Android Police Awards 2024: Our best phone, tablet, wearable and more

Every year, we take December to look back at what has been going on in the world of tech and anoint our favorite gadgets with our coveted Best Of badge. 2024 has seen us review more products than ever on Android Police, and this year we have more of the team involved in our voting process.

Each editor has sat down to contribute to our awards, and below is our definitive list of the best gadgets from the year. We’ve got awards for every type of phone plus tablets, wearables, headphones, smart home gadgets, mobile games, and more. Plus, scroll to the end, and you’ll find our pick for the best product Google has killed in 2024. So without further ado, here are the best gadgets from 2024. Let us know in the comments below if you disagree with any of our picks.

Best smartphone

Google Pixel 9 Pro

It’s been several years since a non-Pixel smartphone won Android Police’s best of the year award, and that trend isn’t breaking in 2024. The entire Pixel 9 series hit it out of the park this year, delivering a new design that felt like a massive step up from the already-excellent Pixel 8 series before it. Really though, it’s the Pixel 9 Pro that shined brightest — not because it was necessarily better than the rest of its lineup, but because it was an all-new entry meant to fill an obvious gap in Google’s offerings.

Despite sounding like a successor to the Pixel 8 Pro, the Pixel 9 Pro is the first “small” flagship we’ve seen from Google in ages. It takes everything worth loving about the 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL and squeezes it down into a smaller, 6.3-inch footprint. Sure, it’s not quite the iPhone 13 Mini-esque device some of us might want, but in a world chock full of phablets, it’s a step in the right direction. And hey, it helps that the phone itself is pretty damn good, too.

Will Sattelberg, Phones Editor

Runner-up: Google Pixel 9

Best value phone

Google Pixel 8a

It’s difficult to imagine a Google release flying under the radar in 2024, but that’s exactly what happened with the Pixel 8a. Overshadowed by aggressive Pixel 8 sales and rumors of an early Pixel 9 release, the Pixel 8a found itself in limbo. Those who braved Google’s awkward marketing were rewarded with an excellent midrange device. Google addressed many of my Pixel A-series concerns with the Pixel 8a.

It features a fantastic Actua display, giving the Pixel 8a a brighter panel than previous midrange Pixels. It’s also a smaller device with its 6.1-inch display, making it a delight in the hand compared to the monster flagships we’re used to. I love the performance of its Tensor G3 chipset, especially for the price, and it’s hard to beat the output from a Pixel camera for sub-$400. Google also promised plenty of software support with seven years of Android upgrades. It may not have been the flashiest release of 2024, but the Pixel 8a deserves our award for Best Value Phone.

It may not have edged out the Pixel 8a for our Best Value award, but the OnePlus 12R is worth mentioning. It brought the raw performance value we’re used to from flagship OnePlus devices to a midrange price point, powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, giving it fantastic gaming capabilities for the money. It also features a massive 5,500mAh battery and 100W wired charging. If you wanted the most bang for your buck in 2024, the OnePlus 12R was hard to beat.

Stephen Radochia, Phones Author

Runner-up: OnePlus 12R

Best gaming phone

Redmagic 10 Pro

The Redmagic 10 Pro stands above the rest as the best gaming phone released in 2024 primarily because the device is not shy about what it is, with a price that won’t cause sticker shock. Chasing thin bezels has not come at the cost of the fullscreen experience, thanks to an under-screen front camera. The 7,050mAh battery is another clue this device was designed with demanding gaming in mind. And since the battery is so big, Redmagic was able to stuff the camera bump into the frame with a flush back, a design few other manufacturers can pull off in their race to create the thinnest phone.

In the end, people buy gaming phones to game, first and foremost, and boy does the Redmagic 10 Pro prove itself a powerhouse when it comes to gaming, thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and a hefty amount of RAM that starts at 12GB. This phone is a beast, and its pricing starts at $649, blowing the competition out of the water. So even though this pricing comes with a few sacrifices that may not appeal to the mainstream, like middling cameras, a hefty footprint, and moderate support, these are the sacrifices needed to offer high-end specs in a mid-range phone. I’m also not alone in my observations, as the entire AP team has voted the Redmagic 10 Pro as our gaming phone of the year. Sometimes, it pays to lean into a niche market.

Of course, if you’re looking for something a little more mainstream for your gaming, a phone that’s more typical as an everyday carry, the OnePlus 12 is AP’s runner-up choice for best gaming phone. It offers the necessary specs to game with ease while bringing better software support for the long haul.

Matthew Sholtz, Games & Apps Editor

Runner-up: OnePlus 12

Best foldable phone

Motorola Razr+ (2024)

Despite some stiff competition from Samsung and Google, it’s Motorola’s Razr+ that wowed the majority of AP’s editorial staff this year. While the Galaxy Z Flip 6 maintained the core of what made its predecessor so great, Motorola decided to take things to a whole new level. The Razr+’s front cover display now extends to a whopping 4 inches, taking up nearly the entire front of the phone and allowing for a much more immersive experience than ever before. From music playback to navigation, you can do pretty much anything without ever utilizing the main internal display.

It’s not just the cover screen that makes the Razr+ so good though. Its multitude of materials, like vegan leather and vegan suede, makes it feel entirely unique in a marketplace where so many devices are virtually identical, while the addition of (finally!) an always-on display helps make a more useful smartphone at its core. If flip phones are the last bastion of pocket-friendly options, the Razr+ is one of the best we’ve seen yet.

Will Sattelberg, Phones Editor

Runner-up: Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Best tablet

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+

You don’t have to be the most exciting upgrade to earn our award for top Android tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ might not represent a significant visual change from its predecessors, but its internals and display quality still make it an excellent tablet. It features a gorgeous 12.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel with vibrant colors and deep contrast. It makes the Tab S10+ ideal for content consumption, and its beefy battery allows you to watch several movies and shows on a single charge.

Of course, for $1,000, you’ll want to do more than watch movies on your tablet, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ makes for a capable work and productivity slate. Its included S-pen works well, and the optional Samsung keyboard cover adds to the versatility of the Tab S10+ — you can dress it up or down depending on your needs for the day. Samsung switched from a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ for the Tab S10+. While benchmarks slightly improve, your day-to-day experience will feel largely unchanged. However, that’s not bad, as the Tab S9+ was already a top performer.

If you want the most bang for your buck, OnePlus is true to form with its OnePlus Pad 2. It earns an honorable mention from us because of the raw performance of its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset for only $550. It’ll chew through intensive apps and games easily, and you’ll enjoy the viewing experience thanks to its gorgeous 12.1-inch 3K display refreshing at 144Hz.

Stephen Radochia, Phones Author

Runner-up: OnePlus Pad 2

Best e-reader

Supernote Nomad

The Supernote Nomad hits the sweet spot between e-reader and note-taking E Ink table. It runs Android, and there is sideloading support, which means you can easily install F-Droid to expand your app selection, say, if you’re looking to sideload an e-reading app made for E Ink screens, like KOReader. Compared to something like a Kindle or Kobo, you can do a lot more with the Nomad.

And much like many of my favorite products this year, the Sueprnote Nomad is a purpose-built device. It’s designed to stay out of your way, just like a typical paper notepad. It sits on the desk for the purpose of taking notes. This also means that, just like paper, there is no front or backlighting. While you won’t be able to read at night without a lamp, the lack of lighting with the screen is what allows the contrast of the text to shine, as there is one less layer between you and the 7.8-inch screen.

But Supernote isn’t the only one that loads Android on its E Ink devices. Boox has been in the Android game for even longer with its e-readers, which is why the Boox Go 10.3 is our runner-up for 2024. It’s a larger device than the Nomad at 10.2 inches, but since it runs Android and comes with Play Store access, the world is your oyster when it comes to the apps you install. More or less, if you need something bigger than the Nomad, the Boox Go 10.3 is an excellent choice that has reviewed very well.

Matthew Sholtz, Games & Apps Editor

Runner-up: Boox Go 10.3

Best wearable

Google Pixel Watch 3

Last year’s Pixel Watch 2 was a significantly better smartwatch than the first-generation model from 2022, but it still wasn’t my go-to recommendation when someone asked which Wear OS watch they should buy. Battery life was just okay, the bezel around the display was chunky, and it only came in one size — a deal-breaker for a lot of buyers.

But this year, the Pixel Watch 3 is part of those conversations. As Samsung’s standard wearable has gotten increasingly stale — the Galaxy Watch 7 is almost identical to the Watch 6, which was pretty much the same as the Watch 5 — the Pixel Watch 3 makes some serious gains, with notably longer battery life, smaller bezels, UWB support, and critically, a larger 45mm model for those of us with thicker wrists. With distinctive hardware design, a snappy UX, and battery life that comfortably stretches past 24 hours on a charge, the Pixel Watch 3 was an easy choice for our 2024 smartwatch of the year.

Taylor Kerns, Google Editor

Runner-up: OnePlus Watch 2

Best headphones

Sonos Ace

High-end wireless headphones are generally incredible these days, offering great audio quality, powerful noise cancellation, and marathon battery life as table stakes. The Sonos Ace headphones do all that about as well as any other premium Bluetooth headphones, but they also come with a great perk for people who use a Sonos Arc soundbar. With the tap of a button, Sonos’s software can route your TV audio directly to the headphones — an immense convenience for anyone who shares a living space. Sure, you might be able to accomplish roughly the same thing other Bluetooth cans, but the experience isn’t nearly as seamless.

They’re pricey, but for anyone invested in the Sonos ecosystem (or anyone who wants to be), the Sonos Ace headphones are killer. They’re our favorite headphones of 2024.

Taylor Kerns, Google Editor

Runner-up: Sennheiser Accentum Plus

Best earbuds

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024)

When it comes to true-wireless earbuds, two names are bound to dominate the conversation: Sony and Bose. This year, Bose did something truly unexpected: it took its already-excellent QuietComfort series earbuds and made them cheaper. While last year’s Ultra-branded model still exist for those looking for something a little more advanced, the $180 QuietComfort Earbuds offer practically everything most users want in TWEs: great audio, excellent battery life, and some of the best ANC around.

Of course, there’s room for improvement. We’re happy to see wireless charging here, but compared to the competition, Bose’s case is pretty bulky. Likewise, the decision to use a separate app from the rest of the company’s products left us scratching our heads. Those two qualms aside, these are great earbuds, and whether you’re a traveler, an audiophile, or just someone shopping for a new pair of headphones, these are something to consider.

Will Sattelberg, Phones Editor

Runner-up: Nothing Ear (a)

Best Chromebook

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus

There is one Chromebook that stood above the rest this year, not only as one of the best looking (thanks to its sweet blue/purple anodization) but also plenty performant to tackle tasks and gaming (yes, gaming on a Chromebook) thanks to its Intel Core 3 100U chipset. It’s easily my personal favorite to have launched this year, and it would appear the AP team agrees with me, having voted it as our favorite Chromebook for our yearly awards. From playing indie game games like Stardew Valley and Sun Haven to cranking out work to reading websites and watching videos, this Chromebook was made to do it all, and thanks to its 16:9 screen, it’s the best ratio for consuming media.

Predating the Galaxy Chromebook Plus is the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE, AP’s runner-up, which bills itself as a gaming Chromebook, netting you an RGB backlit keyboard as well as a high refresh rate screen. And since the Chromebook offers an Intel Core 5 Series 1 120U, performance is solid across the board. Really, the only sticking point is that the screen is 16:10, which means most modern media and games will be letterboxed. But that’s a small price to pay for a Chromebook with a high refresh rate screen.

Matthew Sholtz, Games & Apps Editor

Runner-up: Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024)

Best smart home gadget

Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)

Google made several improvements to the Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen), earning it our top spot for smart home gadgets. The Nest Thermostat is visually more appealing than its predecessor, with sleek lines and a Pixel Watch aesthetic. Google improved the app, making it easier to set temperature schedules and setting shortcuts for commonly used functions. The Nest Thermostat is Matter-certified, so if you primarily run an Amazon Alexa smart home, your Nest can be part of that setup. You’ll still get the most options from the Google app, but it’s welcome to have that flexibility.

True to its name, the Nest Learning Thermostat is capable of learning your heating and cooling habits, making adjustments for better efficiency, and setting up schedules accordingly. If you don’t like the changes, you can always disable them, but it’s a worthwhile feature and one less thing you have to think about to help save money on your energy bill. Its rechargeable internal battery makes installation and maintenance easier, drawing the power it needs from your pre-existing heating and cooling wiring. It’s a small item, but it knocks down a barrier to entry for people switching from a legacy system.

The Roku Ultra (2024) earns our honorable mention. The snappy performance and excellent remote make for a fantastic user experience, and while we’d like to see the Roku app cleaned up, it’s still the best choice for smart home streaming.

Stephen Radochia, Phones Author

Runner-up: Roku Ultra (2024)

Best gaming accessory

Razer Kishi Ultra

There was one thing missing from the Razer Kishi, and that was a larger size. Thankfully, Razer answered everyone’s wishes with the launch of the Razer Kishi Ultra. Not only am I a big fan of this controller, AP has voted it the best Android controller to grace our paths this year. Reason being, it’s super comfortable to hold, thanks to the full-size grips, and since Razer offers a companion app, it’s easy to program the controller to work with touchscreen-only games, like Genshin Impact. It’s the perfect controller for sitting down for a long session of gaming.

It would seem what the team couldn’t agree on was what the runner-up would be, and so the Gamesir G8 Galileo and CRKD Atom are tied for second place. The G8 Galileo is comparable to the Razer Kishi Ultra, as a controller that attaches to your phone with full-sized grips. The CRKD Atom, on the other hand, is tiny, and since it’s a standalone controller that doesn’t attach to anything, it’s good that it’s tiny because you can toss it into your pocket, which is why we like it, it’s great for toting around town when you don’t want to drag out the bigger controllers like the Razer Kishi Ultra or Gamesir G8 Galileo. In the end, we are all winners this year because the controller choices have been downright awesome.

Matthew Sholtz, Games & Apps Editor

Runner-ups: Gamesir G8 Galileo and CRKD Atom

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  GameSir G8 Galileo

  The GameSir G8 Galileo can attach to just about any phone no matter its size, all the while offering full-size grips and sticks to emulate the feel of a console controller.

  $80 at GameSir$80 at Amazon

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  CRKD Atom

  The CRKD Atom is the controller you grab when you’re going out. It’s incredibly pocketable, yet still feels good to use despite its small footprint. The buttons are clicky and responsive, with a d-pad that holds its own.

  $20 at Amazon$20 at CRKD

Best gaming handheld

Asus ROG Ally X

Asus absolutely knocked it out of the park with the ROG Ally X. Sure, the first ROG Ally is a worthy handheld all its own, but the Ally X takes things to a new level with the necessary polish to be crowned the king of 2024. The thumb sticks now offer the correct resistance, the triggers are now more comfortable to press, and there’s more storage that’s easier to swap out (in case you run out and want to upgrade). Plus, it comes in black, which is less prone to showing stains and dirt. It’s my favorite PC gaming handheld of 2024, and the rest of AP agrees.

Then again, if you’re not into modern games and prefer the classics, then you’re going to love the runner-up for best gaming handheld. Ayaneo’s Pocket Micro is designed very similar to the shape of Nintendo’s Game Boy Micro. Plus, the screen offers the correct 3:2 ratio to properly scale Game Boy Advance games to the 960 x 640 screen. So, for all of you who wish emulation hardware felt more like the real thing, Ayaneo’s Pocket Micro gets pretty close to the quality of Nintendo’s hardware.

Matthew Sholtz, Games & Apps Editor

Runner up: Ayaneo Pocket Micro

Best phone accessory

Rolling Square Tau 2

It’s often said of NFL football players that the best ability is availability, and that applies to our top smartphone accessory pick, the Rolling Square Tau 2. It’s a small, versatile 2,000mAh power bank with attached MicroUSB, Lightning, and USB-C connectors. 2,000mAh might not get you a full charge on today’s smartphones, but that’s not the point. The Tau 2 is there for emergencies, and its small size means you can carry it on a keychain or in your pocket, meaning it’s there every time you need it, and it’s not too cumbersome when you don’t. Its nifty magnetic wall-mount dock doubles as a keychain holder, meaning you can top off your Tau 2 and store your keys in one spot by the door.

It features an embedded NFC tag to track it down when misplaced, protecting your $40 investment. If you own 10 power banks, only never to have one on hand when you need it, you’ll get a lot of use from the Tau 2.

Power users who need more juice will enjoy our honorable mention, the Ugreen 100W Nexode Power Bank. It provides 20,000mAh of additional power in a portable package, making it ideal for those who work on the go. 100W wired charging means you’ll never have to dread filling up the tank, and its small LCD gives you exact readings on the remaining power.

Stephen Radochia, Phones Author

Runner-up: UGreen 100W Nexode Power Bank

Best Android game

Balatro

I think it’s safe to say just about everyone expected Balatro to win best game this year. It came out of nowhere and wowed everyone, plus it’s super addictive. It also helps that card games work well on mobile, and since just about everyone on the planet is familiar with Poker and Solitaire, combining them into one ensures immediate accessibility. The game is just super approachable, not to mention a hoot to play, and since it’s a premium release, you can pay once and have fun for years. Imagine that a premium game enthralled everyone this year, almost as if mobile games don’t all have to be free-to-play gacha slop.

But perhaps card games simply aren’t your thing. Well, Netflix Games has the answer with Monument Valley 3, which anyone with a Netflix subscription can play as a perk of their sub. So, if you loved the first two Monument Valley games, the third brings more puzzles to solve, and this time the graphics aim to impress with slick animations that really bring each stage to life.

Matthew Sholtz, Games & Apps Editor

Runner-up: Monument Valley 3

Best product Google killed this year

Chromecast-branded hardware

Google’s cultivated a reputation for unceremoniously killing off software and hardware products (Stadia could’ve been something!), but in 2024, it’s been uncharacteristically merciful. Only a handful of Google products bit the dust this year, and many of them — Keen, a little-known social media project; a smart whiteboard platform called Jamboard — won’t be widely missed.

But in replacing the Chromecast with Google TV with this year’s Google TV Streamer, Google effectively killed off Chromecast-branded hardware — you can still buy a Chromecast with Google TV, but Google won’t be making more of them once the current stock is depleted. It’s hard to deny that Chromecast has been one of Google’s more successful hardware product lines. The first-gen Chromecast was released back in 2013, and the little stick could add streaming capabilities to anything with HDMI input for just 35 bucks. Given most TVs at the time didn’t have built-in streaming apps, that was a big deal.

More recent Chromecast devices have been a little more divisive; the Chromecast with Google TV was undeniably a bargain at 50 bucks, but given its hardware limitations, many users had a bad experience. Still, for Android nerds, it’s bittersweet to see the storied brand relegated to software. – Taylor Kerns, Google Editor

Runner-up: VPN by Google One

Android Police Readers’ Choice 2024

Google Pixel 9 Pro

It wasn’t just AP’s editors that were won over by the Pixel 9 Pro. Google’s smaller flagship also managed to impress our readership, winning our Readers’ Choice poll and extending the Pixel’s dominance in this category to an unheard-of six-year streak. The Pixel 9 Pro takes everything great about the Pixel 9 Pro XL — which is the usual size of Google’s high-end flagship — and shoves it into a smaller 6.3-inch package. Clearly, that was enough to score the hearts of our readers, though its larger sibling did come close to scoring the crown.

Better luck next year to Samsung and OnePlus, who arrived in third and fifth place, respectively. They’ll have to work extra hard to break Google’s ongoing streak.

Will Sattelberg, Phones Editor

Runner-up: Google Pixel 9 Pro XL