Best smartphone of the year revealed, but does Apple or Android claim top spot in 2021?

It’s almost the end of 2021, which means that it’s time for the best products of the year to be revealed. Last week, What Hi-Fi? dished out its winners and now it’s the turn of the technology experts at Pocket-Lint to hand out their prestigious awards. The top spots were decided in collaboration between Pocket-Lint readers and a panel of top tech journalists, including the team from Express.co.uk.

A total of 20 awards were selected by the judges and have now been handed out at a virtual ceremony. Some of the biggest winners of the evening, included Apple taking home Best Laptop, Sony picking up Best In-Ear headphones, and Philips beating Samsung to claim the coveted Best TV prize.

Of course, Best Flagship Smartphone is the one all the big tech giants want to win and this year Android has beaten the iPhone.

Google’s new Pixel 6 Pro was crowned the winner with this device being lauded for its great camera and powerful Tensor processor. Although it didn’t claim the top prize, Apple’s iPhone 13 was also highly commended for its camera upgrade, faster 120Hz screen and improved battery life.

Speaking about this year’s awards, Pocket-lint’s Editor, Chris Hall, said “The Pocket-lint Awards are designed to highlight the best of the best, and are amongst the longest established technology awards online. From these winners you can pick out the best experiences that consumer technology has to offer with the diversity of the winners showing innovation and advancements across the board.”

Here are some of the winners from the 2021 Pocket-Lint awards…

Best Camera – Sony A1
“The one camera to rule them all.”

Best Car – Hyundai Ioniq 5
“A refreshing retro rethink of the electric car.”

Best Flagship Phone – Google Pixel 6 Pro
“Google finally has a flagship phone – and the Pixel 6 Pro is a masterpiece.”

Best Game – Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
“A stunning showcase of next-gen gaming skill.”

Best Gaming – Sony PlayStation 5
“The PS5 is the defining console of 2021.”

Best Headphones – Philips Fidelio L3
“Sensational sound meets sublime comfort in the Fidelio L3.”

Best In-Ear Headphones – Sony WF-1000XM4
“True wireless headphones have never sounded so good.”

Best Laptop – Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
“Portability, power, battery life: the MacBook Air delivered it all.”

Best Music Streaming Service – Spotify
“Spotify has been at the heart of music streaming for many years – and it’s still the number 1 choice.”

Best Phone (£250 – £500) – Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
“Samsung takes the fight to mid-range pretenders – and the results are outstanding.”

Best Smart Home Device – Philips Hue
“Philips Hue is the name in smart lighting, often copied, never bettered.”

Best Smartwatch – Apple Watch Series 7
“The Apple Watch has been class-leading since launch – and the Series 7 ups the ante even further.”

Best Soundbar – Sony HT-A7000
“Sony’s audio experience makes the HT-A7000 sing with immersive brilliance.”

Best Speaker – Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin
“The rebirth of the Zeppelin brings sound quality by the bucketload.”

Best Streaming Device – Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
“The Fire TV Stick 4K Max elevates the streaming experience: it’s faster, it’s smoother, it’s better.”

Best Tablet / 2-in-1 – Apple iPad mini (2021)
“A reinvention of the smallest iPad garners great results – it’s an ideal travel companion.”

Best TV (in association with Disney+) – Philips OLED806
“Philips OLED806 delivers outstanding quality boosted by immersive Ambilight. It’s sublime.”

Best TV Streaming Service – Disney+
“Disney+’s meteoric rise has seen it emerge as a first class destination for streaming entertainment.”