It's been one hell of a year for technology, and T3.com has been there chronicling it all, delivering you the hottest takes and most authoritative coverage on the internet.
We've gone a long way in parsing down and filtering the best of the best too, with a series of winners and commended products celebrated at the T3 Awards show, a sweet guide of 101 gadgets you can't live without, and even a super elite selection of the 12 best gadgets on the planet today, all in the aim of helping tech enthusiasts to find the right gear for them.
Here, though, the T3.com team has retreated to the T3 Towers musing parlour to decide on which piece of technology has impressed each of them most during 2017, with a few honourable mentions thrown in to boot. These are very much personal picks but, as is often the way with technology, it is the most personal, unique gadgets and pieces of technology that mean the most, no matter their size, cost and fame.
Dan Grabham - Editor
Apple Watch Series 3
Many would go for the iPhone X or the Nintendo Switch or the Xbox One X. But I'll plump for Apple's latest smartwatch. Apple Watch took a massive leap forward with the Series 2, while the Series 3 adds cellular and refines the whole package. It's streets ahead of any rival.
Honourable mentions: Nintendo Switch, iPhone X
Robert Jones - Technology and Gaming Editor
Nintendo Switch
With over 10 million units sold and a series of massive blockbuster hits, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, the Nintendo Switch has had an absolutely stunning launch year. We reported at its UK Premiere event back in January that we thought it was a special, fortune-changing piece of gaming technology, and months later we are so happy we were right. Nintendo is back on top and we think it fair to say that gamers all over the world couldn't be happier.
Honourable mentions: Honda Civic Type R, Xbox One X
Spencer Hart - Product and Style Editor
Range Rover Velar
Although 2017 has been the year we've seen so many great smartphones, the thing that's left the biggest, lasting impression on me is the Range Rover Velar. When Samsung released the Galaxy S8, with its infinity glass display, it instantly made every smartphone in comparison look dated. Land Rover has achieved a similar effect with the Range Rover Velar, because after using the Control Touch Pro Duo, we're sure we've seen the future of infotainment systems. Buttons are doomed, and they've been replaced with beautiful touchscreens.
Honourable Mentions: Google Pixel 2 XL, Zenith Defy Lab
Duncan Bell - Lifestyle Editor
Master & Dynamic MA770
The only bit of tech I paid actual money for was Master & Dynamic’s outrageous MA770 wireless speaker. Designed by award winning architect SIR David Adjaye, if you please, and made of a new type of concrete, it not only sounds magnificent, but is a perfect match for my sideboard.
Honourable mentions:
Naim’s Uniti Atom redefined the amplifier for the Spotify age and is a better audio product than the MA770 really, but it’s not such a perfect (ITALS) objet.
TomTom’s new, genuinely motivational fitness app forced you to really work the fuck out to win points - no namby pamby ‘take 10,000 steps and get an 8-bit fireworks display’ here. The hardware’s still horrible, sadly.
Paul Douglas - Editor in Chief
Ducati Monster 797
My favourite purchase of the year is my new Ducati Monster 797, a beautiful bike that echoes the styling of the original models. With an 803cc air-cooled L-Twin engine, this is the entry level model to the Monster range, and as such it comes free of aids such as rider modes or traction control. That's no bad thing, though, as this is a basic bike that you can just jump on, ride and smile.
