Trusted Reviews Awards 2018: All the year’s best tech and gadgets revealed

It’s that time of the year. After much deliberation, we’re pleased to announce the winners of the Trusted Reviews Awards 2018. Below is a list of all the Best Product, Best in Category and People’s Choice Awards winners.

Technology rarely stands still, and 2018 has been no exception.

We’ve been treated to a dizzying array of exciting new products, so whether you’re a smartphone fiend, TV buff, audiophile, gamer, or any other kind of geek, you’ve never been so spoilt for choice when it comes to gadgets. But with so many to choose from, it can be intimidating trying to separate the best from the rest.

That’s why every year, we hold the Trusted Reviews Awards – to celebrate the technology, products and innovations that stand out from the crowd.

Having tested more than 1000 products over the past 12 months, these are our esteemed Trusted Reviews Awards 2018 winners.

Shop the Trusted Reviews Awards 2018 winners at Amazon.co.uk

Trusted Reviews Awards: Product of the Year 2018

Huawei P20 Pro – Product of the Year

2018 has been an outstanding year for Huawei, which has picked up the Trusted Reviews Product of the Year award, as well as the − spoiler alert − Phone of the Year and Flagship Phone of the Year awards thanks to the brilliance of the P20 Pro.

As we wrote in our review: “The Huawei P20 Pro is a solid smartphone that’s bound to impress both amateur and seasoned photographers alike. Thanks to its high-end specifications, stunning design and best-in-class tri-camera setup there’s a lot to like about Huawei’s latest flagship endeavour.”

Trusted Reviews Awards: Phones of the Year 2018

It’s been another blockbuster year for smartphones, and our winners reflect the impressive breadth of the market at the moment. Whatever you’re after and whatever your budget, there’s a phone that’s right for you.

Our selection of winners, though, represent the best of the best in 2018:

Huawei P20 Pro – Phone of the Year

Moto G6 – Phone of the Year Under £250

Google Pixel 2 – Camera Phone of the Year

OnePlus 6 – Phone of the Year Under £500

Huawei P20 Pro – Flagship Phone of the Year

Check out our guides to the best smartphones, best Android phones, and best cheap phones for even more choice.

Trusted Reviews Awards: TVs of the Year 2018

TVs went from strength to strength in 2018, with 4K continuing to assert its place in the mainstream and 8K finally graduating from the testing lab to the shelf.

Here are our picks for the top TVs this year:

Panasonic FZ952 – Best TV

Philips 6753 – TV of the Year Under £500

Panasonic FZ952 – TV of the Year for Films

Samsung Q9FN – TV of the Year for Games

Sony XF90 – Mid-range TV of the Year

Philips OLED 903 – TV Design of the Year

If you have cash to burn and are after a new OLED TV, then look no further than the Panasonic FZ952. After scoring a rarely-awarded 10/10 in our review earlier this year, the FZ952 has beaten off stiff competition to take home the TV of the Year prize at the Trusted Reviews Awards 2018.

As we wrote in our review: “Having been around TV manufacturers for years, I can tell you I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been told a TV fulfils ‘the director’s vision’. It’s nearly always hyperbole and I’ve trained myself to ignore it. But with the Panasonic FZ950/FZ952, I can genuinely believe it […] What you have here is the best of all the OLED worlds I’ve seen so far in 2018.”

Want to dive even deeper? Our guides to the best 4K TVs, best TVs and best TV deals are here to help.

Trusted Reviews Awards: Wearables of the Year 2018

Wearables have well and truly taken off, and the pedigree of this year’s Trusted Reviews Awards winners reflect the meteoric rise of this still-young product category.

Apple Watch Series 4 – Wearable of the Year

Apple Watch Series 4 – Smartwatch of the Year

Garmin Fenix 5 Plus – Fitness Tracker of the Year

Fossil Q Explorist HR – Fashion Tech of the Year

Withings Steel HR Sport – Hybrid Watch of the Year

Apple treated its smartwatch to a radical makeover this year, fitting it with a la drastically larger display and much thinner bezel.

However, what really makes the Apple Watch 4 stand out is its selection of health and fitness features. New for the fourth iteration of the wearable is fall detection, a feature that could genuinely help save lives.

As we wrote in our review: “The Apple Watch 4 is so far ahead of competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch and Wear OS releases from Fossil that it almost seems unfair.”

For more great wearables, check out our best smartwatch and best fitness tracker review roundups.

Trusted Reviews Awards: Tablets of the Year 2018

In the market for a new tablet? Now’s a great time to upgrade, as there’s never been better quality – or better value – slates than you’ll find in 2018. Our winners are the cream of the crop and simply brilliant at what they do.

Samsung took Android tablets a step in the right direction with the excellent Tab S4. It introduced an updated design and stunning high-resolution HDR OLED display, and in our 4/5 review, we highlighted the tablet’s excellent OLED display, great S Pen and clever approach to software thanks to Dex.

Our verdict reads: “The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is the best Android tablet you can buy. It’s pricey, but for the money you get a stunning screen, and as someone who watches a lot of videos on a tablet, I’d happily spend extra for a panel this colourful and sharp screen.”

Interest suitably piqued? Then it’s time to read our complete guide to the best tablets.

Trusted Reviews Awards: Headphones of the Year 2018

It’s a common dilemma: so many headphones to choose from, so little time. Fortunately, only the very best headphones can call themselves Trusted Reviews Awards 2018 winners. Whether it’s in-ear, over-ear, or sporty headphones you’re after, look no further than these five exceptional pairs.

Sony WH-1000XM3 − Headphones of the Year

Brainwavz B400 – In-ear Headphones of the Year

Sennheiser HD 660S – Over-ear Headphones of the Year

Sony WH-1000XM3 – Wireless Headphones of the Year

Sony WH-1000XM3 – Noise-cancelling Headphones of the Year

Optoma NuForce BE Sport4 – Sports Headphones of the Year

The Sony WH-1000XM3 were so good they managed scored an impressive 10/10 when we reviewed them earlier in the year, which is a rare achievement in the Trusted Reviews lab. They achieved the feat by offering users industry leading ANC (active noise cancellation), excellent sound quality, responsive controls and one of the most comfortable fits we’ve ever had.

As we wrote in our full review: “The Sony WH-1000XM3 are the best wireless headphones money can buy. Sony had already done a great job separating itself from the competition with last year’s 1000XM2, but now the company has pulled itself ahead, well clear of the pack. For anyone looking for an oasis of silence while commuting or just sitting in noisy environments, there is no match.”

Find out about even more great headphones in our best wireless headphones roundup.

Trusted Reviews Awards: Games of the Year 2018

Gaming is its own beast – and it’s one we absolutely love. Whether you’re a proud PS4 Pro owner, Xbox One X fanatic, Nintendo Switch fancier, or diehard PC gamer, we’re celebrating the very best your chosen platform has to offer.

You simply can’t go wrong with any of these awesome titles:

God of War is a masterful reboot of the god-bothering punch-’em-up, which starred the angry and bald Kratos pummelling gods from ancient mythology and being incredibly angry.

Here though, gaming’s very own Phil Mitchell has grown up. He’s not dry-humping half naked ladies in 4K, but instead musing on his own toxic masculinity to consider the impact that his life of extreme violence has had on those around him. By pairing him with his son, the impressionable Atreus, we see a more human side to Kratos, a man trying to recover his life from the grips of the immense rage of his younger years.

As our review reads: “God of War tells a wonderful tale through a beautiful spectrum speckled with more than a few drops of the blood of your enemies.”

Trusted Reviews Awards: Smart Home Products of the Year 2018

Smart home products have gone from strength to strength this year, whether you’re after a smart speaker or intelligent security system there are some great products to choose from and these are our picks.

Nest Hello – Best in Smart Home

Sonos Beam – Smart Speaker of the Year

Nest Hello – Smart Security Product of the Year

Neato Botvac D7 Connected – Robot Vacuum Cleaner of the Year

LIFX Beam – Smart Lighting System of the Year

The Nest Hello completely redefined what can be done at the entrance to your hall, managing this achievement by adding constant video surveillance, face detection and smart ways of answering your doorbell.

As we wrote in our full review: “The fully wired Nest Hello has so many more advantages over its competition. Swifter performance, Google Home notifications and, with Nest Ware, continuous video recording and facial recognition make the Nest Hello the best video doorbell available. For the ultimate protection of your front door, this is the model to buy.”

Trusted Reviews Awards: Small Home Products of the Year 2018

Home tech has been getting better and better and it doesn’t matter if you want a nimble stick vac or a super smoothie maker, these are some of the best small home products you can get.

This year was a rather special one for Dyson and the vacuum cleaner industry as a whole. With the launch of the Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute, the company announced that it was no longer developing new corded cleaners and that battery power was the future. Well, battery power is the now, with the Cyclone V10 Absolute scoring 10/10 in our review.

As we wrote in our full review: “The V10 is the first cordless cleaner that can genuinely replace a mains cleaner in most homes. Utterly brilliant.”

Trusted Reviews Awards: Cameras of the Year 2018

Smartphone cameras are improving rapidly, but there’s still no beating a dedicated camera. Whether you’re a casual shooter looking out for something portable and budget-friendly, or you’re in the market for the best DSLR money can buy, look no further than our five favourites from 2018.

The third generation of Sony’s A7 series is a real landmark model that redefines what we can expect from a £2,000 camera. Despite some strong recent competition, the A7 III’s combination of speed, shooting versatility and size, particularly when compared to its DSLR rivals, mean it’s the standout camera in a revolutionary year for photography.

As we wrote in our review: “It’s hard to dispute that it’s the most attractive full-frame camera, offering the best value for money at its price point right now. As well as attracting those looking to make the jump to full-frame, it will influence many photographers to make the switch to mirrorless and shoot Sony.”

Trusted Reviews Awards: Video Products of the Year 2018

It’s never been easier to create your own video content, but that means standing out from the crowd is probably tougher than it’s ever been. Our three favourite video products of 2018 can help you do just that, no matter what kind of footage you’re looking to capture.

DJI Mavic 2 Pro − Video Product of the Year

GoPro Hero 7 Black − Action Camera of the Year

DJI Mavic 2 Pro − Drone of the Year

Canon EOS M50 − Vlogging Camera of the Year

DJI has continued to pull ahead of its drone rivals this year and the folding Mavic 2 Pro is its finest flying camera yet, largely thanks to its one-inch sensor and Hasselblad camera.

As we wrote in our review: “On their own, improvements like the long battery life, quiet operation, nimble flying, stable transmission and handy safety features make the Mavic 2 Pro a notable upgrade over the original. But it’s the new Hasselblad camera and one-inch sensor, which offer the best quality stills and video footage we’ve seen from a drone in this sort of price range, that make it something of a stunner.”

Trusted Reviews Awards: PC Components of the Year 2018

If you’re a PC builder, then you’ve never had it better. Competition is as stiff as it’s ever been and that means great products and great value. Here are our top components of the year.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti − PC Component of the Year

Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti − Graphics Card of the Year

Samsung 970 − Hard Drive of the Year

AMD Ryzen 7 2700X − CPU of the Year

AMD Ryzen 5 2600 − Value CPU of the Year

We were seriously impressed with the Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti, especially considering how much potential the graphic card has to offer. We gave it a 4/5 score in our review, with the scope to be elevated once we’ve fully tested the ray tracing and DLSS features on release.

As we wrote in our review: “Incredibly expensive, but 60fps at 4K and oodles of future-proofing make the RTX 2080 Ti a worthwhile investment.”

Trusted Reviews Awards: PC Products of the Year 2018

Whether you want a top-notch gaming PC, a wallet-friendly Chromebook, or a sleek 2-in-1 laptop, you’ve been spoilt for choice this year. Here are some of the best products in the computing category.

One of the reasons we continue to love the XPS 15 2-in-1 is its 15-inch 4K Ultra HD touchscreen. As well as offering a high pixel count, the display also gave us some of the best brightness and contrast levels we’ve seen on any device. It’s also great for photo-editing, gaming and battery life, and furthermore we’ve yet to see a performance laptop in 2018 that’s been able to match the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 in terms of value for money.

As we wrote in our review: “If you’re after an all round excellent, big-screen Windows 10 laptop, you’ll struggle to do better.”

Trusted Reviews Awards: Gaming Accessories of the Year 2018

Gaming is going from strength to strength and whether you love mashing a keyboard on a PC or smashing a controller on a console we all like to have the best experience possible. These winning products help provide just that.

Few headsets have it all, but the SteelSeries Arctis 7 has made a solid attempt. The battery life is great, there’s solid build quality and the sound quality is good.

As we wrote in our review: “The Arctis 7 is an outstanding piece of audio equipment. Not only is it built to look and feel expensive, but its functional design makes it a joy to use for hours on end. The wireless range and battery life are second-to-none.”

Trusted Reviews Awards: Home Audio Products of the Year 2018

We’re going through something of a Golden Age for home audio products at the moment. The demand for features like wireless and smart functionality in particular are soaring, but audio quality remains the number one priority.

Simply put, competition in this category has never been as fierce as it is right now, and you won’t be disappointed with any of our top picks below.

Ruark MRx − Home Audio Product of the Year

Q Acoustics 3020i − Hi-Fi Speaker of the Year

HEOS bar − Soundbar of the Year

Ruark MRx − Home Wireless Speaker of the Year

Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 − Portable Wireless Speaker of the Year

The Ruark MRx offers one of the best looking and sound music streaming speaker experiences the Trusted Reviews team has ever experienced. The winning combination earned it Trusted Reviews’ hallowed 10/10 score.

As we noted in our full review: “The Ruark MRx sets an excellent example for speaker manufacturers going down the online music route. It handles a bunch of popular streaming services, but doesn’t assume that you want to entirely abandon the tactile joys of older formats. That variety of sources on offer helps to justify the £400 price tag, as does the gorgeous design and enchanting sound.”

Trusted Reviews Awards: Large Home Products of the Year 2018

Large home products might not be the most glamorous of devices, but they’re the beating heart of most people’s homes, and our favourites from 2018 are simply excellent.

The Samsung WW80M645OPW is super-easy to use, and Samsung’s innovative QuickDrive drum, which features three paddles that rotate independently of the drum itself, allows for much shorter wash times. ‘Laundry Recipe’ in the Samsung SmartThings app is a genuinely innovative smart feature, the AddWash door is a tremendous addition, and it’s exceptionally quiet and cheap too run. And above all, it delivers some of the best washing results we’ve seen at any price.

As we wrote in our review: “Incredibly low running costs, the ability to add extra clothes mid-wash, and great cleaning performance make the Samsung QuickDrive WW6800 (WW80M645OPW) the washing machine to beat.”

Miscellaneous Best Products of the Year

As we expand the range of products we review at Trusted Reviews, so we should reward the best products in categories that don’t fit in all our traditional site sections. Below are the winning products that don’t fit in the above categories, but are brilliant nonetheless.

Trusted Reviews People’s Choice Awards in partnership with PriceSpy

More than 27,000 people voted in this year’s Trusted Reviews Awards, so congratulations to the following companies for capturing our People’s Choice Awards for 2018, as sponsored by impartial comparison site PriceSpy.

Amazon − Retailer of the Year

Netflix − Streaming Service of the Year

Virgin Media − UK Broadband Provider of the Year

Vodafone − UK Mobile Network of the Year

Google Assistant − Smart Assistant of the Year

Shop the Trusted Reviews Awards 2018 winners at Amazon.co.uk

And a big thank you to Momentous Photo Booth for capturing some cracking pictures from the Trusted Reviews Awards night, and adding an extra helping of fun to the evening!

Do you agree or disagree with any of the winners of the Trusted Reviews Awards 2018? Let us know on Twitter @TrustedReviews.

Deputy News and Features Editor Aatif made his long-rumoured return to Trusted Reviews in 2018, having spent a wonderful 10 months writing all sorts for the site in 2015. During his self-imposed exile, he visited many faraway lands …