With the introduction of ChatGPT came a new era of artificial intelligence for the public at large, 2023 was the year that technology came alive. And while you were asking the chatbot to make up lyrics to a fake Bob Dylan song, a slew of companies have been using the underlying AI to various results. Everything is still in the early stages so stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed, hoping that the new technology comes in peace.
This was also the year that found several tech brands breaking ground on foldable design architecture, which is likewise paving the way toward a bold new future. Indeed, what was once the stuff of science fiction—and dare we say pure magic—is rapidly becoming our reality. For a closer look, here are the best tech products of 2023. May each one continue to serve mankind until it’s the other way around!
Best Tech Products of 2023
Our list of the best tech product releases of 2023 includes the following.
- Best Overall: OpenAI GPT-4
- Best Smartphone: Apple iPhone 15
- Best Camera: Insta360 Ace Pro
- Best TV: 118-Inch LG MAGNIT TV
- Best Computer: HP Spectre Fold
- Most Unexpected: Hestia Smartphone Telescope
Now that we’ve rounded up our favourites, let’s check out the full list.
OpenAI GPT-4
For millions of people around the world, 2023 was the year that artificial intelligence (AI) went from a nebulous concept to a very real thing that can impact daily life. Kicking open the door was OpenAI with ChatGPT, a large language model that remains available to the public as a chatbot and runs on underlying GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) technology. The latest development is GPT-4, which improves upon its predecessors in a handful of ways, such as faster processing speeds and the ability to accept images as input.
One could veer off in multiple directions when speaking on the subject of AI. Take, for example, the recent firing—and then rapid re-hiring—of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who appears to be marching full speed ahead on technology that even his own company doesn’t fully understand. Meanwhile, Elon Musk—who served on the initial board at OpenAI and has repeatedly spoken on the threats of artificial intelligence—has launched his own competing AI-powered chatbot named Grok. No matter what the latest developments, most experts would attest that we’re still in the early stages of this technology and its applications.
GPT-4 is currently available to those who pay for ChatGPT Plus while the free version of ChatGPT runs on GPT-3.5. Outside of OpenAI, companies such as Microsoft and Stripe are also using GPT-4 to help power some of their services. Over here at Man of Many, we’ve been exploring artificial intelligence as a resource and also as a perennial subject of interest. We should make it clear, however, that the words you’re reading at this very moment were written by an actual human being, who discreetly hopes that AI continues to hallucinate and prove itself unreliable for the foreseeable future 🙂
Apple iPhone 15 Pro
Apple’s mighty iPhone continues to dominate its domain with evergreen customer loyalty to show for it. Now in its 15th generation, the iconic device delivers “incremental changes that will have you lusting over the new models with enhanced features” (as per our previous coverage), including USB-C across the entire range. As for the iPhone Pro and Pro Max models, they improve upon the chip and camera alike and come forged from space-grade titanium with a textured matte glass back.
Picking up where the iPhone 14 Pro left off, the newest Pro models likewise eschew the notch in favour of Dynamic Island, a feature that enables new tiers of smartphone interaction. Under the skin, an upgraded A17 Pro Chip cultivates faster processing speeds and better overall performance. Improvements to the camera set-up include Smart HDR and up to 10x the optical zoom range. As sleek as it is smart, Apple’s foremost product simply never goes out of style.
Motorola Adaptive Display Concept
When Motorola’s Adaptive Display Concept was unveiled at Lenovo Tech World in late October, we were quick to ask: can this new technology finally make foldable smartphones cool? Based on our initial impressions, the answer is resoundingly affirmative. By fusing the “next-generation functionality of modern technology with the nostalgic fun of a slap bracelet,” the concept ushers in a fluid future for our favourite handheld device.
The Adaptive Display Concept comes on the heels of Motorola’s MIZR rollable phone concept, which was introduced back in February. Working in conjunction, the technologies would allow users to wrap the phone around their wrist as the display size scales down from 6.9 inches to 4.6 inches while retaining crisp resolution. Users can also bend the phone into various shapes between these two extremes to suit their individual needs (for example, one can roll just the bottom end so that the rest of the phone stands upright on itself).
As one might expect, AI will play a big role in Motorola’s conceptual device. Not only will the phone use AI to offer creative features, heightened security, and productivity tasks, but it will also come with MotoAI, a Siri-like personal assistant that’s always ready to serve. And so the new frontier of flexible smartphones continues to unfold—or should we say unroll—before our very eyes.
Hestia Smartphone Telescope
If there’s one thing we can count on from the modern technological era, it’s that massive ideas and products are fitting into smaller and smaller packages. So goes Hestia’s Smartphone Telescope, a revolutionary innovation that converts your smartphone into a full-blown astrophotography system. It launched on Kickstarter earlier this year and underwent a wildly successful campaign, raising USD$4,371,062 from 14,787 backers.
Hestia’s technological marvel was being offered for as little as $189 during the crowdfunding phase, with deliveries slated for 2024 (just in time for a solar eclipse across Europe). While one can purchase add-ons like solar filters or a tripod, the software and powerful camera system remain blatantly more affordable than a quality telescope. Hestia also promises to be user-friendly, so that pretty much anyone can unleash their inner astronomer.
LG StanbyME Go
If you thought Bluetooth speakers brought the action outdoors, wait until you see this latest offering from LG. It goes by the name of StanbyME Go and packs a high-end gaming and entertainment system into a stylish, travel-friendly suitcase. A built-in battery delivers up to three hours per wireless charge while a webOS smart TV platform enables effortless connectivity to your smart device.
At the heart of StanbyME Go is an adjustable 27-inch touch display and 20W four-channel speaker system, ensuring absolute immersion as you play games, watch movies, and more. The screen is not just both tiltable and rotatable, but it can lie down flat in the ‘table mode’ position as well. Everything comes to life as soon as you open the case and shuts down when you close it. Unveiled in September, this extraordinary system is now available to purchase.
Insta360 Ace Pro
Co-engineered with Leica, Insta360’s Ace Pro action camera gives GoPro a run for their money. It comes equipped with a Leica Summarit lens and a 1/1.3-inch image sensor, using built-in AI technology to dial up all kinds of functions. Everything from the image quality, responsiveness, editing, low-light performance, efficiency, and capture have been improved as a result of AI. There’s even a feature called AI Warp, which allows users to transform clips and generate effects by issuing custom prompts.
Both the Ace Pro and its brethren—the standard Ace—deliver specs out of a modern vlogger’s wildest dreams. They can shoot high-speed 4K videos at 120fps as well as 48MP still photos, switch aspect ratios after recording, respond to gestures and voice prompts, handle underwater depths up to 33 feet, and so much more. The Pro version takes performance up an extra notch with its larger sensor, enhanced nighttime capture, and ability to support Active HDR in daylight recordings, amongst other things.
We could go on but let’s just say that Insta360 hit a homerun with both of its new Ace action cameras. Not only do the cameras offer all kinds of AI-powered functionality, but the performance metrics are off the charts. Neither come with built-in storage but they both support external MicroSD cards up to 1TB. There’s a new Pro in town, indeed.
HP Spectre Fold
Foldable design technology is showing plenty of promise in 2023, as evidenced by this wild new device from HP. A bona fide shapeshifter, Spectre Fold features a 17-inch foldable OLED panel that can migrate seamlessly between various user modes. What takes the initial form of a tablet becomes a sleek 12.3-inch laptop when folded over and magnetically connected to a Bluetooth keyboard. Or slide out the built-in kickstand and keep the keyboard connected and now you’re looking at a standard desktop computer.
Not only does Spectre Fold put a laptop, PC, and tablet in one place, but it can switch between these three modes with new tiers of efficiency. That makes it a true powerhouse for modern business people, especially those who frequently travel and need different devices for different occasions. And like so many contemporary products, this one uses AI technology to improve functionality across various features. As our resident tech expert Rob Edwards rightly pointed out, the price tag of AUD$8,499 might scare off potential customers but this is undoubtedly the start of something beautiful.
Rob’s Feedback: The HP Spectre Fold is a very impressive piece of engineering and an exciting indicator of where the evolution of laptops might be heading. Like the very similarly designed LG Gram Fold—currently only available in South Korea—the Fold’s price point puts it beyond the reach of many, but those who can afford it should expect to turn heads.
Sonos Era 300
Sonos remains a perennial leader in wireless audio and multi-room speaker performance but the brand is also facing stiff competition in today’s overcrowded marketplace. Can the new Era 300 keep this brand at the top of their respective arena? Man of Many’s own Rob Edwards asked himself this very question when taking home the new speaker system for a trial run, finding a product that “delivers sound quality, understated style, and convenience in spades,” maintaining Sonos “as the go-to brand for easy-to-install, multi-room audio.”
Shaped like an oversized hourglass, the Era 300 sets up with ease and sounds spectacular both on its own and when linked with other units. It comes fully loaded with six strategically placed drivers and a full suite of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and built-in Amazon Alexa. Thanks to wireless technology, you can place the speaker pretty much anywhere you like, syncing it to your player of choice (a modern turntable, your smartphone, etc). In Rob’s opinion, this advanced product is worth every cent of its AUD$749 price tag and then some.
Rob’s Feedback: The Era 300 combines that high-quality sound, a level of wireless convenience (whether from your smartphone or an impossibly stylish Victrola turntable), and an ease of use that for AUD$749 make it hard to beat.
Nothing Phone (2)
British-based electronics brand Nothing introduced its first smartphone back in 2022 and has already returned with a follow-up. Running on the Android 13 OS and powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, Nothing Phone (2) uses a Glyph interface to send notifications via LED light patterns on the back, thereby reducing screentime.
What the Nothing Phone (2) ultimately represents is a visually distinctive and relatively affordable device that holds its own against well-known counterparts and easily improves upon its precursor. The camera comes with advanced HDR and a 32MP sensor but it’s not necessarily as powerful as say the iPhone camera. Its Glyph interface makes for a nice touch and numerous users are impressed with the battery life as well. If you’re looking for a dependable deviation from the standard fare (or need to cut down on screentime), this smartphone will surely suffice.
Apple Vision Pro
After years of speculation, Apple finally unveiled its ultra-premium VR headset at WWDC 2023. Described as the brand’s “first spatial computer,” Vision Pro comes to us on the heels of copious research and development. Similar to Meta Quest, it can plunge users into an immersive virtual environment but also function in tandem with the real world around each user.
Vision Pro is three-dimensionally forged from a solid piece of laminated glass and equipped with an Apple silicon chip, using micro-OLED technology to deliver 23 million pixels between two displays. This headset is nothing if not sleek and powerful and also quite expensive at around $5,000. Will it sink or swim upon its slated arrival in January of 2024? Your guess is as good as ours!
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
Samsung is blazing the trail on foldable design technology and Man of Many is here for it! We were huge fans of the Fold4 smartphone and so it was with great anticipation that we put the new Galaxy Z Fold5 to the test. What we discovered were minor tweaks that went a very long way and thus one of our favourite tech products of 2023.
Among the most notable improvements was a new Flex Hinge (likewise featured on the Flip5), which eliminates the gap between both sides of the phone when it’s closed, creating a slimmer and flusher appearance. Combine that with a 7.6-inch main screen, upgraded Taskbar, and thinner overall design, and you get one truly versatile device.
Rob’s Feedback: At more than 2 mm thinner than its predecessor, this is a svelte, polished device that cements the Fold category as Samsung’s most high-end smartphone offering.
118-Inch LG MAGNIT TV
LG is bidding adieu to LCD panels and embracing the power of Micro LED technology with one of the most formidable televisions we’ve ever seen. It makes up part of the MAGNIT range and occupies a whopping 118 inches of real estate (which isn’t even the line’s largest model). Aimed squarely at the luxury market, this 4K TV “may as well be an IMAX for your living room,” to quote our previous coverage.
Powered by an Alpha 9 processor with built-in AI technology, LG’s latest model delivers speedy refresh rates, pristine sound quality, brilliant colour contrast, and sharp resolution alike. There’s even an ambient sensor that automatically detects room lighting and reacts accordingly. We’re merely brushing the surface in terms of what this ultra-premium product has in store for potential owners. Speaking of potential owners, can anyone out there lend us about $237,000 so we can buy one for ourselves?
Asus ROG Ally
Not since the introduction of the first GameBoy has there been this much fervour surrounding the handheld gaming market. Nintendo’s popular Switch leads the charge but there are new entries hot on its tail, such as this one from ASUS. Man of Many’s own Ben McKimm took a pre-production model ROG Ally for a test drive and “was shocked at just how versatile and easy to use the device was” as he dove into games like Forza Horizon 5.
While heavier than the Switch, ROG Ally nevertheless offers supreme portability along with no shortage of power and performance. It’s been designed to perfection, with curved anti-grip edges and strategically placed, ergonomic controls. Sharp graphics and ultra-smooth gameplay are part of the package but so too is a somewhat underwhelming battery life (when you’re gaming, at least). Connect it with the ROG 65W charger dock at home and you might discover the “ultimate casual gamers set-up.”
Ben’s Feedback: When you consider the fact the ROG Ally has support from the factory to plug in the Ally and create a quality gaming station at home with the ROG 65W gaming charger dock we might’ve found the ultimate casual gamers set-up.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Apple’s Watch Ultra 2 was crafted with outdoor adventure in mind, though don’t take that to mean it won’t function just as well in the nearest office setting. Featuring a case of 49mm titanium (though carbon-neutral case and strap combinations are also available), the rugged wearable is IP6X dust-resistant and water-resistant to 100m.
The Ultra 2 comes to us at the same time as Apple’s Watch Series 9 and offers a slew of similar benefits. Both models run on a new high-performance S9 SiP chip and deliver new double-tap gesture controls, for example. Other advanced features include on-device Siri, Precision Finding, and a full suite of new fitness apps. Strap up and go.
Google Pixel Fold
Never one to ignore the latest trend, Google debuted its first foldable smartphone in 2023. A 5.8-inch smartphone when folded over, Pixel Fold becomes a 7.6-inch tablet when unfolded to its fullest potential. Thanks to an ultra-clever hinge design, the device also does a better job than most counterparts at concealing the middle crease line.
With a Google Tensor G2 chip under the hood, Pixel Fold offers brilliant speed and performance. Features such as split-screen technology and Live Translate dial up productivity while an immersive OLED display brings videos and images to life with pristine clarity. Throw in a triple-rear camera system along with plenty of other goodies and you may have found your favourite new foldable.
How Man of Many Chose the Best Tech Products of 2023
To arrive at this list of products, the Man of Many team went through hours of rigorous testing, implementation, and analysis before culling it down to the very best. Over the last 12 months, we’ve worked on curated products that push boundaries and pioneer new fronts, across the automotive, fashion, lifestyle, and technology verticals. Sure, we love getting the latest piece of kit in our hands, but being able to point out the benefits and shortfalls objectively is at the heart of what we do.
As a result, the Top 100 Products is primarily comprised of products we’ve tested in-house and have used extensively first-hand. While there are a few exceptions to this rule, generally due to scarcity and availability, we made note of the cultural significance surrounding each product should we not have been able to review it personally.
2023 Tech Products FAQ
The modern smartphone remains the most popular electronic in 2023, both in Australia and around the world. Statistics website Oberlo estimates that 5.25 billion people currently use a smartphone.
According to the official Apple website, a standard iPhone 15 starts at AUD$1,499, an iPhone 15 Plus starts at AUD$1,649, and an iPhone 15 Pro starts at AUD$1,849.
