The winners of the 2006 Engadget Awards!

We know, we're a little past the awards season at this point, but the readers spoke and their voices shall be heard. We're talking about the 2006 Engadget awards, wherein we provide the high honorary status to only the most excellent gadgets and consumer technologies of the 2006 calendar year. There was some very stiff competition, but there's no denying who really won out last year: the technology enthusiast, who had a vast number of excellent toys to choose from. Winners will shortly receive their 2D blue award statuette with high powered radio transmitter (pending FCC approval); please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Congratulations!

Now, click on to see the winners.

Gadget of the Year
Readers' Choice: Nintendo Wii
Editors' Choice: Nintendo Wii

Worst Gadget of the Year
Readers' Choice: Microsoft Zune
Editors' Choice: Exploding Sony batteries

Most Anticipated Gadget of 2007
Readers' Choice: Apple iPhone
Editors' Choice: Vista / CableCARD PCs

Cellphone of the Year
Readers' Choice: Sony Ericsson K800i
Editors' Choice: Sony Ericsson K800i

Smartphone of the year
Readers' Choice: BlackBerry Pearl
Editors' Choice: HTC Hermes / 8525

Desktop of the Year
Readers' Choice: Apple Mac Pro
Editors' Choice: Apple Mac Pro

Digital Camera of the Year
Readers' Choice: Canon 400D / Rebel XTi
Editors' Choice: Nikon D80

Display of the Year
Readers' Choice: Dell 3007WFP-HC
Editors' Choice: Dell 3007WFP-HC

Game Console of the Year
Readers' Choice: Nintendo Wii
Editors' Choice: Nintendo Wii

GPS Device of the Year
Readers' Choice: TomTom GO 910
Editors' Choice: TomTom GO 910

Handheld of the Year
Readers' Choice: Sony VAIO UX280P
Editors' Choice: Sony Reader PRS-500

HDTV of the Year
Readers' Choice: Sony KDL-52XBR3
Editors' Choice: Sharp Aquos 52D62U

Home Entertainment Device of the Year
Readers' Choice: Slingbox PRO
Editors' Choice: TiVo Series3

Laptop of the Year
Readers' Choice: Apple MacBook Pro
Editors' Choice: Apple MacBook Pro

Peripheral of the Year
Readers' Choice: Nintendo Wii remote
Editors' Choice: Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD drive

Portable Media Device of the Year
Readers' Choice: Apple iPod shuffle (2g)
Editors' Choice: SanDisk Sansa e200

Robot of the Year
Readers' Choice: Lego Mindstorms NXT
Editors' Choice: Lego Mindstorms NXT

Storage Device or Technology of the Year
Readers' Choice: Blu-ray
Editors' Choice: Seagate 750GB desktop hard drive

Tablet PC of the Year
Readers' Choice: Lenovo X60
Editors' Choice: Lenovo X60

Wearable Device of the Year
Readers' Choice: Nike + iPod
Editors' Choice: Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset

Wireless Device or Technology of the Year
Readers' Choice: 802.11n (draft 1.06)
Editors' Choice: HSDPA

See also: 2005 Engadget Award winners, 2004 Engadget Award winners

[IrishGandalf @ May 11th 2007 4:03PM]

Worst Gadget of the Year
Readers' Choice: Microsoft Zune

need we say more M$?

[L.Rawlins @ May 11th 2007 4:03PM]

Nothing too surprising here.

I'm elated that my phone keeps winning awards! Yay! Makes you wonder why they changed it all up in the K810 really...

[Luigi193 @ May 11th 2007 4:10PM]

Wow...Nintendo and Apple took home the Gold...Good thing for a nintnedo/Apple fanboy such as myself!!!

[trainwrecka @ May 12th 2007 9:30AM]

if only they could team-up or something.

[Alegoo92 @ Jun 2nd 2007 11:22AM]

lol me 2

[daliminator2000 @ May 11th 2007 4:20PM]

Wow heavy bias from the Apple fanboys...

I agreed with the editors' choices - and there's no WAY the Zune was the worst gadget. I mean, come on. Really.

[Andir3.0 @ May 11th 2007 4:25PM]

Really.

[Numo @ May 12th 2007 12:43AM]

Yes, really!

[Nate @ May 11th 2007 4:30PM]

Heavy Apple Bias? How the hell did that happen these are all based on polls?

[Dragod @ May 12th 2007 1:31PM]

If you vote, and try to vote again, it still recognizes you've voted. Clear cookies, and there you go, you vote again. It's an easy way to tip the scales in your favor. It's not like anyone has any bias in the world any way...

[Covert @ May 11th 2007 4:33PM]

The choices for worst gadget of the year were ridiculous...so much so that even the Playstation 3 came in second at about 25%. It certainly seemed like a loaded poll.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/16/the-2006-engadget-awards-vote-for-worst-gadget-of-the-year/

[krizoitz @ May 11th 2007 4:34PM]

@ daliminator2000

Yeah cause its not even remotely possible that Apple makes great prodcuts the public likes or anything....

The fact that you chastise a heavy bias from Apple fanboys then say you agree with the editors choices who also picked a number of Apple products makes me question who the fanboy REALLY is here.

[iSpork @ May 11th 2007 4:55PM]

Some great results, and I'm quite proud I purchased a few of the winners during 2006 - nice job everyone!

[DanceSucka @ May 11th 2007 5:08PM]

Editors choice were the best picks. And aperently most people who come to this site love apple (not that i have anything against apple), cuz even though the Zune isn't as good as say, an iPod (in my opinion) it's definately not the worst gadget of the year. I mean its not THAT much different from an iPod. And also the apple prodeucts won in like, all the catagories they were in.

[natef @ May 11th 2007 5:42PM]

Yeah, the editor's picks made a lot more sense. The Zune is a great gadget, just not the iPod killer it was hyped to be.

Clearly there is some reader bias toward apple, and maybe even Nintendo too. I own a Wii and a 360 and to be honest, I havn't touched my Wii (hey i don't mean it like that!) since December. My 360 on the other hand is used daily and has been since September.

[ray @ May 11th 2007 5:57PM]

Sorry but I really disagree with the zune being the WORST gadget??!! Ok you may not like ms but the zune player itself is actually really good. Why don't you look at some of the real USER reviews of the zune and amke your own minds up:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=211548
rather than some puppy who calls themselves a journalist and hates the zune only because they hate ms- ok rant over.

[Adam @ May 11th 2007 6:38PM]

I can tell people love microsoft on this blog, the zune being WORST gadget of the year?

Give me a break....have a kitkat.

[waLLy @ May 11th 2007 7:14PM]

Peripheral of the Year
Editors' Choice: Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD drive

Really?

[mike @ May 11th 2007 7:18PM]

Wow heavy bias from the Apple fanboys...

-

Time to revist that 20 year old marketshare myth hmmm?

[Jay @ May 11th 2007 7:55PM]

Something other than Zune v Pod

I know I'm in a minority here but I still think the Chocolate shoulda been phone of the year.

[Jeff @ May 11th 2007 8:01PM]

Exploding batteries are hardly "gadgets" ... and "Vista / CableCARD PCs" as the most anticipated? give me a break.

and how is the Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset the wearable device of the year? i've never seen anyone using one. (where as dozens of people run by my work with their little Nike+ thing)

you editors are lame -- a portion of the time. :P

[Jason Brown @ May 11th 2007 8:15PM]

chocolate? gimme a break! sony themselves released at least 5 phones in n.america alone that killed the chocolate. actually the w800 was probably better then the chocolate. why are people so surprised readers/editors alike are biased here? most of the internets fanboy crap originated here. And please, engadget themselves reported on several incidents of different apple products with exploding batteries. hint hint! anyone notice engadget is the only site that is covering the iphone religously on a daily basis? i only come to engadget for a reason to laugh at uneducated editors/readers. its embarrasing when a lousy news site who is lousy at reporting is the main source for alot of other sites. its almost impossible to get any accuracy when doing a search anymore because all the crap that gets passed around from here!

[rod @ May 11th 2007 8:22PM]

LOL at blackberry Pearl.
Wake me up when I can use a medical dictionary, unabridged dictionary, play emulator games, use opera browser, etc on a blackberry.

[mrmckeb @ May 11th 2007 8:40PM]

I think some of the Apple fans may have voted more than their fair share of times (one)...

[billytickets @ May 11th 2007 11:45PM]

I think the Sonos Music system is the product of the year 2 million songs for 10.00 per month!

[David @ May 12th 2007 2:31AM]

How do they choose the Sharp HDTV over the Pioneer FHD1??? 1080p Plasma ftw!!!

[Taustin Powers @ May 12th 2007 7:43AM]

Ok people, the M$ Zune pick was the READER'S CHOICE, and NOT the editors'. How does this make Engadget biased? They didn't pick the Zune. If the majority of Engadget readers thinks that the Zune sucks, then that's how it is. Deal with it.

It's hilarious how people start crying foul when their personal opinion on their _insert brand name_ product is not confirmed or validated by the majority. Fanboy rage is so cute. GET OVER YOURSELVES, AND JUST BE HAPPY THAT YOU ENJOY THE TOY YOU BOUGHT!

[Dave251 @ May 12th 2007 11:35AM]

Does this poll mean that Engadget and all it's readers prefer inferior technology just because it's cheaper? Out of all the millions of gadgets that suck only a few we're allowed to be voted "worst of the year", picked by editors of course. I still think worst gadget of the year (and every year before) is the sega gamegear but I wasn't allowed to vote for it...

[poos4life @ May 12th 2007 12:04PM]

Ok, all you people that don't get it, there's more to a device than its technical capabilities ok! OK? The Zune was *garbage* because it was a poorly supported device which was so laden with DRM restrictions and incompatibilities *ahem, vista..I'm not even going there* that it makes it clear M$ was not looking to please their customers, they're trying to lock down any person who doesn't understand enough about computers to know better. Sony? same thing. Wow! Cell processor! Blu-ray! Wait, actually look! Hundreds more dollars! No Rumble (YES, feedback very clearly makes a diff) Big as a whale, and again, incompatibilities, mostly Europe this time though. And who knows, maybe the Engadget guys were lucky enough to try the jawbone headband and it truly rocks and they just want us to know! Ever think of that? Huh?! Sheesh

[Dragod @ May 12th 2007 1:26PM]

I disagree with both what you said about the Zune, and you hinting towards Vista being crap. Have you ever actually used a Zune? or Vista? or Longer than 15 seconds? Do you know the full capabilities of the Zune? of Vista? Can you tell me why Vista isn't good?

And explain why the Zune is poorly supported? The Zune has more firmware updates than the iPod, and the team that actually works on Zune you can contact. You go to Zuneinsider.com, post your comments, they will read what you say and respond as quickly as possible. They even ask what we'd like to have improved, and they will read every single comment. I'd call that amazing support. What of the iPod? Can you simply post a comment and get instant feedback? I think not.

[Dragod @ May 12th 2007 1:19PM]

Well, I'm sad that no one has given the Zune a fair chance. I'd bet that probably 2/3 of everyone that voted it as worst of the year haven't even used it for longer than 15 seconds. That's hardly enough time to see what it does. Not to mention that some people would vote for it, just because they are Anti-Microsoft. I mean, I extremely dislike both Apple and Sony, but I don't think that the PlayStation 3 is a failure or a worthless system; and I don't think that Macs/iPods are crap, I just am looking for something different than what I have, why I have an Xbox 360, a Nintendo Wii, a Zune, and Windows Vista.

[Ryan Block @ May 12th 2007 7:53PM]

It may look look like multiple votes are registered, but they are not. We track votes with a variety of methods.

[crescentdavid @ May 12th 2007 8:11PM]

It's a poll determined by those who participate, self-selected as opposed to randomly selected and by the nominees for the award category (restricted by Engadget).

It's anecdotal polling, nothing scientifically valid about any of it. Having said that ...
congratulations to the folks who identify with the winners of this particular poll.

To the losers, take it easy, vote with your pocketbook and enjoy!

[Philip Seyfi @ May 13th 2007 6:31AM]

Why was iPod Shuffle 2G nominated?? Why not iRiver S10??

[ryan10ad @ May 13th 2007 10:44AM]

I agree with everything except the Editors Peripheral of the year. If (and I mean if) HD-DVD drives were that cheap, the drive would not even been in the running. Has anyone confirmed if you can use it with a PC?

[Martin Hill @ May 13th 2007 11:50AM]

All the pro-Zune comments are surprising when you consider the many things the Zune lacks:

Cons:
- 46% larger volume than the 30GB iPod (13% larger than even the 80GB iPod)
- 35% thicker and 8% taller than the 30GB iPod
- 17% heavier than the 30GB iPod (1% heavier than the 80GB iPod)
- Zune Chunky vs slim and elegant iPod according to Wall Street Journal
- 2hrs less battery life than the 30GB iPod (in real-world tests)
- 12-14hrs battery life for Zune vs 20hrs for 80GB iPod or 24hrs for iPod Nano
- WiFi reduces battery life by 2hrs+ in real-world tests
- no WiFi to Computer or Internet only other Zune Players
- 5 buttons on imitation click-wheel instead of scroll wheel for navigation
- 3 million songs in Zune Marketplace vs 5 million on iTunes Store
- No TV shows in Zune Marketplace
- No Podcasts in Zune Marketplace
- No Music Videos in Zune Marketplace
- No Movies in Zune Marketplace
- No Audiobooks in Zune Marketplace
- No Games in Zune Marketplace
- No unlimited streaming music library sharing between computers on same subnet or wifi network unlike iTunes software
- Confusing points system for music purchase - $5 minimum purchase
- No Calendar on Zune so no calendar synching
- No Address Book on Zune so no contacts synching
- No Note viewing or synching on Zune
- No pre-installed games on Zune
- No Alarm Clock, No Stopwatch, no World Clock, No password-protected volume-limiter, No Equalizer,
- only ~100 accessories for Zune vs 3,000+ for iPod
- No auto integration for Zune vs 80% of new cars iPod dock connector compatible (not just audio connector)
- Zune adds yet another DRM standard to crowded field
- Zune not compatible with Plays For Sure so can't play music bought from Microsoft's own MSN music or other MS licensees (MS has knifed it's partners)
- Zune not compatible with Windows media player, the MS standard for MP3 player integration
- Zune Windows-only vs Windows and Mac compatible iPod
- half the songs ripped from CDs by money.cnn.com reviewer would not transfer to Zune Player
- 3 models (colours) of Zune vs Shuffle, 6 Nano models, 30GB Video iPod and 80GB Video iPod (plus Red and U2 versions of Nano and larger iPods)
- Fewer supported audio formats:
Zune: WMA, MP3, non-protected AAC
iPod: AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, MP3, WAV, Audible
- No USB Disk mode so can't use for file transfer/storage on PC
- plastic case on Zune vs metal case back for iPod or all-metal for Nano
- 3-day or 3 play limit on DRM and non-DRM shared music (even 1 second counts)
- No passing on shared music to a second Zune player
- no synching of purchased music from Zune up to other computer (new iPod feature)
- No equivalent to iTunes Gift certificates
- No equivalent to iTunes Allowances (monthly store credit for kids)
- No user-submitted playlists
- Weak FM radio reception
- No Recording
- Zune player and Zune Marketplace USA-only
- The word "zune" is obscene in Hebrew and French-Canadian
- No Zune Phone

Only a few somewhat tainted pros that I can see:

- WiFi music sharing (though 50% of songs purchased by money.cnn.com reviewer on Zune store had sharing disabled)
- DJ mode for broadcasting what you're playing to other Zune users (actually, MS dropped this feature - it could have been good)
- 3" screen vs 2.5" on iPod (though same 320 x 240 resolution so album art looks more blocky on Zune in portrait mode)
- Integration with Xbox 360 (iPod only works on Xbox with non-DRM music)
- FM Radio built-in ($49 option for iPod)
- Rubber-feel plastic case doesn't scratch as easily as Face of iPod Video
- Subscription option for music ($180 per year pretty expensive though for music that is deleted if offline for a month or cease subscription)
- Guest Synchronisation option to copy songs from other PC (but not back up to your PC)
- Attractive customisable background pictures and transparent menus

I think it probably reasonably fairly deserves it's worst gadget status considering the hype, astro-turfing and dishonest stats Microsoft has promulgated.

-Mart

[apothus @ May 14th 2007 3:37AM]

Well done to engadget for opening up any poles at all. It is nice to see what others are interested in and it is also nice to see what "industry analysts" (i use the term loosely as i don't know any of your qualifications but i do assume you have some :P ) feel that the outstanding products are.

As for myself im glad i purchased a k800i it has truly been a fantastic phone and i will not be replacing it any time soon. I am also pleased to see the Nikon D80 as the editors choice, nikon really do make fantastic cameras but i think market penetration and fan votes helped to push the cannon through as the public choice.

[Zod-like @ May 15th 2007 2:13PM]

iFanboys ftl

[Chokies1 @ May 16th 2007 11:11AM]

Hooray for TomTom! Look Out Garmin!

[Mrfreezie @ May 16th 2007 11:35AM]

Why is the Wii on there so much? I honestly think that it's overrated. I own one, and I can't find one game that I find enjoyable.. Am I missing something? People sure harp on the PS3 for having no games, but in my mind, the wii isn't any better.

[Priper @ May 18th 2007 11:43AM]

There should be an specification stating the editors choice as "by the editors". Vista was not anticipated, it was more of a finally!! (Many of my peripherals and sound card did not work up until this month)Zune is not the worst, not the best.... and the Wii, it does what it should with grace (I actually use it for the Internet and specially You tube!!) Great year and great choices

[blind0516 @ May 19th 2007 7:50PM]

The zune wasn't that bad, the only thing that it dosent have that the ipod dose is games i dont know why every one hates it i like better ipods are overratied