It rained gadgets and new tech in 2023. And while brands did try their best to be different, most of the tech unleashed on us had a bit of a “slightly better than before feel to it.” We had better processors, better displays, improved designs and the inevitably stronger Gorilla Glass, but for the most part, it was like watching a familiar film, shot with better cameras and a different cast. 

There were some products, however, that dared to step beyond conventional tech and brought in new features and functionalities. Not all of them were huge successes, but they all assured us that while there is plenty inside the high-tech box, there are still folks willing to think outside it. 

So as we come to the end of the year, here’s looking at some amazing gadgets and tech that dared to be different: 

Apple Vision Pro: Here’s Looking At You, Future!

It has not arrived in the market yet, but Apple’s Vision Pro was perhaps the most talked-about tech innovation of the year. 

While some called it Apple’s take on virtual reality, the Cupertino brand preferred to call it spatial computing, and it certainly provided a very compelling experience, far sleeker and more engaging than those from other brands. 

Essentially a pair of high-tech glasses, Vision Pro lets you view and navigate content by using your voice, hands and remarkably, your eyes. You can use apps, browse the web and play games in high resolution from anywhere, without having to use any external controllers. It even comes with a 3D camera to capture spatial videos and images. 

Of course, it has a typically clean Apple design and features premium materials. And of course, it will not come cheap but it could well be how we use a lot of our tech gadgets in the future – through a pair of glasses. A lot will depend on connectivity and app support, but hey, this is Apple, the lord of ecosystems. And Vision Pro literally puts the future in front of our eyes. 

Here’s hoping for better battery life and an SE edition in 2024.

Dyson Zone ANC Headphones: Clear Sound? Clean Air? How ‘Bout Both?

When Dyson announced that it would be making headphones, we knew what we could get would be anything but usual. But even we did not expect the boss of innovative consumer tech to come out with headphones that not only kept out external sound with active noise cancellation (ANC), but also ensured we got clean air, through an inbuilt air purifier. 

The Dyson Zone came with a distinct design that were made of premium materials, and offered superb sound through 40mm drivers and very good noise cancellation. 

But what made them crazy different was a travel visor that could be magnetically attached to the headphones and would “channel purified air directly to your nose and mouth.” Yes, it was a little bulky and heavy and attracted a few stares with its Bane-like visual feel, but we love the concept. We have never seen clarity of sound blend so well with clarity of air.

Asus ROG Ally: Windows Gets Its Handheld Gaming Console 

Valve had proved that you could run PC games on a handheld device with the Steamdeck. However, the Steamdeck was not a classical Windows device and ran on Linux, which restricted it somewhat. 

Asus fixed that by releasing the ROG Ally, which looked like a large Nintendo Switch but put both PC gaming and Windows literally in the palms of your hands. Comprising a large 7-inch full HD display flanked by control buttons on either side, the Ally was incredibly powerful thanks to an AMD Ryzen Z1 processor and came with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. 

It could run any game meant for your PC and unlike the Steam Deck did not restrict you to a particular service. You could even use Windows on it if you felt like it. All this in a package that weighed barely 600 grams. 

It was buggy and erratic at times and battery life could have been better, but it finally put high-end PC gaming in our hands.

LG StanbyMe Go TV: The TV That Travels With You

LG added a whole new dimension to portable televisions in 2023, by literally packing one inside a suitcase. 

The LG StanbyMe Go television is a 27-inch full HD television, with a touchscreen (it can be used as a touch monitor as well), supports Dolby Vision too, and comes with 20W speakers with support for Dolby Atmos. But what makes it special is the fact that it can fit into a special briefcase. 

Well, it is a hefty briefcase (weighing around 15kg) but you can carry this television around, open the case and prop it up using a special stand, and watch TV wherever you are. You can use it in landscape or portrait mode and well, you can even use it without a power source — it has a three-hour battery of its own. Now, that’s entertainment on the go. 

Hoping for something similar, which is lighter on the arms, and on the wallet in 2024.

Canon PowerShot V10: Reimagining The Compact Camera 

Before smartphones came along, many of us used compact cameras — simple, small, easy-to-use devices — to take photographs. They were not as powerful as DSLRs but cost less and were far easier to use. Smartphones have pretty much wiped out this camera segment, but one of the biggest camera brands has not yet given up on it. 

Canon released the PowerShot V10 in 2023, totally reimagining the compact camera, and radically changing its design. It packed in a powerful one-inch sensor into an incredibly small form factor and yet threw in lots of video muscle, filters, connectivity and best of all, made it very simple to use. 

The result was a camera that could do more than a phone camera and match action cameras too.  

The jury is still out on whether it will bring compact cameras back from the dead, but we love the fact that Canon is trying to rewrite that book instead of chucking it into the tech trash like some others have. 

Samsung Series 7 Bespoke AI Oven: What’s Cooking, What To Cook, And How To Cook It

AI was one of the catch terms of technology in 2023. But perhaps no brand used it in a consumer product as effectively as Samsung did in its rather elaborately named Series 7 Bespoke AI Oven. 

The oven comes with a camera and AI and can recognise 80 different dishes and ingredients placed in it, recommend cooking modes, and temperatures and also give you the time it would take to cook the dish. You can even view how the cooking is going by using an app on your smartphone.  

Want more? The oven can analyse your workout and dirt goals and recommend meal options based on the ingredients you have. Now, that’s effective AI — a whole lot better than writing documents and making sketches!

OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro: Never Settling Is The Key(board)

Think of innovative products from OnePlus for 2023, and most people would assume that we are talking of their foldable, the Open. 

But well, foldables were the rage and people were expecting one from OnePlus sooner or later. What people were NOT expecting was the Never Settling brand to come out with a colourful wireless mechanical keyboard in collaboration with keyboard legend Keychron. 

It came with a OnePlus red escape button and premium materials and worked even better than it looked. Wish more brands would be this creative. 

Apple Watch Series 9: Watch-ing Out For The Environment 

On paper, the Apple Watch Series 9 seemed not too different from its predecessor. And to be honest, it was a bit of an incremental upgrade in performance terms. So why does it make this list? 

Well, because Apple claimed that it was its first carbon-neutral product — the watch is powered by clean electricity, is made using recycled materials, and uses fibre-based packaging materials. 

It should also be noted that you specifically need to use an aluminium Watch body with Apple’s new Sport Loop to make the device fully carbon neutral. 

Of course, that claim has been subjected to a lot of scrutiny and opinions have been exchanged about it, but we are just glad that a huge brand kept the environment front and centre while developing a high-profile product. Now, that’s thinking different. 

Mind you, we hope everyone thinks along similar lines in 2024.