2026 has quietly been one of the busiest years yet for tech. Phones have gotten thinner and smarter, earbuds are disappearing into your ear (literally), and even your fitness tracker has stopped nagging you to look at a screen. Tech giant Samsung has released a smartphone designed for the chronic doomscroller, while the new Oura Ring 5’s lightweight design makes wearing tech an absolute breeze. That being said, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all these new launches. So we’ve done the sifting for you and narrowed down the year’s biggest releases to the ones that genuinely deserve a spot in your bag, on your wrist, or on your desk.

1. 1. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, from $2,448
2. 2. Oppo Enco Clip 2, $259
3. 3. Apple MacBook Neo, from $999
4. 4. Oura Ring 5, from $549.54
5. 5. Garmin CIRQA Smart Band, $279
6. 6. ASUS ExpertBook Ultra, from $2,999

Credit: Samsung

Samsung unveiled its eighth-generation foldable at a Galaxy Unpacked event in London this July, and it arrived with a twist: for the first time, the Fold line has split into three: the Z Fold8, the Z Fold8 Ultra, and the Z Flip8. Of the three, it’s the Z Fold8 that caught our attention, thanks to a unique passport-like silhouette that folds neatly and sits comfortably in one hand, no pinky-finger balancing act required. The interface feels intuitive without trying too hard and it’s sleek enough to slip into your pocket without a second thought. Unfolded, the display comes into its own, making doomscrolling on Instagram and TikTok, reading and multitasking, feel effortless rather than like a workaround. Paired with Galaxy AI, which takes much of the legwork out of editing photos and videos, the Fold8 feels less like a gadget you adapt to and more like one that’s already adapted to how you actually use your phone.

Credit: Oppo

Oppo’s latest earbuds trade the traditional in-ear seal for an open-ear, ear-clip design that wraps around the outer ear instead. While it looks like just another fashion accessory, these buds double as earrings that happen to play music. Each earbud weighs a mere 5.2g, and the battery life stretches up to a generous 40 hours total.

What’s especially impressive is the dedicated AI call-clarity, paired with bone conduction and a new AI large-model clear-call algorithm. Together, they isolate the noise around you, letting you enjoy smoother, clearer calls even in noisy settings like streets, train platforms or the MRT. Other standout AI features include live translation setting which is handy when you’re travelling abroad, and IP55 water and dust resistance, so a sudden downpour won’t spell disaster.

Credit: Apple

Apple spent years without a true budget laptop in its lineup, until the MacBook Neo came about in March. Despite the smaller price tag, it doesn’t skimp on personality. The Neo comes in four colourways (Silver, Blush, Citrus and Indigo), wrapped in a durable aluminium shell that weighs just 1.23kg. It also has a reasonably remarkable battery life that would probably last you through the workday if you’re doing basic tasks, and it’s built to pair seamlessly with an iPhone for tasks like starting an email on one device and finishing it on the other. Starting at $999 (and even less with student pricing), it’s the MacBook for students, parents, or to simply keep as an ultra-portable second machine.

Credit: Oura

Oura’s fifth-generation smart ring, launched in May, is proof that good things really do come in smaller packages. Unlike its predecessor, the latest version of the Oura Ring is 40 per cent slimmer, making it the smallest smart ring on the market and, at last, one that actually looks and feels like ordinary jewellery. Crafted from lightweight titanium, it comes with an upgraded sensor architecture for sharper accuracy and a week-long battery life, so you’re not constantly hunting for a charger. But the real glow-up is on the software side: new features include Health Radar for proactive alerts on shifts in your body, nighttime blood pressure signals, and GLP-1 Insights for anyone tracking metabolic health alongside medication. For the woman who wants to actually understand her sleep, stress and cycle data, this is the wearable worth investing in.

Credit: Garmin

Garmin’s first-ever screen-free wearable is built for those who want comprehensive health and fitness tracking without constant screen distractions. The fabric CIRQA band monitors round-the-clock metrics including heart rate, Body Battery™, sleep, stress, skin temperature and Pulse Ox, alongside advanced fitness metrics such as training readiness, HRV status and VO2 max, all accessible via the Garmin Connect app. It’s also built with women’s health in mind, offering menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking via skin temperature sensing. The battery life itself is decent as it lasts up to 10 days per charge, and there’s no mandatory subscription required to access its core features. Either way, it’s an easy entry point for anyone curious about wearable health tracking but not ready to commit to a smartwatch on their wrist every day.

Credit: ASUS

For the woman running her own show, the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is a serious contender for your next work laptop. Unveiled earlier this year, the new ASUS ExpertBook is built around an ultralight 0.99kg magnesium-aluminium alloy chassis finished with a durable, scratch-resistant nano-ceramic coating. True to the AI moment we’re all living in, it runs on Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 processor for serious on-device AI performance, while a 3K tandem OLED touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass and six-speaker Dolby Atmos audio make it feel far from your average business laptop. To top it all off, it’s also spill-resistant, so an accidental coffee spill or an overstuffed tote bag mishap won’t take your keyboard down with it. However, it’s worth noting that spill-resistant not the same as waterproof, so a dunk is still off the table. This premium contender isn’t cheap, but for professionals who want a laptop that looks as polished in the boardroom as it performs, it earns its price tag.