But don’t worry, we’ve got you with this retrospective list covering some of our favourites, as well as some underrated launches that truly made 2024 a good year for tech.
Apple Airpods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
From this September’s list of Apple launches, the one that stood out to me was undoubtedly the new Airpods 4. The latest in the brand’s line of wireless, open-ear design headphones, the Airpods 4 introduces something completely new in Apple’s open-ear range: Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Previously only available for the in-ear Pro models, the Airpods 4 with ANC is revolutionary (and especially so for people like me who just can’t wear in-ear earphones).
Using a combination of hardware and software programming relying on the new H2 chip and iOS 18, it was honestly surprising how good the ANC feature is for a pair of open-ear buds. Combined with intuitive use features like Transparency Mode, Adaptive Audio and Conversational Awareness, as well as the head tracking feature that makes spatial listening a joy, the Airpods 4 with ANC brings a new dimension to Apple’s already massively popular Airpods range.
Apple Vision Pro
Another hit on the list for Apple is thanks to the fact that this year saw the launch of the highly anticipated Apple Vision Pro. Making its debut as Apple’s first headset device and boasting the revolutionary visionOS, the Vision Pro is a spatial computer that seamlessly blends the real world with digital life.
Using eye and hand tracking as well as voice command, the Vision Pro took what we knew about VR and AR technology and gave it that signature Apple touch, that is both beautiful and functional. And for those of us who always dreamed to be able to walk around life with our own personal HUDs, the Vision Pro sure gave scratched that itch too. Knowing the way Apple works, there’s only up from here as we can anticipate updates and improvements to future iterations to come.
Dyson Supersonic Nural
Moving on to hair tech, the cult-favourite Dyson Supersonic hairdryer got a major upgrade earlier this year with the launch of the Dyson Supersonic Nural model. Taking the original Supersonic’s intelligent heat control technology to a new level, the Supersonic Nural introduces the Scalp Protect mode, which measures and monitors how far the hairdryer is to your scalp to automatically adjust the heat produced.
The Nural uses infrared technology to detect the distance, resulting in a constant heat on your hair and scalp no matter how you’re moving throughout drying. The Nural also adds on the super cool Attachment Learning feature, which stores heat and airflow information for each styling attachment and easing the styling process as you use it. Plus, the Nural also brought with it fun new colourways (like the ceramic patina and topaz orange set) which makes it a hairdryer you’ll continue to want to display on your dresser.
Samsung Music Frame
When speaking about Samsung’s best of 2024 tech, the obvious choice would be the S24 and S24 Ultra, which hit the market in January this year. Yes, the S24 family of smartphones has really held its place in the constant newness of the smartphone industry, we want to point out another release this year that seems to have gone a little under the radar. The Samsung Music Frame is a sleek, customisable music player and speaker that brings to the audio tech space what the Samsung Frame TV brought to the TV market – a piece of household tech that serves both functional and truly artistic needs.
The Music Frame acts just like a real photo frame, allowing you to display and switch out the photos inside whenever you want, while concealing a powerful speaker, complete with dual built-in woofers and Dolby Atmos technology too. Just like other Samsung home technology, the Music Frame connects to the SmartThings app and your smart home ecosystem at large, as well as links to Samsung’s Q-Symphony technology that connects the Music Frame to your Samsung TV and soundbar. With all that, the Music Frame allows for crisp music playback, immersive movie audio, and even the perfect level of background music for your next house party.
Oppo Find X8 Pro
Oppo’s Find X series returned to the global market in late 2024 after two years, launching in the form of the Find X8 and Find X8 Pro, which are truly deserving of their top-of-the-range moniker (and yes, the exclusive Maison Kitsune phone case helps its case). Oppo smartphones have always been known for their camera capabilities, and what quickly became our favourite feature in the Find X8 series is the camera, crafted in partnership with Swedish camera manufacturer Hasselblad.
The triple camera system features a 50MP main camera, a 50MP 3x periscope telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultra-wide camera, boasting incredible colours, details, light, and shadow across all photographs – even up to 120x zoom. The Hasselblad Portrait Mode also gives you professional level portrait photography, as well as multiple photo variations like the soft lighting style or film-like quality, all from one phone.
LG OLED evo AI TV
After 11 years of leading the OLED television market, this year LG launched their newest lineup of smart TVs that are set to keep them at the top. At the top of the line is the LG OLED evo AI which (like the rest of the range) uses innovative AI technology to enhance and improve your watching experience. The TV is powered by LG’s α11 AI Processor 4K chip that boosts graphic performance and speed, while the AI features like AI Picture Pro and AI Sound Pro takes every frame up a notch.
The AI Customisation feature makes the TV personalise to your preferred watching styles too, allowing the TV to fine-tune images and audio to match you based on the surroundings. And on top of this launch, LG also had to set a new record by introducing the world’s largest LG OLED evo AI TV G4 model at a whopping 97 inches – that’s immersive viewing for sure.
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