HWM+HardwareZone.com Tech Awards 2016: Editor's Choice - Part 1

Tech Awards 2016: 77 awards presented to honor the best

The 7th annual HWM+HardwareZone.com Tech Awards was held on February 16, and it served to honor the best in tech products and services that were introduced between January 2015 and December 2015. A grand total of 37 Editor’s Choice and 40 Readers’ Choice awards were presented this year, in categories ranging from computers and consumer electronics to digital entertainment, communications and services. Included in the Editor's Choice segment are also 4 Innovation awards that aimed to recognize innovative products and cutting-edge technologies that have emerged during the eligibility period.

Every year, without fail, the HWM and HardwareZone.com editorial team conjure up zany video entertainment ideas for our guests. This time, it was a reality TV show style theme for The Ultimate Keyboard Warrior! We kid you not. None of the challenges and the recorded outcomes was scripted; they were captured live as it's meant to be in a reality TV show. Which editorial team will come out ahead? Find out!

Play

Enjoyed our little video entertainment? We hope you enjoyed it as much as we had fun putting it together. We'll bring your more event hightlights in the next part of our Tech Awards 2016 coverage.

Now, at the beginning of the week, we posted the results of the Readers' Choice polls; so do check out the results if you've not already done so, and see if any of your favorite brands won. Alternatively, you can go to our Tech Awards microsite for a condensed version of all the results.

For the Editor's Choice awards, more than 150 products spread across 34 categories introduced between January and December last year were shortlisted. After many months of evaluation by the HWM and HardwareZone.com editorial team, winners were chosen based on the performance, value, and quality of experience they brought to their users.

This year also sees the inclusion of video games merit categories, for the first time presented in collaboration with GameAxis.com. In addition to the Best Gaming Console Brand award introduced last year, a Best Gaming Publisher award was available for public voting among this year’s Readers’ Choice brand nominees. Four new video games categories were also considered for Editor’s Choice awards: Best PC Game, Best Console Game, Best Online Game, and Game of the Year.

Due to the sheer number of categories, we've split the Editor's Choice results article into two parts - consumer electronics and computing. In this article, we start off by taking a look at the best in consumers electronics. For individual scores and breakdowns for each product category, just hit the appropriate jump in the drop list located at the top or bottom of the article.

*Note: Prices and ratings listed in this article are accurate at the time of individual product evaluation.

 

For a full list of content related to the HWM and HardwareZone.com Tech Awards 2016 event, you can refer to the following links:

• Tech Awards 2016: Readers' Choice Results
• Tech Awards 2016: Editor's Choice Results - Part 1 (this article)
• Tech Awards 2016: Editor's Choice Results - Part 2
• HWM+HardwareZone Tech Awards 2016 Microsite

Best Point & Shoot Digital Camera

Compact cameras are in a fight for their lives it seems, as more and more numbers reveal how consumers are turning to smartphones for their daily photography needs. It's obvious that the phone is always with you as much your wallet follows wherever you go, hence it's naturally the most immediately available camera option.

So how do traditional compact cameras fight back? With increased optical zooms supplemented by digital range extensions, in-camera beauty retouching, and much improved handling overall. Of course, at the heart of it all lies the larger imaging sensor, and this year we've seen a variance in resolution chosen by the different manufacturers with varying outcome in terms of the quality of the final image.

The cameras in this year's line-up all boast a respectable zoom range with Wi-Fi and NFC capabilities to allow them to work in tandem with mobile phones instead of against them, so it comes down to a question of image quality and overall feature set to separate a winner from the pack.

Nominees:

• Canon PowerShot SX710 HS
• Casio EX-ZR3500
• Nikon Coolpix S9900
• Olympus Stylus Tough TG4
• Panasonic Lumix TZ70
• Sony Cybershot DSC-HX90V

And the winner is... 

How do you maximize the image quality you can get out of a compact camera that doesn't allow the luxury of lens changes? Well, in Casio's case they put in a slightly larger 1/1.7-inch sensor and made a choice to stick to a sensible resolution of 12 megapixels to maximize the size of the photosites. That, paired with the in-camera stabilization function and the highly accurate white balance system meant that the camera consistently turned in images that were among the best in every situation we put it through. Low light performance was admirable for a compact camera, and the full range of shooting modes available meant that you could easily give the EX-ZR3500 to anyone and get good images, which is what you really want from a compact camera. 

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best Super Zoom Camera

The Prosumer digital camera segment is always an important segment of the digital compact camera market, as it acts as bridge between basic point-and-shoot and advanced controls with better image quality. A "gateway drug" to the world of interchangeable lens cameras if you may.

Smaller and lighter, this year's bridge cameras also boast incredible zoom capabilities, making them well worthy of the term "Super Zoom Camera". To supplement the increased range, camera manufacturers have packed them with features to aid in composition as well as stabilization, so that you can easily get great shots from distance. That said, they still remain easy to use and relatively portable, with a full range of automatic and manual controls, making them worthy alternatives to interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs). 

Nominees:

• Canon PowerShot G3 X
• Nikon CoolPix P900
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300

And the winner is...

This was a really close call between all three cameras as each offered something the others didn’t. The CoolPix P900 obviously had the greatest reach, albeit at reduced quality towards the extremes. The Powershot G3X on the other hand, had the best image quality thanks to the larger sensor. Where the Lumix DMC-FZ300 stood out however, was in how it was consistently good across the board. You can obviously go far with it – the in-body stabilization helps greatly in getting a stable image – but you can also go extremely close-up thanks to the minimum focusing distance of just 1cm. Crucially though, the autofocus was more reliable, and the well-thought out menu and ample physical buttons and dials made the camera easier to use. Despite the slightly lower image quality (compared to the Powershot G3X) due to the smaller sensor, the overall set of features, ease of use and performance won us over, making it the winner of this shootout.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best Mid-range Interchangeable Lens Camera

Bridging the professional and enthusiast segment, mid-range interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs) are more than capable enough for "work" while being small enough to take out for "play", thus serving as a perfect back-up camera for the pro or a great starting point for the serious enthusiast. Ultimately, these cameras serve up excellent images at a very reasonable cost, making them excellent value.

Nominees:

• Canon EOS 760D
• Fujifilm X-T10
• Nikon D7200
• Olympus OMD E-M5 Mark II
• Samsung NX500

And the winner is...

To be honest, we were expecting this to go to one of traditional DSLRs given their respective feature sets, but the X-T10 proved once again that it’s not just about pixel counts when it comes to making good images. Images taken at ISO levels up to 12,800 are very usable, while those taken at ISO 25,600 can also be used after a bit of sharpening so that certainly increases the number of situations whereby the camera can get you the images you need/expect.

Sure, the buffer for continuous capture could be bigger (or they could at least offer us the option of taking the continuous shooting rate down a little to better match the buffer size), and the white balance could be slightly better tuned, but those are minor quibbles given the price and the fact that the images hold up well to corrections in post. So, when you pair good handling with great image performance and value, you have your winner.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best High-end Interchangeable Lens Camera

2015 was an exciting year for camera enthusiasts and professionals alike, as Sony and Canon finally revealed their latest high-resolution cameras. Reaching limits that was once the preserve of medium format cameras with their larger digital backs for sensors, both the Sony A7R II and the Canon EOS 5DS R have clearly pushed performance beyond what traditional 35mm cameras have been thought to be capable of. If you need plenty of resolution for cropping later on, or simply want the detail to match what entry level medium format digital sensors are bringing, without sacrificing the mobility that 35mm cameras offer, then these cameras are for you. 

 

Nominees:

• Canon EOS 5DS R
• Sony A7R II

And the winner is...

Both of these cameras are extremely capable tools that will give you more detail than you'd ever need, but the A7R II stands out in terms of overall performance and the greater suite of video capabilities on-board. If you look at sheer resolution numbers, then obviously it will fall a little behind the Canon 5DS R, but to our surprise the difference wasn't quite as evident, and the in-body 5-axis image stabilization certainly does give it an edge in terms of real-world imaging capabilities. Add the fact that it’s about $1,100 cheaper than the 5DS R, and the A7R II really becomes the clear choice.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best 4K TV

The time for ultra-high-definition (UHD), or 4K UHD as it is more commonly referred to for TVs, is upon us. Versus a couple of years back, buying a 4K TV today makes more sense. For one, most of the newer models have HDMI 2.0 inputs, which means they support 4K up to 60/50 frames per second. A wider range of screen sizes is now available as well, and prices are dipping. Of course, one of the reasons for the more wallet-friendly prices is because manufacturers are churning out models with smaller screen sizes, such as small as 40 inches. In our experience, buying a 4K TV below 65 inches to play 1080p content is a waste of money; you’re better off buying a 1080p set of the same size. Assuming you’ve 4K content, buying a small 4K TV doesn’t make a lot of sense either, since you’ve to sit very close to it to notice the improvement.

For this category, we've looked at various 65-inch 4K TVs from the likes of LG, Samsung, and Sony. Since we're trying to determine the best of the best, both flatscreen and curved models, as well as LCD and OLED technologies were considered.

Nominees:

• LG EG960T
• Samsung JS9500
• Sony Bravia X9300C

And the winner is...

The only TV that can match the EG960T OLED TV is the Samsung JS9500, an LCD TV using quantum dot tech.

Versus the other LCD TVs, the JS9500 is better in all aspects, especially backlight control. Most notably, this is a direct-lit LED backlight unit that does full-array local dimming. In short, it’s the best LCD TV out there.

Versus the EG960T, it’s better in areas of color accuracy, brightness, and motion resolution. It also supports HDR, which LG is only reserving for CES 2016 models.

But the EG960T OLED TV trumps in areas of viewing angles, 3D performance (passive 3D with high resolution and no crosstalk), and black-level response. Because of OLED’s emissive nature, contrast is infinite, and you get true blacks. The lack of a backlight unit also means it doesn’t have backlight inconsistency problems, such as blooming. While this is only one spec, it’s the spec that matters the most to picture quality - the picture simply looks more poppy, more saturated, and generally more impressive as a result.

Feature-wise, the only meaningful difference is the JS9500 has 4 HDMI ports, versus EG960T’s 3. The One Connect external box is also a nice touch from an upgrade point of view.

In summary, value-wise, the JS9500 tops the list. But in terms of picture quality, it has to be the EG960T. Its advantage in this area is too obvious to be ignored.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end. (Note: Panasonic's Firefox OS-running Viera CX700 isn't included as it didn't arrive in time for us to test.)

Best Mainstream Headphones

Mid-range headphones are perfect in more ways than one – they provide decent audio quality, through varying levels of aesthetics and appeal. In other words, it’s less heartache if do you lose or break one, but it’s not so terrible that you’ll not dare to show it off. Now, we see this tier getting various upgrades, such as extra features, extra comfort, or even audio quality beyond expectations. But out of the six we have, which is actually the best between S$200 to S$400?

Nominees:

• Bose Soundlink Around Ear Wireless Headphones II
• Klipsch Reference On-Ear Headphones
• Plantronics BackBeat Sense
• Samsung Level On Wireless
• Sony MDR-100AAP
• Xiaomi Mi Headphones 

And the winner is...

While the Klipsch and Bose headphones are definitely worthy contenders based on audio quality alone, the Plantronics BackBeat Sense wins this shootout because of a combination of factors – it has the most unique, comprehensive, yet practical features out of all the headphones, with audio performance that’s on par, and a price tag to beat. You’d think mid-range headsets are not really all that different, but the Plantronics and its rivals tell us how these differences matter when they are heard side by side.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best Wireless Portable Speakers

We’re all spoilt for choice when it comes to wireless portable speakers – they come in all shapes and sizes, calling out to us with the promise of great sound. 2015 is no different, but that doesn’t stop us from narrowing down to the best choices. We’ve decided on a nice range where it’s large enough for sound quality, aesthetics, and features to matter, yet small enough for great audio just about anywhere. So which is the best portable speaker under 1.2kg that packs the most punch, with the strongest appeal?

Nominees: 

• B&O BeoPlay A2
• Creative Sound Blaster Roar Pro
• JBL Pulse 2 
• Sony SRS-X55

And the winner is...

While the BeoPlay A2 was certainly worth every dollar for the performance it dishes out, we were impressed with the Sony SRS-X55 that could deliver equally great audio performance at almost half the A2’s price tag. Keeping this in mind and pitting it against the Creative Sound Blaster Roar Pro would reveal how the Sony speaker had better grasp across a wider range of tunes. True, the Roar Pro stands more than just fine on its own, but X55 beats out the Creative speakers in terms of audio versatility and physical appeal, while at the same time showing the BeoPlay A2 that you can get good value with no sacrifice to performance.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best Multi-room Audio System

Multi-room audio has matured somewhat this year, with offerings coming from most of the major manufacturers. This year, some of them have even started to offer up 360-degree audio as a means to stand out, and we expect that this trend will continue. High Resolution Audio has also become a widely accepted standard, and manufacturers are now building their products to be able to support these standards and formats, which can only a good thing for audio fans everywhere. Stream high quality audio throughout your  home with ease! We put these contenders through their paces to see which one actually delivers. 

Nominees:

• Archt One Wireless 360° Audio System
• Bose Soundtouch 30 III
• Samsung WAM7500
• Sonos Play:5
• Sony SRS-X99
• Yamaha ISX-80

And the winner is...

The SoundTouch 30 (Series III) serves up some subtle but welcome changes this year that put it on par with the rest of the competition. The new speaker brings Bluetooth and better High Resolution Audio support, and once again, all-around performance that stands out from the competition. It does so at a slightly lower cost too, making it better value than before. We like that the performance translates across genres, and that you get quality room-filling sound even with just one unit. The one area where the speaker could do with improvement is probably in terms of the number of music streaming services supported. Still, it’s hard to argue against quality, and this was clearly the most refined and versatile performer of the group. Meanwhile, Samsung's WAM7500 surprisingly serves up really good performance at a very palatable cost that's worthy of our best value recommendation. However, if you need audio power for a bigger room with more impact and accuracy, the Bose still comes out on top where pure audio performance matters.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best Consumer Tablet (8-inch)

Mini tablets offer a smaller screen size than their bigger brothers, but are more portable, thanks to their smaller, lighter and more convenient size. Their paperback-like dimensions also make them a great fit for e-book reading.

But what makes a particular tablet the best to buy? By now, you should be aware that it's not all about the specs. In fact, a purchase decision is based on a variety of factors such as apps, branding, build quality, design and price, which can be summed up in two words - user experience.

Nominees:

• Apple iPad Mini 4
• ASUS Zenpad 8.0
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0

And the winner is...

The iPad Mini 4 may look the same as its predecessors, but otherwise it’s better in every way. It has a gorgeous new vibrant display that’s on par with the iPad Air 2 and a massive step up from previous Minis. The difference is huge: The Mini 3 could show only 67.3 percent of the sRGB gamut, but the Mini 4 hits 99.8 percent. For the first time, the Mini's display is also fully laminated, which means Apple has eliminated the air gap between the Retina LCD and the Mini's glass screen. Add to this a much faster processor, better battery life and an improved camera and you’ve got the best iPad Mini Apple has ever made.

*Note: Prices listed in this article are accurate at the time of product evaluation.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best Consumer Tablet (10-inch & Above)

Full-sized tablets offer an experience that is closer to a laptop than a smartphone. Web browsing can be done without having to zoom in or squint at tiny text, and movies, games and comics look best at this screen size. This year we’ve also seen the emergence of extra-large tablets like the iPad Pro that blur the line between tablet and laptop even further.

Nominees:

• Apple iPad Pro
• Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro 10
• Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7

And the winner is...

As a media consumption device, iPads are hard to fault and the iPad Pro is a huge step up from the regular iPad Air. The larger display and upgraded audio systems make reading, browsing the web, and watching movies a much more immersive experience. It also makes sharing with friends and family a much more pleasant experience. Prop the iPad Pro up on a table and three or more people can watch a movie in relative comfort. Add to that the iPad Pro’s excellent productivity functionality with apps for professionals ranging from artists to doctors and you have an all-around excellent tablet.

*Note: Prices and ratings listed are accurate at the time of individual product evaluation.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best Mainstream Smartphone

Many of the latest flagship smartphones can cost upwards of S$1,000. If you don’t feel like paying that premium, there’s great value to be found in lower-priced mainstream smartphones, many of which now boast flagship features like Full HD displays and 64-bit octa-core processors. For this category we were looking for phones that punch above their weight, offering features that aren’t normally found at this price level (no more than S$350) like a metal build, powerful processor or Full HD display.

Nominees: 

• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML 2GB
• Lenovo A7000
• Microsoft Lumia 640 LTE
• Oppo Mirror 3
• Phicomm P660
• Xiaomi Mi 4i
• ZTE Blade S6
  
   

And the winner is...

The winner of this category is the ASUS ZenFone 2. The ZenFone 2’s Intel Atom Z3560 quad-core processor easily beat the rest of the field, with performance on par with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801. We also loved its beautiful 5.5-inch Full HD display, and great rear and front camera. While the phone is entirely plastic, its brushed metallic finish is quite convincing, and we liked its ergonomic curved shape, rear volume buttons and quick launch features. At this price, the ZenFone 2 ZE551ML can’t be beat.

*Note: Prices and ratings listed are accurate at the time of individual product evaluation.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best Mid-range Smartphone

Smartphone breakthroughs in technology and materials move at a fast pace. Last year, a mid-tier smartphone with 4G connectivity would be a head turner. Fast forward to today and we have the same mid-range models touting flagship processors, monstrous RAM, premium all-metal chassis, dual-SIM functionality, and flagship-level camera modules. Here are four such phones vying for the top spot within the S$700 bracket.

Nominees: 

• OnePlus 2
• Oppo R7
• Samsung Galaxy A8
• Xiaomi Mi Note

And the winner is...

We can see why they dare to call the OnePlus 2 the “Flagship Killer of 2016”. While it doesn’t quite live up to that title, against other smartphones within its bracket, it’s an outright bully. It has flagship hardware that outclasses its peers, optimization that runs an Android re-skin without a hitch, and features like app-by-app permissions, which makes us feel as though the phone cares about how you use it. While we were very taken with the Xiaomi Mi Note when we first reviewed it in January 2015, its Snapdragon 801 processor is showing its age. The Mi Note Pro would have been a better comparison, but Xiaomi isn’t officially selling that in this region.

*Note: Prices and ratings listed are accurate at the time of individual product evaluation.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best High-end Smartphone

The high-end smartphone category is one of the most competitive consumer markets out there. It’s the place where manufacturers get to showcase their latest and greatest research and development and most luxurious designs. For this category we’re looking at benchmark performance, battery life, camera performance, display quality, audio quality, design and build, handling, as well as any other extra features like a fingerprint scanner or a waterproof build.

Nominees: 

• Apple iPhone 6s Plus
• HTC One M9
• Huawei Nexus 6P
• LG V10
• Samsung Galaxy Note 5
• Sony Xperia Z5 Premium

And the winner is...

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is our winner in this category. While each of the other phones has some area where it’s not that great (price, performance, battery life etc.), the Note 5 is practically flawless, performing well in each category. It boasts a gorgeous metal and glass build, it has a powerful and more importantly power efficient processor, it has the best display out of all of our smartphones, with deep blacks and gorgeous colors, and its unique S-pen stylus is practical and easy to use.

*Note: Prices and ratings listed are accurate at the time of individual product evaluation.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best Camera Smartphone

Smartphone cameras have really upped their game in the last couple of years, with advanced features like 4K video shooting, optical image stabilization, and ever-higher megapixel counts. To find out which smartphone had the best camera for 2015, we focused on testing the best possible image quality you could get from each camera.

That meant shooting with the rear camera, at the highest megapixel count for stills, and the highest resolution for video. We also tested how easy each smartphone’s camera app was to use, and how HDR images, as well as panoramas, turned out.

Nominees: 

• Apple iPhone 6s Plus
• Huawei Nexus 6P
• LG V10
• Samsung Galaxy Note 5
• Sony Xperia Z5 Premium

And the winner is...

After extensive testing, we concluded that the Apple iPhone 6s Plus is the best smartphone camera for 2015 - even if it’s not by a wide margin. It’s not perfect, but it does the best overall job. Its optical image stabilization is best of class, giving you steady photos even in low light, and smooth video that doesn’t make viewers dizzy. It shoots the best panoramas out of the lot.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 comes a very close second, with better image detail in good light, but it doesn’t do as well in low-light, panoramas and video. Here’s a quick recap of the winner for each main category we tested. As you can see, the iPhone 6s Plus had quite a tight race with the Galaxy Note 5.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best Smartwatch

2015 was a big year for wearables. Nearly everyone launched a smartwatch, from familiar tech brands like Apple and Huawei to traditional watch makers like Tag Heuer and even fashion houses like Fossil. But who made the best smartwatch of the year?

Nominees: 

• ASUS ZenWatch 2
• Huawei Watch
• Motorola Moto 360 (2015)
• Samsung Gear S2
• Apple Watch
• Pebble Time

And the Winner Is...

After many attempts, Samsung has finally come up with a really good smartwatch. The Gear S2 is stylish, innovative, and easy to use. It has the best display we’ve seen on a smartwatch and its rotating bezel is the easiest and most intuitive way of interacting with a smartwatch we’ve seen so far. Its Tizen OS means it’s a bit limited when it comes to apps, but Samsung has steadily been working with third party developers to release more apps for the watch.

*Note: Prices listed in this article are accurate at the time of product evaluation.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

Best Mobile Chip 

Your mobile chip is the brains of your smartphone or tablet. Each system on a chip contains the processing cores, graphics processing unit, cache memory and all the other electronics necessary to provide mobile computing functions within a single physical package. But which mobile chip is the best?

Nominees: 

• Apple A9X (Apple iPad Pro)
• Huawei Kirin HiSilicon 935 (Huawei Mate S)
• Intel Atom Z3580 (ASUS ZenFone 2)
• Mediatek Helio X10 (Xiaomi Redmi Note 2)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (Sony Xperia Z5 Premium)
• Samsung Exynos 7420 (Samsung Galaxy Note 5)

And the winner is...

Apple’s A9X ran circles around the competition this year, easily outscoring everyone in every benchmark. The A9X also proved that cores aren’t everything, as it’s just a dual-core CPU. Samsung’s Exynos 7420 also deserves a special mention for its combination of excellent benchmark performance and great power efficiency.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed at the References section at the end.

References

For a full list of content related to the HWM and HardwareZone.com Tech Awards 2016 event, you can refer to the following links:

• Tech Awards 2016: Readers' Choice Results
• Tech Awards 2016: Editor's Choice Results - Part 1 (this article)
• Tech Awards 2016: Editor's Choice Results - Part 2
• HWM+HardwareZone Tech Awards 2016 Microsite

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.