On reflection, 2024 was a phenomenal year in tech and one that will likely be remembered for years to come. The AI era is firmly upon us in every category, while there’s a fierce fight brewing in several categories of consumer tech.
In computing, Qualcomm kicked off the AI PC era with the Snapdragon X Elite, but Intel responded months later to keep its lead. In health, the smart ring became far more ubiquitous in 2024 as Samsung entered the market before RingConn and then Oura launched their competitors. The latter proved the benefit of being the incumbent in any industry.
Then there’s mobile, and from Apple to Google or OnePlus and Oppo to Honor, 2021 was a year of intense competition. It kicked off with the Galaxy S24 series before the OnePlus 12, Google Pixel 9 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro surpassed it throughout the year. The folding phone market also saw fierce competition and laid bare the challenge facing Samsung in 2025, especially as it’s no longer the best folding phone.
I used over 100 new products in 2024, but there are a few that have transformed my daily life. Most of these are new launches, but a few are from 2023 that I only incorporated into my workflow in 2024. Each of these has had a transformative effect and fundamentally changed how I work for a specific reason. Here’s why.
Osmo Pocket 3
I’ve been fortunate enough to play many roles in an 18-year career in this industry. I’ve done everything from writing news and feature stories to reviewing products, leading teams, and owning websites, but there’s one thing I’ve never figured out: video. I’ve been around video, helped manage successful channels, and even shot some videos myself, but as someone who started in writing, it’s been a difficult transition.
Why? Part of it is the time required; an average written feature takes me four hours of work, whereas a 10-minute video takes roughly 10 to 15 hours. Then there’s the issue of orientation: It’s always best to shoot native to the aspect ratio you want to export in — versus cropping a vertical video from horizontal footage — and while there are mounts that make it easier, there has to be a simpler way. There is: the Osmo Pocket 3.
The Pocket 3 is a portable camera with a 1-inch sensor and integrated gimbal. It has a lot of benefits, but the key ones include being able to use the same sensor for selfie or front-facing shots, being able to slowly pan and zoom, and being able to change from portrait mode to horizontal mode just by rotating the screen.
The latter is the main benefit. In under a second, you can switch from shooting 4K 60 frames per second (fps) videos in 16:9 or 3:2 format to 3k 60 fps videos in 9:16. It’s compact, which means I can take it virtually everywhere with me, and the Creator Combo comes with an included DJI Mic 2, battery handle, and tripod. By far, the biggest benefit is the quality-to-size ratio: Instead of carrying my Sony full-frame camera, I can take better video, but it requires a tripod and other necessary gear.
The Osmo Pocket 3 gives me all the quality I need in an infinitely smaller package. Since buying one in February — no easy feat given demand far outstrips supply — I haven’t used one of my Sony cameras. The other one only gets used for product photos, but smartphone cameras may yet replace that need. Yes, the Osmo Pocket 3 isn’t as high quality, but it beats everything else just for sheer convenience.
Snapdragon X Elite / Intel Lunar Lake
If you had told me a year ago that I would be a PC convert, I’d have offered to eat my hat. In June last year, I would have had to do so as Qualcomm kickstarted the AI PC era with the Snapdragon X Elite platform. The result is one of my favorite laptops right now, and one that replaced a MacBook Air as my portable machine of choice: the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i.
The Snapdragon X Elite ushered in an era of Windows on ARM, complete with excellent battery life and performance. Not content to be left behind, Intel unveiled the Lunar Lake platform at IFA 2024 and bought the same benefits of Windows on ARM to the x86 architecture.
I’m currently typing this on the Asus Zenbook S14 while sitting on my couch, and upstairs, I have the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition. Both are fantastic devices powered by the Intel Lunar Lake platform, and the Yoga comes with a range of Aura Edition benefits, including tighter integration with phones. For the first time, I don’t miss my Mac when I carry these two PCs, although there are still Mac-exclusive apps that I do miss.
Ray-Ban Meta
Often, the impact of a product can only be felt after using it for months, and the Ray-Ban Meta is the perfect example of this. I first bought a pair late last year, but I loved the initial experience so much that I then bought a pair with transitional prescription lenses in January. My theory was that I would use them all the time, and so far, this has been somewhat true. In particular, they’ve become my favorite way to capture important moments in my life.
I use the Ray-Ban Meta for several days each week, but I find them a little tight on my head — yes, even the large size — which necessitates needing a break. However, I always wear them when I need to capture a viewpoint, and nowhere is this more apparent than when house hunting. I spent months helping my mother find a new house, and the Ray-Ban Meta was crucial; it allowed me to record our reactions in real-time, it was easy to stitch them all together in Capcut, and I could quickly upload them unlisted to YouTube.
Recording from my eyeline meant I could have a conversation and capture it, and the extended three-minute recording time made it easy to capture an entire house tour in three or four recordings. Once we had the offer accepted, I also used the Ray-Ban Meta to record our second visit where we discussed more pertinent items like a fireplace and plug socket locations. These are things that are hard to remember after the fact — even when taking copious notes — but easy to watch a recording for.
I hope the next generation of Ray-Ban Meta offers better battery life and a wider fit option, but from recording vacations to capturing unique viewpoints and filming the important parts of buying and renovating a new home, everyone needs a pair of Ray-Ban Metas.
Galaxy Ring / Oura Ring 4
I’ve loved the Oura Ring 3 since I got it three years ago, but as my health has improved following a heart attack, my need for constant health tracking above and beyond the Apple Watch has diminished. At the same time, swelling in my fingers meant the Oura Ring 3 was uncomfortable, and before the plethora of smart rings launched in 2024, I was ready to move on from the category.
That mostly changed in July with the launch of the Galaxy Ring. It is slimmer, lighter, and has a better design than the Oura Ring 3, and I have been excited about it ever since Samsung teased it at the Galaxy S24 series launch in January. It quickly became my smart ring of choice, but in October, it was surpassed by the Oura Ring 4.
The smart ring category as a whole is fascinating, and companies like RingConn, Ultrahuman, and Circular are all also fighting to be a fixture on your finger. The Oura Ring 4 has become my go-to source of health information, and while the Oura app could be more user-friendly, there’s no denying that I love having this data again.
Different phones throughout the year
Those are just four of the tech products that changed my life last year. Yes, no specific phones made the list, but that’s largely because I’ve changed between too many phones to pick just one. The iPhone 16 Pro is a permanent fixture in my pocket, but I always upgrade to the new iPhone each year. That said, the iPhone 16 Pro is an excellent phone.
Then there’s the range of Android phones, and it was a great year. Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which I used for a few months, but this was replaced by the Pixel 9 Pro in August and then the Oppo Find X8 Pro in November. I suspect this will change again this month, possibly more than once, but the Find X8 Pro sets a very high bar for the competition to beat.
Lastly, there are foldable phones, and there are three in particular that stand out. I still use all three today: the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 (my pick for the best flip phone), the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and the Honor Magic V3. The latter is so thin with a great camera that I can’t help but use it.
Each of these phones deserves a big mention for its impact at that moment, but the three that I think have had a lasting impact are the Honor Magic V3, iPhone 16 Pro (for Apple Intelligence and Notification Summaries), and the Motorola Razr Plus 2024. Each of these has changed what I look for in a phone in a positive way.
