The winners of the 2012 Engadget Awards -- Editors' Choice
Yesterday, we announced your picks for the 2012 Engadget Awards, and today it's our turn. The Editors' Choice selections below cover the same 15 categories you voted on earlier this month, but the results weren't limited to reader-selected finalists. (In other words, it's a favorite gadget free-for-all for this bunch of geeks.) Without further ado, we present our top products of 2012 -- click past the break for the full list.
Smartphone of the Year: HTC One X
The HTC One X combines a great design, a brilliant 1,280 x 720 display and a fantastic camera. AT&T's LTE model is especially impressive, with a fast Snapdragon chip and long battery life.
Laptop of the Year: Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Gorgeous screens aside, Cupertino's highest-end Pros are powerful, well-crafted machines. We're partial to the 15-inch model, which offers discrete graphics and a slightly thinner design.
Desktop of the Year: Apple iMac
This year, Apple's iMac ditched the DVD drive for a slimmer design, and its new display is as stunning as ever -- but with less glare.
Tablet of the Year: Nexus 7
The iPad mini may have stolen the show late this year, but it was ultimately the Nexus 7 that made the biggest impression. A good screen, Tegra 3 performance and a clean build of Jelly Bean for $199 and up is pretty hard to beat.
E-reader of the Year: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
The Paperwhite was the near-unanimous pick among Engadget staffers. The display is a huge improvement over older Kindles, and new software features like "Time to Read" make for a great e-reading experience.
Digital Camera of the Year: Sony RX-100
Extremely fast to focus and easily pocketable, the RX-100 is a stellar point-and-shoot. The f/1.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 3.6x zoom optic lens and 1-inch, 20.2-megapixel CMOS sensor make that $650 price a lot more palatable.
Wearable Device of the Year: Pebble smartwatch
Okay, it technically didn't come out till 2013, but we'll make an exception for the long-delayed, much-anticipated Pebble. The Kickstarter favorite offers some nifty features when paired with your smartphone, and we can only imagine how many copycats we'll see this year.
Game Console of the Year: PlayStation Vita
The PlayStation Vita made it to the US in 2012, and we couldn't be happier. It may be a bit late to the party, but it's the best portable gaming device out there, with a great combo of hardware and software.
HDTV of the Year: Sony 84-inch 4K Bravia XBR-84X9005
2012 was the year of the 4K TV, and Sony's 84-inch Bravia stood out among dozens of stunning sets. Chalk that up to the mammoth panel's great image quality and the slick design, complete with dual speaker bars.
Home Entertainment Product of the Year: Apple TV
It may not be revolutionary, but the latest Apple TV brings 1080p to the table, along with a refreshed UI and improved iCloud connectivity. Best of all, the price hasn't budged from $99.
Audio Product of the Year: Apple iPod touch
Apple's latest iPod touch is the thinnest (just 6.1mm) yet, and it sports a much-improved screen to boot. Better battery life is the cherry on top for our favorite PMP.
Transportation Product of the Year: Tesla Model S
Readers and editors unite in their love for the Tesla Model S, which takes home double Engadget Awards. After all, who can argue with a smooth-running EV tricked out with a 17-inch IPS LCD touch panel -- and a starting price of $60,000?
Peripheral of the Year: Nest thermostat
Everyone's favorite connected thermostat got better this year, with a thinner design and smart features like System Match for learning how long it takes to warm up your home.
Robot of the Year: Mars Rover Curiosity
No contest here: we love a good roomba, but nothing can compete with NASA's biggest-ever rover, which has been exploring the Red Planet since landing in August. It's already uncovered evidence of water, and we can't wait to see what it turns up next.
Worst Gadget of the Year: Nexus Q
It's with no pleasure that we hand out this "award," but the Nexus Q simply falls flat. The media streamer offers less functionality than the competition for a much more expensive $299. Little wonder, then, that Google pulled the device from its online inventory.
