2015 turned out to be the year of new ground breaking technological advancements. Here is the top 20.

20. Dell XPS 13
Dell's XPS 13 is an absolute stunner of
an ultraportable laptop. Somehow, Dell
managed to squeeze in a 13-inch screen
into a chassis that's fit for a 12-inch
laptop. With a beautiful display, great
performance and big battery life, the
XPS 13 set the bar really high for other
Windows laptops. Though there are a
bunch of models to pick from, the $999
model definitely hits the sweet spot of
price for the whole package.

19. Samsung Galaxy
S6
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is arguably one
of the best Android phones of the year.
Samsung finally ditched the plastic for
metal and glass, and the result was a
gorgeous, ultra-thin, premium-feeling
phone with an equally spectacular Quad
HD-resolution display. A ridiculously
fast 16-megapixel camera and fast
wireless charging round out Samsung's
flagship smartphone.

18. LG G4
LG didn't follow the bandwagon with a
metal phone. Instead, its G4 doubled
down on features its competitors were
dropping. Removable battery? Check.
MicroSD card slot? Check. The G4's best
feature, however, is its 16-megapixel
camera; thanks to the f/1.8 aperture
and optical image stabilization, the
camera is unequivocally the greatest
when it comes to low-light performance.
The camera even has a manual mode
and can shoot in RAW, features
normally reserved for professional
cameras.

17. Samsung Gear VR
Most VR headsets from the Oculus Rift to
the PlayStation VR aren't slated to
become commercially available until
next year. If you want VR now, the
simplest and cheapest entry point is
Samsung's third-gen Gear VR. The $99
headset is not only extremely
affordable, but it improves on many of
the issues that plagued the first and
second versions. It's lighter, comfier,
and supports four phones (Galaxy S6,
Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy Note 5 and
Galaxy S6 Edge+).

16. Apple MacBook
At 2 pounds and a little over over half
an inch thick, the new MacBook gives
new meaning to thin and light laptops.
The 12-inch Retina display is to die for
and battery life is solid at 9 hours of
web browsing. The two polarizing
changes are its single USB-C port and
redesigned keyboard, which uses a
"butterfly mechanism" and has less key
travel. At $1,299, the new MacBook is a
bit on the pricey side, but make no
mistake, this is what the every laptop
will look like in a few years.

15. DJI Phantom 3
Standard
The DJI Phantom 3 Standard is not the
most decked-out drone you can buy, nor
is it an underpowered one that will snap
in half, either. For $699, the Phantom 3
Standard is a reasonably priced
consumer drone that has all the
earmarks and performance of a pro
unit. It's easy to set up, has an amazing
HD camera and flying it is
straightforward.

14. Apple Watch
Eight months after the unveiling, Apple
finally launched the Apple Watch , its
take on the smartwatch. The Apple
Watch has its fair share of issues — it
can be slow and confusing to operate at
first — but it's without a doubt the most
fashionable smartwatch out there.
Available in two sizes and a dizzying
array of band styles, the Apple Watch
offers something for everyone at all
price points, starting from $349 all the
way up to $17,000.

13. Sphero BB-8
Disney and its toy partners are milking
the Star Wars franchise for all its
worth, but none is perhaps more
adorable than the $149.99 Sphero BB-8 .
The little ball 'bot works just like in The
Force Awakens and rolls around at a
speedy pace when paired to an iOS or
Android device. The new cutest droid in
the entire galaxy succeeds because it's
more than a toy. It's a digital
companion that will entertain Star
Wars -loving fans of all ages.

12. Samsung SSD T1
Samsung's Portable SSD T1 ticks both
the security and speed checkboxes, and
does so in a package that's smaller than
a standard business card. The T1 offers
AES 256-bit hardware encryption (NSA-
level protection) and is so fast it can
move a 3GB file in eight seconds over
USB 3.0. We moved a 15GB 4K movie
from a MacBook Air to the T1 in 37
seconds; in comparison, a regular hard
drive took 3 minutes. The price for all
that speed doesn't come cheap: $500
(although you can find it for as low as
$376 on Amazon and other online
retailers).

11. Polaroid Snap
The Polaroid Snap digital instant
camera is Polaroid's most exciting
product in years. The $99.99 digital
camera may look like a toy, but there's
no denying the photo stickers it prints
out with its built-in ZINK printer are
charming. At a time when you can take
as many digital photos as your memory
card can store, it's nice to be able to
touch and hold your photos.

10. Google Nexus 6P
After last year's too-damn-big Nexus 6,
Google came to its senses and released
the more reasonably-sized Nexus 6P .
Built by Huawei, the Nexus 6P packs in
all of latest and greatest smartphone
specs (including a lightning-quick
fingerprint sensor) in an all-metal body
that feels great in the hand. The Quad
HD screen is stunning, the battery really
does last "all day," and Android 6.0
Marshmallow without any bloatware is
a godsend. And for the first time, a
Nexus phone's cameras don't suck. The
fact Google's selling it for only $499
unlocked is like icing on a cake.

9. Windows 10
With Windows 10 , Microsoft listened to
its users. Windows 10 brought back the
desktop as the front-facing interface
and restored the Start menu. Microsoft's
latest operating system also brought
Cortana, the built-in assistant from its
mobile devices, and a brand new lighter
and faster web browser called Microsoft
Edge. Other features like Continuum
crunch the OS into a touch-friendly
interface. Best of all, Microsoft is
making Windows 10 free for Window
7/8/8.1 users for the first year.

8. Apple TV
The box may not look too different, but
Apple completely overhauled the
experience on the new Apple TV . No
longer a hobby, the new Apple TV runs
tvOS and opens the doors for apps of all
kinds to proliferate. In addition to the
brand new interface and universal
search, Apple redesigned the remote
control with a glass touchpad and Siri
voice controls. $149 for a 32GB model
gets you through the door and $169
boosts you up to 64GB.

7. Samsung Gear S2
Most round-shaped smartwatches are
duds because they're essentially
running software designed for
rectangular displays. Samsung's Gear
S2 , however, is thoughtfully designed
with purpose and speed. To navigate
around the Tizen-based OS, you simply
rotate the bezel. Also, unlike Samsung's
million previous smartwatches, the Gear
S2 is extremely comfortable to wear.
The $299.99 price tag also makes it
cheaper than the cheapest Apple Watch.
There's also a classic model that's more
suited for dress shirts and blazers if the
S2's sporty design isn't your cup of tea.

6. Swagway X1
Walking is lame. At least, that's what
"hoverboard" makers like Swagway
want you to believe. Why walk when
you can roll down the street like a boss
from the future? Hoverboards like the
Swagway X1 put personal mobility
vehicles on the map this year in a huge
way. At the same time, they also stirred
up controversy after several of them
exploded over the holidays, airlines
banned them, and certain cities declare
them not street-legal. The Swagway X1
goes for $400, which is on the low-end,
but hoverboards can be found north of
$1,500.

5. iPhone 6S/iPhone
6S Plus
The iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are
evolutionary — as opposed to
revolutionary — updates to the last
year's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S Plus.
Usually, an "S" model year is a modest
upgrade with faster hardware under the
hood, but the 6S and 6S Plus are more
than that. Apple added 3D Touch,
boosted the cameras to 12 megapixels
on the back and 5 megapixels on the
front, added 4K video recording, a
Touch ID sensor that's twice as fast and
a stronger metal body. Most important
of all: It comes in rose gold. Every
iPhone is the best iPhone ever and the
6S is no different.

4. Volvo V60 Polestar
Polestar's tuned Volvo V60 might not be
better than its competition, but it's the
most fun Volvo sports wagon to date.
Then Polestar bolts on bigger wheels,
bigger brakes, suspension that is 80%
stiffer than stock, and a 2.5-inch
stainless steel full-flow exhaust system
with twin 3.5-inch tail pipes. The result
is a car that accelerates like a Mercedes-
AMG, brakes like a BMW, spits and
crackles like a Jaguar F-Type, but looks
like a safe family hauler. If you're going
to consider the V60 Polestar, realize
you're going to have to suffer the
ridiculous looks of strangers and a
suspension that feels like it's not quite
yet sorted.

3. Apple iPad Pro
The iPad Pro is the biggest iPad ever
and a clear nod to Microsoft's Surface
Pro devices. When paired with the
Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, the
iPad Pro transforms into a powerful
productivity workhorse. The iPad Pro is
so powerful, it can edit three 4K video
streams simultaneously in iMovie.
Apple's giant tablet isn't for everyone,
but for those who need to get "real
work" done, the iPad Pro is up for the
task.

2. Microsoft Surface
Book
The Surface Book is a not exactly a
laptop. It's an evolutionary convergence
of tablet and ultra-portable design
innovation. Made from magnesium, the
Surface Book is both solid and sturdy.
Press a button on the keyboard and the
screen detaches to become its own
turbo-charged tablet. The screen is
brilliant, Windows 10 is smooth and the
pen input is significantly more accurate
than other styli. With Surface Book,
Microsoft’s taken every lesson it’s
learned from years of watching others
build Windows laptops and done them
all one better.

1. Amazon Echo
The Amazon Echo is part Bluetooth
speaker, part personal voice assistant,
and 100% awesome. The $179.99 tube is
controlled entirely with your voice and
uqqq, and Alexa,
the voice assistant, is responsive to the
extreme. Using the Echo is so intuitive,
you wonder how Amazon figured out
the smart home before Apple and
Google did.

Pictures Dell XPS 13 Samsung Galaxy S6 LG G4 Samsung Gear VR

Pictures Apple MacBook DJI Phantom 3 Standard Apple Watch Sphero BB-8

Pictures Samsung SSD T1 Polaroid Snap Google Nexus 6P Windows 10

Pictures Apple TV Samsung Gear S2 Swagway X1 iPhone 6S/ iPhone 6S Plus

Pictures Volvo V60 Polestar Apple iPad Pro Microsoft Surface Book Amazon Echo