HT Tech hosted the inaugural HT Tech Power List Awards 2026 to recognise the products and innovations that made the biggest impact on consumers and the technology industry over the past year. Held at Le Méridien, Gurugram, the event brought together industry leaders, innovators, and technology experts for an evening celebrating the best of consumer technology. It also marked the unveiling of HT Tech's new brand identity, signalling the beginning of a new chapter for the platform.
The evening wasn't just about handing out awards. It also sparked conversations around the future of technology, from the rising cost of components to the growing influence of AI, imaging, immersive experiences, and trusted digital identity. Those discussions naturally led to one of the night's biggest highlights: the smartphone awards.
How we picked the best smartphones in India across categories
Picking the winners was never going to be as simple as comparing specifications. Every new smartphone promises better cameras, smarter AI, faster performance, and longer battery life. The real question is whether those improvements make a meaningful difference once the phone is in your hands.
To find the answer, the HT Tech team spent months testing dozens of smartphones across price segments in real-world Indian conditions. We looked beyond benchmark scores, evaluating camera performance, battery life, display quality, software, design, sustained performance, and long-term usability. The phones accompanied us through workdays, gaming sessions, weekend trips, content creation, navigation, digital payments, and long hours outdoors in India's summer heat. In other words, we tested them the way most people actually use their smartphones.
