The 25 Best Gadgets of 2012

5. New iPad (4th Generation)

As much as Apple haters love to downplay the iPad, the Cupertino Clan created the best tablet ever. Period. That’s it, end of discussion. The fourth-gen model ups the ante by sporting a 2048 x 1536 Retina Display that generates the best visuals of any portable device on the market, along with the A6X processor for high performance. Apple’s industry-leading ecosystem still runs the show and access to the company’s ginormous App Store guarantees endless entertainment on the go. Some say it’s still overpriced, but hey, money is no object when it comes to purchasing the latest i-device as millions of consumers have shown us.

4. HTC One Series

Not only did HTC’s flagship series stand strong as the best mobile offering throughout half the year, but it made every other mobile Android manufacturer step their game up. Performance-wise, the One X was extremely efficient in command from onscreen navigation to multimedia playback. But if anything sold us on the device, we’d have to say it was the camera experience, which took advantage of the company’s ImageSense chip and allowed photogs to snap photos and videos simultaneously at 4 frames per second. In-freaking-sane.

3. Nintendo Wii U

Gamers made a huge deal over Nintendo’s decision to feature a tablet-esque controller as the Wii U’s primary peripheral. It’s funny because that didn’t stop them from camping out during the launch to pick one up. Innovative gameplay attributes, full high-def visuals, and backwards compatibility made the next-gen console a winner. But if you ask us, Nintendo’s TVii video-on-demand service sold us, along with millions of other shoppers.

2. Samsung Galaxy S III

We can sit here and debate over Samsung’s third-gen Galaxy phone. Say what you like. No, seriously, shoot. From the cleverly marketed commercials to its innovative NFC-enabled features, the biggest selling Android device of all time carried the most momentum of any smartphone throughout the entire year: cementing its spot as the top smartphone on our year-end list. Strong processing speeds, great multimedia options, and superb call quality showed how the Galaxy S III was a well-rounded performer. Still is.