Computers power our world today. Despite what many think of the smartphone replacing our computers, the good-old-fashioned computer is still inescapably woven into the fabric of our lives. Yet, despite how saturated the market is, 2022 proved that there was still so much innovation to be had both in the form of the computer and in the peripherals we use to interact with.
For this segment of the SoyaCincau Awards, we wanted to recognise some of the best products in this category. That’s why we held an open nomination process to gather the thoughts of everyone in the office, before compiling and shortlisting a final list of nominations. After that, a panel of experts consisting of Amin Ashaari, Alexander Wong, Najib Hamid, Raymond Saw, Jonathan Lee, Hanif Azrai, and Sudarshan Duke held a deep discussion to find the best winners for each category.
Read the rest of our Awards
- SoyaCincau Awards 2022: The best Smartphone, Tablet and Smartwatch of the Year
- SoyaCincau Awards 2022: The best EV of the Year
- SoyaCincau Awards 2022: The best Gadget, Tech Brand, Disappointment and Surprise of the Year
- SoyaCincau Awards 2022: The best Prepaid, Postpaid, Broadband, Mobile Telco and Fixed Telco of the Year
Laptop of the Year
Asus ROG Flow Z13 – GOLD WINNER
The creme de la creme of all the laptops that have launched this year is arguably not even a laptop. Instead, the Gold award for Laptop of the Year goes to the Asus ROG Flow Z13—a high-end gaming tablet that runs Windows. What makes it special is despite being as small and portable as the likes of the Surface Pro, it packs a lot more punch with gaming-grade hardware that you can even ‘upgrade’ when needed using the ROG XG Mobile external GPU. Simply put, no other device this year has provided this level of performance and versatility without sacrificing on portability.
Learn more about the Asus ROG Flow Z13 here.
Read our full review of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 here.
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED – SILVER WINNER
On the surface, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED looks like a run-of-the-mill laptop that, for the most part, does exactly what you want a laptop like this to do. It runs reasonably well thanks to 12th Gen Intel Core processors, has solid battery life and even sports a lightweight yet durable build. There’s plenty of competition in the 14-inch thin-and-light category, but what makes the Zenbook 14 OLED stand out is its near-perfect OLED display—you really have to see it to believe.
Learn more about the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED here.
Read our full review of the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED here.
Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED – BRONZE WINNER
In what is a clean sweep for Asus, the Bronze award for our laptop of the year goes to the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED. Not a tablet, not yet a laptop, it’s a 17.3-inch “tablet” that can ‘fold’ into a 12.5-inch “laptop” when you need it to. However, being a first generation product from Asus, it had several issues such as the awkward size and weight, an awful Bluetooth keyboard and questionable build quality. Nevertheless, we like the idea a lot, and it gets props for bringing something new to the table…even if it needs a couple more minutes in the oven.
Learn more about the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED here.
Read our full review of the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED here.
Peripheral of the Year
Pico 4 – GOLD WINNER
As the first standalone VR headset to be sold in Malaysia, the Pico 4 is a shoo-in for this category. Virtual reality technology has come a long way since the days of bulky hardware and blurry screens—ByteDance’s offering is comfortable to wear and offers incredible immersion thanks to its crisp 4K displays. And while the Meta Quest Pro is being hammered by the press due to its baffling software, the Pico shows that by going back to basics, you can still have a good time.
Learn more about the Pico 4 here.
Samsung Odyssey Ark – SILVER WINNER
The Samsung Odyssey Ark is the gaming monitor to end all gaming monitors. Immersion is virtually guaranteed, a result of the ginormous 55-inch 4K display, 165Hz refresh rate and tight 1000R radius. But the piece de resistance is the ability to rotate the entire 21:9-inch screen by 90 degrees, turning it into the world’s best TikTok-viewing device. Okay, so it costs as much as Grand Seiko, but that’s the price you pay for delicious excess.
Learn more about the Samsung Odyssey Ark here.
Logitech MX Master 3S – BRONZE WINNER
The humble mouse is often overlooked when it comes to speccing the ideal workspace, but if you work long hours on your computer, it’s important to find one that’s comfortable enough not to make your job a chore. The Logitech MX Master 3S is the best in the business, fitting superbly to your hand and coming with an 8,000DPI sensor, a smart scroll wheel, a side wheel and additional customisable buttons. Best of all, it’s smooth as silk and silent as…well, a mouse. It really is hard to beat.
Learn more about the Logitech MX Master 3S here.
Read our full review of the Logitech MX Master 3S here.
Headphones of the Year
Sony WH-1000XM5 – GOLD WINNER
Ricocheting off the success of its predecessor, Sony’s WH-1000XM5 takes the audio quality of the WH-1000XM4 and pushes it one notch above. Noticeable improvements across the frequency range makes this an incredible listening experience and that’s before you consider the fact that it comes with Active Noise Cancellation. It is the definition of refinement, even if its form-factor is a little dated.
Learn more about the Sony WH-1000XM5 here.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro – SILVER WINNER
Samsung Galaxy owners who want the best headphone experience can look no further than the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Audio quality is up there with the best with tight bass, well defined mids and clear highs. It’s so good that, as cliché as it might sound, some songs would feel like you were hearing them for the first time. However, it does not have class-leading Active Noise cancellation, but as a pair of TWS earbuds, it probably pulls the highest average score across the board in the market right now.
Learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro here.
Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro here.
Sony LinkBuds S – BRONZE WINNER
Despite coming in third place, the Sony LinkBuds S packs a powerful musical punch. If it wasn’t for its lack of quality of life features like wireless charging for the case and ecosystem integration like Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or the AirPods, it would have come in a close second. Audio quality is up there with the best of them, and it even edges out the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro in terms Active Noise cancellation.
Learn more about the Sony LinkBuds S here.
Read our full review of the Sony LinkBuds S here.
