T3 AWARDS 2019
TO READ THE FULL NOMINATIONS FOR EVERY CATEGORY, VISIT: bit.ly/t3nom2019
BRAND OF THE YEAR
Samsung
Samsung’s fearless approach has driven it to a belting year, from the first 8K TVs (that were even reasonably priced!) to top-tier phones in every bracket to an innovative smartwatch to a host of tech-packed white goods. Lots of companies could have put out the kit, but the trick is the execution. More than ever, Samsung is a company you can rely on, with every product that reached stores showing its tech prowess.
RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Currys PC World
Currys PC World is fighting a winning battle on two fronts: not only has it become a price leader online, making it the go-to destination for internet shoppers looking to buy the latest tech, but an impressive range of stock and improved customer service result in an excellent in-store experience, proving that there’s still plenty of life in the high street yet.
BEST GADGET UNDER £100
Neos SmartCam
Great tech doesn’t have to be expensive, as the Neos SmartCam proves. This low-price piece of gadgetry is ideal for keeping an eye on what’s going on in your home, but costs less than a quarter of what its rivals do. With a 1080p HD video feed, built-in night vision, two-way audio and Amazon Alexa voice control included, you really don’t have many excuses not to snap up one of these. The camera has plenty of smarts to its name too, including the way it can auto-arm itself when it detects you’ve left the home, and the automatic recording of 12 seconds of video straight to its free 14-day cloud storage when motion or sound is detected.
£19, neos.co.uk
BEST TV UNDER £1,000
Philips 7334
There’s so much TV in here for the price. Philips’ P5 processor powers everything, delivering smooth motion and pin-sharp details, while support for HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision means everything looks as good as it possibly can. The three-sided Ambilight adds extra immersion to the setup, and voice-activation capabilities give it a smart edge. Even the design is on point.
£899, philips.co.uk
BEST TV PLATFORM
Sky
BT Sport may have stolen some of its thunder in terms of Premier League football coverage but, for us, Sky still offers the best telly-watching experience that money can buy. Netflix on Sky Q has made the world’s most dynamic TV box even more brilliant, there’s a wide range of 4K content (including Formula 1 races), while regular offers make signing up accessible to everyone.
£Various, sky.com
BEST TV
Samsung Q90
The outstanding Samsung Q90 really shows what a premium television-watching experience should be like, with its QLED tech using ingenious backlighting that can both reach blacks nearly as rich as OLED’s, but also hit much higher levels of maximum brightness – it makes for fantastic colour depth, and genuinely astonishing HDR. Aside from that gorgeous picture quality, the Q90 also stands out for its impressive viewing angles and visibility in sunlight, the quality of the smart software Samsung has put on board here, and last but not least the stylish and attractive frame that everything is wrapped up in. The perfect TV to get for someone who isn’t convinced that expensive sets aren’t really worth the money.
From £2,799, samsung.com
BEST SOUNDBAR OR SOUNDBASE
Sonos Beam
Debunking the myth that a decent home-entertainment setup costs a fortune, the Sonos Beam crams a raft of impressive features into a compact, sub-£400 gadget. Doubling up as a TV soundbar and a wireless multi-room speaker (it’ll work with all your other Sonos speakers dotted around the house, plus Apple
