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SUMMER SPECIAL

ONEPLUS NORD CE 5G AT A GREAT PRICE! YOUR ESSENTIAL OUTDOOR EDIT

UNBEATABLE REVIEWED

SONY BUDS

From coolers and BBQs toebikes and drones, enjoy the latest red-hot tech

The WF-1000XM4 are the best earbuds you can own

TESTED

THE BEST EVER?

Samsung set leaves OLED in the dust

MACBOOK AIR VSVSGALAXY BOOK PRO Which next-gen ultrabook should be in your bag?

Ultimate outdoor speakers! Drop-proof, sand-proof and waterproof speakers from Sonos, Bang & Olufsen and JBL tested

RATED

STUNNING iMACM1 MAC

The most beautiful desktop yet... andit’ssuper-fast too

SHOWSTOPPER Gadgets that showcase the very best that design and technology have to offer

SOUND & VISION

e GT is also a treat for the senses, with a Sony 64MP triple camera and dual hi-res DolbyAtmos-enabled speakers

REALME GT

Thanks to brands like OnePlus, Oppo and realme, budget ‘ﬂagship killers’ have become a familiar sight. And yet the realme GT is still worth sitting up and taking notice of. It’s not that it comes with a zippy Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G processor. Nor is it the gorgeous, buttery smooth 120Hz Samsung Super AMOLED display or its hyper-responsive 360Hz touch sample rate. Frankly, it’s not even its 4,500 mAh battery and 65W SuperDart charging or its stainless steel VC cooling system for enabling superior heat dispersion. Each of these features can be found in other handsets after all. Instead the most remarkable thing about the GT is that it offers these features all in one package... and a package that will set you back a fraction of the cost of ﬂagship handsets. So if you want a gaming-oriented phone without paying a premium, it’s worth picking one up. Around £385, realme.com JULY 2021 T3 3

Meet the team

JOSH RUSSELL Editor

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Welcome

Editor’s letter

At the time of writing, the T3 team has recently celebrated our favourite cultural holiday. Not the Solstice: the oatmeal pallorof most techjournalists means we’re doctrinally forbidden from celebrating the sun’s influence on our lives. No, of course we’re talking about Amazon Prime Day. Like all truly great holidays, it’s calendrically ambiguous, drifting through its given month so unpredictably you’d need an orrery to determine its date each year. And it exists largely just an excuse for us to acquire all of the fancy stuff we’ve had our eye on for six months. So we’ve spent the festive period feverishly tracking deals and buying up bargain tech. The net result is that we’re all: shattered, broke and happily playing with our new purchases. Fortunately, this means we have both a glut of tech to recommend and a newfound desire to start getting out of the house more. Which has inspired this issue’s Summer Special: whether you’re just looking to spend more time in the garden, party in the park or go for a relaxing staycation, we’ve got the perfect gear to take with you. From Bluetooth speakers to BBQs, fire pits to fitness watches, shades to e-scooters, we have all the tech you need to make your summer complete.

Josh Russell, Editor josh.russell@futurenet.com Tweet me @joshlrussell

T3’S MISSION

Our mission is to bring you the clearest recommendations we can – and that means a great deal of hard work happens before a product even reaches our pages! Because we only feature products the T3 team would happily use ourselves, we end up discarding a signiﬁcant number of options in each category before settling on a ﬁnal shortlist to review. We select only the best of the best for our Tested section; the gear we know you’ll want to seriously consider purchasing. And that should mean an end to you

having to undertake hours of painstaking research and product comparisons. You won’t see any duff products, but you will come away with clarity on which one is the best in its category or for a speciﬁc task: our awards badges (see below) ensure that everything T3 recommends is clearly highlighted on the page. It goes without saying that every product in our review section has been thoroughly tested by our team of experts, enabling you to buy with total conﬁdence.

OUR AWARDS This is given to winners of our group tests, so you can see which is the best at a glance

Only the best products – those that score ﬁve stars – receive our Platinum Award

T3, ISSN 1364-2642, is published monthly with an extra issue in September by Future Publishing, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. UK The US annual subscription price is $168.87. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named World Container Inc, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at Brooklyn NY 11256. US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to T3, World Container Inc, 150-15 183rd St, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA Subscription records are maintained at Future Publishing, c/o Air Business Subscriptions, Rockwood House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3DH. UK

JULY 2021 T3 5

Contents

Contents 029

SIZZLING SUMMER GADGETS

Glorious gear for enjoying the beach, a staycation or the great outdoors

044

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO… ACTION CAMERAS

Shoot all of your outdoor adventures with these handy, high-resolution cameras

050 6 T3 JULY 2021

BATTLE OF THE ULTRABOOKS

Is the MacBook Air or Galaxy Book Pro the best lightweight laptop for you?

059

STATE OF THE ART

Which Bluetooth speaker offers the most sturdy build, astounding sound and stunning looks?

Contents BEST OF THE BEST

HORIZON 010 HORIZON TOP 10

OnePlus gets back to its affordable roots with the Nord CE 5G

TESTED 068 APPLE iMAC M1

Slight, bright and blisteringly fast, the multicoloured iMac is a desirable desktop with only a few drawbacks

018

STYLE

Slip on one of these perfect pairs of summer sneaks

020

FITNESS & OUTDOORS

Why Suunto’s trailrunning-focused smartwatch will peak your interest

072

FOCAL CLEAR MG

Focal’s new wired headphones cost the earth but they sound like heaven

073

GARMIN VENU 2

This stunning ﬁtness wearable gives the Apple Watch SE a run for its money

074

021 TRAVEL

Samsung’s MiniLED 8K TV offers both staggering brightness and inky blacks

022 024

042

076

SONY WF-1000XM4

Squeeze more charge out of your car and fend off trespassing tabbies

Amazing sound, ANC and features make Sony’s buds the best ever

TALKING TECH

PURE AIR GO

027

Arch-reviewer Duncan Bell earns his gold star reviewing Amazon reviewers 8 T3 JULY 2021

AND SAVE BIG MONEY Get the latest offers

LIVING

GADGET GURU

Our giant buyer’s guide helps you ﬁnd 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!

SAMSUNG QN900A

Get east bound and down with a trip to the US’s Atlantic coast Compost like a boss with Sage’s high-tech FoodCycler

079

YOUR IN-DEPTH BUYER’S GUIDE

078

Sturdy, waterproof and affordable, this is the perfect noob-friendly e-scooter

Horizon

The best new tech heading your way

ONEPLUS NORD CE 5G

From £299, oneplus.com

The first Nord seemed to be a case of OnePlus remembering what its original market was – the affordable mid-range – and throwing out something those buyers might like; this second bite of the apple, while not an actual Nord 2, seems to be the result of OnePlus working out what mid-range buyers actually want. The price is a clue, with the CE costing £80 less than the bottom end of the original Nord spec (though also £80 more than the bargain Nord N10). The battery, a 4,500mAh upgrade over the 4,100mAh cell of its predecessor, will suit casual users better. This launches with Android 11 (with two years of software updates promised) running on an a mid-table Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset backed by up to 12GB RAM; minimum storage is a very reasonable 128GB, and jumps up to 256GB on the top-end model. Sacrifices against the Nord are, realistically, very few: the selfie camera isn’t quite as capable, there’s no macro lens on the main camera, and there’s a plastic back – in one of three colours – instead of glass. All downgrades which aren’t going to spoil the experience; there’s even an upgrade in the form of a physical headphone jack. OnePlus returning to its roots seems like it was the right move. This is a phone which strikes that balance, one which almost lands in the budget category yet impresses like the best of the mid-range. If the execution matches the promise of its specs, the likes of Nokia and Motorola have good cause to worry. OnePlus – the real OnePlus – might be back.

TECH-O-METER 10 T3 JULY 2021

OnePlus has always loved delivering power fast, so the 30W fast charging functionality of the Nord CE is not surprising – but it’s a welcome addition. The company reckons it’ll boost a ﬂat battery to 70% in just half an hour.

“No compromise here. If you’re on a budget, this is perfect” Josh Russell, Editor

Top10

SUPER SCREEN The Nord CE keeps the Fluid AMOLED panel of its more expensive cousin, and can still drive it at 90Hz for a supersmooth scrolling and gaming experience. It doesn’t, though, share the HDR10+ support of the main-line Nord, though the under-screen ﬁngerprint reader remains.

SUPERIOR SNAPPER There’s a great camera package in here, with a 64MP main sensor capable of ﬁlming 4K at 30fps and 1080p at up to 120fps, along with 8MP of ultrawide shooting and a third 2MP monochrome lens to help with depth effects. The 16MP selﬁe cam can’t match the dual-sensor front package of the Nord, but does it need to?

SULPENO :ECR UOS E G A M I

JULY 2021 T3 11

Horizon ACER SPATIALABS £TBC, acer.com

Early days for this one, so early it doesn’t have a speciﬁc product attached to it, but Acer’s recent ConceptD laptop launch came with one proposed variant that literally stood out: it featured the company’s Spatialabs display. Combining high-end optics, eye tracking, traditional stereoscopic tech and a whole lot of internal processing power, Spatialabs screens show images in full 3D without the need for glasses. We’ve seen similar elsewhere, such as in the 3DS (sort of), Sony’s Spatial Reality Display and the Looking Glass Portrait, a crudebut-cool Kickstarter success, but never in a thin laptop screen. This is made for creative professionals – and, at least initially, will be loaned to a select few 3D wizards for free while Acer works out the kinks – but who knows what it might mean for future home displays…? RECA :ECR UOS E G A M I

T3 SAYS: Impressive: will it be consumer-friendly?

TECH-O-METER

BMW 4 SERIES GRAN COUPÉ

From £40,465, bmwgroup.com

Due in November and sitting atop the secondgeneration 4 Series line, the four-door Gran Coupé shouts of compromise. Not in its engine, which can be specced as high as a turbocharged 3-litre petrol unit capable of 369bhp, and not in its Merino leather interior, with a 10.25-inch BMW Live Cockpit Professional digital readout. Not even in its outer design, which borrows the divisive kidney grille from the 3 Series but otherwise switches things up signiﬁcantly. This is a compromise car because it’ll get you power and luxury, but also room to stuff the kids and shopping in the back. While we’re sure many will choose the same-platformed all-electric i4 over this petrol or diesel alternative, the mild hybrid engine on offer here is at least a nod to economy.

TECH-O-METER 12 T3 JULY 2021

W M B :ECR UOS E G A M I

T3 SAYS: Plenty cool, however you use it.

Top10 AUDIO PRO C10 MKII £359, audiopro.com

O R P OI D U A : E C R U O S E G A M I

Sweden’s Audio Pro has a well-deserved reputation for pin-sharp sound, and with the second iteration of its boomy box it is attempting to pick up plaudits for its multiroom management, too. The C10 MkII doesn’t just add Airplay 2 support, it brings on Google Cast too, so it’ll fit right in to your existing multiroom setup. That’s not all: Audio Pro’s own multiroom functionality makes it in, controlled by the company’s app, and there’s Bluetooth support too. It also changes up the design of the original, including a magnetic cloth front which you can switch out with others as suits the specifics of your decor, and a newly revised bass port and electronics package to further refine the sound. You can even directly hook up a turntable, or jump to your favourite playlists or radio stations with its six built-in presets. T3 SAYS: One box fits all – this is the new hi-fi.

TECH-O-METER

ASUS CHROMEBOOK CX9 £1,300, asus.com

ChromeOS, as a platform, may be growing faster than any other at this moment. A whole host of peripheral manufacturers are announcing certiﬁcation, and a long list of compatible hardware is being released. While Asus’ Chromebook CX9 – technically the CX9400, if we’re being picky – may scream overkill with its Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD and twin Thunderbolt 4 ports, we’re not sure if this hardware package is way more than a Chromebook needs or exactly what it needs. A powerhouse machine, ready for tough online tasks and able to keep up with all your media needs. A versatile machine, with a pen-compatible touch screen, a four-speaker Harman-Kardon-tuned audio system, and the ability to run Linux and Android apps if you need them. Not bad at all.

TECH-O-METER JULY 2021 T3 13

S U S A :ECR UOS E G A M I

T3 SAYS: Not a gamer’s dream, but a wonder.

Horizon BEOVISION CONTOUR

From £6,300, bang-olufsen.com

N E S F ULO & G N A B : E C R U O S E G A M I

Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound Stage might not pull off actual surround sound, but it is unquestionably one of the best soundbars in the world – a stylish unit with a truly sublime soundstage, so good that it bagged our best soundbar gong in last year’s T3 Awards. The only problem was ﬁnding the right TV to pair it with – or, at least, that used to be the case. The Contour just looks cool, boldly integrating that cloth- or wood-covered sound unit (which B&O says utilises ‘sound technology based on the Beosound Stage’) into a smart aluminium surround with bold, deep bezels. The panel itself is actually a straight 55-inch LG unit, so B&O hasn’t quite properly dipped its toe in the TV game just yet, but the whole package can be controlled from the same one-piece machined aluminium remote. T3 SAYS: That’s the living room sorted.

TECH-O-METER

MARANTZ AV8805A £3,899, marantz.com

A new generation of TVs demands a new generation of receiver, but that’s not always straightforward. Marantz’s latest 8K, 60Hzcompatible AV amp – released alongside parent company Denon’s slightly less luxuriouslooking but otherwise nigh-on identical AVCX8500HA – ﬁxes issues last year’s releases had with 120Hz HDMI 2.1 passthrough. It also adds a whole lot more support for key modern formats – such as VRR, ALLM, QFT and both HDR10+ and Dynamic HDR – and provides Quick Media Switching, which stops TVs showing a black screen when you’re jumping between sources with different frame rates. Finally, it adds DTX:Pro support, giving you the ability to take advantage of unusual surround setups like 7.2.6 if your speakers ﬁt the bill.

TECH-O-METER 14 T3 JULY 2021

Z T N A R A M :ECR UOS E G A M I

T3 SAYS: A solid and (whisper it) pretty future-proof package.

Horizon Top10 SHARP 3KA FRAMELESS TVS From £530, sharp.co.uk

these screens see Sharp adopting the excellent Android TV smart platform, providing the full range of apps as well as built-in Chromecast and Google Assistant support via a mic in the remote. That just makes sense – and adds a lot of value. T3 SAYS: The high end will have to work hard to differentiate itself again.

P R A H S :ECR UOS E G A M I

Sharp’s affordable Aquous displays essentially join its entire current-day lineup in trimming every spare micron of fat from the edges of the panel. Now virtually frameless, with only a small chin and a relatively thin proﬁle, the 3KA series – which spreads itself from the £530 50DL3KA up to the £750 65DN3KA – consists of UHD LED panels supporting HDR10 and HLG (with the slightly pricier DN-branded panels also certiﬁed for Dolby Vision and Atmos), Harman Kardon 2.1 speaker setups, and plenty of inputs. And the hardware isn’t the only upgrade:

TECH-O-METER

COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES

NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 TI From £529, nvidia.com

brilliant and a huge leap over 20-series cards. And if Nvidia’s promise to make its cards miningproof actually bears fruit this time, keep an eye on the second-hand market – there may be a few garage crypto rigs parted out to claw at least a little of that money back. T3 SAYS: This or a console? Hmm…

TECH-O-METER

COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES

A I D I V N :ECR UOS E G A M I

Graphics cards, even viewed through the depressing lens of the current electronics shortage, are pretty rare beasts. Nvidia doesn’t seem to have heard the news, though, because here it is releasing yet another card that we won’t be able to get, not only because of production issues but because stock will inevitably be swallowed up by cryptominers looking to do pointless sums in order to earn imaginary coins. We’re not complaining, of course; performance improvements over the stock 3070 are, say early testers, very minimal in this Ti version, but the stock 3070 is

HUAWEI MATEPAD PRO 12.6 Around £700, huawei.com

16 T3 JULY 2021

like one seriously strong tablet, with a Kirin 9000E chipset powering it, the second generation of the company’s M-Pencil stylus on board, and a 12.6 inch 2560 x 1600 OLED with some very minimal bezels. Let’s hope it can thrive without the Play Store for apps. T3 SAYS: Could HarmonyOS be a viable alternative to Android?

TECH-O-METER

COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES

I E WAUH : E C R U O S E G A M I

Huawei is a massive and currently much maligned company, one which was never going to let a small thing like a ban on accessing US technologies stop it in its tracks. Thus, with the Google-based portion of Android out of its reach, it has now launched its own HarmonyOS operating system, one which aims to link all manner of devices together seamlessly. It’s not a straight Android clone (in fact, it borrows heavily from iOS’ design language) though sideloaded Android apps do seem to work. We can’t fault Huawei’s moxie – and the MatePad Pro 12.6 does look

Horizon

SUMMER SHOES

Footwear for the warmer months doesn’t have to skimp on robustness or good looks, as these ﬁve pairs of cracking kickers demonstrate VEJA MARLIN V-KNIT SNEAKERS Named after one of the fastest and most athletic ﬁshes in the ocean, the Marlin is the newest vegan sneaker from Veja. They’re light and dynamic for exercising in, yet still comfortable for everyday wear. £145, veja-store.com

DR MARTENS PEARSON STRAPPY WEBBING SANDALS Want typical Dr Martens style in the summer? Try the brand’s newest sandal. Made from hard wearing poly, ripstop and webbing and sat on a light-yetrugged Tract outsole. They’re breathable enough for even the hottest months. £89, drmartens.com

ETSOCA L ,SNAV ,SNETRAM RD ,ERRETSINIF , AJEV :ECRUOS EGAMI

VANS TREK SLIP-ON Trek Slip-On takes the classic Vans silhouette to a whole new level, combining it with a durable, single piece injected construction and deconstructed checkerboard drainage holes for breathability. They’re lightweight and fully rinseable, perfect for any adventure. £37, vans.co.uk 18 T3 JULY 2021

PALLADIUM + FINISTERRE PALLAFIN LOW This lightweight, fully waterproof shoe is built for roaming. It’s made with recycled and vegan-friendly materials throughout and features sealed seams and rubber pads for comfort and traction wherever your adventure takes you. £110, ﬁnisterre.com

LACOSTE GAME ADVANCE LUXE An amped-up take on the stylish court sneaker, these new sneakers twin heritage-informed details with a contemporary, streetwear-inspired ﬂair. Leather and suede uppers sit on sculpted outsoles for a dynamic, textural contrast. £100, lacoste.com

Style

WHICH WATCH

THE HOTTEST TIMEPIECES RIGHT NOW

TUDOR, BLACK BAY CERAMIC

Divers Cloud White Print Resort Shirt

SWATCH, SPACE COLLECTION LAUNCH

Swatch has taken the orange NASA Advanced Crew Escape Suit design to the next level. Featuring Swatch Glow hands, a matt grey bioceramic case and biosourced plastic glass. £141, swatch.com

G-SHOCK, GST-B400

BREITLING, SUPER CHRONOMAT B01 44

This stylish all-purpose sports watch features a UTC-module embedded in a Rouleaux bracelet, providing a way of keeping track of a second time zone. £7,990, breitling.com

Men’s capri (or camp/Cuban) collar shirts bring the style worn by James Bond, Jude Law in The Talented Mr Ripley, and Elvis Presley back for modern-day resort wear. They’re also worn, more recently, by style icons Jeff Goldblum and Harry Styles, and if that’s not a glowing recommendation then we don’t know what is. The classic style should be a staple of any holiday wardrobe, whether you’re cruising around the Mediterranean or having an ice cream on the Isle of Wight. Now, you could opt for a traditional navy blue or striped option, but we think there’s always room in your suitcase for a statement print, just like the Island Divers print featured on this Orlebar Brown Travis shirt. The design shows people diving from palm trees on a faraway island, making it the perfect attire for your next beach getaway. The print is based on a vintage source, cleverly reworked by Orlebar Brown into a more modern design. The Travis comes in breathable linen-blend fabric, which makes it ideal for wearing in hot weather, with branded nylon buttons and hem side vents for an added touch of luxe. £195, orlebarbrown.com JULY 2021 T3 19

NWOR B RABELRO ,GNILTIERB ,KCOHS- G , HCTAWS ,RODUT :ECR UOS EGAMI

Not only does this new watch look amazing with a case in matt black ceramic, there’s a lot going on inside too. It features a Manufacture Calibre with a Master Chronometer certiﬁcation from METAS. £3,550, tudorwatch.com

Featuring a new, improved module built to deliver the slimmest case of any G-Steel yet, at just 12.9mm. It’s still just as useable, though, with a new low-power Bluetooth system. £379, g-shock.co.uk

MONEY NO OBJECT Orlebar Brown Travis Island

Horizon Fitness BEST FITNESS APPS

CENTR

TRAIL-BLAZER

PEAK-Y BLINDER

OTN U U S :ECR UOS EGAMI

R T N E C :ECR UOS E G A M I

e Centr app oﬀers a wide variety of workout, diet and mindfulness content to strengthen your body and mind, all backed by Chris Hemsworth and his team of ﬁtness experts. e new 10week Centr Power workout programme can also help you build big guns like Chris, too. From £22.99, centr.com

Suunto 9 is the Finnish brand’s thinnest, smallest and toughest ﬁtness watch to date D NAMED NO YDOBHCA E B :ECR UOS EGAMI

BEACHBODY ON DEMAND

Stream over 1,100 virtual workouts including yoga, cardio, dance, strength and more through this app. You can also download workouts for oﬄine use and track progress in your own workout calendar, as well as create customisable meal plans. From £59.84, beachbodyondemand.com

The Suunto 9 Baro has been an ultra trail running favourite for years now, thanks to its resilience and battery saving options that enabled the watch to function for over 100 hours with reduced sensor activity. As great as the Suunto 9 Baro is, a lot has happened in the multisport watch scene since its release so it was time for Suunto to introduce a successor. And introduce it, it did! Compared to the Suunto 9 Baro, the new Suunto 9 Peak (from £519, suunto.com) is way thinner and lighter but it retained the best qualities of

the Baro, including its ruggedness and the long battery life. The Suunto 9 Peak has a new watch face that showcases your weekly training and ‘inspires new routines’, as Suunto puts it, but other Suunto 9 watch faces are also available via the Suunto App and displayed clearly on the 240x240 pixel screen. Other new features include blood oxygen monitoring and it can be used to see how well you acclimatise during altitude changes. There are 80 sport modes on board straight out of the box.

YOU SAYIN’ BOLT?

IN ITS ELEMNT

THE BODY COACH APP

20 T3 JULY 2021

The new Wahoo Elemnt Bolt 2021 features a 64-colour, high-contrast display, protected by scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass lens. The ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the backlight of said display making sure it’s always easy to read, even in suboptimal light conditions. The Quick View LEDs provide help with turn-by-turn directions and notiﬁcations when you receive messages. Thanks to the robust navigation update, the Elemnt Bolt now automatically reroutes riders who stray from their planned route.

O O HAW : E C R U O S E G A M I

HCAOC YDOB EHT :ECR UOS EGAMI

e new Body Coach App oﬀers exclusive live workouts with Joe Wicks every week, a good enough reason in itself to sign up today. You can also create personalised meal plans, measure and log changes in your body and attend real-time workouts for every ﬁtness level. From £14.99, thebodycoach.com

e Wahoo Elemnt Bolt 2021 bike computer dazzles with its 64-colour display

Horizon Travel TOP TECH FOR THIS SUMMER

EAST COAST COMEBACK

is month, we’re celebrating the great US of A, especially the east coast, which is ﬁrmly on leisure travellers’ radars once more

Dusting oﬀ your suitcase will be even more exciting if it’s one of Samsonite’s new Magnum Eco cases, which are made with recycled plastic. ey feature Samsonite’s trusty three-point lock system. From £159, samsonite.co.uk

HAMMERHEAD KAROO 2

is brilliant new cycling computer, which launched in February 2021, will super charge your pedal power. Our favourite features include the ultra-responsive touchscreen, the rugged mount and slick smartphone-like interface. £359, uk.hammerhead.io JULY 2021 T3 21

D A E H RE M M A H :ECR UOS E G A M I

Orlando rollercoaster and a high-speed launch that propels passengers to 70mph in 2.4 seconds. However, make sure you venture beyond the parks. This summer will see the opening of downtown Orlando’s high-tech Steinmetz Hall theatre, designed to achieve an N1 sound rating – the lowest level at which humans can detect sound. Finally, consider Washington DC, home to the Smithsonian Institution, which celebrates its 175th anniversary this year. The anniversary event we’re most excited about is Futures at the Arts and Industries Building. Due to be unveiled in late 2021, the exhibition will be packed with robotics and prototypes, including an artiﬁcial intelligence-driven rover and a Loon internet balloon. DC is also a brilliant destination for cyclists – a 24-hour pass for the Capital Bikeshare scheme costs just £5.60. Fancy something tougher? DC is the starting point for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (nps.gov/choh), a 184-mile-long National Historical Park. Allow around four or ﬁve days to cycle its entire length, and plan ahead – the most sought-after overnight stopovers are the Canal Quarters lockhouses.

SAMSONITE MAGNUM ECO LUGGAGE

ETI N O S M A S :ECR UOS E G A M I

2021 is an exciting year for Boston’s hotel scene. In June the revamped Langham, Boston hotel (langhamhotels.com) flung open its doors after a multimillion-dollar renovation. Built in 1922 as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, it’s filled with nods to its banking past, including the original terrazzo floor (complete with the Reserve’s seal) in the Grana restaurant. Then there’s the Newbury Boston (thenewburyboston.com), which opened in May in the historic Back Bay area. Highlights include a glass-enclosed rooftop restaurant and a library with a book collection curated by the Boston Public Library. For multi-destination adventures, let the train take the strain and hop on one of Amtrak’s most spectacular routes (amtrak.com). President Biden recently announced plans to invest $80bn in Amtrak, which turns 50 this year. We highly recommend Amtrak’s Adirondack service, which connects New York with Montreal in Canada. For something slightly faster, head to Florida, where Universal Orlando Resort’s hi-tech VelociCoaster opened in June. It’s got the steepest drop of any Universal

K A R T M A :ECR UOS E G A M I

HERE’S TO US

Columbia’s latest tech innovation? Omni-Freeze Zero – a high-tech moisturewicking material that reacts with sweat to lower the fabric’s temperature. £21, columbiasportswear.co.uk

A I B M ULOC :ECR UOS E G A M I

COLUMBIA OMNIFREEZE ZERO RANGE

Horizon Living MORE GREAT WASTEREDUCERS

ZUMA

MIND THE SCRAPS

REDUCE WASTE AND HELP YOUR GARDEN GROW

Now you can have an industrial recycling plant on your countertop ZWILLING FRESH & SAVE G N I L L I W Z :ECR UOS E G A M I

We love this vacuum-pack food preserving range. Just put your leftovers, ingredients, dried goods or whatever into glass or plastic tubs, then let the USB-charged electric vacuum pump work its magic. From £79.95, uk.zwilling-shop.com

JOSEPH JOSEPH TITAN COMPACTOR

H P E SOJ H P E S O J :ECR UOS E G A M I

A great solution for anyone who hates taking the recycling out too often, this 30-litre bin can take 90 litres of trash. How? A clever, folddown internal bin and lid lets you crush down rubbish as you go, without tearing the bin liner. £179, josephjoseph.com 22 T3 JULY 2021

Sage has long made some damn ﬁne food preparation equipment. Now it is completing the natural cycle, with a food waste recycling machine. The FoodCycler (£399.95, sageappliances.com) is a mechanised composting device that dries food waste, then grinds into ‘EcoChips’. These are, sadly, not chips that you can eat – imagine how delicious that would be! No, they are intended for easy and muck-free recycling, or use in your garden. Designed to sit in a spare space in your kitchen, garage or laundry room, the FoodCycler looks not unlike one of Sage’s ice cream makers – although don’t get them mixed up, or your day will be well and truly ruined. Compared to most countertop bins it’s on the large side, but then on the other hand, compared to an industrial waste processing factory, it’s very small. All you have to do is put your daily food scraps into its internal bin and seal the lid to keep odours in. Once enough has built up, you can commence the EcoChip-making process. All this involves from your point of view is pressing one button. This sets the FoodCycler off on a three-stage process. First, the waste is dehydrated. This is a low-energy process but the heat involved is enough to sterilise leftover food scraps – even meat and ﬁsh. Then a powerful

grinder reduces the waste to about 20% of its original volume, producing something that looks, to be fair, rather more like the contents of your vacuum cleaner than ‘chips’ as such. These lowodour chips can then be put in your council food recycling bins, or spread on your garden. This is the real genius of FoodCycler. While you can break down all this kind of waste on a compost heap, the results can be very unpleasant indeed, particularly if you include meat and fish leftovers. FoodCycler saves you from horrendous smells, dangerous bacteria and the likelihood of attracting vermin. In the UK as it stands, we throw away 6.6 million tonnes of food waste per year. This is, apparently, enough to fill 66 three-bedroom houses. Just contemplate that for a moment: an entire housing estate full of rotting meat and fish. The FoodCycler is surprisingly quiet in operation. The main food bucket is also dishwasher proof – it’s porcelain-coated aluminium – which is quite a relief. Energy use is fairly low; equivalent to boiling a kettle about once every hour. Obviously, it’s not the speediest process, but you don’t have to do anything other than press one button and walk away, and it’s sure as hell quicker than leaving food waste to rot on a compost heap.

EGAS :ECR UOS E G A M I

A M U Z :ECR UOS E G A M I

Why buy a wireless speaker and a Hue-style LED smart light, when you can buy a Zuma and get both in one? Everything is crammed into a unit that can replace a single ceiling spotlight. e results are truly impressive for both sound and visuals. £375, zuma.ai

Horizon

T3’s road-worthy tech brainbox steers you in the right direction

EVANHAWKINS,AYLESBURY

Can I extend the range of my EV? battery upgrades you’ve been given to drag a for EVs are either visions of ridiculous distance out of your car A Presently, without any upgrades, while a future in which we can YLLEK NEHPETS :SNOITARTSULLI

just hop into a charging station to whip out a huge undercarriage (fnar) in order to swap it out for a fully topped up one, or range upgrades that require you to pay thousands of pounds for a manufacturer to temporarily ﬂip a single bit in your car’s computer and release a little sliver of the juice it’s been holding back. The latter, in particular, makes Guru fume so powerfully that he himself could be used to quick-charge a battery. But what if you could get your own back on Big EV, using the tools

ABOVE Let’s see the Duracell bunny getting nerdy about some numbers outlast you now in the process? Hypermiling is for you’ve nicked his you. It’s been rather popular with battery

SUV drivers and penny-pinching misers since petrol started chasing printer ink in price, but it’s extrarelevant when it comes to EVs.

Hypermiling is for you. It’s popular with SUV drivers and penny-pinchers, but it’s extrarelevant when it comes to EVs

Remove all unnecessary aerodynamic impediments like bike racks. Put on appropriate tyres, like Michelin’s Energy E-V (from around £85 each) and pressure them properly. Shut the windows and switch off the air conditioning. Sweat profusely. Accelerate slowly, and use cruise control wherever possible to maintain a constant speed. Don’t throttle down hills, and brake rarely, if ever; EV engine braking will net you power back, and is usually the most efﬁcient. Sweat more. But whatever you do, don’t try slipstreaming – Guru forbids it, because it’s dangerous and he hates lithium explosions.

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: INBOX@T3.COM OR FACEBOOK.COM/T3MAG 24 T3 JULY 2021

Gadget guru CHARLOTTEHOUSE,BROMLEY

How can I get the best from wireless charging? charging is sorcery the new generation of MagSafe, that few truly understand, which gives the alignment some A Wireless so let Dr Gauss offer you a exacting precision; many charging quick explanation in anapestic tetrameter: In the back of your phone a flat coil of wire lies / Find the same in your Qi-charging power supplies / When the coil in the charger is given some juice / It excites the phone’s coil with a magnetic boost / If you have a new hob which features induction / The tech is a similar type of construction / But be warned – do not try charging phones on your hob / (Unless fire is your aim – to turn phones to a blob). To be honest that probably didn’t help you understand it any better, but it did amuse Guru for a few minutes. Let’s leave it at ‘it just works’ and move on. Step one is improving your aim. The better the coils are aligned, the more efficiently they’ll be able to transfer their power. Apple’s newer devices mostly make this a non-issue with

stands will do the same, forcealigning your phone for ultimate performance; Belkin’s Boost Charge TrueFreedom Pro (£149) solves the problem simply by hurling a whole load of individual charging coils into a single mat, meaning wherever you put your phone you’ll always be sort of right. Secondly, power can be an issue, particularly if you’re trying to charge a newer phone. Most Qi-charging devices draw a maximum of 5W, but iPhones and Samsung phones contain tech that can take a little more. Give them a charging pad with 10W output – maybe even something frivolous like Numskull’s ﬂux-capacitor-shaped Charging Matz (£20) – and they should be a lot happier. And consider a thinner case, because bulky silicon numbers can reduce the proximity between coils.

GADGET GURU’S MAGIC BOX

Guru recently reached a milestone birthday, the one at which one’s life supposedly begins – life apparently being a combination of constant crushing malaise and the inability to stand up without going ‘oof’. In a losing effort to retain at least some of his fast eroding youthfulness, GaGu has invested in a number of tinctures. These range from The Body Shop’s £28 ‘Drops of Youth’, a pre-moisturiser gel only slightly less expensive than printer ink, to Origins’ Plantscription Multi-Powered Youth Serum, which passes the printer ink mark at £42 for 30ml and sounds like a punishment handed out to naughty children by Monty Don. Whether these things are working is a question for Mrs Guru, who refuses to answer on the basis that she does not wish to encourage Guru’s latest mid-life crisis. You might expect that it is now time for Guru to

ABOVE Green Lantern may be no Superman, but he’s got a cracking charger

pick up a nice sports car to spice up the twilight of his years, but you would be wrong: he’s much more the type to hurtle around the grounds in an electric go-kart. Admittedly he literally tops the 220lb, 6ft 3in upper limit of the Ninebot Gokart Pro (£1,750) and is well aware that the increasingly older junior members of Clan Guru will likely not even allow him a go once they set eyes on it, but he can’t help pretending he is still cool enough to do skids. Perhaps leaning into it and somehow clearing the funds for the Zero SR/F EV motorcycle (from £17,490) might be a better choice. It’ll do 124mph (of which Guru may use no more than 30) and cover 100 miles on a charge, enabling your favourite uncle to ﬂy far away from his responsibilities before trundling home with his tail between his legs.

 ‘PADAWAN’, VIAEMAIL

Can I combine Star Wars and booze? loves nerdy trinkets, a well-appointed home, A Guru and an oddly speciﬁc

question. Allow him to direct you to thumbsup.com, which has worked with Stormtrooper designer Andrew Ainsworth to knock out a number of appropriate products based on his original helmet design. Start your posh Cantina gettogether by ﬁlling the Stormtrooper decanter (£25) with something strong, pour your guests a good slug of blue milk into the Stormtrooper-shaped glass (£12) and switch on your Stormtroopershaped wireframe lamp (£19.50) for the ultimate in alien atmosphere. If you’re looking to wow friends with your drinks-mixing skills, Sharon Powell’s unofﬁcial cocktail book (Drink Me, You Must!, £8.99) contains such recipes as Qui-Gon Jinn and Tonic, the Fuzzy Tauntaun and, er, ‘Yoda drink’, though Guru supposes you could probably get away with mixing anything up if you give it a Star-Wars-y name. Here, have a good sip of his Sarlacc Pit. JULY 2021 T3 25

Horizon

NEW MEDIA

NOW PLAYING HowSTEVEJ,MANSFIELD do I keep Guru ﬁnds the ﬁnest media you need on your various devices

VAN WEEZER Weezer albums can be hit and miss, but at least a new one seems to come along every ﬁve minutes, and this one is a rather good example of what has now become its own genre.

cats oﬀ my yard? has tackled questions similar to this, but he has A Guru now realised the truth: cats

are gonna cat, son. If they’ve decided your garden is their territory, it’s time to get used to it. Admittedly GaGu does provide lodgings to a few problem felines, so let him list the tools his neighbours have fruitlessly employed to banish his own clowder of gits: little stand-up cat models (knocked over); sprinklers (wet cat, undeterred); sonic cat deterrent (if only cats could laugh at the futility of human ingenuity...); tin foil (admittedly the cats did not like this, but try covering your entire garden in it like a lunatic conspiracy ABOVE theorist and come back to Guru). Tresspasser or

 CHRISOSPREAY, LLANELLI

PETER RABBIT 2 Guru did not like this ﬁlm. It’s Corden-heavy and silly. But GaGu Jr loved it, and most importantly the lad loved going to the cinema to see it. A welcome return.

Y E N S I D :ECR UOS E G A M I

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE MUSICAL: THE SERIES: SEASON 2 Guru has included this Disney+ show solely to confound his poor editor, who will be forced to ﬁt its colon-heavy title in. 26 T3 JULY 2021

Recommend me a non-themed Lego set, Guru reader here is looking something that isn’t, for A Ourforexample, based on space

not, burying cats in your garden seems extreme...

wizards or child wizards or the like. Guru’s ﬁrst thought would be Lego’s architecture range; the problem, really, is that things like the Empire State Building (set 21046, £90) tend towards the dull, however good they may be for mindfulness. Short of performing your own wizardry using a tool like Lego Digital Designer (free) and going nuts on a site like bricklink.com to make your dreams a reality, a vehicle set might be the order of the day here. Try the Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 (42115, £350) for a complex and rewarding build.

The problem with Lego’s architecture range is that things like its Empire State Building tend towards the dull

 JAMESYOUNG, DERBY

What’s the deal with Apple’s new audio tech? not new tech, as such: is upgrading a chunk A It’sApple of its subscription-based

Apple Music library to support Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, and doing it for the distinctly non-Apple price of ‘free’. That gives you an extra musical dimension, much like Amazon’s limited 3D Audio offering on hardware which supports it – that’s anything with an H1 or W1 chip, or the new iMac. The company is also introducing new tiers of Apple Music, which will offer lossless and hi-res lossless tracks, though these stupidly won’t work on HomePods or through any of Apple’s headphones.

Don’t miss another instalment of the legendaryGadget Guru!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! See p42

Opinion

Duncan Bell is in his Prime Amazon sends us glorious things while driving us quietly crazy

ast month was Amazon Prime Day, so that has ﬁred the starting gun for the next big sales event, which will be Black Friday, followed by Cyber Monday, then the pre-Christmas sales, then the Boxing Day sales, the New Year sales and, eventually, with the death of you, me and everything on this planet. It’s an inspiring thought! Apart from the bit about me dying obviously. I regularly shop on Amazon, as I enjoy its mix of low prices, excellent customer service and obviously made-up reviews. When I was shopping around for some good deals this Amazon Prime Day – both to potentially buy myself, and to write about for our website – I was struck once again by just how much blatantly false bullshit there is amidst Amazon’s reviews. Now, we can all have a good laugh about a review of £10 headphones made by a company called something like ‘Ghwanhhhg’ or ‘Zreeb’ that says, “These sound like magic being poured into my ears! Easily better than rubbish Bose! A must buy!” But when you’re shopping for real bargains, it is a big pain in the ass. And a pain that is only made worse by fake reviews. Actually, the non-fake reviews often aren’t much better. Having a high ranking from users has become an obsession online, for everything from headphones to holiday cottages, but the whole process of online reviewing is intrinsically ﬂawed. This is due to three particular types of online reviewer. Let me name and shame them for you now.

1. Complainers. “I bought this and it didn’t work. One star.” Okay, the one you got didn’t work, but let’s go with the assumption that whatever brand made this doesn’t only send out non-working products. If the one you got didn’t work, send it back and Amazon will send you a new one that does, I promise you. 2. Over-enthusiasts. Of course, lots of 5-star reviews are fake. But are the non-fake 5-star reviews written by people who have clearly not a solitary clue what they are going on about any better? Sure, we get that you bought one model of laptop/headphones/dog basket out of the 5 bazillion available and you want us to know you bought

“I enjoy Amazon’s mix of lowprices, excellent customer service and made-up reviews” what you think is the best one. Have you tried the other 4.999999 bazillion ones available? No? Then STFU. 3 or 4 stars are perfectly positive scores. 3. Idiots in general. I have read so many Amazon reviews of products I am intimately familiar with that contain claims that are objectively not true. Sure, opinions are subjective, but I have seen reviewers say, “These headphones made my ears bleed and they have

no bass”, when I know that they are plenty bassy and extremely comfortable. I have developed a system for dealing with online reviews that would be foolproof if it wasn’t for people such as these. You just ignore ALL the one-star reviews and ALL the 5-star ones, and take an average of what’s left to give the true rating. The problem with my system is that most folks only want to tell you when something has gone horribly wrong, or when they have bought something they are super happy about. Outside of a handful of people with way too much time on their hands, who can be bothered to sit down and pen a 3-star or even 4-star review? So the issue is that if you ignore the one-star whingers and 5-star boosterists, you’re usually left with about nine reviews to take an average from. I still maintain it’s a fairly effective system with certain products though. The other system I use a lot is to just ignore user reviews entirely and buy reasonably expensive stuff from brands I’ve actually heard of. If you get an expensive version of any given thing, it’ll usually be a better purchase in the long run than buying a cheapo one; I don’t think I’m exactly breaking the Ofﬁcial Secrets Act by revealing that. JULY 2021 T3 27

Sizzling summergadgets

SIZZLING SUMMER GADGETS

Never mind sun cream, shorts and ice-cold lager – dive into all this top tech! Words: Becca Caddy Photography: Neil Godwin

JULY 2021 T3 29

Sizzling summergadgets

GARDEN

e heck with plants and shrubs! is is what you really need in your garden 2

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5 1

SWAN AL FRESCO SH16310N COLUMN PATIO HEATER

Keep warm outdoors during cool summer evenings with this patio heater from Swan. Its sleek and understated column design means it easily slots behind outdoor furniture and looks the part on patios. It has two temperature settings and a reassuring 360-degree tipover safety switch. With an IP24 rating, it can also handle rain showers. £179.99, amazon.co.uk 30 T3 JULY 2021

JOSPER METAL FIRE PIT

A ﬁre pit is a great way to add heat and drama to outdoor spaces. The Josper Metal Fire Pit from Made also brings bags of style. Crafted from metal, this design would look at home in a modern art gallery as well as your garden. The bowl is separate from the base, which means you can easily dispose of waste afterwards. £159, made.com

PHILIPS HUE LILY XL OUTDOOR SPOT LIGHT (1050 LUMENS)

LAY-Z-SPA HELSINKI ORIEN GARDEN 7 PERSON AIRJET LOUNGE SET, CREAM HOT TUB & BLACK

The ultimate in garden Give your garden a One of the easiest ways to luxury, the Helsinki hot tub makeover with this enhance an outdoor space from Lay-Z-Spa can hold Scandinavian-inspired is with light. The Lily XL up to seven people, helping chairs and side table Outdoor Spot Light from you to unwind with its combo from Orien. The the Philips Hue range can massaging air jets. Thanks circular seat of the chairs be controlled with the Hue to the rapid heating system has a distinctive cream and app, allowing you to pick and quick inﬂation – ready black weaved rope design any colour you can imagine in under ﬁve minutes – wrapped around a sturdy and control the brightness there’s no waiting around. metal frame. That means from your phone. It And it’s made from a it’s not only comfy and integrates with smart durable material that’ll stylish, but it’s also robust assistants, too, so you can withstand the elements enough to withstand any all year round. garden parties or BBQs. also use voice commands. £129.99, philips-hue.com £820, argos.co.uk £299, cultfurniture.com

Garden

SONOS ROAM

A great-sounding portable speaker is an absolute must-have for summer. The Sonos Roam connects to your Wi-Fi, and on the move it pairs with your phone. Fitted with tuning tech, it adapts to your surroundings for a clear, powerful sound whether you’re in your garden or at the beach. It’s also waterproof and drop-resistant, with an impressive 10 hours of playback time. £159, sonos.com

OONI FYRA 12 WOOD PELLET PIZZA OVEN

Create an authentic stone-baked pizza from your back garden in under a minute with the Fyra 12 Wood Pellet Pizza Oven from Ooni. It automatically feeds hardwood pellets into the oven, meaning it’ll be up and running in 15 minutes, reaching temperatures of 500°C (950°F) for effortless cooking. It’s lightweight enough to be easily moved around, too. £249, ooni.com

EERO MESH NETWORK

If you have a large house and want to entertain guests outside or even work from your garden if you’re so inclined, you might need to boost your Wi-Fi. The Eero Mesh extends your Wi-Fi further and makes it faster and more reliable, too. Connecting it to your existing modem is simple with the Eero app, which walks you through the process step-by-step. £79, amazon.co.uk JULY 2021 T3 31

Sizzling summergadgets

OUTSIDE SPACES Chill out in parks and on beaches with the help of this awesome gear

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LAMZAC L AIR LOUNGER 2.0

This inﬂatable lounger brings you ultimate comfort in a matter of seconds – no foot pump needed. All you have to do is sweep it in a horizontal motion, and it ﬁlls up with air. It’s super durable, as well as water and UV-resistant, making it perfect for the beach, park or anywhere else you’d like to relax with zero fuss. £99, fatboy.com 32 T3 JULY 2021

FRESCOBOL CARIOCA TRANCOSO WOODEN BEACH BAT AND BALL SET

Play beach tennis in style with this high-end bat and ball from Frescobol Carioca. The bats have been handcrafted from different layers of wood for durability. A resin ﬁnish gives them extra strength, and neoprene grips give you additional control and comfort. £160, mrporter.com

AFTERSHOKZ XTRAINERZ BONE CONDUCTION WIRELESS HEADPHONES

This pair of headphones from AfterShokz has an eight-hour battery life, IP68 waterprooﬁng and uses bone conduction tech to allow you to listen to MP3s underwater. Perfect for training in the pool or taking the plunge with some wild swimming in rivers and the ocean. £140, aftershokz.co.uk

CGEAR ORIGINAL SAND-FREE MAT

Avoid stamping sand into your car or tent with the CGear Sand-Free Mat. Made from different layers of material, it stops dust and sand from sitting on the top, which is always the pitfall of a regular beach mat. Rings around the edge let you secure it in place, then you can sit on it, get it wet or even put picnic chairs and tables on top of it. £49.99, out-right.co.uk

LIFEWIT 15L 24 CANS INSULATED PICNIC LUNCH BAG Keep food cool on your way to the beach or the park with this waterresistant and durable cooler bag from Lifewit. With a capacity of 15 litres, you can use it to store up to 24 cans. There’s a padded handle and shoulder strap to make it easy to carry, and you can fold it ﬂat when it’s time to head home. £14.99, amazon.co.uk

Outside spaces

THE PARTNER IN WINE BOTTLE

Warm wine is now a thing of the past, thanks to this insulated bottle from Partner in Wine. It holds an entire bottle of wine, which it keeps cold for up to 24 hours because it’s made from insulated and vacuum-sealed stainless steel. It comes in a range of colours and would suit all kinds of parties and picnics. You could even sip a glass of white on the beach. £35, partnerinwine.co.uk

ULTIMATE EARS WONDERBOOM 2

You don’t have to sacriﬁce sound quality for a portable speaker these days. Especially with the Wonderboom 2 from Ultimate Ears, which boasts 13 hours of play on one charge and is both waterproof and dustproof – it’ll even ﬂoat in water. It also has a feature called Outdoor Boost, which pumps up the power and the performance for listening to music outside. £89.99, ultimateears.com

LOTUS GRILL BBQ

You don’t need a traditional barbecue to make great food this summer. The Lotus Grill BBQ is an outdoor cooking miracle, using 90% less charcoal and grilling food in three to four minutes. This is thanks to a fan that blows air onto the charcoal and heats it up super fast. There’s no smoke either because it uses natural hardwood charcoal. £149, lotusgrill.co.uk JULY 2021 T3 33

Sizzling summergadgets

STAYCATION

For holidaying not too far from home, you need comforts you can take on the road

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BIOLITE FIREPIT+

One of the best things about camping is the fire. With the BioLite FirePit+, you get the warmth, smell and crackle of a regular campfire without the smoke. You can also control the size of the flames manually or via an app. It comes with a grill grate, too, transforming it from firepit to BBQ in seconds – just add charcoal. £216, bioliteenergy.com 34 T3 JULY 2021

FERMOB MEDIUM BALAD LAMP

Whether you’re staying late at the beach or need a reliable camping lantern, this minimal lamp has you covered. It’s a wireless and rechargeable LED light with three different brightness levels: soft, bright and ﬂicker. You should get seven to 12 hours of use on one charge, and its handle makes it easy to carry. £79, worm.co.uk

GARMIN FENIX 6 PRO SOLAR EDITION

With workout tracking, live navigation, music, heart rate and sleep monitoring, this advanced sports watch has everything you need. It’s been tested to US military standards for thermal, shock and water resistance, making it the perfect companion for hiking and camping. £679.99, garmin.com

NETGEAR NIGHTHAWK M5 MOBILE ROUTER

Connect to 5G over Wi-Fi wherever you are with Netgear’s device. Up to 32 devices can join the router at once, so you’re sorted for family holidays. It’s helpful to stay connected while you travel, especially if you need to work, but you can also use it to bring 5G to your home. £739.99, netgear.co.uk

DECATHLON QUECHUA 2 SECONDS EASY TENT

Camping has never been so easy, thanks to the 2 Seconds Easy Tent. It doesn’t take two seconds to put up, but it isn’t far behind: its innovative design means you can pitch it in one minute. All you need to do then is secure it in place. And it’s painless to take down too. £99.99, decathlon.co.uk

Staycation

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iPAD AIR

Keep everyone entertained on your travels with an iPad Air. It’s light, has a great-looking 10.9-inch display, and if you buy a durable case, it’ll withstand knocks and drops. It has Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, which makes it remarkably fast with top performance. Pack a compatible keyboard too if you need to get some work done while you’re away. £579, apple.com

DJI MINI 2

This small but mighty drone from DJI records 4K video with 4K zoom and has 31 minutes of ﬂight time. It’s light and foldable, weighing under 249g and can ﬁt in the palm of your hand, which makes it the perfect drone for travel. It can also resist 29-38kph winds, which is good to know if you’re planning to holiday in the UK. £419, dji.com

CANON EOS 250D DSLR

This is one of the lightest DSLRs you’ll ﬁnd with a movable screen, making it ideal for travel. It can take 24.1-megapixel photos and record 4K movies. Thanks to an APS-C sized sensor and DIGIC 8 processor, it performs well, especially in low lights. Built-in Wi-Fi makes it easy to connect to devices, share pictures and use it for live streaming. £629.99, canon.co.uk JULY 2021 T3 35

Sizzling summergadgets

HOLIDAY

We sure all need one – so grab that case and pack with panache

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KNOMO FULHAM KNOMAD X-BODY ORGANISER

APPLE AIRTAGS

It’s easy to lose things when you’re away on your holidays. Knomo is known for its highBut you can keep track of all your quality bags, which are designed valuables with these brilliant Apple to keep your tech protected. The AirTags. They are small tracking Fulham case is ideal for travel discs you can attach to your keys, and ensures your devices and slip into your wallet or hide in a documents are safe and organised. backpack. Open the Find My app It’s made from water-resistant on your iPhone, and you can see nylon with an RFID-proof pocket, where everything is whenever and you can put it in a backpack. you need to. £69, knomo.com From £29, apple.com 36 T3 JULY 2021

NINTENDO SWITCH LITE The best way to play games while you’re on the move is with the Nintendo Switch Lite. This handheld gaming device is compact, lightweight at 276g and has a crisp 5.5-inch touch display. You’ll get three to seven hours of battery life from one charge, making it perfect for ﬂights. Buy a durable case for extra peace of mind. From £209.99, nintendo.co.uk

WACACO NANOPRESSO PORTABLE ESPRESSO MAKER

Keep topped up with your favourite coffee on holiday with this lightweight coffee maker from Wacaco. You don’t need a battery or electricity. Instead, add ground coffee and hot water to the device and pump it manually to create a rich espresso with a creamy layer on top. It doubles as a mug, too. £64.99, amazon.co.uk

Holiday

CANON EOS M50 MARK II This camera has a 24.1-megapixel APS-C sensor, which means it delivers excellent image quality, but it also shines when it comes to video. You can record full HD movies at 60p, and you can stream live to YouTube with a Wi-Fi connection. It’s portable, and at 387g, it’s light for a highend camera, making it a perfect travel companion. £779.99, canon.co.uk

SONY WH-1000XM4

OAKLEY SYLAS

KINDLE PAPERWHITE

One of the best pairs of noiseOakley makes high-end sunglasses No holiday is complete without cancelling headphones you can built for sport, but its classic pairs reading material. The Kindle buy. They’re perfect for travel are just as impressive because Paperwhite is a great ereader because you won’t hear the sound they’re functional and stylish. that boasts 8GB of storage and a of trafﬁc, planes and other people, This pair has been tested against built-in light. It’s also waterproof, allowing you to focus on music, impacts and withstands everyday which means you can read in podcasts and movies. The wireless, knocks and falls but still looks the bath, at the beach or by the over-ear design makes them the part at the beach or a fancy swimming pool. It has Audible comfortable to wear for a long hotel. Oakley lens technology also built in to switch between reading time, which is good news as you’ll enhances colour and contrast and listening and should last weeks get 30 hours from one charge. while offering good protection. on one charge. £289.99, sony.co.uk £102, oakley.com £119.99, amazon.co.uk JULY 2021 T3 37

Sizzling summergadgets

GET ACTIVE

Embrace the warmer weather by keeping ﬁt and setting out on adventures 1

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ADIDAS FIVE TEN MEN’S NIAD VCS CLIMBING SHOE

Regular shoes won’t cut it if you’re serious about climbing. This pair from Adidas has a super ﬂexible design and a velcro fastening, which keeps the shoes ﬁrmly in place on your feet. There’s a solid grip on the sole and around the toes thanks to Stealth rubber, which is great for outdoor sports and climbing. £97, adidas.co.uk 38 T3 JULY 2021

SAUCONY PEREGRINE 11

Saucony’s Peregrine 11 shoes were created especially for trail running over rugged terrain. They’re ﬁrm with good traction, making them a solid choice for keeping your feet safe and stable on uneven and slippery surfaces. They’re also cushioned for added comfort and soaking up the impact when your feet strike hard surfaces. £115, saucony.com

FITBEAST RESISTANCE BANDS

A set of resistance bands is a must-have in your workout kit for ﬂexibility training, rehabilitation, stretching or practising movements before adding weights. This set is made from durable latex, and there are ﬁve different types. They come with a bag if you want to take them to the gym or the park, and a grip pad to protect your hands. £29.74, amazon.co.uk

JAYBIRD VISTA TRUE WIRELESS BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES

True wireless is the best way to listen to music when you work out. These Jaybird headphones are comfortable with a choice of ear gels, and they’re waterproof and sweatproof with an IPX7 rating. You get six hours of listening with one charge, but the charging case gives you 10 more. £139, jaybirdsport.com

DECATHLON ITIWIT BEGINNER’S INFLATABLE TOURING STANDUP PADDLEBOARD

Try paddleboarding with this easy-to-use inﬂatable board from Decathlon that’s perfect for beginners. It’s simple to inﬂate and has a wide design with a foam deck, which provides stability and comfort when you’re on the water. And at only 7kg, it’s easy to carry. £349.99, decathlon.co.uk

Get active

7 8

NIKE ZOOMX INVINCIBLE RUN FLYKNIT

If you plan to do a lot of running this summer, invest in a pair of shoes that are both lightweight and breathable. These Flyknit running shoes from Nike are made from responsive foam, making them soft and comfortable. The wide shape adds extra stability and cushioning when you strike the ground, which is good news for avoiding injury. £159.95, nike.com

GARMIN VENU 2

One of the latest sports watches from Garmin, the Venu 2 is packed to the brim with health and ﬁtness monitoring features. There’s sleep, heart rate and respiration tracking, as well as smartwatch features, like notiﬁcations. It has a crisp and clear AMOLED display, up to 11 days of battery life and onboard GPS and music, which means you can safely leave your phone at home. £349.99, garmin.com

INSTA360 GO 2

Record your workouts, travel or everything you get up to in an average day with this thumb-sized action camera. It captures high-quality and stabilised video no matter how much you’re moving, and there are hyperlapse and slow-motion modes. You can mount it anywhere – a drone, a hat, a shelf – and its protective charging case also doubles as a tripod. £294.99, insta360.com JULY 2021 T3 39

Sizzling summergadgets

ON THE ROAD Getting from A to Z has never been more eﬀortless

4 3 5

TOMTOM GO PREMIUM

If you’re travelling anywhere by car this summer, upgrade the experience with the TomTom Go Premium satnav system. You can access maps, and a built-in SIM gives you trafﬁc and speed camera alerts in real-time. Use voice commands for hands-free control and access added features, like sharing your location and an estimated arrival time at your destination. £339.99, tomtom.com 40 T3 JULY 2021

GARMIN DASH CAM 66W

Record essential details from your dashboard with this small and powerful dashcam from Garmin. It continuously captures 1440p HD video when it’s plugged in – no need to turn it on and off. You can then easily view and share clips via an app on your phone. It’s also GPS-enabled, so you know exactly where and when your videos were recorded. £199.99, garmin.com

OTTERBOX USB-C ALPINE ILX-F903D AND USB-A FAST Make car journeys more CHARGE DUAL PORT fun by adding a nine-inch, CAR CHARGER high-resolution display

SENNHEISER MOMENTUM TRUE WIRELESS 2

Relax on your travels with Power up devices fast to your dashboard. You this excellent pair of true while you travel with this can install this slim digital wireless, noise-cancelling handy car charger from media station into any buds. They have a sevenOtterbox. It’s extremely vehicle with 1DIN storage hour battery life – 28 hours durable, and compact, space, adding DAB+ digital with the charging case – so it won’t get in your radio, USB video playback, customisable controls, and way while you drive. The Bluetooth hands-free and voice assistant support. charger has a 12W USB-A audio streaming. There’s Transparent hearing mode port and an 18W USB-C also Apple Car Play and lets you listen to what’s port, which Otterbox Android Auto compatibility, going on around you, and a which mirrors the says charges devices 3.6 smart pause feature knows features of your phone times faster than standard when you’ve taken a bud onto the display. out and stops your music. 5W charging. £22.99, otterbox.co.uk £759.99, amazon.co.uk £279, sennheiser.com

On the road

RIBBLE HYBRID AL E

Who said electric bikes can’t look great? This power-assisted electric bike from Ribble brings you a stable and smooth ride. With a range of 100km (60 miles) on one charge, you can use it for your daily commute or take it out into the countryside for the weekend. It’s lightweight at 3.5kg and slim, even though there’s a motor onboard. From £2,199, ribblecycles.co.uk

BIRD AIR

Electric scooters are everywhere these days, but in the UK they’re not ofﬁcially allowed on roads or pavements. This could change soon hopefully, but in the meantime if you have private space to whizz around on, try this slick e-scooter with a 250 watt motor and three power modes. It’s easy to carry with a folding frame and has a 16 mile range from one charge. £299, pureelectric.com

SLICK REVOLUTION MAX EBOARD ELECTRIC SKATEBOARD

Like electric scooters, e-skateboards aren’t currently allowed on roads. However, if you have access to private land, try this 1200w single motor electric skateboard from Slick Revolution. It takes up to four hours to charge and then has a range of 13 miles, allowing you to reach a top speed of 20mph. Made from bamboo, the design is perfect for beginners. From £519, slickrevolution.co.uk JULY 2021 T3 41

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JULY 2021 T3 43

e complete guide to…

44 T3 JULY 2021

Actioncameras

Action cameras THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO…

Now that we’re able to get out and about, you should make up for lost time by getting some thrills back into your life – and here’s our advice for how to properly capture those moments Words: Rich Owen

ne crumb of comfort from the unprecedented nature of the past year or so is that spending so much time at home has created a national longing to swap the couch and boxset for clean air and the great outdoors. Now that restrictions have been relaxed, we can at last leave the urban areas we’ve spent so much time in to explore wilder places. is recently reclaimed freedom to travel combined with a desire to get ﬁtter and healthier has seen huge numbers of us getting out and about to enjoy clean air, the pleasures of nature and a life outdoors on foot, by bike, or on the water – which has now become even more appealing with warmer summer temperatures and sunny skies. Of course, documenting such outdoor adventures is all part of the fun and the ability to take video and stills of activities and experiences in a natural setting can provide an extra incentive to get out and explore new places. While smartphones and conventional cameras can undoubtedly do a great job of

capturing our outdoor activities, most of them are far too fragile to withstand being splattered with mud or being dunked in water. Even relatively benign settings such as the beach can be enough to destroy a conventional device. is makes a dedicated action camera a much better option for capturing video and stills – they shrug oﬀ smartphone and conventional camera destroying environments with ease and even the fanciest models cost far less than the vast majority of smartphones – should you lose or actually break one.

from a wide-angle to a zoom lens at the touch of a button. Nearly all action cameras are extremely straightforward to use with auto exposure settings that give great results in the vast majority of light conditions. More advanced models can also combine multiple exposures of the same shot to add depth and detail to otherwise under- and over-exposed parts of an image. While action cameras are small enough to slip into a pocket, for most situations you’ll want to attach them to a dedicated mount, housing, or other accessory. eir compact size makes them ideal for placing ACTION CAM ADVANTAGES somewhere that will give you an interesting point of view, such as As well as being able to withstand beneath the peak of a mountain bike the worst of the elements, modern action cams laugh in the face of mere helmet, on the nose of a surfboard, or even the underside of a splashes and some models can be skateboard deck. operated underwater without a Being mounted in a relatively waterproof housing. ey are also packed with handy features, in-built vulnerable position is not usually a problem for the action cam as they tech such as video stabilisation are designed to withstand some software is now common and can turn otherwise unwatchable footage fairly hefty knocks. In a GoPro test into ultra-smooth sequences, while that went awry, your writer ended putting the camera through the rear digital lenses allow you to switch

JULY 2021 T3 45

e complete guide to… e top three…

ACTION CAM ESSENTIALS Must-have accessories that will enable you to get the most from your camera 01

GOPRO SHORTY

A camera grip is extremely useful; however, the Shorty is more than just a regular grip. Telescopic sections extend allowing you to use it for selﬁes, while three fold out legs also enable it to be used as a tripod. £39.99, gopro.com

GOPRO CHESTY

While helmet-mounted cams are popular for shooting your exploits on bike or board, you get a much more interesting POV with a chest-mounted camera. GoPro’s Chesty is one of the best models around. £44.99, gopro.com

EXPOSURE CAPTURE CAMERA LIGHT

Whether you’re attaching Exposure’s tough but light, er, lights to a vlogging rig, or to your bike for capturing night rides, this is one of the best of its kind around. £110, exposurelights.com 46 T3 JULY 2021

wheel of his mountain bike at speed. e writer crashed and the wheel was trashed, but the GoPro emerged relatively unscathed and kept recording throughout its ordeal. ere are many action cameras to choose from, with prices ranging from around £50 to £300. e good news is that even the most basic models give pretty decent results, though paying more will get you a better lens, light sensor and processor, a higher quality and more rugged camera body, plus additional and more advanced features. Most recently released cameras have a maximum video resolution of 4K, which is usually 3840 x 2160 pixels or higher. However, the latest GoPro camera, the HERO 9 Black, is a 5K model and there are plenty of older cameras around with lower maximum video resolutions. e main reason to shoot in 4K is to future-proof your video content and a give a higher level of detail on compatible TVs and monitors. However, shooting in 4K then downscaling to HD during post-production will also give better looking footage than directly shooting in HD. For sharing online or directly with friends, it’s far better to shoot video in HD to keep the ﬁle size smaller. More expensive cameras will allow you to record video at 60fps (frames per second) at their maximum resolution, while cheaper models usually go up to 30fps. A framerate of 24fps (or 30fps in the US) will record video that runs at a real-time speed, anything over that and you’re getting into slow mo territory. Whatever camera you go for, you can choose between a range of video resolutions and framerates to suit your needs. As a general rule, the lower resolution you go for, the wider range of framerates you’ll be able to select – up to a maximum of 240fps. e vast majority of action cams come with an accompanying smartphone app. e

most basic ones usually allow you to control the camera, view your content and transfer it to your phone. Fancier apps come with more sophisticated functions, such as the ability to edit and splice together video, add music, upload it directly to the web or livestream from your mobile device. As a general rule, the more you spend on your action cam, the more advanced the accompanying app support will be too.

GET THE RIGHT MODEL FOR YOU

When choosing an action cam, the key thing to consider is what you’ll be mostly using it most for. If it’s for capturing family days out with the kids, a more basic camera should do the trick. at said, we’d recommend going for a model with a 4K resolution, a wide selection of video resolutions and framerates, a range of digital lenses and in-built stabilisation software as this will give you the widest range of shooting options and future-proof it for longer. Most cameras with these facilities will also allow you to capture high resolution stills with plenty of diﬀerent exposure settings. Action sports enthusiasts, such as mountain bikers, snowboarders and surfers, should make getting as robust a camera as possible a priority feature. It’s also important to ensure it’s simple to operate in adverse conditions, with cold ﬁngers, or while

e key thing to consider is what you’ll be mostly using it most for

Actioncameras T3 recommends...

THE BEST ACTION CAMS FOR SUMMER CAPERS

Whether you’re clambering up cliﬀs or catching some surf, these have you covered

DRONE HONED

DJI OSMO ACTION

Drone royalty DJI has poured its considerable know-how into the Osmo Action. It shoots 4K at 60fps and 1080 and 720 at up to 240fps, as well as packing in both a colour front-facing screen and a 2.25inch rear touchscreen. However, if

you want the widest ﬁeld of view possible, choose the Hero 9 Black. Ultimately though this cam is simple to use, produces excellent images and beneﬁts from RockSteady electronic image stabilisation.

£299, dji.com

SWEET & LOW

OCLU ACTION CAMERA

The OCLU bucks tradition with a top-mounted screen and a lowproﬁle body, making it perfect for mounting under a skateboard. It has four shooting modes and there’s an outstanding feature called LiveCut that’ll let you delete

unwanted footage as you record. With a great ultrawide lens and the ability to record at up to 4K 30fps it’s an impressive camera; however its video stabilisation is only available at 1080p.

Around £141, oclu.com

Camera tech has come a long way. Today’s best action cameras are incredibly feature-rich, waterproof, ridiculously rugged and can be securely mounted to anything from your bicycle helmet to your pet dog. Capture top-quality footage and stills in places where you just couldn’t take a regular camera. Although GoPro dominates in the action camera market, over recent years we’ve seen increasingly strong competition – mainly from drone royalty DJI, and its excellent DJI Osmo Action. Beyond GoPro and DJI, there are several other genuinely ace action cams worth checking out, so take a peek at our selection below.

OUR HERO

GOPRO HERO 9 BLACK

Under the hood of T3-Awardwinning Hero 9 Black, there’s a 23.6MP sensor, which means this cam can now shoot 5K/30 video and 20MP stills. Incredibly impressive horizon levelling is now baked in, and new Hindsight

and Scheduled Capture tools add new opportunities to get creative. Design-wise, the most obvious addition is that it at last has a vlogger-friendly front-facing screen included.

£329.98, gopro.com

ROUND SHOT

INSTA360 ONE R

The One R is Insta360’s ﬁrst foray into action cams. Its key feature is a totally modular system, including separate ones for processor and touchscreen, battery base, wide angle lens and 360-degree twin-lens. The quality of the

360-degree video is excellent and the Insta360 One R can record conventional video in 4K, albeit at a 4:3 ratio at 30fps. If you’re looking for the most versatile action cam available, this for you.

£239.95, dronesdirect.co.uk

JULY 2021 T3 47

e complete guide to… e GoPro camera also has the advantage of a number of dedicated accessories (known as Mods). ey are handy for vloggers as they enhance the camera’s lighting, sound recording and video capturing facilities. Vloggers may well also want to choose a camera that can livestream content straight to their social media channel. ere are also a number of action cameras that can produce mind-blowing footage and stills that capture everything within a 360-degree radius of their lenses. With super wide-angle lenses at the front and rear of the camera body, models such the GoPro Max and the Insta360 One R Twin Edition stitch together the two diﬀerent viewpoints

wearing gloves, and it can shrug oﬀ the absolute worst of the elements. Voice control can be a very handy facility to have too – as you won’t always have a hand free to start or stop shooting and you may have positioned your camera out of reach. GoPro’s range of cameras are extremely sturdy and easy to use, as are the OCLU and DJI Osmo Action. Helpfully, most action cams use the same mounting system, but nevertheless it’s usually a good idea to go with mounts from more established brands, as they are far less likely to come loose when you’re hurtling down a mountain. With a few exceptions, most cameras will need to be ﬁtted inside a

housing in order to withstand a drenching. Waterproof housings usually come as standard if required, but if you’re looking to spend time underwater at any depth, you’ll need to also invest in a dive housing. If you’re looking for something to record vlogs with, you’ll almost certainly want an action cam with a forward-facing screen, as well as the standard rear touchscreen. is additional screen will allow you to accurately frame your shots while talking to camera and keep an eye on what’s happening behind you. Worthy action cam choices with in-built screens front and rear are the DJI Osmo Action and the GoPro HERO 9 Black.

Several action camerascan produce mind-blowing footage and stills to create 360-degree footage and stills. While you can only view the 360-degree content within the camera’s accompanying smartphone app or a VR headset, you can edit your stills and video to create stunning 360-degree photographs and conventional video with shifting POVs. ese models can also capture conventional content by just using a single lens, but this is usually at a lower resolution than regular action cams.

HOW TO MAKE EXCITING VIDEOS

Four expert tips that will help you create fantastic action cam videos

CHECK YOUR FRAMING

With a tiny viewscreen, you’re never going to get a great view of your subject using your action cam alone. This problem is compounded when mounting your camera in a position where you can’t see the viewscreen at all. Fortunately, you can get a live and far better view of what’s in shot by using your camera’s smartphone app, which will allow you to set up exactly the framing you need.

instead. Similarly, it’s easy to have accidentally switched from shooting the 4K video you were after to a much lower resolution. This makes it vital to double-check you’re actually in the correct shooting mode before you hit the shutter. This is particularly important when shooting action sequences, as its gutting to pull off something special, only to ﬁnd you haven’t recorded it as intended.

your camera will deﬁnitely get wet, such as surﬁng, giving the lens a good lick will help prevent water droplets from forming on it.

VARYYOUR ANGLES

When it comes to producing engaging action cam sequences in post-production, unless you’re capturing something truly spectacular, a single shot of the action is rarely going to cut it. If possible, try to cut your sequence KEEP IT CLEAN together using footage shot from multiple If your camera is getting rained on, splashed, angles, or mount the camera in unusual CHECK YOUR SETTINGS or there’s mud flying around, it only takes a positions to get interesting perspectives. With buttons that can switch shooting modes single water droplet or the tiniest bit of dirt Another option is to get a friend to film you and a small screen with even smaller icons, on its tiny lens to completely ruin your shot. on their phone while you wear your camera when checking your footage it’s not unusual This makes keeping a lens cloth on you a very on a chest harness, or similar, to get a first person POV. With a huge range of mounts to find that instead of the video you wanted good idea; failing that, you can use your sleeve or whatever’s handy to clean the lens. available, action cameras give you a wealth to shoot, you’ve got something completely If you’re in an environment where you know of different shooting options. different, such as a time-lapse sequence 48 T3 JULY 2021

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Samsung Galaxy Book Pro vs MacBook Air

SAMSUNGGALAXY BOOK PRO MACBOOK AIR First available in the latest MacBook Air, Apple’s M1 chip has come out swinging. Can Samsung hit back with its Intel-powered Galaxy Book Pro and reclaim the ultrabook crown? Words: Christian Guyton

50 T3 JULY 2021

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro vs MacBook Air

JULY 2021 T3 51

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro vs MacBook Air

SAMSUNGGALAXY BOOK PRO

Samsung takes ‘thin and light’ to a whole new level with a smartphone-thick laptop light enough to hold in one hand Portability and connectivity are king when it comes to Samsung’s latest ultrabook, with a frankly ridiculous weight of just 0.87kg and a thickness of less than 12mm when closed. ere’s plenty of competition in the ultralight ultrabook arena, and the compact chassis of the Galaxy Book Pro makes it clear that Samsung is taking aim at competitors like Acer’s Swift 5 and Dell’s XPS 13. at impressive exterior doesn’t mean that the Galaxy Book Pro is all sizzle and no steak, fortunately; the hardware specs on show here demonstrate that this ultrabook can go toe-to-toe with bigger laptops. An 11th-generation Intel Core CPU with Xe G7 graphics gives this laptop a decent amount of processing oomph, enough to keep up with other Windows 10 ultrabooks cut from similar cloth. is is a productivity machine, so it’s not best cut out for heavy lifting like video editing or triple-A gaming. at being said, the i7 version should be able to handle most games at lower graphical settings. e 1080p AMOLED display – available in 13.3-inch or a pricier 15.6-inch – does look fantastic, with vibrant colours and vivid contrast.

52 T3 JULY 2021

Samsung ﬁtted several ports onto the frame of the Pro, including but not limited to an HDMI out, microSD, USB-A, and a underbolt 4 USB-C. It’s a relief that physical connectivity wasn’t sacriﬁced to keep the chassis as small as possible, since Apple’s MacBook Air only has two USB-C ports and a headphone jack in comparison. ere’s a conventional Wi-Fi model available, or 4G LTE if you want truly on-the-go internet. 5G would’ve been a nice inclusion, but the MacBook Air doesn’t have any form of mobile internet connectivity whatsoever, so it’s certainly a point in the Galaxy Book Pro’s favour. e battery life of this ultrabook is pretty phenomenal, with usage tests indicating

It feelsa bit ﬂimsy compared to more durable machined aluminium laptops

that it’s easily capable of going dawn to dusk without needing a charge. If you do need to top up, the charger is pleasingly compact and uses fast-charge via USB-C. If you’ve got another Galaxy device, there’s a bevy of features here to take advantage of. Photos and files can be synced with minimum effort, Galaxy Buds pair automatically when the case is opened nearby, and the laptop can even use a Galaxy Tab S7 or S7+ as a seamless second screen. Our main criticism is that the Galaxy Book Pro’s magnesium alloy construction makes it feel a bit flimsy compared to more durable machined aluminium laptops. e keyboard and screen hinge feel fine, but that ultra-low weight means that there’s a little more flex in the chassis than we’d like. Be wary of dropping or bending this ultrabook. Prices vary significantly since there are several customisation options, from RAM and drive capacity to processor and screen size. e starting price is £1,099, slightly higher than the base price of the MacBook Air, with a £1,449 price tag for the highestspec model. From £1,099, samsung.com

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro

JULY 2021 T3 53

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro vs MacBook Air

MACBOOK AIR

e M1 processor is a bit of a monster, and Apple has put it to work with excellent effect in its new line, including in this ultrabook At first glance, the M1 MacBook Air doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from the throngs of other Apple laptops available right now. at’s by design, of course: MacBooks are instantly recognisable thanks to their iconic brushed silver design and black keyboard. e chassis is largely identical to the previous Intel-powered Air, with no flashy touch bar to be found. e trackpad is nice and broad, and the built-in ‘Magic Keyboard’ feels great to use thanks to sophisticated scissor-switches under every key. e Retina display is gorgeous, with excellent brightness and a higher resolution than the Galaxy Book Pro. Inside this machine, though, Apple’s ARM-based M1 chip is the beating heart of what makes the MacBook Air great. Intel and AMD laptops running integrated graphics will be blown out of the water by the M1’s eight CPU and eight GPU cores, and multitasking should be a breeze. Navigating the OS and all your favourite software feels smoother than ever. is might be a lightweight ultrabook, but it’s got the performance to measure up

54 T3 JULY 2021

against heavier hitting laptops. Gaming is – somewhat surprisingly – a valid option here. e M1’s single-core performance is solid compared to Intel-equipped competitors, but it absolutely dominates in multi-core workloads. e M1 chip works wonders for heat generation and battery life too, making us feel bad for anyone who recently purchased an Intel MacBook Air, which can get hot and noisy rather too often. Battery life isn’t quite as good as the Galaxy Book Pro, but it’s a close call. e M1 uses a fanless thermal solution, which makes it virtually silent. Samsung’s oﬀering, on the other hand, does experience a bit of fan whine under heavy loads.

e overall build quality of the Air remains among the best in the business

Neither of these ultrabooks has a touch display, but the lack of touch controls is more sorely felt on the MacBook Air than it is in the Galaxy Book Pro (or any other Windows 10 notebook). e screen bezel on the Air is also much chunkier than that found on Samsung’s ultrabook, a hangover from older MacBook designs that we think really needs to be nixed for future models. e webcam here is a pretty bog-standard 720p affair, which is adequate but not impressive. Other than that, though, the overall build quality of the Air remains among the best in the business, with a sleek outer casing available in silver, gold, or ‘space grey’ (it sounds better than just ‘grey’…). With the M1 processor on its side, Apple’s newest ultrabook decisively has more power than Samsung’s competing model. It’s also a bit cheaper at £999 to £1,199, although both of these laptops sit closer to the high end when it comes to ultra-compact laptops. e Galaxy Book Pro has superior flexibility, though, running Windows 10 and offering greater connectivity, as well as smartphonecompatible features. From £999, apple.com

MacBook Air

JULY 2021 T3 55

e other ultrabooks

THE OTHER ULTRABOOKS

Here are some of the sharpest competitors available right now

BEST ALL-ROUNDER DELL XPS 15

BEST FOR GAMING RAZER BLADE STEALTH 13

Dell knocked it out of the park with the current-generation XPS 15. The keyboard and trackpad are both a joy to use, with an impressive quad-speaker setup that provides rich sound for such a compact laptop. The 15-inch display is vibrant and sharp, with a super-thin surrounding bezel and a solid 1080p webcam. Performance in the higher-spec models is fantastic, running Windows 10 smoothly and chowing down on productivity workloads. The eye-catching design and bevy of security features (we’ve got both a ﬁngerprint scanner and Windows Hello support here) makes this one of the best laptops on the market. From £1,309, dell.com

Okay, so it’s seriously expensive. You’re definitely paying for the brand pedigree here, but the Stealth 13 is an ultrabook for gamers, coming with a selection of gaming-oriented features and a discrete GTX 1650 Ti graphics card. Naturally, the sleek keyboard is backlit with customisable RGB LEDs. The design and finish of this laptop is superb, even if performance is inevitably outstripped by beefier gaming machines. The Stealth 13 can strike a good balance between work and play, great for casual gaming on the go. The OLED touchscreen is gorgeous, and sound is equally good thanks to THX Spatial Audio and decent speakers. From £1,900, razer.com

BEST 2-IN-1

BEST BUDGET

HP SPECTRE X360

The Spectre x360 was already a truly beautiful piece of tech, from its dazzling touchscreen to its sharp design aesthetic and softly backlit keyboard. The 2021 refresh packs superior internal components, offering silky-smooth performance and an impressive battery life. The 360-degree hinge feels sturdy, and security features like a physical webcam kill switch are a welcome inclusion. Plenty of ports mean physical connectivity is superb, and the trackpad is bigger than many competing ultrabooks. The best hybrid ultrabook in the world right now? From £1,400, store.hp.com 56 T3 JULY 2021

ACER SWIFT 3

Despite its moderate price, Acer’s Swift 3 is more than capable of punching above its weight. Improvements to the latest models have focused on improving the overall performance and battery life, so the Swift 3 can actually handle some light gaming as well as general workloads. We recommend springing for a model with 8GB of RAM, rather than the 4GB versions. The display is a 14-inch HD panel, which is a tad larger than most ultrabooks, and the integrated webcam and microphone are perfectly adequate for Zoom calls. From £469, acer.com

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro vs MacBook Air

ULTRABOOK ACCESSORIES

Ultrabooks really beneﬁt from the extra functionality and protection these add-ons provide

BELLROY LAPTOP SLEEVE

EGGTRONIC LAPTOP POWER BANK CANVAS

B&O BEOPLAY E8 3RD GEN

EARFUN AIR PRO

A super-slim and durable sleeve for your ultrabook, ideal for 13-inch models. Bellroy’s sleeve is especially high quality, made from 100% recycled fabrics and available in four colours. The quilted microﬁbre lining prevents scratches to your ultrabook’s exterior, and the sleeve seals with a nifty magnetic clasp rather than the less durable zips you can ﬁnd.

Portable power banks for laptops can easily run you upwards of £100, but Eggtronic has an affordable model that can comfortably provide a full charge to your laptop without breaking the bank. The compact frame, LCD battery readout and canvas ﬁnish all make for an excellent portable charger, and to top it off this supports USB-C fast-charging too.

A good set of wireless earbuds is a great accompaniment to an ultrabook, and Bang & Olufsen have got an absolutely ace pair to offer. Available in a variety of colours, with a sleek leather charging case and (for a little extra cash) a matching Qi charging pad. Audio quality is top-notch, with crisp highs and punchy bass notes. B&O aren’t the cheapest option, mind you.

If you don’t have hundreds of pounds to drop on a pair of wireless buds, the Air Pro true wireless earbuds from EarFun are the best budget option out there. Strong sonic performance and good battery life sets these buds apart from the swathes of cheap earbuds available online. The charging case is a little bulky, but it’s a minor tradeoff considering the reasonable price.

ANKER POWEREXPAND+ 11-IN-1

MICROSOFT MODERN MOBILE MOUSE

LOGIK LTC45W18 UNIVERSAL USB TYPE-C LAPTOP CHARGER

TARGUS CITYLITE SHOULDER BAG

£45, currys.co.uk

From £40, uk.targus.com

£45, bellroy.com

A good USB-C hub is a vital addition to many ultrabooks, where physical ports can be shed from the chassis. Anker have a broad selection of quality peripherals, and the PowerExpand+ is no exception, offering USB-C Power Delivery, an HDMI port, a DisplayPort, a USB-C data port, three USB-A ports, an Ethernet port, an AUX port, an SD card slot and a microSD card slot! £90, anker.com

£55, einova.com

A slender, portable Bluetooth mouse that ﬁts easily in a pocket or bag for on-the-go work. Yes, some ultrabooks have pretty good trackpads, but a mouse is almost always the better, faster option. The Microsoft Modern Mobile Mouse is feature-light, but does the job admirably with good sensitivity and stellar battery life. It’s very reasonably priced, too. £31, microsoft.com

£300, bang-olufsen.com

£70, myearfun.com

A laptop sleeve is good for Having a spare laptop charger protecting your ultrabook if is always a good idea, and Logik you’re carrying it under your arm or putting it in a backpack, has an excellent offering that is compatible with the vast but a good laptop bag is still majority of USB-C charging a must-have for fast-moving ultrabooks. This universal professionals. The CityLite is a charger automatically detects comfortable, lightweight option the appropriate current to with room for accessories like supply to any connected device, paperwork and notebooks, a pocket at the front that’s easily ensuring that you get to full charge as fast as possible. Logik accessed, and it comes with a has you covered. very affordable price tag to boot. JULY 2021 T3 57

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Superb rugged speakers

Heading into the great outdoors and want a soundtrack? You need speakers that won’t quit on you. Let us test three leading contenders Words: David Nield, Matt Bolton, Yasmine Crossland Photography: Phil Barker

f you’re taking your music on the go with a portable speaker, then you need it to last – and there are a growing number of quality, well-protected outdoor speakers on the market now, including models from high-end audio brands better known for their indoor kit. With leading manufacturers including Bang & Olufsen and Sonos joining the likes of JBL in making battery-powered, wireless speakers, you can get yourself a device that’s

protected against the elements and that’s going to broadcast your music in high ﬁdelity, whether you’re on the beach, the campsite, or your patio. Besides the audio quality of your portable speaker, there are a number of key specs to look out for as well, not least battery life – you want a device that’s going to be able to live away from a mains connection for as long as possible, otherwise your outdoor party might be drawn to a premature close.

ere’s also waterprooﬁng and dustprooﬁng to consider: if you’re going to be using your speaker near the pool or out on a windy, rainy mountain hike then make sure the hardware you’re buying is designed to survive the conditions. Connections to portable speakers are typically done via Bluetooth from your phone or laptop, but other standards (including Apple AirPlay) are sometimes supported too. So let’s see what’s out there. JULY 2021 T3 59

State of the art

WHAT’S ON TEST… Sonos Roam

Not much bigger than a can of pop, the Roam takes Sonos’ famous high-ﬁdelity wireless music expertise and transfers it to the great outdoors. It’s waterproof, lasts up to 10 hours on a charge, and supports multiple wireless protocols. At home it integrates with your wired Sonos system. £159, sonos.com

B&O Beosound Explore

One glance at the Beosound Explore from B&O tells you this is a portable speaker built to survive the elements. Its compact size and ridged exterior mean it’s easy to carry around and can look after itself, and it comes with a strap and carabiner too. What’s more, it can go

JBL Charge 5

The JBL Charge 5 is rugged, versatile and capable of pumping out tunes at a serious volume, despite its diminutive dimensions. Up to 20 hours of audio on the go is possible between battery charges, while the speaker also does double duty as a phone charger itself. The JBL Charge 5 is fully

60 T3 JULY 2021

SPECS

Drivers 2 (tweeter, mid-woofer) CPU Quad Core A-53 Memory 1GB SDRAM, 4GB NV Battery life Up to 10 hours Connectivity USB-C, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, AirPlay 2 Voice assistant Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant Weatherproofing IP67 Dimensions 168x62 x60mm Weight 0.43kg

for an impressive 27 hours between battery charges. £169, bang-olufsen.com

SPECS

Drivers 2 x 1.8-inch full range Frequency range 5622,700Hz Battery life Up to 27 hours Connectivity USB-C, Bluetooth 5.2 Weatherproofing IP67 Dimensions 81x124x81mm Weight 0.63kg

waterproof and available in a variety of cool colours. £159.99, jbl.com

SPECS

Drivers 2 (dome tweeter, bass) Frequency range 6520,000Hz Battery life Up to 20 hours Connectivity USB-C, Bluetooth 5.1 Weatherproofing IP67 Dimensions 223x96.5 x94mm Weight 0.96kg

Superb rugged speakers SONOS ROAM

PRODUCT 01:

SONOS ROAM

A mini sound machine you can take on all kinds of adventures

he Sonos Roam is the first Sonos Bluetooth speaker that’s made for tucking in a pocket or tossing in a backpack for hitting the road. With dust and waterproofing, plus a generally robust frame that will help it survive drops and bumps, can the class of Sonos help it come out on top? When it comes to what it can do, the Sonos Roam is like a shrunk-down Sonos Move, but it actually has even more smarts going on. Not only is this a Bluetooth speaker, but it’s also a Wi-Fi multi-room speaker and a smart speaker, using Alexa or Google Assistant (your choice). It also features Sonos’ Auto TruePlay feature, so it’s always listening to and adjusting the audio to compensate for any distortions from its placement. e Sonos Roam’s triangular design is meant to make it easy to grab and hold securely (which it does). e two ends are rubberised, and though they don’t look or feel like a chunky impact absorber, they make it much more drop-proof than anything else Sonos makes. e Roam is IP67 rated for waterproofing, which means it can survive a dunk in water up to 1m for up to half an hour. You can drop it in the pool or it can get sprayed without issue as long as you retrieve it quickly, and the water tests we’ve given it were all survived without issue. It’s also dustproof enough to be a good beach companion. In terms of sound quality, the Roam has no problem with musical punch, which is obvious from the moment

It hasno problem with punch,which is obvious as soon asyou turn it on

The two ends of the Sonos Roam are rubberised, which make it one of Sonos’ more drop-proof products. It’s also quite easy to grab and hold securely

you turn it on. It’s especially happy to introduce you to its bass, which is controlled and full – it’s not overpowering, but the Roam would like to let you know that its small size is no impediment to good low-end presence. Sometimes it has trouble balancing a very mid-heavy song with treble. It feels like the Roam takes its biggest audio swing at whatever’s currently most prominent in the mix – whether that’s bass, treble or mid. When you’re outdoors ﬁghting gentle wind noise or crowds nearby, this is no bad thing – but this happens indoors too. Battery life is also a bit meagre compared to some of the competition, though its playing time fairly well matched up to the promised 10 hours. However, we didn’t get anything like the kind of standby time of 10 days – more like ﬁve. Potentially this could be extremely frustrating. Despite this, if you want a smart-looking and compact battery-powered portable speaker that acquits itself really well for sound overall, and that has the added bonus of being part of the Sonos system for occasional multi-room use, then the Roam is an excellent option. JULY 2021 T3 61

State of the art PRODUCT 02:

B&O BEOSOUND EXPLORE

Reﬁned Bluetooth speaker inside, tough bastard outside

he Explore may not fit in your jeans, but it’ll tuck into your bag no problem. However, that’s only if you want to hide it – it’s the best looking of these tough little speakers by a long way. And despite its small size, B&O has put all the care and attention you’d expect into its audio. We absolutely love the look of the Explore. With its ribbed design, and gleaming aluminium finish, it looks like if the Capitol Records building had been part of the Blade Runner skyline. It doesn’t just look cool, though. e ribbed design is a clever part of what makes this such a sturdy speaker. A circle is the most robust shape, and making this outside panel ribbed is smart, because it reduces the weight while allowing the sound to escape. It’s IP67-rated, which means it’s very well sealed against dust ingress and can survive in up to 1m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. We’ve not left it for that long, but it’s come out of lighter dunkings without a problem. e Explore’s impressive trick is how refined and well balanced it is for such a small speaker. Whereas many small speakers attempt to overcome their size limitations by ramping up the bass and treble, the Explore has no

It doesn’t just look cool: the ribbed design is what makes this so sturdy such interests. Everything is weighted just right against each other – bass is present and ﬁrm, but not showy. e mid-range is warm, while the treble is detailed and clear, but never overly sharp. It’s not expansive, though. It sounds like it’s coming from a single small unit, even if it does push sound out in 360 degrees well. Cranking up the volume reveals that it keeps control well, avoiding the distortion that can plague small speakers, but it doesn’t open up the sound that much. e Explore still handles dynamic range better than the Sonos Roam. But it’s an interesting ﬁght against the JBL Charge 5, which uses its larger size to create more expansive sound, and feels more natural in that regard. However, the JBL’s mid-range isn’t its strongest side, and the B&O’s balance feels more complete… it’s just that it feels smaller. Which is fair enough, given that it is smaller. We’re big fans of the B&O Explore. It’s a great size, it’s one of our favourite gadget designs ever, it gets its music balance spot on, and that gigantic battery life is exactly what you’d want from a portable speaker. 62 T3 JULY 2021

With its gleaming metal and ribbed design, the Explore looks effortlessly cool, like the Capitol Records building redesigned for the Blade Runner skyline

Superb rugged speakers JBL CHARGE 5

PRODUCT 03:

JBL CHARGE 5

A portable Bluetooth speaker that doesn’t skimp on sound quality

BL certainly knows its stuff when it comes to making great-sounding speakers. e fifth instalment in the Charge series improves on its predecessor, the JBL Charge 4, with the next generation of Bluetooth connectivity, better audio, a new design, USB-C charging, and it’s now more durable with improved dust resistance as well as waterproofing. Sporting the familiar cylindrical JBL design, the Charge 5 is a good-looking speaker that comes in loads of colours including green, red, pink, teal, blue, black, grey and white. e colour coats the rubberised ends as well as the main mesh body. Although taller, longer and wider than the JBL Charge 4, it still feels small enough to be portable. And it’s actually 5g lighter. An IP67 rating means it’s waterproof and dustproof so if you do get caught in the rain then you won’t need to worry about speaker damage. e JBL Charge 5 has an RMS power output of 30W + 10W with a new wider 52x90mm bass driver and a separate 20mm tweeter. An impactful, punchy low-end paired with crisp highs delivers a well-balanced sound across genres. Although there were some tracks where the vocals take over slightly, it wasn’t a big issue. Overall the audio is energetic, detailed and accurate. And loud: it would easily fill a room, if not a house. e volume will happily cut through the hustle and bustle of a busy park. If you want to make the music louder, PartyBoost lets you pair two or more compatible speakers together. You

Overall the audio is energetic, detailed and accurate. And loud

This one goes up to 11 (almost): the volume will pretty much ﬁll a house, and will happily cut through the hustle and bustle of a busy park

just need to press the dedicated button on each of the speakers you want to pair. is replaces the old JBL Connect+ seen on the JBL Charge 4, so you won’t be able to use PartyBoost with Connect+ speakers. Another really handy feature is the built-in power bank, so if your phone is running out of battery you can top up the charge and keep the music playing. e battery life itself hasn’t changed from the Charge 4, and didn’t need to. e Charge 5 will last about 20 hours of music, which is plenty for a day at the beach or even a weekend away. Of course, if you use the speaker to charge up your devices it will drain more quickly. Once empty, it’ll take about four hours to recharge back to 100%, which is longer than other speakers. But if you think ahead then it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. As far as portable speakers go, the JBL Charge 5 is deﬁnitely up there as one of the best. It sounds fantastic and the volume goes seriously loud as well. Not to mention the array of extra features like PartyBoost and the power bank functionality. JULY 2021 T3 63

State of the art VERDICT:

THE OVERALL WINNER IS…

1st

B&O BEOSOUND EXPLORE £169, bang-olufsen.com

WE’RE IMPRESSED Excellent balance; attractive, tough design; great small size. WE’D IMPROVE Sound isn’t expansive; no 3.5mm audio input. THE LAST WORD Small and ultra-tough, the Explore excels in both looks and build quality. It also sounds seriously impressive, although it’s a bit lacking in

oomph when compared to the JBL. However, once you factor in its much smaller and more portable package – not to mention that epic battery life – it rapidly becomes the obvious choice for your backpack, whether you’re heading to the park or the mountains.

JBL CHARGE 5

SONOS ROAM

£159.99, jbl.com

£159, sonos.com

2nd

WE’RE IMPRESSED Loud, powerful sound; 20-hour battery life; can charge your phone. WE’D IMPROVE No EQ settings; can’t use PartyBoost with Connect+ speakers; no 3.5mm audio port. THE LAST WORD The audio is powerful and accurate, and it has dust resistance and a waterproof design. What’s not to love!

3rd

WE’RE IMPRESSED Striking sound; waterproof; richer bass; great streaming and features. WE’D IMPROVE Bit constrained at lower volumes; limited detail and expansiveness; battery life. THE LAST WORD A great portable addition to a Sonos setup, and enjoyable to listen to. It’s just a shame that battery won’t last for longer.

MAKE THE MOST OF MUSIC ON THE GO CHOOSE YOUR MUSIC SOURCE

across are small-ish, but some are smaller than others. If you’re These speakers can’t store their getting a speaker to sit by the own music library locally – you pool then you’re going to want a larger model than if you’re need to stream audio from a phone, tablet or laptop instead, getting a speaker to ﬁx to your so make sure you have a few backpack for a hiking trip, so playlists ready to go from your pick a size based on your app of choice. Ideally, you’ll want intended use. to get them synced for ofﬂine playback to your mobile device CHECK THE AUDIO ahead of time. OUTPUT All of the speakers that you’re FIND THE RIGHT SIZE considering for purchase should All the portable, batterytell you how loud they can get powered speakers you’ll come when turned up to the max (and 64 T3 JULY 2021

check the reviews in this regard too). Different scenarios (eg beach or the back garden) need different maximum volume levels, so decide what you’re going to use your speaker for and make a choice accordingly.

device), so you can get your podcasts, audiobooks, radio stations and so on playing through these gadgets as well.

DON’T IGNORE THE EXTRA FEATURES

High-end portable speakers like the ones we’re looking at here will come with plenty of extra These on-the-go speaker units features – including smart assistant support, on-board are usually associated with music playback, but that’s not all audio tuning, fast charging and they can handle: you can stream more – so make sure you read all pretty much any audio you like the way through the specs lists from your phone (or another before making a decision.

THEY’RE NOT JUST FOR MUSIC

Superb rugged speakers

ESSENTIAL ADD-ONS

Prepare for all eventualities – and get the most from your new device – by adding these accessories

LOWE ALPINE AEON 27L DAYPACK

One of the cool features of the Beosound Explore is how you can hook it to a bag with the included carabiner – if you don’t already have a bag, the Aeon 27L Daypack is a good choice, giving you 27 litres of capacity as well as plenty of places to attach your speaker. £90, rab.equipment

BELKIN BOOST CHARGE 63W GAN WALL CHARGER

ANOTHER B&O BEOSOUND EXPLORE

MOSHI INTEGRA USB-C CHARGE CABLE

Take a portable power pack with you and you can charge your speaker while you’re out: this PowerCore Slim 10000 pack from Anker has enough capacity to charge the B&O Beosound Explore four times over, so the music can carry on playing for longer. £17.99, anker.com

You don’t get a wall charging plug with the Beosound Explore, but this (together with the Moshi USB-C cable below) has you covered: the latest GaN technology ensures charging speeds that are as fast as possible, and the two ports mean you can charge an extra gadget too. £59.99, belkin.com

I H S O M , N E S F ULO & G N A B , N I K L E B , R E K N A , B A R : E C R U O S E G A M I

ANKER POWERCORE SLIM 10000

So how about... another B&O Beosound Explore speaker?You can actually put these units in a stereo conﬁguration, either through the B&O app or via the buttons on the speakers themselves. Plus, it gives you an extra speaker to lend to a friend. £169, bang-olufsen.com

The Beosound Explore comes with a USB-C to USB-A cable, so if your laptop or charging brick uses USB-C you’ll need this. It offers a durable nylon sleeve, as well as a smart LED indicator. £34.95, moshi.com JULY 2021 T3 65

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T3 IS… EDITOR JOSH RUSSELL

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ISSN 1364-2641 We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation All contents © 2021 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information 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 to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.

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Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford Chief ﬁnancial ofﬁcer Penny Ladkin-Brand Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244

ISSUE 324 ON SALE WEDNESDAY 4 AUGUST

TOP TRAVEL TECH

The greatest travel gadgets for every trip, whether you’re planning to pamper yourself in hotels or head off the beaten track

SONY A90J REVIEWED Outstanding picture meets incredible smarts NEXT-GEN AUDIO Get ready for the 3D audio revolution! ONEPLUS NORD CE TESTED Affordable mid-range phone, premium specs LG SP11RA RATED An ultra-wide soundscape with crisp detail * ALL CONTENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

TESTED Expert reviews and recommendations to help you buy with conﬁdence Edited by Josh Russell

APPLE iMAC M1

FOCAL CLEAR MG

GARMIN VENU 2

SAMSUNG QN900A

HOW WE TEST In T3, we feature only the ﬁnest 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 ﬁnd 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 ﬁeld. As well as our traditional ﬁve-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.

SONY WF-1000XM4

PURE AIR GO

THE SCORES EXPLAINED Forget it Below average Good for the price Very good all round An exceptional, best-in-class product

OUR AWARDS This is given to winners of our group tests, so you can see which is the best at a glance

Only the very best products – those that score ﬁve stars – receive our Platinum Award JULY 2021 T3 67

Tested

Display 23.5-inch 4480x2520 Retina CPU Apple M1 RAM 8GB / 16GB uniﬁed memory Storage 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD Connectivity 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB 3 Type-C (optional), 3.5mm jack, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, Ethernet (optional) Dimensions 461x547x147mm (inc stand) Weight 4.46kg / 4.48kg

From £1,249 apple.com

FLYING COLOURS

Apple iMac M1

A great-looking machine with a fantastic screen and lotsof power… but a fewlimitations,too 68 T3 JULY 2021

his is the ﬁrst time we’ve been able to judge what it’s like when a Mac has been, in Apple’s words, “built from the ground up around M1”. With the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) and MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020), we got the new chip in old designs. But this iMac is all-new, internally and externally. e characteristics of Apple’s M1 chip means that the computer can be just 11.5mm thick, not including stand, but still pack in eight cores of potent processing power, and run silently in general use.

e 4.5K resolution screen is larger than the 21.5-inch model it replaces, but the whole unit is only 2cm wider and 1cm taller – and much less voluminous. It is, simply, much more computer in a smaller space… mostly. ere are a few changes that won’t be as welcome as the upgrades we’ve mentioned, and there’s one notable thing that hasn’t changed but really should have. But overall it’s a very exciting Mac, and with its seven jaunty colours, it feels less like a new electronic appliance and more like a computer from the days when getting a new PC was cool and thrilling.

Apple iMac M1

SUPREME SCREEN This gorgeous 23.5-inch display drops 4.5K on your retinas. Coupled with a typical brightness of 500 nits and P3 wide gamut support, this will allow you to enjoy wonderfully crisp, bright images.

SPEED DEMON With Apple’s M1 chip, the new iMac is implausibly fast. It will obliterate every task you’re likely to throw at it. ere are two main models. A low-end one that gets you an eight-core processor, seven-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, two USB Type-C/underbolt 4 ports, and is available in green, pink, blue and silver. Note that this model doesn’t include a couple of clever features: the Touch ID ﬁngerprint security on its keyboard, or the Ethernet port on its power brick. If you want those, you’ll need to step up to the more expensive model, which is the same but adds one core to the GPU, and two more USB 3 Type-C ports on the back. ere’s not a lot between the models, and of course you can customise them both by adding more RAM (max 16GB, a drop from the 32GB max that the older model oﬀered) or internal storage (max 2TB).

Apple is calling the which is a 23.5-inch, 4480x2520 display 4.5K, as it display – Apple is calling this ‘4.5K’, has slightly more which makes sense if you know that than 4,000 pixels 4K just means ‘any screen around 4,000 pixels wide’. is one has slightly more pixels. Easy! e screen offers 500 nits of typical brightness, and P3 wide colour gamut support, both of which are big improvements on your average monitor. You also get Apple’s True Tone system, which adjusts the colours based on the lighting in your room, and makes a big, big difference for eye comfort, in our experience. For power, you’ve got the ARMbased Apple M1, an eight-core processor – with four high-power performance cores and four lowerspeed ‘efficiency’ cores – that also provides graphics, with seven or eight cores of GPU power depending on the model you choose. It also So what else is new? includes a ‘Neural Engine’, which can be used by apps that include What’s new in the 24-inch M1 iMac compared to the 21.5-inch Intel model machine learning tools to massively it replaces? Literally everything. Not a speed up tasks – this is niche, but single aspect remains unchanged in some Mac apps are starting to make some way. Let’s start with the screen, good use of it.

At the top is a 1080p Full HD webcam, which uses the M1 chip for image processing, though it disappointingly doesn’t include the useful ‘Center Stage’ feature that the iPad Pro (2021) has, which keeps you in the middle of frame even if you move around. e image was also softer than the Logitech webcam we compared it to, and so doesn’t feel like it’s fully taking advantage of the Full HD resolution it promises. For delivering your visage to other people in a meeting, this is all just ﬁne – but streamers should stick with the dedicated hardware. e microphones deliver nicely too, picking up voices really clearly. e speakers are one of the most interesting upgrades. ere are six drivers in total, with three in each of the bottom corners. e really clever part is the use of two woofers on each side, exactly positioned to oppose each other and cancel out residual vibrations… yet you put in double the drivers! Big sound, small negative eﬀect. ese are then paired with a dedicated high-end driver. In JULY 2021 T3 69

Tested

BRAND NEW HUES The new iMac comes in a rainbow of different colours for the ﬁrst time since original iMac G3. Is it a key feature? No. Will you drool over the options? You bet.

combination, it means a lot of speaker There’s no regular power, and Apple says it can create a USB or HDMI port the body ‘Spatial Audio’ eﬀect, which is Apple –isbecause too thin for them speak for 3D audio. Finally, let’s talk connections. Whichever version of the new iMac you get, you only get USB Type-C/ underbolt 4 ports, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack. No regular USB, no SD card reader, no regular HDMI port. e reason appears to be simple: the body is too thin for them. So if you’re replacing an existing iMac with this lovely new one, and you have USB hard drives or other accessories, you’ll also need to buy an adapter, and

OFF CAMERA The 1080p webcam is decent, although it’s a shame it’s missing the Centre Stage feature from the iPad Pro, which uses AI to keep you centre frame, even when moving about.

you’ll deﬁnitely need one to connect a second screen (up to 6K is supported). In principle, we don’t mind Apple moving ahead with its all-USB-C future, it’s just frustrating that there’s no solution to this problem that’s as good-looking as the iMac itself. You get a sleek computer, and then you un-sleek it. e iMac supports Wi-Fi 6 for wireless connectivity, and includes Bluetooth 5.0 too. In the box, you get the keyboard and mouse or trackpad (your choice) in a colour that matches your iMac colour choice. Pleasingly, the included USB-C to Lightning

cable (for charging the mouse and keyboard) is colour-coded too, with the same lovely braided ﬁnish as the power cable.

Looking glass

e front chin of the iMac is actually made of glass, and is seamlessly integrated with the white bezels and actual screen above it. is means that there are eﬀectively three diﬀerent tones of the same colour on the machine – the dark aluminium colour on the sides and back, the lighter aluminium on the stand, and then the lightest version of the colour

PRO ADD-ONS

APPLE AIRPODS MAX LOGITECH MX VERTICAL MOUSE If you don’t want to give up the iMac’s 3D audio This good-looking mouse sits at a 57 degree feature the second a glaring loved one makes angle to reduce wrist pressure, is ergonomistyou don some headphones, you’ll want to pick up approved, and is seriously comfortable. some AirPods Max. Not only do they also offer Speed is also on its side: it has advanced optical spatial audio, they sound and look stunning. tracking with a 4,000-dpi high-precision sensor. £549, apple.com £88.39, amazon.co.uk 70 T3 JULY 2021

BELKIN USB 3.0 4-PORT HUB As we’ve already pointed out, continuing to use a lot of your older, pre-USB-C devices is going to require you to pick up a hub. This simple option offers four USB 3.0 ports in a compact, portable package, without costing the earth. £59.95, belkin.com

Apple iMac M1 LIGHT TOUCH While it’s only included in the more expensive models, the packaged Magic Keyboard with Touch ID makes unlocking your iMac as easy as on a MacBook.

people. You just don’t need to worry about it. In Geekbench 5, the iMac scores 1745 in the single-core benchmark, and 7660 in the multi-core benchmark – compare that with the eight-core Intel Core i9 16-inch MacBook Pro, which earns around 1100 and 6900 in those tests, respectively, and we have a winner. It’s a similar story to the processor specs when it comes to RAM. e 8GB it comes with as standard is miserly in cost terms, but will be enough for a home user. Being able to upgrade to 16GB gives solid headroom for people with more advanced ambitions, but 32GB would be really nice for pros. Graphics is the area in which the iMac could maybe do with some improvement out of the box. e M1’s graphical chops are very impressive inside the MacBook Air, but in a desktop they look relatively weak. If Performance art e story with Apple’s M1 processor is you don’t care about games and that it’s more than powerful enough won’t do any graphical editing for most people. ere’s no choice of beyond some standard photo/video tweaking, then again there’s no speed or number of cores because question that it offers plenty of there doesn’t need to be: it’s more powerful than the highest-end chip power, but the GPU is definitely the potential weak point. in the Intel-powered 16-inch Overall, though, it’s a really great MacBook Pro, and that’s more than package, with its only potential enough for the vast majority of on the glass. e keyboard, mouse and trackpad come in the same aluminium colour as the stand of the iMac, plus white to match the bezel. e keyboard is great – the short travel won’t satisfy those who can only love mechanical keyboards, but for everyone else it’s a great mix of requiring only a little pressure, offering clear feedback when pressed, and having a comfortable amount of travel. e size is good, too. Also, having the Touch ID button in the top-right of the keyboard is something we’ve wanted for a long time, and it works perfectly. Users of pre-Intel Macs will be right at home. It’s also a really satisfying thing to unpack, and feels like an event as you reveal its secrets – it’s nice to have a little playfulness in the Apple unboxing experience.

Having the Touch ID button in the top-right is something we like

irritations being the lack of port variation, its limited GPU power, and Apple’s cheap approach to RAM. Again, though, none of these will actually aﬀect people just using it for standard home computing tasks, with the exception of the ports. It’s not cheap, but the iMac has always oﬀered surprisingly good value when you consider the screen – a display this good would cost well over half the price on its own. And it wouldn’t come in such a fetching range of colours.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Fantastic 4.5K screen; beautiful design and colours; ultra fast CPU. WE’D IMPROVE Cheapest one missing some features; only has USB-C; max RAM is limiting. THE LAST WORD A great home or work machine, with the power for pro work as well. Find the best deals on the Apple iMac M1 at: bit.ly/t3imacm1 JULY 2021 T3 71

Tested Focal Clear MG

OH MG!

Focal Clear MG

Ofﬁcially rated the best wired headphones at the T3 Awards 2021, these are about as good as it gets for luxurious home hi-ﬁ

he Focal Clear MG are luxurious headphones, made for a luxurious listening experience, and they hit that mark dead on. For our money, these are absolutely the best wired headphones on the planet. e Focal Clear MG cost roughly the same as the Sennheiser HD 800 S that are their single biggest competition and about half of what you’d pay for Focal’s wonderful Stellia headphones. So in the scheme of audiophile headphones, they’re pretty well-priced, even if they make the cost of Apple AirPods Max look like pocket change. Microfibre earpads and headband material feels like sinking into a sofa when you put them on, and they held firmly in place on the head without being uncomfortable or warming up too much over a long period of listening. e aluminium frame and honeycomb design on the outside of the earcups feel premium too. e Clear MG are so comforting and enveloping, and give you exactly the kind of natural and infinitely detailed sound you want. From the inhalation of the singer to every vibration of a bass string, you’re unquestionably getting the full picture of the music. You get a sense of the dynamic range of the headphones from the bass, which can resonate strongly in the mix even if the rest of the song suddenly brings in high vocals and instruments. Similarly, at the top end you can hear the accidental pop of a singer’s lips sticking together, even while instruments bounce under it. e headphones just eat up as much detail as you can give them, and present it back to you with impeccable manners. Even in songs that build to an intentional cacophony of clashing sounds, you get to hear the 72 T3 JULY 2021

£1,499 focal.com individual instruments, not just the mix overall. It feels really true to the music as a result. If a song wants to be smooth, the Clear MG will spread it like Nutella. If a song wants to be crisp and hard, it turns to diamond. While the resulting sound isn’t what you’d call truly neutral – it takes a little shuffle towards some warmth in the mid and bass – you’ll get no complaints from us about that. Being open-backed means they’re capable of a natural and expansive sound, but that sound leaks both in and out something rotten. at’s fine – it’s by design – but it means they’re explicitly not for taking on the train or, really, to the office. ey’re for listening at home, in an environment where you control how much outside noise there is. We don’t really have any complaints about the Focal Clear MG. e price sure is high, but it’s right in line with equivalent audiophile headphones. Otherwise, we’ve just found them to be glorious. Paired with a suitably high-quality audio source and DAC and/or amp, they’re headphones that just let you revel in sound. And they’re comfortable and stylish. Very few headphones make it so enjoyable to get lost in your music.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Gorgeously rich and realistic sound; premium build quality; easy to drive; very comfortable. WE’D IMPROVE Open-backed has disadvantages; maybe not totally neutral. THE LAST WORD Simply fantastic audio quality, and a comfortable design. And they can even be driven by portable devices, though are at their best with a great hi-ﬁ setup. Find great deals on the Focal Clear MG at: bit.ly/t3focalmg

Tested Garmin Venu 2

SMASH HIIT

Garmin Venu 2

This fantastic ﬁtness watch packs a punch, featuring a new heart rate sensor and a beautiful AMOLED screen

armin finally made a fitness smartwatch that’s actually usable and doesn’t look too bad either. Better still, the battery life is pretty impressive for an AMOLED watch. e Venu 2 has stayed true to its roots in terms of offering a more fitness-y experience; it just does it way better than previous iterations. e 1.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen display has a resolution of 416 x 416 pixels and it even has an optional always-on mode. e AMOLED screen really brings the widget view of the Garmin OS to life and all the milestone animations, like when you hit your step goals, look way better on the pretty screen. Battery life is a category the watch really excels in. Officially, it offers ‘up to’ 11 days in smartwatch mode; with GPS on, battery life is 22 hours and 8 hours if you listen to music as well. Now, this might not sound amazing but this is an AMOLED smartwatch, which tend to have a battery life of a day or two, max. ere are plenty of new workout modes in the Garmin Venu 2. First of all, the new Muscle Maps are an illustration showing which muscles are worked during the strength training session. But they only tell you which muscles are activated by certain workouts rather than how much they were actually worked, making them only helpful if you don’t know push ups work the pecs. Other new features are slightly better. e new HIIT workout mode has a ‘free’ mode tracking heart rate and calories burned but you

can also download HIIT workouts from the Garmin Connect app or use the Venu 2 as a HIIT timer. As for the new bouldering mode, you can set a grading system so the watch knows how difficult the wall is you’re about to ascend. As well as the new sport modes, the Venu 2 has the new Health Snapshot feature, which provides you with a snapshot of your heart rate, SpO2, respiration and stress levels, as well as heart rate variability estimations. We’re not sure we see the point of this because you can check all this anyway at any point on the watch or in the app, but anyway, it’s available. Body Battery is back too and it’s pretty precise, thanks to the Firstbeat Analytics algorithm. Granted, it’s still not a medical measurement of energy levels, but at least now poor sleep doesn’t always replenish the Body Battery as it used to. e smartwatch also measures stress, respiration, blood oxygen and sleep too, all with seemingly good accuracy. Sensor-wise, this is the first watch to feature the new Elevate v4 heart rate sensor, which now has a few extra LEDs. ankfully, it works pretty well and when you take the watch off it’ll stop displaying heart rate levels, unlike previous gen Garmin watches. If you aren’t keen on having a dedicated sports wearable wrapped around your wrist and appreciate a good looking smartwatch that has actually useful health and fitness features, you’d be silly not to give the Garmin Venu 2 a go. It’ll be our preferred fitness smartwatch for sure.

From £349.99 garmin.com

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Great battery life; large AMOLED screen; new Elevate sensor works well; seamless touch controls. WE’D IMPROVE Health Snapshot feels pointless; Muscle Maps are gimmicky; algorithm only accurate if worn 24/7. THE LAST WORD A handsome smartwatch that can track daily sport activities. The new Elevate sensor and improved health analysis are just icing on the cake. Find the best deals for the Venu 2 at: bit.ly/t3venu2 JULY 2021 T3 73

Tested

Screen sizes 65, 75, 85-inch Panel 7680x4320 120Hz Neo QLED HDR HDR 10+ Audio object tracking sound Operating system Tizen Smart services Google Assistant, Alexa, Bixby Connectivity HDMI 2.1 x4 (eARC x1), Bluetooth 5.2 Dimensions 1433.1x819.9x15.2mm / 1654.8x945.6x15.4mm / 1876.6x1071.5x15.4mm Weight 22.1kg / 31.0kg / 43.1kg

From £5,499 samsung.com

SHINING BRIGHT

Samsung QN900A

The new best TVon the planet delivers world-beating HDR and detail like you’ve never seen before

o you want to get a glimpse of what Mini-LED technology can do in the hands of Samsung? en you need to check out the QN900A. It raises the bar high. It combines extreme brightness, colour and 8K sharpness with unprecedented levels of contrast and backlight control to produce the all-round most spectacular pictures we’ve seen on a TV that’s even remotely aﬀordable. 74 T3 JULY 2021

e Samsung looks every bit as cutting edge and premium as you’d hope a TV at this price would look. e ﬁrst thing you’ll notice is its bezel. Or rather, its lack of it. Unless you look really, really hard, from the front you’ll struggle to see any frame around the screen at all. It’s just a picture hanging in mid-air. From an angle the bezel does become visible. However, the side panels are much slimmer than those

of the QN900A’s predecessor, and they’re also seriously attractive with their gleaming metal finish, which is perforated to enable the speakers built into each edge to get their sound out. And, aside from a fiddly-toattach stand, Samsung’s flagship TV for 2021 is pretty straightforward to set up and use. While the QN900A is undoubtedly a thing of beauty, the real heart of its charms lies in its backlight system,

Samsung QN900A

and how that’s combined with Samsung’s startlingly powerful new image processing. e huge jump up in dimming zones is the star of the show, delivering both much better contrast and less backlight blooming in a genuinely fearsome demonstration of why Mini-LED technology looks set to be such a game changer for LCD TVs. On the contrast front, black levels can get so deep that the screen completely disappears during a fade to black in a darkened room, a trick previously the exclusive domain of the best OLED TVs. At the same time, though, the QN900A delivers bright highlights with a real step up in intensity and brightness. Also impressive is how quickly and smoothly the QN900A transitions from dark to light shots, and back again. ere’s no signiﬁcant lag in even the most abrupt shifts. It also improves on 2020’s 8K models with its new AI upscaling. With a pristine 4K source, such as a good 4K Blu-ray, the upscale is pretty much ﬂawless, clearly introducing extra pixel density and sharpness compared with all the 4K TVs we ran side by side tests

SAMSUNG Q900TS The Q900TS features many of the beneﬁts of the QN900A – 8K resolution, dazzlingly bright HDR images and fantastic upscaling – while costing less than half the price. £2,499, amazon.co.uk

with. Overall there’s a signiﬁcant step The QN900A can play full 4K at up from even the already impressive 120Hz on any of its upscaling of2020’s Samsung 8K TVs. HDMI ports e prowess of the new Neo QLED processing is even more striking with HD sources. HD pictures don’t look fully 4K (never mind 8K) but they do look clean, natural and remarkably free of noise. Colours retain their tonal balance and authenticity through the upscaling process, too, which again is true even when watching an SD source. While the QN900A is built to shine – literally – with high dynamic range sources, it also steps down to SDR very nicely. It tracks pretty eﬀectively to standards in Movie mode, but more exciting for many owners, we suspect, is how well the latest Standard preset presents SDR with more aggression and brightness without the image losing balance or looking forced.

Good for games?

An increasingly important aspect of the QN900A’s picture performance for today’s world is gaming. And here, again, the set is on mostly spectacular ground. It has no trouble playing full 4K at 120Hz on any of its HDMI ports.

THE ALTERNATIVES SONY ZH8

Offering similarly crisp pictures and upscaling as the Q900TS, the Sony ZH8 also offers Dolby Vision and truly great sound. VRR and ALLM are conspicuously absent, though. £3,999, sony.com

e extreme brightness and colour range plays seriously nicely with the HDR graphics now being deployed by the majority of next-gen games. e only issues with gaming are a slight ﬂickering in some game menus (though seldom during actual game play) when using VRR. While the picture performance is sensational the sound quality doesn’t quite match. But, you can take the view that it’s surprising that any TV with essentially no bezel and a slim rear can produce decent sound, then the QN900A holds up very well. But, if you are prepared to spend on such a TV, then consider getting one of Samsung’s new soundbars from the Q70A model upwards for the full sonic experience.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Bright, colourful HDR pictures; stunning backlight control: four HDMI 2.1 ports. WE’D IMPROVE No Dolby Vision or full Atmos support; over-punchy picture presets. THE LAST WORD It’s hard to imagine how any other TV in 2021 might take more spectacular advantage of MiniLED technology than Samsung’s dazzling 8K ﬂagship. Find the best Samsung QN900A deals at: bit.ly/t3qn900a JULY 2021 T3 75

Tested

£250 sony.co.uk

Drivers 6mm Frequency range 10Hz - 20kHz (44.1kHz sampling) / 20Hz - 40kHz (LDAC) Connectivity Bluetooth 5.2 with LDAC Microphones 3 per bud (including boneconduction sensor) Weatherprooﬁng IPX4 Battery life 8 hours buds; 24 hours total Weight 7.3g per bud; 41g total

NEW SOUND GLORY

Sony WF-1000XM4

Sony rips up its template for in-ear headphones and comes up with its best truewireless buds yet

xcellent true wireless buds are coming thick and fast recently. Sony has long been a strong contender for the crown with its multiple award-winning WF-1000X line. And with the WF-1000XM4, the Japanese brand has knocked it out of the park. Design-wise, things are a big step up from the previous generation. Sony could have been forgiven for taking its wildly successful WF-1000XM3 design 76 T3 JULY 2021

and simply fiddling with it. Instead the WF-1000XM4 is an entirely new design that addresses their predecessor’s few shortcomings – specifically the rather bulky size of them. ese earbuds are lighter and 10% smaller than those they replace, while the new charging case is a full 40% smaller than the coffin-style outgoer. Sony has even developed new polyurethane eartips to provide improved passive noise-reduction. e

standard of build and the quality of the finish is inarguable. Despite being physically smaller than the model they replace, the WF-1000XM4 are more generously specified. Call quality, in particular, has had a lot of attention lavished on it. Sony has combined feed-forward and feed-back mics to capture your voice directionally, while a boneconduction sensor registers vibration too. Should you find yourself

Sony WF-1000XM4

presentation. And at the top-end, Every part feels robust and is made there’s all the bite and crunch a from high-quality recording needs – but it’s as wellmaterials controlled as the rest of the frequency information, and consequently doesn’t get hard, even at considerable volume. ey also create a large and well-defined soundstage. Rhythmic expression is eloquent, and they can handle even the trickiest, most lop-sided tempos without any meaningful alarms. ey’re pretty adept where dynamics are concerned, too. Shifting between ‘full-on’ and ‘virtually silent’ and back again is achieved instantly. e trickier, lower-level harmonic Music to our ears dynamics that are present in As far as out-and-out sound quality goes, the WF-1000XM4 are excellent. recordings of, say, a solo piano are also given real expression. Leave the EQ adjustments well alone e noise-cancelling on the and they are a poised, balanced and WF-1000XM4 makes decent inroads entirely believable listen. With some hi-res audio content playing, they give into external sound, and manages to appropriate prominence to each area do so without leaving any impression of counter-signal or noise beneath the of the frequency range. music – but, like every other pair of Bass is substantial, but textured, in-ear headphones, they must bow to detailed and straight-edged too. e midrange is equally information-rich, the noise-cancelling of Bose’s extraordinary QuietComfort Earbuds. with hawkish attention paid to With ANC switched on, they’re transients and a whole stack of definition contributing to an articulate good for around eight hours of battery attempting a call in unhelpful conditions like wind, the feed-forward mics automatically mute. As well as voice control, there are touch-sensitive pads on each earbud. You can attribute specific controls to them using Sony’s outstanding Headphones app and the app also has some very worthwhile EQ adjustment incorporated too. e app is also where you photograph your ears – no, really – so the WF-1000XM4 can optimise those streaming apps that offer spatial audio. e app is stable, logical and useful.

BOWERS & WILKINS PI7 In a world of thousands of true wireless earbuds, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 are some of the very best. They have exceptional sound: you’ll hear music exactly as it was meant to be heard. Truly phenomenal. £349, bowerswilkins.com

THE ALTERNATIVES

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO MELOMANIA 1+

Balk at paying over £250 on earbuds? These are for you. Where they excel for their price is in their sound, which is uniformly excellent. Their nine-hour battery life is also up there with the very best. £119.95, cambridgeaudio.com

life. ere are a couple more full charges held in the charging case – so you’ll get an all-in total of around 24 hours. Compare that to most of their high-proﬁle rivals and you’ll notice it’s really very good, even if it’s not quite the best around. ese are superb true wireless earbuds. e battery life, sound quality and noise-cancelling are all perhaps just short of being the very best you can get. However, the XM4 oﬀer a better all-round experience than the slightly better sounding Grado and Bowers buds, and while the QuietComfort Earbuds may have them beaten for noise-cancelling, Sony’s buds sound a fair bit better than Bose’s overall. is is the complete package.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Coherent, expressive and engagingly musical; exemplary control app; splendid call quality. WE’D IMPROVE Battery life could be better; noise-cancelling could be better, too THE LAST WORD Profoundly impressive, these are arguably the best true wireless buds you can buy. Rivals may outperform them in certain areas, but the all-round package is very hard to beat. Find the best deals for the WF1000XM4 at: bit.ly/t3snfxm4 JULY 2021 T3 77

Tested PureAir Go

PURE & SIMPLE

Pure Air Go

£349 pureelectric.com

The Pure Air Go is an entrylevel model designed by a British brand – it’sthe perfect starter scooter

hink of Pure Electrics’ Pure Air Go as the start of your electric journey. It is designed to be affordable, yet still offer everything the brand is known for: solid design, water resistance, local support. We’re big fans of the original design of the Pure Air Go. It’s utilitarian and industrial, almost bicycle-like with flowing steel tubes. Whereas some electric scooters are just clones of the Xiaomi M365, this is more original. Being designed and created by a British brand, it certainly feels like a sturdy, well-built piece of kit. It’s constructed to safely carry a large 120kg maximum load. at’s more than most scooters, and means it shouldn’t have any troubles carrying you, and a heavy bag, around town. As we previously mentioned, it has an IP65 water resistance rating. is is achieved by fully sealing the electronics inside the footplate and means it can be ridden in wet weather, which is essential if you’re using it in the UK or northern Europe in the winter. Of course, this extra engineering involved with waterproofing does come at a slight disadvantage, and that’s weight. It weighs 16kg, which is slightly heavier than many of its rivals, but slightly less than the existing Pure entry level model. e Pure Air Go also features a stem hinge that locks into place with a U-shaped bracket and screw-down cap. It’s simple enough to use, but not the quickest solution out there. We prefer the faster click-lock system of the Pure Air Pro. 78 T3 JULY 2021

We found it picks up speed well, and didn’t feel breathless when it reached full speed – which is legally limited to 15.5mph and feels plenty fast enough. However, the small 350W motor can feel very slightly underpowered when going up steep hills compared to the new 500W motor in the Air Pro. e Air Go features large 10-inch air-filled tyres. is is a major advantage over the Xiaomi range, which is fitted with 8.5-inch tyres. We’ve found the larger tyres provide a safer, more comfortable ride; they can handle the larger bumps on uneven surfaces better. e main drawback to getting the Air Go rather than the Air or Air Pro is range. It will carry you for around 12.4 miles, whereas the Air will take you 18.6 miles and the Pro a whopping 31 miles. But overall we were impressed with how the Pure Air Go performed – especially considering its low price. Just like the rest of the Pure Air range, it has been designed so it’s easy to maintain at home. Home mechanics should find the larger tyres are easier to change and Pure has made sure the tyre valve is easily accessible, making them simple to inflate. e Pure Air Go is certainly one of the top electric scooters if you’re just starting out. It’s not perfect: it’s heavier than its rivals, it’s not the fastest, and it doesn’t have the longest range. But if you’re after an affordable, reliable e-scooter with decent performance and great build quality, then it may well be for you.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Great price; water-resistant, rugged design; large maximum load; large wheel size; easy to maintain. WE’D IMPROVE Heavier than rivals; not the slickest folding mechanism. THE LAST WORD The Pure Air Go is ideal: it’s quick enough, sturdy, and very affordable. Water resistance and larger tyres set it apart, but if you want a longer range, look elsewhere. Find the best deals on the Pure Air Go at: bit.ly/t3purgo

Best of the best

BEST OF THE BEST The world’s best tech, all in one place

If you’re looking for the very best tech available today, you’ve deﬁnitely come to the right place. Best of the Best is the most useful gadgetbuying guide you will ever encounter. To create it, we’ve extensively tested the best tech the world has to offer, to bring you rock-solid recommendations for your home life, daily commute and the tech you use all the time. In 54 different categories, we’ve chosen the top four products, so you can choose one that’s just the

right mix of features and budget for what you need. These rankings come from real testing by our team of experts – they’re the products we’d choose for ourselves, and we can’t recommend any higher than that. Look for the links above each category that take you to the same list (plus more beyond the top four, and many more categories) at T3.com, where our price comparison system shows you the current best deals for every product.

INSIDE Smartphones Cheap smartphones Smartwatches Hybrid smartwatches Watches Watches under £1,000 TVs TVs under £1,000 Projectors Gaming TVs Games consoles Soundbars Turntables Streaming DACs Multi-room speakers Bluetooth speakers Bluetooth headphones True wireless headphones Noise-cancelling headphones Wired in-ear headphones Wired over-ear headphones Laptops 2-in-1 laptops Tablets Gaming laptops Gaming headsets 4K monitors Drones Action cameras Cheap action cameras DSLR cameras Mirrorless cameras Compact cameras Sat-navs Dash cams Electric bikes Smart speakers Smart bulbs Smart thermostats Smart plugs Security cameras Robot vacuums Cordless vacuums Washing machines Dishwashers Coffee machines Fridges Ovens Electric shavers Electric toothbrushes Beard trimmers Fitness trackers Running watches Running headphones

80 80 80 81 81 81 82 82 82 83 83 83 84 84 84 85 85 85 86 86 86 87 87 87 88 88 88 89 89 89 90 90 90 91 91 91 92 92 92 93 93 93 94 94 94 95 95 95 96 96 96 97 97 97

J U L Y 2021 T3 79

Best of the best

SMARTPHONES

CHEAP SMARTPHONES

SMARTWATCHES

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestphone

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestcheapphone

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestsmartwatch

APPLE iPHONE 12

iPHONE SE (2020)

APPLE WATCH SERIES 6

From £799, apple.com Apple has outdone itself. 5G has been added, the CPU has more power than you’re ever going to need, and the dual-lens rear camera system can take spectacular photos in any kind of light.

From £420, apple.com A near-ﬂagship iPhone experience for a fraction of the cost. The SE is under half the cost of the iPhone 12, and for that reason it demands attention from any prospective phone upgrader.

From £379, apple.com Series 6 adds a pulse oxygen sensor to its health systems, makes its always-on display 2.5 times brighter, steps up to the new S6 CPU, and throws in all the new features of watchOS 7.

ONEPLUS 9 PRO

ONEPLUS NORD

From £829, oneplus.com Very much an evolution of the OnePlus 8 Pro, with a similar design and iterative specs bump for this year, the OnePlus 9 Pro has doubled down on the camera. And the results are excellent.

From £379, oneplus.com A fantastic midranger, with a Snapdragon 765G processor, at least 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and 5G. That’s not to mention the sharp, bright 6.44-inch AMOLED display.

SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH ACTIVE2 From £269, samsung.com Sleek and powerful, this is the best smartwatch for Android users. The screen and design are on par with the Apple Watch, while a collection of new watch faces give it a modern edge.

iPHONE SE (2020)

SAMSUNG GALAXY S20 FE

SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH 3

From £420, apple.com Apple’s iPhone SE (2020) handset has taken this year by storm, the hot new handset winning acclaim worldwide with its balance of features, quality and performance for a very attractive price.

From £699, samsung.com The best core S20 functionality, along with 5G, but at a more affordable price point, this is actually nothing like a budget handset, as it is still loaded with premium hardware and features.

From £399, samsung.com The Galaxy Watch 3 comes in two sizes, and with a very good battery life. It’s the innovative rotating bezel that is the star here, though, as it is, without doubt, the best way to control a smartwatch.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S21 ULTRA From £1,149, samsung.com Not only the best phone Samsung has ever made, but the ﬁrst S-series handset that comes with digital stylus support. From its massive screen to the quad camera, this is a 5-star beast in every way.

XIAOMI MI 10T LITE

APPLE WATCH SE

From £249, xiaomi.com There’s a lot of handset for your money here. Decent battery life, respectable specs (including 6GB of RAM) and a quadlens rear camera are standard, plus 5G connectivity.

From £269, apple.com Despite being the ‘affordable’ smartwatch from Apple, the SE is fast and comfortable with a clear screen (no always-on display though) and excellent health and ﬁtness features.

80 T3 JULY 2021

Best of the best

HYBRID SMARTWATCHES

WATCHES

WATCHES UNDER £1,000

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besthybrid

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestwatch

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestwatchunder1k

WITHINGS STEEL HR SPORT

HUBLOT BIG BANG INTEGRAL

£190, withings.com

£17,300, hublot.com

CHRISTOPHER WARD C60 SAPPHIRE £795, christopherward.com Striking, bold designs really set this British brand apart from its more conventional Swiss rivals. The best example of this is the C60 Sapphire, which features a seethrough dial made from sapphire crystal.

Featuring a heartrate monitor and the ability to track 30 different exercises, this is ideal for ﬁtness fanatics. It’s water resistant to 50 metres, and the battery lasts around 25 days.

FOSSIL HYBRID SMARTWATCH HR £129, fossil.com

This timepiece features activity and sleep tracking, plus app and call alerts, time zones, and buttons to control smartphone music. Yet it mostly looks like a regular watch, aside from the e-ink display.

WITHINGS MOVE ECG £129, withings.com

Think a pricey Apple Watch is needed to take an ECG reading of your heart? This can do that, plus activity tracking and sleep monitoring, with a 12-month battery life, for a really low price.

WITHINGS SCANWATCH £269, withings.com

Withings’ latest hybrid is also its smartest, packing a huge amount of health and ﬁtness tracking tech into a slender body. And 15 different strap options ensure it’ll suit any outﬁt.

The ﬁrst Big Bang to feature an integrated bracelet – this watch has been designed to ﬂow seamlessly from the case to the clasp. Available in black ceramic, King Gold or titanium.

TUDOR BLACK BAY FIFTY-EIGHT £2,760, tudorwatch.com Named after the year in which Tudor released its ﬁrst diver’s watch, this comes in a new vintage colour combination and smaller 39mm sized case. It’s powered by the Calibre MT5402.

VICTORINOX I.N.O.X £459, victorinox.com

Having undergone 130 durability tests, this watch will stand up to anything you throw at it. The paracord strap hints at its adventurous heritage, and it’s great for all wrist sizes.

OMEGA SEAMASTER DIVER 300M 007 EDITION £7,390, omegawatches.com This stylish Seamaster made from Grade 2 Titanium will be strapped to the wrist of 007 in No Time to Die. It’s strong, lightweight, and perfect for an undercover agent.

£375, hamiltonwatch.com This is a faithful recreation of its original 1960s forebear and is true to Hamilton’s military heritage. The 38mm stainless steel case is paired with a durable NATO strap.

JAEGER-LECOULTRE MASTER CONTROL DATE £6,000, jaeger-lecoultre.com Featuring a calibre with a 70-hour power reserve, a new 40mm doublepolished stainless steel case, and a clear, eligible dial, this is pure and simple watchmaking at its ﬁnest.

TAG HEUER FORMULA 1 QUARTZ MENS WATCH £895, tagheuer.com This F1 timepiece features a steel case with sapphire crystal protecting the legible monochrome dial. The strap is black leather, a quartz movement provides the power and it’s water resistant up to 200 metres.

HAMILTON KHAKI FIELD

JULY 2021 T3 81

Best of the best

TVs

TVs UNDER £1,000

PROJECTORS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttv

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttv1000

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestprojector

SAMSUNG 75QN900A

LG OLED55BX

ACER V7850

£7,999, samsung.com A master of SD, 8K and everything in between, this isn’t OLED but has so many dimming zones you’ll swear it is. This is an outstanding TV, ready for anything today or tomorrow can offer.

£999, lg.com

SAMSUNG 65QN95A

SONY KD-55XH9005

OPTOMA UHD40

£2,999, samsung.com The ﬂagship 4K model from Samsung’s 2021 range is also the ﬁrst to use the new Neo QLED Mini-LED display tech, and the results are utterly incredible, beating even the OLED TVs we’ve seen so far.

£899, sony.com

£999, optoma.co.uk

LG OLED65G1

SONY KD-49XH9505

OPTOMA UHZ65

£999, sony.com

£3,499, optoma.co.uk This is aimed right 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.

£2,999, lg.com

The ﬁrst TV with a brighter, next-gen version of OLED that consumes less power. That means the G1 is around 20% brighter than previous OLED TVs, giving broader and more striking HDR than ever.

LG OLED65C1 £2,499, lg.com

82 T3 JULY 2021

The C1 is LG’s midrange OLED, and while it may lack a few of the G1’s features, it has everything you need. It’s a very capable set, especially when paired with the new consoles, and the picture is top-notch.

The best for the budget. The LG BX gives you everything that’s great about OLED TVs, and LG’s image processing makes 4K look expertly detailed, and brings HD up to a near-4K standard.

Some other TVs may beat it for image quality in certain areas, but nothing gives you this quality of picture at this size with such great technical features to make sure it’s future-proof.

Sony’s ﬂagship LED 4K TV for 2020 packs in all kinds of advanced technology and processing for supreme picture quality. Somehow, the 49-inch model is available for less than a grand.

£1,699, acer.com

Acer really hit the sweet spot here: small enough to ﬁt 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).

4K resolution and HDR in a projector for this price is hard to beat. It doesn’t quite have the pop and HDR richness of more expensive sets, but it’s way beyond HD projectors at the same price.

SAMSUNG QE55Q70T

EPSON EH-TW6700W

£999, samsung.com

£999, epson.co.uk

The Q70T sits in a real sweet-spot in Samsung’s TV range. Pictures from 4K sources are outstanding: vividyet-natural colours, strong contrasts, lavish detail levels and smooth motion.

If you’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 don’t get the future-prooﬁng of HDR and 4K.

Best of the best

GAMING TVs

GAMES CONSOLES

SOUNDBARS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestgamingtv

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/gaming

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestsoundbar

LG G1

PLAYSTATION 5

SAMSUNG HW-Q800A

£449, playstation.com Look beyond the big, bold design. This console offers powerful next-gen hardware, backwards compatibility, an excellent DualSense controller with haptic feedback and truly stunning graphics.

£799, samsung.com

MICROSOFT XBOX SERIES X

B&O BEOSOUND STAGE

£449.99, xbox.com

£1,250, bang-olufsen.com B&O’s ﬁrst soundbar, and it’s been worth the wait. There are 11 drivers hidden behind its stylish cloth ﬁnish, producing a wall of sound. It can get incredibly boomy without a subwoofer, too.

£2,999 lg.com

A next-gen screen that’s brighter while keeping OLED’s deep black levels. Four HDMI 2.1 ports are ready for 4K 120Hz, and there’s support for Nvidia G-Sync and AMD Freesync Premium too.

LG CX £1,500, lg.com

A gaming dream that’s packed with features ready for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. LG’s best OLED panel to date mixes with low input lag and 120fps 4K, with a variable refresh rate too.

Microsoft has nailed it. This is a console that delivers massive amounts of power and performance. Because of its raw pixelpushing prowess, it’s a superb base for a new generation of jawdropping experiences.

This is our top soundbar pick right now because it’s just the right balance of being a big audio upgrade, of offering a practical design that’s useful with most TVs, and of being available at a good price.

SAMSUNG QN95A

NINTENDO SWITCH

SONY HT-G700

£2,200, samsung.com If price is no object, go for the best. This TV’s new Mini-LED tech means bright HDR performance, with ﬁne control of local dimming. You also get a special menu dedicated to its gaming features.

£279, nintendo.com

£450, sony.com

SONY XH90

MICROSOFT XBOX SERIES S

YAMAHA SR-B20A

£249.99, xbox.com

£249, yamaha.com

£800, sony.com

This is one of two TVs branded as ‘Ready for PS5’ by Sony, which means it has a fast response time, and supports 4K at 120fps over HDMI inputs. It’s also one of the best-looking TVs for its price.

We love the Switch, which brings Nintendo’s great gaming pedigree to genuinely stylish, premium-grade hardware. Forget the specs: it’s all about the sheer joy of gaming.

Stylish, affordable, easy to set up and taps into the very slick Xbox ecosystem seamlessly. It does have limited storage space out of the box though, and can’t play current or previous gen games on disc.

This soundbar and wireless subwoofer include Sony’s fanciest processing, to make the three drivers seem like they’re giving you sound coming from the sides and above.

The audio quality here is excellent for the price, adding so much more balance, clarity and depth than budget TV speaker could ever hope to produce, with really impressive width and stereo positioning. JULY 2021 T3 83

Best of the best

TURNTABLES

STREAMING DACs

MULTI-ROOM SPEAKERS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestturntable

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestdac

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestmultiroom

PRO-JECT ESSENTIAL III

SONOS PORT

£250, project-audio.com Really sounds great for the money, with an expansive and enjoyable sound across a range of genres and volume levels. It also looks very pleasing, in a variety of high gloss ﬁnishes.

£399, sonos.com

NAIM MU-SO 2ND GENERATION £1,300, naimaudio.com Mu-So 2 crushes its competition. An awesome, thumping wall of sound and reliable, versatile software platform and streaming support make for the perfect 21st-century music experience.

TECHNICS SL-1200GR

YAMAHA WXAD-10

SONOS ONE

£1,199, technics.com With rock solid build quality, easy set-up, immense bass, and a hugely exciting and involving sound, this is much more than just a DJ deck. There are few turntables that are more enjoyable to own.

£120, yamaha.co.uk

£199, sonos.co.uk

PRO-JECT PRIMARY E

IFI XDSD

£179, project-audio.com Pro-ject’s entry-level player is the record player stripped down to its most basic form. Everything comes pre-adjusted and preinstalled, so it’s ready to go right out of the box with the perfect tracking force.

£399, iﬁ-audio.com

ELIPSON CHROMA CARBON RIAA BT £699, elipson.com Elipson’s top-line turntable pulls down a lot of features from the truly high end. You get a super-stiff carbon ﬁbre tone arm and new digital belt drive motor, plus AptX Bluetooth and USB.

AUDIOLAB 6000N

AUDIO PRO ADDON C10 MKII

£449, audiolab.co.uk

£359, audiopro.com

84 T3 JULY 2021

A great streamer, especially if you already own a Sonos speaker. It has an analogue input and output, as well as streaming to any Sonos speaker, so you can plug in your turntable.

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 Yamaha’s own MusicCast.

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 you…

RUARK R5 This dinky little combined Bluetooth receiver, DAC and headphone amp supports AAC and aptX and sounds really superb. It has a battery, and can be used with earphones as well as speakers.

Probably impractical if you don’t have a hi-ﬁ stack, but with support for audio up to 192Khz/24-bit, its sound quality is noticeably better than the Sonos and Yamaha streamers further up the list.

£1,000, ruarkaudio.com Like a mini system for the 21st century, Ruark’s R5 chucks in a CD player, DAB and FM radios and two extra inputs, including one pre-amped for use with a turntable. There’s even Bluetooth too.

Audio Pro makes speakers that cater to every type of music and the Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII is no different. It’s energetic, loud and three-dimensional, showing off every detail of the track.

Best of the best

BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS

BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES

TRUE WIRELESS HEADPHONES

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestbluetooth

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestwireless

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttruewireless

KANTO TUK

BOWERS & WILKINS PI7

£749, kantoaudio.com A stereo pair of attractive, compact bookshelf speakers. The left-hand one contains the connections and DACs and Class D ampliﬁers, and the right one is a wired slave.

AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-M50XBT £179, audio-technica.com Long battery life and sound that’s closer to the more neutral tones of hi-ﬁ cans (though still with a slight extra kick of bass), plus great comfort levels, make these ideal for losing yourself in music.

£349, bowerswilkins.com Some of the very best wireless earbuds. They have exceptional sound, but there are no compromises here. Everything about the audio is exactly what you want, and you’ll love to wear them day in, day out.

SONOS MOVE

AKG Y400

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO MELOMANIA 1+

£399, sonos.com

A Sonos speaker that’s been ruggedised, and had a battery and Bluetooth added, so you can use it anywhere. Clever software automatically optimises the sound to its location.

£110, uk.akg.com

These AKGs are minimalist and light, but still feel solidly built and comfortable. They offer impressive scale, excellent detail, and a very naturalistic attitude towards the whole of the frequency range.

£120, cambridgeaudio.com High-end sound for a pretty incredible price. With drivers made of miracle substance graphene, the Melomania 1+ are uniformly excellent. And their battery life is also right up there with the very best.

ULTIMATE EARS MEGABOOM 3 £169, ultimateears.com The best waterproof speaker – it even ﬂoats – offers 20 hours of battery life and a hefty sound that’s perfect for outdoor parties. It works great for kitchen audio duties, too.

OPTOMA NUFORCE BE SPORT 4 £100, optoma.co.uk Designed for the gym, you might think these wouldn’t sound very good. But you would be incorrect. They’re very musical with well-weighted bass and excellent noise isolation.

MASTER & DYNAMIC MW08 £279, masterdynamic.co.uk Using custom 11mm Beryllium drivers, the MW08s are very clearly focused on delivering high-end audio performance, which is precisely what these stylish buds do for 12 hours on a charge.

BLUESOUND PULSE FLEX 2I £299, bluesound.com More than a Bluetooth speaker, with Wi-Fi and Ethernet included this is more like a portable Sonos. It’s AirPlay 2 compatible, and works with streaming services and internet radio.

SOUNDMAGIC S20BT

APPLE AIRPODS PRO

£40, soundmagicheadphones.com Truly impressive buds. Connectivity is rock solid, and Bluetooth 5.0 means that they’re futureproofed. 25 hours of battery life is also great for the price. A wellmade, effective and engaging option.

£187.99, amazon.co.uk You would be foolish to discount Apple’s buds. Battery life may be on the short side, but with noise cancellation and a whole raft of audioenhancing features you get an immersive musical experience. JULY 2021 T3 85

Best of the best

NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES

WIRED IN-EAR HEADPHONES

WIRED OVER-EAR HEADPHONES

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestnoisecancelling

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestinear

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestoverear

SONY WH-1000XM4

MEZE AUDIO RAI SOLO

FOCAL CLEAR MG

£349, sony.co.uk

£179, mezeaudio.com With a single-driver design capable of excellent dynamic range, these can pull from a deep well of bass as well as shimmering treble. A well-priced, unfussy and great-sounding pair of headphones.

£1,399, focal.com

BOWERS & WILKINS PX7

KLIPSCH T5M WIRED

GRADO SR325E

£275, bowers-wilkins.co.uk A bit dull-looking, but the audio quality and noise cancelling are extremely close to that of the Sonys. B&W’s usual exciting, but well balanced, sound meets excellent noise cancelling.

£65, klipsch.com

£399, gradolabs.com

SHURE AONIC 50

FLARE AUDIO FLARES JET 3 £89, ﬂareaudio.com

£359, shure.co.uk

Nailed it. Light, with broad, soft ear cups and a remarkably comfortable headband, these offer best-in-class noise cancellation with great sound, rich bass and a lively approach to music.

The sound quality of the Aonic 50 should have purists purring. There isn’t an excess of bass and it delivers all the sparkling detail and painstaking accuracy you could want.

BOSE NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES 700 £299, bose.com Close rivals to the Sony and B&W options above, they’re less exciting, but also very easy to listen to for hours on end. If you are easy like Sunday morning, maybe these are your babies. 86 T3 JULY 2021

The ﬁtting is unusual, but nonetheless immediately felt comfortable and solid. The audio is boosted, primped and pop-friendly, with plenty of bass and a very lively and engaging sound.

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.

Simply sumptuous, with soft microﬁbre on the earpads and a headband that you can sink into; then comes the rich, warm sound to totally lose yourself inside. They’re just fantastic in that regard.

When you factor just how good these sound, they’re a bargain. In a quiet room, they sound as good as headphones that cost ﬁve times more. They’re among the leakiest we’ve tried, however.

AUDIO TECHNICA ATH-A1000Z £439, audiotechnica.com Forget about MP3s or EDM: these headphones don’t ﬂatter or sacriﬁce sound quality for bass. But if you give them a good amp and a good sound source they do incredible things.

SOUNDMAGIC E11C

AKG K52

£49, soundmagicheadphones.com Can we really be recommending a pair of headphones for under £50? Yes we can! The grown-up sound quality and exemplary comfort of the 11c make them the sonic bargain of the year.

£25, akg.com

These have absolutely no right to sound half as good as they do. For at-home listening they offer a massive soundstage, impressive balance and a frankly ludicrous amount of detail for the dosh.

Best of the best

LAPTOPS

2-IN-1 LAPTOPS

TABLETS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestlaptop

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/best2in1

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttablet

APPLE MACBOOK AIR (M1, 2020)

ASUS ZENBOOK FLIP 13

APPLE iPAD AIR (2020)

£999, apple.com

£800, asus.com

From £479, apple.com Technically the iPad Air 4, but more like the latest iPad Pro with some of the ‘pro’ features removed. Apple Pencil 2 support is here, though, and there’s a smart connector for a keyboard too.

Apple’s cheapest laptop is a revolution. Think thin and light laptops have to sacriﬁce power? Not any more. This is the best of all worlds, with an eight-core M1 CPU as powerful as those in gaming PCs.

The Zenbook Flip 13 might be the best laptop Asus has ever released. Tooled up with an eighth-gen Intel Core processor, the tablet mode feels great to use, thanks to a responsive touchscreen.

ASUS VIVOBOOK S15

MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 3

APPLE iPAD PRO 12.9 (2021)

£899, asus.com

£1,439, microsoft.com Pull the screen away from the keyboard and it’s a tablet. Connect them for more graphics power and battery life. A premium, fantastically portable, and supremely versatile system.

From £969, apple.com Apple showing off. The new mini-LED screen is simply the best display in any tablet, and the M1 processor inside is stunningly fast. It’s ridiculously overpowered for most people.

SAMSUNG GALAXY BOOK PRO 360 £1,199, samsung.com Unlike some other 2-in-1s, this doesn’t feel awkward to use in tablet mode, which is super responsive and feels lovely to use with the stylus for quick sketches or note-taking with the included S-pen.

APPLE iPAD 10.2 (2020) From £349, apple.com A whole lot of Apple tablet for not much money, it offers Apple Pencil support and the latest iPadOS software. Perfect if you want top tablet performance and you don’t have lots to spend on it.

LG GRAM 17 (2021)

MICROSOFT SURFACE GO 2

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S7 PLUS

£1,549, lg.com

£519, microsoft.com

£699, samsung.com

This slim and super light laptop hits a wonderful sweet spot. With an Intel Core i5, 4GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and a touchscreen ScreenPad, it represents wonderful mid-range value.

DELL XPS 13 (9310) £1,194, dell.com

The Dell XPS 13 is thinner and more powerful than ever. Up to 1TB of SSD storage, 16GB of RAM, a 4K screen and fast 10thgeneration Intel chips help make it a topquality all-rounder.

Large but light, the Gram 17 is incredibly portable yet has strong core hardware specs backed up with an impressive battery life, quality keyboard and, for a laptop, good audio too. It’s perfect for professionals.

Builds on what made the original Surface Go so good, adding a more premiumfeeling design and a small specs bump to make sure you can power through all your computing tasks with no difﬁculty.

An Android powerhouse that not only goes toe-totoe with the iPad Pro in terms of performance, but does so in terms of style and build quality, too – this thing is only 5.7mm thick! JULY 2021 T3 87

Best of the best

GAMING LAPTOPS

GAMING HEADSETS

4K MONITORS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestgaming

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestheadset

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/best4kmonitor

ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS G14

STEELSERIES ARCTIS 7P WIRELESS £160, steelseries.com This is an impressive piece of kit, delivering an excellent audio experience for PS4 and PS5. A USB-C dongle makes it quick to set up and means it will also work with a PC, Nintendo Switch or Android phone.

PHILIPS BRILLIANCE 328P

£1,099, asus.com

A game-changer that delivers buckets of performance despite being compact and light. It does this thanks to its use of AMD’s hot new Ryzen CPUs and Nvidia’s RTX 2060 GPU.

MSI GS66 STEALTH £1,500, msi.com

An astonishingly powerful gaming laptop with up to a 10th-generation Intel Core i9 and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU. This is not a cheap laptop, but it delivers incredible performance.

ACER NITRO 5 £750, acer.com

£249, lucidsound.com A hugely impressive new entry as we enter the era of the next-gen consoles, with an all-round package – style, setup, audio – that’s very difﬁcult to beat. Build quality is ﬁrstrate too. ASUS ROG DELTA S

A lower spec is reﬂected in the lower price. With a Core 15, 8GB of RAM, 128GB NVME SSD, plus a 1TB hard drive and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB, it’s still a potent performer.

GIGABYTE AORUS 15G RTX 30 SERIES £1,799, gigabyte.com Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs have arrived on laptops, and this is one of the ﬁrst to take advantage: if you want the very best graphics capabilities, then this is very much worth checking out. 88 T3 JULY 2021

LUCIDSOUND LS50X

£190, asus.com

A very impressive headset that will work with just about any device. Audio quality is of the highest order whether you’re rocking out or taking part in intense gaming sessions.

£420, philips.co.uk

A plucky display sporting an impressive HDR 600 rating and a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution. It’s also shockingly affordable, when you consider it’s a 31.5inch display with 4K and HDR support.

EIZO COLOREDGE CG319X £3,989, ezioglobal.com Equipped with a raft of high-end features, this screen is ideal for high-end photo and video work, as well as general usage and gaming. Serious hardware commands a serious premium price, however. SAMSUNG U28E590D £279, samsung.com

Delivers a super-fast 1ms response time, 170-degree viewing angles and a 1000:1 contrast ratio. You don’t get quite as much size as other models, but it cuts very few corners hitting its low price.

STEELSERIES ARCTIS 7X WIRELESS

PHILIPS BRILLIANCE 329P1H

£90, steelseries.com

£816, philips.co.uk

The Xbox version of our favourite headset delivers really strong performance, with nuanced audio reproduction across the soundscape, a comfortable design, and a quality ClearCast mic.

A great 4K monitor for professionals, delivering a 32-inch Ultra HD IPS panel with integrated webcam, Windows Hello integration and USB-C connectivity, but no advanced gaming features.

Best of the best

DRONES

ACTION CAMERAS

CHEAP ACTION CAMERAS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestdrone

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestactioncam

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestcheapaction

DJI AIR 2S

GOPRO HERO9 BLACK

GOPRO HERO7 WHITE

£429, gopro.com

£179, gopro.com

£899, dji.com

A sensational camera drone. Despite being lightweight and very portable, this foldable drone packs some incredible onboard tech, including a 1-inch CMOS sensor that enables you to capture 5.4K video.

DJI MINI 2 £419, dji.com

The perfect quality camera-carrying drone for the masses, this titchy bird is so small when folded you can hide it behind an iPhone. The camera is 4K spec, and video transmission distance jumps to 10km.

DJI MAVIC 2 PRO £1,120, dji.com

This pro-spec drone is almost impossible to crash, and has a stunning three-axis gimbal-mounted Hasselblad camera. As rock solid and conﬁdence-inspiring as we’ve come to like and expect.

DJI MAVIC AIR 2 £769, dji.com

Everything about this drone shouts BUY ME. The camera is a cracker capable of shooting 4K footage at 60fps, while a completely redesigned controller is another major improvement.

A bigger sensor (23.6MP), means this cam can shoot 5K/30 video and 20MP stills, and youget a welcome 30% battery boost over the Hero8. There’s a front screen too.

GOPRO HERO8 BLACK

AKASO BRAVE 7

£279, gopro.com

£120, akasotech.com

This recent GoPro has goodies everywhere. Four virtual lenses get you the ideal ﬁeld of view for what you’re shooting, and next-gen video stabilisation keeps it stable and crisp.

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 YouTubeready footage.

Able to record 4K at 30fps (the image stabilisation isn’t up to much, however). It’s waterproof to 10m, has a 2-inch rear touchscreen, and comes with a remote as well as supporting voice controls.

GOPRO HERO7 BLACK

AKASKO BRAVE 7 LE

£250, gopro.com

£140, akasotech.com

The waterproof Hero7 Black makes capturing pro-looking shots easier, thanks to HyperSmooth electronic stabilisation. 4K image quality is excellent, and there’s slick 60fps recording.

The Brave 7 LE ﬁts nicely in the palm of your hand. While its headline feature is a frontfacing screen, it also sports a number of features only usually found on fancier models.

OCLU ACTION CAMERA

CROSSTOUR CT9900

£215, oclu.com

£99, crosstour.co

Bucking tradition, this has a topmounted screen and a wide, low-proﬁle body perfect for mounting beneath a skateboard. Threebutton operation, an ultrawide lens and 4K 30fps round it out.

There’s not many cameras costing less than £100 that can boast 4K video at 60fps. This also has image stabilisation, a rear touchscreen, is waterproof to 40 metres and can take 20MP stills. JULY 2021 T3 89

Best of the best

DSLR CAMERAS

MIRRORLESS CAMERAS

COMPACT CAMERAS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestdslr

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestmirrorless

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestcompact

NIKON D780

NIKON Z50

SONY RX100 VII

£2,199, nikon.com

The D780 is, in many ways, a Nikon Z6 (mirrorless) camera inside a larger DSLR body. Thanks to this, we’ve got room for dual memory card slots and a lot more direct control dials and buttons.

NIKON D850 £3,299, nikon.co.uk

With a highresolution 45.4 megapixel sensor, 4K video capture, a 153-point AF system, and a sturdy body, you’ll never be disappointed with what the D850 can create for you.

90 T3 JULY 2021

£899, fujiﬁlm.co.uk

A mid-range model that packs a lot of power for its price. You get a 32.5 megapixel sensor, uncropped 4K video recording, and an optical viewﬁnder that offers a 100% view of the scene.

£1,719, nikon.co.uk

An APS-C sensor means you don’t have to lug around heavy lenses and accessories but still leaves you with cracking image quality. The X-T3 has impressive 4K video capabilities too.

£1,299, canon.co.uk

For the best image quality in a pocketfriendly body, look here. The RX100 VII continues t o build on Sony’s reputation for high-quality premium compacts, and does so without breaking the bank.

£1,299, fujiﬁlm.co.uk

A beautifully retro design mixed with a host of advanced features, this, like its predecessors, sports a DSLR-sized (APS-C) sensor, which is paired with a 23mm f/2 ﬁxed length lens.

SONY ZV1 If you’re looking for your ﬁrst full-frame camera, the Z5 makes a lot of sense. You get a 24MP full-frame sensor, a nicely ergonomic body design and excellent electronic viewﬁnder too.

CANON EOS RP This solidly built camera is the perfect choice for those who like to shoot a little bit of everything, thanks to a brilliant autofocus system and glorious image quality from its 20MP sensor.

£1,099, sony.co.uk

FUJIFILM X100V

NIKON Z5

NIKON D500 £1,699, nikon.co.uk

All the best bits from the Z range shrunk into a more affordable package. A smaller (APS-C) 20.9MP sensor means a smaller overall body, ideal for travel and everyday shots.

FUJIFILM X-T3

CANON EOS 90D £1,249, canon.co.uk

£849, nikon.co.uk

£699, sony.com

Quite possibly the ideal vlogging camera, with 4K video recording, a vari-angle 3-inch touchscreen and the ability to use an external microphone. It can shoot the occasional still image too.

PANASONIC TZ200 Excellent full-frame image quality, but with a few drawbacks, such as a low frame rate (5fps). There’s also the annoying problem of there still being scant native RF lenses available.

£629, panasonic.com

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. It’s also stylish and pocket-friendly.

Best of the best

SAT-NAVS

DASH CAMS

ELECTRIC BIKES

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestsatnav

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestdashcam

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestebike

TOMTOM GO DISCOVER

NEXTBASE 622GW

CANYON ROADLITE:ON

£279, tomtom.com

£250, nextbase.com

£2,799, canyon.com

A straightforward navigation device without fancy features. It is ultimately about utility, not fancy tricks, and there’s no doubt TomTom delivers excellent usability here.

The latest dash cam from Nextbase boasts muchimproved video quality, improved stabilisation and the inclusion of some rather clever What3Words geolocation services.

A great example of how electric bicycles have evolved in recent years. Mainly because it feels, handles and largely looks like a normal bike, but with electrical assistance to keep you moving.

TOMTOM GO PREMIUMT

GARMIN DASH CAM 66W

VANMOOF S3

£290, tomtom.com

£169, garmin.com

£1,789, vanmoof.com This Dutch hipster brand has taken the S2, which was excellent, and made it better. It’s a sturdily built thing, you can get up to 20mph on the ﬂat with minimal effort, and it irons out hills a treat.

This state-of-the-art sat nav links with IFTTT, so you can connect to home devices, interact with personal digital assistants, get notiﬁcations, and share location and arrival data.

GARMIN DRIVESMART 61 LMT-S £209, garmin.com This sleek sat-nav has substance to match its style, with a big display, lifetime trafﬁc and maps (for Europe) and useful points of interest information courtesy of TripAdvisor.

This fantastic little cam earns its place on this list with good image quality, extra features including GPS and speed camera warnings, and an attractive design. Video is 1440p, in a 180° angle.

THINKWARE F800 PRO

GTECH EBIKE CITY

£249, thinkware.com

£995, gtech.co.uk

With an almost invisible design, time-lapse recording and a great night mode, this is a good stealthy option if you’re worried more about vandalism or theft than your fellow drivers.

Way cheaper and simpler than most of the bikes here, and despite being years old now, it’s still the best cheap ebike you can buy, and ideal for beginners or those on a budget.

TOMTOM GO 6200

NEXTBASE 522GW

BROMPTON ELECTRIC

£299, tomtom.com

£149, nextbase.com

£2,595, brompton.com Ebikes aren’t just about tech. They should be fun too. The Brompton is a hoot, and if you’re a commuter there’s no better: it munches miles and then folds to an incredibly tiny size.

Packed with good features but never ﬁddly, and with Google and Siri support, this is a really good mobile companion too. The price includes lifetime updates via Wi-Fi for most features.

The ﬁrst dash cam available in the UK with Alexa builtin, this also has impressive safety features that will alert the emergency services of a crash. It also crisply masters the basics.

JULY 2021 T3 91

Best of the best

SMART SPEAKERS

SMART BULBS

SMART THERMOSTATS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestsmart

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestbulb

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestthermostat

AMAZON ECHO SHOW 10

PHILIPS HUE

NEST THERMOSTAT E

£239.99, amazon.co.uk The most comprehensive Alexa smart speaker to date, capable of doing lots, and with a unique trick: its large screen rotates to follow you around the room, so that you can always see it clearly.

From £59, philips-hue.com Hue dominates the smart lighting sector for good reason: it’s a superb system with the widest range of bulbs and a simple, useful app. Rivals may be cheaper but they can’t compete with Hue’s variety.

£180, nest.com/uk

AMAZON ECHO 4TH GEN

LIFX

TADO SMART THERMOSTAT

£139, amazon.co.uk

From £19, lifx.com

Bigger than the previous model, it has beefed up speakers and features, while the Zigbee smart home functionality that used to be part of the Echo Plus only has been moved into the standard Echo.

If you fancy a Hue system but don’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.

£99, tado.com

This cheaper Nest model doesn’t ﬁt as much information on its screen and doesn’t feel as premium, but that’s it. Same algorithm, same Alexa and Google Home compatibility.

Tado is very sociable: it works with 95% of the systems out there. It’s ﬂexible, clever and supports a wide range of accessories too. Price cuts have made it even more enticing.

GOOGLE NEST HUB MAX

NANOLEAF ESSENTIALS

NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT

£219, store.google.com Winner of our 2020 T3 award as the best smart speaker for doing absolutely everything. You get a crisp 10in screen, a speaker that can ﬁll a room, a front camera and of course Google Assistant.

From £18, nanoleaf.me A line of bargainpriced bulbs and light strips that support Thread, an upcoming protocol a bit like Zigbee. We love the faceted look, but they’re only available in E27 or B22 ﬁttings.

£220, nest.com/uk

APPLE HOMEPOD MINI

IKEA TRÅDFRI

HIVE HEATING CONTROL

£99, apple.com

From £13, ikea.com

92 T3 JULY 2021

A quality little speaker with the ability to act as a HomeKit hub to control smart home devices – and even support for new smart protocol Thread. The slickest phone-to-speaker experience there is.

Ikea’s Zigbeecompatible system doesn’t have the range of Hue, but if you prize control over colour options it’s stellar value for money and has some great controllers and dimmers.

£179, hivehome.com

Nest made smart thermostats sexy and this third-gen model looks great. It’s simple to use with good Google Home and Amazon Echo integration, but a tad pricey, especially with installation.

Imagine: British Gas in ‘exciting’ shocker. Hive is great: it’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.

Best of the best

SMART PLUGS

SECURITY CAMERAS

ROBOT VACUUMS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestplug

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestsecurity

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestrobotvac

TP-LINK KASA MINI KP105

ARLO ESSENTIAL SPOTLIGHT CAMERA £130, arlo.com Arlo’s cheaper, standalone camera connects directly to your Wi-Fi but still manages person, package and animal detection, two-way communication, colour night vision and a spotlight.

ROBOROCK S6 MAXV

£19, kasasmart.com

A reliable smart plug that doesn’t include energy monitoring, but it’s happy to work with Alexa, Google Home and Bixby. The TPLink Kasa app is also much improved on recent generations.

£599, roborock.com

This robot vac has superb navigation skills and maps a room in a very logical fashion, starting at the edges first before filling in the gaps. It will also mop your hard floors using its 140ml water tank.

HIVE ACTIVE PLUG

ARLO PRO 3

EUFY BOOSTIQ ROBOVAC 30C

£39, hivehome.com

£550 (two cameras), arlo.com If you can live without the 4K resolution of the Arlo Ultra, then the Arlo Pro 3 is just about the best home security camera you can buy right now, and it’s available at a very reasonable price.

£270, eufylife.com

RING STICK UP CAM

iROBOT ROOMBA I7+

£180, en-uk.ring.com

£1,199, irobot.co.uk

Similar to Belkin, Hive’s plug can turn sockets on/off via your phone, and create schedules. It also works with Alexa You need a Hive Hub (£80) to use the Active Plug, though.

TP-LINK KASA SMART WI-FI POWER STRIP KP303 £30, kasasmart.com With three smart outlets, each with independent control, as well as a pair of USB ports for charging and power, the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip KP303 delivers plenty of ﬂexibility. AMAZON SMART PLUG £25, amazon.co.uk

Designed to be used with Alexa, this plug can be controlled using voice commands or through the Alexa app. If you use the Google Assistant, or if you have Apple HomeKit, you’ll want to look elsewhere.

Pretty much any feature you could ask for is included, such as night vision, motion detection alerts, two-way audio, and 1080p video you can view on Alexa devices with screens.

You’ll need to fence off obstacles from the 30C, as it doesn’t use an internal map, but for the price this is a solid, if slightly inelegant, cleaning bot – especially on hard ﬂoors.

The i7+ is the i7 with an additional dirt bin in the base and an extra £300 on the price. It’s worth it if you hate emptying the bin, but any i7 is a great cleaning robot that learns its way around.

EUFYCAM 2C PRO

IROBOT ROOMBA S9+

£299 (two cameras), eufylife.com This is a wireless security camera system with a sharp 2K sensor, a 135-degree diagonal view, solid IR night vision (with a spotlight if you need a brighter view), and a claimed six-month battery life.

£1,499, irobot.co.uk

The most advanced – and expensive – robot vac around at the moment. It excels on carpets, and automatically detects the ﬂoor surface and ramps up or lowers the suction accordingly. JULY 2021 T3 93

Best of the best

CORDLESS VACUUMS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestcordlessvac DYSON V15 DETECT ABSOLUTE £599.99, dyson.co.uk Refined and improved across all surfaces but the real headline feature is the addition of a headlight: a laser mounted at an angle on the front of the hard-floor head that reveals a horrific amount of dirt. SAMSUNG JET 90 PRO £600, samsung.com

Matches the Dyson in practically every way, and will almost certainly end up being cheaper. It comes with a proper stand to hold and recharge it, and has attachments for four tools.

VAX ONEPWR BLADE 4 £220, vax.co.uk

This new cordless Blade from Vax is a lot cheaper than the Dyson V11, but there’s remarkably little to tell between them in terms of cleaning power. The Vax makes a bigger noise though.

DYSON V11 ABSOLUTE £599, dyson.co.uk

94 T3 JULY 2021

The high-torque head, well-sized bin and powerful suction make this the top sucker to get, and worth the ‘Dyson tax’. The Auto power mode works well, balancing battery and suction nicely.

WASHING MACHINES

DISHWASHERS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestwashing

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestdishwasher

AEG 9000 SERIES L9FEC966R

BOSCH SMS67MW00G

£899, aeg.co.uk

£629, bosch-home.co.uk A top-notch dishwasher that uses zeolite, a magical mineral that turns moisture into heat, in this case to dry dishes without using extra electricity. And by dry we mean bone dry.

AEG delivers superb ﬂexible cleaning, effective water softening and a steam-cleaning feature to reduce your ironing pile. It’s quiet, efﬁcient and environmentally friendly, too.

HISENSE WFQY1014EVJM £349, hisense.com

Well priced, spacious, easy to operate... there are a lot of reasons to choose this washing machine, and it’s no surprise to see the appliance earning rave reviews from plenty of satisﬁed customers.

BOSCH SERIE 8 WAX32GH4GB £849, bosch-home.co.uk Top-notch cleaning performance with a 10kg capacity and a 1,600rpm maximum spin speed, there’s also intelligent stain removal, a 4D wash system for extra efﬁciency, and Alexa voice commands. INDESIT MY TIME EWD81483WUKN £229, indesit.co.uk

The affordability of this appliance doesn’t mean you’re going to miss out in terms of cleaning quality, as the 8kg capacity is going to be enough to keep most families happy. It’s competent, efﬁcient and cheap.

BOSCH SERIE 2 SMS24AW01G £329, bosch-home.co.uk With a simple, intuitive design and a brand name you can trust, this 12-placesetting dishwasher has a lot going for it besides the low price. Washing and drying performance is excellent. MIELE G7310 SCI £1,019, miele.co.uk

Semi-integrated and smartphonecontrolled, you can start washing cycles remotely, check up on the status of the machine, and even order more detergent through the app (or via voice control).

BOSCH SERIE 4 SPS4HKW45G £439, bosch-home.co.uk Not just a slimline design. You get remote control from your phone, an extra dry mode for difﬁcultto-dry loads, and a silence-on-demand feature that will quieten things down for 30 minutes.

Best of the best

COFFEE MACHINES

FRIDGES

OVENS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestcoffee

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestfridge

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestoven

SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL THE ORACLE TOUCH £1,999, sageappliances.com The Oracle Touch looks like a baristaoperated machine, it produces coffee like one, yet all the clever stuff – dosing, tamping, extraction, milk texturing, is done for you. Not cheap – but amazing.

MIELE K 28202 D WS

NEFF N 70 B57CR22N0B

£875, miele.co.uk

£789, neff.co.uk

If you have the spondoolicks and 60cm of space with no cupboards above, this cooler should be top of your list. Its clever cooling keeps foodstuffs fresh without humidity, and it’s cavernous.

The unique Slide and Hide door is brilliant, the touchscreen is handy and the oven’s no slouch: it enables you to cook multiple dishes without that unfortunate crosscontamination from strong ﬂavours.

DELONGHI LA SPECIALISTA EC9335.M £720, delonghi.com Solidly built using swathes of brushed stainless steel and good quality plastics, this looks just like a small version of a professional café espresso machine. Dynamite coffee too.

LIEBHERR TP 1760 PREMIUM

ZANUSSI ZOD35660XK

£489, home.leibherr.com Arguably the only A+++ rated undercounter model on the UK market. Despite its diminutive exterior, inside it’s like the Albert Hall, a chilled Tardis with two separate salad/ veg drawers.

£399, zanussi.co.uk

SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL BARISTA TOUCH £999, sageappliances.com Cheaper, faster and with better frothed milk than the Oracle, this may be the better buy for most unless being unable to make coffee and steam milk at the same time is a deal breaker.

BOSCH SERIE 2 CLASSIXX KSV29NW3PG £643, bosch-home.co.uk Looking for a midsized larder fridge that doesn’t cost the Earth, provides plenty of food storage space, cools quickly and is cheap to run? Consider this efﬁcient and wellmade Bosch.

MIELE H7164BP

GAGGIA VELASCA

SIEMENS IQ500 KU15RAFF0G £499, siemens.com

£479, gaggiadirect.com The espresso and lungo that the Velasca makes are as good as anything you can buy in most coffee shops. It produces a reassuringly oldfashioned, intense ﬂavour for your brew.

£1,300, miele.co.uk

This electric double oven is a ﬁne choice if you’re looking for plenty of cooking capacity and some really useful features on top, like even heat distribution, automatic switch-off and a bright display.

Reliable and easy to operate, this model comes with plenty of features that are going to appeal – like its Moisture Plus tech for getting perfect ‘bake off’ results. You can even control it from your phone.

BOSCH SERIE 8 HBG634BS1B The hugely impressive Siemens iQ500, with 137L of storage, is a great option if you’re looking to have a built-in fridge that can ﬁt either under a worktop or in an eye-level compartment.

£729, bosch-home.co.uk A great all-rounder, with a dedicated pizza cooking function, this is easy to use, easy to clean, and has a simple touch display. A fan constantly circles heat around the interior for even cooking. JULY 2021 T3 95

Best of the best

ELECTRIC SHAVERS

ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSHES

BEARD TRIMMERS

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestshaver

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttoothbrush

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttrimmer

BRAUN SERIES 9 9390CC

PHILIPS SONICARE 9900 PRESTIGE

PHILIPS BT9000 PRESTIGE

£250, braun.com

£300, philips.co.uk

£120, philips.co.uk

PHILIPS SERIES 9000 PRESTIGE £300, philips.co.uk

BRAUN SERIES 7 70-N7200CC £165, braun.com

PHILIPS SERIES 9000 S9211/31 £199, philips.co.uk

96 T3 JULY 2021

Given that the trend is to shave less nowadays, we recommend the Braun Series 9 foil shaver over Philips’ almost equally impressive efforts. It is slightly better on longer stubble.

Philips’ most advanced electric toothbrush yet, it features SenseIQ technology. It senses pressure, motion and coverage up to 100 times per second, adapting the intensity if you brush too hard.

ORAL-B IO9 The second best shaver has a silly RRP (£430!) but is available for around £300. It’s good for sensitive skin, mows long stubble and is really close to the shave you get from traditional razors.

This new offering from Braun, with three foil heads, is an absolute cracker in every respect. It shaves as close as a wet razor, only in half the time. And that’s no exaggeration.

£500, oralb.co.uk

PHILIPS ONEBLADE PRO The RRP for the iO Series 9 is ridiculous, but you can get it for less, and it is brilliant at actually cleaning your teeth, plus it’s also very stylish, with a colour touchscreen and a tooth-tracking monitoring system.

PHILIPS SONICARE DIAMONDCLEAN SONIC £145, philips.co.uk This is a great toothbrush with excellent cleaning power, and an attractive but easily smashed glass charger. It also comes with a handy travel case with USB power. ORAL-B PRO 2 2500

A rotary shaver that requires a circular motion on the face. Stubble disappears like magic, and the whole experience is very low-irritation. You get a clipon trimmer for sideburns too.

£35, oralb.co.uk

The classiest looking beard trimmer we’ve ever clapped eyes on, it offers an equally classy shave. Designed primarily for neater beardscaping, it whips away whiskers without any snags or pulls.

This only has two cleaning modes and no ‘smart’ functionality to speak of, but ask yourself… do you really care? It has a timer, pressure sensor, and excellent rotary cleaning.

£50, philips.co.uk

The best trimmer for those with sensitive skin, this uses innovative OneBlade technology. It’s good for both your face and your downstairs, although you may wish to change heads in between.

BRAUN BEARD TRIMMER 7 £65, braun.com

This trimmer feels like good value for money, earning it a place on this list. Small, light and easy to use, its tough blades shave cleanly. Battery life is solid, and the unit is waterproof enough for easy rinsing.

PANASONIC I-SHAPER ER-GD60 £50, panasonic.co.uk For slightly longer beards, this is the one to go for. Its unusual, ‘side-on’ cutting action, where you pull the shaver through your hirsute tresses more like a comb, soon becomes second nature.

Best of the best

FITNESS TRACKERS

RUNNING WATCHES

RUNNING HEADPHONES

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestﬁtness

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestrunningwatch

Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestrunningphones

FITBIT CHARGE 4

GARMIN FORERUNNER 245 MUSIC £299, garmin.com The ultimate phone-free GPS running watch for the price-conscious runner. The battery can last up to seven days in smartwatch mode and six hours in GPS mode with music playing.

BEATS POWERBEATS PRO £219, beatsbydre.com/uk These true wireless powerhouses absolutely crush their predecessors when it comes to quality of sound and security of ﬁt. All but impossible to accidentally dislodge from your ears.

GARMIN FORERUNNER 945

JAYBIRD VISTA 2

£520, garmin.com

£190, jaybirdsport.com Real class, with an excellent ﬁt and advanced water and muck prooﬁng. Sound quality is great, and there is both effective noise cancelling and a ‘SurroundSense’ mode to hear what’s going on around you.

£130, ﬁtbit.com

The best ﬁtness tracker you can buy and a big step forward for Fitbit, adding features such as GPS and a new exercise tracker alongside the step-counting. There are plentiful sleeptracking features too.

FITBIT VERSA 3 £199, ﬁtbit.com

The Versa 3 offers more functionality and better looks than most ﬁtness trackers but it’s maybe not quite as smart and precise as an Apple Watch. For the price though, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a great buy.

GARMIN VENU 2 £349, garmin.com

The Forerunner 945 has retained the look and feel of the 935, but inside it has been completely revamped. There are new GPS chips and heart-rate sensors, plus onboard maps.

POLAR VANTAGE V2 The AMOLED screen of the Garmin Venu 2 really brings the widget view of the Garmin OS to life, including the animations when you hit new milestones such as your daily step goals.

£449, polar.com

GARMIN VENU SQ

COROS PACE 2

£179, garmin.com

£179, coros.com

A watch that tracks a variety of health metrics in an Apple Watch-like body. For active people who don’t require the oversimpliﬁed, gamiﬁed health system of Fitbit, this is highly recommended.

Excellent build quality, and loads of useful tests and data – many of which can’t be found elsewhere – for serious runners and cyclists to better their form and get ready for races more efﬁciently.

SOUNDCORE LIBERTY NEO BY ANKER £53, anker.com Reliable Bluetooth connectivity, a great ﬁt, and just enough battery life. Audio is solid rather than spectacular, and while they can’t compete with more expensive buds, for the price they are remarkable. JABRA ELITE ACTIVE 75T

The Pace 2 gets the basics right, but also has a couple of tricks up its sleeve. It might provide fewer casual features than some Garmins, but the running features on offer here are pretty much spot on.

£189, jabra.co.uk

For workout purposes the 75ts sound great. They’re sufﬁciently bassy, great with pounding, workout-friendly music, and have a reasonable amount of musicality too. JULY 2021 T3 97

LUXURIES Exclusive gifts to seriously spoil yourself

ARCHER MAKER Most of us spent our childhoods being told every brief journey we’d take as an adult would involve being whisked through skies in some futuristic vehicle. And yet reality has stubbornly refused to live up to these lofty expectations. Thankfully, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft like Archer’s Maker are set to change all that. Able to travel 60 miles at 150mph, the Maker is designed to take the hassle out of urban journeys and short hops, while its 270-degree wraparound window means you can really take in that view. Redundant motors, batteries and avionics allow it to get you home regardless of unforeseen circumstances. And with engines that only produce 45dBA of noise and zero emissions, it has no negative impact on the environment. So what’s the catch? It’s currently only a non-commercial prototype: you’ll have to wait until at least 2024 to catch your ﬁrst ﬂight. £TBC, archer.com

NEXT ISSUE IS ON SALE WEDNESDAY 4 AUGUST Get away from it all, with the greatest travel gadgets for every trip! 98 T3 JULY 2021