BEST GADGETS 2011

The three best gadgets of 2011

It's not easy to pick a gadget of the year for 2011 but Matt Warman has managed to come up with his top three.

1. Samsung Galaxy S2

The Daily Telegraph’s Gadget of the Year may not be the single most innovative piece of kit to emerge in the past 12 months, nor was it even unexpected: but the Samsung Galaxy S2 mobile phone is an object of desire for millions of Britons simply because it’s the most complete mobile phone on the market.

Relatively inexpensive, unlike the iPhone, the S2 remains one of the most powerful phones available. No wonder that Google’s own product manager for mobile, Hugo Barra, told me simply: “I want this phone” when we tested some of Google’s latest mobile features earlier in the year.

Indeed, the S2 wouldn’t be what it is without Google – the company’s globally successful Android platform is key to Samsung’s best mobile phones, and its rise in 2011 has been pivotal. While Apple continues to offer the best mainstream user experience, Google is winning the numbers game. With more than half of all mobile phones now sold running on Android, and in excess of 10 billion apps downloaded in more than 190 countries, it is only a matter of time before the best phones, such as the S2, offer really premium experiences at far lower prices than Apple currently charges. And price is a crucial factor in the S2’s win as well: it’s currently available for free on some £25-per-month mobile phone contracts.

Internet users searched for the Samsung Galaxy S2 handset more than any other mobile phone in 2011, according to comparison website uSwitch.com. In November, its Korean manufacturer felt so emboldened that it even put out a commercial directly attacking the users of Apple’s all-conquering iPhone, mocking the “fanboys” who queue for a new gadget which, Samsung argues, does considerably less than Google’s Android operating system.

The truth of those claims can be debated, but the S2 certainly offers some very powerful features: its 1.2GHz processor and 1GB of memory are combined with an 8-megapixel camera that remains class-leading. Even the newer Galaxy Nexus offers only a 5Mp camera, and has a higher price tag.

The S2 has also made users aware that Android can look and feel as slick as any phone on the market - at just 8.5mm thin, this device is clearly a premium product and yet it is also inexpensive. However, the reason for naming the S2 Gadget of the Year is as much about what it and Samsung in general have done for the Google operating system. This has been crucial in encouraging app developers to build more programs for Android and it has also, gradually, persuaded more users that larger screens really are the way forward - compared to the 3.5in screen of many phones, the S2’s 4.3in expanse feels luxurious. Once you’ve tried it, it’s difficult to go back to another device.

So it’s not one single feature that has made the S2 Gadget of the Year, it’s the overall package. And, surprisingly, this device, which was launched in May, remains among the best mobiles to buy this Christmas. Nokia may be on the rise, but Samsung is now the single name to beat and the S2 is its most influential device so far.

Price: varies with contract
Dimensions H4.93in x W2.6in x D0.3in
Weight 116g
RAM 1GB
CPU Samsung 1.2GHz dual-core application processor
Storage 16/32/64GB flash nemory
Battery life: 18 hours (talk time)
Operating system Android 2.3.5
Screen 4.3in
Display 800 x 480 pixels
Rear camera 8Mp, HD video recording
Front camera 2Mp
Input Multi-touch touchscreen, 3-axis gyroscope, accelerometer
USB 2.0
Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM radio

2. Amazon Kindle 4

Amazon’s earlier Kindle e-reader won Gadget of the Year 2010, and at the new, lower price of £89 the improved model is, in the eyes of many consumers, “a no-brainer”. Rival models such as that made by Kobo may be impressive, but consumers are showing remarkable loyalty to Amazon’s existing shop. Any avid reader will appreciate the lighter weight of a Kindle versus a book, and the technology has now reached a point where it’s churlish indeed to suggest page turns are distractingly slow. Replicating the feel of a real book, though, is admittedly a way off. With full access to the wealth of Amazon’s catalogue, which existing Kindle users already feel comfortable using, this lighter, faster model offers not only books but also subscriptions to newspapers, access to a dictionary and other, surprisingly useful features. Such versatility is making it an increasingly essential gadget.

Price £89
Dimensions H6.5in x W4.4in x D0.3in
Weight 170g
Screen 6in
Battery life: up to one month

3. iPad 2

Powerful and beautiful, the iPad 2 has established itself as the tablet of 2011. Although it was not a major upgrade, the new version did enough to ensure that Apple’s position in the tablet market is secure for some time to come, and it offers capabilities that app developers have still to use to their full extent. The iPad 2 is deservedly ubiquitous, and car manufacturers have quickly caught on, making special holsters to attach iPads to the back of headrests. Using one still feels futuristically satisfying every day. Fire up the iBook store and roll your finger over the screen to turn the pages; you can’t fail to appreciate the perfect animation. That’s just one reason why the iPad, and its library of new apps, has raised the bar higher than ever in 2011. The device lives up to every bit of Steve Jobs’s promise that using it should be “magical”. The downside is that every manufacturer is chasing the same goal.

Price From £399
Dimensions H9.5in x W7.31in x D0.34in
Weight 601g (Wi-Fi), 613g (Wi-Fi + 3G)
Screen 9.7in
Battery life: up to 10 hours