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Shopping for tech isn’t easy, so we’d like to offer some suggestions.
This is Editors’ Choice, a premium distinction given at CNET to a small group of the hundreds of products and services we’ve tested in dozens of categories this year. The list below represents our strongest buying recommendations for the 2023 holiday season, a label we reserve for the products and services that have made deep and lasting impressions on our expert testers and reviewers.
These are items that go above and beyond the competitive set, offering the most striking balance of value, utility and innovation. And just as the “best” gift for you is a personal decision, our Editors’ Choice picks have a personal component, too. In many cases, these are the products CNET editors would choose for ourselves and the loved ones on our shopping lists.
The end of the year, when new products drop and the 84-day holiday shopping season gets into full swing, is the perfect occasion to share the 18 products on the latest Editors’ Choice list, which is part of CNET’s annual Holiday Gift Guide. To create the list, CNET editorial leaders from across the team — from TV editors to phone reviewers to laptop testers — gathered for a series of conversations about the must-have products that needed to be on any list purporting to represent the best of the best. Through a combination of spirited debate, quantitative data captured in our testing lab and in the notebooks of our reporters, and our longtime expertise in seasonal shopping trends, we nailed down the list.
Then we debated again, nailed down the list again, updated it with newly released products we recently got our hands on, debated again, and so on. At the end of that process, our editors’ goal was to have the tightest, most comprehensive, no-skips list of flagship tech you’ll find anywhere. And while there’s always room for debate, there was no room for advertiser or affiliate interests, which played no role in the creation of this list.
CNET’s holiday shopping survey found that over 7 in 10 shoppers plan to overspend this holiday season and a third will splurge on electronics and technology, emphasizing the importance of picking tech gifts that have been thoroughly tested and trusted by experts, ensuring reliability and peace of mind.
If we were you, here’s where we’d start.
— Adam Auriemma, Editor-in-Chief
The Roku Express 4K Plus may be a couple of years old, but it remains one of the most capable streaming devices available. It also happens to be one that’s regularly on sale. With Roku’s simple tile interface and plethora of all the major streaming apps, it allows you to get to what you want to watch quickly and easily. While I wish Roku’s voice assistant and smart home support was stronger, for the price, it’s hard to beat the value and performance. It’s a worthy choice if you’re looking for a 4K streaming upgrade for your television to watch Netflix, Max, Disney Plus or any other major streamer. Read our Roku Express 4K Plus review.
— Eli Blumenthal
Smart speakers are affordable, and they make great gifts. If you’re in my family, you’ve probably received one or two for Christmas. The Amazon Echo Dot is especially gift-worthy as it includes some nifty features including Eero and a temperature sensor. Plus, if you want to slam your hand down on it like a clock radio to stop music or alarms, you can do that. But the two main reasons to get a smart speaker is that it can hear directions well and it sounds good. The microphones on the Dot are as responsive as any other I’ve used. As far as music and voice are concerned, the Dot is capable of surprisingly deep bass but it’s coupled with midrange clarity, making voices intelligible. In my head-to-head tests, the Nest Mini can’t hold a handle to the Dot for sound quality. All told, if you want a smart speaker around $50, the Amazon Echo Dot is the one to get. Read our Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) review.
–Ty Pendlebury
This remains our go-to pick for anyone who wants an excellent, all-purpose tablet experience for less. Last year’s entry-level model is less expensive than the newer 10th-gen iPad, and is still functional: Its older A13 chip and Lightning-charger-equipped, Touch ID home button design all feel somewhat out of date but will work fine for many people. This iPad’s screen size is perfect for everyday work and fun, there’s an auto-zooming front-facing Center Stage camera and, unlike the 10th-gen iPad, the first-gen Apple Pencil doesn’t need a dongle to work. It’s still compatible with a range of keyboard cases, too. Read our Apple iPad (ninth generation) review.
— Scott Stein
The Soundcore Motion 300 is Anker’s answer to the Bose SoundLink Flex. Around the same size as the Bose, it doesn’t sound quite as good — but given that it costs around half as much, it’s a great value. Available in three colors, it’s IPX7 waterproof and delivers up to 13 hours of audio at moderate volume levels. A detachable strap and support for the LDAC audio codec are two extra niceties that put it over the top as an Editor’s Choice selection in this price category.
— David Carnoy
The Quest 2 is the most affordable and versatile VR headset of the moment — and I’ve tried them all. While its successor, the Quest 3, is available and more advanced, making it more future-proof, it also costs quite a bit more. The Quest 2 remains an excellent pick, and with Meta promising support for the Quest 2 with future software right now, we still highly recommend it. It’s an especially good choice for those who are new to VR or who want an affordable option for families. The base model’s 128GB of storage is plenty for storing dozens of games and apps (although keep in mind there’s no way to add more storage after purchase). Plus, it doesn’t require a gaming console or PC so it can be used wirelessly. Read our Meta Quest 2 review.
— Scott Stein
The $499 Google Pixel 7A is the best value for Pixel fans right now. Google’s budget phone took a leap forward in 2023 with the 7A, which offers many of the same benefits as the Pixel 7 but at a cheaper price. The Pixel 7A’s 64-megapixel camera also takes excellent photos. While you miss out on certain Pixel 8 extras, like battery share, the camera’s Action Pan mode, a larger screen, slightly faster charging and AI features, none of those omissions feel like a deal-breaker. The Pixel 7A is undoubtedly one of the best values of any phone sold in 2023. Read our Google Pixel 7A review.
— Lisa Eadicicco
While Bose’s new flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones may not be a huge upgrade over the company’s Noise Cancelling 700 headphones, they feature a more premium design along with Bose’s new Immersive Audio feature that delivers some sound-quality enhancements. Along with excellent sound and great noise canceling, the QC Ultra Headphones are also very good for making calls with top-notch background noise reduction. All that adds up to the best new noise-canceling headphone of 2023 and a very worthy adversary to Sony’s highly rated WH-1000XM5 and Apple’s AirPods Max. Read our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review.
— David Carnoy
For the second year running, the AirPods Pro 2 keeps our Editors’ Choice designation as the best earbuds for Apple users. In addition to some nice upgrades alongside iOS 17 — including a “conversation awareness” mode that automatically lowers the volume of what you’re listening to as soon as you start talking — the newest iteration of the AirPods Pro 2 swaps a USB-C connector for Lightning, aligning it with nearly every other gadget on the market. What hasn’t changed is the fact that the AirPods Pro remains the best overall combination of features and performance for Apple users, pairing impressive noise cancellation and sound quality with seamless integration on Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads and Macs. And unlike the nearly identical Lightning version, the new USB-C model will deliver lossless audio and compatibility with Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset, due in early 2024. Read our AirPods Pro 2 review.
— David Carnoy
Disney Plus might be our top streaming service pick for kids, but there’s enough content to satisfy the pickiest of viewers at any age. Do you know someone who wants to binge The Mandalorian or every Avengers movie in the MCU? Done. Need to please kids who can’t get enough of Bluey, Toy Story or Disney princesses? It checks that box, too. While it might lack the steady firehose of new, original TV found on other services, Disney Plus is the only place to find Disney, Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and Nat Geo all under one roof. (And let’s not forget every season of The Simpsons.) With its easy-to-navigate interface, the ability to choose content ratings and 100 years’ worth of wonder, it’s hard to beat. And at $8 a month, Disney Plus is still one of the best values in streaming. Plus, it can be easily and affordably bundled with Hulu and ESPN Plus for an even greater content selection. Read our Disney Plus review.
— Kourtnee Jackson
The $399 Apple Watch Series 9 has new features like Precision Finding, Double Tap and faster Siri performance. If you’re a first-time Apple Watch buyer or have the Series 6 or earlier, you’ll have plenty to gain. In addition to what’s new on the Series 9, owners of older Apple Watches will benefit from a larger screen with a keyboard, a temperature sensor and noticeably faster performance. If you have an Apple Watch SE and are craving more health metrics, the Series 9 is also a worthwhile upgrade. Read our Apple Watch Series 9 review.
— Lisa Eadicicco
The $350 Google Pixel Watch 2 is a welcome improvement over the original. After only a week of using it, I found its stress-tracking sensors, longer battery life, faster charging and smoother performance made for a better all around experience. As a result, the Pixel Watch 2 remains a top choice for non-iPhone owners looking for an alternative to the Apple Watch. It’s one of the best looking smartwatches on the market, and provides a better balance of health tracking and phone companion features than Fitbit’s Sense and Versa watches. You’ll have to subscribe to Fitbit Premium to get the most out of the Pixel Watch 2, though Google does provide much more functionality in its free tier than you’ll get with some other wellness gadgets. Read our Google Pixel Watch 2 review.
— Lisa Eadicicco
The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are an iterative update to our 2022 Editors’ Choice Bose earbuds — but that means they are the new standard bearer for noise-canceling quality in the earbuds realm. They also sound slightly better overall than their already excellent predecessors, with a touch more clarity. And the Immersive Audio feature noticeably opens up the sound a bit. Our biggest gripe is the lack of multipoint pairing — you can only link to one source device at a time, at least for now. Read our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review.
— David Carnoy
Consider this HP the MacBook Pro of Chromebooks: beautiful design, excellent display, keyboard and touchpad, and enough processing power to take advantage of today’s ChromeOS features — from productivity to gaming to content creation. It has an excellent webcam for video chats, and the keyboard even has an RGB backlight to add some flair while you’re plowing through work. And if you’re an Android phone user, it’s the perfect companion, letting you see notifications, respond to texts, view and edit photos, and run apps directly from your device. It is at the high end for Chromebooks, but if you want something that will last for years to come, this is it. Read our HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook review.
— Josh Goldman
The current MacBook Air is without a doubt the laptop we recommend the most (and its predecessor is a close second). That’s because it gets a lot right. Available in 13- and 15-inch sizes, the Air is thin and lightweight, and its fanless design means it’s always quiet. Performance is first-rate and battery life is longer than competing models. Its webcam is improved from past versions, and its speakers deliver surprisingly big sound for a laptop. It’s also remarkably sturdy and retains its value, so even if you decide to upgrade in a few years, there will be life in it for someone else. Plus, the Air integrates well with other Apple devices — iPhone, iPad, Airpods — to give you a cohesive experience. Read our Apple Macbook Air M2 review.
— Josh Goldman
Samsung focused on making practical refinements to the $800 Samsung Galaxy S23, especially to one area that matters most in a phone: how long it lasts on a single charge. Battery life is thankfully a bit longer and performance is faster than previous Galaxy S models. The Galaxy S23 is ideal for Android fans who prioritize fast performance, solid cameras, and having a spacious and bright screen in a compact package. Still, you shouldn’t upgrade to the S23 or S23 Plus unless your phone is more than two years old since it’s not a radical change. Read our Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus review.
— Lisa Eadicicco
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus heavily draw from the iPhone 14 Pro’s influence, giving people who can’t splurge on Apple’s pricier phone a taste of last year’s “pro” features. That includes the A16 Bionic processor and the Dynamic Island, a dedicated area near the top of the screen for viewing time-sensitive data like your Uber’s ETA. While the iPhone 15’s camera technically isn’t the same as the one on the iPhone 14 Pro, they each have a 48-megapixel main sensor. The iPhone 15 made headlines about overheating, but it turns out the culprit was a software bug that affected any iPhone, new or old, running iOS 17. Apple has since issued a patch that fixes the bug. Also we don’t recommend Apple’s new FineWoven cases for the iPhone 15 as they easily show scuffs, scratches and stains. Overall, the iPhone 15 feels like a big step forward for those upgrading from an aging iPhone. The iPhone 15 starts at $799 for the 6.1-inch model and $899 for the 6.7-inch Plus model. Read our Apple iPhone 15 and 15 Plus review.
— Lisa Eadicicco
When considering great gadgets to gift this year, don’t forget about the kitchen, and Ninja’s first foray into at-home carbonation is one of our top picks for 2023. The $180 Thirsti electric drink station not only carbonates water with the push of a button, it also churns out a range of flavored beverages — both bubbly and still — via insertable flavor capsules. The Thirsti is a tad more expensive than most SodaStream models but also has more capability than your standard carbonator. Easy settings allow you to choose the drink size, level of carbonation and strength of flavor. You can even mix and match capsules to create custom drinks, including a punch of caffeine or vitamins.
Read more: I Tried Ninja’s New Thirsti Drink System, a Souped-Up Answer to SodaStream
– David Watsky
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the best content deal in gaming, according to our review. Microsoft’s game subscription service offers a continually growing and rotating selection of games playable on the Xbox, from the cloud and locally on a PC, making it the most flexible of the game subscription services — all for less than the cost of a 4K Netflix subscription. And with day-one availability of most of Microsoft’s own games from its stable of studios (like Bethesda Softworks’ Starfield), EA’s large collection of popular sports titles, perks like free trials for streaming services and game and loot packs, and the ability to play console games online with friends, the fun never has to end.
At $17 a month, or $50 for three months, XGPU is a bit beyond “stocking stuffer.” Xbox Game Pass Core, which is console-only with a less extensive library, is more affordable starting at $10 for a month or $60 for a year. Read our Xbox Game Pass Ultimate review.
— Lori Grunin
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