Pros
- Excellent keyboard
- Good port selection
- Wide viewing angles
- Useful tools for businesses
Cons
- Short battery life
- Performance trails without an SSD
- Some trackpad issues
Bottom Line
Lenovo updates a tried-and-true form factor with Windows 8, a bright IPS display and an excellent keyboard. However, longer battery life would have made this a better choice for road warriors.
Pros
- Innovative, comfortable controller
- Backward-compatible with last-gen Wii
- Off-screen play fundamentally changes console gaming
Cons
- Incredibly short battery life on GamePad
- Slow, antiquated UI
- Confusing social functionality
Bottom Line
Nintendo's Wii U is full of promise, but it may have launched prematurely. Longtime gamers will want to snap one up immediately, but mainstream users should wait a few months before diving in.
Pros
- Stunning 1080p IPS display
- Nice build materials
- Thin and light, even for an Ultrabook
- Very fast performance
- Adapters, mouse and case included
Cons
- Short battery life
- Loud fan noise
- Finicky trackpad
Bottom Line
The S7 is Acer's best Ultrabook yet, but it suffers from loud fan noise and notably short battery life.
Pros
- Bright and beautiful 1080p display
- Great build quality
- Huge selection of content
- Inexpensive base data plan
Cons
- Occasional OS stutters
- No access to Google Play
Bottom Line
Amazon's Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is slightly larger and slightly faster than the 7-inch version, but other than optional LTE it doesn't bring much more to the table.
Pros
- Fast speeds
- Impressive battery life
- Good pricing
Cons
- Unreliable touchscreen
- Unnecessary features
- Bulky build
Bottom Line
The MiFi Liberate is a fast and long-lasting mobile LTE hotspot from AT&T;, but its unreliable touchscreen encourages us to either opt for a less-fancy MiFi or tether to a smartphone instead.
Pros
- Exquisite design
- Compact package
- Gorgeous display
Cons
- Weak app ecosystem
- AT&T;'s model offers LTE for the same price
Bottom Line
HTC's 8X is the better WP8 buy on T-Mobile. But at a relatively high $199 on-contract price, it can't outcompete AT&T;'s Lumia 920.
Pros
- Snappy performance
- Exclusive Nokia apps
- Impressive camera
- Excellent call quality
Cons
- High price and poor value
- Text within the browser appears jagged
Bottom Line
The Lumia 810 is a well-rounded smartphone, but it can't compete with the more aggressively-priced Lumia 920.
Pros
- Amazingly versatile design
- Thin and light for a convertible
- Bright, crisp IPS display
Cons
- Jumpy trackpad
- Parts of the keyboard feel cramped
Bottom Line
The Yoga 13's shape-shifting design makes it the most intriguing Windows 8 convertible we've seen. It's not perfect, but it's still a good choice among Ultrabooks.
Pros
- Nice look and feel
- Vibrant display
- Sense should please owners of previous HTC handsets, newcomers to Android
Cons
- Dated specifications
- Occasional performance glitches
Bottom Line
If you're looking to make the leap from featurephone to something a little smarter, this is an ideal stepping stone, but don't be surprised if in 12 months you're wanting to upgrade again.
Pros
- Gorgeous display
- Strong performance
- Durable build quality and elegant design
- Unlocked HSPA+ / GSM radios
Cons
- Short battery life
- HTC removed the microSD slot
Bottom Line
With its display, reasonable price and top-of-the-line components, the Droid DNA is our top choice on Verizon's lineup this holiday season.
Pros
- Jelly Bean brings a lot of fun to photography
- Wide range of connectivity options
- Good stabilization
Cons
- Surprisingly big and heavy
- The 4.8-inch screen drains the battery
- You can find better image quality for the same price
Bottom Line
The Galaxy Camera proves that Android on a point-and-shoot is no gimmick. But until the price drops closer to the level of other compacts, it's not a very practical purchase.
Pros
- Rich display
- Best-in-class stills and video performance
- Incredible value at $100
Cons
- Some softness in photos
- Device feels unwieldy
- App selection still lacking
Bottom Line
It's Nokia's greatest Windows Phone yet, remixed for AT&T.; The Lumia 920 packs a superb screen with great visibility and sensitivity, but the camera gives a mixed performance.
Pros
- Projector works well
- Excellent battery life
- Solid and sturdy build
Cons
- Runs on obsolete build of Android
- Low-end specs don't match professional needs
Bottom Line
Unless you absolutely need a pico projector, there's no reason to splurge on a device with lower-end specs when your money can be best spent elsewhere.
Pros
- Attractive and compact design
- High-speed Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 ports
- FusionDrive hybrid storage works intelligently
- Affordable price for the specs
Cons
- Intel HD 4000 GPU not ideal for true desktop gaming
- Still lacking optical drive
Bottom Line
The new mini brings USB 3.0, twice the standard RAM and optional hybrid storage. All told. you won't find another desktop this small, this powerful and this inexpensive.
Pros
- Exquisite, compact design
- Excellent performance and display
- LTE support
Cons
- Weak app ecosystem
- $100 only offers 8GB of storage
Bottom Line
The HTC 8X is a fantastic ambassador to WP8 but needs a stronger app ecosystem. AT&T;'s model offers less storage for the money than the competition.