Review our top 10 personal gadgets of 2025
In our TOP 10 personal gadgets for 2025, many of the devices are specific to the users’ needs, portable enough to bring, use single materials, and revive the styles of old technologies. At times, there are no extra components or parts needed to make these gadgets work, like the GamiFries holder that uses magnets to connect to the game console, or the PP-1 turntable, which is made from one block of aluminum. Some of them preview the possible future of compact devices, as is the case with the Zero mini smartphone, which folds into a card-sized device.
Many of the devices in our TOP 10 personal gadgets of 2025 remove familiar components, such as Studio Waiting for Ideas’ PP-1 turntable, which deletes the tonearm and flips the record upside down, or the Atomic Keyboard that cancels out the Escape key and mouse. Even Google Japan’s rotary-dial keyboard also revisits older interfaces, replacing keys with rotating discs. Even speculative projects follow the same logic. Kodak’s Charmera compresses a camera into a keychain object, while the fungi-based 79th Organ imagines a wearable system that filters microplastics like a removable body part. Together, these designs show a shared interest in simplifying interaction, exposing function, and reshaping everyday objects into tools that feel direct, personal, and intentional.
ALUMINUM PP-1 TURNTABLE PLAYS VINYL WITHOUT TONEARM
image courtesy of Waiting for Ideas | all photos by Mathilde Hiley
The PP-1, a turntable made by Studio Waiting for Ideas, is made from one solid block of aluminum, cut and shaped to form the body. The device has no tonearm, so the user plugs it in, puts the vinyl record upside down on the surface, and presses the play button on the side. It reads the record, then, using its internal sensors, which can identify the record speed of 33 or 45 RPM. The PP-1 can also move from one track to another without user input. The device, which forms part of our top 10 personal gadgets, comes with two buttons: the left button sets the speed or lets the system detect it, while the right one controls play, pause, next, previous, and volume.
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TEENAGE ENGINEERING RELEASES CHEAPEST COMPUTER CASE
image courtesy of Teenage Engineering
Teenage Engineering presents computer–2, a mini-ITX computer case made from one sheet of polypropylene plastic. The company cuts the sheet into a flat shape with lines that work as living hinges, letting the sheet bend without breaking. The latter also has snap hooks that hold the parts together, and because of this system, the case does not need screws, tools, or extra fasteners. Computer–2 is part of the company’s ‘25 the flipped out year’ campaign, which explores how to reduce production cost. By using one sheet of PP plastic, the team removes metal parts, machining, and multi-step assembly, bringing the production cost to zero.
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GOOGLE JAPAN MODERNIZES ROTARY PHONES AS KEYBOARD
image courtesy of Google Japan
Google Japan creates Gboard Dial Version, an experimental keyboard that reimagines rotary phones as keyboards. Its design draws heavily from the retro aesthetic and mechanical function of rotary phones, and in fact, the central feature is a large circular dial designed for character input. The user inserts a finger into a keyhole and rotates the dial to select letters. To minimize the device’s footprint while retaining a full character set, the dial is divided into three stacked, parallel layers. This layered design allows for inputs to be registered faster than pressing keys across a wide surface and even permits parallel operations. For supplementary functions, smaller dials are placed around the main unit for the Enter, number, and cursor keys, allowing simultaneous, multi-rotary control.
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INFINIX SMARTPHONE FOLDS INTO A CARD-SIZED DEVICE
all images courtesy of Infinix Mobility
Infinix’s Zero mini smartphone uses a triple-folding system to transform into a card-sized device. The structure includes two hinges that let the phone fold and unfold vertically, and this system changes the shape of the phone depending on how the user positions the hinges. When the device is folded, the user can attach it to gym machines, bike handlebars, or backpack straps. Infinix includes a strap that connects to the phone, which also works as a mount, so the phone can clip onto different objects. The Zero mini smartphone, which is included in our top 10 personal gadgets of 2025 list, can stand upright on a flat surface to support hands-free calls and video viewing. The dual-hinge layout also allows the phone to act as a dashboard camera to record the road driving activities.
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REAL-LIFE SEVERANCE KEYBOARD IS MISSING THE ESCAPE KEY
image courtesy of Atomic Keyboard
Atomic Keyboard makes a real version of the keyboard shown in the TV series Severance. Called MDR Dasher, its design is based on the Data General Dasher terminal from the 1970s and 1980s. Even if it has 73 keys, it doesn’t include Escape, Control, or Option keys. The case has a dark blue top surface and a white border, and the key layout uses two blue tones. The main typing keys use a lighter blue, and the other keys use a darker blue. On the right side, the number pad has no numbers. It only has arrow keys arranged in a cross shape. Next to the number pad, Atomic Keyboard places a trackball, replacing the mouse and still following the design used in the show.
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3D PRINTED FRIES HOLDER SITES NEXT TO NINTENDO SWITCH 2
image courtesy of 7R135
GamiFries, a 3D-printed add-on made for the Nintendo Switch 2, uses the console’s magnetic connectors to include a dedicated fry holder so gamers can eat while they play. A fan artist named 7R135 designed the model, with the goal being to hold a McDonald’s medium fries box on the console during gameplay. The back of the holder includes areas that line up with the Switch 2 magnets. When the user prints the model, the piece can attach to the console with a direct magnetic snap. No screws, clips, or extra parts are required. The holder, which forms part of our top 10 personal gadgets of 2025, works in both the handheld and docked controller modes. When attached, the fries box sits near the controls so the user can reach it without pausing the game.
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HEADPHONES CARRY CD PLAYER ABOVE USER’S HEAD
image courtesy of Pud
Pud creates headphones with a CD player, remote control, and jewel case mounted on a frame above the head. The frame holds all the parts in a fixed position, and each part works separately but connects to the same audio system. The CD player sits in the front of the frame above the forehead, where users can insert compact discs. Then, the remote control is on the left side of the headphones, which comes with buttons for play, pause, skip, and volume. The frame uses metal and has mounting points for each component. It also includes a battery pack at the back, powering the CD player and headphones, so users do not need to plug the device in. The frame also spreads the weight of the frame across the head to help users wear the headphones for longer periods.
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KODAK REVIVES RETRO CAMERAS WITH MINIATURE ‘CHARMERA’
image courtesy of Kodak
Kodak’s Charmera is a miniature digital camera that revives the retro point-and-shoot design aesthetic. Paying homage to the brand’s 1980s throwaway cameras, like the KODAK Fling, its compact, portable form factor is key; the device is so small it can function as a keychain collectible. A design to note is its transparent shell, visually exposing the internal digital image sensor and hardware. This device on our top 10 personal gadgets of 2025 is a modern, yet retro-futuristic design, eliminating film while retaining the desired analog look. The built-in software automatically applies seven distinct retro-style filters and four Kodak-branded decorative frames, including classic film sprocket holes and a date stamp feature, directly channeling the aesthetics of film-era photography.
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ATTACHABLE MINI ROBOT NÉKOJITA FUFU BLOWS ON HOT DRINKS
image courtesy of Yukai Engineering
Yukai Engineering’s Nékojita FuFu, unveiled at CES 2025, is a portable mini-robot that blows on hot drinks and food, so users don’t need to do so. It is small enough to carry while still being functional with its cooling fan inside its mouth. The attachable device operates as a stand-alone unit powered by a rechargeable internal battery, requiring no external plug-in during use. The robot’s silhouette resembles a small cub, giving it a friendly aesthetic. The design incorporates paws that serve as the anchor of the device, so the mini-robot can hang securely onto the straight edge of virtually any foodware. The Nékojita FuFu, which forms part of our top 10 personal gadgets, houses an internal fan that directs cooling air through its mouth, randomized so the blowing strength mimic the same way people do.
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PROSTHETIC ORGAN EXTRACTS MICROPLASTICS FROM BODIES
image courtesy of Odette Dierkx
Designer Odette Dierkx creates a concept device called the 79th Organ, which can filter and break down microplastics from human bodies. Made from fungi, like the oyster mushroom, the prosthetic organ cleans microplastics from the blood using suction when users attach it to their belly area. The organ’s center is a mycelium structure from the fungi, and this structure has enzymes that break down the plastics, like a detox system for the body. The physical device has a domed capsule shape, and inside, there are gills, like a real mushroom. At the top, a round glass piece acts like a magnifier to let the user see the microplastics being cleaned. On the side, a dial shows danger levels, which let users know how much contamination is inside.
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