As part of our review of 2024, Dezeen design editor Jennifer Hahn shares her pick of this year’s gadgets, including a transparent laptop, a medieval beat machine and hiking trousers that give the wearer a boost.
The past 12 months saw tech companies from LG to Huawei take their experiments with flexible screens to new heights, creating displays that can be bent, twisted and folded in three.
At the same time, boundaries between the real and virtual world continued to blur, as Apple and Lenovo experimented with mixed-reality technology and others used artificial intelligence (AI) to help people connect more deeply with nature.
Read on for the 10 standout gadgets of the year:
Terra by Modem Works and Panter & Tourron
Continuing the post-pandemic trend for calm technology, this handheld “compass” is designed to allow people to go on walks without relying on their phones for navigation.
Instead, the AI-powered device creates custom routes based on prompts like “Kyoto architecture tour, back by 4pm” and will guide users along the correct path using haptic feedback.
“In a world overwhelmed by the constant distractions of our smartphones, the need for a mindful connection with our surroundings has never been more pressing,” Panter & Tourron founder Stefano Panterotto told Dezeen.
Find out more about Terra ›
Vision Pro by Apple
This year saw Apple throw its hat into the metaverse ring with the mixed-reality Vision Pro headset – its first major new product release in a decade.
The device resembles traditional VR goggles but with the option to switch to augmented reality, so that apps appear superimposed on the world around the user.
Its operating system, which allows users to navigate through eye, head and hand movements, swiftly took home the top prize at the D&AD Awards despite some users complaining of discomfort.
Find out more about the Vision Pro ›
EP-1320 by Teenage Engineering
Lutes, bagpipes and “rowdy peasants” are among the sounds musicians can sample with the EP-1320 beat machine from Swedish tech company Teenage Engineering.
Also known as “instrumentalis electronicum”, the device allows users to create their own mediaeval music and is decorated with playful ye-olde graphics to match.
Another buzzy release from Teenage Engineering this year was the Rabbit R1 AI companion, which was unveiled to much fanfare at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas but met with poor reviews upon release.
Find out more about the EP-1320 ›
ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop by Lenovo
It seems 2024 was the year of the transparent screen, with Samsung and LG both debuting clear TVs at CES while Lenovo unveiled a laptop with a see-through display at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Billed as the industry’s first transparent laptop, the ThinkBook concept incorporates a rear-facing camera so the device can recognise and interact with objects placed behind it using AI and augmented reality.
“The transparent screen opens up new avenues of work collaboration and efficiency by enabling the interaction with physical objects and overlaying digital information,” Lenovo said.
Find out more about the Think Book Transparent Display Laptop ›
Pyri by Richard Alexandre, Karina Gunadi, Blake Goodwyn and Tanghao Yu
The winner of this year’s UK James Dyson Award was a wildfire detector made from wax and charcoal that is designed to disintegrate in response to heat.
As the wax melts, it releases a saltwater solution rich in electrolytes, which activate the electronics contained within the device and trigger an emergency radio signal to warn locals.
The low-tech, low-cost solution is an example of organic electronics that use carbon-based compounds instead of rare or precious metals, making them potentially biodegradable while avoiding the need for mining.
Find out more about Pyri ›
AX Visio binoculars by Marc Newson and Swarovski Optik
Industrial designer Marc Newson designed a set of AI binoculars for Swarovski Optik that are capable of identifying some 9,000 species of birds and wildlife in real-time.
The AX Visio features an extra lens in between the usual two objective lenses found in binoculars, which functions as an AR display and overlays species information onto the environment.
“It’s rare for a designer to work on something that is the first product within a category, which is naturally exciting and suffice to say, challenging,” said Newson.
Find out more about AX Visio ›
Mate XT Ultimate Design by Huawei
Another first this year saw Chinese manufacturer Huawei unveil what it says is the first-ever triple-foldable phone, which opens out into a 10.2-inch tablet.
The flexible OLED touchscreen is hinged in two directions via a specially developed system that uses two tracks working in tandem to enable both inward and outward folds.
The device switches automatically between single, dual and triple screen modes as users unfold the screen, with a composite laminated structure that provides strength despite its thinness.
Find out more about Mate XT Ultimate Design ›
MO/GO pants by Arc’teryx and Skip
Outdoor brand Arc’teryx and Google spinoff Skip worked together to develop a pair of hiking trousers for people with mobility challenges, which give the wearer a boost as they walk.
The MO/GO pants work using battery-powered motors at the knee, which support the leg muscles during an ascent and the knee joint downhill.
The motors are integrated within an exoskeleton joint that snaps onto lightweight carbon-fibre cuffs worn inside the trousers, spreading the force from the motor across the leg.
Find out more about MO/GO ›
Stretchable screen by LG Display
South Korean technology company LG used materials “typically found in contact lenses” to create this stretchable screen.
The display is fitted with micro-LEDs and can expand by up to 50 per cent, from 12 to 18 inches. It can also be twisted and bent into various shapes, with potential applications in fashion and automotive design.
“The stretchable display is more than just an expandable screen,” said the team. “It can be folded, twisted, and reshaped.”
Find out more about the LG stretchable screen ›
Clicks Creator Keyboard by Clicks Technology
For a bit of noughties nostalgia, US start-up Clicks Technology launched a mechanical keyboard attachment for iPhones that effectively turns them into a modern-day BlackBerry.
With its 36 keys, the qwerty keyboard was designed to make it easier to type accurately on the move due to the “satisfying feedback” of a physical key.
“Clicks brings the tactility and precision of a physical keyboard to iPhone,” said Clicks Technology co-founder and YouTube tech reviewer Michael Fisher.
Find out more about Clicks Creator Keyboard ›
