How to stay on top of the latest electronics

It's easy to get lost in a forest of smartphones, tablets and fitness wearables. Use these tips to successfully stay on top of the latest tech.
You have to constantly do your homework in order to become a gadget guru and stay abreast of the latest and greatest in consumer electronics.

The best smartphone choice depends on your individual needs and wants. If you're looking for a phone with a large screen, speedy processor, the ability to take sharp photos and a stylus for jotting down notes or lists, then the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 may be the right choice for you.

For optimal photo-taking ability, an abundance of overall features and plenty of useful apps, the Apple's iPhone 6 Plus boasts a 5.5-inch screen and can take both slow-motion and time-lapsed video.

While many think a smartphone can handle everything they need, this may not always be the case. The limitations of screen size, a less pleasing gaming experience or the inability to comfortably share info or photos with onlookers may rankle some smartphone users. If so, a tablet may be a better choice for people who prefer larger screens and other user-friendly features. Current top-selling tablets include the iPad Air 2, Amazon Fire HD 7 and the LG G Pad 7.

Tablet owners find that watching movies, viewing Facebook photos and videos, reading dense sections of text and listening to music are more enjoyable when using a tablet, rather than a smaller smartphone.

Several ingenious tech gadgets monitor fitness and are geared to help the wearer become more active and health conscious. The Jawbone Up24 works in tandem with your smartphone and doesn't have a view-screen. It does, however, vibrate if you've been idle too long and differentiates between deep and light sleep.

The Basis Carbon Steel Edition, preferred by bicyclists, runners and walkers, monitors perspiration, heart rate, temperature and calories burned, among other things.

The Fitbit One activity tracker is capable of all the above, costs nearly half the price of other fitness wearables and is available in a sleek design that can be clipped to clothing or worn around the wrist.