 2TB microSD card, so there’s no scarcity of songs you may probably pack into this pint-sized audio system. The MP3 participant might finally come to the U.S., and we’re hoping it does quickly so we are able to lastly escape the hell that’s Spotify.

There’s one huge cause to concentrate to JLab’s newest ANC earbuds: battery life. The Epic Pods price $100 and promise round 13 hours of battery life when exterior the case. When charging frequently with the case, JLab guarantees that you could get a complete of fifty hours of run time with out having to plug the pod in. The sound will not be the height of high quality, and there are many stable earbuds that are available in at cheaper costs. Nonetheless, for longevity, the Epic Pods have many beat for that worth.

See JLab Epic Pods at Amazon

Pebble creator Eric Migicovsky’s first non-watch product for his revived model was sure to be controversial. The Index 01 is a quite simple product with a easy premise. It’s a chrome steel ring constructed for providing customers an opportunity to file ideas when on the go. The small button prompts the microphone, and fortunately there’s no web connection or subscription wanted. There’s additionally no signal of pointless AI integration like on so many different sensible wearables. The catch is that the system doesn’t have any rechargeable battery. While you’re executed, Pebble expects customers to ship it again to the corporate to be recycled.

Ever since Robosen debuted its first Transformers self-transforming package with its Optimus Prime figure, we’ve questioned how lengthy it could be earlier than we may get the fan-favorite communications lieutenant for the dastardly Decepticons. Robosen lastly confirmed off its Soundwave determine that can routinely collapse right into a tape deck. Right here’s the essential half: it received’t play your outdated cassettes, however it’ll act as a Bluetooth speaker. The determine will price an astronomical $1,400, so simply know there are far cheaper speaker choices obtainable elsewhere that—sadly—don’t rework right into a cool robotic.