Top Picks of 2020: Lifehacker's Ultimate Guide to the Year's Best Tech and Entertainment
Discover the standout films, series, games, gadgets, and services that left a mark in 2020. Share your opinions and vote for your favorites to shape the ultimate reader's choice.
Explore the most impressive movies, TV shows, games, services, and gadgets that captured our attention throughout 2020.
We've reviewed the year and selected what we believe are the finest devices and content. Disagree with our picks? Cast your vote for the most deserving nominees and help them rise to the top in our reader-driven rankings.
Top Smartphone: iPhone 12
The past year didn’t bring groundbreaking tech or radical design changes in flagship smartphones. Brands focused on refining last year’s models, enhancing already impressive specs. Our choice for the best smartphone of 2020 isn’t about raw power or speed but about perfect balance — that’s the iPhone 12.
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Best Android Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
Android flagships impressed this year with fast charging, large batteries, high-resolution cameras, and impressive zoom capabilities. Yet, only a few devices offered a truly new experience. The Galaxy Z Fold 2, with its foldable design, stands out as the leading Android innovation of 2020.
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Best Budget Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy M21
2020 saw many affordable smartphones hit the market. Our top pick is the Samsung Galaxy M21, boasting a Super AMOLED screen with Always-on Display, a 20 MP selfie camera, audio jack, microSD slot, NFC chip, and a 6,000 mAh battery with USB-C charging — all at an accessible price around $200.
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People’s Choice Smartphone: Poco X3 NFC
In the sub-$350 category, Xiaomi’s Poco X3 NFC emerged as a standout. Combining strong specs, an attractive price, NFC support, and an antibacterial case included — perfect bonuses during the pandemic.
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Top Gadget: MacBook Air with M1 Chip
This year’s gadget nominations were diverse, but our favorite is the MacBook Air powered by Apple’s M1 chip. Visually similar and priced like the Intel version, its performance skyrocketed — surpassing even the pricier 16-inch MacBook Pro in some benchmarks.
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Best Web Service: Zoom
During lockdowns, Zoom connected millions worldwide for work, study, entertainment, and social gatherings. It became an emblem of 2020, proving that staying home doesn’t mean loneliness.
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Best Android App: Telegram
Telegram’s major 2020 update introduced video calls with robust encryption, ensuring your conversations remain private and secure.
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Best iOS App: Offscreen
Offscreen tackles smartphone addiction by offering clear usage stats and tools like focus mode and digital detox challenges, helping users regain control over screen time.
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Game of the Year: The Last of Us Part II
While Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Cyberpunk 2077 launched late in the year and will be contenders in 2021, The Last of Us Part II stands out as the definitive 2020 game, impressing with cutting-edge graphics and a compelling narrative.
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Best Film: Tenet
Despite the pandemic’s impact on cinemas, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet made a grand appearance. Combining a complex time inversion plot with spectacular action sequences, it delivered a thrilling spy thriller experience.
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Best Series: The Queen's Gambit
2020 reaffirmed that streaming series rival cinematic productions. Netflix’s The Queen's Gambit, directed by Scott Frank, captivated audiences with its portrayal of chess prodigy Elizabeth Harmon’s rise and struggles with addiction, blending sharp storytelling, stellar acting, and a captivating retro vibe.
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Best Russian Series: Chiki
2020 was a breakthrough year for Russian TV and streaming, proving the country's capability to produce high-quality series. Chiki from more.tv stood out, telling the story of former sex workers launching a fitness club, with standout performances by Irina Gorbacheva and Anton Lapenko.
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Best Book: "One-Handed Clap: How Inanimate Nature Gave Rise to Human Mind"
Our top book is Nikolay Kukushkin’s debut, "One-Handed Clap: How Inanimate Nature Gave Rise to Human Mind." This evolutionary neurobiologist reconstructs the journey from non-living matter to human intelligence with humor and pop culture references, making complex topics accessible.
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Top Podcasts: "Stories of Russian Sex" and "Not That Way. 18+"
Sex-themed podcasts gained notable popularity in 2020. Leading the pack were "Stories of Russian Sex" (season two) by studio Lибо/Lибо and the independent project "Not That Way. 18+," known for its candid and unfiltered discussions on sex and relationships.
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