9000
9001
FIRST 5G PHONES REVEALED + GALAXY S10
FOLDING PHONES ARE HERE!
Huawei Mate X hands-on
Why this is the most exciting phone in a decade
8K TVS
TESTED!
SMART SHOES
SMART DISPLAYS: GOOGLE VS ALEXA
HOT 100 The gadgets and tech trends you need to know in 2019, from super-smart soundbars to Concorde’s successor AI EBIKE
EASY BREWING
LIFE-SAVING WATCH
SHOWSTOPPER Gadgets that showcase the very best that design and technology have to offer LOVINGLY CRAFTED Jonas Majors crafted the 10 speakers at his workshop on the island of MĂśrkĂś, near Stockholm. The process involved forging and cutting repurposed steel to the precise geometric requirements, then welding, polishing and blackening it ready for the audio technology to be installed
TR A NS PA R EN T S OU N D STEEL SPE A K E R If you’re the kind of person who stares at the speaker when you’re listening to your favourite music (to be honest, we never really understood that phenomenon), then you might as well have something special to look at. Conscious that the audio world is being overrun by black boxes that all look the same, Swedish design studio People People decided to reimagine the concept, commissioning Scandinavian blacksmith extraordinaire Jonas Majors to fashion a Bluetooth speaker out of solid, aged steel. Limited to a worldwide run of just 10 unique and individually numbered units, this beautiful block of metal VRXQGV HYHU\ ELW DV LPSUHVVLYH DV LW ORRNV ZLWK DQ DFWLYH &ODVV ' DPSOLĆHU FRQWULEXWLQJ WR D KHIW\ ZDWW RXWSXW DQG KLJK TXDOLW\ GLJLWDO VLJQDO SURFHVVLQJ SURYLGLQJ FODULW\ HYHQ ZKHQ \RX FUDQN XS WKH YROXPH $V IRU ZKHWKHU \RX VKRXOG PRXQW the 20kg speaker on your wall, People People’s website makes it perfectly clear: “Don’t even think about it.â€? â‚Ź2,500 (ÂŁ2,180), eu.transparentspeaker.com
A P R I L 2 019 T3 3
Meet the team
Meet the team
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Welcome
Editor’s letter Sometimes, we have an idea well in advance of what should be top of our Hot 100 list. We see trends emerge in what companies are revealing over the year, and what you are most interested in, and it all becomes clear. But 2019 is shaping up to be unpredictable, and even though we had a shortlist of worthy potential number ones, what eventually found its way there is a type of product that basically didn’t exist until a few weeks ago, but that rocketed straight to the top, deservedly. 7KURXJKRXW WKH OLVW \RXèOO ĆQG D KXJH PL[ RI WKLQJV WKDW are popular right now, that will dominate the conversation over the coming 12 months, and that are happening behind the scenes, shaping the world of tech. We always love putting the Hot 100 together, because we get to go truly crazy choosing all of the things we love about technology and gadgets. Whittling that giant list down to just 100 does tend to cost us a lot of gin bottles, though. Elsewhere in the issue, we’ve got our big look at the best phones coming in 2019 so far, and it’s the most interesting year for phone designs in absolutely ages. We’ve got a hands-on with Huawei’s folding phone, we look at Nokia’s ERQNHUV ĆYH FDPHUD V\VWHP 6RQ\èV FLQHPD OHYHO GLVSOD\ð ĆQDOO\ WKH\èUH QRW MXVW LGHQWLNLW KDQGVHWV DJDLQ
Matt Bolton, Editor matthew.bolton@futurenet.com Tweet me @matthewbbolton
T3’S MISSION Our mission is to bring you the clearest recommendations ZHbFDQ å DQG WKDW PHDQV D JUHDW GHDO RI KDUG ZRUN KDSSHQV before a product even reaches our pages! Because we only feature products the T3 team would KDSSLO\ XVH RXUVHOYHV ZH HQG XS GLVFDUGLQJ D VLJQLĆFDQW QXPEHU RI RSWLRQV LQ HDFK FDWHJRU\ EHIRUH VHWWOLQJ RQ D ĆQDO shortlist to review. We select only the best of the best for RXUb7HVWHG VHFWLRQ WKHbJHDU ZH NQRZ \RXèOO ZDQW WR VHULRXVO\ consider purchasing. And that should mean an end to you
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OUR AWARDS PLATINUM AWARD
THE DESIGN AWARD
BEST FOR BATTERY LIFE
BEST ON TEST
Only the best products – WKRVH WKDW VFRUH ĆYH VWDUV – receive our coveted Platinum Award
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A P R I L 2 019 T3 5
Contents
Contents 037
HOT 100
Welcome to our annual celebration RIbWKH JUHDWHVW JDGJHWV SHRSOH DQG LQQRYDWLRQV VKDSLQJ WKH ZRUOG 7KLV \HDUèV OLVW LV VR KRW \RXèOO QHHG WR ZHDU RYHQ JORYHV ZKLOH UHDGLQJ LW
064 6 T3 A P R I L 2 019
STATE OF THE ART
Alexa or Google? Big or small? We pit three of the best smart home displays against each other
073
THE NEXT GENERATION
It’s the most exciting time for phones in a decade. From folding screens to 5G, here’s what’s coming
Contents
WIN! 1 OF 3 HARMAN KARDON SMART SPEAKERS HORIZON 010
TOP 10
The month’s best new tech, including Ruark’s gorgeous new all-in-one, and Samsung’s latest line of wearables
TESTED XIAOMI MI MIX 3
018
These six gadgets will help your cat eat better, sleep better, play harder, and stay safe while exploring outside
086
020
STYLE
Get a heads-up on the new menswear looks coming your way this spring
022
AUTO
How to easily turn your campervan into a smart home on wheels
093
082
Does this Android contender have the goods to take on Honor and OnePlus? Well, that cool sliding mechanism for WKH VHOĆH FDPHUD LV D JRRG VWDUW
A SMART CAT SETUP
The Citation 300 will ďŹ ll your home with smarts and 360-degree sound, and we’re giving it away!
PIONEER UDP-LX800 VS PANASONIC UB9000
We pit two high-tech 4K HDR Blu-ray players against one another to see which is worthy of space in your home
087
NEOS SMARTCAM
A security camera that only costs £20 can’t be any good, right? Um, you might want to sit down for this‌
WORTH ÂŁ1,049 TOTAL!
BEST OF THE BEST 095
YOUR IN-DEPTH BUYER’S GUIDE
2XU JLDQW EX\HUèV JXLGH KHOSV \RX ĆQG the world’s best gadgets in over 50 categories, from top tellies to DSLRs to car tech to shavers – all tested by T3’s team of tech experts!
024
FITNESS & OUTDOORS
Enjoy some time in the wild with three classic outdoors pursuits for the family
026
TRAVEL
Want to see the hotel room of the future? Hilton reckons this is it‌
028
LIVING
Future-proof your kitchen with 2019’s tasty harvest of food-loving gadgets
030
GADGET GURU
Newborn keeping you up at night? Want to record music easily? GaGu has the gear to solve your problems
034
TALKING TECH
Duncan Bell looks at the underground giant that is the vaping industry, and the mixed feelings around it
088
LENOVO YOGA BOOK C930
This laptop is so beautiful, everyone in RXU RIĆFH ZDQWHG WR WU\ LW %XW DV ZH discover, looks can be deceiving
090
WAKE-UP LIGHTS
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AND SAVE BIG MONEY Get the latest offers
062
Do you regularly get up when it’s still dark outside? A wake-up light could help you rise (and snooze) easier each day. We test four of the best
092
POCKETALK
Hallelujah! This could be one of the ĆUVW ODQJXDJH WUDQVODWRUV WKDW DFWXDOO\ works. Tanzania, here we come
A P R I L 2 0 1 9 T3 7
Horizon
The best new tech heading your way Edited by Claire Davies
RUARK R5 £999, ruarkaudio.com Ruark’s products are synonymous with elegant, retro aesthetics and superior sound quality – a reputation that’s been consolidated in recent years by the British firm’s flagship R7 ‘highfidelity radiogram’. Looking like a soundbar on stilts, that ’70s-inspired system is the epitome of refined luxury – the only problem being that it takes up a lot of room and costs a small fortune (an eye-watering £2,300). To address this, Ruark has launched a new ‘R’ model, one that scales down on size and price but somehow manages to retain its bigger brother’s fully fledged audio prowess. Like the R7, the stilt-less R5 is an all-in-one home entertainment solution, offering built-in Spotify Connect, aptX HD Bluetooth, DAB, DAB+ and FM tuners, multi-room and homecinema support, and even a CD player for those people who like to keep things old-school. You can rest assured that the audio will be delivered with a richness that matches the R5’s good looks – even the enclosure has been fine-tuned to provide optimal conditions for the drive units and electronics. How do Class A-B amplifiers, a powerful neodymium magnet system, a lightweight cone assembly and an active sub-woofer sound? We’ll answer that question for you: they sound great.
TECH-O-METER
The R5 will connect wirelessly to your home broadband, but if you’re worried about reliability, you can choose to plug an Ethernet cable directly into the back. Never again will your favourite Skrillex track cut out just before the drop…
“Good looks, great audio and under a grand – what’s not to like about this?” Matt Bolton, Editor
10 T3 A P R I L 2 019
Top 10
GLASSY TOUCH Ruark describes the R5 as “timeless”, but that’s not entirely true – the time, along with details of what’s playing, is shown on the system’s OLED display. The display is chemically bonded to the front glass panel, so it stays nice and visible from any angle
GOODBYE TO HISS Like your music lossless? Well, you’re in luck, as the R5 comes with aptX HD Bluetooth. The technology supports 24-bit/48kHz audio file transmission, meaning you can stream music from your chosen device at better-than-CD quality
AT YOUR FINGERTIPS As with previous Ruark models, there’s no voice activation – you control everything with the RotoDial remote. Don’t fret, though, because it’s intuitive and doesn’t even have to be pointed at the system to work. There’s also an app for Android and iOS
A P R I L 2 019 T3 11
Horizon Top 10
SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH ACTIVE £229, samsung.com A matter of months after Samsung launched its Galaxy Watch, the South Korean firm has announced a new edition designed specifically with the health-conscious in mind. The Galaxy Watch wasn’t without its fitness smarts, but the Active iteration delivers a much broader wellness experience, adding a blood-pressure monitor (a first for smartwatches), a stress tracker that recommends breathing exercises when it feels you need to ease up a bit, and auto-fitness modes covering 39 different activities. Looks-wise, the Active is slimmer and sleeker than the standard Galaxy Watch, although this slenderness does mean there’s a smaller 230mAh battery. T3 SAYS: Less heft than the Galaxy Watch means a smaller battery, but otherwise this trim wearable is a healthy choice for wellness fans.
TECH-O-METER
Q ACOUSTICS CONCEPT 300 £2,999, qacoustics.co.uk Something about Q Acoustics’ latest speakers reminds us of those vintage movie cameras that used to capture Hollywood stars such as Jimmy Cagney. There’s only one star here, though: not only do the Concept 300s look ultra-glamorous perched on those aluminium tripods – or, as the company calls them, ‘Tensegrity Stands’ – they also deliver blockbuster sound. This is thanks in part to the tripods themselves, their innovative suspension system helping to deliver audio that’s “entirely unhindered by internal or external influences”. But the speakers also contain Q Acoustics’ bespoke Dual Gelcore technology, which serves to negate high-frequency vibrations. T3 SAYS: You’ll pay handsomely for them, but your eyes and ears will thank you for such stylish audio innovation.
TECH-O-METER
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Horizon
iROBOT ROOMBA i7+ £899, irobot.co.uk With the possible exception of Freddie Mercury in that one Queen video, no one really likes vacuuming, which is probably why sales of robot dust-suckers have rocketed in recent years. Well, iRobot’s latest domestic droid makes things even easier for the lazy homeowner, emptying its dust bin into a disposable bag once it’s finished – and the bag holds 30 bins’ worth. Prefer to have some control? You can use the app to choose which rooms the i7+ will clean and when. Thanks to something called Imprint Smart Mapping technology, it memorises every room in the house, so it’ll know exactly where to go. And the i7+ is as powerful as it is intelligent, with 10 times the suction of the Roomba 600 Series AeroVac System. Those dust mites don’t stand a chance. T3 SAYS: With advanced navigation and mean power, you’d be a sucker not to buy this.
TECH-O-METER
SAMSUNG GALAXY FIT £89, samsung.com Samsung may have slimmed down its new Galaxy Watch Active, but there are always going to be people who demand something even thinner and lighter. To cover all bases, the South Korean firm has decided to expand its sports-band range. Unlike Samsung’s Gear Fit devices, the Galaxy Fit is aimed more towards the budget end of the market and, as such, doesn’t look especially premium. But you get a good package for your money: the Fit boasts a decent 0.95-inch full-colour AMOLED display, a gyroscope and a heart-rate tracker. The Galaxy Fit provides access to 90 different workouts through the Samsung Health app, as well as waterproofing to 50 metres, so you can take it swimming. T3 SAYS: As sports bands go, this may not be ground-breaking, but there’s a great set of features in a nice package for a tidy price.
TECH-O-METER
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Horizon
ARTISON BACKPACK £1,195, red-line.co.uk British firm Artison specialises in audio-visual gear that’s designed to blend in with modern home interiors. Touted as “the world’s smallest 5.1 AV amplifier” – it’s less than a foot long and wide, and just an inch thick – the Backpack is so-called because it’ll attach to the rear of your TV, though you won’t be able to fit your textbooks and packed lunch in there. Does this tiny size equate to tiny performance? Far from it – this little unit boasts five powerful Class D amplifiers (3x 75 watts; 2x 30 watts); support for Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby ProLogic II/IIx soundtracks; Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity; not to mention a whole bunch of inputs/ outputs to cater for all your TV-watching/ music-listening needs. T3 SAYS: You’ve heard the phrase ‘seen but not heard’ – well, the Backpack is barely seen but most definitely heard.
TECH-O-METER
CAKE KALK Approx $13,000 (£10,000), ridecake.com This peculiar but very cool-looking contraption is a limited-edition, all-electric bike created by a Swedish former IKEA designer called Stefan Ytterborn whose intention it was to “speed up the journey towards a zero-emission society, combining excitement with responsibility”. Sadly, the Kalk won’t make much of a dent on the emissions problem in the UK, since users here are legally only allowed to ride it off-road (pah!). But taking everything else into consideration – the bike’s super-lightweight (70kg!) aluminium frame, top speed of 50mph, simple-to-master three-speed transmission and 50-mile battery power – the excitement part is virtually guaranteed. Ready for a double-take? Have a look at that price tag. T3 SAYS: This all-electric off-roader is speedy and smooth… though the price might jolt you.
TECH-O-METER
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Top 10
JURA ENA 8 From £975, uk.jura.com We’ve always thought of Roger Federer as someone who appreciates the finer things in life, so when he turned up on the TV ad for Jura’s new Ena 8 one-cup coffee machine, we knew it had to have something about it. It’s certainly a good-looking device – sleek, simple and, at just 27cm wide, 32cm high and 45cm deep, compact enough to squeeze between your toaster and your blender. But the design feature that’ll grab the most attention is the cylindrical, patterned water tank, which recalls those luxury carafes you used to see in posh hotels. As for
what the Ena 8 can do, it’ll serve up 10 different speciality ground coffees at the touch of a button, and even comes with Pulse Extraction Process and Fine Foam technologies for optimum aroma and texture. We’re game if you are, Roger. T3 SAYS: Fine Swiss coffee from a machine that’s as sleek as they come.
TECH-O-METER COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES
SAMSUNG SPACE MONITOR £TBC, displaysolutions.samsung.com Having an uncluttered desk can help you to focus on the task at hand – whether that’s working, creating or gaming. Recognising this, Samsung has launched the Space Monitor, an ergonomic display – available as a 27inch or 32-inch model – that clips to the back of your desk and can be extended forward on a heightadjustable arm when needed, increasing the amount of usable desk space by around 40 per cent. Keeping with the neatness theme, cables are hidden away inside a groove in the arm – a trick Samsung borrowed from its QLED TV line. But
the Space Monitor isn’t just about keeping the place in order – with a QHD (27-inch) or 4K (32-inch) screen, a 144Hz (27-inch) or 60Hz (32-inch) refresh rate, high levels of brightness and over a billion colours, the performance is pretty tidy, too. T3 SAYS: This ergonomic solution will transform your home office.
TECH-O-METER COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES
GENIUS PACK SUPERCHARGED $199/£154, geniuspack.com Keeping your devices juiced on the move is one of life’s great challenges. Yes, many buses, trains and planes now come equipped with plug sockets or USB ports, but what happens if you forget to bring your charger? Genius Pack is hoping to crush this uncertainty once and for all with its Supercharged solution. Currently campaigning on Kickstarter, this carry-on case contains a flightfriendly, removable 10,000mAh power pack that’ll charge the average smartphone four times over, and two external USB ports, meaning you can hook up your devices with
no fuss. This lightweight case also features interior category compartments to simplify your packing, as well as 360-degree spinner wheels for when you have to turn on your heels quickly. The Genius Pack Supercharged lands in May. T3 SAYS: This smart carry-on is your passport to convenience.
TECH-O-METER COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES A P R I L 2 019 T3 17
Horizon
WE CAN BUILD YOU
A SMART CAT SETUP Whether you have a nervous new kitten or a set-in-hisways tabby, tech can help you cope with your feline
THE READER
THE EXPERT
Michael Evans Mike and his partner Chloe are adopting a shelter cat called Oreo. They’re looking for pet tech to help with litter, feeding, playtime, naps and, eventually, outside exploring.
Becca Caddy Smart home expert Becca Caddy knows the tech to make life more enjoyable and stress-free. And you’re not the only one who can benefit – your pet can too.
1
PETKIT COSY PET BED
Pets can find new environments somewhat overwhelming at first, but you can help your new cat feel safe straight away with this smart pet bed for cats and dogs. It responds to the ambient temperature in your home to create the purrfect sleeping environment. It also connects to the PetKit app, so you can adjust the temperature remotely. This is great news if you want to ensure your pet is cosy when you’re away from home. £135, petkit.co.uk
2
PETKIT FRESH PET BOWL
When you get a new pet, it can be tricky to work out how much food they need each day. This clever, app-connected feeding bowl has built-in weighing scales to help you to work out exactly how much your cat (or dog) needs to eat based on its age, breed and activity levels. £32, petkit.co.uk
3
LITTER ROBOT
No matter how much you love your new cat, cleaning out its litter tray is never a fun task. Happily, the Litter Robot has a special sifting process that separates waste from clean litter, taking the hassle out of litter tray duties. It’s also selfcleaning, which means as soon as kitty is finished, a cleaning cycle deposits waste into a carbon filter drawer underneath. You’ll receive a notification when it’s time to empty the drawer, so you can spend less
1 8 T3 A P R I L 2 0 1 9
time worrying about odour and cleaning up, and more time sharing photos of kitty. £461, litter-robot.com
4
TRACTIVE GPS COLLAR
It’s nerve-wracking when your new cat gets braver and begins to explore beyond your back garden. Handily, Tractive’s pawsome GPS collar is app-connected, waterproof, lightweight, and offers real-time location tracking, which means it won’t interfere with kitty’s adventures, but it will help give you peace of mind.
SAYS… “A happy cat makes for a happy home – so get kitted out now”
£44, tractive.com Claire Davies, Senior Content Editor
5
FROLICAT BOLT LASER TOY
This laser toy should provide lots of fun for your feline friend, especially when you’re too busy or weary to play with them. Place it onto a flat surface and it’ll keep your cat entertained with lots of laser patterns to chase for hours on end… or until kitty finds a box to sit in. £20, petsathome.com
6
SUREFLAP MICROCHIP CAT FLAP CONNECT
Take the stress out of caring for a new cat with this connected cat flap, which sends notifications to your phone whenever kitty leaves and enters your home, so you always know where it is. Set curfews and remotely lock and unlock the cat flap at any time if the weather is bad and you want to make sure your cat is safe inside. £149, surepetcare.com
We can build you…
A P R I L 2 0 1 9 T3 1 9
Horizon
NEW HOUSE RULES
We’re on the brink of a new season, and so: new clothes. These pieces take their style cues from key 2019 trends, so mix ’em into your wardrobe
ISABEL MARANT IGGY PRINTED SHIRT Printed shirts made a strong showing on spring runways. This one from Isabel Marant makes a statement without overdoing it. £170, mrporter.com ZARA SKINNY CHINO TROUSERS Green is the colour of choice for yet another season, so stay on trend throughout spring and into summer with these versatile chinos. £23, zara.com ONLY & SONS GREY KNITTED JUMPER
Go for a knitted jumper as you ease into transitional layering. Patterns will be big again, as seen here. We’ll be wearing ours with tailored shorts come late spring. £30, topman.com BRIGGS & RILEY KINZIE STREET MESSENGER BAG
Men’s handbags are a big trend this season, evolving from the roadman bag. Keep it practical and sartorially on-point with this quality micro messenger. £189, johnlewis.com FEAR OF GOD X NIKE AIR SKYLON II WHITE A good pair of white sneakers is a must for spring style… and a designer collaboration is even better. £199, kickgame.co.uk
WHICH WATCH
THE HOTTEST TIMEPIECES RIGHT NOW BAMFORD LONDON MAYFAIR DATE
NOMOS GLASHÜTTE TANGENTE UPDATE
RADO TRADITION CAPTAIN COOK MKIII
The Bamford Mayfair Date is dependable and has the added benefit of being waterproof to 10ATM, making it a great accessory for outdoor activities.
This dashing classic has been refreshed with ruthenium, a member of the platinum group. Depending on the light, it shifts between dark grey and golden brown.
£500, bamfordlondon.com
£3,200, nomosglashuette.com
This eye-catching timepiece retains the vintage look of the 1962 Captain Cook, but adds modern touches, with a larger case and black textile strap. Perfect for the gentleman explorer.
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£2,140, rado.com
Style
DRESS LIKE
ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD The Hummingbird Project star displays on-point style just in time for spring THE SUIT Skarsgård’s outfit is built around a relaxed, deep green two-piece. To achieve a similar look without the designer price tag, try the Twisted Tailor Green Ellroy Blazer (£125, topman.com) and Trousers (£55). THE ROLLNECK Whether or not a cashmere rollneck like this is in your rotation, copying the look is pretty easy. Allude has one just like it with the Roll-neck Cashmere Sweater (£240, matchesfashion.com). THE SHOES Skarsgård wears a timeless pair of Oxfords that are subtly colour-matched to his roll-neck in an earthy brown. For a similar pair try Loake’s Cornwall, which come in a sharp narrow fitting (£230, loake.co.uk).
MONEY NO OBJECT Dita Grandmaster Six
If you’re looking to make a style statement, there are few accessories that will do it like a pair of oversized aviators. The Grandmaster Six from Dita is a stunning combination of chamfered gold and titanium lens rims fastened to a machined acetate front. Whether you choose the yellow or rose gold colourway, each time you wear these will be an occasion. £1,405, pretavoir.co.uk
A CLOSE SCRAPE
HOW TO GET THE PERFECT SHAVE Omar Hamwi gets some expert tips on achieving the ultimate smooth shave Facial hair grooming is all too often overlooked as both a routine and style choice, especially when compared with attire. Whether time is a factor or it’s simply a question of technique, it’s surprisingly simple to get a good routine going if you sort out a few basic steps. To find out how an industry expert approaches the perfect shave, T3 chatted with Brian Mulreany, of the Executive Shaving Company (executive-shaving.co.uk), and asked which techniques and products he’d recommend to those of us wanting to lift our grooming game. “First up, wet shaving is better for your skin than using an electric razor,” Mulreany explains. “There are lots of wet razors to choose from but we recommend a safety razor. They load up with thin, double-edge blades that are recyclable.” But when is the ideal time to work a shave into your routine? Mulreany says your skin will be better off when it’s soft, which will also give you a better overall shave. “Shave after showering or having a bath, the warm water and steam will lift your bristles off the skin and soften them, leading to a shave that is closer and more comfortable,” he says. “Always use a sharp blade and lather up with a shaving brush and a decent shaving cream or soap.” Lastly, on the question of technique, some basics will get you a consistently good shave while avoiding skin irritation. Mulreany suggests shaving in the direction your bristles grow and then once again in the opposite direction to get closer to the skin. Applying moisturising aftershave balm at the end to round out your routine is essential if you want your skin to really benefit. A P R I L 2 019 T3 21
Horizon Auto
KEEP THE KIDS HAPPY
AMAZON FIRE HD 8 KIDS I-Spy won’t cut it with most kids these days, but this drop-proof tablet will. It includes a year’s membership to Amazon Fire for Kids Unlimited, giving the little ones access to child-friendly movies, games and TV shows. There’s a 10-hour battery life. £129, amazon.co.uk
JBL JR300BT With Safe Sound technology that limits the volume to 85dB, simple controls and 12 hours of battery life, these wireless headphones will be a hit with kids. They’ll even get some stickers so that they can give their cans a personal touch. £39, uk.harmanaudio.com
HAPPY CAMPERS
A SMART HOME FROM HOME Outfitting your campervan with nifty tech is easier than you think and could make your mobile living a lot more fun, says Paul Dimery
TFY CAR HEADREST TABLET MOUNT Perfect for when they want to settle back and watch a movie, this sturdy harness will keep their tablet in place on the rear of your seat. Easily unfastenable and with no protruding parts, it’s a simple and safe solution. £22, amazon.co.uk 2 2 T3 A P R I L 2 019
In years gone by, the mention of campervan holidays would conjure up images of people shivering around a fold-out table, listening to the wind rocking the van and wishing they’d stumped up for a B&B. Thanks to the heaps of portable gadgets and auto tech we now have, it’s easy to transform the humble campervan into a smart home on wheels… providing your campsite has decent Wi-Fi or you run a mobile hotspot. Take the Lenovo Smart Display (from £179, lenovo.com, see p64), for example. It features Google Assistant, so you could ask it to locate the nearest beach via Google Maps, to throw up a YouTube video, or to stream tunes from Spotify.
Fancy a warming brew after your ocean dip? On your way back to the campervan, open the Smarter app and set your iKettle 3rd Generation (£99, smarter.am) to boil water. You can even choose exactly what temperature you want it… Then keep your drink at that temperature for up to two hours by pouring it into the Ember Travel Mug (£149, ember.com). Smart lighting is another win for campervans. You don’t need a hub to control the Google Assistant and appconnected LIFX Mini Day & Dusk (£27, uk.lifx.com), so use one to wash your portable home with natural, bright tones or a calming amber glow.
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SMART CYCLING TECH GARMIN EDGE 520 PLUS Train smarter and explore new routes with this Garmin computer built for serious cyclists. It’s packing advanced navigation smarts, preloaded Strava Live Segments and the Garmin Cycle Map, along with turn-by-turn directions and navigation alerts. £239, garmin.com
CYBIC LEGEND For a smart bike with style, look no further than the Cybic Legend. With Amazon’s Alexa built-in, this bike for tech-lovers provides GPS and mapping, as well as cycling performance data. It also offers personalised light settings, an alarm, a smart lock, and Wi-Fi connectivity. £TBC, halfords.co.uk
COROS LINX SMART HELMET This smart cycling helmet has built-in Bluetooth connectivity, uses open-ear bone conduction technology and has a windresistant microphone. This means you can take phone calls, listen to music and hear navigation totally handsfree, so you can focus on the road and your ride. £129, amazon.co.uk 24 T3 A P R I L 2 019
GET OUT
LIVING FOR THE WEEKEND Enjoy the outdoors and get your fill of clean air with these outdoor pursuits, perfect for spending quality time with family and friends It might still be winter (just), but the outdoors still has plenty to offer you and your family in terms of adventure, and stargazing is an easy one to start with. While you can spot stars in your garden, it pays to get out of the city to minimise light pollution. Smartphone apps like SkyView are great fun here (the basic one is free, more advanced ones cost). Fire up the app and point it at a portion of the sky to identify constellations and planets. Sustainable coastal and woodland foraging is another family friendly activity, with many companies running foraging courses to help you identify what is and isn’t safe to eat. Check out the National Trust’s
Wild Food Foraging workshop (£20, nationaltrust.org.uk) or Coastal Survival’s Seashore Foraging course (£54, coastalsurvival.com). Want something more active? Try sport climbing. While it isn’t suitable for the younger members of your family, it can be fun for the rest of you, depending on your level of mobility, and is arguably as risk-free as you can get on the outdoor climbing spectrum. In short, you clip your rope into an existing series of bolts, reducing the amount of equipment needed. Popular spots for sport climbing include Wyndcliff Quarry in the Wye Valley, and Dancing Ledge at Swanage.
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STYLISH LUGGAGE GADGETS AMERICAN TOURISTER SOUNDBOX SPINNER Designed for a twoweek family holiday, this expandable suitcase offers up to 100 litres of storage space. Its polypropylene build makes it durable and lightweight, while four wheels on the underside ensure smooth traction as you pull it along. £145, americantourister.co.uk
AIRBOLT Old-style combination locks are easy for thieves to crack. Secure your luggage with the AirBolt, a Bluetoothenabled lock that can only be opened via your smartphone. If your suitcase goes AWOL, a GPS tracker on the app helps you locate it. £60, theairbolt.com
ETEKCITY DIGITAL LUGGAGE SCALES Avoid additional fees at the airport by weighing your luggage before you check in. This handheld device hooks onto your suitcase, giving you an instant and accurate reading up to a maximum of 50 kilos. There’s an auto-off feature, too, for preserving the battery. £9.98, amazon.co.uk 26 T3 A P R I L 2 019
DO NOT DISTURB
YOUR NEXT HOTEL ROOM Want to know what the hotel room of the future looks like? Spencer Hart flew to Hilton’s HQ in Washington DC to find out The travel industry has always been quick to embrace new technology – just think about boarding passes on your Apple Watch – and it’s showing no sign of slowing down with startups, in addition to more established brands, racing to revolutionise your holiday or business trip. T3 recently flew to Hilton’s headquarters in Washington DC to see the hotel giant’s vision for the future of hotel rooms. Hilton has a rich history of innovation, being the first hotel chain to feature air conditioning and the first to put TVs in guest rooms, so we’re expecting some clever innovation... A lot of what we saw centred around the Connected Room, Hilton’s new platform for
in-room tech. The system enables guests to enter their rooms with a Digital Key on their smartphone, and to set preferences, control lighting, climate and entertainment directly from the Hilton Honors app. Instantly, this makes hotel rooms much more intuitive and welcoming, and your stay easier and more enjoyable. Connected Rooms are currently live in four hotels in the US, with hundreds more planned for 2019. In the coming years, Hilton has more personalisation planned, such as digital photo frames that will display your family photos before you even enter the room. Keen to know what the hotel room of the future looks like? This is a great place to start.
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ESSENTIAL NURSERY GADGETS
MOTOROLA HALO BABY MOBILE WITH CAMERA This all-in-one mobile features a detachable camera for monitoring your babe, plus a speaker that plays soothing sounds and a night light that emits a range of colours to lull your little one to sleep. From $249 (£193), hubbleconnected.com
BRAUN THERMOSCAN SERIES 7 Did you know that a fever in a newborn can be a normal temperature for a four-year-old? This ear thermometer can be adjusted based on age, so it takes the guesswork out of monitoring your child’s temperature and gives you peace of mind. £39, brauntherms.com
KITCHEN AIDS
YOUR HOME’S SMART HEART Becca Caddy shows you how to future-proof your kitchen with the latest smart home tech for shopping, cooking and serving New tech for kitchens fun begins with GE’s forthcoming Wi-Fi Connect Kitchen Hub (£TBC, geappliances.com). This 27-inch integrated smart-touch screen and ventilation device sits above your range cooker, ready to take command of your kitchen – and your wider smart home (it has Google Assistant built-in). Need groceries? Owners of the Samsung Family Hub 4.0 (£TBC, samsung.com) can get a live stream of the inside of their fridge on their smartphone, which helps reduce unnecessary shopping. Cooking is easier too, as you can follow along with video recipes displayed on the
new KitchenAid Smart Display (£TBC, kitchenaid.co.uk), also with Assistant built in for hands-free playback control. Ingredients can be rinsed beneath the Kohler Touchless Tap (£877, kohler.co.uk); turn it on and off, or pour specific amounts, using voice commands or gesture control. Also try Sharp’s new Smart Oven (£TBC, sharphomeappliances.com), and control temperatures and set timers with your voice. Finally, use the Heatworks Duo (£TBC, myheatworks.com) carafe for table water and post-dinner hot drinks. It instantly heats water as you pour it from one spout, and serves filtered, cool water out of the other.
OAPS OKAY?
KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE This energy monitoring kit could be the answer to ensuring elderly relatives are safe at home without invading their privacy CRANE ULTRASONIC COOL MIST HUMIDIFIER This quiet humidifier emits a cool mist into the air and can help reduce mould and bacteria growth in your home, as well as working to relieve nasal congestion, coughs and sinus irritation in babies and kids. £49, argos.co.uk 2 8 T3 A P R I L 2 019
Keeping an eye on elderly or vulnerable relatives without compromising their privacy is tricky. However, Howz thinks it has the answer with its Smart Home Monitoring Kit (£199, howz.com), developed in partnership with EDF. It learns your relative’s daily routine from their energy usage, and detects any changes that could signify potential health issues. The kit comprises a hub, smart plug, motion sensor (detecting occupancy and room temperature) and door sensor. Any changes in behaviour prompts an alert sent to you or a carer.
Living
A HOMEWORKER’S HAVEN Flexible working is on the rise. If that setup applies to you, use some of these pieces to create a stylish home office that inspires WALLSAUCE TWISTED PIXELS GEOMETRIC WALLPAPER
Bland walls are a recipe for an uninspiring home office. Dress them up quickly with this selfadhesive paper, and partner it with some geometric-shaped mini wall shelves to hold stylish stationary and knick-knacks. From £30, wallsauce.com GABLE SHORT BACK OFFICE CHAIR
Is your office seat as glamorous as the Gable? Thought not, but don’t worry, because this velvet upholstered beauty comes in a range of colours to complement your space. Both the seat and back are padded for comfort. £219, cultfurniture.com NATEDE NATURAL AIR PURIFIER
Stay energised throughout the long working day thanks to a continuous dose of fresh air from Clairy’s app-connected purifier. The Natede monitors the air quality in your home office and removes toxins and pollutants to ensure you’re breathing clean air. $299 (£261), clairy.com WATTS DESK
Whether you’re working from a desktop, laptop or a pro tablet, the Watts Desk accommodates, offering space for your machine, plus a lamp and other essentials. £329, swooneditions.com
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GADGET GURU
T3’s resident tech expert is here with more unsurpassable advice
RAY FONTAINE, BRIGHTON
Can I hide my smart home kit? The invasion of slightly glossy white plastic is upon us, and it does not match Mrs Guru’s aesthetic sensibilities. As soon as something new is introduced into the living room, there’s a complaint: “That plastic obelisk does not match the coffee table”, or “What does that do and why is it beeping all the time?” This is understandable, but unfortunately not all tech can be stored neatly away. Try tucking your router away, for example, and you’ll kill the Wi-Fi signal. Put an LED-packed gaming PC in a box and you’ll cook it. And some kit simply can’t be hidden otherwise it
ILLUSTRATIONS: STEPHEN KELLY
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won’t work – sensors and cameras need to be in view because that’s kind of the point. Every good router, though, should have a setting to disable the gaudy lights. This is particularly true of mesh setups like Netgear’s Orbi (prices vary) or the D-link Covr-C1203 (£209). These also give you a bit of breathing room in terms
ABOVE Where you hide your tech could lead to some great games of ‘hunt the hardware’
Keep an eye on the Mui Smart Wood Block for a more stylish and minimalist approach to smart home gear
of signal, as you can feasibly tuck a module or two away without too much coverage loss. Consider reconfiguring your smart lineup and attaching more traditional devices to smart plugs like Eve’s HomeKit-only Energy (£50) or the minuscule Eufy Smart Plug (£20). Try vinyl wraps (approx £10 per roll) to blend your kit in with the rest of the room. Or keep an eye on the Mui Smart Wood Block ($399/£303) for a stylish, more minimalist approach to smart home gear. GaGu would check its viability with Mrs Guru, but she’s just spotted his new robot butler, so now isn’t the best time.
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Gadget guru
TONY PAYNE, BIRMINGHAM
How can I make better chips? Chips are, arguably, one of mankind’s greatest culinary inventions. But why don’t home-cooked chips ever taste as good as the ones you buy from the local chippy? GaGu’s secret recipe for transforming limp oven chips into fluffy golden treats is a closely guarded secret. You, on the other hand, have a few options for making tastier chips at home. If you’re not too worried about your washboard abs turning into one barrel-shaped mound, a deep fat fryer is by far the best choice for preparing truly delicious chips. Tefal’s Oleoclean Pro (£130, but you should be able to pick it up for less if you shop around) is GaGu’s current fryer pick. The Oleoclean Pro drains and filters the oil for you, so you can reuse it without fuss. Tefal’s deep fat fryer also comes apart for easier cleaning, and includes an odour filter to prevent your home from filling up with pungent ‘fry’ smells. If you want to adopt a healthier approach, Tefal once again comes
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to the rescue with its Actifry Genius XL (£220). This mean frying machine is well regarded in slimming circles, owing to its ability to produce decent chips with only a minuscule amount of oil. It does this by blowing hot air on a constantlystirring tray of spud fingers, giving them both an even coating of oil and an even blasting of heat. Bonus: you can also use the Actifry Genius XL to cook other stuff, like chicken nuggets and battered fish. Thanks to its various presets and two ‘one-meal-in-onego’ modes, you can chuck a whole meal in there and walk away. But before you even get to the cooking stage, you’ll want to aim for consistency in preparation. That means cutting potatoes with a KitchenCraft Potato Chipper (£12), which comes with two sets of blades and pushers. Season with salt, pepper, a little garlic and maybe some mustard powder, then eat with ketchup and a big dash of impunity: you have earned a chip, reader, oily or not.
ABOVE Let’s face it, as far as fried vegetables go, proper chips take some beating
GADGET GURU’S MAGIC BOX Whatever will those geniuses at Nanoleaf think of next? They started with the triangular Aurora panels, then stepped up to four sides with the square-shaped Canvas lights, and now they’ve gone and added a whole bunch of extra edges with the hexagonal, er, Hexagon (£TBC). Due for release later this year, and packing Nanoleaf’s usual touch sensitivity, RGB programmability and pleasing low-profile design, they’re top of GaGu’s shopping list for his office wall. He still prefers the LIFX Tile, mind – which has just added its own touch sensitivity, because apparently LIFX built in an accelerometer from the start but simply never made use of it – but its five-panel limit means it doesn’t have the same potential for going nuts with designs. When Guru does sit down in the gadget cupboard to get on with some work, it’s usually against the clock so as to reserve
more time for activities. There is no better way to mark the passing of time than with the clack of a retro-styled flip clock, and Karlsson’s quality plastic-andchrome caseless number (£100) does the trick of applying time pressure and irritating GaGu enough that he can’t wait to escape his office as quickly as possible. In terms of activities, Guru and his chafed thighs have been sorely tempted to join his excellent wife on the ebike kick. But there’s a problem: the only bike he wants is the one his muscular governatorial hero Arnie rides – that would be the badass Haibike 2018 SDURO FullSeven LT 8.0 ($3,999/£3,039) – but it’s not available in the UK. Will Guru be able to make do with the FullSeven Life 3.0 (£2,499) and its 250W Yamaha PW-SE motor? Only time will tell. Considering Guru’s commute is one big hill both ways it might make sense, as long as the 500Wh battery holds up its end of the bargain.
HELEN GREEN, LONDON
What can I do with an old Chromebook? Bear with ol’ Guru, owner of the biggest pile of unloved gadgets this side of his local recycling centre, because he’s about to get a bit hypocritical: do not be so quick to declare your hardware obsolete. While older Chromebooks can’t take advantage of the Android layer that’s made newer ones so much more useful, they’re still perfectly good for web browsing, document wrangling, and watching streaming media – and if yours is anything like the Guru family’s trusty (and slightly crusty) Toshiba, it’ll have a battery that lasts seemingly forever. If you’re desperate to soup it up, install Ubuntu Linux. Then, once you’ve worked out how to make your Chromebook’s firewall play nice, install Steam and use it to stream games from your PC to your living room lap. Results won’t be perfect unless you’re hooked up to Ethernet on both ends, but a Chromebook pretending to be a gaming laptop is a great upgrade.
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NEW MEDIA
NOW PLAYING Guru finds the finest media you need on your various screens
AMO Bring Me The Horizon’s new album is far more pop than their metal of old, with key singles Medicine and Mother Tongue gracing major radio playlists in the UK and US.
DAVE JONES, LIVERPOOL
Can a gadget calm my baby? Well, that’s sort of your job, dad, but Guru will happily help because he too was once an exhausted parent who would resort to anything just to stop bouncing up and down while patting a tiny back for one blessed minute. Presenting the Baby Shusher (£30), dubbed ‘The Sleep Miracle’ and unsettlingly shaped like a 1950s cartoon nuclear warhead. Either manually activated or set to automatically detect infant wails, it ‘shushes’ baby with a settling rhythm that reminds them of being in the womb. GaGu’s chums, who are parents of newborns, swear by it. And Guru must admit that it made him feel a bit sleepy when they stuck it next to his grizzly head.
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JACK HAY, VIA EMAIL
What’s the best way to record my own music? ATTACK ON TITAN Now available on Netflix in the UK is season one of this dark, weird and gorgeously presented slice of anime. Even better, you can choose between dubbing and subtitles. Go for the subs.
ATHLETICO MINCE Bob Mortimer and Andy Dawson’s podcast is ostensibly about football, right? Except it’s really not. It’s actually about nonsense, and it’s incredibly funny with it. Don’t miss this.
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ABOVE No matter how fast you pedal, your tootsies can sometimes get a little chilly
Presuming you’re working with headphones, there’s no better tool than an iPad for casual tune-tinkering, and if you have a microphone (the Apogee MiC Plus USB is a versatile number for £189) you’ll be able to pull in all the audio you need. If you’re from the Tascam and Fostex generation, you might like something a little more raw. Well, the iZotope Spire Studio (£349) is just that. Small, battery-powered, smothered with LED indicators, and capable of recording eight-track audio either through its built-in condenser mic or through one of a pair of XLR inputs on the back, it’s a super-neat way to get your squawks recorded.
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There’s no better tool than an iPad for tune-tinkering, and if you have a mic you’ll be able to pull in all the audio you need
LESLIE PETERS, MANCHESTER
How do I stop my toes getting cold on my bike? Just the other day GaGu came across a tip from a winter cyclist on the internet: wrap your tootsies in strong tin foil like a jacket potato, then put your usual cycling shoes on top of that. Sounds unpleasant. Here’s some better advice: to keep your toes warm when cycling in cold weather, buy breathable shoes that repel the chill and wet. Northwave’s Fahrenheit Arctic 2 GTX (£180) are Gore-Tex lined and apparently good down to -25°C. Alternatively, Specialized Defroster boots (£160) pack 400g Thinsulate, neoprene, and a dial for tightening to keep flaps to a minimum.
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Horizon Opinion
Duncan Bell is chasing clouds The humble vape could be one of this century’s most significant bits of tech ake a walk down the high street of any small town in the UK and you’ll see the same things. There’ll be charity shops, a pub or two, a branch of Greggs and a vape shop, probably called ‘The Vape Shop’. Go to a bigger town and it’s much the same, but the vape shop will be called something more pretentious, such as ‘Tokyo Mist’. If you don’t vape, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s a rather fringe activity but it’s not. I’d liken it to heavy metal – millions of Britons enjoy ‘the metal’ but if you’re not into it, you might assume it’s just a small cult thing, like badminton or the Labour Party. The reason I know this is I have been to a few vaping events this month, both, not coincidentally, organised by massive cigarette brands – British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International. One of them was at the top of London’s Gherkin building and the other featured a performance by Wyclef Jean out of The Fugees. And if that wasn’t evidence enough of how much money there is in the vaping market, the figures bandied about were: this is a 100 billion dollar industry, and little wonder. Vaping’s mix of technology, ‘wellness’, social factors, megamarketing and massive, fruity clouds of vapour make it a perfect 21st century business.
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Smoke and mirrors Vaping is actually a range of sub-cultures. It goes from people billowing out massive clouds of scented vapour from steam-punk vape pipes, to people using stylish, slickly branded, cigarette replacement products from the 3 4 T3 A P R I L 2 019
likes of Philip Morris International and BAT. You could compare the vape market to smartphones. And in fact, I will, now. Philip Morris’ iQOS is taking an Apple-like approach with swanky shops and a more exclusive, ultra-slick product. BAT’s Vype is a little Samsungesque, being similar to iQOS but more widely promoted and a little less self-consciously ‘premium’. Silicon Valley-backed newcomer Juul is a OnePlus-style ‘disruptor’, and the other brands are largely mid-priced Android phones. In one way, the vape is actually a more significant and benign slab o’ tech than the smartphone. It will save millions of lives over the coming decades. Although the
iQOS is like the Apple of vapes, with swanky shops and an ultraslick product irony is that this will happen while vapes remain widely disliked. Nobody is able to claim that vapes are completely safe, but for sure they are a lot less likely to kill you than cigarettes. As people switch from smoking to vaping, the health benefits will be statistically immense. Millions will live longer. The reason that vapes will still be widely disliked, however, is that if people stopped habitually sucking on any nicotine-based product at
all, the health benefits would be even greater. Of course, it also rankles that this is being driven by the likes of Philip Morris and BAT. While it is nice that they have decided to stop killing their client base, it’s hard to see their motives as entirely altruistic. They will tell you that vapes are aimed purely at former smokers, as a way to help them quit. However, followed to its logical conclusion that would mean no more customers for either brand, within a generation. Now, call me Mister Cynical if you will, but I don’t think PMI and BAT are then going to go, ‘Woohoo, mission accomplished. We can shut up shop forever now.’ But I guess time will tell. Clearly, even if the risks to health are greatly reduced by vaping, compared to smoking, we are still talking about selling a literally addictive product. Because vapes are a tech product there are also regular upgrades to be bought; newer and shinier vapes, with apps. However, I think you have to be realistic about how people can be helped, and any positive outcome is worth celebrating. That’s why, grudgingly, I welcome the arrival of vape shops in every town, and the late-life conversion of former cigarette brands to the path of (comparative) wellness.
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Hot 100
Meet the most exciting technology trends, products and people that are changing the world – the best buys and future gamechangers you need to know Words: Chris Barnes, Matt Bolton, Alex Cox, Claire Davies, Nick Odantzis Photography: Neil Godwin & Phil Barker
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Saving is hot! Moneybox is a low-risk approach to investing your spare change. Everything you purchase through the app, IURP D WD[LbWR JURFHULHV LV rounded up to the nearest pound, with the difference invested in a range of companies, from the likes RI 1HWćL[ WR VLPSOH WUDFNHU funds. Fingers crossed for DbZLQGIDOO RYHU WLPH Free, moneyboxapp.com
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DRONE RACING LEAGUE The Drone Racing League is showing no signs of slowing down, selling out shows and qualifying heats around the world, showcasing the wildest drone piloting skills yet, and hitting Sky Sports. As if the $1million prize money isn’t enough, this burgeoning sport is also creating new jobs. thedroneracingleague.com 3 8 T3 A P R I L 2 019
Smartphones have revolutionised productivity and remote working, but we could all spend less time glued to the horrors of the current news. iOS and Android handsets come with monitoring tools to help. Screen time insights highlight the apps you tap most, enabling you to set time limits on them and to enforce healthy breaks.
Finally, this is available to buy. The battery-free My Skin Track UV sensor and companion app track your exposure to UV, pollution, pollen and humidity, feeding back with advice and suggestions to protect your skin from potentially health-threatening IXWXUHbFRQGLWLRQV ÂŁ59, laroche-posay.us
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This hacking duo cofounded Hacker One in 2012, after successfully meeting a challenge set by Facebook’s head of security WR ĆQG YXOQHUDELOLWLHV LQ its system. Hacker One rewards hackers for XQFRYHULQJ VHFXULW\ ćDZV in major companies, in turn improving security for us. hackerone.com
Upgrade your Rolex with some smarts using this series of straps from Sony. Available in black or silver stainless steel, as well as a rubberised option for VSRUWLHU ZHDU WKH\ ĆW DQ\ standard watch, but include activity tracking, contactless SD\PHQW DQG QRWLĆFDWLRQV on the little screen. All the smarts, but with a your choice of watch. From £349, sony.co.uk
JOBERT ABMA AND MICHIEL PRINS
KNOW YOUR SCREEN TIME
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VUZIX BLADE SMART GLASSES 3URYLQJ $5 JODVVHV ZHUHQèW D ćDVK LQ WKH SDQ WKH Vuzix Blade deliver all the hands-free wizardry you’d expect – social media alerts, navigation, photography, video recording – via Wave-Guide tech, a quad-core ARM processor and Cobra II DLP display, overlaying everything from directions to cafe menus in front of your eyes. £999, vuzix.com
SHENMUE III 7KH ĆUVW WZR JDPHV LQ this Sega series blew minds back at the turn of the century, and after an 18-year absence (and an impassioned Kickstarter campaign) we worried this sequel would turn into a lost legend – but it’s coming. Expect immersive worlds, cinematic sequences and epic action when it arrives on PC and PS4 this August. shenmue.link
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92 KEF LSX
These speakers are still strong favourites in the T3 listening rooms (AKA the big FORVHW E\ WKH ĆUH HVFDSH DIWHU HDUQLQJ our Platinum Award when we reviewed them. Kef’s Uni-Q driver system sounds fantastic, and puts out more sound than you’d think these little boxes would be capable of. And with wireless tech and amp all built in, they’re all you need for DbWUXO\ QH[W JHQ KL Ć VWHUHR VHWXS £999, uk.kef.com
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Architect Angelo Renna is hoping to breathe new life into the heavily polluted Italian city of Turin. Renna proposes using a 90m-high mound of landscaped, grasstopped soil – left over from a 170-mile railway tunnel project – to act like a pair of giant lungs, absorbing the city’s carbon dioxide, and forming a beautiful new landscaped park, too. angelorenna.com
Royole has a thing for bendy gadgets, launching its FlexPai foldable smartphone at the end of 2019. Harnessing the VDPH ćH[L WHFK WKH 5R\ROH Bluetooth keyboard is ideal for typing on the road: pull LW IURP LWV FDVH RQWR DQ\ ćDW surface, connect to your device and type. £TBC, royole.com
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Using a process called ‘nanospinning’, Futurelight has huge numbers of tiny holes created within a waterproof membrane, boosting breathability. When paired with other fabrics, it should create the ultimate optimised outdoor garments. Products featuring it go on sale soon. ÂŁTBC, thenorthface.com
Hilton and Travelodge are among the hotel chains decking out their rooms to act as a smart home from home. Custom lighting, temperature control and keyless smartphone entry are becoming the norm, all though dedicated apps. In New York, the Mandarin Oriental hotel uses info learned from your previous visit to personalise the room upon arrival.
THE NORTH FACE FUTURELIGHT
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AI CAMERAS TO SAVE WILDLIFE 1RQSURĆW RUJDQLVDWLRQ 5HVROYH LV SURWHFWLQJ WKH lives of precious African wildlife from hunters and poachers, and they’re using tech to help them. With discreet AI-equipped TrailGuard cameras positioned along routes frequented by poachers, any vehicles, people and animals can EH LGHQWLĆHG LQ UHDO WLPH HQDEOLQJ SDUN UDQJHUV to intervene before it’s too late.
GILLETTE LABS HEATED RAZOR A hot towel shave at the barbers makes you feel a million bucks, but recreating that smooth, soothing sensation is time-consuming. Or is it? Not with Gillette’s Heated Razor, designed with an internal heating element to enable you to enjoy an easy hot shave at home. £127, indiegogo.com
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NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX Ray-tracing, a technology that simulates the physical behaviour of light in real-time to produce incredibly realistic visuals in games, has been a graphical holy grail for a long time, but it was too hard to implement affordably. Not any more: Nvidia’s latest GPUs bring it to the masses, and it’s going to change everything. From £329, nvidia.com
AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY ROBOTS Soon, you might see robots like Segway’s obstacleavoiding Loomo (pictured) delivering packages around \RXU RIĆFH (DFK èERW FRPHV equipped with interactive screens, a cloud-based service dispatch system, real-time monitoring and even an elevator function, making late arrivals a thing of the past.
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With games like Fortnite arriving on PRELOH GHYLFHV FRXOG ĆQDOO\ EH the year for gaming phones to truly shine. The Honor Play comes with game-boosting GPU Turbo tech, and the jaw-dropping ASUS ROG boasts vapor-chamber cooling and Ultrafast 90Hz display, while the Razer Phone SLFWXUHG EHVWV WKDW ZLWK D +] display, HDR support, and incredible Dolby speakers.
This tiny gadget offers a beacon of hope to chronic pain sufferers. Worn just below the knee, Quell 2.0 employs neurotechnology to activate your natural pain relief response and block pain. If it works (we’ve yet to WHVW LW 4XHOO UHSUHVHQWV D PDVVLYH breakthrough in pain management. From $299 (£224), quellrelief.com
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IBM Q SYSTEM ONE ,%0 0DS 3URMHFW 2IĆFH DQG Universal Design Studio have teamed XS WR GHOLYHU WKH ĆUVW TXDQWXP computer in a tidy sellable package, which could revolutionise security DQG VFLHQWLĆF VWXG\ ,W LQFOXGHV D stainless steel cryostat that holds the TXDQWXP FKLS DW r& 7KDWèV FROGHU than space! research.ibm.com A P R I L 2 019 T3 41
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WITHINGS One of our favourite wellness tech companies is making a proud comeback this year, having VSOLQWHUHGbIURP 1RNLD ZKR ERXJKW the brand two years ago. To celebrate its independence, Withings is ODXQFKLQJ WKH 0RYH (&* e7%& D smartwatch that (once it clears the UHJXODWRUV RIIHUV (&* IXQFWLRQDOLW\ to help detect potentially serious heart conditions. withings.com/uk
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AVENGERS: ENDGAME The culmination of Marvel’s 11 years of movies is hitting screens this April. Following from the infamous end of $YHQJHUV ,QĆQLW\ :DU, we pick up our remaining KHURHV DV WKH\ ĆJXUH RXW how the hell they’re going WR Ć[ WKLQJV ,WèV VKDSLQJ XS to be the longest and most epic Marvel movie of all, but anything beyond the basic premise is still totally secret.
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SMARTER BABY TECH Using a heated element, the clever Sleepy Bottle (pictured; â‚Ź129/ÂŁ110 for a starter kit) makes nighttime feeds simpler by maintaining the perfect feeding temperature and enabling you to mix formula in-bottle instantly. Cybex is another brand to watch, with its E-Priam electric pushchair and Bluetooth sensor-laden car seat.
NEUTROGENA MASKID THE UK’S FIRST The age of 3D printed DOLBY CINEMA face masks has arrived, helping you banish dark circles and tired skin. Take D VHOĆH XVLQJ 1HXWURJHQDèV MaskiD app, select your skin type, treatment area and treatment type, and you’ll receive a 3D-printed mask that matches your IDFH $bPRUH SHQHWUDWLQJ treatment for better results. £TBC, neutrogena.com
Following a refurbishment, Odeon’s landmark Leicester Square cinema has been transformed into the 8.èV ĆUVW 'ROE\ FLQHPD Experience eye-popping visuals courtesy of a Dolby Vision dual laser projection system, with 400-speaker 3D Dolby Atmos sound. odeon.co.uk
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To celebrate 20 years of one of the most successful partnerships in toyland, /HJR DQG /XFDVĆOP ZLOO release a suite of enticing sets in 2019. Some small ones have been announced already, but expect some seriously spectacular stuff in the next few months. shop.lego.com
Home diagnosis tech could one day become the norm for identifying health issues. TestCard has a jump start on the trend. A ‘postcard’ with embedded pull-out urine test, it can detect UTIs, pregnancy and glucose levels. Scan the test strip using your phone’s camera within the TestCard app for instant, lab-level results. e WHVWFDUG FRP
LEGO STAR WARS 20TH ANNIVERSARY
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BEELIFE COCOON CoCoon, the world’s ĆUVW DSS FRQWUROOHG KLYH is designed to protect its resident bees from destructive Varroa mites. They hate heat, but bees are much hardier against it, so it can warm itself to cook out the nasties. It can also keep cool in the summer for maximum bee comfort. £TBC, beelife.fr
TESTCARD
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HOT TUBS FOR ALL Sure, it’s nice to visit spa hotels and lounge in their jacuzzi until your skin prunes, but imagine the joy of being able to do that each day in your garden? The new wave of affordable, portable hot tubs now puts this dream within reach of many. There’s even one, the freeze-proof Lay-Z Spa Helsinki (pictured), that can be used yeararound, including when it’s snowing. A P R I L 2 019 T3 4 3
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HOME BATTERIES 6RODU SDQHOV DUH RQH SLHFH RI WKH KRPH HQHUJ\ SX]]OH EXW WKH\ GRQèW SURGXFH HQHUJ\ ZKHQ ZH QHHG LW PRVW /DUJH FDSDFLW\ EDWWHULHV VXFK DV 7HVODèV 3RZHUZDOO SLFWXUHG DQG WKH VRQQHQ%DWWHULH (FR FROOHFW VRODU HQHUJ\ GXULQJ WKH GD\ DQG UXQ \RXU KRXVH ZLWK LW DW QLJKW (YHQ LQ WKH 8. \RXU KRXVH FDQ EH XS WRb VHOI VXIĆFLHQW
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NREAL LIGHT 7KHVH DUH WKH ĆUVW SDLU RI PL[HG UHDOLW\ JODVVHV ZHèG DFWXDOO\ ZHDU LQ SXEOLF 7KH\èUH NLQGD WUHQG\ ZHLJK D PHUH J DQG GRQèW PHVV DERXW ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR SHUIRUPDQFH ZLWK S ISV ODVHU SURMHFWLRQ IRU HDFK H\H DQG D GHJUHH ĆHOG RI YLHZ 7KH\èUH SRZHUHG E\ D GLVFUHHW SRFNHWDEOH $QGURLG ER[ nreal.ai 4 4 T3 A P R I L 2 019
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TITLEIST 718 AP3 IRONS 'XEEHG ç7KH 3OD\HUV 'LVWDQFH ,URQè WKH $3 PDUULHV WKH SRZHU RI WKH ELJJHU $3 ZLWK WKH FRQWURO RI WKH VPDOOHU $3 WKDQNV WR LWV FRPELQDWLRQ RI KROORZ EODGH GHVLJQ ZLWK / IDFH LQVHUWV DQG WKH RII FHQWUH SHUIRUPDQFH RI D JDPH LPSURYHPHQW LURQ £varies, titleist.com
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EASY HOME CINEMA +DYLQJ D PRYLH WKHDWUH VHWXS DW KRPH GRHVQèW UHTXLUH VSHFLDOLVWV DQ\ PRUH %DQJ 2OXIVHQèV ZLUHOHVV VXUURXQG V\VWHP ZLOO EHDP KL GHI DXGLR ZLWKRXW WKH FDEOHV 2SWRPDèV 8+= 867 SLFWXUHG SXVKHV D KXJH . ODVHU SURMHFWLRQ IURP MXVW LQFKHV DZD\ DQG LQFOXGHV VSHDNHUV DQG LQFK SOXV 79V DUH WDNLQJ RII (YHU\RQHèV JHWWLQJ WKH ELJ VFUHHQ H[SHULHQFH DW KRPHð
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STYLISH SMART HOME TECH The Nest thermostat proved that smart home tech could do amazing things and look good. We’re seeing more great-looking smart tech than ever this year, from the Mui Calm Design Device – a wooden bar with a display that appears when WDSSHG å WR WKH 2OĆQLW\ $LU 3XULĆHU (pictured, available from Smartech at Selfridges), which looks like DQbDUWLVWLF VFXOSWXUH
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,Q D FURZGHG VSDFH 3DULVLDQ DXGLR specialist Devialet has carved a niche with its tremendous wireless DOO LQ RQH WKH 3KDQWRP 7KH WHFK inside works in bigger power outputs, or smaller sizes for different tastes: WKH PLQL 3KDQWRP 5HDFWRU LV D WKLQJ of wonder. Devialet’s aim is to have its fantastic core tech in speakers of every size, and we can’t wait. devialet.com/en-gb
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Constant exposure to stress has a negative effect on your body. Tech can help you manage it, with apps such as Headspace encouraging you to get zen by breathing properly, DQG ZHDUDEOHV OLNH 7RXFK3RLQW XVLQJ QHXURVFLHQWLĆF WHFK WR FXW VWUHVV E\ up to 70%.
2019 could see game streaming JR ELJ ZKHUH EHHI\ FORXG 3&V UXQ the game, and you control the end UHVXOW 6RQ\ LV SXVKLQJ LWV 3OD\6WDWLRQ Now service, a new Xbox might be VWUHDPLQJ RQO\ DQG *RRJOHèV 3URMHFW Stream will play games right in the Chrome browser.
$ SRFNHW LVK FDPHUD WKDWèV FDSDEOH of shooting 8K video will make FLQHPDWRJUDSKHUV RI XV DOO DQG Ć[ WKH lack of content for your 8K TV. Sharp’s VKRRWHU SHQQHG IRU $SULO ZLOO FDSWXUH 8K at 30fps. It’ll cost about £4,000, but hey – that’s less than the TV… sharp.com
THE ANTI STRESS TECH BRIGADE STREAMING GAMING
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NISSAN INVISIBLE TO VISIBLE (METAVERSE) ,QYLVLEOH WR 9LVLEOH , 9 WHFK DQDO\VHV FRQGLWLRQV LQVLGH DQG RXW RI D YHKLFOH DQG GLVSOD\V XVHIXO LQIR DFFRUGLQJO\ OLNH JLYLQJ \RX EHWWHU YLVLELOLW\ DW D EXV\ MXQFWLRQ RU HQFRXUDJLQJ D WLUHG GULYHU WR UHVW ,W FRXOG HYHQ SURMHFW YLUWXDO FRPSDQLRQV RQ WKH LQVLGH RI D YHKLFOH OLNH WRXU JXLGHV
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0RUH SURGXFWV DUH EHLQJ PDGH IURP UHF\FOHG PDWHULDOV å 3DWDJRQLD GRHV VR IRU PDQ\ RI LWV JDUPHQWV DQG $SSOH KDV VWDUWHG ZLWK WKH DOXPLQLXP LQ VRPH RI LWV SURGXFWV 1H[W" ç=HUR ZDVWHè FRPSDQ\ /RRS ZDQWV WR VROYH VLQJOH XVH SDFNDJLQJ E\ GHOLYHULQJ \RXU VKRSSLQJ LQ UHXVDEOH FRQWDLQHUV WKH\ SLFN XS WKH HPSWLHV DQG GHOLYHU IXOO RQHV
$YDLODEOH IURP -XO\ WKH 6RXQGEUHQQHU &RUH LV D VPDUWZDWFK ZLWK D PXVLFDO WZLVW ,W SODFHV QHDW WRROV RQ \RXU ZULVW LQFOXGLQJ D YLEUDWLQJ PHWURQRPH G% PHWHU DQG PDJQHWLF JXLWDU WXQHU DQG LWèV DOVR D FDSDEOH VPDUWZDWFK RIIHULQJ SKRQH QRWLĆFDWLRQV WKURXJK LWV GXDO 2/(' GLVSOD\ $199 (£149), soundbrenner.com
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LUXURY CONSUMER-LEVEL TECH 5HJXODU YLGHR GRRUEHOO" 3DK +RZ DERXW 5LQJèV (OLWH &URZQ -HZHO FW \HOORZ JROG VDSSKLUH DQG GLDPRQG GRRUEHOO IRU e " 2U PD\EH WKH e *UDYLW\ ,QGXVWULHV -HW 6XLW WR ć\ OLNH ,URQ 0DQ LVK " (YHQ WKH '\VRQ $LU:UDS 6W\OHU &RPSOHWH SLFWXUHG e FRPHV LQ D OX[XULRXV OHDWKHU FDVH OLNH \RXèUH D MHW VHWWLQJ è V VWDU
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TINYMOS NANO1 ASTRONOMY CAMERA /RQJ WR FDSWXUH WKH 0LON\ :D\ LQ FULVS GHWDLO" 7KHQ JHW WKLV ZHH FDPHUD IRU QLJKW VN\ VQDSSLQJ &RPSDFW LW PD\ EH EXW LWèV DOVR FDSDEOH ZLWK DQ LQWHUFKDQJHDEOH OHQV V\VWHP WHOHVFRSH FRPSDWLELOLW\ DQG EXLOW LQ SUHVHWV WKDW PDNH LW HDV\ WR FDSWXUH VSHFLĆF VXEMHFWV £285, get.tinymos.com
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SONY A6400 6RQ\ FODLPV LWV PLG UDQJH $36 & PLUURUOHVV FDPHUD KDV WKH ZRUOGèV IDVWHVW DXWRIRFXV DW MXVW VHFRQGV 7KDWèV TXLWH D ERDVW EXW ZLWK SKDVH GHWHFWLRQ $) SRLQWV DQG $, EDVHG VPDUW VXEMHFW GHWHFWLRQ LWèV GRQH LW %DVLFDOO\ LW PHDQV \RX FDQ KDYH SHUIHFWO\ VKDUS DQG FOHDU LPDJHV HYHQ ZKHQ WKH NLGV GRJ 8)2 ZRQèW FRRSHUDWH £949, sony.com
BELL NEXUS 7KH VROXWLRQ WR FRQJHVWHG URDGV DV &(2 RI KHOLFRSWHU PDQXIDFWXUHU %HOO SXW LW LV WR êVROYH WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ FKDOOHQJHV LQ WKH YHUWLFDO GLPHQVLRQë $QG LWV DLU WD[L FRQFHSW å D K\EULG HOHFWULF YHUWLFDO WDNH RII DQG ODQGLQJ YHKLFOH ZLWK WKH DELOLW\ WR DXWRQRPRXVO\ SLORW XS WR IRXU SDVVHQJHUV å FRXOG GR LW ZKLOH ORRNLQJ very FRRO EHOOćLJKW FRP A P R I L 2 019 T3 47
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8QOLNH PDQ\ JDGJHWV WKH KXPEOH KDLUGU\HU KDV EHHQ WHWKHUHG IRU DQ DJH 7KH 9ROR *R Ć[HV WKDW DQG PDNHV LW PXFK HDVLHU WR GDQFH DURXQG ZKLOH KDLU GU\LQJ 1RW RQO\ LV LW ZLUH IUHH LWV LQIUDUHG KHDWLQJ WHFKQRORJ\ XVHV OHVV SRZHU å VR OHVV FKDUJLQJ WLPH å DQGbLV NLQGHU RQ \RXU KDLU $399 (£300), volobeauty.com
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7KH RQO\ WKLQJ PRUH HQWLFLQJ WKDQ D ZDUP EDWK DW WKH HQG RI WKH GD\ LV WKH ZRUOGèV ĆUVW ]HUR JUDYLW\ EDWKWXE ZKLFK VLPXODWHV WKH IHHOLQJ RI ZHLJKWOHVVQHVV 7KH WXE LV VKDSHG WR PLPLF KRZ DVWURQDXWV VOHHS LQ ]HUR JUDYLW\ VSDFH ZKLFK KHOSV \RX WR HQWHU D VWDWH RIbêGHHS PXVFXODU UHOD[DWLRQë $19,000 (£14,263), toto.com
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APPLE WATCH SERIES 4 /LIH VDYLQJ IHDWXUHV OLNH (&* PRQLWRULQJ DQG IDOO GHWHFWLRQ DV ZHOO DV JUHDW ĆWQHVV WHFK KDV SXVKHG $SSOHèV ZHDUDEOH ZD\ RXW DKHDG RI WKH FURZG å ZKR ZRXOGQèW EX\ WKH GHYLFH WKDW PLJKW OLWHUDOO\ VDYH \RXU OLIH" :HèUH DOUHDG\ VHHLQJ RWKHUV IROORZLQJ WKH WHPSODWH ODLG GRZQ KHUH From £399, apple.com
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SONY WH-1000XM3 7KH EHVW QRLVH FDQFHOOLQJ KHDGSKRQHV LQ WKH ZRUOG LWèV RIĆFLDO EHFDXVH ZH VDLG LW KDYH ćRZQ RII WKH VKHOYHV VLQFH WKHLU ODXQFK VR H[SHFW WR VHH D ORW PRUH RI WKHP RQ FRPPXWHUV LQ 7KH\ VRXQG IDQWDVWLF WKH QRLVH VWRSSLQJ LV VWUDLJKW XS ZL]DUGU\ DQG WKH ZD\ WKH\ DGDSW WRbGLIIHUHQW HQYLURQPHQWV LV UHDOO\ KDQG\ £329, sony.co.uk
ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING ROLLOUT (OHFWULF FDUV DUH EULOOLDQW EXW WKH FKDUJLQJ RSWLRQV DUH VWLOO OLPLWHG 1HZ LQLWLDWLYHV VXFK DV XOWUD IDVW FKDUJLQJ SRLQWV DW 6KHOO VWDWLRQV DQG 9RONVZDJHQèV LQVWDOODWLRQ RI FKDUJLQJ SRLQWV DW 7HVFR VWRUHV SOXV LWV FRQFHSW IRU RSHUDWH PRELOH FKDUJLQJ VWDWLRQV WKDW FRPH WR \RX ZLOO PDNH MXLFLQJ XS HDVLHU
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SUNFLOWER LABS BEE This is a twist on the drone theme – rather than causing VHFXULW\ VFDUHV WKH 6XQćRZHU Labs Bee will help investigate them, at least in the comfort of your own home. When the DFFRPSDQ\LQJ 6XQćRZHU lighting pods, placed strategically around your garden, detect movement, the Bee launches from its Thunderbirds-esque hanger DQGbćLHV RYHU WR LQYHVWLJDWH e7%& VXQćRZHU ODEV FRP
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Fender’s legendary Telecaster gets a modern update: a revolutionary $FRXVWLF (QJLQH WKDW HQDEOHV \RX WR FKDQJH WKH $FRXVWDVRQLFèV SHUVRQDOLW\ DW WKH ćLFN RI D VZLWFK IURP DFRXVWLF RU electric, with a choice of 10 different digitally simulated ‘voices’ to change up the sound. £1,699, fender.com
7KH NLWFKHQbLV JHWWLQJ VPDUWHU HYHU\b\HDU DQG EHORQJV WRbWKH VPDUW RYHQ 6KDUSèV QHZ OLWUH 6PDUW 5DQJH EULQJV IXOO $OH[D VXSSRUW WR your lunch, Bosch’s Home Connect ovens add the same compatibility, and .LWFKHQ$LGèV 6PDUW 2YHQ (pictured) works with both $OH[D DQG *RRJOH $VVLVWDQW
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YEAR OF THE SMART OVEN
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CALVIN KLEIN INFINITE TOO A genuine bargain of a timepiece. Not only is CK’s automatic right on the sweet spot at 42mm, with a subtle and handsome pink gold or stainless steel case design, but it’s packing the ETA 2824-2 movement – the same quality internals that power much pricier watches from the likes of TAG Heuer and Breitling. From £419, calvinklein.co.uk 5 0 T3 A P R I L 2 019
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SMART CAR SAFETY UPGRADES The impressive smarts of the world’s best dash cams (like the Thinkware F800 Pro, pictured; IURP e DUH WULFNOLQJ GRZQ RIIHULQJ ODQH GULIW and collision warnings as an easy upgrade for all cars. Add rear parking cams to help you squeeze into spots, and all cars can be a bit safer.
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How about a frosty can from a cooler that brings the beers to you? And then how about seven days of chilling at as low as -8ºC, and 10 days cooling even after the quick-swap battery runs dry? Also: integrated Qi charging, USB ports, a power outlet and DQbRSWLRQDO VRODU FHOO 2K and cup holders. £TBC, furrion.com
2QH RI RXU IDYRXULWH FDPHUD brands keeps getting better thanks to a never-ending carousel of new snappers and limited editions – we love the SoFort Limoland (pictured; £330), and the KDQGVRPH 4 *OREH 7URWWHU (£5,400). Leica continues to prove itself as iconic and innovative, and we can’t wait for this year’s cams. uk.leica-camera.com
FURRION ROVA
LEICA
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What if your portable PC powerhouse wasn’t a laptop, but a desktop that folds up neatly? Asus’ all-in-one gaming machine å WKH 52* 0RWKHUVKLS å LV basically this. With superior cooling, you get superpowerful components that you can still take on the move, thanks to a folding screen and keyboard.
Using a Polo-branded USB power bank feeding a network of conductive ink traces woven through the inner lining, the appcontrolled BluetoothFRQQHFWHG *ODFLHU MDFNHW adapts to your environment whatever the conditions. £799, ralphlauren.co.uk
GAMING LAPTOPS GO HUGE
UNDERWATER DRONES Sub-aqua drones are still in their infancy, but there’ll be an explosion of pondexplorers coming soon, all aiming to chart more of the mystery world in the oceans. We’re already fans of RoboSea’s selection of underwater drones, which range from the cute consumer-grade BIKI to the HSLF ORRNLQJ SURb5RER6KDUN A small one will make beach holidays lots of fun!
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MEGA-MEGAPIXELS The megapixel wars are back on! Companies are using big sensors to take pictures in clever ways. The Nokia 9 PureView (pictured) uses 60 PHJDSL[HOV LQ ĆYH 03 FDPHUDV WR FDSWXUH times more light than a single sensor, for huge G\QDPLF UDQJH +XDZHLèV 0DWH 3UR XVHV D 03 FDPHUD WR FDSWXUH VKRWV WKHQ XVHV DOO WKDW LQIR WR FUHDWH D VKDUSHU 03 ĆQDO LPDJH
NOVUS ELECTRIC MOTORBIKE The (awesome) open frame might suggest more of a trad ebike than an electric hog, but Novus has crammed in a motor capable of 60mph and enough battery for three hours of riding, with smartphone integration to act in part as a digital key. €35,000 (£30,700), novusbike.com A P R I L 2 019 T3 51
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ROBOTS ARE YOUR FRIENDS Robots are now huggable FRPSDQLRQV OLNH *URRYH X’s Lovot, or healthcare monitors, like Samsung’s friendly vital stat-tracking Bot Care and environmentpurifying Bot Air. The ElliQ from Intuition Robotics (pictured) even helps the elderly connect with family and remember medication using a familiar form.
MSI GS75 STEALTH /DVW \HDUèV *6 6WHDOWK D FRPELQDWLRQ RI power, svelte design and clever cooling, was RQH RI RXU IDYRXULWH JDPLQJ ODSWRSV RI 06, WKLQNV LW FDQ GR EHWWHU WKH FUD]\ IDVW HGLWLRQ RI WKH 6WHDOWK NHHSV WKDW ORZ SURĆOH EXW crams in a latest-generation Nvidia RTX card, VSHFFDEOH DOO WKH ZD\ WR DQ *% 57; From $2,099 (£1,650), msi.com
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AirPods. By far the most popular (and most-aped) wireless earbuds on the market, but competition is hotting up, so they’re well overdue a technology XSGDWH 0LJKW $SSOH FUDP in calorie tracking, builtin connectivity to Siri, and maybe even wireless charging in the next gen? :HèOO ĆQG RXW VRRQ £TBC, apple.com
Say goodbye to pixelly VR. 3L0D[èV . +] KHDGVHW funded on Kickstarter and on the market now, SURPLVHV D GHJUHH ĆHOG RI YLHZ DQG [ per-eye resolution. It’ll probably be the most detailed VR experience for a long time, as long as you have the graphics power WRbSXPS DOO WKRVH SL[HOV $899 (£699), pimaxvr.com
APPLE AIRPODS 2
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PIMAX 8K VR HEADSET
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7KH ERRNV DUHQèW ĆQLVKHG å and may never be – but *R7 reaches its TV conclusion over the course of six extralong episodes, simulcast RQ 6N\ $WODQWLF DQG +%2 starting in April. The epic ĆQDOH PD\ QRW UHDOO\ EH WKH HQG WKRXJK å +%2 LV batting around ideas for a number of spinoffs. sky.com
This summer will welcome the most connected ebike ever made. The Cybic E-Legend has an Alexaintegrated touch screen ZLWK IDU ĆHOG PLF DQG automates everything from turn-by-turn navigation to turning on the lights or playing music. Expect style, muscle and a host of integrated security smarts, as well as electric power. £TBC, halfords.com
GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8
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CYBIC E-LEGEND
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DESIGNER TECH COLLABS High-end design is hitting tech hard. Louis Vuitton’s Horizon Earphones, Sennheiser’s KHDGSKRQHV ZLWK 'LRU +RPPH ĆQLVKHV 1DWLYH Union’s collab with Tom Dixon, and Smeg and 'ROFH *DEEDQDèV DSSOLDQFHV VXFK DV WKH 6LFLO\ ,V 0\ /RYH &LWUXV -XLFHU SLFWXUHG e PDUN the start of a stunning gadget design revolution.
XIAOMI
China’s leading smartphone manufacturer has a huge catalogue of top tech, but hasn’t turned its gaze on the UK thus far. No more: LWV 0L 6HULHV KHDGSKRQHV and wearables are coming, with Xiaomi’s attractive, affordable and impressively specced smart home kit and SKRQHV VHH S IROORZLQJ in hot pursuit. mi.com/global
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FEATURE SPEAKERS High-end audio is moving into a bold new landscape of designs worthy of GLVSOD\ DW 0R0$ %DQJ 2OXIVHQ kickstarted the trend, reaching sleek new heights this year with the rollto-control circular Beosound Edge speaker (pictured; £2,900). Sony’s also getting in on the act with its /63; 6 *ODVV 6RXQG VSHDNHU ODPS :H DOVR ORYH WKH 0DVWHU '\QDPLF 0$ VSHDNHU EDVLFDOO\ D VFXOSWXUH made from 16kg of concrete. The wave has started, and there’s many PRUH RIbWKHVH VKRZVWRSSHUV WR FRPH
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Craft beer has never been more popular, and neither has the homebrew VFHQH b/*èV FDSVXOH EDVHG app-connected HomeBrew machine not only aims to make the process of brewing up an IPA, Pilsner or Stout easy, but uses a smart temperature and pressure control algorithm to ensure the perfect pint. £TBC, lg.com
Porsche’s all-electric, the ĆUVW LQ D UDQJH RI (9V promises a “typical Porsche driving experienceâ€? according to lead engineer Stefan Weckbach. From the prototypes we’ve seen so far, it’s a spectacle, expected to pack in more battery than a Tesla, and to use motors derived from WKH /03 K\EULG UDFHU ÂŁTBC, porsche.com
LG HOMEBREW
PORSCHE TAYCAN
A P R I L 2 019 T3 5 3
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SMART DISPLAYS (YHU VLQFH WKH (FKR 6KRZ ĆUVW DSSHDUHG VPDUW home assistants with added screens have arrived WKLFN DQG IDVW IURP WKH OLNHV RI *RRJOH /HQRYR and now even KitchenAid, with a cooking-focused option. In 2019, the smart display isn’t just hot, it’s scalding. They’ll get bigger, they’ll get smaller (like the Echo Spot, pictured; £119), they’ll get smarter. 0D\EH $SSOH ZLOO EH QH[W LQ OLQH
5 4 T3 A P R I L 2 019
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BOOM SUPERSONIC OVERTURE &DSDEOH RI 0DFK WKLV faster-than-sound successor to Concorde’s legacy packs in 55 seats, can get from London to New York in 3.5 hours using comparable fuel to a regular plane, and promises a sonic boom 30 times quieter than its famous predecessor. boomsupersonic.com
SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH ACTIVE Taking cues (and seemingly a lot of tech) from WKHb*DOD[\ :DWFK DQG DGGLQJ D ĆUVW RI LWV NLQG health feature in the form of blood-pressure PRQLWRULQJ 6DPVXQJèV VXFFHVVRU WR èV *HDU Sport looks set to be its best wrist piece yet. We love the minimalist and sleek, slimmer design – LWèOO ORRN JRRG IRU PRUH WKDQ MXVW VSRUW £229, samsung.com
13
7KH 3 3UR ZDV VHULRXVO\ LPSUHVVLYH WKH 0DWH Pro was even better, and Huawei will no doubt up the ante even further with LWV QH[W ćDJVKLS ([SHFW DQ unparalleled quad camera array, the muscular Kirin 980 chip doing the heavy lifting, DQG PD\EH HYHQ * VXSSRUW as standard – basically, expect another superb phone. £TBC, huawei.com
0LFUR/(' LQ ERWK 6DPVXQJ DQG /*èV ODEV ULJKW QRZ could be the future of TV. It drops the organics of 2/(' DQG WKH EDFNOLJKWLQJ of QLED in favour of microscopic individual LEDs, enabling super-thin TVs, unbelievable contrast, and bezel-free screens made of modular panels, expandable to any size or aspect ratio.
HUAWEI P30 PRO
MICROLED
15
PDGH /*èV UROODEOH ZRQGHU å ZLWK LWV ćH[LEOH UHWUDFWLQJ VFUHHQ åbVDFULĆFHV QRWKLQJ in picture quality and will make the gadget fan in you chuckle with delight every time you see it rise from nowhere. The possibilities for viewing at different aspect ratios in the future LVbUHDOO\ H[FLWLQJ £TBC, lg.com
The combination of big data breaches and better realisation of how much of our information some companies get without our knowledge has pushed us to a tipping point. We need more honesty about what we’re giving up for these ‘free’ services, or it’ll be scandal after scandal.
LG SIGNATURE OLED R PRIVACY TAKES The most futuristic TV ever CENTRE STAGE
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GOOGLE NIGHT SIGHT This insane camera feature, showcased on the 3L[HO SLFWXUHG IURP e SURGXFHV XVDEOH photos from amounts of light where even the human eye can barely make anything out. It’s more of a software innovation than a camera one, so you can expect everyone else to mimic LWbLQ å 6DPVXQJèV LV FDOOHG %ULJKW 1LJKW
APPLE’S TV TAKEOVER Virtually every upcoming TV has support for Apple +RPH.LW $LU3OD\ DQG L7XQHV 0RYLHV IRU WKH EHVW selection of 4K movies JRLQJ %XW WKDWèV MXVW WKH start: Apple’s streaming TV service is coming very soon, backed by billions of dollars of investment in exclusive content, and an intention to offer movies two weeks after cinema release. A P R I L 2 019 T3 55
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NIKE ADAPT BB
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McINTOSH MTI100
Tying your laces is so 2018. This year we’ll be stepping into Nike’s self-lacing basketball shoes, which automatically adjust to the shape of your feet upon wearing. The Adapt BB connect to your smartphone for further customisation of WKH ĆW DQG FRQWURO RI WKRVH Tron-esque lights at the base. One of 2019’s hottest sneakers, for sure. £270, nike.com/gb
Style and performance are the main ingredients of McIntosh’s special sauce, and the MTI100 doublesdown on that with relish. Built-in DPSOLĆFDWLRQ DQG VSHDNHU RXWSXWV mean you can plug speakers straight into it. There’s Bluetooth connectivity, plus analogue and digital outputs for supporting various sources. That’s ace, but in a way it doesn’t matter, because this turntable looks so damn good. e PFLQWRVKODEV FRP
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EVERYTHING CONTROLLED BY YOUR VOICE
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VIDEO DOORBELLS True story: T3’s nan recently asked XVbZKLFK YLGHR GRRUEHOO VKH VKRXOG EX\ $QG LI RXU QDQ LV LQ WKH PDUNHW IRUbRQH LV GHĆQLWHO\ WKH \HDU YLGHR GRRUEHOOV ZLOO KLW WKH PDLQVWUHDP KDUG 5LQJ LV WKH UHLJQLQJ KHDY\ZHLJKW å ZHèUH K\SHGbDERXW WKH SHHSKROH KXJJLQJ 5LQJ 'RRU 9LHZ &DP å EXW 1HWDWPRèVbVW\OLVK IRUWKFRPLQJ 6PDUW 9LGHR 'RRUEHOO SLFWXUHG e7%& FRXOG WDNH GRRU FDPV ULJKW XS \RXU VWUHHW
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Last year, everything had an Alexa or Google mic built in. This year, everything is getting bossed around by them. That includes turning and controlling your TV, ordering a precise temp for the U by Moen shower (pictured), making food in Gourmia’s multi-cooker, dispensing a treat for the dog from the new PetCube, and even a Roland keyboard with live sound changes controlled by Alexa.
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NOTCHLESS PHONES 7KH QRWFK ZDV D FRPSURPLVH å DOO VFUHHQ SKRQHV DUH VXSHU FRRO EXW SHRSOH VWLOO ZDQW IURQW IDFLQJ FDPHUDV %DUHO\ D FRXSOH RI \HDUV IURP WKHLU LQWURGXFWLRQ WKH\èUH DOUHDG\ RQ WKH ZD\ RXW WKRXJK WKH +RQRU 9LHZ VHH ODVW LVVXH DQG ;LDRPL 0L 0L[ S KDYH VKRZQ XV EHWWHU ZD\V GRLQJ WKLV DQG WKH 6DPVXQJ *DOD[\ 6 UDQJH S FRQWLQXHV WKDW HYHQ ĆWWLQJ PXOWLSOH FDPHUDV LQWR D VPDOO FXW RXW LQ WKH VFUHHQèV FRUQHU :LOO FRUQHU FDPHUDV RU VOLGH \ SKRQHV ZLQ RXW DV ZD\V WR KLGH WKH IURQW FDP" 2U ZLOO XQGHU VFUHHQ FDPHUDV DUULYH TXLFNO\ HQRXJK WR PDNH LW D PRRW SRLQW" ,Q DQ\ FDVH DQ\WKLQJ ZLWK D QRWFK QRZ DOUHDG\ ORRNV RXW RI GDWH A P R I L 2 019 T3 5 7
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SUPER-SMART SOUNDBARS ,Q WKH ODVW IHZ \HDUV VRXQGEDUV KDYH EHFRPH DFH DOWHUQDWLYHV WR ELJ VXUURXQG VRXQG V\VWHPV 7KH DUULYDO RI 'ROE\ $WPRV DORQJ ZLWK WKH SURFHVVLQJ SRZHU IRU FUHDWLQJ YLUWXDO ' VRXQG PDNHV WKHP WKH OLYLQJ URRP XSJUDGH PRVW SHRSOH ZLOO SLFN WKLV \HDU %DUV OLNH WKH IRUWKFRPLQJ 6HQQKHLVHU $0%(2 SLFWXUHG õ e XVH DQ DUUD\ RI GULYHUV WR ERXQFH DXGLR DURXQG WKH URRP DQG PDNH LW VRXQG OLNH \RXèYH JRW D IXOO 'ROE\ $WPRV ' V\VWHP UXQQLQJ DOO IURP RQH SODFH (YHQ WKH 6RQ\ +7 ; FDQ JLYH D YLUWXDO VXUURXQG DQG $WPRV H[SHULHQFH IURP MXVW D IHZ GULYHUV LQ D PLQL SDFNDJH 6XGGHQO\ FLQHPD TXDOLW\ VRXQG LVQèW D ELJ LQVWDOODWLRQ KDVVOH DQG WKDW PHDQV ZH DOO JHW WR HQMR\ LW 5 8 T3 A P R I L 2 019
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4 5G
The buzz around 5G is already huge, and even though the rollout in 2019 will be limited (EE is leading the charge, and will launch WKH VHUYLFH LQbSDUWV RI 8. FLWLHV WKH GHYLFH PDNHUV DUH JHWWLQJ right into the swing, including Samsung with the S10 5G (pictured) 2QH3OXV DQG VRPH PRUH \RXèOO ĆQG IURP S (( KDV FRQĆUPHG LW ZLOO VHOObSKRQHV IURP +XDZHL DQG /* WKDW VXSSRUW WKH WHFK DV ZHOO as a mobile Wi-Fi hub for hooking up more devices. What’s the EHQHĆW" ,QLWLDOO\ GRQèW H[SHFW PDVVLYH VSHHG ERRVWV WKRXJK LW FDQ be a lot faster than 4G), but there’ll be big advantages in latency (so websites will respond quicker, or you can play games online over it) and reliability, because it can handle many more connections at once. Eventually, we won’t even need wired connections…
3
THE MICROMOBILITY REVOLUTION Over 90% of the energy used in personal transport goes on moving the vehicle, not the person. That’s a waste of energy and money. In many American and European cities, micromobility is taking off – using lightweight mini e-vehicles for journeys of just a few miles. 7KDWbFRXOG EH SRZHUHG VFRRWHUV \RX KLUH XVLQJ DQ DSS WR MXVW JHW around town, or an ebike that has no pedals, but keeps safe lowish speeds, for a commute. In rainy Great Britain, maybe it means something like the Microlino, a mini car (inspired by the classic BMW Isetta) that can take two people, weighs around a third of a VW Golf, has a 200km range, and charges from the mains.
2
8K TV
7KH WKLQJ WKDWèV JRLQJ WR FHPHQW . 79èV SODFH DV RQH of the most exciting new tech areas isn’t the arrival of DFWXDO . FRQWHQW RU WKH IDQWDVWLF TXDOLW\ RI WKH VHWV /*èV LQFK 2/(' . 79 SLFWXUHG LV D JHQXLQH ZRQGHU DV LV WKH DIIRUGDELOLW\ RI 6DPVXQJèV LQFK 4 5 å LWèV WKH XSVFDOLQJ $OUHDG\ WKH ĆUVW IHZ PRGHOV KDYH VKRZQ WKDW . FDQ EH XSVFDOHG WR . LQFUHGLEO\ LPSUHVVLYHO\ SURYLGLQJ VR PXFK GHWDLO WKDW YLGHRV DOPRVW HIIHFWLYHO\ OLIHOLNH ,I . 79V use motion smoothing to increase the frame rate as well, watching a football match or nature documentary will be like looking out of a window: there’s as much detail as the eye can perceive, with a smoothness that looks like real life movement, not smeary video frames. It’s not about movies LQ KLJKHU GHĆQLWLRQ å LWèV \RXU 79 EHLQJ D SRUWDO A P R I L 2 019 T3 59
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FOLDING PHONES (YHU VLQFH ćH[LEOH 2/(' VFUHHQV ZHUH ĆUVW VKRZQ RII DV SURWRW\SHV WKHUHèV EHHQ D FODPRXU IRU IROGLQJ SKRQHV 7KLV \HDU WKH SRWHQWLDO KDV ĆQDOO\ EHHQ UHDOLVHG WKH 6DPVXQJ *DOD[\ )ROG DQG +XDZHL 0DWH ; DUH ERWK GXH E\ WKLV VXPPHU DQG WKH\èUH WKH PRVW H[FLWLQJ WKLQJ WR KDSSHQ LQ PRELOHV VLQFH 6WHYH -REV SXOOHG WKH L3KRQH RXW RI KLV SRFNHW $V ZHèYH H[SHFWHG RXU SKRQHV WR GR PRUH WKH\èYH KDG WR JHW ELJJHU EXW ZH GRQèW ZDQW WKHP WR EH VR ELJ WKH\èUH KDUG WR KDQGOH :LWK IROGLQJ SKRQHV ZH JHW WR VWDUW VROYLQJ WKHVH SUREOHPV LQ QHZ ZD\V :KHQ \RXèUH WH[WLQJ RQ WKH JR RU ORRNLQJ XS GLUHFWLRQV TXLFNO\ \RX KDYH D VPDOO VFUHHQ LGHDO IRU RQH KDQG :KHQ \RX ZDQW WR ORRN DW D SKRWR RU GLJ LQWR D ORQJ GRFXPHQW \RX MXVW ćLS LW RSHQ DQG JLYH \RXUVHOI WKH ELJJHU FDQYDV å LW PHDQV OHVV WLPH OXJJLQJ D ODSWRS DURXQG MXVW LQ FDVH \RX QHHG LW +HOO ZH GRQèW NQRZ ZK\ ZHèUH MXVWLI\LQJ WKHP ZLWK DOO WKLV SURGXFWLYLW\ WDON å ZH MXVW ZDQW WKHP EHFDXVH WKH\ ORRN DPD]LQJ ,WèV EHHQ WRR ORQJ VLQFH ZH KDG D QHZ SLHFH RI WHFK WKDW IHOW OLNH LW FRXOG RQO\ H[LVW LQ RXU WLPH EHFDXVH LW IHOO WKURXJK D ZRUPKROH IURP EXW WKDWèV H[DFWO\ ZKDW ZH JHW IURP IROGLQJ SKRQHV 7KDW IHHOLQJ LV ZK\ ZH PDNH T3 DQG LWèV ZK\ WKHVH SKRQHV DUH HDVLO\ WKH KRWWHVW JDGJHWV RI 6 0 T3 A P R I L 2 019
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A P R I L 2 019 T3 61
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A P R I L 2 019 T3 6 3
State of the Art
Show and tell Does your smart speaker need a display? We put three of the best to the test to discover which one might be an essential purchase Words: David Nield Photography: Neil Godwin
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WHAT’S ON TEST…
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Lenovo Smart Display The software on the Lenovo Smart Display is identical to that on the Google Home Hub – it’s just on a bigger screen with a better speaker attached. Lenovo makes 8-inch and 10-inch versions; we tested the latter. £199, lenovo.com
6 4 T3 A P R I L 2 019
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Google Home Hub Google’s newest smart speaker comes with a 7-inch screen attached, and can act as a portal to your smart home devices as well as giving you everything Google Assistant has to offer. £139, store.google.com
3
Amazon Echo Show This is the second generation of Amazon’s Echo-with-a-screen, and LWèV D ELJ LPSURYHPHQW RQ WKH ĆUVW The on-board Alexa smart assistant keeps getting better also, ready to do your bidding via voice commands. £219, amazon.co.uk
Show and tell
mart speakers have become staples of the living room, kitchen and bedroom, and now gadget makers are looking to add something extra to the mix: a display. That means funky visuals to go along with your weather reports, music playlists, cooking timers, calendar updates and whatever else you’re getting your smart speaker to do. It also means video from the likes of YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, so
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you can enjoy an episode of House of Cards or The Grand Tour while you’re making dinner. Smart home control is easier too, with buttons and sliders to prod at as well as the voice commands you might be used to. You’ll pay more for a smart speaker with a screen attached to it, of course, and you’ll have a bigger device to try and find a place for on the mantelpiece, so is all this extra functionality worth it? Do we need smart home gadgets that show and tell when the ones that just tell have
been doing perfectly fine? And if you do need a smart display, which one is the best of the lot? Here we’re putting three of the top smart displays up against each other: the secondgeneration Amazon Echo Show with Alexa, the Google Assistant-powered Lenovo Smart Display, and the Google Home Hub, which also has Google Assistant on board. We’ve put them through their paces in all the areas that matter, from audio quality to the intelligence of the integrated apps.
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State of the Art TEST 01:
LENOVO SMART DISPLAY
DESIGN Which is the most beautiful smart display of them all?
BEST FOR DESIGN
ou can’t really hide a smart display away on a high shelf like you can a smart speaker, so looks are important. The Google Home Hub is the odd one out here, because it uses a seven-inch display whereas the Lenovo and Amazon boxes both opt for 10.1 inches (an eight-inch variant of the Lenovo display is also available). Unless you’ve got limited desk or kitchen top space, the Google Home Hub is already behind the other two design-wise, as everything from video playback to a display of the weather forecast is inevitably going to look better on a screen that’s bigger. That said, the Google Home Hub does have a certain elegance to it, with the screen seeming to float on top of its pedestal – a pedestal you can choose to have in sand, aqua, chalk or charcoal colours. The Lenovo and Amazon devices only come in bamboo and black respectively. Despite a rather weirdly shaped back stand, the Lenovo Smart Display looks like a quality bit of kit: the speaker is positioned on the left of the screen (perhaps explaining the unusually asymmetric rear), and the main
Y
To our eyes the Amazon Echo Show is the least well designed of the trio display impresses. It also has slimmer bezels than the Amazon Echo Show, though they’re still very noticeable. To our eyes the Amazon Echo Show is the least well designed of the trio, though this second-gen model definitely beats its predecessor in terms of aesthetics – it’s not ugly, exactly. The speaker around the back is angular and chunky, though to be fair it does sound pretty good, so maybe you think it’s worth the trade-off. If audio quality matters to you, then the Google Home Hub sounds satisfactory, the Lenovo Smart Display sounds decent, and the Amazon Echo Show sounds best (all three companies are rather coy about precise audio specifications). They can all fill a room with music well enough, but the Lenovo and Amazon devices are a noticeable cut above, though not on a HomePod or Sonos level. 6 6 T3 A P R I L 2 019
As long as you don’t look around the back, the Lenovo Smart Display has a combination of screen and speaker that’s easy on the eye.
SPECS DISPLAY SIZE 10.1 inches Dimensions 311.4x173.9x136mm SPEAKER Two-inch 10W full-range speaker, 2x passive tweeters CONNECTIONS Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
TEST 01: WINNER
LENOVO SMART DISPLAY We think Lenovo’s device looks best, at least from the front, and assuming you want a big display. From the tasteful speaker grille to the bold screen, it’s well assembled.
Show and tell GOOGLE HOME HUB
The Google Home Hub looks kind of cute, and offers a choice of colours, but the smaller 7-inch screen is a disadvantage.
AMAZON ECHO SHOW
The Amazon Echo show is better-looking than it used to be, though it could really use a few more curves here and there.
SPECS
SPECS
DISPLAY SIZE Seven inches DIMENSIONS 178.5x118x67.3mm SPEAKER Full-range speaker CONNECTIONS Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
DISPLAY SIZE 10.1 inches DIMENSIONS 246x174x107mm SPEAKER 2x two-inch drivers, passive bass radiator CONNECTIONS Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
YOUR DISPLAY WORKS WITH... HOW TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE BUYING SMART HOME KIT THAT ALL WORKS HAPPILY TOGETHER
Buying smart home kit that works together is (thankfully) easier than it was a year or so ago. Many products now clearly state whether they work with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, or both, so make sure you check. Philips Hue smart lights, for instance, work with both: you can command your lights through Google $VVLVWDQW RU $OH[D RU XVH WKH RIĆFLDO +XH
app. You don’t have to buy smart home gadgets that all work together – you can use them individually – but it’s easier to do neat tricks (like turning off all the lights at once, turning down the temperature, and locking the door in one go) if all your gear LVbFRPSDWLEOH $OH[D KDV WKH EURDGHVW support, but 2018 and 2019 have seen ELJbOHDSV IRUZDUG IRU *RRJOH VXSSRUW
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State of the Art TEST 02:
SMARTS
LENOVO SMART DISPLAY
In the battle for control of your display, it’s Google Assistant vs Amazon Alexa here are sort of only two contenders here, because both the Google Home Hub and the Lenovo Smart Display run Google Assistant, while the Amazon Echo Show has Alexa on board. As it stands in 2019, there’s not much to choose from between Google Assistant and Alexa: they’ll both do just about everything you ask from them, whether that’s finding out when your next meeting is or checking the weather forecast for you. Both can tell you how long it’ll take to drive somewhere, though Google’s on-screen map visualisation is better than Amazon’s. Ask to see the news though, and Alexa shows you a BBC video, whereas Google Assistant only plays BBC audio. That sums up the overall story here: Amazon Alexa is slightly better at some stuff, Google Assistant is slightly better at other stuff, but overall it’s about even. We tried to separate them – asking about football fixtures and when popular TV shows finished and bank holiday dates – but they both came up with the goods. These apps are improving all the time too, as Google and Amazon add more data and smarter algorithms on the back end.
T
GOOGLE HOME HUB
AMAZON ECHO SHOW
Google and Amazon are adding more data and smarter algorithms Both support what are known as ‘routines’, which are combinations of tasks put under one command. For example, you could create a routine so that when you say ‘good night’, your smart lights turn off and your chill out playlist begins. The other services and devices you use might help you make a choice. While Alexa supports some Google apps (like Google Calendar), overall the integration with Google Photos, Gmail and so on is better on Google Assistant. Likewise, Alexa is better for Amazon shopping, Prime Video and so on. Amazon Alexa is the clear winner in terms of the number of third-party skills, which are now in the tens of thousands. Admittedly they’re not all top quality, but if there’s another service you want to access – from Uber to your phone operator – there’s a good chance Alexa can handle it. 6 8 T3 A P R I L 2 019
TEST 02: WINNER
AMAZON ECHO SHOW It’s a tight call, and Google Assistant might be preferable if you’re deep in the Google ecosystem, but Amazon Alexa just edges the smart assistant battle.
Show and tell LENOVO SMART DISPLAY
TEST 03:
FEATURES From video playback to smart home control, which speaker offers the most? esides the looks of these devices, and the smarts of their on-board digital assistants, there are several other features that might help you pick between them. Both the Google Home Hub and Lenovo Smart Display support Chromecast, unlike Amazon Echo Show. The Google-powered smart displays show as Chromecast devices on your local network, so you can beam across video from YouTube, iPlayer, Netflix or any other Chromecast-ready app on your phone. The Amazon Prime Video app doesn’t support Chromecast, so that’s a tick for the Echo Show. If you want to watch Amazon shows, you need an Amazon smart display, otherwise you might prefer the Lenovo or Google boxes (assuming you’re going to be watching a lot of video). For music, Spotify works with all three smart displays here: queue up a playlist on your phone and you can send it to the Google Home Hub, the Lenovo Smart Display, or the Amazon Echo Show (and get playback controls on screen). When it comes to smart home compatibility, a lot of the big names in the business – Philips Hue, Hive, WeMo –
B
GOOGLE HOME HUB
AMAZON ECHO SHOW
Queue up a playlist on your phone and send it to the Google Home Hub
TEST 03: WINNER
LENOVO SMART DISPLAY Chromecast support is really useful, and the option to disable the mic and camera is a welcome addition. The Lenovo Smart Display can do almost everything…
work with all of our featured smart displays. For products made by Google or Amazon, such as Nest security cams or Ring video doorbells, you’ll get the best results from sticking with the same brand for your smart display (the Google Home Hub and the Lenovo Smart Display are the same in terms of compatibility here). It’s a similar story for video calls. The Echo Show supports calls to other Alexa devices or over Skype, whereas the Lenovo and Google smart displays use Google Duo. The Google Home Hub doesn’t have a front-facing camera out of respect for your privacy (apparently), so the video will only go one way (with two-way audio) – if you want people to see you in Duo, you need the Lenovo. Speaking of privacy, the Lenovo Smart Display has physical buttons to disable both the camera and the microphone, which is a nice bonus. A P R I L 2 0 1 9 T3 69
State of the Art VERDICT:
1st
THE OVERALL WINNER IS…
BEST ON TEST
LENOVO SMART DISPLAY £199, lenovo.com WE’RE IMPRESSED Google Assistant is smart and continually improving in what it can do. The display is big and vibrant, and the sound is good enough for most people. In short, the Lenovo Smart Display is a compelling all-round package. You even get two sizes to choose from. WE’D IMPROVE There’s limited support for Amazon apps and
services, though that’s to be expected (and is unlikely to change). The back of the device looks slightly odd. THE LAST WORD (Almost) everything you’d want in a smart display. Lenovo has a device to be proud of, and we can see it ĆWWLQJ LQWR D UDQJH RI KRPHV
AMAZON ECHO SHOW
GOOGLE HOME HUB
£219, amazon.co.uk
£139, store.google.com
2nd
WE’RE IMPRESSED The Echo Show looks good, Alexa is getting more advanced, and the visuals and audio performance impress. WE’D IMPROVE There’s a ‘walled garden’ feel to the Echo Show: you can’t watch YouTube RU 1HWćL[ RQ WKLV EXW WKHQ \RX might not want to. THE LAST WORD More expensive than an Echo Dot, but the extra features are worth it.
3rd
WE’RE IMPRESSED Google Assistant is really good, the design is nicely done, and it works like a charm with other Google stuff, whether that’s your Nest security camera or your Google Calendar. WE’D IMPROVE The screen is DbELW WRR VPDOO DQG WKH DXGLR LV weaker than its rivals. THE LAST WORD A decent smart display from Google.
w
ESSENTIAL VOICE COMMANDS FOR ASSISTANT AND ALEXA 01 CHECK THE WEATHER
3UREDEO\ WKH ĆUVW TXHVWLRQ PRVW of us ask when we buy a smart speaker is, ‘What’s the weather forecast for today?’ Speak your device’s wake word then ask about conditions for tonight, tomorrow or next week.
02 GET THE NEWS
Smart displays (and smart speakers) are brilliant at giving you up to date news reports. Just ask for the news to get a response from a selection of 7 0 T3 A P R I L 2 019
sources (these can be FRQĆJXUHG YLD \RXU SKRQH
03 MAKE A CALL
Your smart display (or smart speaker) can make calls for \RX bMXVW VD\ ç&DOOè IROORZHG E\ the person you want to reach. You can use an app like Google Duo or Alexa, or call actual phone numbers – set it up on your phone.
04 PLAY SOME MUSIC Set your default music apps (such as Spotify or Amazon
Music – Apple Music is likely to be supported in the future) in your assistant’s app on your phone, then your smart display ZLOO UHVSRQG WR UHTXHVWV WR SOD\ songs, artists, or genres. Of course, a screen enables you to control playback more easily.
05 SET CUSTOM ALARMS AND TIMERS
One of the simplest but most useful ways to employ the services of your smart display or smart speaker is to set an alarm or timer – ‘Set a timer for twelve
minutes’, say – especially if \RXUbKDQGV DUH EXV\ FRRNLQJ LQ the kitchen.
06 GET SPORTS UPDATES
Find out when your team is next SOD\LQJ RU MXVW KRZ EDGO\ RU well) they did in the last match, by asking Alexa or Google Assistant for the results. In the accompanying phone apps, you can tell it who your favourite teams are, streamlining the entire process for future VSRUWLQJbXSGDWHV
Show and tell
5
ESSENTIAL ADD-ONS Each of these smart displays is part of a bigger ecosystem. Here’s what else you can add to \RXUbVPDUW KRPH VHWXS
1
02
AMAZON ECHO
The standard, non-display Echo, which offers a decent mix of audio quality, aesthetic appeal and price if you want to get into the Alexa system instead. If you already own a lot of smart home kit, splash out on the Echo Plus, which also acts as a smart home hub and makes it easier to group disparate devices (this model can still control smart home gadgets via Alexa commands). £89, amazon.co.uk
01
2
GOOGLE HOME MINI
03
If you want Google Assistant in every room, this is ideal. It’s the smallest and cheapest of its line, and can often be found at a discounted price. The audio is good enough for podcasts or radio, and it works multi-room with the Lenovo Smart Display. £49, store.google.com
3 04
GOOGLE HOME
It’s getting a little dated now (expect a new version this year), but the Google Home is a cheaper option if you don’t need the display of the Home Hub – you still get all the magic of Google Assistant on board, and the audio is respectable if you’re cranking out tunes while doing the washing up. £129, store.google.com
4
AMAZON ECHO DOT
The smallest and cheapest Echo is perfect if you’re not that fussed about DXGLR TXDOLW\ å LWèV VWLOO ĆQH IRU SRGFDVWV RU the quick tune, though. Like the Home Mini, it’s regularly available with money off. £49, amazon.co.uk
5
05
GOOGLE HOME MAX
If you want top audio quality mixed with your smarts, go for the Google +RPH 0D[ ZKLFK KDV WKH VRUW RI KLJK ĆGHOLW\ you’d expect from the HomePod or a Sonos speaker. It’ll even use acoustic vibrations to work out how best to direct sound in the room it’s placed in. Again, it’s multi-room with other Google-powered speakers. £399, store.google.com A P R I L 2 0 1 9 T3 71
The next generation
The next A P R I L 2 019 T3 73
The next generation
TIME TO FOLD The Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X bring in DbZKROH QHZ ZRUOG RI SKRQHV WKDW WUDQVIRUP LQWR WDEOHWV ZLWK D ćLFN RI WKH ZULVW 7KH IXWXUH LV KHUH DQG LW ćH[HV fter years of waiting for the ďŹ rst folding phone that looks like a product worth buying, we’ll have two coming out within a few months of each other. Samsung announced its Galaxy Fold smartphone to be released in April, followed swiftly by Huawei’s reveal of the Mate X, which it says is coming summer this year. What’s really interesting is that these two pioneers of the new kind of device have come at it from very dierent angle. The Samsung Galaxy Fold has two distinct screens. When it’s folded up, there’s a 4.5-inch OLED ‘Cover Display’ on the front, with a resolution of 840x1960, which you can use like a regular phone, though we know a lot of people won’t have tried one with that small a screen in a while. If you decide you want a bigger canvas, you can just open up the phone to reveal a 7.3-inch OLED folding screen inside, which has a resolution of 1536x2152. This might seem a little low-res compared to high-end agship screens in regular phones, but it’s still a density of 362 pixels per inch, which is more than high enough to look sharp. When you open it up, whatever you were doing moves right onto the other screen,
A
74 T3 A P R I L 2 019
though now you can see more of it, or even can open up more new apps alongside in split-screen. It looks very slick from what Samsung’s shown o so far, using its new One UI Android skin, but we haven’t been able to get our hands on it as yet. We’re also holding judgment on the design for now – the ďŹ nish of the case looks lovely, but that huge gaps above and below the Cover Display are pretty unsightly, and it looks mighty chunky when closed. Perhaps it will feel just right in the hand.
ALRIGHT MATE Huawei’s approach for the Mate X has been to use just the one screen, folding around the outside rather than the inside. When closed, you’ll see a 6.6-inch 1148x2480 screen, which puts it pretty close to non-folding high-end phones for use as a regular handset. The rest of the screen wraps around the back of the handset, where it can actually be used for a second (very narrow) display that’s handy for showing someone else something that appears on your main screen, or for lining up selďŹ es with the cameras. When you want to fold it out into tablet mode, you press a little button on the section on the right (a chunkier part of the
frame, which houses all of the tech), and can then fold the rear screen round to create a single eight-inch ‘FullView’ display, with a resolution of 2480x2200. The Samsung’s tablet-size screen has roughly a 4:3 aspect ratio, like most iPads or its own Galaxy Tab S4. The Huawei’s screen is practically square (8:7.1), so we’ll also have to see if one feels like it makes better use of the space available. Both phones are promising to be proper agships, with the fastest hardware and top-level cameras, though only the Huawei is making a point of oering 5G support.
Huawei Mate X hands-on
HUAWEI MATE X HANDS-ON :H JR RQ D VKRUW EHQGHU ZLWK +XDZHLèV JURXQG EUHDNLQJ SKRQH WR ĆQG RXW ZKHWKHU LWèV ZRUWK DOO WKH K\SH
There’s no mention of it in the Samsung – that seems to reserved for the S10 5G (p78). They need to be pretty swish, though, because both handsets are making the steep price of Apple’s XS Max look positively Poundland: the Galaxy Fold is set to start at €2,000 (about £1,700), while the Mate X is pegged at (about £1,950). UK pricing will be announced closer to launch, but expect to pay something close to those converted figures. Too much for a phone? For most people, sure, but they’ll fly off the shelves anyway – the lure of owning something truly mindblowing can’t be overstated.
The first thing you notice when you pick up the Mate X is the vertical bar that runs down its side. This bar not only holds the device’s Leica-branded triple camera system, but also houses the power button/fingerprint scanner and internal hardware, including its 5G modem and Kirin processor. The mix of these powerful internal components translates into a very rapid and slick experience on the device. Apps loaded immediately, there’s no delay at all in animations and, most impressively, multitasking on the phone’s huge screen real estate seemed to have zero effect on its performance. Of course, lots of phones are that slick, so it’s the bendy bit we’re really interested in. Our early impression is that Huawei has won the first-gen folding phone war over Samsung. The design really allows each of its three screen options to be shown
off and used to their full extent. When you compare the 4.5-inch Cover Display on the Galaxy Fold to the 6.6-inch phone-mode screen on the Mate X, the latter feels much more like using a current phone when closed. All three of the screens are crisp and bright – they look brilliant, and it’s a bit magical to open the phone and see a pristine screen as good as anything else out there. However, there’s an irritating iota of sponginess when pressing on the opened display – we’ll have to see how we feel about it when can use one day-to-day. We were impressed with how the Mate X transitions between modes and orientation, both in terms of the how the software and content seamlessly shifts, and in how it feels. The Falcon Wing hinge is, without doubt, one of the most neat pieces of small-scale mechanical engineering we’ve A P R I L 2 019 T3 75
The next generation
seen recently at T3, and it makes bending and contorting the Mate X’s screens a very reassuring experience. One of our biggest fears with this first generation of folding phones was that the necessary hinge and fold would end up betraying the rest of the hardware package, so we’re happy to see that Huawei has made this a non-issue right off the bat. In terms of the actual fold area of the screen (where the screen bends), we could see no obvious crumpling, warping or discolouration. Huawei says the folding screen and hinge mechanism have been tested up to 100,000 bend transitions and it’s pretty unlikely anyone would exceed that in a device’s lifetime. When fully unfolded in tablet mode, it measures just 5.4mm thick, feeling really thin and light in the hand. When folded, despite being noticeably thicker than a normal smartphone at 11mm, it did not feel unportable or compromised. The screen locks in place with a clip when in phone mode, keeping it flush to the back of the phone. When you want to switch into tablet mode, you need to press the clip’s button. Naturally, everything looks best when displayed on the might of the eight-inch tablet FullView display. Thanks to the adaptability and versatility of Android these days, apps, videos and the operating system move smoothly to an iPad Mini-style experience all of a sudden. We didn’t get a chance to test out the camera system, which Huawei promises will be on-par with the excellent snapper in the 76 T3 A P R I L 2 019
The Mate X feels premium, and the folding display tech is state of the art
Huawei Mate 20 Pro. While we still think it’s pretty bad form to take photos via a tablet, that large screen will make a hell of a viewfinder for getting your shots perfect before you hit the button. In terms of battery, the Mate X packs a hefty 4,500mAh unit, which is technically
split over two cell banks in either side of the phone. That’s more juice than the Samsung Galaxy Fold on paper, but with so much variance between the two devices, it’s hard to estimate which will last longer. It’s also hard to guess just how long the Mate X will run for on a single charge – it has a bigger battery than most regular phones, but obviously a much bigger screen to power. It’s good then, that the Mate X will support Huawei’s 55W SuperCharge tech, which it says enables it to be recharged from empty to 85 % capacity in just 30 minutes, so running low won’t be much of an issue as long as there’s a power socket nearby. In comparison with the very hands-off reveal of the Samsung Galaxy Fold – which impressed in its videos, but left a sense of distance between the promised device and it being something we’ll get to play with in reality – going hands-on with the Mate X was a genuinely enthusing experience, and one that well and truly proves that folding screen technology in our mobile devices is something we should be very, very excited about. That’s partly the potential of the type of device, and partly how intuitive and natural Huawei has made it – it felt like a regular smartphone experience, with a suite of neatly integrated hardware and features that can be called on when needed. The Mate X feels premium and high-end, the multi-screen folding display technology is state of the art, and the user experience seems incredibly slick and well thought out. We haven’t been this excited to review a phone fully in a long time.
LG V50 ThinQ 5G
DOUBLE THE FUN 7ZLQ VFUHHQHG SKRQHV GRQèW MXVW KDYH WR EH DERXW IROGLQJð LG’s V50 ThinQ 5G DGGV DQ H[WUD GLVSOD\ LQ D GLIIHUHQW ZD\ LG has fallen into being a phone also-ran these days, usually lacking the extra touch Samsung or Apple gives their premium handsets, while being squeezed on price by the likes of OnePlus and Honor. But this phone, due in the first half of 2019, could pack enough tech to put it back in the races. As you can tell from the name, the V50 ThinQ 5G is 5G-capable, and EE has nabbed it as an exclusive in the UK, as part of its aggressive 5G rollout this year. The other headline feature is an option for a folio-style case for the V50 that includes a second screen, so when you open it up, you see one big interface across two screens, effectively. The phone’s main display is a 6.4-inch 1440x3120 affair, while the extra screen is 6.2 inches at 1080x2160. We’ll have to see whether the difference in resolution is jarring when we can get our hands on them. The extra display weighs 131g, so adds some bulk, but not much.
We suspect this won’t really come close to replicating the effect of a full folding screen – you wouldn’t want to open a document and try to read it across the divide, for example – but we can still see it being useful for productivity. Having your calendar open on the left and your email on the right, for example, or making a note while checking a website all sounds handy enough. LG also seems keen to show this off as a great way to game, but we’re not sure it’ll beat the real buttons of a Nintendo Switch if you’re grabbing something to play on the go.
THINQ AHEAD Elsewhere, LG has tried to keep itself at the front of the technological game. The Snapdragon 855 processor is the chip of choice for loads of 2019’s flagship phones, and should keep things super-fast with 6GB of RAM. That’s paired with Qualcomm’s X50 5G modem for next-gen internet speeds.
The triple camera array on the rear seems like it’s shaping up nicely – early results look really bright and rich, and if LG can get this right, it could win over a lot of fence-sitters. You get a standard lens, 2x telephoto and an ultra-wide-angle here, all with 12MP sensors, plus 4K video recording with HDR. Speaking of HDR, the OLED screen supports HDR playback of Dolby Vision, which means Netflix movies and shows can really look their best. The screen was impressive from what we saw of it – no surprise since LG tends to lead the field here. For speakers, LG’s partnership with British hi-fi company Meridian Audio is still playing dividends, and it promises surround sound powered by DTS:X (as opposed to the Dolby option most handsets seem to go for). A 4,000mAh battery keeps things ticking over, which is pretty damn big – only a few handsets have matched that so far. There’s no word on pricing as yet. A P R I L 2 019 T3 7 7
The next generation
FOUR OF A KIND :LWK IRXU QHZ PRGHOV WKHUHèV D Samsung Galaxy S10 IRU SUHWW\ PXFK HYHU\RQH ZKDWHYHU \RXU QHHGV Samsung’s spring won’t be just about the Galaxy Fold – there’s a whole pile of Galaxy S10 models coming. Let’s start with the regular S10, which has a 6.1-inch OLED screen, with a tall 1440x3040 screen (that’s a 19:9 aspect ratio), which makes it supersharp. The big design change is that the front camera is now embedded in the screen, like the Honor View 20. Samsung calls this the InďŹ nity-O display, seemingly without a hint of double entendre. It means you’ve got much less of a bezel at the top and bottom of the device than the S9 had, giving it that hot all-screen look. There’s an in-display ďŹ ngerprint sensor hiding under the front, and it’s the ďŹ rst phone to support the new (and likely to be very popular) HDR10+ format – excitingly, it can even record 4K video in the HDR10+ format from its rear camera setup. Speaking of which, you’ve got a three-lens setup here, very similar to the LG V50: one 12MP regular lens, one 12MP 2x telephoto, and one 16MP ultra-wide-angle. Inside, you get Samsung’s latest-gen Exynos processor, which promises a handy speed bump over last year’s equivalent, plus a 3,400mAh battery. Then there’s the S10+, which is pretty much the same, but with a 6.4-inch screen (at the same resolution, so marginally less sharp, but still so pixel-dense there’s no real disadvantage). The only dierences of note, other than the screen, are that you get a 4,100mAh battery (a nice boost over the base version) and a dual front camera, with one lens for taking the actual shot and another that maps depth data to apply Insta-worthy Portrait mode blur.
E NUMBERS The Samsung Galaxy S10e is where it gets interesting. If you followed Apple’s phones last year, you might be able to guess what’s up here: yep, it’s a cheaper version in the same family, with a few cut backs in the screen and camera to meet a lower price. You still get an OLED display (unlike the iPhone XR), but it’s smaller at 5.8 inches, and has a 1080x2280 resolution – lower than the other S10 models but still more than high enough to look premium (and it’s still HDR10+). You get the same processor, and a 3,100mAh battery. You get a dual rear-camera setup instead of triple, which is the 12MP standard lens and 16MP ultra-wide-angle, so it’s just the telephoto option that gets dropped. 7 8 T3 A P R I L 2 019
The screen doesn’t have the curved left and right edges, so you’ve got a very small bezel all the way round, but this just puts it on par with other phones, really. The S10e starts from ÂŁ669, and it looks like a really good deal for that price, although the regular S10 starts at ÂŁ799, and we’d still be tempted to trade up for that fairly small price dierence. The S10+ starts from ÂŁ899. Lastly, there’s the S10 5G, which is being held back for a June release. Despite not carrying the plus name, this is the beeďŹ est phone of the lot, packing a 6.7-inch display (at the same resolution as the S10 and S10+), the same cameras, the same processor‌ you get the idea. The S10 5G will have a 4,500mAh battery to match its added size, and, as you have probably guessed, it will be the only 5G-ready model. Both EE and Vodafone have announced they’ll be selling it.
Sony Xperia 1
MOVIE MAGIC
The Sony Xperia 1 EULQJV FLQHPD VFDOH ZLGHVFUHHQ WR SKRQHV RQ D JRUJHRXV . VFUHHQ T3 has been waiting for 21:9 screens to get their time in the sun. This widescreen format is commonly used for cinema, so a few screen makers have dabbled in producing TVs or monitors in that shape, so that when you watch movies you don’t get black bars at the top and bottom. Well, as phone screens have extended to become nearly that level of widescreen, Sony has just skipped ahead, offering a stunning 6.5-inch 21:9 display on the Xperia 1 phone with a resolution of 1644x3840. This means you can watch 4K movies at full resolution, in HDR, on one of the best OLED screens out there (Sony packs in tech from its brilliant TVs). It’s working with Netflix, Amazon and YouTube to make sure movies in this format display perfectly. Dolby Atmos support means it will all sound fantastic too.
This does come with some caveats. For starters, it makes the phone extremely tall when you’re using it in portrait. It means it’s a bit more usable than its 6.5-inch size would suggest, because it’s relatively skinny, but that’s still a lot of phone to grip securely. It also means that regular 16:9 video won’t be in full 4K, but that’s true of any other phone too, so isn’t exactly a big problem. It might be a bit odd with some games, but don’t worry: Sony is working with Epic Games to make sure that Fortnite works perfectly on it. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 855 processor (we told you it’d be popular), and there’s a triple camera system on the rear that matches what is apparently now the standard on new phones – you get a regular lens and 2x telephoto (both of which have five-axis optical stabilisation),
plus an ultra-wide lens, all at 12 megapixels, with 4K video recording that includes HDR. Sony’s usual music prowess is here too. Hi-res file support is pretty comprehensive, and it includes the new aptX HD wireless format for better-thanCD quality streaming. And with Remote Play for your PS4 built in too (a feature often forgotten, but one that’s pretty nice if your internet is up to it), the Xperia 1 could well be the ultimate entertainment phone for 2019. 5G support seems to be lacking here, though it’s hardly universal yet anyway, and the 3,330mAh battery is a bit smaller than we would like. The £849 price is fairly competitive, and it’s due in spring.
SEEING CLEARLY 7KH ĆYH FDPHUDV RI WKH Nokia PureView 9 FRXOG EH D UHYROXWLRQ You know those huge 40-ish-megapixel sensors used on phones like the Honor View 20 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro? Nokia did it first, back in 2012, with the 808 PureView. The PureView 9 is its spiritual successor, but instead of using one giant sensor, it uses five 12MP cameras all snapping together to create absolutely incredible images. Using similar tech to the Light L16 16-lens camera, the camera setup includes three monochrome sensors and two full colour, which all combine their light and colour information into a final 12MP output. This makes it capable of some seriously cool stuff, the more subtle of which is that it has a huge dynamic range, so you should get more detail from both shadows and highlights than almost anything else. It also records much more depth data (1,200 layers) than other phones, even those with Portrait modes. Why? So that you can
choose which part of the image should be in focus after you’ve shot it. Suddenly, getting the perfect image is a million times easier, because you don’t need to nail it at the time – you can find it afterwards as long as the phone was pointing in the right direction. We haven’t been able to test this properly, but the examples we’ve seen have been stunning. And it’s not a hard process at all – you can make the changes in the Google Photos app, though there will also be support for its raw shots in Lightroom, for more advanced photographers. Elsewhere, the phone looks solid for its £549 expected price. You get a sharp 1440x2880 OLED screen with HDR support, a Snapdragon 845 processor, a 20MP front camera, and in-display fingerprint scanner. Nokia is still committed to its Android One path, which means you get Android 9 with no annoying extras attached. A P R I L 2 019 T3 79
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OUTDOOR TECH SPECIAL From tech that does the gardening for you to wilderness survival gear, these are the gadgets that will help you take on the forces of nature
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All contents © 2019 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this PDJD]LQH PD\ EH XVHG VWRUHG WUDQVPLWWHG RU UHSURGXFHG LQ DQ\ ZD\ ZLWKRXW WKH SULRU ZULWWHQ SHUPLVVLRQ RI WKH publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered RIĆFH 4XD\ +RXVH 7KH $PEXU\ %DWK %$ 8$ $OO LQIRUPDWLRQ FRQWDLQHG LQ WKLV SXEOLFDWLRQ LV IRU LQIRUPDWLRQ only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates WR WKHP 7KLV PDJD]LQH LV IXOO\ LQGHSHQGHQW DQG QRW DIĆOLDWHG LQ DQ\ ZD\ ZLWK WKH FRPSDQLHV PHQWLRQHG KHUHLQ
TESTED Expert reviews and recommendations WR KHOS \RX EX\ ZLWK FRQĆGHQFH Edited by Matt Bolton
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XIAOMI MI MIX 3
HIGH-TECH 4K BLU-RAY PLAYERS
NEOS SMARTCAM
LENOVO YOGA BOOK C930
WAKE-UP LIGHTS
POCKETALK
HOW WE TEST In T3, we feature only the ďŹ nest gadgets out there, and we believe that you – our loyal reader – deserve only the best tech in your life. We don’t want you to waste time, and money, on inferior products, and that’s exactly why our Tested section exists. In here you’ll ďŹ nd only the latest and hottest tech. Each product has been handpicked and tested by T3’s experts.
We only choose people with specialist knowledge for each test, so you know you’re going to get an outcome based on many years of experience in their respective ďŹ eld. As well as our traditional ďŹ ve-star rating system (right), we also give out awards to particularly exceptional gadgets, using the line-up below - so when you spot one of these, you’ll know you’re onto a good thing.
THE SCORES EXPLAINED Forget it Below average Good for the price Very good all round An exceptional, best-in-class product
OUR AWARDS Only the best products ü WKRVH WKDW VFRUH ĆYH PLATINUM stars – receive our AWARD Platinum Award
This is given to winners BEST ON of our group tests, so TEST you can see which is the best at a glance
BEST FOR BATTERY LIFE
This accolade, and others like it, show you which gear is best for VSHFLĆF IHDWXUHV
THE DESIGN AWARD
For kit with exceptional industrial design and UHĆQHPHQW LQ DGGLWLRQ to being a great buy
A P R I L 2 019 T3 81
Tested
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hen it comes to the big Chinese phone makers trying to get their wares sold in Europe and the US, what started as a trickle has now become a ood: we’re up to our knees in handsets from the likes of Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo and others. As time has gone on, the buying propositions have become more and more compelling. The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is a case in point, bringing with it some top-level specs at a mid-range price. If you’re in the market for an Android phone, you have to place this one on your shortlist, no matter what your budget or needs are. Specs-wise, we’re looking at a spacious 6.39-inch, 1080x2340-pixel OLED display, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor inside and 6GB of RAM to keep the phone’s software moving along swiftly. That processor has been topped by the Snapdragon 855 this year, but you’ve still got a very nippy phone here. For storage there’s 128GB of space on board but no memory card slot, so you can’t extend that any further.
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SNAP HAPPY
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Xiaomi Mi Mix 3
SLIDE AND SEE The sliding mechanism for the front camera feels cool and works well, though the photos themselves aren’t quite as good as you might expect from a duallens 24MP+2MP snapper
BEZELS BANISHED One advantage of the sliding popup camera is no notch and ultrathin bezels: they aren’t completely gone, especially at the bottom, but the screen-to-body ratio is pleasingly high
Around the back of the phone there’s a dual-lens 12MP+12MP rear-facing camera, and a ďŹ ngerprint sensor (which isn’t situated under the screen, as it is on some of the other agship phones of 2019).
Pop goes the camera As far as unique selling points go, the major one with the Mi Mix 3 is the sliding mechanism you use to reveal the front-facing selďŹ e camera – the whole screen snaps down a little to reveal a dual-lens, 24MP+24MP camera. It’s not the ďŹ rst phone to do this, but it’s one of the best. It might sound gimmicky, but it does mean there’s no need for a notch – the display is a truly gorgeous one, unblemished by any black holes or rectangles protruding in from the edges. With minimal bezels, it’s one of the very best screens we’ve set eyes on lately. Are the notch-free aesthetics worth the eort of sliding out the camera every time? We admit it’s mostly a personal preference, but in truth we like it more than we thought
we would. In fact, it’s kind of cool to have that tactile mechanism to call on whenever you need to take a selďŹ e or make a video call, and it also means the camera gets launched instantly, without any ďŹ ddling within apps or menus. The mechanism itself is smooth and satisfying – whether it’ll stay that way over years of use we can’t say, but the early signs are good. The sliding mechanism also means that Xiaomi can ďŹ t in a dual-lens 24MP+2MP conďŹ guration for the front-facing camera, unhampered by the restrictions of a notch. The extra lens doesn’t really translate to extra quality though, as we’ll get to further on in this review.
Design chops Xiaomi has put together a sleeklooking polished phone with the Mi Mix 3, particularly if you’re peering at it from the front. Around the back it’s a pleasingly minimal design – the Mi Mix 3 isn’t going to win any awards for originality, but we like the way it’s been put together. Colour choices are Sapphire Blue and Onyx Black.
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Perhaps because of that slider, the phone is slightly thicker (8.5mm) and slightly heavier (218g) than a lot of its rivals. To clarify, it doesn’t feel like a thick or heavy phone in the hand, but it carries a bit more bulk than most handsets at the top end of the market. Add in that large 6.39-inch display (using a very tall 19.5:9 aspect ratio) and this isn’t a phone we would recommend for people with particularly small hands (or small pockets for that matter). The Mi Mix 3 is just about usable with one hand, but most of the time you’re going to need two hands to properly get stu done on this handset. Another consequence of the slider mechanism is that the phone has no IP rating for waterprooďŹ ng or dustprooďŹ ng, so this might be one phone that absolutely needs a protective case to go with it. It’s one of those trade-os you often see with smartphones at a mid-range price, and it’s one that may or may not bother you. Wireless charging is available, which means you can pop this down A P R I L 2 019 T3 8 3
Tested
ADDED AI Xiaomi has added some AI smarts to the rear-facing camera to choose photo modes for you, if you want. Optional HDR also adds more detail and clarity to \RXU ĆQLVKHG LPDJHV
on a charging mat and forget about it for a while. As with many phones these days though, the 3.5mm headphone jack has been thoroughly ditched, so you’ll need an adapter (or a new pair of headphones) if you want to listen to your playlists and podcasts and the like on this handset.
DESIGN FOR LIFE The phone might be slightly bulkier than some of its more famous rivals but it’s by no means an ugly phone – and we’ll take a little extra heft if it means a much lower price
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Hitting the mark The Mi Mix 3 mostly impresses on paper, and it’s the same story when in action: it’s a pleasure to use, and it’s a phone that your friends and family will be peering over in admiration. Xiaomi has managed to put together a
polished phone for a decent price, and we deďŹ nitely enjoyed our time with it. Software can often be a drawback with phones from Chinese ďŹ rms, as they often tend to clutter up Android with a number of unnecessary apps and ourishes. Xiaomi’s own take on Android isn’t too bad, but we found the custom graphics a bit dull, and the app drawer gets removed, so all your app icons have to be somewhere on the home screens. You can always install a thirdparty Android launcher to revamp the interface, but most people won’t want to go to the eort of having to do that.
The software is based on Android 9 Pie, which is a plus point, but it’s a bit ďŹ ddly and frustrating otherwise. In fact, it’s certainly no match for the OSes on board phones from Google, Samsung and OnePlus. Thankfully, once you get into the apps everything runs smoothly. We tested the Mi Mix 3 with all our regular apps and games, and it coped well with everything we threw at it. Other 2019 phones might beat it in terms of benchmarks, but in day-today use it blazes through tasks. Camera performance is usually a key concern for potential phone
ALTERNATIVE CHOICES
HONOR VIEW 20
ONEPLUS 6T
GOOGLE PIXEL 2
7KH 9LHZ KDV WKH VDPH VL]H VFUHHQ DV WKH 0L 0L[ EHWWHU LQWHUQDOV DQG WKH VDPH SULFH JLYLQJ ;LDRPLèV SKRQH VRPH VWLII FRPSHWLWLRQ ,W GRHVQèW KDYH D FRRO VOLGLQJ PHFKDQLVP EXW LW KDV D KROH SXQFK IURQW FDPHUD LQVWHDG £499, hihonor.com
2QH3OXV KDV ćDJVKLS VSHFV DW PLG UDQJH SULFHV DQG LWV ODWHVW 7 KDQGVHW PDWFKHV WKH 0L 0L[ IRU VFUHHQ VL]H DQG VSHFV :H SUHIHU WKH 2QH3OXV WDNH RQ $QGURLG DQG LW KDV DQ LQ VFUHHQ ĆQJHUSULQW VHQVRU WR ERRW £529, oneplus.com
:LWK VLPLODU VSHFV WR WKH 0L 0L[ WKH 3L[HO èV PDLQ VHOOLQJ SRLQW LV LWV FDPHUD ZKLFK UHPDLQV RQH RI WKH EHVW LQ WKH EXVLQHVV :LWK D VFUHHQ VL]H RI MXVW LQFKHV LWèV DOVR PRUH SRFNHW IULHQGO\ £629, store.google.com
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Xiaomi Mi Mix 3
SKIN DEEP Xiaomi’s MIUI Android skin is bearable but not among the best out there. If you really don’t like it, download a third-party launcher to reskin the look of Android
buyers, and we’re pleased to report that the Mi Mix 3 does well in this regard. The shutter response is fast and the pictures are very good – as you’d expect, noise creeps in in lower light, but Xiaomi’s handset managed to do well in most conditions. It’s not the Pixel 3, but then it costs a lot less, so take your choice. The 2x optical zoom available on the rear-facing camera really comes in handy for getting closer to the action, and we found the optional HDR mode does a good job of keeping dark and light areas of a picture visible. There’s also an AI mode that will choose the best scene setting for whatever your phone is pointing at, though we didn’t really use that mode as it didn’t seem to make much of a useful dierence. When it comes to the selďŹ e camera, the results weren’t quite as sharp or as eye-catching, but then you won’t be shooting landscapes with this phone camera. Considering that the front-facing camera is housed in a separate section of the Mi Mix 3, we thought the quality might be a little better, but in reality it’s really nothing special. As for battery life, you can expect the usual day of use out of the Mi Mix
3: during our testing, we usually had around 15-20% battery left by bedtime, and that’s with a reasonable amount of mixed use during the day. Watching Netix knocked the battery level down by about 10% per hour, so think 10 hours of video watching. That’s about par for the course with modern-day smartphones – the battery won’t let you down, but it isn’t going to stretch to a second day either. Remember that we’re testing a brand new phone here, too, so that battery performance may well degrade over time. It’s just something to keep in mind.
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areas. For example, there’s a lack of waterprooďŹ ng, and there’s a few software niggles that might not be to your liking. With so much competition at this particular price range, it’s perhaps that sliding camera – and the notch-free screen you get as a result – which is going to tempt you into buying the Mi Mix 3 for yourself. For now, it’s something refreshingly dierent in a very busy smartphone market where handsets are ďŹ nding it diďŹƒcult to stand out.
The whole package Every smartphone is a balance between its price and everything else, and we’d say the Mi Mix 3 manages that balance better than most of its rivals. For a relatively aordable price (at least in smartphone terms), you get a stylish, fast and capable handset that’s going to last you for years to come. If you’re keen on picking up this phone, we certainly wouldn’t loose any sleep worrying about the camera quality, the performance, battery life or the screen, as they’re all very good. The trade-os occur in more minor
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED 6W\OLVK GHVLJQ QLSS\ SHUIRUPDQFH QR QRWFK WE’D IMPROVE &DPHUD TXDOLW\ LVQèW TXLWH WRS OHYHO ;LDRPL VKRXOG VWLFN WR VWRFN $QGURLG THE LAST WORD 2QH RI WKH EHVW PLG WR XSSHU UDQJH $QGURLG SKRQHV RQ WKH PDUNHW
Want more top Android phones? We round them up here: bit.ly/t3androidphones
A P R I L 2 019 T3 8 5
Tested
HIGH-TECH 4K BLU-RAY PLAYERS
Pioneer UDP-LX800 £2,199, pioneer-audiovisual.eu
£849, panasonic.co.uk
FEATURES This is built with damping and rigidity in mind to reduce vibration (it weighs 13.8kg!). You get two HDMI outputs (one can do pure audio), support for Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HDR10+ (in an update), and specific settings for OLED, LCD and projectors.
FEATURES This is the first player to support all forms of HDR: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision. There are HDMI outputs (one audio only). You can stream from Netlix, Amazon, and more. 3D Blu-ray is supported, but SACD and DVD-Audio aren’t.
INTERFACE The only real options here are source selection and settings. The former locates any compatible media servers, which is a nice touch, as is the ability to hold down the Display button and see the technical information about the HDR mastering.
INTERFACE Panasonic’s interface gets a lick of paint here, but it’s similar to previous players: solid and easy to use. There are options for local streaming as well as online services. You can look at the HDR data here too, in the new Playback Info screen.
IMAGE QUALITY Video is absolutely gripping despite the unit being whisper quiet. Colour recreation in Dolby Vision is totally smooth and rich, while 4K detail and texture levels are perfect. Your regular HD Blu-ray discs are also handled brilliantly.
IMAGE QUALITY There is a fluid realness to 4K visuals here that’s stunning, thanks to Panasonic’s superior work on colour graduation, while also being crammed with detail. This is HDR at its most intoxicating. HD video is upscaled impressively, as a bonus.
SOUND QUALITY You get supremely immersive 3D audio as well. The spatial effect of instruments is engrossing, and sound has a deft naturalness. It handles pure audio discs and all the major file formats (including hi-res) immaculately. It’s seriously good.
SOUND QUALITY The UB9000 seems geared towards audio detail above all else, which means it falls short of audiophile standards for music, despite good hi-res file support. The surround performance is still really rich and involving, though.
VERDICT
2nd
Panasonic UB9000
WE’RE IMPRESSED Incredible video and audio capabilities; great set of features. WE’D IMPROVE Interface is really basic; it’s very big and very heavy.
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED HDR movies at their best; excellent video format support, including streaming services built in; good feature set. WE’D IMPROVE Not quite audiophile sound.
Meet the world’s best tellies to match them with: bit.ly/t3besttv
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1st
Neos SmartCam
VALUE VIDEO
Neos SmartCam It’s a perfectly good smart camera for £20. We’re in no-brainer territory here…
£19 shop.neos.co.uk mart security is one of the biggest areas of home tech because, well, people don’t like the idea of getting robbed very much. That may sound a little flippant, but it’s a simple truth. Neos is a home insurance company that provides smart security and safety tech as part of its packages, and it has now made one of these products, the SmartCam, available to anyone for the ludicrous price of £19.99 (plus a fiver for delivery).
S
One vision What you get for that price is on the more basic end of the smart-cam spectrum, but we can’t complain about the quality. The Neos SmartCam is an indoor-only camera with 1080p recording through a 110-degree lens. Lots of equivalent standalone wide-angle cameras offer 180-degree vision, which is more flexible for seeing more with a single camera, but comes at a trade-off of detail (since the same amount of pixels have to show more stuff) – the SmartCam’s footage was a little sharper than the D-Link Omna 180 cameras from the very same
corner position, for example, and still caught our whole room. In terms of smarts, you get motion detection and noise detection (with notifications), the sensitivity of which can be tweaked. The motion detection lacks face or person detection, so you’ll get false alerts from rapid light changes or pets (there’s no way to set zones, either). That’s no surprise given the price, but more expensive options will give you extra control. It also arms and disarms itself automatically based on location (which means it won’t send you notifications when you’re at home). This worked perfectly for us, and you can always arm or disarm manually in the app if you want. The app itself is easy to use and supports multiple cameras. Recordings are 12 seconds long, triggered on detection, and are saved for 14 days in the cloud for free (with end-to-end encryption, according to Neos), but you can also record to microSD card. The quality of recorded images is solid, and there’s night vision, which we’ve found roughly equivalent to other cams on the market that cost around £100. You also get two-way comms. And that’s the gist, really. It’d be an average smart camera if it was more expensive… but it isn’t. In fact, it’s so cheap, the only reason not to get one is if you want a more expensive one.
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Solid image quality, reliable smarts, free 14day cloud storage, night vision… all for such little money! WE’D IMPROVE The lack of motion zones or person detection will mean false positives. THE LAST WORD This isn’t the best smart camera on the market, but for the price it’s astounding. Unless you want more control, get a handful of these right away.
See which fancier cams we like best: bit.ly/t3smartcam
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Tested
Display 10.8-inch 2560x1440 LCD Processor 1.6GHz Intel Core i57Y54 Memory 4GB Graphics Intel HD Graphics 615 Storage 128GB (£1,099)/256GB (£1,299) Connections 2x USB Type C (1x of which provides audio), microSD card slot Dimensions 179.4x260.4x9.9mm Weight 775g
DISAPPOINTINK
Lenovo Yoga Book C930 One of the best-designed laptops we’ve ever seen also proves to be one of the most frustrating
From £1,099 lenovo.com e get a lot of laptops in the T3 office, but it’s been years since anything turned heads like this Yoga Book has. The C930 is absolutely gorgeous in its fine metal grey, all sleek flat lines and impossibly thin at 9.9mm closed. Then you knock its lid twice and it pops open automatically, causing another gasp. And then people see the E-Ink screen, which sits where the keys would be, acting as keyboard, note-taking tool and ereader, depending on what you need. “Wow,” they say, “so is it any good?” And you just… sigh.
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Key change Here’s how that E-Ink screen works for replacing the keyboard: when you open up the laptop, you unlock it with 8 8 T3 A P R I L 2 019
your fingerprint, and the lower screen pops into life, usually showing whatever you were doing on it last, though sometimes we found that it was very stubborn about clearing the placeholder screen that appears when it’s turned off. But mostly, if you were in notetaking mode last time, for example, it will immediately show that, often in the wrong orientation, in the case of the note tool. You tap a button in the corner to switch between keyboard mode and the other options. The good news is that the keyboard is surprisingly decent. Not as good as a physical keyboard, but we actually became kind of fond of it. When you press a key, there’s some haptic feedback that feels soft and clacky, like a typewriter key more than your average laptop key. Our typing was definitely less accurate on it, though, and we found using Shift in particular unreliable – it’s too easy to slide your finger off while reaching.
Lenovo Yoga Book C930
Some good ideas have gone into the keyboard, such as the option for two dierent balances between key size and trackpad, though actually we’d have liked something between the two. As a trackpad, the screen works fairly well – it’s responsive, though to rightclick reliably you need to press a fake button on it, which is awkward. We could forgive these issues if the E-Ink screen excelled in its other functions, but it very much doesn’t. Drawing with the pen (included in the ÂŁ1,299 model) in the note-taking mode is laggy on the E-Ink screen (the pen also works on the main screen, and it’s great there, though it has a button on it mapped to undo that’s too easy to accidentally press). The handwriting recognition had a 0% hit rate for us, and to get notes out of it and into another app you have to copy and paste, which a) was hit and miss, and b) isn’t very slick. Proper integration with OneNote or Evernote or something would be much better. The ereader pretty much just displays the ďŹ les. You can take a cropped screengrab, but there’s no highlighting or bookmarking or other more intelligent sharing.
There’s a theoretically handy system whereby you can open it into tablet mode and get straight into using the E-Ink screen for notes or reading, but this proved too slow and unpredictable for us. So you’ve got a slightly worse input experience than regular keys, and no real beneďŹ t from the other options provided. It just isn’t worth it.
We love the Yoga Book’s sleek lines. We just wish the bits inside them worked better
Screen siren What’s better is that the main 10.8-inch display is great. It’s a strong size to balance portability with actually being able to see stu on screen, and the 2560x1440 resolution is lovely and crisp. Even the twin speakers are pretty impressive for the thin size. There’s no 3.5mm jack here, – one of the two USB-C ports provides audio output. Lenovo says you’ll get around nine hours of battery life from the C930, and that tracks roughly with our experience. Using the E-Ink screen more than the main screen for notes would boost things more, if we could stand doing it. Part of the longevity comes from the lowpower Intel processor. Having said
BUY THESE INSTEAD APPLE iPAD PRO 11-INCH
MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 6
This has the same size screen as the C930, but as much power as a pro laptop. Apple’s keyboard case isn’t pretty, but it’s great to type on, and the Apple Pencil 2 is utterly brilliant for notes. From £769, apple.com/uk
With a 12.3-inch screen and thin (yet excellent) Type Cover keyboards, this offers quad-core power in a package almost as sleek as the Yoga Book. We love the Surface’s kickstand, too. From £879, microsoft.com
that, Windows itself runs fairly snappily – all the waiting we ever had to do was for the E-Ink screen – but as soon as you try any heavy lifting you’ll hit a big bottleneck. You get a lot more grunt from an Apple iPad Pro, but then you don’t get the exibility of full Windows. We want to like the C930 so much. We love to see a company pushing new ideas, especially in one of the best-designed little laptops we’ve ever tried (even the hinge is brilliant, particularly with that ‘knock to open’ feature), but we just can’t recommend it. If some of these design ideas go into something more akin to Microsoft’s Surface Go, Lenovo could be onto a winner. But this ain’t it.
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Stunning looks; great LCD screen; sleek and light; feels fairly snappy. WE’D IMPROVE E-Ink screen makes it harder to use than your DYHUDJH ODSWRS IRU QR EHQHĆW underpowered for the price. THE LAST WORD This laptop is a nice idea that just hasn’t worked out. It’s an underpowered laptop, and a mediocre tablet for a lot of money. Avoid, but keep your eye on future versions.
Check out the best 2-in-1 laptops here: bit.ly/T32in1
A P R I L 2 019 T3 8 9
Tested
Wake-up lights It’s easier (and less harsh) to wake up with a faux sunrise. These bedside lamps mix a light alarm with some extra features Words: Duncan Bell, Matt Bolton, Claire Davies, Paul Douglas
A STYLISH WAY TO RISE AND SHINE
THE SIMPLE OPTION
LUMIE BODYCLOCK SHINE 300
CASPER GLOW
ÂŁ125, lumie.com
ÂŁ89, casper.com
The Bodyclock Shine 300 is Lumie’s newest bedside model, designed with a decent range of features to help you sleep and rise easier. These include a cheery, gradually increasing sunrise (don’t schedule LW WR FRPH RQ DW WKH PD[LPXP OLJKW VHWWLQJ ß LWèV EOLQGLQJ D FRV\ red glowing sunset, and an optional nightlight for nervous sleepers. You can also soundtrack those sunrises/sunsets with FM radio or soothing sounds (Crickets is relaxing, White Noise is heinous). The OLJKW LVQèW DSS FRQWUROOHG VR ZH KDG WR ĆGGOH ZLWK WKH WLQ\ EXLOW LQ buttons, and navigating around the Shine 300 to program either daily or weekly alarms took some getting used to. Overall this is a very good wake-up light, but app-control would make it great.
This attractive bedside light can gradually dim itself to help you doze off, before doing the same thing in reverse in the morning, to wake you gently. The Glow has no audible alarm, and in a room that wasn’t totally blacked out, we found Glow’s brightness no more useful as a means of waking up than the rising of the actual sun. Paired with the alarm on your phone as backup, and/or used in a very dark room, it’s more effective, but we’d expect it to have an alarm built in for this kind of price. When in bedside light mode, you can turn light intensity up and down by rotating Glow manually. If woken in the night you can give it a shake to set the light to its very lowest setting, giving DbOLJKW VRXUFH MXVW EULJKW HQRXJK WR KHOS \RX ĆQG WKH WRLOHW
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Wake-up lights
n a dark room, waking up to a buzzing alarm isn’t the smoothest way to start the day. Wake-up lights help you slowly come out of sleep much more gently, so you’re ready to go right away.
I
These four lamps all have wake-up lights, but many also pack in speakers and some other tech to make them handy as bedside helpers. However, before we start, if it’s just a light you want, that you might pair with your phone
alarm, we recommend the LIFX Mini Day & Night (ÂŁ27, uk.lifx. com), which you can put in any lamp design you like (it has screw or bayonet options). It talks directly to your phone (no hub required) and has settings for bedtime as well as morning.
FULL OF FEATURES AND POWER
SNOOZE ON THIS ONE
PHILIPS SOMNEO SLEEP AND WAKE-UP LIGHT
BEURER WL 90
ÂŁ149, philips.co.uk
ÂŁ130, beurer.com/web/gb
This feature-packed light has a light that starts off red and then turns to orange and then ends with bright yellow light, which is a gentler ZDNLQJ H[SHULHQFH WKDQ D OLJKW WKDW MXVW JRHV WKURXJK OHYHOV RI ZKLWH yellow. It also has a night-time mode, where it dims over time and plays noises. You can play nature sounds or FM radio alongside the OLJKW WR ZDNH XS 7KH WRXFK GLVSOD\ PDNHV LW HDV\ WR VHW XS DQG DGMXVW WKH GLVSOD\ EULJKWQHVV DGMXVWV DXWRPDWLFDOO\ WR \RXU URRPèV OLJKW WKRXJK \RX FDQ DGMXVW LW PDQXDOO\ DQG D QLFH WRXFK LV WKDW LI \RX JHW up in the middle of the night you can tap the top of the lamp and it emits a very gentle red glow. The design might split opinion: Philips describes it as “sleek and stylishâ€?; you may disagree.
7KRXJK WKH :/ LV SHUIHFWO\ IXQFWLRQDO LW MXVW DQQR\HG XV LQ WRR many ways. You can set three alarm times on it, but the only way to turn off the alarm is to reach around the back to the tiny buttons. To snooze it, you have to basically slap its side to vibrate it. This is also KRZ \RX WXUQ WKH ODPS RQ DQG RII ,WèV QRW GLJQLĆHG 7KH ZDNH XS light’s brightness is middling, and it dims shortly after the alarm, so if you snooze you end up back in the dark. The mood lighting EULJKWQHVV LV WRR GLP WR EH XVHIXO 7KH VRXQG TXDOLW\ LV ĆQH DQG %OXHWRRWK SOD\EDFN LV QLFH WR KDYH 7KH DSS LV ĆGGO\ WKRXJK ZRUNV ĆQH EXW ZKHQ \RX RSHQ LW DQG FRQQHFW WR WKH ODPS WKH ODPS EHHSV ü not great if you’re making a tweak while someone else is sleeping.
A P R I L 2 019 T3 91
Tested
CHATTERBOX
Pocketalk 7KLV SRUWDEOH WUDQVODWRU VSHDNV ORXGO\ DQG VORZO\ to foreigners on your behalf, but in a way they’ll actually understand £299 Smartech @ selfridges.com ntil we get earbuds that seamlessly translate speech, you’ll have to stick with apps on your phone, or use a dedicated translation device, like the Pocketalk here. To start, you choose the two languages you need to translate between, hold a button while talking, and let the device repeat your phrase in the other language.
U
Universal language The advantage of having something dedicated to doing this instead of using an app on your phone is that you can leave your phone stored safely in the hotel, or in your bag, rather than waving it around. You also won’t burn through its battery. The Pocketalk has a small touchscreen you can use to tweak settings such as volume (or to get on a Wi-Fi network, which requires using an awkwardly small keyboard), and to choose which languages it’ll translate between from the 76 available. The one potential wrinkle is that it requires an internet connection – there’s no offline support at all, unlike its competitor, the Travis 9 2 T3 A P R I L 2 019
Touch Plus. You can get a version of the Pocketalk with a SIM, which comes with global data access for two years (no monthly fee), or there’s a slightly cheaper version with only Wi-Fi, which you could tether to your phone. The good news is that translating using the internet delivers pretty impressive recognition. It struggles with unusual proper nouns mixed into sentences, not surprisingly, but worked well for us otherwise, provided we had solid signal – otherwise it tends to hang, without a clear error message. Ironically, when we went to a farm in the middle of the French country, we got great fast responses, but had some issues in a UK city when our phone had full 4G (it’s proven pretty good overall, though). The built-in speakers can go obnoxiously loud, and the voice quality is usually good, though some languages, such as Greek, sounded more robotic and unclear than others. The mic quality is okay, but had trouble hearing us clearly from about a metre away in a room with noisy air-con. You’ll want to hold it close to the person you’re speaking with. We like that it stores previous phrases and responses, so you could cue up a load of likely phrases before going out, and just tap to play. In terms of battery life, it should last all day, but loses about 20% in a day in standby.
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Very solid internet-based translation; battery life is good enough; wide range of languages; signal quality was good overall. WE’D IMPROVE 2IćLQH VXSSRUW ZRXOG EH XVHIXO PLFURSKRQH quality was only decent; some voices are a tad low quality. THE LAST WORD This is a nice device that works well, but it costs DV PXFK DV D SKRQH DQG PLJKW QRW work if the signal goes.
See more of the best travel tech: bit.ly/t3traveltech
Competition
WIN! 1 OF 3 HARMAN KARDON CITATION 300 SPEAKERS FOR YOUR HOME! Enjoy room-ďŹ lling stereo sound, ample smarts and slick voice control, all wrapped up in a supremely elegant, Google-powered speaker
WORTH
ÂŁ1,049
TOTAL!
Any modern home worth its salt should be making room for a smart speaker, and preferably a stylish one. Harman Kardon’s Citation 300 is both, adopting a minimalist design palette that enables it to slip quietly into a range of home decor schemes. And this month, we have three Citation 300 speakers to give away to three T3 readers. The Citation 300’s smarts are courtesy of built-in Google Assistant, and you can set up the speaker through the Google Home app. Because it’s teamed with Google, this multi-room capable speaker also has Chromecast built-in. It’s designed to fill your entire room with Harman Kardon’s premium stereo sound, offering a delectable bass-rich performance that sounds great across rock, pop, soul and many other genres. Control comes from either the full-colour LCD touchscreen or
via voice command, enabling quick and easy control of your music and compatible smart home kit. Of course, via the speaker you can ask Google to do all the usual stuff: recap the day’s news highlights, read out your upcoming appointments, and tons more. The Citation 300 comes in grey or black, and is covered in a dirt-repellent and flame retardant blended-wool fabric made by Danish textile house Kvadrat. The speaker won’t take up too much space on your shelf or console table, and can be paired with statement interior pieces without clashing. We’ve got three of these stunning smart speakers, worth £349.99 each, to give away to three readers. To be in with a chance of winning, enter via the site on the right! To find out more about the Citation 300 speaker, and other products in Harman .DUGRQèV UDQJH YLVLWbharmankardon.co.uk.
To enter, simply answer the following question:
WHICH SMART ASSISTANT DOES THE CITATION 300 FEATURE? Siri Google Assistant Alexa Voice Service Enter today at: bit.ly/t3harmancomp
7KH FRPSHWLWLRQ FORVHV $SULO %\ WDNLQJ SDUW \RXbDJUHH WR EH ERXQG by the competition rules: futureplc.com/competition-rules. Entries must be received by midnight on 12 April 2019 (UK time). Open to UK residents aged 18 years and over. There will be three winners, entitled to one Citation 300 speaker each. The prize is non-transferable and non-refundable. There is no cash alternative.
A P R I L 2 019 T3 9 3
BEST OF THE BEST The world’s best tech, all in one place Edited by Matt Bolton
If you’re looking for the very best tech available WRGD\ \RXèYH GHĆQLWHO\ FRPH WR WKH ULJKW SODFH %HVW RI WKH %HVW LV WKH PRVW XVHIXO JDGJHW EX\LQJ JXLGH \RX ZLOO HYHU HQFRXQWHU 7R FUHDWH it, we’ve extensively tested the best tech the ZRUOG KDV WR RIIHU WR EULQJ \RX URFN VROLG UHFRPPHQGDWLRQV IRU \RXU KRPH OLIH GDLO\ FRPPXWH DQG WKH WHFK \RX XVH DOO WKH WLPH In 54 different categories, we’ve chosen the WRS IRXU SURGXFWV VR \RX FDQ FKRRVH RQH WKDWèV
MXVW WKH ULJKW PL[ RI IHDWXUHV DQG EXGJHW IRU ZKDW \RX QHHG 7KHVH UDQNLQJV FRPH IURP UHDO WHVWLQJ E\ RXU WHDP RI H[SHUWV å WKH\èUH WKH SURGXFWV we’d choose for ourselves, and we can’t UHFRPPHQG DQ\ KLJKHU WKDQ WKDW Look for the links above each category that WDNH \RX WR WKH VDPH OLVW SOXV PRUH EH\RQG WKH WRS IRXU DQG PDQ\ PRUH FDWHJRULHV DW T3.com, ZKHUH RXU SULFH FRPSDULVRQ V\VWHP VKRZV \RX WKH FXUUHQW EHVW GHDOV IRU HYHU\ SURGXFW
INSIDE Smartphones
96
Cheap smartphones
96
Smartwatches
96
Hybrid smartwatches
97
Watches
97
Watches under £500
97
TVs
98
TVs under £1,000
98
Projectors
98
Soundbars
99
Streamers
99
Games consoles
99
Turntables
100
Streaming DACs
100
Multi-room speakers
100
Bluetooth speakers
101
Bluetooth headphones
101
True wireless headphones
101
Noise-cancelling headphones
102
Wired in-ear headphones
102
Wired over-ear headphones
102
Laptops
103
2-in-1 laptops
103
Tablets
103
Gaming laptops
104
Gaming headsets
104
4K monitors
104
Drones
105
Action cameras
105
Cheap action cameras
105
DSLR cameras
106
Mirrorless cameras
106
Compact cameras
106
Sat-navs
107
Dash cams
107
Electric bikes
107
Smart speakers
108
Smart bulbs
108
Smart thermostats
108
Smart plugs
109
Security cameras
109
Robot vacuums
109
Cordless vacuums
110
Washing machines
110
Dishwashers
110
Coffee machines
111
Fridges
111
Ovens
111
Electric shavers
112
Electric toothbrushes
112
Beard trimmers
112
Fitness trackers
113
Running watches
113
Running headphones
113
A P R I L 2 019 T3 9 5
Best of the best
SMARTPHONES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestphone APPLE iPHONE XS
From £999, apple.com/uk The phenomenal speed, hyperpremium build quality, fantastic camera and gorgeous HDR screen with Dolby Vision support make this the world’s most desirable phone.
HUAWEI MATE 20 PRO
CHEAP SMARTPHONES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestcheapphone HONOR PLAY ÂŁ249, hihonor.com
Pitched as a gaming phone, but it’s just an all-round brilliant Android phone that’s a stone-cold bargain. It has a high-end processor, 6.3-inch screen, good rear cameras, and a fantastic design.
ONEPLUS 5T
SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 9
SONY XPERIA XA1
From ÂŁ749, apple.com/uk The best Apple phone in terms of bang for your buck. You get the quality and design of the XS, in a range of nice colours, with an excellent camera, and ‘Liquid Retina’ 6.1-inch LCD display.
96 T3 A P R I L 2 019
From £399, apple.com/uk This truly straddles the line between tech and fashion; it’s not just the bestlooking smartwatch, but its plethora of KHDOWK DQG ĆWQHVV features, plus strong app options, make it the most useful.
SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH
ÂŁ327, oneplus.com/uk
APPLE iPHONE XR
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestsmartwatch
APPLE WATCH SERIES 4
From £899, huawei.com With a lightningfast processor, a beautiful OLED screen, a knock-out Leica camera system, a next-gen in-display ĆQJHUSULQW UHDGHU D 4,200 mAh battery, and Android 9.0 Pie, this is a marvel.
From ÂŁ899, samsung.com A stunning 6.4-inch screen, fast internals and advanced new S Pen digital stylus elevate this phone. The S Pen and clever split-screen app shortcuts make it a powerhouse for productivity.
SMARTWATCHES
This is a brilliant buy thanks to the price it’s dropped to, SOXV ćDJVKLS OHYHO specs such as the speedy Snapdragon processor, 6GB of RAM, OLED display and premium DOXPLQLXP ĆQLVK
ÂŁ129, sonymobile.com
From £279, samsung.com The best smartwatch for Android users brings a circular screen with great rotating bezel, and slick Tizen software that’s easy to use. It looks good too, and the battery life of up to six days is ace.
TAG HEUER CONNECTED MODULAR 45 ÂŁ1,950, tagheuer.com
A good budget buy with a superb camera sensor (23MP!), and design that looks smarter than the price suggests. You get good performance at all times from it, and an HD screen.
SAMSUNG GALAXY A8 £279, samsung.com The A8’s camera package, both front and back, is stellar, and the roundedcorner OLED screen, coupled with an eight-core processor and 4GB RAM make it feel high-end. A real bargain.
This beauty, mimicking a traditional mechanical watch, ticks the luxury and heritage boxes. The Modular adds some welcome customisation to the smartwatch mix, too.
SKAGEN FALSTER 2 From £279, skagen.com This is an excellent choice for thinner wrists, thanks to minimal looks and a modern slim strap style. Wear OS EULQJbQRWLĆFDWLRQV activity tracking, Google Assistant, and more smarts.
In association with gadget-cover.com
HYBRID SMARTWATCHES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besthybrid
WITHINGS STEEL HR SPORT £190, withings.com Featuring a heart-rate monitor and the ability WR WUDFN GLIIHUHQW H[HUFLVHV WKLV LV LGHDO IRU ĆWQHVV IDQDWLFV ,WèV ZDWHU resistant to 50 metres, and the battery lasts around 25 days.
MONDAINE HELVETICA 1 £195, mondaine.com Mondaine is most IDPRXV IRU SURGXFLQJ ZDWFKHV ZKLFK UHVHPEOH LWV FODVVLF 6ZLVV 5DLOZD\V FORFN EXW WKH +HOYHWLFD range is different. It LQFOXGHV DFWLYLW\ DQG VOHHS WUDFNLQJ
KRONABY SEKEL £445, kronaby.com Looking for more than a pedometer? The Sekel vibrates to alert you to QRWLĆFDWLRQV RQ \RXU phone, and there’s a EXWWRQ ZKLFK FDQ EH programmed with IFTTT to do loads.
WATCHES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestwatch TUDOR BLACK BAY GMT £2,790, tudorwatch.com Sporting a bold 41mm VWHHO FDVH DQG GLVWLQFWLYH blue and burgundy bezel, WKH %ODFN %D\ *07 FDQ NHHS WUDFN RI WKUHH WLPH zones, making it ideal IRUbWKRVH ZKR RIWHQ travel internationally.
TAG HEUER AUTAVIA £4,250, tagheuer.com 3DUW RI 7$*èV +HULWDJH range, the Autavia was IDYRXUHG E\ UDFLQJ drivers in the 1960s. The vintage silver dial IHDWXUHV D UHWUR +HXHU ORJR DQG LV HQFLUFOHG E\ D EODFN DOXPLQLXP EH]HO
OMEGA SEAMASTER 300 £5,520, omegawatches.com 7KH UHFDOOV LWV LFRQLF namesake, but has been XSGDWHG WR LQFOXGH Omega’s more modern ZDWFK WHFK LQFOXGLQJ WKH DQWL PDJQHWLF 0DVWHU &R $[LDO PHFKDQLFDO movement inside.
GARMIN VIVOMOVE HR PREMIUM
BREITLING NAVITIMER B01 CHRONOGRAPH
£170, garmin.com
£6,460, breitling.com The Navitimer is Breitling’s most LFRQLF FROOHFWLRQ 7KLV model boasts a 43mm VWDLQOHVV VWHHO FDVH ZLWK D WUDQVSDUHQW EDFN showing off the selfwinding movement.
This hybrid has key features like heart-rate monitoring, the ability to estimate your VO2 Max, as well as wellness tools that suggest you take a moment to breathe when showing stress.
WATCHES UNDER £500
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestwatch500 VICTORINOX I.N.O.X V
£459, victorinox.com +DYLQJ XQGHUJRQH durability tests, this ZDWFK ZLOO VWDQG XS WR anything you throw at LW 7KH SDUDFRUG VWUDS hints at its adventurous heritage, and it’s great for all wrists sizes
HAMILTON KHAKI FIELD £375, hamiltonwatch.com This is a faithful UHFUHDWLRQ RI LWV RULJLQDO 1960s forebearer and LV WUXH WR +DPLOWRQèV military heritage. The 38mm stainless steel FDVH LV SDLUHG ZLWK D durable NATO strap.
TISSOT QUICKSTER CHRONOGRAPH £295, tissotwatches.com 7KLV SDFNV D 6ZLVV TXDUW] movement with 1/10 of a VHFRQG FRXQWHUV FHQWUDO VHFRQGV FKURQRJUDSK hand, and add/split IXQFWLRQDOLW\ 7KH FDVH LVbĆQLVKHG ZLWK D VOHHN 39' FRDWLQJ
CHRISTOPHER WARD C5 MALVERN MK III £495, christopherward.co.uk 7KLV VOHHN GUHVV ZDWFK UHWDLQV LWV FODVVLF %ULWLVK GHVLJQ FXHV IURP ROGHU models, but features a new 39mm stainless VWHHO FDVH ZLWK )OXLG çOLJKW FDWFKHUè OLQHV DQG 38 hours power reserve.
Get a Gadget Cover quote in 10 seconds. www.gadget-cover.com - $ 1 8 $ 5 < T3 9 7
Best of the best
TVS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttv SONY AF8
TVS UNDER ÂŁ1,000
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttv1000 SAMSUNG Q6F
From ÂŁ1,799, sony.co.uk Marrying a perfect OLED 4K screen with Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s picture processing prowess makes for a jawdropping HDR TV at 55 or 65 inches. Motion handling and upscaling of content are both brilliant.
PANASONIC FZ952
From ÂŁ899, samsung.com A great bargain. The QLED LCD screen offers glorious colours and HDR performance, including great upscaling of SDR content. Even the sound system is pretty solid.
SONY XF9005
LG C8
SAMSUNG NU7470
SAMSUNG Q9F From ÂŁ1,799, samsung.com Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s QLED LCD tech is not only able to stand up to the quality of OLED, but even surpasses it in areas such as brightness. It means you get the full effect of HDR even in brighter rooms.
9 8 T3 A P R I L 2 019
ÂŁ1,999, acer.com Acer really hit the sweet spot here: VPDOO HQRXJK WR Ä&#x2020;W on a coffee table, whisper-quiet in operation, and yet still produces a bright, crisp HDR 4K picture of 70 to 110 inches (at 3.5m).
OPTOMA UHD40
From ÂŁ929, sony.co.uk
LGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OLED technology produces beautiful 4K HDR images, and makes HD videos look ace too. LGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s webOS smart platform is one of the better systems around, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideal for gaming.
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestprojector ACER V7850
From ÂŁ1,799, panasonic.com/uk Panasonic worked with Hollywood to make this OLED 4K TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s display match how movies are mastered, so the colours and depth here are unparalleled for cinematic viewing.
From ÂŁ1,499, lg.com
PROJECTORS
ÂŁ999, optoma.co.uk This delivers sharp, colourful images, thanks to its Triluminos LCD display, which kills it with HDR 4K movies. Motion handling and upscaling are fantastic, too.
From ÂŁ499, samsung.com This ticks almost every spec box. HDR support includes HDR10+ dynamic IXWXUH SURRÄ&#x2020;QJ . images look supersharp, colours are rich and satisfying, and its smarts are a doddle to use.
PANASONIC FX750 From ÂŁ899, panasonic.com The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Art & Interior Glassâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; design of this TV is a looker, as is its 4K screen. It upscales HD to UHD excellently, and HDR looks glorious. Motion handling is especially good for sports action.
4K resolution and HDR in a projector for this price is hard to beat. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite have the pop and HDR richness of more expensive sets, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way beyond HD projectors at the same price.
OPTOMA UHZ65 ÂŁ4,499, optoma.co.uk This is very aimed at the proper AV enthusiast, but laser projection at this price makes it worth it for anyone. 4K HDR video is supremely rich, and it can hit 120 inches from just 4m.
EPSON EH-TW6700W ÂŁ999, epson.co.uk If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re happy with Full HD resolution, this is the best option, partly thanks to a super-easy setup process. The image quality is good, you just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the IXWXUH SURRÄ&#x2020;QJ RI HDR and 4K.
In association with gadget-cover.com
SOUNDBARS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestsoundbar SONOS BEAM
STREAMERS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/beststreamer ROKU STREAMING STICK+ £59, roku.com
£349, sonos.com If it were just a soundbar, the Beamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great audio would still make it top â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but with Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPlay 2 and support for a billion streaming services, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s IDQWDVWLFDOO\ Ä&#x2021;H[LEOH
Q ACOUSTICS M3 £229, qacoustics.co.uk Want superb sound without a big price and unnecessary extras? Q Acousticsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; M3 combines great simplicity and great sound. Impressive, affordable, and it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hit with the ugly stick.
SONOS PLAYBASE £549, sonos.com
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestconsole MICROSOFT XBOX ONE X £449, xbox.com
The Swiss Army Knife of streaming delivers 4K HDR, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t locked to a particular ecosystem, has tons of available apps and is a joy to use. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best streamer for many people.
CHROMECAST ULTRA £69, store.google.com The Chromecast Ultra is a receiver for phones and laptops and depends on them for control and content â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple, versatile and compatible with iOS, Android, Windows and Mac.
AMAZON FIRE TV STICK 4K £34, amazon.co.uk
Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no HDMI and the setupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pain, but this Sonos soundbase is sublime. The sound does detail as well as drama, it looks great and it works brilliantly in a Sonos multi-room environment.
4K HDR for under £35 isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t to be sniffed at. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best suited to Prime subscribers and Google apps are absent, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very capable and affordable streamer IRUb79 DQG PRYLHV
SONY HT-ST5000
APPLE TV 4K
£1,195, sony.co.uk
£179, apple.com/uk iTunes has the biggest source of 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos movies, and lots of other services have apps here too. You can also easily stream to it from Macs and L26bGHYLFHV
Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powerful, precise and punchy soundbar is the best way to add Dolby Atmos to your system, and while it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deliver true overthe-head audio it does a good simulation of it.
GAMES CONSOLES
With 4K, Dolby Atmos, Ultra HD Blu-ray and D IDLUO\ FRPSDFW SURÄ&#x2020;OH this is the best Xbox ever. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even more powerful than the PS4 Pro and also a great home entertainment hub.
SONY PLAYSTATION 4 PRO £349, playstation.com Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still overkill if you GRQèW KDYH D . 79 but with 2160p HDR gaming, the PS4 Pro delivers incredible visuals and is smoother and faster than its nonPro siblings.
NINTENDO SWITCH £279, nintendo.co.uk We love the Switch, which brings Nintendoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great gaming pedigree to genuinely stylish, premium-grade hardware. Forget the specs: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about the sheer joy of gaming.
MICROSOFT XBOX ONE S £207, xbox.com The S is smaller, whiter and much cheaper than its big brother, and while you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get its siblingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s super-powered specs you still get Ultra HD %OX UD\ $ Ä&#x2020;QH KRPH entertainment hub.
Gadget Cover is proud to be Defaqto 5 star rated. www.gadget-cover.com J A N U A R Y 2 019 T3 9 9
Best of the best
TURNTABLES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestturntable
PRO-JECT DEBUT CARBON £430, project-audio.com Pro-Ject makes great turntables with all sorts of features; we like this slightly pricier model in the range. The addition of an acrylic platter helps it punch way above its weight in sonic performance.
REGA PLANAR 1
STREAMING DACS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestdac YAMAHA WXAD-10 £120, yamaha.co.uk
Rega makes record players that need a little care in setting up, but once done, make a beautiful noise. The quality of this, its cheapest model, is extraordinary for WKHbSULFH
£4,995, jordanacoustics.co.uk This beautifully Ä&#x2020;QLVKHG GHFN LV perfect for vinyl addicts. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll wring an incredible amount of detail out of your records, without needing to be plugged into a crazily pricey system.
AUDIO TECHNICA AT-LP3 £150, audio-technica.com After something more basic? You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go wrong with this turntable. £150 nets you easy setup, PHOOLÄ&#x2021;XRXV VRXQG and something that is recognisably a record player, not DbVXLWFDVH
10 0 T3 A P R I L 2 019
SONOS ONE
This Yamaha lets you stream everything from Bluetooth to hi-res audio, with support for AirPlay, most of your favourite streaming services and, of course Yamahaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own MusicCast.
£30, google.co.uk
McINTOSH MT2
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestmultiroom
£199, sonos.co.uk
GOOGLE CHROMECAST AUDIO
£250, rega.co.uk
MULTI-ROOM SPEAKERS Sonos One is compatible with every music service ever, multi-room connectivity is fab, and Alexa comes built in as an added bonus. Many pricier Sonos speakers then await youâ&#x20AC;¦
NAIM MU-SO £900, naimaudio.com
A somewhat less audiophile solution perhaps, but so simple and so cheap. Suddenly, all your Android phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music (plus Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apps on iOS) can be beamed to your audio setup.
ARCAM RDAC
Although often thought of as a standalone speaker, Naimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s app allows for easy multiroom japes, as does AirPlay 2, which it now supports. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful to look at and listen to.
ORBITSOUND DOCK E30
£320, arcam.co.uk
£399, orbitsound.com For those who stream via AirPlay and UPNP, this is ever so hard to beat. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essentially a very high quality DAC, and gives a real boost to any decent TXDOLW\ DXGLR Ä&#x2020;OHV beamed its way.
iFI NANO iONE
This has a wireless charger on top, and supports AirPlay, Spotify Connect and Bluetooth. Its clever Airsound tech makes music sound stereo anywhere in the room â&#x20AC;&#x201C; no more â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sweet spotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.
SONOS PLAY 5
e LÄ&#x2020; DXGLR FRP
£499, sonos.com Just want to wring the very most out of Bluetooth? This fagpacket-sized DAC is your new friend. Even the shonkiest MP3 gets a polish, and your higher TXDOLW\ Ä&#x2020;OHV DQG streams will shine.
You get big, accurate and clean sound from Sonosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; top speaker, and it looks JUHDW LQ WKH Ä&#x2021;HVK too. The slick Sonos experience is here, of course, including AirPlay support and Alexa control.
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BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestbluetooth AUDIO PRO ADDON C3 £220, audiopro.com $ Ä&#x2020;QH EOHQG RI FODVVLF %OXHWRRWK SRUWDELOLW\ KLJK TXDOLW\ DXGLR DQG 6FDQGLH VW\OH 7KDQNV WR :L )L \RX FDQ VWUHDP KLJKHU TXDOLW\ VRXQGV LQGRRUV WKHQ UHYHUW WR %OXHWRRWK LQ WKH JDUGHQ
ULTIMATE EARS MEGABOOM 3 £169, ultimateears.com The best waterproof VSHDNHU Ã¥ LW HYHQ Ä&#x2021;RDWV â&#x20AC;&#x201C; offers 20 hours of EDWWHU\ OLIH DQG D KHIW\ VRXQG SHUIHFW IRU RXWGRRU SDUWLHV ,W ZRUNV great for kitchen audio GXWLHV WRR
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO YOYO M £300, cambridgeaudio.com The best Bluetooth solution for audiophilesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; DXGLR Ä&#x2020;OHV WKLV LV DV \RX FDQ VHH D VWHUHR SDLU As such itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more like a FODVVLF KL Ä&#x2020; V\VWHP EXW with the convenience RIbZLUHOHVVQHVV
BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestwireless AKG Y50BT
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttruewireless JABRA ELITE 65T
£120, uk.akg.com
£130, jabra.co.uk ,I \RX ZDQW DQ RQ ear alternative to the 0DUVKDOOV WKHVH èSKRQHV from AKG remain a great RSWLRQ The sound is SXQFK\ DQG WKH VW\OLQJ LV SUHWW\ FRRO ZLWKRXW WU\LQJbWRR KDUG
OPTOMA NUFORCE BE LIVE5 £89, optoma.co.uk These slick earphones offer incredible sound IRU WKH SULFH WDNLQJ HYHU\WKLQJ IURP SRS WR FODVVLFDO LQ WKHLU VWULGH 7KH\èUH PDGH WR VWD\ comfortable for their HLJKW KRXU EDWWHU\ OLIH
OPTOMA NUFORCE BE SPORT4 £90, optoma.co.uk
Jabra has solved most of the problems that bedevilled earlier true ZLUHOHVV EXGV 6RXQG LV JUHDW FRQQHFWLYLW\ LV URFN VROLG WKH Ä&#x2020;W LV VHFXUH EXW FRPIRUWDEOH DQG WKH\èUH GLVFUHHW
RHA TRUECONNECT £150, rha-audio.com (YHQ PRUH FRPI\ WKRXJK SHUKDSV VOLJKWO\ OHVV VHFXUH WKDQ WKH -DEUDV WKHVH DOVR RIIHU EHVW LQ FODVV DXGLR $VLGH IURP D VOLJKWO\ RGG FDUU\ FDVH WKHVH DUH WH[WERRN WUXH ZLUHOHVV EXGV
APPLE AIRPODS £130, apple.com
The Sport4 are designed IRU UXQQLQJ DQG J\PPLQJ Ã¥ DQG YHU\ JRRG WKH\ DUH WRR %\ VRPH ZLFNHG VRUFHU\ 2SWRPD KDV managed to make them VRXQG JUHDW Ä&#x2020;W SHUIHFWO\ DQG FRPH LQ XQGHU e
BOSE SOUNDLINK REVOLVE
MARSHALL MONITOR BLUETOOTH
£149, bose.co.uk
£149, marshallheadphones.com Most Marshall cans VRXQG JRRG EXW WKHVH RQHV RIIHU QRWLFHDEO\ EHWWHU FRPIRUW 7KH VRXQG LV DV \RXèG LPDJLQH ZHOO VXLWHG WR DOO WKLQJV URFNLQè EXW LW FDQ KDQGOH VXEWOHU VRXQGV
7KLV H[FHOOHQW YDOXH KLJK TXDOLW\ VSHDNHU ERDVWV LPSUHVVLYHO\ UHDOLVHG WUXO\ GHJUHH VRXQG (DVLO\ SRUWDEOH DOWKRXJK not ruggedised or ZDWHUSURRI LWèV ZRUNV EULOOLDQWO\ HYHU\ZKHUH
TRUE WIRELESS HEADPHONES
Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wireless â&#x20AC;&#x2122;phones PD\ QRW VRXQG DV JRRG as some of the newer ULYDOV EXW WKH\ VWLOO EHDW WKHP DOO IRU EDWWHU\ OLIH ease of use and often FRPIRUW 7KH\ ZRUN EHVW ZLWK L26 RI FRXUVH
BOSE SOUNDSPORT FREE £169, bose.co.uk These protrude quite D ZD\ RXW RI WKH HDUV (and pick up a lot of ZLQG QRLVH DV D UHVXOW EXW WKH\ QDLO LW ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR FRPIRUW VRXQG TXDOLW\ DQG UHOLDEOH ZLUHOHVV FRQQHFWLYLW\
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Best of the best
NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestnoisecancelling SONY WH-1000XM3 ÂŁ329, sony.co.uk
WIRED IN-EAR HEADPHONES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestinear KEF M100
B&W PX
SONY WH-1000XM2 ÂŁ299, sony.co.uk
BEATS STUDIO3 WIRELESS ÂŁ299, apple.com These Beats deliver exceptional noise cancellation that reacts very well to all kinds of environments, they get three hours of charge in 10 minutes and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the best sounding Beats so far.
ÂŁ699, bowers-wilkins.com The P9s donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just sound wonderful with hi-res audio. They do a stellar job with poor quality music, such as compressed MP3s. You can have any colour you like as long as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brown.
AUDIO TECHNICA ATH-A1000Z
ÂŁ99, klipsch.com A more comfortable alternative to in-ear monitors, the R6i IIs deliver lots of bass and a lively, HQJDJLQJbVRXQG Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maybe a little bass-heavy for older music, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great for modern stuff.
FLARE AUDIO FLARES JET 3 e Ä&#x2021;DUHDXGLR FRP
With the XM3 model replacing these, you PLJKW EH DEOH WR Ä&#x2020;QG them cheap â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and if you can, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get impressive noise cancellation and brilliant sound in a comfortable body. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still ace.
10 2 T3 A P R I L 2 019
A refreshing alternative to overbassy in-ear phones, the M100s deliver FULVS FOHDU GHÄ&#x2020;QHG and thoroughly involving sound, although you might need to push the volume up a bit.
KLIPSCH R6I II
ÂŁ329, bowers-wilkins.co.uk With useful motionsensing features, the stylish PXes have variable noise cancelling and accurate B&W sound. We think the Sonys are slightly better, but you may well disagree.
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestoverear
BOWERS & WILKINS P9 SIGNATURE
ÂŁ99, uk.kef.com With 30-hour battery life, very quick charging, Google Assistant, amazing bass response and an incredibly clever noise cancellation processor, these are superb headphones.
WIRED OVER-EAR HEADPHONES
ÂŁ379, audiotechnica.com Forget about MP3s or EDM: these headphones donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Ä&#x2021;DWWHU RU VDFULÄ&#x2020;FH sound quality for bass. But if you give them a good amp and a good sound source they do incredible things.
SENNHEISER MOMENTUM 2.0 AROUND EAR ÂŁ169, sennheiser.com
Maintaining the quality of the Flares Pro (see Bluetooth headphones), removing the DAC element and thereby slashing the price, these audiophile inear headphones are a tremendous option.
SOUNDMAGIC E11C ÂŁ49, soundmagicheadphones.com Can we really be recommending a pair of headphones for under ÂŁ50? Yes we can! The grown-up sound quality and exemplary comfort of the 11c make them the sonic bargain of the year.
The best sub-ÂŁ200 over-ear headphones arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too picky about sonic sources. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite have the frequency range of our more expensive picks but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re well built and good for the price.
BOWERS & WILKINS P5 SERIES 2 ÂŁ99, bowers-wilkins.com The little sisters of the mighty P9s deliver a beautifully warm and spacious sound for a lot less money, and their closed backs mean theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re less likely to annoy other people when you commute.
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LAPTOPS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestlaptop MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 2 ÂŁ1,149, microsoft.com Available in 13- or 15LQFK VL]HV ZLWK D screen that gives you more height than other laptops, and plenty of power, this is a light and fast machine thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also UHDOO\ Ä&#x2021;H[LEOH 3HUIHFW
HUAWEI MATEBOOK X PRO ÂŁ1,299, consumer.huawei.com This marries style and function, delivering incredibly capable internal hardware in a form factor that also matches Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MacBook range in terms of looks and feel.
DELL XPS 13
2-IN-1 LAPTOPS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/best2in1 MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 2 ÂŁ1,149, microsoft.com So good that it tops both our best laptop and best 2-in-1 laptop buying guides, the SB2 delivers an incredibly premium, fantastically portable, and jaw-droppingly versatile system.
HP ENVY X2 ÂŁ699, hp.com The big sell here is the monstrous battery life, with up to 22 hours on one charge. This is because it makes use of ARM architecture, with a Snapdragon 835 CPU powering everything.
ÂŁ999, lenovo.com The Dell XPS 13 is thinner and more powerful than ever. Up to 1TB of SSD storage, 16GB of RAM, and powerful Intel Core i7 processors help make it a high quality all-rounder.
Weighing in at a svelte 1kg, this 12.5-inch laptop is just as usable as a tablet as it is a laptop. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thin, but packs in a clear 2560x1440-pixel display. ,W HYHQ Ä&#x2020;WV LQ IXOO VL]H USB 3.0 ports.
ASUS ZENBOOK FLIP S UX370
SAMSUNG NOTEBOOK 9 PRO
ÂŁ899, asus.com/uk
ÂŁ849, samsung.com The specs here are top, the price is competitive, and it even comes bundled with a quality S-Pen stylus. It feels really well-made, too, especially the hinges on the 360-degree screen.
A combination of quality internal hardware featuring an Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD, a super thin and light build, and a super sharp 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen.
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttablet APPLE iPAD PRO 12.9 ÂŁ969, apple.com/uk The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 is unbelievably powerful and slick, with an excellent screen, thin and compact design, great battery life and support for the new Apple Pencil. Pricey, but worth it.
SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S4
LENOVO YOGA 900S
ÂŁ1,194, dell.com
TABLETS
ÂŁ495, samsung.com 7KH Ä&#x2020;QHVW $QGURLG tablet, this delivers DbV\VWHP ZLWK D VKDUS OLED screen, S Pen stylus, excellent audio credentials, powerful internals, and a neat laptop-aping DeX mode.
APPLE iPAD 9.7-INCH ÂŁ319, apple.com/uk The doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the TrueTone screen and stereo speakers of the iPad Pro, but its fast processor, slick support for Apple Pencil and solid rear 8MP camera make it a quality all-rounder.
MICROSOFT SURFACE GO ÂŁ379, microsoft.com While Windows 10 in tablet mode remains a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;mixedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience, its versatility is impressive and the ergonomics of Microsoftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new tablet computer are second WRbQRQH
Unlimited replacement and repairs on all Gadget Cover policies. www.gadget-cover.com
J A N U A R Y 2 019 T3 10 3
Best of the best
GAMING LAPTOPS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestgaming ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS £2,199, asus.com/uk
GAMING HEADSETS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestheadset STEELSERIES ARCTIS PRO WIRELESS £299, steelseries.com
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the stunning level of engineering that has gone into the Zephyrus, along with monstrously powerful Nvidia GTX 1080 internal hardware, that make it the king of all the gaming laptops.
MSI GS65 STEALTH THIN 8RF £1,699, msi.com
A cracking allrounder that delivers ELJ JDPLQJ EDQJ DW D very attractive midtier price point. You get quality internals, including up to a GeForce GTX 1070, Intel Core i7 and 16GB of RAM.
ALIENWARE 13 R3 £1,100, dell.com
LUCIDSOUND LS35X
10 4 T3 A P R I L 2 019
The money-noREMHFW EHVW . monitor in the world delivers a simply stunning package, ZLWK QRW MXVW IXOO V5*% FRYHUDJH EXW RI WKH $GREH RGB spectrum and 98% DCI-P3.
DELL ULTRASHARP UP3216Q £1,091, dell.com
For quality wireless DXGLR RQ ;ER[ 2QH gamers should look here: it delivers excellent audio reproduction and also connects directly to the console without any GRQJOHV RU FDEOHV
HYPERX CLOUD MIX WIRED GAMING HEADSET + BLUETOOTH £179, hyperxgaming.com Premium design and EXLOG TXDOLW\ PHHW top-rate audio here. These work with any gaming system, and are also great wireless headphones å WKH\ KDYH EXLOW LQ Bluetooth, and the PLF FDQ EH UHPRYHG
TURTLE BEACH ELITE PRO 2 + SUPERAMP £219, turtlebeach.com
&RQÄ&#x2020;JXUDEOH ZLWK a gorgeous QHD 2560x1440 OLED screen, as well as some tasty internal hardware, the Alienware 13 R3 delivers real gaming power in a super SRUWDEOH SDFNDJH
EIZO COLOREDGE CG318-4K
The SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless is simply awesome. The dual-wireless audio system that allows for ERWK *+] and Bluetooth simultaneously is especially fantastic.
This gaming laptop manages to pack an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU, Intel Core i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM LQWR D YHU\ SRUWDEOH package. Its Full HD, wide-view 144Hz panel is top rate, too.
£1,739, asus.com/uk
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/best4kmonitor
£3,699, eizoglobal.com
£148, lucidsound.com
ASUS ROG STRIX GL502
4K MONITORS
Dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high-end LQFK . GLVSOD\ packs in a lot of professional-grade IHDWXUHV IRU VXSHUE colour accuracy. It KLWV $GREH 5*% coverage and 87% DCI-P3, delivering great picture quality.
ASUS ROG SWIFT PG27AQ £744, asus.com/uk Here you get a 27LQFK . ,36 SDQHO with a 60Hz refresh UDWH ELW FRORXU accuracy and G-Sync as well â&#x20AC;&#x201C; great for keeping your GPU and monitor in total synchronicity while you play.
PHILIPS BRILLIANCE BDM4065UC £519, philips.co.uk
Turtle Beachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talent is evident in its Elite Pro 2 headset with SuperAmp. Excellent audio reproduction is paired with a modern, supremely FRPIRUWDEOH GHVLJQ and plenty of advanced features.
This gigantic 40-inch . 3& PRQLWRU LV nearing the end of LWV OLIH VR LV DYDLODEOH at a low price point. Because the screen LV EDVHG RII 9$ ,36 panel technology, it presents extremely good contrast.
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DRONES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestdrone DJI MAVIC AIR ÂŁ769, store.dji.com The Mavic Air is a superportable 4K camera drone. Video quality from the camera mounted on a three-axis gimbal is excellent, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so simple to control that beginners grasp it fast.
DJI MAVIC 2 PRO ÂŁ1,349, store.dji.com While this doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offer the same size to power ratio as the Air, its 4K video and stills capture are sensational, thanks to an on-board Hasselblad camera and fantastic stabilisation.
DJI MAVIC 2 ZOOM ÂŁ1,099, store.dji.com The alter ego of the Mavic 2 Pro, the cheaper Zoom comes with a different camera, with a 2x optical zoom lens. Along with the folding design and long battery OLIH LWèV UHDOO\ Ä&#x2021;H[LEOH
ACTION CAMERAS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestactioncam
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestcheapaction
GOPRO HERO7 BLACK
GOPRO HERO7 WHITE
ÂŁ379, gopro.com
ÂŁ179, gopro.com The waterproof Hero7 Black makes capturing pro-looking shots easier, thanks to HyperSmooth electronic stabilisation. 4K image quality is excellent, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slick 60fps recording.
SONY RX0
The wallet-friendly Hero7 White borrows premium features from the Hero7 Black. Ideal for part-time adrenaline junkies needing a simple HD camera that shoots YouTube-ready footage.
YI 4K
ÂŁ800, sony.co.uk Packing a one-inch sensor, with a Zeiss lens bolstering the image quality further, in and out of the water. Other ace features include super-slow video and 15MP stills capture.
GOPRO HERO5 BLACK ÂŁ249, gopro.com While it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t match the Hero7 for specs, the Hero5 is a solid GoPro for those on a budget. It has a two-inch touchscreen display, and records video up to 4K at 30fps, with 12MP stills.
PARROT ANAFI
TOMTOM BANDIT
ÂŁ629, parrot.com
ÂŁ257, amazon.co.uk A rugged action camera that thrives in extreme situations. The low SURÄ&#x2020;OH LV LGHDO IRU KHOPHW mouting (itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compatible with GoPro mounts), with video automatically edited for you.
At just 320g, one of the lightest cameraequipped drones you can buy. Flight time is great, and the drone is nearsilent in the air, which is appreciated. The camera and zoom are amazing.
CHEAP ACTION CAMERAS
ÂŁ119, yitechnology.com Captures high-quality footage even in low light, thanks to an LCE sevenlayer all-glass lens and Sony Exmor-R IMX377 sensor. It shoots 4K at 30fps; buy a separate FDVH IRU ZDWHUSURRÄ&#x2020;QJ
OLFI ONE.FIVE WHITE e ROÄ&#x2020;FDPHUD FRP This camera might lack 4K, but 1080p/60fps and 720p/120fps video, plus 16MP stills, are plenty for weekend warriors. The One.Five White comes with a PbZDWHUSURRI FDVH
KAISER BAAS X4 ÂŁ89, amazon.co.uk This rubbery cam has ridged sides to enhance grip. Location of the controls is odd, but move past that and it offers 4K video at 30fps. Waterproof to 40m with the included case.
Gadget Cover will replace any accessories, up to ÂŁ150, if they are lost, stolen or damaged with your gadget. www.gadget-cover.com
Best of the best
DSLR CAMERAS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestdslr NIKON D850
MIRRORLESS CAMERAS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestmirrorless NIKON Z 7
ÂŁ3,299, nikon.co.uk
CANON EOS 7D MARK II ÂŁ1,430, canon.co.uk
With a full-frame 45.7 megapixel sensor, a superb 493-point AF system, a 3.2-inch touch-sensitive screen and a VWXQQLQJ YLHZÄ&#x2020;QGHU the Z 7 is simply a fabulous camera.
SONY A9
Trading up from an entry-level camera? The 7D Mark II is the camera of your dreams. A superb all-rounder with a 20.2-megapixel sensor and a host of features to suit DbYDULHW\ RI QHHGV
e SDQDVRQLF FRP The A9 is expensive but earns every penny by packing an incredible 24.3MP full-frame sensor capable of 20fps shooting with tracking autofocus the whole way. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a technical marvel.
ÂŁ559, canon.co.uk
e IXMLÄ&#x2020;OP HX XN Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty of things to like about the X-T3, including great autofocusing, fast frame rates, an impressive array of 4K video features and, this being )XMLÄ&#x2020;OP EHDXWLIXO retro looks.
CANON EOS R
7KH )XMLÄ&#x2020;OP ; ) is as beautiful as it is capable. If the retro ORRN Ä&#x2021;RDWV \RXU ERDW then the X100F is a thing to behold. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compact, but packs a large APS-C sensor and a lovely 35mm f/2.0 lens.
CANON G7X MARK II
ÂŁ2,349, canon.co.uk The 800D inherits specs from higher up Canons, including a snappy 45-point AF system. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also an excellent articulating screen with fast Live View. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfect for '6/5bEHJLQQHUV
This might be the ideal travel companion, with a versatile zoom lens up to 15x, and a fantastic one-inch sensor that captures bright, sharp images. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also stylish and pocket-friendly.
FUJIFILM X100F
e IXMLÄ&#x2020;OP HX XN This solidly built camera is the SHUIHFWbFKRLFH IRU those who like to shoot a little bit of everything, thanks to a brilliant autofocus system and glorious image quality from its 20MP sensor.
CANON EOS 800D
The ultimate in pocket-sized image quality. A large oneinch sensor is joined by an ace 24-200mm lens, retractable YLHZÄ&#x2020;QGHU WLOWLQJ touchscreen and absolutely glorious picture quality.
PANASONIC TZ200
FUJIFILM X-T3
ÂŁ1,699, nikon.co.uk
10 6 T3 A P R I L 2 019
ÂŁ1,150, sony.co.uk
ÂŁ3,699, sony.co.uk
NIKON D500
fFind the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestcompact SONY RX100 VI
ÂŁ3,399, nikon.co.uk With a highresolution 45.4 megapixel sensor, 4K video capture, a 153-point AF system, and a sturdy body, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never be disappointed with what the D850 can create for you.
COMPACT CAMERAS
ÂŁ499, canon.co.uk The EOS R is a classic Canon, but adds a couple of new twists, such as the customisable touch-sensitive multi-function bar. The image quality LVbRQ SDU ZLWK WKH 'b0DUN ,9 '6/5
Canonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compact cameras are a great alternative to your DSLR when travelling light. This is the sweet spot in the range, with a great balance between small size and a range of features.
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SAT-NAVS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestsatnav TOMTOM GO 6200
DASH CAMS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestdashcam
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestebike
GARMIN DASH CAM 55
BROMPTON ELECTRIC
£119, garmin.com
£299, tomtom.com 3DFNHG ZLWK IHDWXUHV EXW QHYHU Ä&#x2020;GGO\ DQG ZLWK *RRJOH DQG 6LUL support, this is a really good mobile companion WRR 7KH SULFH LQFOXGHV lifetime updates via :L )L IRU PRVW IHDWXUHV
GARMIN DRIVESMART 61 LMT-S £169, garmin.com This sleek sat-nav has substance to match its VW\OH ZLWK D ELJ GLVSOD\ OLIHWLPH WUDIÄ&#x2020;F DQG maps (for Europe) and useful points of interest information courtesy RIb7ULS$GYLVRU
TOMTOM GO VIA 53 £179, tomtom.com This more affordable TomTom only gives you three months of camera locations, but you can get lifetime map updates via Wi-Fi and LWèVbFRPSDWLEOH ZLWK 6LUL DQG *RRJOH 1RZ
The Garmin is essentially a GoPro for the car ZLWK D FRPSDFW FDVH great video quality in all conditions and a useful FRPSDQLRQ DSS 7KH RQO\ UHDO GRZQVLGH LV WKH ODFN RI D WRXFKVFUHHQ
NEXTBASE 612GW £249, nextbase.com If image quality is vital, this is the dash cam for \RX ,WèV ELJ DQG FKXQN\ and the app appears D OLWWOH Ä&#x2021;DN\ EXW LWèV D simple and high-quality . FDPHUD WKDWèVbHDV\ WRbLQVWDOO DQG XVH
THINKWARE F800 PRO £219, thinkware.com With an almost invisible design, time-lapse recording and a great night mode, this is a good stealthy option if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ZRUULHG PRUH DERXW vandalism or theft than \RXU IHOORZ GULYHUV
MIO MIVUE DRIVE 65 LM
MIO MIVUE C330
£199, mio.com
£69, mio.com Why buy a sat-nav and a VHSDUDWH GDVK FDP ZKHQ you can get them both in one device? With lifetime XSGDWHV %OXHWRRWK DQG good safety features, the 0L9LHZ LV D SUHWW\ JRRG PLG UDQJH EX\
ELECTRIC BIKES
The Mio delivers 1080p recording at 30fps and LV ZLGHO\ DYDLODEOH IRU £70 or less, making it a JUHDW Ä&#x2020;UVW GDVK FDP ,WV night mode isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t brilliant EXW LWèV DQ RWKHUZLVH LPSUHVVLYH EXGJHW EX\
£2,595, brompton.com Ebikes arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just about WHFK 7KH\ VKRXOG EH IXQ WRR 7KH %URPSWRQ is a hoot, and if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a commuter thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no better: it munches miles and then folds to an LQFUHGLEO\ WLQ\ VL]H
GTECH EBIKE CITY £995, gtech.co.uk This is a superb urban ebike thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideal for beginners or anyone RQ D EXGJHW ,WèV VLPSOH affordable and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t compromise on anything YLWDO 1RW EDG IRU D KHGJH WULPPHU EUDQG
VANMOOF ELECTRIFIED S2 £2,398, vanmoof.com ,I \RX ZDQW WKH (OHFWULÄ&#x2020;HG 6 PRYH quickly: this price is for HDUO\ RUGHUV ,WèV SDFNHG ZLWK DQWL WKHIW PHDVXUHV handles brilliantly and ORRNV DFH 7XUER ERRVW LV JUHDW IRU WUDIÄ&#x2020;F OLJKWV
VOLT PLUS From £1,599, voltbikes.com With disc brakes, eightspeed gearing, front VXVSHQVLRQ D : PRWRU SRZHUIXO HQRXJK to handle hills, plus a throttle to take you up WR PSK WKLV LV D ORW RI HELNH IRU \RXU PRQH\
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Best of the best
SMART SPEAKERS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestsmart ECHO PLUS
SMART BULBS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestbulb PHILIPS HUE
£139, amazon.co.uk Thanks to its integrated Zigbeecompliant smart home hub, the Plus is a great smart home starter. Never pay the RRP, though: Amazon discounts Echos every time LWbKDV D VDOH
SONOS ONE
From £59, philips.co.uk Hue dominates the smart lighting sector for good reason: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a superb system with the widest range of bulbs and a simple, useful app. Rivals may be cheaper but they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t compete with Hueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s variety.
ECHO SPOT
APPLE HOMEPOD £319, apple.com/uk Expensive? Possibly. Apple-centric? Indubitably. But if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind the focus on Apple Music, the HomePod sounds spectacular. You can also pair it to create a stunning stereo system.
10 8 T3 A P R I L 2 019
If you fancy a Hue system but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to spend so much, LIFX has a strong product range and integrates with your favourite personal digital assistant. Philips still wins, but only just.
Nest made smart thermostats sexy and this third-gen model looks great. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple to use with good Google Home and Amazon Echo integration, but a tad pricey, especially with installation.
HIVE HEATING CONTROL
From £13, ikea.com If you want a smart speaker with a screen, the Spot is the one to go for. The speaker bit isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spectacular but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an audio out and Bluetooth. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an excellent smart home device.
Tado is very sociable: it works with 95% of the systems out WKHUH ,WèV Ä&#x2021;H[LEOH clever and supports a wide range of accessories too. Price cuts have made it even PRUHbHQWLFLQJ
£179, nest.com
IKEA TRÃ&#x2026;DFRI
£119, amazon.co.uk
£99, tado.com
NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT
From £19, lifx.com The Sonos One is a superb standalone speaker with integrated Alexa, EXWbWKH UHDO VHOOLQJ SRLQW LV LWV Ä&#x2021;H[LELOLW\ use it as part of a stereo pair or in a multi-room Sonos audio system.
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestthermostat
TADO SMART THERMOSTAT
LIFX
£199, sonos.com
SMART THERMOSTATS
£179, hivehome.com Ikeaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Zigbeecompatible system doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the range of Hue, but if you prize control over colour options itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stellar value for money and has some great controllers DQGbGLPPHUV
HIVE ACTIVE LIGHT From £19, hivehome.com Hiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bulbs are very capable and attractively priced, and work great with Hive gear and Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SmartThings. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great range of Ä&#x2020;WWLQJV WKRXJK OHVV than Hue or LIFX.
Imagine: British Gas in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;excitingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shocker. Hive is great: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s affordable, works well, and is part of a larger smart home system that includes bulbs and security options. This is an ideal way to jump in.
ECOBEE 4 About £167, ecobee.com With wide compatibility, support for multiple temperature sensors and built-in Alexa the Ecobee is great for smart home heating, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s currently KDUG WR Ä&#x2020;QG ZLWKRXW high import prices.
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SMART PLUGS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestplug BELKIN WEMO INSIGHT SWITCH
SECURITY CAMERAS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestsecurity NEST CAM IQ OUTDOOR £329, nest.com/uk
£49, belkin.com Belkinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premium smart SOXJ URFNV ,W ZRUNV ZLWK services from Amazon, Apple and Google, and can monitor your energy usage as well as enable \RX WR FRQWURObDSSOLDQFHV via your phone.
HIVE ACTIVE PLUG £39, hivehome.com Similar to Belkin, Hive can turn sockets on/ off via your phone, and FUHDWH VFKHGXOHV ,W also works with Alexa. You need a Hive Hub (£80) to use the Active 3OXJ bWKRXJK
D-LINK DSP-W115 £29, eu.dlink.com/uk A simple and compact smart plug that offers a lot for the price. Operate it from your phone, set a schedule, and operate it through Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant RUb,)777
7KLV KDV H[FHOOHQW image quality, facial recognition, a 4K image sensor and person WUDFNLQJ ,W DOVR KDV ,3 ZHDWKHUSURRÄ&#x2020;QJ DQG FDQ operate in temperatures IURP r& WR r&
NETGEAR ARLO PRO 2 From £259, arlo.com/uk Available in multi-packs to extend coverage of your home, the Arlo Pro 2 wows with wireless operation, two-way audio, 1080p HD video, weather resistance and a built-in security siren.
LOGI CIRCLE 2 WIRED From £169, logitech.com No security cam is as fun DV WKLV )RU H[DPSOH LW preps â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;day briefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; videos showing a sped-up version of the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DFWLRQ 7KHUHèV DOVR WZR way audio, fast zoom and an adjustable view.
EVE ENERGY
HIVE VIEW
£44, evehome.com
£189, hivehome.com We wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recommend WKH +LYH 9LHZ DV D â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;properâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; security camera, but if you want a very attractive camera for monitoring pets, and one that can also alert you to burglars, this is ideal.
Although it only works with Apple gear, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powerful and work with geofencing, triggers and scenes. Use an iPad, +RPH3RG RU $SSOH 79 DV intermediary for control from anywhere.
ROBOT VACUUMS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestrobotvac NEATO BOTVAC D7 CONNECTED £799, neatorobotics.com 7KH FXUUHQW SLQQDFOH RI robot cleaning tech, with a range of smart cleaning and mapping features. Robust suction, turbo mode and an improved brush system help deliver a powerful clean.
NEATO BOTVAC CONNECTED £499, neatorobotics.com 7KLV LV SUHWW\ ROG QRZ which means you can RIWHQ Ä&#x2020;QG LW PXFK cheaper than the RRP, but still with great pathÄ&#x2020;QGLQJ DQG VXFWLRQ DQG D ORZ SURÄ&#x2020;OH IRU JHWWLQJ under furniture.
DYSON 360 EYE £799, dyson.co.uk Powerful cleaning, but sometimes struggles with squeezing under furniture with a low clearance. However, there are plenty of connected functions DQGbWKH DSS LV JUHDW
iROBOT ROOMBA 980 £899, irobot.co.uk ,WèOO Ä&#x2020;W XQGHU PRVW VRIDV with multi-surface EUXVKHV IRU KDUG Ä&#x2021;RRUV and carpets. Cleaning isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as good as with the others, but it does have a decent camera and navigation system.
Gadget Cover insures phones, tablets, cameras, laptops, smart watches and accessories. www.gadget-cover.com
Best of the best
CORDLESS VACUUMS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestcordlessvac VAX BLADE 2 MAX £249, vax.co.uk
WASHING MACHINES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestwashing AEG 9000 SERIES L9FEC966R £899, aeg.co.uk
This does everything a Dyson does, for less. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powerful enough to do a good job on carpet and KDUG Ä&#x2021;RRUV DOLNH although its shape DQG EXON PDNH LW less effortless as DbKDQGKHOG
DYSON V8 ABSOLUTE £349, dyson.co.uk ,W PLJKW QRW KDYH WKH VKHHU DZHVRPH SRZHU RI WKH 9 but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty close. 7KH 9 LV VWLOO DKHDG RI PRVW ULYDOV DQG LWèV VWLOO D VPDUW EX\ unless you need to YDFXXP HYHU\ URRP RI D PDQVLRQ
DYSON CYCLONE V10 ABSOLUTE £449, dyson.co.uk
110 T3 A P R I L 2 019
AEG COMFORTLIFT FSS62800P £689, aeg.co.uk
BOSCH SERIE 4 WAN28201GB £450, bosch-home.co.uk More affordable EXW E\ QR PHDQV D poor relation, this Bosch offers great engineering quality DQG HQHUJ\ HIÄ&#x2020;FLHQF\ 1XPHURXV VSOHQGLG FOHDQLQJ SURJUDPPHV are delivered in an unfussy way.
AEG 7000 SERIES L7FEE865R £529, aeg.co.uk
£439, bosch-home.co.uk The Bosch has two batteries, so you can clean for PXFK ORQJHU XS WR PLQXWHV LQ total. Cleaning SHUIRUPDQFH LV great, although the included duster tool is pretty awful.
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestdishwasher
AEG delivers superb Ä&#x2021;H[LEOH FOHDQLQJ effective water softening and a VWHDP FOHDQLQJ feature to reduce your ironing pile. ,WèV TXLHW HIÄ&#x2020;FLHQW DQG HQYLURQPHQWDOO\ friendly, too.
You get what you SD\ IRU WKH 9 is the state of the FRUGOHVV YDFXXP DUW with unprecedented power, better battery life and a bigger bin. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little heavier than the '\VRQ 9 WKRXJK
BOSCH BCS122GB UNLIMITED
DISHWASHERS
Quiet, easy to use and incredibly effective, this PRUH DIIRUGDEOH $(* PRGHO LV DOVR UHDOO\ VLPSOH ZLWK a clearly readable touchscreen interface thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DbMR\bWR XVH
MIELE WCR860WPS £1,499, miele.co.uk
7KH DZDUG ZLQQLQJ &RPIRUW/LIW GUDZHU pulls out and rises up IRU HDV\ HPSW\LQJ ZKLFK PHDQV this is that rare WKLQJ DQ H[FLWLQJ dishwasher. Cleaning SHUIRUPDQFH LV JRRG too, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quiet.
MIELE G6630SC £849, miele.co.uk This Miele is VXSHUEO\ HFRQRPLFDO DQG RIIHUV RSHQ drawer drying, an easily adjustable cutlery tray and a new, versatile EDVNHW V\VWHP :DVK SHUIRUPDQFH LV H[FHSWLRQDO
BOSCH SERIE 6 SMV68MD02G £549, bosch-home.co.uk This Bosch dishwasher is boring LQ DOO WKH EHVW ZD\V itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s solid and does the job quietly and HIÄ&#x2020;FLHQWO\ ,I \RX have an open plan KRPH \RXèOO ORYH WKH VXSHU TXLHW G% 6XSHU6LOHQFH PRGH
BEKO DIN29X20 £349, beko.co.uk
+HUH \RXU KDUG earned wedge EX\V \RX D IHDWXUH SDFNHG PDFKLQH RI H[FHSWLRQDO ORQJ lasting quality. The 7ZLQ'RV DXWRPDWLF GHWHUJHQW V\VWHP LV great, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an DFH PLQXWH ZDVK
For the price, this FUDFNLQJ SODFH PRGHO FRPHV ZLWK D FRPSUHKHQVLYH DVVHPEODJH RI WHFK a great interface and PRUH ZDVK SURJUDPV than you probably need. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy and ZDWHU HIÄ&#x2020;FLHQW WRR
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COFFEE MACHINES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestcoffee SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL THE ORACLE TOUCH £1,999, sageappliances.com The Oracle Touch looks like a barista-operated machine, it produces coffee like one, yet all WKH FOHYHU VWXII å GRVLQJ WDPSLQJ H[WUDFWLRQ PLON WH[WXULQJ LV GRQH IRU \RX 1RW FKHDS å EXW DPD]LQJ
SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL BARISTA TOUCH £999, sageappliances.com &KHDSHU IDVWHU DQG ZLWK better frothed milk than WKH 2UDFOH bWKLV PD\ EH the better buy for most unless being unable to make coffee and steam milk at the same time is DbGHDO EUHDNHU
GAGGIA VELASCA £466, gaggiadirect.com The espresso and lungo that the Velasca make are as good as anything you can buy in most coffee shops. It produces a reassuringly old-fashioned, intense Ä&#x2021;DYRXU IRU \RXU EUHZ
FRIDGES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestfridge MIELE K 28202 D WS £875, miele.co.uk
OVENS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestoven NEFF N 70 B57CR22N0B £789, neff.co.uk
,I \RX KDYH WKH FDVK DQG FP RI VSDFH ZLWK QR FXSERDUGV DERYH WKLV cooler should be top RI \RXU OLVW ,WV FOHYHU cooling keeps foodstuffs IUHVK ZLWKRXW KXPLGLW\ DQG LWèV FDYHUQRXV
BOSCH SERIE 2 £599, bosch-home.co.uk Looking for a mid-sized larder fridge that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t FRVW WKH (DUWK SURYLGHV plenty of space, cools quickly and is cheap and reliable to run? Consider WKLV HIÄ&#x2020;FLHQW DQG ZHOO made Bosch.
LIEBHERR TP 1760 PREMIUM £399, liebherr.com
The unique Slide and Hide door is brilliant, the touchscreen is handy DQG WKH RYHQèV QR VORXFK it enables you to cook PXOWLSOH GLVKHV ZLWKRXW cross-contamination IURP VWURQJ Ä&#x2021;DYRXUV
BOSCH HBG634BS1B £599, bosch-home.co.uk The Bosch is equipped ZLWK OLWUHV RI LQWHULRU cooking estate and selfcleaning catalytic linings. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s particularly good IRU EDNHUV ZKR QHHG consistent temperatures for big batches.
AEG DCE731110M £849, aeg.co.uk
This AAA energy rated under-counter model is cheap to run, if pricey to buy. But running costs arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the main reason youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll like it: despite its GLPLQXWLYH H[WHULRU LWèV like a TARDIS inside.
JURA S8
SAMSUNG RR39M73407F/EU
£1,395, uk.jura.com The coffee is as good as \RXèG H[SHFW EXW WKH VWDU KHUH LV WKH WH[WXULQJ XQLW ,W SURGXFHV ZRQGHUIXOO\ silky milk, making it the EHVW PDFKLQH IRU ORYHUV of milky drinks such DVbFDSSXFFLQRV
£829, samsung.com 7KLV KDV D PDVVLYH litre capacity. It includes WZR ODUJH YHJHWDEOH FRQWDLQHUV ZLWK KXPLGLW\ FRQWURO D ZLQH UDFN D ZDWHU GLVSHQVHU DQG D shelf that splits to make room for taller items.
The AEG is smart, self-cleaning and big: WKH OLWUH ORZHU RYHQ has room for large stuff OLNH WXUNH\V ZKLOH WKH WRSb OLWUH FDYLW\ LVbELJ HQRXJK WR JULOO VL[ VOLFHV of Warburtons.
MIELE H 6860 BPX £3,949, miele.co.uk For just shy of four grand, you might H[SHFW JROG OLQLQJV DQG diamond-encrusted control dials. Nope. But LWèV SDFNHG ZLWK WHFK WKDW makes cooking perfect dishes totally foolproof.
Gadget Cover will protect your mobile phone against breakdown, water damage, theft and the option of loss. www.gadget-cover.com
Best of the best
ELECTRIC SHAVERS
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestshaver PHILIPS SERIES 9000 PRESTIGE £300, philips.co.uk
ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSHES
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttoothbrush
PHILIPS SONICARE 6100 PROTECTIVECLEAN £89, philips.co.uk
The best shaver around has a silly RRP (£430!) but is available for around £300. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good for sensitive skin, mows long stubble and is really close to the shave you get from traditional razors.
PHILIPS SERIES 9000 S9211/26 £149, philips.co.uk
ORAL-B GENIUS 9000
11 2 T3 A P R I L 2 019
PANASONIC ER-GD60 e bSDQDVRQLF FR XN
PHILIPS SONICARE DIAMONDCLEAN SMART SONIC £360, philips.co.uk
£160, panasonic.com/uk Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pay the £330 RRP: this superb wet and dry winner is widely discounted and often available for half the price. At that price itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bargain alternative to much dearer premium shavers.
The best trimmer for general beard maintenance, this has a largely VXSHUÄ&#x2021;XRXV ODVHU (for ultra-straight edging, supposedly) but also boasts WKHbYHU\ EHVW EODGHV LQ WKH EXVLQHVV b
This is an extremely good electric toothbrush with a rather pointless smartphone app, but it does a great job of cleaning and comes ZLWK IRXU Ã¥bIRXU Ã¥ brush heads, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit of a bargain.
This is Braunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t shave daily. The Braun laughs in the face of threeday growth, and its retractable beard trimmer helps shape what you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t VKDYHbRII
PANASONIC ES LV95
PHILIPS SERIES 9000 BT9297/13
This is the pick of the excellent Sonicare range: not too pricey but not lacking any important features either. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very capable and still ZRUNV Ä&#x2020;QH ZLWKRXW Philipsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expensive â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;smartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; brush heads.
Much cheaper than the Prestige, but with similar superb shaving performance. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the anti-friction coating, and is less adept at longer stubble, but LVbVWLOO EULOOLDQW
£327, braun.com
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttrimmer
e bSKLOLSV FR XN
£85, oralb.co.uk
BRAUN SERIES 9 9296CC
BEARD TRIMMERS
For slightly longer beards, this is the one to go for. Its unusual, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;side-onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cutting action, where you pull the shaver through your hirsute tresses more like a comb, soon becomes second nature.
PHILIPS ONEBLADE PRO e bSKLOLSV FR XN
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hilariously expensive and monstrously overspecced but this range topper looks good and, more importantly, it makes your teeth look good. Shop around â&#x20AC;&#x201C; donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pay the RRP.
PHILIPS SONICARE DIAMONDCLEAN SONIC £145, philips.co.uk
The best trimmer for those with sensitive skin, this uses innovative OneBlade technology. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good for both your face and your downstairs, although you may wish to change heads in between.
BRAUN BT3040 e bEUDXQ FRP
A smarter buy than the Smart Sonic, this is a great toothbrush with an attractive but cumbersome and easily smashed glass charger. It also comes with a handy travel case with 86%bSRZHU
This is a bargain all-rounder, offering 39 precision length options with its combs, plus you get a Gillette razor included for edging. The battery life isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t great, but otherwise this is a top deal.
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FITNESS TRACKER
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestďŹ tness FITBIT CHARGE 3
RUNNING WATCH
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestrunningwatch
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestrunningphones
GARMIN FORERUNNER 645 MUSIC
JABRA ELITE ACTIVE 65T
e JDUPLQ FRP
e Ä&#x2020;WELW FRP
e JDUPLQ FRP
e MDEUD FR XN This does everything: GPS for running and cycling, heart rate tracking, VO2 Max, intensity monitoring and even acting as an MP3 player. Expect four days of use between charges.
Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no GPS and the capacitive â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;buttonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a bit pants but this is otherwise a textbook tracker. Sleep, steps, swims, and serious cardio workouts are all handled with aplomb.
GARMIN VIVOSPORT
GARMIN FORERUNNER 630 e JDUPLQ FRP
Garminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rival to the Charge 2 boasts GPS for a similar price, but it also has a dodgy interface and some pointless extra features. The core functionality is good, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waterproof.
TOMTOM SPARK 3 GPS+ HEARTRATE e WRPWRP FRP
These are the bestÄ&#x2020;WWLQJ WUXH ZLUHOHVV EXGV weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tested. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re particularly good for vigorous workouts and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t suffer too badly from wind noise when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re out for a run.
OPTOMA NUFORCE BE SPORT 4 e RSWRPD FR XN
7KH RIÄ&#x2020;FLDO SULFH LV similar but thanks to discounting this is often much cheaper than the 645. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no heartrate or music but you do get GPS, reliable tracking and ace running metrics.
GARMIN FORERUNNER 235 e JDUPLQ FRP
The best tracker for strenuous exercise gives you VO2 Max readings and your Fitness Age, and it does the basics very well. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hideous, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like on the inside that matters.
Running headphones RIWHQ VDFULÄ&#x2020;FH VRXQG quality. Not here. These VRXQG VWXQQLQJ Ä&#x2020;W OLNH a glove and are great value. The effective sound isolation may be DbELW PXFK IRU VRPH
SOUNDCORE SPIRIT SPORTS BY ANKER e DQNHU FRP
The Forerunner 235 is the best value running DQG JHQHUDO Ä&#x2020;WQHVV ZDWFK around, offering more than enough data for most runners without the expense of slightly more powerful models.
MOOV NOW
GARMIN FORERUNNER 935
e PRRY FF
e JDUPLQ FRP Cheap, waterproof to 30m and good for six months between charges, the Moov is a budget belter that offers coaching as you exercise. Some are better than others, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good.
RUNNING HEADPHONES
Add Garminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extra sensors to this and you get incredible detail for how you run, swim, bike and more, as well as your VO2 Max, lactate thresholdâ&#x20AC;Ś itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for the very, very serious.
Our favourite budget UXQQLQJ KHDGSKRQHV Ä&#x2020;W brilliantly and are very waterproof and sweatproof. Sound quality is acceptable rather than astonishing, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll forgive that.
RHA TRUECONNECT e UKD DXGLR FRP :LWK VZHDW SURRÄ&#x2020;QJ DQG comfortable (and secure) Ä&#x2020;WWLQJ WKDQNV WR WKH huge range of ear tips, these bring high-quality sound to your wireless ZRUNRXW 7KH\ ODVW Ä&#x2020;YH hours per charge, too.
Insure multiple devices under one roof with Gadget Cover. www.gadget-cover.com J A N U A R Y 2 019 T3 113
LUXURIES Exclusive gifts to seriously spoil yourself
LIMITED E DI T ION JIMM Y PAGE TELEC A STER SET When Jeff Beck gave Jimmy Page an undecorated 1959 Fender Telecaster as a gift in the late ’60s, the Led Zeppelin axeman decided to have some fun with it – ĆUVW GHFRUDWLQJ LW ZLWK PLUURUV DQG ODWHU UHSODFLQJ WKRVH with his own intricate ‘dragon’ paintings. Now, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Zep’s debut album, those iconic designs have been recreated for two limited-edition guitars. Painstakingly handcrafted in Fender’s Custom Shop in California, each axe is daubed with Page’s handwritten signature, with the ‘dragon’ guitars also featuring doodles drawn by the man himself. Sadly, you’d probably need to be a member of Led Zep to afford one of the 50 limited edition sets, but don’t fret – Fender is planning to launch production-line equivalents before the year is out. £46,518 for a set of two, fender.com
NEXT ISSUE IS ON SALE FRIDAY 12 APRIL Our outdoor tech special has everything from garden upgrades to survival gear 114 T3 A P R I L 2 019