Indian Gadget Awards 2021

JURY'S Choice

Smartphones
Tablets
Laptops
Televisions
TWS Earbuds
Wearables
Mobile SoCs
Laptop CPUs
Innovation

Smartphones

Best Phone of 2021 (under ₹ 10,000)

The entry-level segment for smartphones might not have seen too much action lately, but remains extremely crucial. As the stepping stone for those upgrading from feature phones or even first-time users, this category applauds the smartphones that focus on delivering the basics in the best possible manner.

Realme Narzo 30A
Infinix Hot 11
Moto E40
Samsung Galaxy M02
Realme C25
Redmi 9 Activ

Best Phone of 2021 (under ₹ 20,000)

The most voluminous, and therefore the most important segment in terms of what users are buying, this segment has seen cutthroat competition and intense rivalry. It's also quite varied in terms of the features and specs on offer, including both 4G and 5G phones, and those that promise oodles of performance and imaging. But only one can walk away with the crown.

Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
POCO X3 Pro
iQOO Z3 5G
Moto G60
Realme X7 5G
Samsung Galaxy A22 5G
Redmi Note 11T 5G

Best Phone of 2021 (under ₹ 30,000)

One of the most exciting smartphone categories, especially considering the highly compelling options available, this award category is understandably packed with quite a few possible contenders. This segment poses a challenge for the jury for sure. It's not easy to offer to offer the balance users want from this segment though, and the winner here has to be truly special.

OnePlus Nord 2 5G
Xiaomi Mi 11X
iQOO Z5 5G
Realme X7 Max 5G
POCO F3 GT
Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
Realme GT Master Edition
Motorola Edge 20
Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G

Best Phone of 2021 (under ₹ 50,000)

Flagship performance, flagship imaging, and flagship everything else, this category is also filled with tons of options. These are all-rounders that can't go wrong in any aspect of the smartphone user experience, and pretty much all nominees here are winners in their own right. Which one gets the title though?

Vivo X70 Pro
OnePlus 9 5G
iQOO 7 Legend 5G
iQOO 7 5G
Realme GT Neo 2
Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
OnePlus 9R 5G
Realme GT 5G
Motorola Edge 20 Pro

Best Phone of 2021 - Premium

Some contenders in our Premium list include words like pro, ultra and max in their names, while others don't. Regardless of the naming convention they follow though, these are all devices that are the most loaded smartphones money can buy. The stakes are quite high here, and the jury members will really need to put their thinking hats on to choose a winner.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Apple iPhone 13
Vivo X70 Pro+
OnePlus 9 Pro 5G
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

Best Selfie Phone of 2021 - Mainstream

The front cameras on phones might come in various forms - hiding in notches and punch holes. Selfie cameras are also quite feature-rich these days, borrowing capabilities from primary snappers in a big way. However, they all need to deliver on the selfie and the video calling front and that's what this award is for.

Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
iQOO Z3 5G
Realme 8 Pro
Tecno Camon 17 Pro
Realme X7 5G

Best Selfie Phone of 2021 - Premium

Premium smartphones need to deliver on the photography aspect, but when the stakes are so high, users definitely want a great selfie experience as well. So when price is no bar, which is the best selfie phone we saw in 2021?

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Vivo X70 Pro+
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G

Best Camera Phone of 2021 - Mainstream

Photography is possibly more crucial for many smartphone users than calling and messaging. We're not judging, but we sure are judging the imaging capabilities of mainstream phones to check if they can deliver in real life. Not an easy task, given that smartphones in this segment are now challenging even their premium counterparts.

Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy A22 5G
Moto G60
Realme 8s 5G
Realme X7 5G

Best Camera Phone of 2021 - Premium

DSLR-level quality, complete with all the bells and whistles. We're talking serious photography chops here, so choosing a winner isn't going to be a 'point-and-shoot' task. Thankfully, our experts are ready with their trigger fingers and should have a winner before you can say cheese.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Vivo X70 Pro+
iQOO 7 Legend 5G
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
OnePlus 9 Pro 5G

Best Gaming Phone of 2021 - Mainstream

It's game on, as we move on to a segment which looks at how mainstream smartphones fare in gaming. It's a use case that keeps growing in terms of popularity, catering to an audience that can get very picky if not served well. Our jury is picky too, and up to task when it comes to picking out a winner.

POCO X3 Pro
iQOO Z3 5G
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
Realme X7 5G
Moto G60

Best Gaming Phone of 2021 - Premium

Quite a few aspects, including performance, thermals, display quality, audio, battery life and software features matter when it comes to gaming phones. And when we consider the premium segment, a smartphone really has to go all out to come up as a contender for the award. Which one will win?

ASUS ROG Phone 5
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
POCO F3 GT
iQOO 7 Legend 5G

Best Phone of 2021 - Overall

The most coveted award. Out of hundreds of phones launched this year, this award is for that one phone that manages to tick all the right boxes for our judges... standing out as a distrupter that really brought the best balance between value and features from across different price segments.

Apple iPhone 13
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
POCO X3 Pro
Realme X7 Max 5G
iQOO 7 5G
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Vivo X70 Pro+

Tablets

Best Tablet of 2021 - Mainstream

In the current scenario, tablets have an increasing role to play from a perspective of content consumption, entertainment, and even education. The mainstream category has new and interesting contenders too, with quite a few brands now making their presence felt. The title of the Best Mainstream Tablet of 2021 goes to...

Realme Pad
Lenovo Tab K10
Nokia T20
Moto Tab G20
TCL 10 Tab Max

Best Tablet of 2021 - Premium

The premium tablet space is the playground of brands that have been around for a while. These devices not only need to deliver on all the common use cases, but also prove their usefulness as serious workhorses and look good while they're at it. All nominees here make the cut, but we only have one trophy.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch
Apple iPad Mini
Lenovo Tab P11 Pro
Microsoft Surface Go 3
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

Laptops

Best Laptop of 2021 - Mainstream

A value-for-money laptop carries a whole lot of responsibility these days, much more than ever before. Laptops have moved on from being shared devices at home and are increasingly becoming more personal, what with everyone from school kids to office goers needing their own. And therefore, our jury has a special duty to choose the most deserving one as the winner.

Mi NoteBook Pro (8GB + i5)
ASUS VivoBook K15 OLED K513EA-L301TS
Realme Book Slim (i5 8GB + 512GB)
RedmiBook 15 Pro (i5 variant)
MSI Modern 14 B11MO-093IN (Core i5 11th Gen)
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 82H700J7IN (Core i5 11th Gen)
HP Pavilion Laptop 14-ec0036AU
Dell Vostro 3400 14-inch (Core i5 11th Gen)
Acer Aspire 5 A515-45 (Core i5 11th Gen)

Best Laptop of 2021 - Premium

From sleek, beautiful-looking machines to performance powerhouses, the premium laptop segment has it all. These machines come packed to the brim with features that can excite and make us drool, though that won't keep our experts from being objective and fair in choosing one that deserves the crown.

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1 Max)
Dell XPS 15 9510
HP Spectre x360 ea0077TU
Fujitsu UH-X 4ZR1D71993
ASUS ExpertBook B9 (B9400)
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Carbon 82EV003WIN

Best Gaming Laptop of 2021 - Mainstream

Love gaming, but don't want to spend the big bucks? Fret not, as these gaming laptops have what it takes to deliver a smooth gaming experience. You do have to loosen your purse strings a bit, but that's par for the course for this segment. Of course, these devices can handle the usual tasks without breaking into sweat, but that's more than what can be said for our judges when it comes to crowning a winner.

ASUS Zephyrus G14 GA401QH-HZ076TS
ASUS TUF Dash F15 FX516PM-HN156TS (Core i5 11th Gen + RTX 3060)
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-57 (Core i7 11th 11800H)
HP Victus 16d0003TX (Core i5 11th Gen + RTX 3050)
MSI Katana GF66 11UC - 477IN (Core i7 11th Gen + RTX 3050)

Best Gaming Laptop of 2021 - Premium

Serious gaming requires serious horsepower, and this is where these supremely loaded machines come in. Of course, you need to have loaded bank account, but for your money, you get laptops that can give you immersive gameplay and lots of computing power. This is the cream of the crop, and we'll be choosing one as the ultimate winner.

ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 G533QS-HF210TS
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 82JQ009DIN
MSI GE 66 Raider 10UG
ASUS Zephyrus M16 GU603HR-K8004R
ASUS ROG Flow X13 GV301QH-K5040T
Dell Alienware X17

Televisions

Best TV of 2021 - Mainstream

Big screens, big value. The mainstream TV category is super important, and we don't really need to tell you why. As the largest screens in the house, these are our go-to devices for delivering entertainment at a click of a button and opening up a whole world of OTT apps and services for us. Size matters of course, but not more than image and sound quality.

Samsung AUE70 Crystal 4K UHD Smart TV (43-inch)
HiSense 43A6GE 4K Smart TV (43-inch)
Redmi Smart TV X50 (50-inch)
Realme Smart TV 4K (50-inch)
Blaupunkt Cybersound 4K Smart TV (43-inch)

Best TV of 2021 - Premium

TVs in the premium segment have to be truly special to justify their price tags. Powerhouse performance, exceptional display quality, rich sound and a plethora of features need to be in the offing, along with a whole lot more to attract potential buyers. Our job here is to choose the most special one out of this list of special contenders.

Samsung The Frame
LG C1 65
Sony A80J
Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 4K 75
Sony Z9J

TWS Earbuds

Best Truly Wireless Earbuds of 2021 - Mainstream

Music, calls, freedom. The freedom that comes from ditching the wires. The mainstream TWS segment comprises contenders that give you all that at affordable prices, and come with useful features beyond just the basics too. Now it's up to the experts to figure out the best one for your ears.

Realme Buds Air 2
Jabra Elite 2
Soundcore Life Note E
JBL C115
boAt Airdopes 501 ANC
omthing By 1MORE AirFree Pods

Best Truly Wireless Earbuds of 2021 - Premium

If you're willing to spend, the premium TWS segment is where the big guns are. Loaded with features and tons of audio wizardry, each nominee in our list is a special one, and brings its own unique signature to this category. We've fired up our favourite playlists and will have a winner ready in time for the big announcements.

Apple AirPods 3
OPPO Enco X
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
Jabra Elite 85t
OnePlus Buds Pro
Nothing ear (1)
Google Pixel Buds A-Series
LyperTek PurePlay Z7

Wearables

Best Wearable of 2021 - Mainstream

Get fit, track your physical activity and stay calm, because mainstream wearables these days can do almost everything except serve you green tea. From sleek fitness bands to watches, this segment comprises options that try and outdo each other in a race to reach your wrist. The judges will need to play some wristy shots to hit a boundary on this one.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6
Huawei Band 6
Realme Watch 2 Pro
Amazfit Bip U Pro
Redmi Watch GPS
Noise ColorFit Pro 3
Crossbeats Orbit

Best Wearable of 2021 - Premium

Attempting to deliver the right mix of health and smart features, these wearables have a lot going for them. Let's just say you get to see lots more than just time when you have one of these are mini computers wrapped around your wrist. And now, it's time to crown a winner.

Apple Watch Series 7
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic
Fitbit Charge 5
Fitbit Sense
Mi Watch Revolve Active
Fossil Gen 6
Amazfit GTR 3 Pro

Mobile SoCs

Best Mobile SoC of 2021 - Mainstream

As we wait for 5G, it's clear that 4G will be around for a while. Spanning both 4G and 5G, mobile chipsets in the mainstream category are tasked with delivering both value and performance, along with the right connectivity features. Fighting for the title are options from the two big players.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 860
Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G
MediaTek Dimensity 810
MediaTek Dimensity 700
Qualcomm Snapdragon 678

Best Mobile SoC of 2021 - Premium

It's not unreasonable to expect the world when it comes to SoCs in the premium mobile segment. And these are flagships that do promise that, and more. Powering everything from performance to cameras, and impacting all aspects of smartphone usage, here are the nominees for the Best Mobile SoC of 2021 in the premium category.

Apple A15 Bionic
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+
MediaTek Dimensity 1200
Exynos 2100
Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G

Best Mobile SoC Brand of 2021

Mobile chipsets act as the brains, the heart and the spine for modern-day smartphones, and therefore, play a vital role in the ecosystem. This award applauds the brand that distrupted the category this year, promising an even more interesting year ahead.

MediaTek
Qualcomm
Unisoc

Laptop CPUs

Best Laptop CPU of 2021 - Mainstream

Intel and AMD did a terrific job of sprucing up the affordable laptop segment with their powerful, mid-range processors. This award sheds a light on team red and blue's toilsome efforts and crowns the winner for the most efficient, affordable and VFM laptop CPU for the year 2021.

AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
Intel Core i5-11300H
Intel Core i3-1115G4

Best Laptop CPU of 2021 - Premium

As far as the performance of a high-end laptop is concerned, the sky is the limit. Be it playing graphically-intensive, ray-traced games, or churning out content by utilising demanding editing apps like Adobe Premiere, our contenders can do it all without breaking a sweat. Of course, there can be only one winner, so stay tuned for the big announcement.

Apple M1 Max
Intel Core i9-11900H
Intel Core i7-11800H
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS
AMD Ryzen 7 5800H

Innovation

Most Innovative Gadget of 2021

Meaningful innovation is hard to come by, and so are upgrades that make innovations even more useful. Some of the nominees here are quite futuristic and light a path to the future, while others are handy gadgets that deliver much more than what's expected of them.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
Philips Fresh Air Mask
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
Samsung Odyssey G9 49-inch
Amazon Echo Show 10
StuffCool Centurion