My favorite tech items of 2015 [Wayne]

I’m looking forward to next year when, hopefully, I’ll finally be able to get my hands on the Oculus Rift which is expected to start shipping to consumers in Q1 2016. Pre-orders were supposed to start this year, but that’s clearly not going to happen now. Still I’ve waited long enough to get my VR fix, what’s a few more weeks/months?

While I didn’t get a Rift to play with this year, plenty of new technology did make its way through my hands and into my life. Here are some of the standout pieces of tech I'd definitely recommend you check out.

Apple iPhone 6s

Having been using an iPhone 5s as my daily driver since 2013, it was clearly time for an upgrade. While I was certainly tempted by the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC’s One M9, there was only really ever going to be one phone for me. The iPhone 6s has proven to be a delight and while 3D Touch isn’t the killer feature it might one day be, and Live Photos are a bit of a waste of space (literally), I couldn’t be happier with my choice of mobile.

Apple Watch

Despite declaring I didn’t want an Apple Watch I ended up buying a Sport model anyway. You can read my first impressions review of it here. I don’t wear it every day but I’ve found it to be both fun and useful. Apple Pay is great (when it works, which isn’t always immediately) and I’ve quickly come to appreciate the benefits the Watch has to offer. The WatchOS 2 update has certainly made the device much more useful.

SEE ALSO: Santa brought you an Apple Watch? Here’s what to do first

Windows 10

While I didn’t buy a new Windows 10 device this year, I did upgrade both my main PC and laptop to Microsoft’s new operating system. I’ll be honest and admit I’m not blown away by Windows 10 -- it just seems too unfinished for my tastes -- but I do like it and look forward to the day when it’s finally the operating system it promises to be (which will hopefully be at some point in 2016).

SEE ALSO: Santa brought you a Windows 10 PC or tablet? Here’s what to do first

Hisense Sero 8 Pro

I reviewed the Hisense Sero 8 Pro tablet in November and found it to be a surprisingly good budget Android slate with a great quality screen. A lot of budget tablets turn out to be something of a disappointment, but that definitely isn’t the case with the Sero 8 Pro.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

This year I finally succumbed to Amazon Prime and now I’m kicking myself for waiting so long. You get so much for your money -- free next day delivery, free streaming music, free TV shows and movies -- that I’d happily pay twice as much for the service when the renewal rolls around next year (but hopefully I won’t need to). To get the most out of Amazon Prime Video I purchased the Fire TV Stick, and it’s a fantastic little device that I'd wholeheartedly recommend.

PlayStation 4

Sony’s superb gaming console arrived just in time for Christmas day, along with a copy of Fallout 4. What more could you possibly want? It was a toss-up between the PS4 or the Xbox One, but in the end I opted for the latest PlayStation purely for the games it has to offer (and Uncharted 4 which is due next year). The ecosystem has so much potential too.

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