Tech is often pleasant, yet it’s getting difficult for corporations to surprise their consumers particularly when a flurry of leaks covers all elements of a new product before introduction. However, there are always a few surprises in store when there is very little information about the product accessible before introduction. This year too we witnessed a couple of items and features that were a complete surprise. Here are the top tech shocks of 2021.

The MacBook Pro notch
The debut of the new MacBook Pro was always on cards but nothing was known about the notched display. It was hard to ignore, and everyone had a perspective to give. Some thoughts were too harsh, reminding us of the period when Apple originally unveiled the notch on the iPhone X in 2017. Hatred aside, the notch is a fantastic concept. Apple smartly avoided excessive bezels and expanded the display upwards, which enables a room to fit a 1080p webcam and a True Tone sensor. Second, this device scarcely makes any change to the way you consume material on the XDR display. In fact, you are receiving more viewing areas than before.

Sony Xperia Pro-1
The Xperia Pro-1 was a huge surprise, a phone that merges Sony’s Alpha mirrorless hardware with its high-end Xperia smartphones. Sony has had a tough time in the smartphone industry, so seeing the Xperia Pro-1 was a wonderful pleasure for aficionados. The Pro-1 feels distinct from previous photography-centric smartphones and a lot has to do with the huge 1-inch camera sensor paired with built-in video and picture applications. With the Xperia Pro-1, Sony has gone a different road and its proficiency in the image arena does offer leverage to the Japanese company. But for $1800 the Xperia Pro-1 is definitely geared at the professional market and video makers, a message that Sony isn’t any more interested in competing with the likes of Apple and Samsung in the popular smartphone market.

Steam Deck
Although Steam Deck will officially reach the shelves early next year, its introduction was nothing less than a surprise. The so-called “Nintendo Switch” of PC gaming, Valve’s Switch Deck is arguably the greatest portable gaming device for playing AAA titles. What makes Steam Deck so enticing in the first place is that you can run any Steam game in your library on the $400 gadget that can be utilized in portable mode and docked form. It does not appear to be a half-baked device and features a huge screen in the center, tactile buttons, analog sticks, and additional buttons at the sides. If the Switch represents Nintendo’s walled-garden strategy, the Steam Deck sort of violates it. Though both gadgets are essentially different in their approach, save both being gaming machines.

Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread was the greatest surprise of the year, probably the best game Nintendo has to offer. Nintendo made the bombshell at E3 2021, and the tech world was stunned by the news with the game releasing on the Switch shortly before the holidays. The first 2D Metroid game in 19 years, Metroid Dread contains several distinct gameplay characteristics the genre is renowned for while introducing wholly new techniques. With superb art design, graphics, and great audio design, the narrative of Samus Aran continues. No surprise Metroid Dread is TIME Magazine’s game of the year.