GOOGLE HOME MAX: BIG SOUND, AI SMARTS
Christmas GIFT GUIDE
The 223 best tech buys of the year, from £10 to £18k
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8K TV
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IS HERE!
4K DRONES MEGATEST
Giant review of the first next-gen telly
TESTED! iPhone XR Google Pixel 3 New Echo Plus 4K dash cam New Kindle Smart air purifiers
SKI TECH TO CARVE UP THE SLOPES LIKE A PRO
WATCH HEAVEN Top timepieces for any budget
16
BEST GAMING UPGRADES FOR ALL CONSOLES
GAMECHANGER The tech that’s so cutting edge, \ou’Ue UisNing \ouU ĆngeUs just turning this page
FOOD COLOURING Phone manufacturers love getting imaginative with their colour options these days, and Samsung is no dierent. For the new Galaxy A9, it’s gone for a foodie theme: the handset comes in Caviar Black, Lemonade Blue or Bubblegum Pink
SA M SU NG GA L A X Y A9 The Beatles, the seasons, Teletubbies‌ If there’s one thing history has taught us, it’s that the best things come in fours. This fact was clearly not lost on Samsung when it came to designing the new Galaxy $ , a handset now Nnown as êthe world’s Ćrst Tuad camera smartphone�. Four cameras might sound gimmicky, but each performs a useful function. As well as the main shooter, created to take gloriously clear and bright pictures at up to 24MP (f1.7), there’s also an ultra wide camera ( MP, f2.4) with a 12 degree Ćeld of Yiew that’s perfect for capturing landscapes and family gatherings alike. There’s a telephoto camera (1 MP, f2.4) with a 2x optical ]oom, in case you want to document wildlife in the garden, and a depth camera (5MP, f2.2) for nailing those artsy, Bokeh style shots. It seems almost incidental to mention the phone’s . inch F+' Super AM2/(' InĆnity 'isplay, octa core processor with GB of 5AM, 12 GB of memory and fast charging , mAh battery – and considering its price, that might just make the Galaxy A a four midable force in today’s camera obsessed smartphone market. £549, samsung.com
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Meet the team
Meet the team
MEET OUR ADVERTISING TEAM Get in touch to see what T3 can do for your brand! COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR ADAM GILSENAN adam.gilsenan@futurenet.com 0 7 32 60
MATT BOLTON Editor As cold season arrives, Matt’s gone all Howard Hughes and Ćlled his house with sPart air puriĆers p6
to get rid of irritants. They won’t help with viruses, but at least he’s happy.
CLAIRE DAVIES Senior Content Editor Santa Claire brought an absolutely humongous sack of tech down the T3 chimney, in the form of our Xmas Gift Guide p3 . Sadly, she knows we’ve all been far too naughty to beneĆt.
JO GULLIVER Senior Art Editor Jo has determined that life should involve less exertion, so is demanding a full suite of smart speaNers p100 to spread around her house. Now she never needs to pick up her phone again.
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR ANDREW TILBURY andrew.tilbury@futurenet.com, 0 122 6871 ADVERTISING DIRECTOR RICHARD HEMMINGS richard.hemmings@futurenet.com, 0 122 68761 ACCOUNT DIRECTOR TRACEY HENDLE tracey.hendle@futurenet.com, 0 122 687 6
MICHELLE MCLAREN Art Editor Michelle was gutted that she couldn’t make the photo shoot for our skiing tech feature p 2 , but given that she has to wear gloves to keep warm even in the ofĆce, it was probably for the best.
KIMBERLEY BALLARD Production Editor The Xbox custom controller in our gaming accessories round-up p8 means that .imberley can Ćnally have the dark fuschia gamepad that Microsoft refuses to reply to her requests for.
ANDREW WESTBROOK Operations Editor In his bid for a peaceful and relaxing Christmas, Andy dove into our ebook readers p 6 . :ith a house full of young kids, turns out he needed noise-cancelling headphones more urgently.
THE GLOBAL MAGAZINE T3 is currently licensed worldwide, from Australia to Mexico
INDIA
PAUL DOUGLAS Global Editor-in-Chief, T3.com To protect himself from wild drivers when on his bike, Paul insists on having the latest drones p68 following him at all times. Apparently a dash cam wasn’t cool enough.
DUNCAN BELL Lifestyle Editor, T3.com T3’s resident tech sceptic oversaw our expert review of the Ćrst 8. TV p 2 . You’ve got to go a long way to convince us that all those pixels are worthwhile, but Samsung managed it.
SPENCER HART Product & Style Editor, T3.com You’ve got to hand it to him: on the face of it, Spencer’s picks for the best watches p77 tick every box. They really take the crown. He’s started a movement. Etc.
ROB JONES Tech & Gaming Editor, T3.com Rob’s been wrestling with his feelings about the Google 3ixel 3 X/ p 8 this month. The camera is irresistible, but he’s anti-notch, and this has the biggest notch around.
CONTACT T3
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Welcome
Editor’s letter We know the festive season is arriving at T3 Towers when the big boxes of fake snow arrive for the photo shoots (although all the stuff you see in our skiing feature on p52 is real). Our gift guide collects loads of our favourite tech from the year in all kinds of FDWHJRULHV VR \RXèUH JXDUDQWHHG WR ĆQG VRPHWKLQJ IRU that special someone (including if that person is you). The Christmas theme runs throughout the rest of our issue too, from our picks of the best gaming accessories p8 , to our super-sna]]y watches that will perfect both your festive party outĆt and everyday look p77 . :e were so excited to get our hands on the Ćrst 8. TV in our big review this issue p 2 . The practicalities of watching anything in 8. are stillĂ° well, totally impractical, because there’s almost no content. But I didn’t get this job by being sensible about hot new tech. I want a 33-millionpixel screen that can upscale . video to sweet 8. nirvana, and I’ll be damned if anything as boring as ‘it actually being useful’ is going to stop me. I can only see 8. being a novelty for the time being ĂĽ neither the movie or games industries are anywhere near ready for it ĂĽ but who knows what other advances the development of the tech inside it will bring elsewhere.
Matt Bolton, Editor matthew.bolton@futurenet.com Tweet me @matthewbbolton
T3’S MISSION Our mission is to bring you the clearest recommendations webcan ü 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 signiĆcant number of options in each category before settling on a Ćnal shortlist to review. :e select only the best of the best for ourbTested section thebgear 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 abspeciĆc 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 asbbeen thoroughly tested by our team of experts, enabling youbto buy with total conĆdence.
DOWNLOAD YOUR EBOOK
Get The Ultimate Guide to Electric Cars now Immerse yourself in the innovative world of the electric car. From real-life road tests to simple explanations of the tech that will change the automotive industry, this 1 6-page digital special has everything you need to know about the electric carbrevolution. To download your guide, visit:
bit.ly/T3ecarmag D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 7
Contents
Contents
HORIZON 012
034
TOP 10 Apple’s latest bumper crop of tech has been harvested, and we are salivating over the new iPad Pro. Also on the menu, the phone for movie lovers
THE BEST TECH FOR CHRISTMAS
Ho, ho, ho! Looking for festive gift inspiration for you or a loved one? Then pour yourself a glass of mulled wine and prepare for Xmas present nirvana
020
STYLE Embrace sweater weather with our pick of cosy knits. Or, treat yourself to some bling with Dunhill’s diamond cufćinks
022
AUTO Learn how to prepare your car for winter with our handy tips, and discover the gear you need should your ride break down
023
TRAVEL Santa’s got his sun hat on and is heading to three sun-drenched destinations for celebrating Christmas abroad
024
LIVING All the gear you need to create a home bar, to decorate your table for the big day and to get the washing up done, pronto
052
PEAK PRACTICE
077
TIME OF YOUR LIFE
Our ski supremo tries out the latest tech that coaches your carving automatically, plus more top tech for the slopes
068
STATE OF THE ART
085
THE NEXT LEVEL
Folding 4K drones are cute, but can they deliver aerial footage on a par with the pro-grade big guns?
026
FITNESS & OUTDOORS Baby, it’s cold outside. True, but that shouldn’t halt your training. This month, we look at tech to get you Ćt indoors
028
GADGET GURU The Big G is in session, answering queries about tiny phones, internet woes and gadgets for cold-weather gardening
031
TALKING TECH Duncan Bell glimpses the future of phones, and it’s entirely foldable
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From budget beauties to high-end creations, come and discover the ideal watches for every occasion
Upgrade your gaming setup, or Ćnd gifts for the gamers in your life, with these ace accessories for PS4, Xbox, PC and more
Contents
WIN! A 65-INCH PHILIPS OLED+ 903 TV One lucky reader will win this amazing 4K HDR TV with built-in Bowers & Wilkins sound system, while five lucky runners-up will each win a pair of B&W PX headphones worth £329
HOME 060
THE SETUP Add smarts to your home in mere seconds with the Google Home Max, the super-sized version of the best-selling Home smart speaker
064
HOME TEST You’re indoors more in winter, so the air inside your home needs to be clean. Discover which of the new breed of smart air puriĆers is up to the task
TESTED 092
SAMSUNG Q900R
048 WORTH
£5,144
TOTAL!
The world’s Ćrst 8K TV has landed, but is it really the next step in telly tech or a mere marketing gimmick?
096
ALL-NEW KINDLE PAPERWHITE VS KOBO FORMA Lose yourself in a good ebook… After you’ve discovered which of these new ereaders tops the charts
BEST OF THE BEST 105
YOUR IN-DEPTH BUYER’S GUIDE
097
Want to know what the best top-end telly is? Or the best Ćrst-time DSLR? Or the best wireless headphones? Our giant buyer’s guide helps you Ćnd the world’s best and only the best!
APPLE iPHONE XR Could this really be the premium iPhone experience for less we’ve beenbdreaming about?
098
GOOGLE PIXEL 3 XL SMART HOME SURGERY
With Google’s latest release, the battle for this year’s best camera phone is about to get very bloody
Our resident experts dish out the answers to your smart home queries
100
066
SMART SPEAKERS In the market for a smart speaker that sounds good enough to soundtrack a house party? Here are six to blast
102
NEXTBASE 612GW Reckon your dash cam cuts the mustard? Pah! You ain’t seen nothing until you’ve seen this 4K UHD wonder
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SUBSCRIBE
AND SAVE BIG MONEY Get the latest offers
050
Horizon
PERFECT FOR
Christmas
The best new tech heading your way Edited by Claire Davies
APPLE iPAD PRO From £769, apple.com Not content with already making a better tablet than your Scottish nan, Apple is taking another leap forward to its iPad Pro line-up. For a start, the design has been updated, inheriting the curved screen corners from the iPhone, and slimming down to just 5.9mm thickness. There’s a new screen size too – Apple said that it could fit more pixels in the same body size as the previous 10.5-inch model (which is still on-sale), so it created a new 11-inch iPad Pro. The bigger sibling stays at 12.9 inches, but in a smaller and lighter body than the old model, making it perhaps the ultimate ultraportable computer at just 631g. And make no mistake, this is meant to be a full-on computer: the A12X chip that powers the iPad Pro is an octo-core monster more powerful than 92 per cent of PC laptops sold, according to Apple. Even the graphics are as potent as those of the Xbox One S, in a fraction of the space. And it has a 1TB storage option. To go along with all that power, this is Apple’s first tablet that has USB Type-C, replacing the Lightning connection of older iPads. This means you can connect external displays up to 5K resolution to present on, and connect hubs and external storage. The iPad Pro was already head and shoulders above the tablet competition, and this looks set to keep it there for a long time.
TECH-O-METER
Apple has gone all controversial again by getting rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack. You can buy a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter to use your wired cans, or you can go wireless, basically
“his looks like one hell of a tablet. Love the design, and the speed is amazing.” Matt Bolton, Editor
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Top 10
FACE ID COMES TO TABLET The new iPad Pro design ditches the Home button and adds Face ID for secure unlocking. Unlike iPhones, though, it works whatever way up you’re holding the iPad. If you’re covering the sensor with your hand when it’s trying to scan, it’ll flash a warning on the screen
APPLE PENCIL V2 The new iPad Pros will work with Apple’s next-gen Pencil, which is a big upgrade. It now attaches to the iPad magnetically, and charges wireless while connected. It also has a touch button for triggering different tools within apps, and it can wake the iPad when you tap it to the screen. The new Pencil doesn’t work with old iPad Pros, and the old Pencil doesn’t work with the new tablets, either
THE BIG SCREEN The 12.9-inch iPad Pro’s screen is 2732x2048, just like the last generation. The 11-inch model is 2388x1668. Both are LCD screens with a 120Hz variable refresh rate for super-smooth response, with widecolour gamuts and True Tone. You can connect 4K and even 5K screens via the USB-C port, for viewing images or video in ultra detail
D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 13
Horizon
HONOR MAGIC 2 £TBC, hihonor.com It’s about time we saw these nearly all-screen phones take a step forward into being actually all screen. The Honor Magic 2 (currently only planned for release in China, but we hold out hope) features a 6.39-inch 1080x2340 OLED screen that totally covers the front. There’s a forward-facing camera, but it’s hidden in a section of the phone’s rear that you have to physically slide up to pop it out, then slide back down when you’re done. Honor uses the extra space this provides to make it a triple-lens front camera, matching the triple-lens rear cam, so you get amazing shots in both directions. An in-screen fingerprint sensor handles security, and it’s all powered by the AI-focused Kirin 980 chip. This is the future. T3 SAYS: Please sign our Change.org petition to make Honor bring this to the UK as soon as possible. The Magic 2 looks properly magic.
TECH-O-METER
MOON BY 1-RING $330 (£257), 1-ring.net We can’t resist any gadget that includes the two most futuristic-sounding features in the world: AI and levitation. There are two aspects to the Moon. First is the floating camera. Not only does this keep it stable, but it can rotate 360 degrees, either from manual remote control, or it will turn to focus on noise. This makes the Moon great for security, but also for things like conference calls – it’ll turn to face whoever’s talking. Moon also acts as a smart home hub, including everything from IR control to ZigBee wireless, and plays nicely with all kinds of tech, from Philips Hue to Samsung SmartThings and Google Home-compatible gear. Also, its AI features learn your habits to pre-empt your needs. T3 SAYS: This is a pretty handy security system, and a clever and comprehensive smart home hub that also looks super cool.
TECH-O-METER
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Horizon
PIXII £TBC, pixii.fr This rangefinder camera takes advantage of technology by cutting back on it. The principle is this: why does a digital camera need a screen or storage when your phone has those? The Pixii takes digital snaps (the size of the sensor hasn’t been revealed yet, but Pixii says it will have a high dynamic range and ISO from 100 to 6400) and beams them straight to your phone. A good old-fashioned optical viewfinder helps you frame them up in the first place, including a proper optical rangefinder. It can take Leica M lenses, and has controls for shutter speed and ISO, as well as a small OLED screen with a dial for checking and tweaking settings. It’s made of aluminium, and looks super-sleek and gorgeous. T3 SAYS: The design is beautiful, and we love that it’s both old-school and modern at the same time. Here’s hoping the photos are good!
TECH-O-METER
ANKER NEBULA CAPSULE II $649 (£508), anker.com Aiming to be your pocket cinema, this mobile projector can push a 720p HD image onto a wall at sizes from 20-200 inches, so it’s totally versatile. The smart autofocus system makes everything crisp in under a second, and you can plug just about anything into it over HDMI. There’s Android TV built-in, so you don’t even need to connect anything – stream using apps (and control it with your voice). The 8W speakers with bass radiator mean you don’t get weedy sound, either. It’s made to last for three hours on a single charge, so only your Lord Of The Rings marathon will wear it out. Plus, you can buy it for $399 (£312) on Kickstarter until December 25th, with delivery due in 2019. T3 SAYS: Fancy a big-screen game of Mario Kart anywhere, or Netflix in the garden? This small but powerful projector looks promising for both.
TECH-O-METER
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Horizon
HUAWEI MATE 20 X ¤899 (£798), consumer.huawei.com How big is too big for a phone? Is it over seven inches? Is it technically a tablet that takes calls? Huawei is answering these questions the practical way by releasing this 7.2-inch beast, which has a super-minimal camera notch for maximising that 1080x2224 OLED display. Between that and some hefty speakers, this is surely the ultimate phone for watching movies on. Elsewhere, you’ll find an octa-core Kirin processor, 6GB of RAM, and a huge 5,000mAh battery. We’ve been singing the praises of the 4,000mAh battery in the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, but this is in an entirely different class. That’s the advantage of making it the size of a dinner plate, we guess. It’s on track to land (heavily) in Europe, but there are no UK plans just yet. T3 SAYS: We’re gonna need a bigger pair of trousers. Phones this size might be niche, but for movies and games, this looks fantastic.
TECH-O-METER
APPLE MACBOOK AIR £1,199, apple.com The MacBook Air has been a staple of offices and students ever since Steve Jobs first pulled it from an envelope onstage in 2008. It’s been massively overdue for an overhaul, and this is it: the MacBook Air now comes with latest-gen Intel processors, a high-res Retina screen, and its thinnest, lightest design yet at just 1.25kg. The dual-core processor is good for everyday tasks, and the 13-inch 2560x1600 screen looks bright and detailed. A Touch ID fingerprint sensor makes it more secure and also quicker to log into. Two Thunderbolt 3 ports double as USB-C ports, and a new full-size keyboard and bigger trackpad keep it usable despite getting smaller. Oh, and it now comes in Gold, Silver and Space Grey. T3 SAYS: Apple’s most popular laptop gets the modern update it deserves. Its portable design could open up your options for where to work.
TECH-O-METER
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Top 10
KEF LSX £1,000, uk.kef.com If you picked up our Awards issue (#287), you’ll have seen that our hi-fi product of the year was the KEF LS50 Wireless speaker system, comprising a pair of speakers with amps and streaming tech built-in, so you can position them anywhere and play from any source in amazing quality. The LSX packs in the same principles and sound tech, but is much smaller and half the price. Beautiful! You still get Kef’s Uni-Q driver, which puts the tweeter in the centre of the mid-range/bass cone for perfect timing and clarity. You can stream with Spotify Connect,
Tidal and Apple AirPlay 2 (the latter coming in 2019), or from a NAS. The LSX speakers come in colourful options and fashionable Danish fabrics in a design from Red Dot Design Award winner Michael Young. T3 SAYS: A cheap and easier-tohouse version of our favourite speakers? We’re in audio heaven.
TECH-O-METER COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES
HIVE VIEW OUTDOOR From £179, hivehome.com The Hive View broke new ground by being a smart home camera that actually looked good (thanks to a design by the iconic Yves Béhar). Now, the same cubed style is coming to your exterior walls in the form of the View Outdoor. The camera is weatherproof and has night vision, so you get a Full HD 130-degree wide-angle view (with 8x zoom) of what’s happening. It has motion and sound detection, and can send a notification to your phone (including whether it detected just motion or a person specifically), or trigger Hive products. The latter means your
lights can come on when someone walks up your path. Two-way audio enables you to yell at trespassing cats, if you fancy. Footage is stored in the cloud for 24 hours, and is downloadable to your devices. T3 SAYS: The View Outdoor sounds like the ideal weatherproof camera for those who are part of ‘the Hive’.
TECH-O-METER COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES
GOOGLE PIXEL SLATE From £549, store.google.com Google’s take on the productivity tablet is here, and it’s pretty much a Chromebook with the keyboard removed (and then optionally added back on with a keyboard case that includes a trackpad). The Pixel Slate uses Chrome OS, with a design that makes it more suited to productivity, including split-screen apps. There’s a few other tablet-friendly adjustments, too, such as a blue-light reduction mode. The 3000x2000 12.3-inch screen is sharp and bright, and supports the Google Pixelbook Pen. It’s powered by Intel processors, though the £549 starting price gets
you a fairly measly Celeron chip. The £749 model, with eighth-gen Intel Core m3 chip and 8GB of RAM, is a good balance, though you can get more powerful models (including an Intel Core i7 option with 16GB RAM). T3 SAYS: A good-size screen and options for a powerful processor make this a serious tablet contender.
TECH-O-METER COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES
D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 19
Horizon
SWEATER WEATHER Keep the cold at bay while elevating your everyday wardrobe with a versatile selection of the toastiest, most stylish knits and sweats...
NORSE PROJECTS BIRNIR FAIR ISLE CREW KNIT Achieve maximum cosiness this Christmas with a Fair Isle sweater tailor-made for the holiday season. The brushed wool and seamless knit are big on comfort. £180, mrporter.com BARBOUR ESSENTIAL CABLE CREW NECK JUMPER One for heavy use, this cable knit sweater should be paired with long sleeve thermals, and matches perfectly with jeans and boots. £90, farfetch.com MAISON KITSUNÉ TWO-TONE WOOL SWEATER
Just looking at this sweater induces a warm feeling – try wearing it, too! The two-tone grey colourway is hugely wearable. £200, mrporter.com A.P.C. DIRECTEUR MERINO WOOL SWEATER
This slim-fit camel sweater is ideal for keeping in regular rotation. Subtle and practical, it’s an easy thrown-on piece for any occasion. £290, matchesfashion.com BELSTAFF PARKLAND CREW NECK JUMPER Get through the most inclement of weather with this all-over ribbed cotton knit. The subtle sleeve branding is a nice touch. £180, belstaff.co.uk
WHICH WATCH
THE HOTTEST TIMEPIECES RIGHT NOW UNIFORM WARES M37 PRECIDRIVE The new M collection adds super-accurate quartz movements and a unique titanium mesh strap. The piece is as strong as metal yet as light as fabric, weighing only 10.5g. £500, uniformwares.com
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HUBLOT BIG BANG ONE CLICK CALAVERA CATRINA
TAG HEUER FORMULA 1 BUCHERER BLUE EDITIONS
Add colour to your wrist with this Día de los Muertos-inspired timepiece. The watch has an intricate dial and a bezel covered in 42 sapphires.
Combining TAG’s passion for motorsport and Bucherer’s blue signature, this watch is ideal for those with racing in their blood.
£POA, hublot.com
£1,650, uk.bucherer.com
Style
DRESS LIKE
JAMES NORTON This future 007 contender knows how to put a modern spin on a sauve party look THE JACKET The humble blazer isn’t so humble here thanks to James Norton’s clever choice of tartan on velvet, with forest green and purple hues. For something similar, try the Hugo Slim-Fit Velvet Dinner Jacket in Dark Green (£350, hugoboss.com). THE SHIRT Keep it simple and crisp, letting your jacket and accessories do the talking. In short, call upon the Italian classic Canali White DoubleCuff Cotton-Pique Tuxedo Shirt (£150, canali.com). THE BOWTIE Buy once, wear forever… That’s if you choose the right bowtie. James has opted for Ralph Lauren, with the Purple Label Silk-Satin Bow Tie (£110, mrporter. com) being a fan favourite.
MONEY NO OBJECT Dunhill Faceted Onyx Cufflinks Wearing a sharp set of cufflinks immediately lifts formal wear, but this stunning set from Dunhill takes that to another level entirely. Featuring gothic onyx stones at the centre, and surrounded by embedded pavé diamonds, they are finished with brand logo engravings at the swivels. Few accessories are as timeless or as fitting for a special occasion this holiday season. £3,300, harrods.com
GET A WHIFF OF THIS
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST SCENT Omar Hamwi asks the chief of perfume house Penhaligon’s for some expert advice The art of selecting the right fragrance for your personal style, an event or outfit can be tricky. In an age where you can find answers to almost anything online, how to go about selecting a scent takes a little more than just a Google search. There’s a certain intuition that comes with picking a fragrance and knowing when to wear it. This is the view of Lance Patterson, CEO of Perfumers 1870, a brand collective that manages luxury British perfume house Penhaligon’s (penhaligons.com). To find out how the experts do it, T3 asked Patterson how he goes about choosing the ideal fragrance. “Buying a fragrance is all about instinct,” he says. “You will respond automatically to something you are drawn to.” But how can you test fragrances correctly to discover their qualities, or to determine how the scent might develop once it has settled on your skin? Patterson recommends a couple of methods to get this part right as you explore. “Ensure your skin is moisturised to make it last longer. Spray at a distance – the skin should not be wet,” he explains. “Don’t rub after applying, as that can alter the fragrance as it develops on your skin.” Ultimately, Patterson recommends picking your fragrance the same way you would an outfit: “Think about how you want to feel, and what look you are going for. Think of this fragrance as the ultimate accessory, that finishing touch to an outfit, like your cufflinks.” D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 21
Horizon
DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Get your car cold-weather ready by running these important safety checks, says auto journalist Alistair Charlton
With the low sun and icy conditions on the roads, winter driving can feel daunting. Thankfully, running simple checks helps make it safer. First, check your fluid levels, particularly oil, antifreeze and screenwash. For oil, check the dipstick when the car is warm and parked on level ground. Check you have plenty of fuel, because vehicles use more in the winter, lowering their range. Electric
cars suffer badly in cold weather, losing as much as 50 per cent of their usual range, so plan extra charging stops. If any lights aren’t working then your car will have failed its MOT, but since this could be almost a year ago, it’s worth checking them again yourself. You should also make sure that every light is clear when driving after it has snowed. Check for any cracks in the wiper blades and buy new ones if you spot
damage. Be careful not to pull wipers if they’re stuck to an ice-covered screen – spray de-icer on them if they don’t lift up right away. Finally, the tyres. Legal minimum tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm, but in winter it’s advisable to have at least 3mm on all four tyres. They should be inflated to the correct pressure (stated in your owner’s manual). Winter tyres are an option, delivering improved grip on cold, slippery roads.
WINTER BREAKDOWN KIT Don’t get stuck in the dark when the weather turns AA ESSENTIALS SNOW SHOVEL
LOCEN RECOVERY TOW ROPE
COAST HP7R
You may encounter deep snow on your journey, or you might have to dig out your car if there’s heavy snowfall the night before. Either way, this emergency shovel is a must.
If the shovel doesn’t work, or if your car breaks down and you need to be towed, this extrasturdy rope should do the trick, with its five-ton breaking strength capacity.
Keep this powerful and rechargeable (10 hours + runtime) LED torch in your glovebox, just in case you break down at night or on an early winter morning commute, and need extra light to see what’s going on under your car’s bonnet.
£10.78, theaa.com/shop
£15.99, amazon.co.uk
£59.99, its.co.uk
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Travel
NOISECANCELLING HEADPHONES
PERFECT FOR
Christmas
BOWERS & WILKINS PX WIRELESS Drown out noisy travellers hell-bent on serenading the plane with endless carols by donning these noisecancelling headphones. A generous 22-hour battery life will outlive the most persistent of revellers. They’re super-comfy too. £329, bowers-wilkins.co.uk
BEOPLAY E4
LA ISLA BONITA
FESTIVE FUN IN THE SUN If you’d rather spend Christmas abroad, Tamara Hinson’s sun-soaked beach holidays should provide the perfect getaway A growing number of Brits are following the lead of the world’s jolliest jetsetter, Santa, by taking to the skies at Christmas. The Caribbean paradise of Grenada is a popular choice, thanks to its year-round hot and sunny climate. The rainy season ends in November, with the island transformed into an explosion of lush greenery, complete with wonderfully hot weather, as of December. This December also sees the opening of the luxurious Silversands Grenada resort (from £779 per night, including airport transfers, breakfast, plus a choice of soft drinks and beer, silversandsgrenada.com/ en). It’s the first property to open in 25 years on the spectacular Grand Anse Beach and is sure to get booked up fast for Christmas.
If the Caribbean doesn’t do it for you, head to Costa Rica instead. Its wildlife-filled rainforests often hog the limelight, but the beaches are seriously gorgeous too. Head to the resort town of Playa Hermosa, in Guanacaste province, for expanses of soft white sand and warm turquoise waters, or to Manuel Antonio National Park for palmfringed beaches and festive cocktails. Finally there’s Cambodia, a balmy paradise with crowd-free coastlines. Alila Hotels opened their first Cambodian property (from £292 per night, alilahotels. com/kohrussey), on the island of Koh Russey last month. It comes with sumptuous ocean views, making it the ideal place to hang your travel-size Christmas stockings.
Take to the skies in style with these wonderfully sleek noise-cancelling earphones. Ready to tune into your surroundings? Do so quickly with Transparency Mode, before delving back into your tunes, audiobooks or podcasts for up to 20 hours. £229, beoplay.com
AKG N60NC AKG’s active noise-cancelling on-ears fold up neatly into backpacks and carry-ons. They’re also one of the most affordable headphones for the tech packed into them. £149.95, akg.com D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 2 3
Horizon PERFECT FOR
Christmas
DISH WASHERS FOR ALL
CREATE THE PERFECT HOME BAR Becca Caddy lines up the tools you’ll need to serve the best tipples in town FIZZICS WAYTAP BEER DISPENSER Improve the taste of canned or bottled beer with a dispenser that turns them into flavourful draft. No gas required: it uses sound waves to carbonate effectively. £117, fizzics.com
AEG FSS63400P SLIMLINE This slim dishwasher is perfect for slotting into small spaces. It has four spray levels to give you a thorough clean, as well as AirDry tech that uses natural air in the drying cycle to cut down on your energy costs. £522, aeg.co.uk
BOSCH SERIE 8 SMS88TW06G Your home is smart, so why not get yourself a connected dishwasher to match? This one is packed with features, including Home Connect, which sends notifications from your dishwasher straight to your phone. £949, bosch-home.co.uk
ALESSI BOSTON COCKTAIL SHAKER A must-have item for any home bar, this stainless steel cocktail shaker oozes style from its stark, precise silhouette as it muddles up your favourite drinks in seconds. £68, johnlewis.com
PERFECT DRINK PRO Instantly become a bartending pro with these smart scales that make it easy to measure out your ingredients. This is foolproof cocktail-making for tech lovers. £145, amazon.co.uk
ACACIA WOOD COCKTAIL MUDDLER Effortlessly extract the essence from any fruits you’re working with when using the toothed end of this lightweight muddler. Perfect for mojitos… £10, root7.com
CORAVIN BUNDLE AFICIONADO This wine-preservation system enables you to drink from your best bottles without actually opening them, so they avoid oxidisation. £349, coravin.co.uk
LIGHT THERAPY SUNLAMPS Which is the best lamp for beating the winter blues? LUMIE BRAZIL £149, lumie.com
MIELE G6665 SCVI XXL Ideal for party-loving households or large families, this dishwasher is heavy duty and spacious enough to clean plates, cutlery and wine glasses from the biggest of banquets. It has a nice selection of trays and baskets, so nothing gets left behind. £1,199, miele.co.uk 24 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
Sunshine has a transformative effect on mood, alertness and productivity. This powerful lightbox alleviates the effects of SAD by delivering 10,000 lux of light intensity, giving you a dose of sunshine each morning to boost your mood and energise you. It’s quite big, though, so not suitable for compact spaces.
PHILIPS ENERGYUP ENERGY LIGHT £150, philips.co.uk
A super-portable lamp choice that also bathes you in 10,000 lux of light to keep your energy levels up, and to elevate your mood, throughout the darkest months of winter. It has three different light intensity settings, so you can tailor the light treatment to match your changing levels of SAD or winter blues.
HEAD-TO -HEAD WINNER
Living
SET THE FESTIVE SCENE Are you hosting this Christmas? Adorn your dining table with these key pieces to easily introduce a rich, celebratory vibe
PERFECT FOR
Christmas
LARGE BLACK RING CANDLEHOLDER Give your Christmas decorations a new lease of life by hanging them from this eight-candle holder. Or, keep the focus firmly on your dining table by laying the candleholder flat, filling it with taper candles, then adorning it with fresh festive foliage. £45, aprilandthebear.com PEACOCK CELEBRATION CHAMPAGNE SAUCER
Winter sloe negronis, toasted apple and maple syrup martinis… Whatever drink you pour into this 350ml stunner, your guests will adore its glass peacock feather design, which transforms from turquoise to metallic blue depending on the light. £26 (for two), redcandy.co.uk REIGN DINNER PLATE
Anthropologie’s gilded plate sits on the right side of glamorous, spreading warmth to every table. It’s crafted from soda lime glass and measures 28cm in diameter, providing plenty of surface space. £16, anthropologie.com HEXAGON SERVING TRAY You can use this art deco tray, revamped from a heritage design, to serve drinks, canapes, crackers and cheese to guests, or to set out warm bread and mince pies once the feasting is underway. £30, johnlewis.com
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Horizon Fitness & outdoors PERFECT FOR
STAY WARM OUTDOORS
Christmas
Thermal layers for an Xmas day walk
1000 MILE TRAIL SOCK Sucky socks can ruin an outing, so you’ll be thankful for these. A Merino wool blend makes them super soft and reduces friction, while extra padding keeps your Achilles comfy. £12, 1000mile.co.uk
COOL RUNNING
RUN SMARTER THROUGHOUT THE WINTER MONTHS Despite the cold, you can easily keep your training on a hot streak. GB ultramarathon runner Damian Hall shows you how…
SHERPA RINCHEN LS TEE Silver ions in this slim-fit long-sleeve tee’s Polygiene technology keep you smelling fresh. It’s also excellent at wicking, and a UPF rating of 40 protects you from the sun. £35, sherpaadventuregear.co.uk
Yes, the temperatures are dropping outside, but that doesn’t mean your training has to head south too. If you normally run outdoors, making the change to running on a treadmill can feel weird. Entice yourself into it by making training fun with Zwift (zwift.com/run), an at-home training platform with gaming elements. With each step on the treadmill you power your avatar across virtual courses, from jungles to a futuristic New York. Link up with friends or strangers in Zwift and run laps with them in real-time.
You’ll need a treadmill. The iFit-enabled NordicTrack C990 (£999, nordictrack.co.uk) treadmill uses customised, adjustable FlexSelect cushioning. It also has one-touch smart controls, an integrated heart-rate monitor and a seven-inch smart HD console. You’ll also need a running sensor, such as the Stryd (£156, stryd.com), and your smartphone or tablet to run the Zwift Run app. Structured workouts and training plans are available to help you train smarter. By the time spring rolls around, your form, speed and power will be better than ever.
CAMERA, ACTION
THICK OF THE ACTION Film your high-octane adventures, epic hikes and downhill rides with Veho’s new 4K action cameras
ICEBREAKER BODYFITZONE 200 ZONE LEGGINGS Lycra aids stretch and mobility here. Strategically placed Merino mesh helps ventilation, while flatlock seams prevent chafing. £70, uk.icebreaker.com 26 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
When you pull off a dope stunt on a mountain bike, you want it on record, right? The new range of four Veho Muvi KX Series handsfree action cameras (from £199, veho-world.com) are perfect for capturing best possible-quality video in testing conditions. The cameras are waterproof to 40m and come with a rugged protective carry case. Each action cam captures 4K video at 30fps, or Full HD video at 100fps, allowing for great slow-mo shots. It also takes 12MP photos, and footage is either streamed or shared directly to your phone.
Horizon
GADGET GURU
Big or small, T3’s gadget expert will never judge you
CHERRY THOMAS, LONDON
What’s the smallest phone I can get? You kids and your good eyes and your dinky little bags and your tight jeans. You’re unappeasable. Companies are releasing massive phones that once would’ve been called tablets (GaGu doesn’t use portmanteaus, so ‘phablet’ is right out) and now you want tiny phones? What gives? So, say Guru was to do one of his classic question-jukes and dodge the way you were thinking he’d go: the smallest phone you can get is a watch. An Apple Watch or other smartwatch with a cellular connection can do calls. In a lot of cases, you still need a phone, because the contract for the watch
ILLUSTRATIONS: STEPHEN KELLY
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tends to be just a side-benefit sharing your main number, but you could leave that at home. The concept of number sharing brings Guru on to the Palm Phone ($350, US only for now, and only with the purchase of another phone on contract). It’s dead cute, around the same size as a stack of credit cards, and designed to be a
ABOVE Remember when people once said four-inch phones were too big?
The Unihertz Jelly Pro phone totes a 2.45-inch screen, though Guru wouldn’t have it in his house, much less his pocket
companion phone to your real phone. GaGu can see the appeal, but he reckons it works as just an okay alternative to everything else. Let us get a bit more traditional. Apple has binned the iPhone SE, making it a no-go area for smallphone fans – the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 or 8 is now its littlest. Android is obviously a broader ecosystem; Unihertz’ Jelly Pro (£100) runs on Android Nougat and totes a 2.45-inch screen, although GaGu wouldn’t have it in his house, much less his pocket. The Gravitis J8, a £25 dumb phone, is 2.5-inch nose to tip, and weighs just 19 grams. It’s a novelty, but maybe it’ll be useful?
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Gadget guru
FRANK CHENEY, BRISTOL
Can you help me make the most of my garden in winter? Certainly, Guru’s rates are very reasonable. Presuming you don’t require his sub-zero mowing skills (few do), you’ll probably be looking for some kind of outdoor gadgetry that will ensure the health of your greenery through those frosty times. But let’s be frank: what do you really need to do gardening-wise in the winter? Realistically, you need to put your tools away – if you haven’t prepared things in the autumn, it’s a bit late. Your plants will likely make it through, and your lawn will reach spring in a haggard but serviceable state – it’s the way of nature, particularly because Guru presumes you’re not going to rip the thing up and install ludicrously frivolous under-pitch heating. It is possible, though, to enjoy the great outdoors even when it’s chilly out. A patio heater, like the £110 Firefly 12kW Premium, will keep you warm-ish; a log-burner like the La Hacienda Malmo
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chimenea (£126, and it has a log store in the underside) will do it in a classy and more satisfying way. You’ll probably also want a little outdoor lighting to set the mood; Guru is leaning more towards the LIFX side of smart lights, but it seems to be dragging its feet on the garden kit so Philips’ Hue lights are the best choice for now. With that set, take good advantage of those shorter days with some outdoor entertainment. GaGu frequently disobeys those warnings on the front of his favourite Blu-rays and invites the neighbours down for performances of some questionable flicks; a pop-up projector screen like Duronic’s 100-inch FPS100 (£140) is perfect if conditions aren’t too inclement, while something more along the lines of the Henzin 120-inch foldable screen (a £23 sheet which you can pin to a wall) is better if you’re planning to show Ninja 3: The Domination in the rain.
ABOVE Forget the mini versions of consoles; only the real thing will do for Guru
GADGET GURU’S MAGIC BOX It’s a well-known fact, but for those who are just catching up: Gadget Guru has really big hands. They’re like giant-sized spades. They can hold two basketballs each. Thus, when Guru Jr demands that his father show him up at Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch, those hands have been forced to curl into an unpleasant shape around the tiny, awkward Joy-Con controllers. Well, no more: while it was certainly the thrifty choice, GaGu is more than happy with his purchase of a Hori Switch Horipad (£20), which is a proper USB controller that Guru Jr is absolutely not allowed to use. Perhaps the proper Nintendo Pro Controller (£60, see p87)) might have been better, given that it supports rumble and motion, but £40 is £40. Gagu’s streaming exploits continue – his world-
class gameplay and sparkling personality have netted him a cool £5 in viewer donations. That’s not enough to justify the purchase of an Elgato Stream Deck (£140), which is a frivolous LCD-equipped keyboard that puts regular streaming functions in one-button reach, but it’s very tempting. Let’s talk keyboards some more: specifically the Wooting One (£130). Produced in the Netherlands, it’s a truly unusual device, with each key acting as an optical analogue sensor. That’s mad, but it allows you to adjust the actuation point of the keys, and control acceleration in racing games depending on how far down you’ve pressed it. It’s one of the best keyboards Guru’s used. The clatter of keys bottoming out, the feel of consistent springs, being able to actuate the keys by poking a banana digit towards the circuit board; it’s great.
LINSEY RIDD, TOTNES
How do I hook my old console up to my TV? If GaGu had enough fingers to count how many times he’s been asked this question, he probably wouldn’t have as many horrific memories of ‘the accident’. It’s nine times. Anyway. Guru has answered this before, but not in this way: there are now cheap HDMI adapters coming out of China which do a bang-up job of piping that oldschool analogue signal into your TV virtually delay-free. Guru has personally tested the GANA Wii2HDMI (about £8) which outputs a near-flawless signal for HDMI from Nintendo’s waggly games machine (the code-crackers among you may have concluded this from its name), and there are examples around of the same kind of thing for the PlayStation 2 as well. If your chosen console doesn’t have its own adapter, GANA also does a composite to the HDMI converter (about £11) which will do in a pinch. Now you just need to make sure you’ve got enough HDMI ports on the TV for your collection.
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Horizon
NEW MEDIA
NOW PLAYING Guru finds the finest media you need on your various screens
RETURN OF THE OBRA DINN In this glorious and ghostly detective game you board an East India Company ship called the Obra Dinn to find out how all the crew mysteriously died.
TIM WEST, BIBURY
How do I get rural internet? How rural are we talking here? If it’s gawp-ataeroplanes rural, you might struggle to find something other than a pricey satellite connection. They’re serviceable but not fantastic, and Guru doesn’t really like his internet falling apart when it’s cloudy. Which is always. Slightly more cultured folks will likely find that 4G coverage, which has been blanketing the country with unstoppable abandon recently, is your best choice for a (notably limited) home connection. Simply grab a 4G router like the Huawei B525 (£150), chuck in a data SIM from someone like EE, and tell your dial-up provider where to stick their bleeps and bloops.
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W LEVENSON, CHELMSFORD
How do I protect my car’s paint? SHE-R A AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER If you grew up watching She-ra, it’s time to rejoice. The warrior returns to our screens in this all-new fantasy series where she fights to liberate Etheria.
THOM YORKE – SUSPIRIA For Luca Guadagnino’s remake of Suspiria, Thom Yorke looks beyond the garish heavy metal of the original to create a shifting and ethereal soundscape that’ll make you shiver in delight.
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ABOVE You’ll need fast internet to post your bo-Vines (this joke worked in 2016)
Guru’s army of moneyhungry youngsters do the bulk of his detailing work, applying all the waxes and paint tinctures his local autoparts place provides. He won’t tell them that he has the excellently named Powerstorm Car Polisher (£65) in his toolbox. How else will they develop that Mr Miyagi focus? If you’re serious about protecting a prize automobile, there are two high-end options: a pro-grade spray, which you’ll need to ask your dealer about, and a clear film wrap, very much a specialist thing. The former is cheaper than the latter, and both require disassembly and a few days without your motor, but that Aston deserves to be chip-free.
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Satellite is serviceable, but Guru doesn’t really like his internet falling apart when it’s cloudy. Which is always
PETER GROUSE, BIRMINGHAM
Are air fryers worth the investment? Every so often, ol’ Gagu is ready to concede that he’s crossed into ‘portly’, and may need to cut his afternoon snack back from a whole crispy chicken to just a bowl of wings. The deep-fat fryer long ago ended up in the bin, of course. An air fryer is a reasonable, albeit not-quite-there, alternative with a much healthier edge to it. By aerosolising a tiny amount of oil and blasting it around with gusts of hot air, you can get that delicious Maillard effect crisping up your food – but it’s still technically frying. And it’s more kitchen clutter; if your oven works, baking might be a better idea.
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Don’t miss another instalment of the legendary Gadget Guru!
SUBSCRIBE TODAY! See p50
Opinion
Duncan Bell is foldable Samsung’s folding Galaxy X phone is a classic slab of futuristic tech that nobody asked for here’s one really great thing about working online – apart from getting the benefit of the wit and wisdom of the Twitter intelligensia, of course. That is, you know exactly how many people read any given story, and as a result have a very good idea of what people really like. For all I know, this page of the mag might be read by two people, both of whom hate me. But on a website such as the award-winning T3.com, you can immediately see, “Oh, five bajillion people read this story; this one… 11 people. Hmm.” As a result, I can say for a fact that tech fans are absolutely nutsoid for the Samsung Galaxy X, aka Samsung’s folding phone. If you’re not familiar with it, the Galaxy X is (or will be) a phone that seamlessly folds out into something more like a tablet. By ‘seamlessly’ I mean, ‘there isn’t a bloody great hinge down the middle like a Nintendo Game & Watch’ – the screen itself folds. Certainly, Galaxy X is an interesting idea, but that’s not the reason that ‘the internet is going crazy over this’ (as they say). It’s because it doesn’t exist. Well, not yet anyway.
come out. Online fan theories and plot demands run riot for months, and minor characters are fleshed out into plotchanging avatars of the fans’ feverish imaginations. Then the actual movie debuts and everyone goes, ‘This isn’t what we imagined at all! Let’s boycott this film!’ Admittedly, a lot of these ‘fans’ are mad racists and misogynists. But not all of them. Some are normal people who just got giddy with excitement at the literally infinite possibilities offered by things that do not really exist yet, but will quite soon. Tech fans are generally less vocal than film fans (other than in the whole ‘Apple vs Android’ war, of course, but let’s not go there),
Unfold the future
but the massive number of readers for even the tiniest nugget of info on Samsung’s folding phone told us that there was huge interest in the Galaxy X. It’s interest that grew and grew as its rumoured unveiling day approached. Seriously, we almost broke the internet, there was that much traffic for Galaxy X stories. However, Samsung may now have gone and ballsed all this up. How? By actually showing the phone, at its developer conference.
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Forthcoming tech you haven’t seen yet is always more exciting than tech that is in that more boring state called ‘actually existing’. That’s because your mind can think of all sorts of crazy features that might be in it, and you conjure up something that is personalised to you. You see the same phenomena to a much more intense degree when fans go crazy about films – Star Wars films primarily – before they
Your mind can think of all sorts of features that might be in it, made perfectly just for you…
Firstly, it wasn’t actually called Galaxy X, which is a really cool name. In fact it wasn’t called anything, because it’s really not all that near to being finished. We do at least know that the folding screen tech used in the Phone Formerly Known as Galaxy X is called the Infinity Flex Display, so that’s at least slightly cool. What did it look like? Kind of like a phone that folded out, like a Nintendo Game & Watch. You could almost feel the internet deflating as it appeared, albeit momentarily, on stage. We all suddenly thought, ‘Oh, is that it? And anyway, what do you do with a phone that folds out into a midsized tablet?’ Someone on the T3 Twitter feed summed it up rather succinctly with Jeff Goldblum’s line from Jurassic Park: “They were so preoccupied with whether they could, they never stopped to think if they should.” Luckily, the reveal was over almost before it began, and there’s still plenty of time for us all to think what the hell to do with the Galaxy X before it really really exists, and makes its way onto the shelves in Carphone Warehouse. But whatever the finished product is like, it’ll never be as good as the phones in our vapourware dreams. How could it be? D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 31
The best tech for Christmas
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The best tech for Christmas
THE BEST TECH FOR
Christmas Have you been good this year? We hope so, because Santa’s on his way with a sack full of gadgets, from mesmerising gaming and TV tech, to super-smart toys, powerful audio, exhilarating o-road rides and red letter day experiences Words: Claire Davies, Paul Dimery Photography: Olly Curtis
D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 3 5
The best tech for Christmas
Pure DiscovR
Sony WH-1000XM3
Philips OLED+ 903
More stylish than the Amazon Echo, Pure’s 360-degree sound smart speaker has a playful Music Discovery feature: you can identify any song on the radio and add it to your Spotify playlist. £229, pure.com
Sony’s feature-stacked headphones offer advanced noise cancellation and top sound. Adaptive Sound Control automatically adjusts the level of noise cancellation to suit your surroundings. £329, sony.co.uk
If you have the budget, this is the premium TV for this Christmas. The ultra-slim OLED+ 903 with Ambilight rocks immersive Bowers & Wilkins sound, P5 Perfect Picture Engine tech for crisp 4K detail and rich HDR colours, and Google Assistant for voice control smarts. See p48 to win one! From £2,499 (55-inch), philips.co.uk
SOUND AND VISION Give the gift of eye-popping TV tech or ear-seducing audio perfection with this selection of glorious multimedia brilliance
Sony KD49XF7073
Sennheiser Momentum Free
On a good deal day, you can pick this telly up for less than £550, making it a steal considering how it serves up a 4K UHD picture, HDR streaming and gaming, MotionFlowXR tech for dedicated sports and action viewing, plus Smart TV. £799, sony.co.uk
Enjoy hi-Ć sound without getting tangled in wires. The Momentum Free Bluetooth earphones are super comfy and can be used to make and take voice calls. £169, en-uk.sennheiser.com
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Libratone Too Libratone’s dinky Bluetooth speaker is a great stocking Ćller for music lovers. The Too pumps out 360-degree FullRoom sound for up to 12 hours per charge – more than enough for a house party. £129, libratone.com
Sound and vision
1 Devialet Phantom Reactor As loud as a symphony orchestra, yet small enough to be carried in one hand. Devialet’s new speaker is a feat of audio engineering. From £990, devialet.com
2 Naim Uniti Atom
3 Sonos Beam
Naim’s delectable all-in-one packs in Burr Brown DACs for high-end sound, a Ćve-inch display and support for streaming. It also comes with a 40-watt amp. £1,999, naimaudio.com
This T3 Award-winning soundbar has a range of music services built in and is AirPlay 2 compatible. It can also expand to support Sonos multi-room or 5.1 surround sound. £399, sonos.com
4 Yamaha MusicCast Vinyl 500 Yamaha’s new turntable wirelessly connects to MusicCast-enabled speakers to stream your vinyl to them, no amp or cables required. £549, uk.yamaha.com
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The best tech for Christmas
HIGH-TECH PLAY Whether for kids or adults, these next-gen nuggets will leave them wide-eyed with joy
Philips Momentum 436M6VBPAB PlayStation Classic Relive your youth with a miniature throwback to Sony’s original 32-bit console. Twenty builtin games and HDMI compatibility bring the PlayStation Classic up to date, and with two controllers included, you can challenge your nan to a round of Tekken 3 after Christmas dinner. £89, playstation.com
Your loved one’s creative endeavours will look amazing on Philips’ massive 43-inch display. The Ćrst monitor to wear the VESA DisplayHDR badge, the Momentum’s 4K UHD resolution and life-like colour spectrum will breathe new life into any project. £799, philips.co.uk
LEGO App-Controlled Batmobile Kids love LEGO and Batman, so kill two birds with one stone. This 321-piece set enables you to build a Batmobile with stud-shooters and an opening cockpit, and steer it around using an app. Perfect for long Dark Knights. £89, lego.com
Roxi Look out, Google and Amazon, Roxi is a seriously tempting home entertainment system. Hooking up to your TV, it offers a year of free music streaming, a karaoke machine with 60,000 tracks, an internet radio, music trivia games and voice control. £99, tryroxi.co.uk
1 Parrot Mambo FPV 1 2
For a truly exhilarating experience, strap on the Ćrstperson-view goggles and send this palm-sized drone soaring. There are three ćying modes including Racing and a 720p HD camera to Ćlm the fun. £159, parrot.com
2 Oculus Go Oculus’ cheaper VR headset requires no PC, nor a phone to be inserted. Simply choose from thousands of games or apps and you’re all set for an immersive experience. The optics and audio are great, too. £199, oculus.com/go
3 MekaMon Berserker V2 3
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With your phone or tablet acting both as a controller and an augmented-reality display for games, this battling robot is set for awesome single- or multiplayer combat. £249.99, mekamon.com
On- and off-road fun
Razor Electric E300
Brompton Electric Brompton has Ćnally joined the battery-powered revolution. The acceleration from those tiny wheels, coupled with the convenience of that easily foldable frame, make commuting to work a pleasure. And 25-50 miles from its removable battery pack means you’ll get home, too. £2,595, brompton.com
Turbocharge your teen with this rad two-wheeler. Though it’s not road- or pavement-legal, oodles of fun can be had eating up dirt tracks at 15mph. And with pneumatic tyres front and back, the ride is smoother than a baby’s bottom. £229, global.razor.com/uk
ON- AND OFF-ROAD FUN Get more mobile this Christmas with our pick of the best vehicle-based gadgets, from electric improvements for your commute to fun runabouts
Walnutt Spectra Mini
Trek Fuel EX 7 29
êA supercar in your pocketë, Walnutt’s 17-inch eboard will carry you more than six miles per charge, at speeds of up to 12.4mph. An intelligent posture-calibration system and Bluetooth app control round off the spec. Just remember not to ćy down the stairs on it. $319 (£249), walnutt.com
What could be more invigorating on Christmas afternoon than a cross-country bike ride? With a lightweight aluminium frame, 130mm of front and rear suspension travel, and bundles of tech, the new Fuel EX 7 29 is a true king of the mountains. £2,250, trekbikes.com
Livall MTL Smart Cycle Helmet
Segway Ninebot Drift W1
A G-sensor in this helmet detects unusual gravity acceleration or sudden stoppages, sending a text with your whereabouts to your emergency contacts. Meanwhile, LED indicators can be activated wirelessly from the handlebars. £69, halfords.com
Fun, futuristic and easy to master, these self-balancing eskates from Segway’s Ninebot range will go down a storm. A full charge grants you 45 minutes of fun, and if your tricks fail to turn heads, the ćashing lights certainly will. £359, uk-en.segway.com D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 3 9
The best tech for Christmas
KitchenAid Multi-Cooker
Hive View
KitchenAid’s clever multi-cooker can elevate a loved one’s culinary skills, or help them out with 12 pre-programmed functions and a range of one-button dishes like porridge and soup. £349, kitchenaid.co.uk
If you’re going to gift someone a smart camera, make it the one designed by Yves B«har. The Hive View is as good as it looks, with HD live streaming, person detection and 24-hour video storage. £189, hivehome.com
Lay-Z Spa Helsinki Airjet Be selĆsh and treat yourself to Lay-= Spa’s inćatable hot tub. Freeze Shield tech keeps it running through winter, and an 87-airjet massage system pummels your stresses away. £849, lay-z-spa.co.uk
NO PLACE LIKE HOME Whether you’re looking to transform your home into a smarter haven or are buying gifts for home birds this Christmas, we have gorgeous gadgets for every room
Philips Hue Adore Nanoleaf Canvas Wash your walls in an energising sunrise or soothing sunset with Nanoleaf’s latest smart modular lighting kit. The Canvas can be controlled by touch – run your Ćngers over a panel to adjust the colour – by voice or app. £179, nanoleaf.me/en-gb 4 0 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
êMirror, mirror, who’s the smartest bathroom light of them all?” It’s the Adore, with its Hue-connected lights casting a ćattering glow, throwing out a relaxing or energising light at your will. £229, meethue.com
No place like home
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1 Hotel Chocolat he Velvetiser
2 Smeg DCF01 Drip Filter Coffee Machine
3 Neato Botvac Connected D7
4 Amazon Echo Dot (2nd Gen)
The Velvetiser is the ultimate gift for chocolate lovers, promising to make sumptuous hot chocolate, ‘velvetised’ by a single button. £89, hotelchocolat.com
Drink your morning coffee in true ’50s style with Smeg’s attractive espresso machine. It comes with a choice of Light or Intense brews. £179, smeguk.com
Here’s a gift for yourself: bin the vacuuming. Leave it to Neato’s trusty D7, an intelligent robot vac that won’t touch your furniture. £799, neatorobotics.com
Hands-free, voice-controlled smarts for any room. Sync the new Dot with other Echo devices and use it to control smart home gear. £39, amazon.co.uk D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 41
The best tech for Christmas
1 Jabra Elite Active 65t These sweat-resistant true wireless earbuds with voice command (Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa) deliver Ćve hours’ playback, great sound, and perfect Ćt. £169, jabra.co.uk
2 3
2 Apple Watch Series 4 Vastly improved health and wellbeing features combined with a larger screen, speedy performance and great apps make Apple’s smartwatch the best you can buy. From £399, apple.com/uk
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3 Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX These sturdy hiking shoes are designed with Descent Control tech to keep grip on slippery, icy terrain. £145, salomon.com
NO PAIN, NO GAIN Tech can help you elevate your health, blast unwanted fat and achieve your fitness goals by exploring the outdoors whatever the weather. Here’s how…
Technogym Skillrow Rowing is a transformative full-body cardio and strength workout. If you fancy tackling it at home, invest in this fully connected indoor rower, designed with resistance settings, neuromuscular training programmes and group rowing activities. £3,490, technogym.com 42 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
Beko Vacuum Blender
Garmin VivoSmart 4
MyZone MZ-20 Scales
Vacuum tech removes air in the blender chamber, preventing oxidisation, so your smoothie won’t separate. £199, ao.com
Garmin’s swim-proof Ćtness tracker packs in a rep counter for counting squats, bench presses and more. £119, garmin.com
My=one’s body analyser smart scales track data including weight, body fat, water percentage and more. £49, myzone.org
Your best self
YOUR BEST SELF Look fantastic and feel better than ever with our selection of stylish wellbeing, skincare and grooming gadgets
Dreem Sleep Band
Nota Nota
Dyson Airwrap
If you suffer from bad sleep, this wearable coach could be the ideal gift. The Sleep Band (the tracker headband) works with the revamped Dreem app for access to Dreem Techniques, helping you overcome insomnia and other sleep issues. €499 (£436), dreem.com
Design and bottle your own perfumes in an instant using this brilliant and creative appconnected machine. £685, Smartech at selfridges.com
First came the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer. Now comes the Airwrap, a multi-styler for beautiful blow-drying, and for creating curls, waves and other textured styles. What’s better, it does all of this without using damaging extreme heat – the Airwrap attracts then wraps hair around the barrel using air. From £399, dyson.co.uk
1 Philips Series 9000 Get baby-smooth skin with the Series 9000. Philips’ V-Track system coaxes hairs into the best cutting position, and gently follows each contour on your face. £350, philips.co.uk
2
2 Moodo 3 1
Boost your mood with Moodo, a smart aroma diffuser. Load the Moodo with four designer scent capsules, then use the app to control the intensity of each. £119, moodo.co
3 Foreo UFO This smart face mask system promises transformative results for skin. The UFO uses Korean-formula masks with Thermo-Therapy (heat), Cryo-Therapy (cold) and T-Sonic Pulsations to deliver a salon facial in mere minutes. £249, foreo.com D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 4 3
The best tech for Christmas
UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY From making music and writing your next short story to photography and 3D printing, bring your ideas to life with the best gadgets for creative types
GoPro HERO7 Black
Fujifilm Instax Mini 70
Adventurers will love the HERO7 Black. It packs in HyperSmooth stabilisation tech, freeing you from nasty juddery footage and letting 4Kbdetail shine, plus it has new built-in mics for better audio recording. £379, shop.gopro.com
Introduce a retro feel to your photography with this ultra-cute instant camera, available in multiple colours and offering Ćve distinct shooting modes. You can print your shots immediately with its inkless system. From £89, amazon.co.uk
Blue Yeti Nano
Pirate Radio Kit
Rowrite Digital Notepad
If your creative outlet is podcasting, YouTubing or singing, and you don’t own a premium microphone, buddy up with this USB plug ’n’ play model (compatible with iOS and Android or PC) and get instant broadcast-quality sound. £89, amazon.co.uk
Why buy a radio when you can build your own? The internet-connected Pirate Radio Kit is ideal for whiling away a winter afternoon or two, and includes a Pi Zero W, 5W speaker, DAC and stereo amp, and a retro-style acrylic enclosure. £40, thepihut.com
Start writing that book, or get sketching your comic book ideas. Or just doodle and take notes in the Digital Notepad before sharing and editing them digitally. Whatever your leanings, let ’em loose on this clever note-taker. £129, Smartech at selfridges.com
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Unleash your creativity 1 XYZPrinting da Vinci nano
2 Fender Player Series Stratocaster
The ideal 3D printer for beginners, the da Vinci nano produces accurate, high-quality 3D prints atba super-affordable price. ÂŁ190, xyzprinting.com
Hendrix, Clapton, Knopćer‌ So many innovative guitarists played Strats, and now you can too, with the Player Series model. £559, shop.fender.com
2 3 Roli Songmaker Kit
4 FujiďŹ lm X-T3
Hone your songwriting skills with this music-making powerhouse, comprising a Seaboard Block (keys), Lightpad M (beats) and Loop Block (production). ÂŁ549, roli.com
If you want a stylish mirrorless camera, look no further than the X-T3. It captures gorgeous 21.6MP stills and 4K video, and has an electronic viewĆnder. e IXMLĆOP FRP XN
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3 4
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The best tech for Christmas
DO MORE, SAY MORE Are you dreaming of a new gaming laptop, a waterproof ereader or a stunning camera phone? We have all those and more, so step this way…
All-new Kindle Paperwhite
Logitech K480 Keyboard
Amazon’s revamped ereader has twice the storage (8GB or 32GB), is waterproof, and is compatible with Audible. From £119, amazon.co.uk
This Bluetooth keyboard pairs with three iOS, Android and PC devices at once – switch between them at will! £54, logitech.com
HP Folio Spectre Leather HP’s new leather-clad two-in-one is the perfect Christmas gift for those craving style and power. Use it in laptop mode for maximum productivity, switch to viewing stance for watching Ćlms, or use it in tablet mode for surĆng the net. £1,499, hp.com
Apple iPhone XR This full-blooded iPhone experience offers a premium feel, best-in-class performance, strong camera and impeccable build quality. From £749, apple.com
1 Apple iPad 9.7 3
Fast, lightweight and powerful, the iPad 9.7 is ideal for gaming, watching movies, sketching and writing. Pair it with the Apple Pencil (£89) for optimum versatility. From £319, apple.com
2 Huawei Mate 20 Pro
1
This tech-tastic phone packs in three AI-powered cameras with Leica lenses, a gorgeous 6.5-inch OLED screen with a Ćngerprint sensor built into it invisibly, and a super-fast processor. It’s got it all. £899, consumer.huawei.com
3 MSI GS65
2
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MSI’s ultra-portable 15.6inch gaming laptop is the Ćrst to have a 144Hz display in a stylish thin-bezel frame. There’s tons of gaming power on-hand too, naturally. £1,999, msi.com
A new experience
Bear Grylls 24 Hour Adult Survival Course Learn how to survive in the wild, developing skills such as navigation during the day and at night, how to build protective shelters, and how to make rope harnesses for crossing tricky terrain and water. This is part bushcraft course, part trial of stamina. Can you handle it? ÂŁ349, beargryllssurvivalacademy.com
Design Your Own Beer Day for Two Jump on the craft beer bandwagon by creating your own at Conwy Brewery in North Wales. You’ll spend the day with a pro brewer, crafting 60 bottles of beer. £350, redletterdays.co.uk
Flyboarding T3 loves a bit of ćyboarding. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if the thought of getting strapped into a water-powered jetpack for your feet gets your motor running, this 30-minute taster session is for you. e ć\ERDUGLQJH[SHULHQFHV FR XN
A NEW EXPERIENCE This year, gift a truly memorable experience instead, from a supercar run on a legendary British racing circuit, to a golf lesson with a PGA pro, to learning hardcore survival skills
Lamborghini HuracĂĄn Spyder Brands Hatch
9-hole Playing Lesson with a PGA Professional
With a top speed of 202mph, this is one supercar not to be missed. In this customisable track experience, you can decide how many laps you’d like to complete in the £250,000 Lamborghini stunner, putting its V10 motorbthrough its raucous paces. £79, supercardrivedays.co.uk
The perfect gift for golfers looking to improve their technique on the green. As part of the lesson you’ll play nine holes with a PGA pro who will guide you through each shot, helping you to gain insight into your approach and how you can improve it. £110, buyagift.com D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 47
Competition
WIN!
A 65-INCH PHILIPS OLED+ 903 TV PLUS! 5 PAIRS OF BOWERS & WILKINS PX WIRELESS HEADPHONES This amazing 4K HDR TV and its brilliant built-in Bowers & Wilkins sound system will give you instant home cinema paradise
WORTH
£5,144
TOTAL!
With the nights drawing rapidly in, and more time being spent in front of the telly, it’s the perfect time of year for a huge upgrade to your home cinema. And what better upgrade than an amazing Philips OLED+ 903 TV, which not only offers incredible OLED 4K tech that recently gained a T3 Platinum Award, but also packs in a Bowers & Wilkins sound system that produces full and rich audio. It’s everything you need for a total living room experience update, worth £3,499, and we have one to 4 8 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
give away and make your Christmas extra special, courtesy of Philips. There’s so much clever tech that combines to make Philips’ latest TVs stand out from the crowd. The second-generation P5 image processor really makes the most of the Ultra HD resolution and high dynamic range (HDR) support. Everything looks incredibly clean and crisp, regardless of whether you’re watching native 4K content or upscaled HD video. It also makes motion smoother, so that sports and action don’t
Win! A Philips OLED+ 903 TV
look smeared across the screen. Detail is preserved, so you can see more of what’s going on in the game or movie. HDR video looks absolutely astonishing on the OLED screen, with dark areas full of texture, and bright parts jumping out, making everything look more striking and realistic than ever. The dynamic range is second to none. The best part is that you don’t need HDR footage to take advantage of the full range that the OLED screen is capable of. The built-in Perfect Natural Reality extends the dynamic range of SDR images to look more like HDR, and it works like magic: movies and TV look so much more dramatic and lifelike. And it’s all backed up with Philips’ unique Ambilight tech, which gently lights the wall behind the TV with the colours on-screen, creating a fantastic sense of ambiance. The Bowers & Wilkins sound system is the icing on the cake, adding full sound that’s way beyond what you get from other TVs, thanks to a 2.1 setup that balances highdetail drivers with a bass-strong woofer.
That’s not all we have, though: not content with just making the Philips TV sound brilliant, Bowers & Wilkins is providing five pairs of B&W PX headphones for five lucky runners-up, worth £329 each! These headphones are so good, they won our T3 Award for Best Over-Ear Headphones this year, and are an instant upgrade for listening wired or wirelessly. They’re beautiful headphones, with fantastic build quality, and a comfortable design you can wear for hours. They’re smart too, and include intelligent noise
THERE’S SO MUCH CLEVER TECH THAT MAKES PHILIPS’ LATEST TVS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD reduction, which cuts outside sounds so you can hear your music more clearly, but that can let in things like traffic subtly if you choose, so you’re aware of what’s around you. They also stop playing automatically when you take them off, saving battery. For more information about the Philips OLED+ 903 TV, visit philips.co.uk. To find out more about the Bowers & Wilkins PX headphones, visit bowers-wilkins.co.uk.
To enter, simply answer the following question:
HOW MANY PIXELS DOES THE ULTRA HD PANEL IN THE PHILIPS OLED+ 903 CONTAIN? 8,294,400
10,658,211
52,869,322
Enter today at: bit.ly/T3xmas2018 The competition closes 29 December 2018. By taking part, youbagree to be bound by the competition rules: futureplc.com competition-rules. Entries must be received by midnight on 29 December 2018 (UK time). Open to UK residents aged 18 years and over. There will be one winner, entitled to one Philips OLED+ 903 65-inch TV, and Ćve runners-up entitled to one Bowers & Wilkins PX each. The prize is non-transferable and non-refundable. There is no cash alternative.
D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 49
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D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 51
Peak practice
Skiing tech
Peak
practice Can gadgets help turn you into a ski supremo? Say hello to the most cutting-edge tech you need for the slopes Words: Angela Nicholson Photography: Raphael Pรถham
D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 5 3
Peak practice
like to think I’m a reasonably good skier for someone who only spends two weeks of the year on the slopes, but there’s plenty of GoPro footage that suggests the opposite. Over the years I’ve had quite a few lessons, but it’s an expensive business. So when I was asked if I wanted to try Carv, a digital ski trainer that gives real-time coaching turn-by-turn, I was in the loft in a flash, hauling down my ski gear. A couple of days later, I headed off to Hintertux in Austria to meet Jamie Grant, Carv’s co-creator. We arrived in darkness, so it wasn’t until the next morning that I got my first glimpse of the Hintertux glacier and it started to dawn on me that there might be quite a bit of ice. As I tried to put aside all thoughts of Bambi, Jamie introduced me to Carv £229, getcarv.com), my ski instructor for the day. Each unit is made up two physical parts, an insole that goes in your ski boot beneath the liner, and a tracker that clips on the back of your boot and is connected to the insole via a cable. Of course we’re not talking Odor Eaters here – the insoles each have 48 pressure sensors and nine movement sensors. It’s the trackers that house the battery and connect by Bluetooth to your iPhone (Android compatibility coming soon) to relay your skiing performance to the Carv app. Your phone also provides the GPS data so the app can identify which lift or piste you’re on and your earbuds let you hear Carv’s advice. The setup procedure is pretty straightforward: it’s just a case of firing up the app, following the instructions
I
LEFT The perfect wireless skitrainer setup: the Carv unit talks to the phone, which relays audio instructions to the AirPods RIGHT The cable connection on the Carv insole is thin and flexible, so you don’t feel any discomfort
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and pairing the phone and trackers. Once the boots are on your feet, you need to lift each boot in turn to calibrate the pressure sensors. Then all you need to do is pop in your earbuds and set Carv running. At the top of the mountain, I clipped on my unfamiliar hire skis and tried to ignore the slick carving of the 10-yearolds cannoning out of the lift, the massive patches of ice, and Jamie’s passing mention of skiing with pros like Olympian Dave Ryding. Yes, I was under absolutely no pressure. Thankfully, Jamie recommended that I ski badly initially so I could see how Carv picked up on poor technique. Say no more! I set off, focusing on staying on my feet over
turn to assess aspects of your skiing, such as your balance, distribution of weight, edge angle, speed and smoothness of movement. Up to the top again and this time I gave it my best shot. I had a few slips on the ice but I kept my weight forward and tried to remember everything I’d ever been told about great skiing technique. EDGING ONWARD As I rode the gondola back up again, Carv broke the news to me that my IQ was up from 99 to 106 but I still needed to work on my edging. It was time for some coaching and I switched from ‘Free Session’ to ‘Training’. This is divided up into Balance, Edging,
AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, I CLIPPED ON MY UNFAMILIAR HIRE SKIS AND TRIED TO IGNORE THE MASSIVE PATCHES OF ICE the ice and kept the deliberately bad skiing for the more powdery (less icy) sections of piste. I’d expected some coaching as I went along, but with Carv set to ‘Free Session’, I was actually being silently judged. It was only when I got to the bottom of the piste, unclipped my skis and sat down in the gondola that Carv piped up to tell me what a great job I’d done and how far I’d skied. Helpfully, it also told me what my Ski IQ score was and that I needed to work on my ‘edge similarity’. The score is derived from 35 metrics that are measured on every
Rotary and Pressure, I chose to work on my weakest point with Edging. A sliding control lets you select one of 20 levels for the skill development. Feeling confident, I went for 12 but it soon became clear that it was over ambitious – or at least on the icy terrain. Each turn was greeted with a wet fart sound that let me know it was not going well, followed by advice along the lines of ‘turn your skis together’. On the ride back to the top, I reduced the level to 10 and tried again. This time the wet fart sounds were interspersed with upbeat dings. I was
Skiing tech
With the Carv insole fitted, you can slot the pack with the transmitter and batteries to the outside of your boot, where you can’t feel it at all
365 SKIING IN HINTERTUX AT THE PENZION CHRISTINA A friendly hotel and great destination for summer or winter skiing
The Hintertux Glacier is Austria’s only ski resort with groomed pistes open 365 days of the year. That means it’s a popular training ground for professional skiers and national ski teams. But it’s also a good destination for anyone wanting to get in a little out-of-season practise. And in the winter, the glacier merges with the mountains of Zillertal to offer 199km of pistes accessible with one ski pass. Nestled in the valley below is the village of Hintertux and the Penzion Christina. This cosy hotel offers spectacular views of the mountains as well as a warm welcome, a comfy bed and the perfect pre-ski breakfast. christina-hintertux.at D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 55
Peak practice
BELOW You can review useful metrics on your phone between runs BOTTOM It is, admittedly, helpful to have an assistant for all your boot-fitting tech needs
I WAS MAKING PROGRESS. BY THE BOTTOM OF THE RUN, I’D MADE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL, AND MY SPIRITS RAISED making progress. By the bottom of the run, I’d made it to the next level. My spirits raised, I headed back to the top of the same slope and gave it another go. In fact, I gave it another few goes, because each time I managed to progress to the next level until I was at 14. It was time to switch back to Free Session mode and see how my skiing had improved. My score was up to 111 – now we’re talking. I found using Carv pretty addictive, but there were times when I wanted it to give me more information. Instead of being told to keep my feet a hip’s width apart, for instance, I wanted to 5 6 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
know if Carv thought my feet were too close or too far apart, and when I hit a lump of crud and nearly face-planted but recovered, I was waiting for some praise. I mentioned this to Jamie, and he got pretty excited because he’s planning on increasing the level of communication in the future. One of the great things about Carv is that it’s fed by machine learning. Every turn that’s made with a Carv unit creates more data that’s gathered and used to make improvements. It’s already an excellent device, but I’m pretty excited about what it could become over the coming season.
Skiiing tech
MORE ESSENTIAL GEAR FOR THE SLOPES From clothing to GPS, kit yourself out with the latest and greatest skiing tech
GARMIN INSTINCT
VALLERRET SKADO ZIPPER MITT
GOPRO HERO7 BLACK
If you don’t track your skiing, it didn’t happen. Armed with a skiing mode and GPS, GLONASS and Galileo system compatibility, Garmin’s Instinct watch is built to military standards for thermal, shock and water resistance and can track every turn to keep you updated with vital info like your location, the distance you’ve covered, maximum speed and your heart rate. It even recognises when you’re on a ski lift and pauses recording. Plus, with text and email notiĆcations on your wrist, you don’t need to risk losing your phone while you’re going up. £269, garmin.com
Let’s face it, the mountains are Instagram Central. But thick ski gloves are a non-starter (literally) for a phone or camera. Thanks to Primaloft insulation and a Merino wool lining, these two-in-one mitts have the warmth of mittens yet allow the dexterity you need for shooting photos. All you need to do is open the water-resistant zip to reveal the inner gloves and you’re set to take all the snowy pictures you desire. There’s even a press-stud to keep the mitten out go the way while you use the touchscreen-compatible thumb and foreĆnger. £109, photographygloves.com
The best action cam around just got a whole lot better with the introduction of HyperSmooth in the HERO7 Black. It’s the next generation of electronic image stabilisation and it transforms your jittery, nauseating footage into epic movies. What’s more, it works in 4K mode at 50/60fps, so whether you’re using a helmet, chest or ski mount, you’ll capture all your best moves in glorious detail. The HERO7 Black is also waterproof without the need for a case, has a two-inch touchscreen and has helmetmount-friendly voice control. £379, shop.gopro.com
ABOM HEET
THERMIC POWERSOCK SET HEAT MULTI + S-PACK 700
MAMMUT AVALANCHE AIRBAG BACKPACK 3.0 & FLIP REMOVABLE AIRBAG 3.0
Ever ripped off your goggles in the hope of getting a clearer view and discovered that the fog is actually on the inside? Yeah, this happens all the time in the mountains. Cue Abom’s Heet googles. They’re heated goggles with on-board environmental sensors to activate a thin-Ćlm electric heater and keep fog at bay when it’s imminent. And if you need it, a quick tap on the side puts the Heet into On Demand mode for a few minutes to drive off the fog. Just pick the lens tint you want and head to the mountains without the fear of annoying, foggy goggles. $299 (£227), abom.com
If your feet feel warm, you can keep skiing until the last lift closes and still be smiling. If they’re cold, you’re going to be miserable the entire time. So say hello to the snappily titled Powersock combo, which melds X-Socks material with a heating element and enough battery power for up to eight hours of toasty toes. The USB-charging batteries snap on at the top of the socks above your boot line and can be removed again so the socks can be washed at up to 30°C. Warm and fresh! £150, therm-ic.com
If you love the powder and hate crowded pistes then a backpack with an avalanche airbag is a sensible addition to your ski gear. Add a gas cartridge to this kit and if the worst happens, you can pull the cord to inćate the airbag so you stay at the surface. The Flip Removable Airbag 3.0 sits in the dedicated front pocket and takes up 2L of the backpack’s 22L capacity so you’ve got plenty of room to stow an extra layer and other essentials. £539, uk.mammut.com
D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 5 7
HOME Get the complete smart home lifestyle Edited by Claire Davies
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THE SETUP Boost your home’s sound and smarts with the Google Home Max, a super-sized smart speaker that loves music as much as you do. We show you how to integrate it seamlessly into your home.
HOME TEST Indoor air quality is important for our health, especially in winter when we’re inside more. That’s why we’ve tested four smart air puriĆers to Ćnd out which is the best at keeping the air in our homes clean.
SMART HOME SURGERY Got some smart home questions that need some smart answers? Then you’re in luck, as our connected home gadget experts are on hand to help you with whatever burning queries are on your mind. D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 59
Home
PERFECT FOR
Christmas
THE SETUP
Each issue, we show you how to set up a key piece of connected-home tech. This month… Google Home Max
HIDDEN SKILLS The Google Home Max is probably a little smarter than you’d realised. As well as its microphone, touch bar, and multitude of app-control ćavours, it’s got another sensor builtin to determine whether it’s sitting vertically or horizontally. But try tipping the Home over and placing it with the front panel down – the Google Assistant will let you know, in no uncertain terms, that shouldn’t be the case. It’s not quite çI’ve fallen and I can’t get up’, but it’s close.
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The Setup
TOUCH THE TOP Tweaking the Home Max’s settings can, as you might expect, be done in many ways. You can ask nicely – try something like, ‘Okay Google, set the volume to 35 per cent,’ – or use the Home app to adjust its settings more Ćnely. But if you’ve cut off the microphone using the switch on the back, or you just don’t feel like using your phone, you can adjust the output level (or pause the output) by sliding or tapping your Ćnger on the bar on top of the unit.
LISTEN LOUD AND LISTEN SMART WITH GOOGLE’S SPEAKER This high-end device is a whole lot smarter than your average grey box Big isn’t always best, but it’s a prevailing trend in the smart speaker market right now. Amazon’s pushing hard on its Echo Plus; Apple’s Homepod is certainly not insigniĆcant in terms of its output potential; Sonos is well and truly in the game; and even Ultimate Ears proffers enormous sound with smart assistant chops. Google’s entry into the party-powerful audio game doesn’t disappoint: it’s a big, brash speaker that scales up the skills of the existing Home and Home Mini exactly as you’d expect. It’s well equipped in terms of drivers, with six class D ampliĆers driving a pair of dual voice-coil woofers and two custom tweeters. That’s big enough, but the Home Max works with Chromecast Audio, so you can broadcast to it from a host of different apps, and create simple multi-room effects with multiple Chromecast Audio devices. It also supports dual speaker pairing, so with a couple you can create a huge stereo sound. While there are a number of options for playback, which don’t even need any particular smarts, like Bluetooth streaming and a 3.5mm jack socket around the back, the Home Max thrives thanks to its integration with Google Assistant. This isn’t just a case of being able to ask it inane questions (though it does know the square root of 236) but one of a more personal connection. Set it up properly and you’ll be able to have the Home Max recognise the “Okay Google” of each of your family members. Why is this important? Well, perhaps you’re managing different calendars, and want the Google Assistant to add a new date to your diary. Rather than going through the verbal gymnastics of convincing it to add the right thing in the right place, the act of identifying you – and your in dividual account – happens at the very start of the process. It’s not just applicable to your calendar, either: if you’re a user of part of the Google ecosystem in some way (and most of us are) then you’ll get access from the moment you wake up Assistant. If you don’t want Google’s ears listening in, that’s Ćne. Reach behind the Max and ćick the switch to deactivate its six environmental mics. You can control the Home Max through your phone, but when the light glows orange you can do so with paranoia pushed to the side.
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Home
AN IDEAL GOOGLE ASSISTANT FOR EVERY ROOM Max too much for your bedroom? Try these
MAXIMUM POWER Setting up the Google Home Max is quick and easy… And that includes its individual voice-recognition features
GOOGLE HOME The original Google Assistant speaker. The audio is nothing to write home about, but it’ll respond to your commands perfectly, and is clear to hear in response. £129, store.google.com
GOOGLE HOME MINI This T3 Award-winner packs Assistant’s smarts into a tiny package that, crucially, looks pretty good, coming in a range colours to suit any room’s decor. £49, store.google.com
01
02
03
HOME TURF
FIND THE MAX
NAME AND PLACE
Begin by plugging in your Home Max, but don’t get too hasty! Wait for it to boot up (this takes a couple of minutes). Once the Max has chimed to indicate its readiness, open up the Google Home app on your phone. The Ćrst screen will show devices that you’ve already installed; tap the plus at the top.
Later you’ll be able to use the Add page to group up your speakers or add audio sources, but for now tap ‘Set up device’, then ‘set up new devices in your home’ to search for the Google Home Max. Once it’s found, tap ‘Yes’ to conĆrm that you want to set it up, and again to conĆrm you’ve heard the sound it’s made.
It’s tempting to skip this bit in your haste to get going, but it’s important to let the Home app know exactly where this device has been placed in your home. It’ll come in handy later on when you’re trying to talk to this speaker directly. You’ll also want to give it a unique name for the same reason.
04
05
06
CONNECT IT
PERSONAL TOUCH
SET UP SERVICES
We’ll have been working on Bluetooth thus far, but now it’s time to tell the Home Max about your Wi-Fi connection. Select the network you’d like it to connect to and, if you’re using Android, it’ll generally pass on the credentials automatically. If you’re using iOS you may need to enter your password manually.
Accept (or tweak) a few data-sharing options and you can start setting up Google’s Voice Match tech. Agree to do so, then follow the instructions that pop up on screen –bit’s just a case of triggering the Google Assistant four separate times, which may or may not annoy your other Google devices at this time.
With the main setup done, it’s just a case of letting Google know your preferences for this device: which music or video services it’ll use by default, which Chromecast it’ll trigger if you ask to play content on your TV, etc. Once that’s done, you’re ready to go. Try it out by asking something tricky.
GOOGLE HOME HUB If it’s not volume you need, but visibility, this is ideal. It can show lots of info in response to a question, play videos, act as a photo frame and more, all powered by Assistant. £139, store.google.com
SAYS… “We love the trend for bigger smart speakers, and the Google Home Max is one of our new favourites. It’s super smart and sounds good enough to soundtrack a house party.” MATT BOLTON, EDITOR
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Home
BIG AND POWERFUL
HOME TEST
The best smart air puriĆers
PLATINUM AWARD
BEST FOR BIG ROOMS
Breathe better and live healthier with the help of these HEPA air puriĆers, which cleanse the air of even the tiniest contaminants
HOW TO GET MORE FROM YOUR SMART AIR PURIFIER GIVE IT SPACE Each air purifier in this test differs in the way in which air circulates around them. Some capture the contaminated air from one side and punt out clean air from the other, while some do the job from front to back. By giving your air purifier a sufficient amount of space all around it, you’re ensuring that it can do its job efficiently and you’ll get the best performance. Neatly, the Dyson Pure Cool can be adjusted to enable you to blow the air out from either the front or back, depending on your preference.
PLACE IT PROPERLY Unless you’re putting your air purifier in the bedroom – which is the recommended place since you spend the most time here – you should place it in the room you’re actually in. Sounds obvious, we know. Then, make sure to point the flow of air towards you, and leave it on at all times to maintain proper air purification.
REPLACE THE FILTERS The units in this test are smart, so they will tell you when the filters that purify the air in your home need changing. To maintain proper performance from your air purifier, the filter should be changed regularly. Normally these filters last about six months to a year, depending on how much you use your purifier – be sure to set it to auto mode to maximise its efficiency.
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WINIX ZERO+ £399, winixeurope.eu For an air puriĆer that’s got more oomph than your average unit, the Zero+ does the trick. Tall and portly – but not unattractive – it’s capable of cleaning the air in a room up to 120m2. A bold claim, though we assume that’s at max power (a costly 90W in this case). Winix claims a more modest, yet still impressive optimal room size of 40m2. There are Ćve fan speeds and an auto setting for ease of use, while an on-device light display gives you an at-a-glance air quality indication. Connecting the Zero+ to a network was Ćddly, but once in, the app was a pleasure to use, with lots of options, such as the ability to easily set a timer or change modes. There’s a lack of granular detail on the air quality readings, but this could be a good thing for some. The air puriĆer’s main foible? A replacement Ćlter is a considerable £100.
VERDICT T3 SAYS Perfect for cleaning up the air in bigger rooms, and it’s really easy to set up and use, though the replacement filters are quite expensive.
Smart air purifiers
SPACE-AGE AND SLICK
STYLISH AND SIMPLE
PLATINUM AWARD
BEST ON TEST
DYSON PURE COOL
BLUEAIR SENSE+
£500, dyson.co.uk
£435, blueair.com
The Pure Cool is a doddle to set up: just hold your phone near the display to get the Dyson app connected. A gorgeous interface depicts a virtual home which shifts colour according to the air quality. There’s lots of detail, with PM10, VOC and more displayed within, as well as outside air quality. The Pure Cool looks typically Dyson–smart, but it’s imposing. A remote control allows for easy out-of-app adjustments, or you can use Alexa voice control. A display lets you check readings at all times, but it’s a little on the small side. As for air cleaning, auto mode is neat, but the Pure Cool offers reĆnements such as rear airćow projection (nice during winter) and adjustable 360-degree oscillation, for Ćne tuning room coverage. It’ll happily work a room up to 27m2, which is pretty big. The two replacement Ćlters – £55 and £60 – are a costly combination.
Although it purports to be a smart air puriĆer, you need to purchase the optional (£209) Aware Indoor monitor to monitor your home’s air quality and let the Sense+ automatically clean it. This makes the Sense+ quite a pricey proposition. Without the Aware Indoor, the experience is basic, but pleasing. The unit is smart and a good size, making itbeasy to nestle in a room. On-device fan speed control is hidden until you wave your hand, Jedi-like, over the top. Appbcontrol is similarly basic, though you can set a weekly schedule, adjusting airćow and brightness of the front display to suit the time of day. Built for rooms up to 18m2, it’s the least powerful here, but still capable. The Sense+ seemed a little noisy in its lowest setting; not ideal for sensitive sleepers. A replacement Ćlter is, handily, just £55.
VERDICT T3 SAYS Looks great, if slightly dominating. A pleasure to use in-app, and there are lots of cleaning options, though the built-in display is a little on the small side.
VERDICT T3 SAYS Rather expensive for what is essentially a basic, smarts-free air purifier, albeit a good one, without the optional Aware Indoor monitor.
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Home
SMART HOME SURGERY Your connected-home queries answered by T3’s experts
PERFECT FOR
Christmas
ALAN BARNHAM, ESSEX
Q Can tech help me cook the perfect Christmas dinner? MATT BOLTON REPLIES: Cooking a perfect turkey is one of life’s great challenges. Even if you’re looking at some other kind of roast, getting it right on a day so intrinsically full of distractions is a big feat. The Samsung Prezio Electric Oven (£499, samsung.com) uses digital temperature control to ensure a consistent cook, and can be split into two individual temperature zones, meaning you don’t have to scorch your main roast at the same temperature as the rest of
A
your ovenables. Hoover’s Vision oven (£1,499, hoover.co.uk) goes one further, replacing the usual cloudy front window with a touch screen. Oh, and there’s a camera inside the oven, so you can keep tabs on your dinner (and tweak the temperature) from the associated app. That said, seeing the goings-on will only really tell you how crispy your roast is getting on the outside. The internal temperature is the real key point, and while there are plenty of jab-in thermometers out there, we’ve been
most taken by the app-driven Meater+ (£99,meater.com) recently. It can withstand oven temperatures up to 275C (if you’re roasting past this point you’re doing something wrong), and its battery lasts for more than 24 hours, which is enough to cover even the slowest cook. If you’re looking to cut out the hassle, why not try something new? Drop your turkey into the Wi-Fi-enabled Char-Broil Digital Smoker (£370) the night before, let it do its thing, and you’ll get a smoky, ćavoursome take on the Christmas roast.
SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: inbox@t3.com or www.facebook.com/T3mag 6 6 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
Smart home surgery
CARL HARRISON, GREATER MANCHESTER
Q How can I make my dumb
home more intelligent? CLAIRE DAVIES REPLIES: It depends on the type of smart home tech you want and the level you want to use it at – you’d be surprised at how many people own connected home products, yet haven’t scratched the surface of just how much these gadgets are capable of. Wi-Fi plugs, smart speakers (see p100) and other voice assistant-based gadgets are useful around the house, but if you want something next-level, take a look at Wondrwall, a whole home system designed for intelligent living. Wondrwall comes as a one-stop shop. The Base Kit (£499, wondrwall.co.uk)
A
KAY WEST, DEVON
Q My Nest
comprises a thermostat, alarm, a sensor-laden light switch and two smart key fobs (acting as the mobile connection to your home), enabling the system to control your heating, lights and security. Essentially, Wondrwall learns which rooms you use the most and how you live in them. For example, what temperature you prefer in that room, what tech you use in there, and what type of lighting you prefer in that space. Wondrwall will automatically recreate that environment each time you step into that space. If you want to change any aspect of it, the system is activated by voice control (Alexa Voice Service) as well as via app.
hermostat keeps disconnecting! ALEX COX REPLIES: It should still work to an extent. As long as it’s not disconnected from your boiler (which is very unlikely) you’ll still be able to manually adjust your ideal temperature. So, let’s troubleshoot: tap the ring, then head to Quick View > Settings > Technical Info > Power. If the Nest battery level is below 3.6V, it’ll automatically drop its Wi-Fi connection. If this is the case, there’s a charging problem somewhere along the line. Check USB cables, and ensure that the thermostat is properly seated in the base or on the wall. If the power’s good, the Nest will constantly try to reconnect, so if it appears ofćine in your Nest app it’s almost certainly either a case of the device not getting enough signal strength to create a strong connection, or wireless interference is getting in the way. Try moving your router closer to the thermostat or vice versa. Adjust external aerials, change wireless channels, move any obstructions around it. If this isn’t possible, consider a mesh networking solution (see opposite) to beam that signal around with a wider net. First- and second-generation Nest thermostats only connect on the 2.4GHz band, which is known to Ćght with other devices; if it only drops out when there’s a microwave running, or you’re using a wireless baby monitor at home, interference is likely the cause. A closer access point, or moving offending devices, can help alleviate this.
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NON-WEARABLE SLEEP TRACKERS Enjoy a better night’s sleep at the touch of a button How well do you sleep at night? If you are particularly sensitive, having a sleep monitor, or even a watch, strapped to your person might be too distracting for you. Luckily, there are other ways to keep tabs on how well you sleep. The Terraillon Homni (£199, terraillon.com/en) sits by your bedside and pulls double duty as a sleep coach, with scientiĆcally formulated ‘retire and rise’ lights and sound routines, plus a monitor that uses a host of sensors to analyse your sleeping patterns. For something a little more discrete, try the Beddit 3 (£149, beddit.com). This tracking system lies between your ground sheet and mattress to keep tabs on your nocturnal moves. The EmĆt 4S (£234, emĆt.com) non-contact monitor is even less detectable, given how it can measure your heart rate and breathing while sitting out of the way beneath your mattress.
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State of the Art
Flight, camera, action! Can the latest portable 4K drones turn you into an instant professional aerial videographer? T3 clocks up the air miles to Ćnd out Words: Chris Barnes Photography: Phil Barker
PERFECT FOR
Christmas 2 1
WHAT’S ON TEST…
1
Parrot AnaĆ Parrot’s 4K folding drone has its sights set on the Mavic Air’s crown. The AnaĆ’s slinky design and range of unique shooting modes, including the Jaws-style Dolly Zoom, will tease out your inner Spielberg. £629, parrot.com
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2
DJI Mavic Air The Mavic Air is DJI’s portable, foldaway ćyer, with unrivalled aerial stability and premium footage on the go. Obstacle-avoidance sensors and an abundance of auto ćight modes are a boon at this price. £769, dji.com
3
Yuneec Mantis Q DJI-like styling, voice control and a hair-raising Sport mode make Yuneec’s Mantis Q a real contender. Add in a 4K camera and facial recognition, and there’s little separating these drones on paper. £499, yuneec.com
4K camera drones
nce upon a time, camera drones fell into two camps: you had your top-end, professional drones, capable of hauling cinema-grade cameras skyward and capturing footage that was once only possible with a helicopter; and smaller consumer drones, fun for flying indoors as well as out, and with enough tech to snap a few shareable videos and pics. Now there’s a new breed of drone that packs all the formidable technology, confidence-inspiring safety features and
O
camera firepower of professional drones into portable powerhouses, while still promising all the ‘throw and go’ fun of compact drones. With these drones it takes just minutes to unpack, get airborne and start shooting in stabilised 4K. Drone technology moves fast. Each drone here comes loaded with a 4K camera mounted to a gimbal, and folds down alongside its controller for stowing in a bag or suitcase. All three sync with a companion app, the nerve centre for tweaking settings, and for initiating take-off and landing.
When it comes to nailing dynamic shots, a variety of auto shooting modes means you can nail panoramas, fly pasts and so much more, with just a few taps of your smartphone screen – no pilot’s license needed. What’s more, face recognition and visual tracking tech make it easy to follow a person or object (in a non-creepy way, obviously). DJI has always been king of the drones, so we’re here to find out if the new 4K folders from Parrot or Yuneec have the goods to knock the Mavic Air from the sky.
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State of the Art TEST 01:
PARROT ANAFI
DESIGN We have three amazing ćying machines, but which is the most dynamic? s we’ve come to expect from DJI, the Mavic Air is a real eye-catcher – all clean lines and stealthy styling. It folds down neatly into the supplied protective case, but even with propeller arms outstretched - the front arms fold out before the rear arms get into position - it measures just 168x184mm. The 4K camera is recessed in the nose and stabilised by a smooth three-axis, all-mechanical gimbal. The Mavic Air is the only drone here to include obstacle sensors: nose and tail cameras scan the environment for blockages, helping the drone outmanoeuvre them or emergency stop to prevent total obliteration. Downward Vision cameras and a 3D infrared system help with precision hovering. The space-saving controller is compact and neatly laid out. Even the joysticks can be unscrewed and stored within the controller. Parrot’s bug-like Anafi is more svelte than the Mavic Air in weight and design (the Anafi is 320g to the Mavic’s 430g). That said, the abundance of grey plastic makes it feel like a toy. On the underside, a vertical camera and ultrasound sensor aid positioning and hover stability, but there’s no obstacle sensing here.
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The DJI Mavic Air is an eye-catcher – all clean lines and stealthy style
If you’re conscious of baggage space on the road, the Parrot AnaĆ’s slimline design and 320g weight could make it the ideal travel companion
SPECS The 4K camera is mounted ahead of the propellers on a three-axis, digitally stabilised gimbal. This positioning means you never see the propellers creeping into view, something that can ruin decent footage. Because the camera isn’t recessed, it can also be aimed 90 degrees upwards for more angle options. The Anafi’s controller design is vanilla, but feels at home in the hands, and controls are right where you need them for piloting. The design of the Yuneec is reminiscent of the Mavic Air. In fact, there’s not much separating the two drones in looks, size or weight. There’s no obstacle sensing, just a vertical camera and ultrasonic positioning like the Parrot Anafi, and the camera is mounted to a primitive stabilising gimbal. The controller is uncluttered and small. Like the Anafi, it features a flip-up central mount to keep your smartphone front and centre. 7 0 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
CAMERA SENSOR 1/2.4-inch CMOS VIDEO QUALITY 4K/30fps STILLS 21MP LIVE STREAMING RESOLUTION HD 720p TOP SPEED 55kph BATTERY 2,700mAh MAX FLIGHT TIME 25 minutes RANGE 4km WEIGHT 320g CASE INCLUDED Yes
TEST 01: WINNER
DJI MAVIC AIR he Mavic Air could have come straight from the sketch pad of Jony Ive. he finely crafted design, neat folding mechanism and swish controller are all very desirable.
4K camera drones
DJI MAVIC AIR
YUNEEC MANTIS Q
Clever environment scanning cameras on the Mavic Air’s nose and tail enable the drone to detect and avoid obstacles in its path
Yuneec’s ćyer shares visual similarities with DJI’s premium Mavic Air, but it lacks obstacle sensors and the simple controller won’t win design awards
SPECS
SPECS
CAMERA SENSOR 1/2.3-inch CMOS VIDEO QUALITY 4K/30fps STILLS 12MP LIVE STREAMING RESOLUTION HD 720p TOP SPEED 68.4kph BATTERY 2,375mAh MAX FLIGHT TIME 21 minutes RANGE 4km WEIGHT 430g CASE INCLUDED Yes
CAMERA SENSOR 1/3.06-inch CMOS VIDEO QUALITY 4K/30fps STILLS 13MP LIVE STREAMING RESOLUTION HD 720p TOP SPEED 72kph BATTERY 2,800mAh MAX FLIGHT TIME 33 minutes RANGE 1.5km WEIGHT 480g CASE INCLUDED No
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT? NOT QUITE FLYING A DRONE MAY FEEL LIKE AbBREEZE, BUT DOING IT LEGALLY IS A DIFFERENT BALL GAME…
Piloting a drone is a whole heap of fun, but accidents can and do happen. The Civil Aviation Authority has seen Ćt to enforce abfew sensible laws that make for essential reading before you embark on your maiden ćight. For starters, it’s illegal to ćy your drone within 50m of people and property, or at altitudes above 120m. Planning to ćy near an airport? Hover within 1km of the
boundary and you’ll end up in hot water. It’s also critical to maintain line of sight with your drone. More rules are coming: buy a drone that weighs over 250g after 30 November 2019 and you’ll need to register it with the CAA and take an online safety test. And if you want to start charging people for your drone piloting services, you’ll need a commercial license.
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State of the Art TEST 02:
FLIGHT
PARROT ANAFI
Which drone delivers the most conĆdent ćying experience? Time to Ćnd out… etting airborne is an extremely simple process with all three drones: charge the battery and controller, download the companion app to your smartphone (DJI Go 4, Parrot Freeflight 6, Yuneec Pilot), follow the simple on-screen instructions and you’re ready to fly. If you’re a newbie, each drone offers a beginner mode that limits speed, altitude and range. These drones also record their location at take-off, returning to that point at the touch of a button. Additionally, the Yuneec Mantis Q features voice control for initiating take-off, landing, and certain camera commands (“Record a video”). The primary function of a camera drone is to capture stable footage from the air, so the drone’s ability to remain composed in flight is vital. This is usually aided by a multi-axis, camera-stabilising gimbal and positioning sensors. In comparison, the budget Yuneec Mantis Q comes up way short. Shoot at 1080p and the camera is kept fairly well-rooted via electronic image stabilisation (EIS). Boost the resolution to 4K and EIS stops, leaving footage at the mercy of the wind and the steadiness of your controller input. Disappointing.
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DJI MAVIC AIR
YUNEEC MANTIS Q
Whether the Parrot Anafi is hovering or tracking a cyclist, its poise is catlike The Parrot is a different beast. Hurtle the drone skyward and, whether it’s hovering or tracking a high-speed cyclist down a hill, the poise is catlike, while three-axis image stabilisation works wonders to keep the camera locked on target. Movements are smooth and there’s immediacy between controller input and drone movement. The Mavic Air is just as composed in the air. Those obstacle sensors add an extra layer of insurance, while the three-axis allmechanical gimbal keeps footage steady. All three drones benefit from a Sport mode for high-speed flight. Both the Mavic Air and Mantis Q deliver whopping speeds of 44mph, with the Anafi falling behind at 33mph. Battery life is the final battleground here. The Mavic Air takes last place with 21 minutes in the air, compared with 25 for the Anafi and an impressive 33 minutes for the Yuneec. 7 2 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
TEST 02: WINNER
DJI MAVIC AIR Both the DJI and Parrot drones are equally matched, but the Mavic Air takes the win for its reliable obstacle sensors and that slick, mechanically stabilised gimbal.
4K camera drones
PARROT ANAFI
TEST 03:
VISUALS Which drone produces the best stills and footage for your aerial creations? he Mavic Air comes equipped with an exceptional 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, capable of 12MP HDR stills and 4K/30fps video, or 1080p/120fps slow mo. Combined with the aerial stability and mechanical gimbal, the footage is ready for the big screen, recreating colours and textures in impressive detail. If you’re looking to get creative with a range of auto shooting modes, you’ll find a huge selection within DJI’s Go 4 app. The Mavic Air can track up to 16 subjects in Active Track mode, while Quick Shots serves up a variety of auto shot options, including Boomerang and Dronie. Setup requires just a few taps within the app, before the drone springs into action and starts filming. Smart Capture adds a dash of Jedi magic, enabling you to control the Mavic Air using hand gestures. Cinematic mode is ideal for manual flying, calming jerky controller input and ensuring your footage is buttery smooth. The Anafi’s 1/2.4-inch Sony CMOS sensor produces breathtaking footage. 21MP HDR stills are amazing, particularly in low light, and 2.8x lossless zoom gets even closer to the action. Even at full zoom, quality is bang on.
T
DJI MAVIC AIR
YUNEEC MANTIS Q
Stills are where the Mantis Q really shines, producing crisp, colourful images
TEST 03: WINNER
DJI MAVIC AIR here are fantastic auto shooting modes within the DJI Go 4 app, so you’ll never be short of shot ideas, and the Mavic Air camera produces superlative video and stills.
There are plenty of smart flight modes to experiment with, too. Dolly Zoom harnesses the zoom facility to recreate Hitchcock’s famous ‘Vertigo’ effect. Follow Me visual tracking and other useful modes work brilliantly, but are only available through an in-app purchase (£14.99). A bizarre move by Parrot, but even with this extra outlay it still works out cheaper overall than the Mavic Air. The Mantis Q’s 1/3.06-inch CMOS sensor produces rich 4K UHD footage, but it’s blighted by the lack of stability. There’s a touch more control when you bump the resolution down to 1080p. Stills are where the camera really shines. On our sunny test day we produced crisp, colourful images. The Mantis Q isn’t overly decked out with flight modes, but there’s enough choice to help newbies get to grips with photography. Visual tracking, in particular, works well. D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 73
State of the Art VERDICT:
1st
THE OVERALL WINNER IS… DJI MAVIC AIR £769, dji.com WE’RE IMPRESSED Stable, cinematic footage courtesy of that nigh-on perfect camera and three-axis mechanical gimbal; the DJI 4 Go app is intuitive and easy to navigate; the Mavic Air really does look the business. WE’D IMPROVE 21-minutes ćight time per charge means you’ll need to outlay for spare batteries almost immediately if
you want to shoot video for longer periods. THE FINAL WORD The DJI Mavic Air is simply one of the best portable drones you can buy. It ćies like a dream and offers a range of smart modes to help you bag spectacular shots every time you ćy.
PARROT ANAFI
YUNEEC MANTIS 4
£629, parrot.com
£499, yuneec.com
2nd
WE’RE IMPRESSED Produces exceptional video and stills; Dolly Zoom mode is epically cinematic. WE’D IMPROVE The AnaĆ looks like a toy; it needs obstacleavoidance sensors. THE FINAL WORD There isn’t a huge amount separating the AnaĆ and the Mavic Air. If you can’t stretch to DJI prices, this Parrot is a fantastic investment.
3rd
WE’RE IMPRESSED Battery life is exceptional; ćying in Sport mode is sheer joy; voice control works seamlessly. WE’D IMPROVE The Mantis Q isn’t stable enough to produce truly smooth footage; more ćight modes would be welcome. THE FINAL WORD Yuneec’s portable 4K ćyer is an ideal beginner’s tool if money is tight.
FIVE WAYS TO GET MORE FROM YOUR DJI MAVIC AIR 01 CHECK FOR UPDATES Your DJI Mavic Air and the controller will work at their best when the DJI Go 4 app and the drone’s Ćrmware are bang up to date. Before you leave home to go on an adventure, always check for routine software updates as countryside Wi-Fi and 4G can be sketchy.
02 GET INSPIRED If you’re stuck for shot ideas, fret not. Plenty of pro pilots share their astonishing video 74 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
footage and stills online, giving you endless inspiration for new locations, angles and subjects. For starters, take a gander at the popular Instagram accounts @droneoftheday and Tobias Hägg’s @airpixels.
03 POWER UP As mentioned above, our only reservation with the Mavic Air is the short battery life per charge. At £69 each, a spare Mavic Air Intelligent Flight Battery doesn’t come cheap, but load up with a few of them and you’ll never
miss a cracking shot just because you’re out of juice.
04 EARN YOUR WINGS If you’re new to piloting drones, it’s recommended that you spend your Ćrst few sessions familiarising yourself with the manual controls before you start exploring your drone’s various smart shooting functions. Then, when you’re ready to start capturing aerial gold, you’ll have the knowledge and conĆdence to use all of the Mavic Air’s amazing features.
05 WRAP UP FOR WINTER SHOOTS The autumn and winter months can deliver prime sunrises and dramatic scenery, just begging to be Ćlmed. The challenge for you is staying warm while capturing all that footage. Invest in some decent cold weather clothing, like the rather toasty Berghaus Ramche 2.0 jacket (£380, berghaus.com) and The North Face Etip Grip Gloves with touchscreen compatibility (£45, thenorthface.co.uk) to ward off any chance of frostbite.
4K camera drones
5
ESSENTIAL ADD-ONS Invest in these top drone accessories to take your aerial photography to impressive new heights
1
DJI GOGGLES
DJI Goggles are designed to fully immerse you in every ćight. The headset connects wirelessly to the Mavic Air and beams a crystal-clear feed from the drone’s camera to a pair of 1920x1080 HD screens inside the goggles. Head Tracking enables you to control the drone or the gimbal with head movements. £499, dji.com
01
2
LOWEPRO PROTACTIC 450 AW
If you’re planning a full day of shooting in the wild, you’ll need a comfy backpack to carry your drone and its accessories. With Lowepro’s SlipLock system it’s easy to customise the inside space for your drone, controller, batteries and more. There’s also space for a 15-inch laptop if you’re editing on the ćy, plus an easy-access bottle pouch for refreshments. £249, lowepro.com
02
03
3
BATTERY CHARGING HUB
4
LACIE DJI COPILOT
5
POLAR PRO CINEMA SERIES ND FILTERS
Charge four batteries and you’ll always be ready to shoot. Combine the Hub with the Mavic Air Power Adapter to charge batteries in sequence, according to their power levels, so you’ll never be far from a full charge. £39, dji.com
Shooting in 4K means plenty of sizeable Ćles, so you need reliable storage. Lacie has teamed up with DJI to create this rugged BOSS (Backup On-Set Solution) 2TB drive with drone pilots in mind. Ofćoad Ćles directly to the drive using the built-in SD card slot or USB port and manage them using the Copilot BOSS app. £349, lacie.com
04
05
Give your videos a cinematic sheen with this set of premium glass Ćlters. Attach them to your Mavic Air’s camera to control shutter speed, reduce glare on bright days, and smooth out footage. This set contains six select Ćlters, providing ideal options for differing conditions. e SRODUSURĆOWHUV FRP D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 75
Time of your life
PERFECT FOR
Christmas
TIME OF YOUR LIFE Nothing completes an outďŹ t like the perfect watch, and these watches are nothing if not perfection. From budget beauties to high-end horology, we’ve picked out some ideal timepieces for every occasion, no matter how dressy Words: Alistair Charlton
D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 7 7
Time of your life
UP TO £500
MONDAINE EVO2 This watch shares its design - and its manufacturer - with clocks that are used right across the Swiss railway network. Mondaine watches, and those platform clocks, are renowned for their simple yet distinctive design, telling the time at a glance, but maintaining your attention with the bright red second hand. The evo2 offers water resistance to 30 metres and is available in a range of sizes and configurations, with case diameters spanning from a slender 26mm to a more prominent 40mm. You can also pick your evo2 with or without a date complication, with a black or white face, and with straps of black, red, tan, or grey leather. From £189, mondaine.com
HUGO BOSS HB1005 This square-faced chronograph by Hugo Boss shares its looks with the iconic Tag Heuer Monaco - as worn by Steve McQueen in the film Le Mans. But, instead of the blue and red of McQueen’s timepiece, this Boss watch goes for the stealthy all-black look, with matching face, buttons, case and perforated leather strap. Although it looks chunky, the HB1005’s case measures a restrained 39mm across its width, and is 12mm thick. It’s water resistant to 50 metres and there’s a date complication at six o’clock. Stealthy McQueen looks on a modest budget? You can’t go wrong. £250, watchshop.com
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Up to £500
TISSOT V8 SWISSMATIC Tissot has a knack for producing watches that look far more expensive than they actually are, and the superbly named V8 Swissmatic is no exception. This car-themed watch is available in six different configurations, with leather straps available alongside a stainless steel bracelet to match the finish of the 42.5mm case. Swiss-made and water resistant to 100 metres, the V8 Swissmatic features twinkling sapphire crystal on the front and a transparent case back to show off the automatic movement. Best of all, it’s got V8 in the name, because why the hell not? From £315, tissotwatches.com D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 79
Time of your life
£500 TO £1,000
CERTINA DS ACTION DIVER POWERMATIC 80 If the Hugo Boss was McQueen on a budget, then this Certina DS Action Diver is Bond on a budget, thanks to its classic diving watch design reminiscent of 007’s Omega Seamaster – especially if you pick the blue option. Also looking similar to the Rolex Submariner, the Certina has a 42mm case and is water resistant to an impressive 300 metres. Rounding off this Swiss-made timepiece is an automatic movement, a date complication at three o’clock, and a rotating diver’s bezel. All you need to complete the look is a pair of tiny trunks and Daniel Craig’s gym membership. From £635, watchshop.com
JUNGHANS MAX BILL Named after legendary Swiss architect, artist and designer Max Bill, this range of watches is made up of beautifully simple timepieces of varying sizes, movements and colourways. The collection starts at the modest £490 mark for simpler quartz models, and runs right up to £1,680 for a larger automatic watch with chronograph and day/date complication. For anyone looking to extend their collection beyond the predictable, chunky diving watches everyone has, the Junghans Max Bill presents a delicate and considered approach which works with almost anything in your wardrobe, from t-shirts to tuxedos. From £490, jurawatches.co.uk
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£500 to £1,000
MAURICE LACROIX ELIROS CHRONOGRAPH Despite being described by the manufacturer as having a “calm, relaxed temperament,” the Eliros Chronograph is not a well-behaved pet, but a quartz-powered, stainless steel-clad wristwatch with a 40mm case and striking white, grey, blue or black faces. They come with complementary leather or milanese loop straps. You can can get the pure silver steel look you see here, or plated in pink gold to round off this watch’s distinctive style. There’s a three-dial chronograph to use as a stopwatch. The face is protected by sapphire crystal and water resistance is measured to 50 metres. From £775, mauricelacroix.com
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Time of your life
OVER £1,000
ORIS DIVERS SIXTY-FIVE The Divers Sixty-Five is a classy-looking conversationstarter, thanks to its 1960s-inspired design, fabric NATO-style straps (another James Bond nod, right there) and rotating bezel. There are a wide range of case and strap options, so you’re bound to find something to fit your own style. Being a diving watch, you’ll find a rotating bezel, domed sapphire crystal, a non-reflective dial to reduce glare underwater and illuminated time markings around both the dial and bezel. Naturally, the watch also boasts 100 metres of water resistance. From £1,270, jurawatches.co.uk
HAMILTON INTRA-MATIC AUTO CHRONO This stunning 40mm timepiece is a modern remastering of Hamilton’s 1968 original, offering a look that’s classically sporty with its exposed crown, pair of chronograph buttons, and smart black leather strap. With a so-called ‘panda eye’ design, the Intra-Matic is eyecatching without being too in-yer-face. The tachymeter and stainless steel case give off a vintage motorsport vibe, while the US-made watch is powered by an automatic movement produced in Switzerland. This is a watch simply crying out to be paired with a classic sports car or a Harley-Davidson. From £1,930, shop.hamiltonwatch.com
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Over £1,000
NOMOS ORION 33 AND 38 New for late-2018, the Orion 33 and 38 by Nomos – named after their case widths in millimetres – both feature midnight-blue faces with gold-plated hands and indices. They’re powered by a hand-wound mechanism which has a power reserve of up to 43 hours, meaning the watch will keep ticking for almost an entire weekend before you need to unscrew the crown and wind it up again. Boasting 17 jewels and colour-coordinated blue screws, the movement is made in-house and can be viewed through the domed sapphire crystal glass back, offering a fun and complex juxtaposition in the minimalist face. From £1,460, nomos-glashuette.com
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The next level
The next level Upgrade your gaming setup with these awesome accessories for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch Words: Sam Loveridge Photography: Olly Curtis
PERFECT FOR
Christmas
D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 8 5
The next level
PC You’ve got the serious rig you need for super-smooth PC play, but don’t forget these extra upgrades that willbkeep you on your very best game
PHILIPS HUE PLAY Download the Hue Sync app with the Hue Play, and suddenly the colours extend beyond your monitor to Ćll the entire room. Let the light bars react to the audio, or simply what they see on screen, but either way PC gaming has never been so immersive – or so colourful. £119 per pair, meethue.com
ROCCAT VULCAN 120 AIMO It’s not often that you can say that a keyboard is sexy, but this one is. With custom Titan switches, a cool metal Ćnish, full customisable RGB lighting and a sleek wrist rest, it rocks a look that’ll swiftly turn heads and kill-death ratios. £149, roccat.org
LOGITECH G PRO WIRELESS GAMING MOUSE
TURTLE BEACH ELITE ATLAS The world of gaming headsets can be a mineĆeld, but when you Ćnd a headset that offers the comfort, quality and features of one twice its price, that’s to be applauded. The Elite Atlas does just that, and this PC-focused, beautifully comfortable headset offers excellent audio quality without costing the earth. £89.99, uk.turtlebeach.com 8 6 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
Wireless mice can be risky, but not with Logitech. Packed with the new Hero sensor, with 16,000 max DPI, you don’t need to worry about input lag. Plus, it’s got customisable weight options, and works with the Powerplay mat that charges your totally wireless mouse while you play. From £129, logitech.com
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch The Switch might be the best portable console ever, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement with these fantastic extras
S-CHARGE BATTERY CASE The only problem with the Switch is its battery life, but there’s a solution. The S-Charge case wraps around your Switch, adding a 10,000mAh battery that extends your portable play time massively. It also comes with a big, tough case that can take the console and battery case, plus games, cables and headphones. £54, s-charge.co.uk
NINTENDO SWITCH PRO CONTROLLER
8BITDO WIRELESS BLUETOOTH ADAPTER
The Joy-Cons are great for that instant multiplayer fun, but for more complex games like Skyrim or Bayonetta, you’ll want the Pro Controller. Dual sticks, Amiibo support, motion controls, it’s got it all, butbmostly you’ll love the fact it feels like abPS4 or Xbox One controller. £59, nintendo.co.uk
Why pay out for that premium controller when you can opt for the dinky little 8BitDo Wireless Bluetooth adapter? Don’t be fooled by its Mario brick aesthetics, this is a seriously handy bit of kit, because it’ll get your existing PS4 or Xbox One controller working with your Switch dock. £13, 8bitdo.com
STEELSERIES ARCTIS 3 WIRELESS This is the perfect Switch headset because you can use it with your phone via Bluetooth while running the Switch audio through the 3.5mm jack simultaneously. That means you can play Splatoon 2 while using Nintendo’s awkward voice chat app, but they’re also stylish enough that you still won’t mind playing Zelda on the train. £99, steelseries.com
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The next level
Sony PlayStation 4 Sony’s dominant console has been around for years, sobgive yours new life with some add-ons that make itbeven easier to get lost in a new experience
SEAGATE 4TB GAME DRIVE FOR PS4
RAZER THRESHER 7.1
When you run out of PS4 hard drive space, everyone can hear you scream. But with this 4TB hard drive from Seagate, you can quadruple your PS4 Pro’s storage space. And with modern game install sizes averaging 60GB, that’s 65 more games you can have at your trigger Ćngertips. £124, seagate.com
Perfect if you need a wireless headset for all those Fortnite sessions, the Thresher Ultimate comes with Dolby Headphone 7.1 Surround support. The dongle allows for quick plug-and-play wireless connectivity, while the retractable boom mic hides when you just want to experience the audio solo. £14, razerzone.com
PLAYSTATION VR STARTER PACK The PlayStation VR headset means that trying virtual reality has never been more affordable, more comfortable or more immersive. The Starter Pack comes with the required camera, along with a smorgasbord of delicious VR tasters. And there are so many more waiting for you to try. £239, sony.co.uk
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SONY DUALSHOCK 4 CHARGING STATION If you’ve got more than one PS4 pad, you should treat yourself to this dinky dock, which charges two DualShocks at once. They slot neatly in and out between gaming sessions, meaning you don’t have to bother with wires hemorrhaging from your TV unit. £21, sony.co.uk
Microsoft Xbox One
Microsoft Xbox One Whether you’ve got the technical tour de force Xbox One X, or the slim and smart Xbox One S, these make more of your precious game time
ASTRO A50
LOGITECH G920 DRIVING FORCE
XBOX DESIGN LAB CONTROLLER
Gaming audio needs to feel immersive, and thanks to the A50’s support for Dolby 7.1 surround sound, that’s exactly what you’ll get. This wireless headset packs rich, deep audio into a design that’s both lightweight and comfortable, complete with great battery life, a simple charging station and straightforward audio controls. £299, astrogaming.com
With Forza Horizon 4 hopefully nestled in your game library by now, you need a racing wheel to really put the wind in your hair. Logitech’s G920 is the best there is, thanks to its hand-stitched leather trim, dual-motor force feedback, included pedal system and premium metal Ćnishes. This really brings the road home. £329, logitech.com
Is it even your controller unless you’ve got it decked out in your favourite football team’s colours, emblazoned it with your GamerTag or vibing your aesthetic? Well Microsoft’s Design Lab Controller lets you create your own pad from scratch, swapping in and out components and colours like a high-tech sweet shop. From £59, xboxdesignlab.xbox.com
XBOX ELITE WIRELESS CONTROLLER WHITE SPECIAL EDITION Maybe you’re more bothered about the quality of your controller than its looks. This premium, fully customisable pad comes with programmable rear metal paddles, choices of D-Pad, analogue sticks and even trigger depression. This is the pro pad for your best gaming moments, and you deserve it. Particularly this special edition, wintery white option. £119, xbox.com
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TESTED Expert reviews and recommendations to help you buy with conĆdence
Edited by Matt Bolton
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100
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SAMSUNG Q900R 8K QLED
ALL-NEW AMAZON KINDLE PAPERWHITE VS KOBO FORMA
APPLE iPHONE XR
GOOGLE PIXEL 3 XL
6 SMART SPEAKERS
NEXTBASE 612GW
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.
THE SCORES EXPLAINED Forget it Below average Good for the price Very good all round An exceptional, best-in-class product
OUR AWARDS Only the best products – those that score Ćve PLATINUM stars – receive our AWARD Platinum Award
This is given to winners BEST ON of our group tests, so TEST you can see which is the best at a glance
BEST FOR BATTERY LIFE
This accolade, and others like it, show you which gear is best for speciĆc features
THE DESIGN AWARD
For kit with exceptional industrial design and reĆnement, in addition to being a great buy
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Tested
THE DESIGN Display sizes 65, 75, 85 inches AWARD Panel 7680x4320 4LED Image processor AI 4uantum Processor 8K OS Eden 2.0 Connectivity 4x HDMI 2.0, 3x USB, 2x satellite, optical, Wi-Fi, Ethernet Weight 29.5kg (65-inch model) Dimensions 1452x836x34mm (65-inch model)
8K GO
Samsung Q900R Wildly ambitious precursor to a new erabof TV or wizardly marketing wheeze? Perhaps the Ćrst 8K TV inbthebUK is actually a bit of both… From £4,999 samsung.com hough we know our loyal T3 readers are ahead of the pack, 4K screens have only just elbowed regular HD out of the picture. So do we really need another resolution revolution? No, of course not. But when did that
T
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ever stop the march of technological progress? The TV industry will always embrace the next big thing, and Samsung is the first major brand to break cover with a screen that goes where no telly has ventured before: a whopping 8K resolution in all its 33-million-pixel glory.
So many pixels Needless to say, the prospect of 8K for the home has had us salivating. Just as
4K UHD offered a four-fold jump in resolution over 1080p HD, now 8K introduces a screen resolution that’s four times as dense again. The catch, of course, is that there is effectively no 8K content to be had right now. Not even a sniff. That means the real appeal of this pricey pixel pusher hangs on its ability to upscale 4K content, regular HD Blu-rays, and that pile of dusty DVDs you have in the spare room.
Samsung Q900R
INVISIBLE WIRES Instead of having cables hanging out of your telly, one cable goes to the One Connect box and you plug everything in there. It’sba much tidier system
Smart connectivity is no different from other high-end Samsung screens. The Q900R employs the familiar Tizen Smart OS of other Samsung TVs, accessed via horizontal bars on-screen. One of these has curated content from various services, the other a list of apps and services themselves. Available apps for streaming video include Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube. The set doesn’t support Freeview Play, but there is a full complement of UK catch-up TV available (BBC iPlayer, My5, All 4, ITV Hub) to make up for it. It’s a solid smart platform with much to like. It also boasts Ambient Mode, which enables the TV to serve a purpose even when you’re not watching something specific: it can blend, chameleon-like, with your wall coverings (you use the SmartThings app to create an image of your wall that is displayed onscreen), function as a picture gallery, or display a news ticker. Ambient Mode is a very cool feature, but in a world of increasingly alarming
WHERE TO WATCH YouTube and Vimeo both technically support 8K, though content is, shall we say, limited. You’ll also need a 50Mbps internet connection
climate change news, we don’t exactly find ourselves drawn to the idea of leaving the telly on just because we can.
Size and shine Ultimately, the appeal of this TV hangs on its video performance. There’s a hefty price premium attached to the newly baked panel and associated image processing technologies. We tested the 65-inch model (QE65Q900) for this review, which is pretty reasonable at £4,999 – a premium over most 4K OLED or QLED models (this is the latter, as Samsung has yet to enter the OLED game), but nothing compared to super-luxury giant TVs. There’s also a 75-inch version, which comes in at £6,999, and the 85-inch version, which more than doubles the price to £14,999. This isn’t out of whack with the cost of highend OLED TVs of a similar size from the likes of Panasonic, but the steep rise certainly trips you up. The good news is that it looks absolutely amazing with native 8K
You can hide the One Connect box away, along with itsbcables
footage. The detail and clarity it presents is second to none. Our 8K viewing selection, which was provided by Samsung for testing, comprised fancy footage of city spaces, pets and people, and all looked so real we swear we could have just reached out and touched them. But for the foreseeable future, owners will actually be watching 4K or HD. This is where the set’s AIbased upscaling comes in.
Upscale funk Ultra HD Blu-rays look extremely good. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 is vibrant, detailed and a joy to watch. But was Samsung’s hyped Machine Learning Super Resolution (MLSR) technology adding much above a comparable high-end 4K set? Well, not really, at least nothing appreciable at the 65-inch screen size to our eyes. Certainly more pixels have a bigger impact at bigger sizes, but we want to see the benefit here, too, since this will be a common size. At trade shows, Samsung has shown upscaling technology able D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 9 3
Tested
HDMI HAPPY Samsung promises to upgrade the current One Connect box for free to a version with HDMI 2.1 in the future, which can handle 8K
to do remarkable things with SD content, at least making them approach HD clarity. But for all its strenuous efforts, the Quantum 8K processor at work here wasn’t making much of a dent on regular DVD. A Superbit (hands up if you remember those?) DVD pressing of Shakespeare in Love, which opens with a descent into the Globe theatre, looked just as ropey here as it does on any other modern large screen. Clearly, the potential is there when it comes to harnessing machine learning to improve picture clarity, but at this early stage there’s still
We like the idea of the One Connect box a lot, and it’s pretty well-Ćxed for connections
homework to be done and many more improvements to be made.
Drama screen Like any modern TV, we expect dramatic contrast and colour in HDR as a part of its offering. Black level performance is solid, particularly in rooms with some ambient light. Letterbox bars look suitably cinematic. We have to say, we don’t think the Q900R looks quite as inky as Samsung’s 4K Q9FN TV. HDR support covers HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG, while Dolby Vision is technology absent. We measured
HDR peak brightness at just under 1,200 nits. This is pretty much the best out there, and makes for highly effective HDR, but it’s not quite the sunlight cannon some may have expected from the way Samsung has been routinely talking up this TV’s HDR capabilities. One trait which did become slightly irksome was a lag shifting between normal luminosity and a bright highlight. Often quite pronounced, it looked as if the backlight algorithm was having a problem keeping up with-fast moving dynamics in scenes.
THE ALTERNATIVES
SONY AF8
LG OLED77W8
JVC DLA-NX9
Our favourite 65-inch TV of the moment is the Sony AF8, a 4K OLED model delivering incredible colours, and brilliant upscaling and motion processing. Ingeniously, it also uses the screen itself as a speaker. £2,999, sony.co.uk
If you had your eye on the bigger sizes of the 4900, this is a great 4K alternative. A 77-inch OLED, it comes with a separate box/soundbar for connections. There’s also a 77-inch version of the cheaper C8 model (£6,999). £12,999, lg.com
Is the 85-inch version of the 4900 not epic enough for you? How about this 8K projector? It’s actually 4K natively, but pixel-shifting tech enables it to mimic a resolution of 8192x4320 convincingly on a screen up to 300 inches. £18,600, jvckenwood.com/en
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Samsung Q900R
THICK OF IT The direct LED backlighting makes for brilliant dynamic range, but adds a lot of thickness compared to an OLED set
In general use, the set offers the same image preset selection, regardless of whether it’s delivering SDR HD or HDR 4K. There’s a choice of Dynamic, Standard, Natural and Movie, plus some calibration modes. Most users will gravitate to either the Standard or Natural modes. There’s actually quite a difference between them. The opening sequence of Thor: Ragnarok, in which the God of Thunder does battle with Surtur, sets the average picture level far too bright in Standard mode. Sure, the fire demon looks suitably fiery, but the background cave detail looks over-exposed and shadows become floodlit. Natural mode offers a more convincing balance.
Mood board Motion handling in the set is good. With Auto Motion Plus left in Auto, there are motion artefacts (although we’ve seen worse), while horizontal pans are smooth and sharply detailed. In the Custom mode, with Blur Reduction on 10 and Judder on 3, any artefacts are all but eliminated, though pans suffer mild judder and lose detail. This is the better movie option, if you don’t want to turn off image interpolation entirely.
A screen of this calibre should be used with a separate sound solution, of course, but the on board audio system is perfectly fine. The Q900R doesn’t suffer from thinscreen syndrome, pushing tinny sound that actively spoils movies. You could probably get away without a soundbar if you really had to. (Don’t, though.)
Sound stage That decent sound is partly thanks to it being a fairly chunky flatscreen, as they go (certainly compared to OLED), just like its 4K-only cousin the Q9FN. This is down to its use of a FALD (Full Array Local Dimming) backlight – lots of LEDs behind the screen, basically. Its great for control over brightness in specific areas, but it does add thickness. As you might expect, the screen tethers to Samsung’s latest (large) One Connect box. This features four HDMI inputs, optical digital audio output, Ethernet, Freeview HD and satellite tuners, plus a trio of USBs. The pair are linked by a single Near Invisible cable, which carries both power and AV. It means you can hide the One Connect box away. Note that the HDMI ports on this box are not the latest HDMI v2.1
The bezels on the 4900R are pretty thin, but we wish Samsung could have pushed the design further
specification, because they are not yet available to TV manufacturers. This means the One Connect Box can’t accept native 8K at 60fps from an external source (not that there is one). They do have some aspects of the HDMI 2.1 specification though, and apparently one HDMI input will accept 8K at 30fps. Although 8K is clearly still a work in progress, the Q900R is an exciting way to jump into next-gen TV.
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Native 8K footage looks gob-smacking good HDR performance. WE’D IMPROVE One Connect Box doesn’t meet HDMI 2.1 spec no Dolby Vision HDR support no native 8K content yet. THE LAST WORD The Samsung 4900R is technologically advanced and looks fantastic, but 8K is a work in progress.
Not quite ready for the 8K revolution? Try these stunning sets instead: bit.ly/t3besttvs
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Tested PERFECT FOR
Christmas
NEW EREADERS
All-new Kindle Paperwhite From £119, amazon.co.uk DESIGN Now thinner, lighter (182g) and waterproof, the travel-friendly all-new Paperwhite has a 300ppi six-inch Carta E Ink display with an additional LED light, making text look crisper. Those big bezels, though now flush, eat into the screen.
£239, kobo.com DESIGN The shape is odd but we like it, and the ‘spine’ is easy to grip. It’s waterproof like the Kindle, yet a smidge heavier (197g). The eight-inch 300ppi E Ink ‘drop-proof’ display rotates so that you can hold it by either side. However, it was a little slow to do so.
FEATURES The all-new Paperwhite has Audible support, so you can beam audiobooks to your Bluetooth cans. A plethora of Kindle features makes reading easier and boosts your word prowess. Personalised book suggestions are better matched than from Kobo.
FEATURES Although not as innately feature-rich as the Paperwhite, the Forma does have an integrated OverDrive platform, enabling you to borrow ebooks from your local public library. But no audiobook support at this price is bemusing.
USABILITY Page orientation, brightness, font size and type are easy to customise, and you can create unique presets for different reading situations. Improved backlighting lessens eye strain during nighttime reading, but the Forma’s approach is better.
USABILITY Navigation is fast, customisation options are plentiful, and housekeeping (ie, creating book collections) is easy. ComfortLight Pro instantly adjusts the colour temperature to the time of day, lessening eye strain. This is a wonderful luxury.
PERFORMANCE Over Wi-Fi, the Paperwhite downloaded our books snappily, but surfing the net was a somewhat sluggish experience. Storage starts from 8GB (32GB also available for £149), and battery life can be up to six weeks depending on how often you use it.
PERFORMANCE Apart from the rotation issue, the Forma is very responsive. Downloads happened quickly, with plenty of room to store them; 8GB is standard and a 32GB option is coming. The 1,200mAh battery should last a whole novel without recharging.
VERDICT
1st
Kobo Forma
WE’RE IMPRESSED Smooth-touch display with additional LED light; battery life; Audible support. WE’D IMPROVE Those bezels are well chunky, making the screen feel a bit cramped.
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED ComfortLight Pro rocks; the shape is truly ergonomic; OverDrive for free ebooks. WE’D IMPROVE The rotation sensor lags at times; built-in audiobook support would be welcome.
Check out more of the best ereaders at: bit.ly/t3ereaders
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2nd
Apple iPhone XR
screen (which is easier to use one-handed than the 6.5-inch screen of the iPhone XS Max) with a resolution of 828x1792. That’s nowhere near as detailed as the 1242x2688 display in the iPhone XS Max, and being LCD instead of OLED means you don’t get the same rich HDR depth, though the brightness is the same for both. All that said, the screen in the iPhone XR is a million miles from being bad in any way – it’s still sharp enough, it’s vibrant, and the widecolour support is gorgeous. It also has the brilliant True Tone feature that makes it much easier on the eyes. All that said, it’s just not quite as lifelike as the XS’s screen. You can also get a higher-res OLED screen from the likes of the Huawei P20 Pro, which is now about £550. Oddly, Apple hasn’t included 3D Touch in the screen, meaning iOS works a little differently to all its other iPhones. It’s not a massive deal, but if you’re used to it, it’s a shame to lose it.
Take a picture The camera is a single-lens wide-angle affair, and is one of the best in the industry right now, capturing so much light and detail. You get Portrait mode here, but it’s different to other iPhones: it only works on people by default, and it frames differently, because it uses the wide-angle lens rather than the telephoto lens of the XS. This means it takes brighter photos with more detail in Portrait mode, but if you get a close-up of someone’s face, their features get bulbous from lens distortion. It’s still an excellent camera, but we prefer the more flexible dual-camera system on the XS. Performance is best-in-class – it includes the most powerful phone chip on the planet, and is super fast. That includes the new generation of Face ID, which is impressively accurate. Even better, the XR actually has the best battery life of any iPhone, lasting about a day and a half of average use. This is no cut-back iPhone. From build to speed, it’s the real deal.
R-RATED
Apple iPhone XR Apple’s new X-class phone brings ćagship features from the XS for less money, but have corners been cut or just rounded?
VERDICT From £749 apple.com ast year, Apple declared that the iPhone X’s design was the future. But it was also much more expensive than previous flagship iPhones. Now, the iPhone XR brings that design at a price more people will be willing to pay, but it’s still packed with flagshiplevel tech from the XS. Still, starting at £749 instead of the £999 of the 5.8-inch iPhone XS means some savings had to be made by Apple. The biggest change is the screen: here, you get a 6.1-inch LCD
L
WE’RE IMPRESSED Great battery life; supremely powerful; top build quality; strong camera. WE’D IMPROVE Less ćexible camera than the iPhone XS; can get a better screen for the money; lack of 3D Touch is weird. THE LAST WORD This is the premium iPhone experience for a great price. The XS is the better phone overall, but you’re not getting short-changed here at all.
Find the best prices online: bit.ly/XRdeals
D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 9 7
Tested
Screen 6.3-inch 1440x2960 OLED Processor Snapdragon Qualcomm 845 Memory 4GB Storage 64GB/128GB Camera 12.2MP rear camera; 8MP wide angle and 8MP telephoto front camera Battery capacity 3,430mAh Dimensions 76.7x158x7.9mm Weight 184g
PIXEL PERFECT
Google Pixel 3 XL Photos and fantastic software are still this phone’s speciality, but there are other upgrades on the table, too
From £869 store.google.com oogle’s third generation of its own phone hardware continues what we saw with the Pixel 2: a brilliant camera paired with a stand-out version of Android. But the world has moved on in the last year. So the question is, has Google kept up?
G
Cut it out Google has tried to make the Pixel phones instantly recognisable with their two-tone textured backings, as you’ll know if you’ve spotted previous Pixels. That same design language is in evidence here, though this time the backing is smoother thanks to it being an all-glass design to enable wireless charging. A matte finish for the lower half means it doesn’t feel slippery in your hand. 9 8 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
We’ve also got a single-lens rear camera and a fingerprint sensor around the back – no in-screen fingerprint reader for the Pixel range yet. The Pixels have never led the pack in terms of hardware design, and the Pixel 3 XL is no different. As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we think this is a really, really fine-looking phone, with one caveat: that deep notch on the front display. It includes twin front cameras, but makes you realise how elegant the wider, shallower notch on the iPhone XS is. Status icons, the time, and other details can feel a bit lost in the big gaps the notch creates at the top of the screen. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it stands out. The screen of the Pixel 3 XL stretches to 6.3 inches from corner to corner with the help of that notch, though it doesn’t feel as massive as that might initially suggest. If you have relatively big hands you can hold it comfortably, though typing really
Google Pixel 3 XL
needs both hands to do the job justice. The bottom chin is larger than some of its cutting-edge rivals, too. The 1440x2960 OLED display is sharp and looks fantastic no matter what it’s being used for. Games, apps, videos, social media… It all pops. In addition, the front-facing speakers are powerful and impressive. The Pixel 3 XL is powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor, which has been in many a flagship phone this year. Its pure speed falls a little behind the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro, but nips along very quickly in reality. There’s no lag or delay in any of the menus, and there are no problems with games or apps, no matter how demanding. That speed will be partly down the quality of the Pixel 3’s OS. This is stock Android with a few bells and whistles on top, such as the calendar widget that tells you when your next appointment is coming up, and the animated lock screen mode. After ten years of polishing, Android 9 (‘Pie’) works brilliantly in the pure form included here, and new additions, like the navigation gestures and digital wellbeing tools, are ace.
As with the 2017 Pixels, you can squeeze the sides of the Google Pixel 3 XL to launch Google Assistant or another app. It works well. The 3,430mAh battery is good enough for a day’s standard use, but it won’t stretch beyond that. If you put your phone through a lot of calls, GPS use and gaming, you’re likely to be hunting for a charger by the evening. The phone does seem to keep its charge well in standby mode, so if your job means the phone mostly sits in a drawer all day, you should have plenty of juice left for a full night.
The Pixel 3 comes in Clearly White, Just Black and Not Pink (which isbdeĆnitely pink)
Pic a winner Like last year, the camera is perhaps the single biggest selling point for the Pixel 3 XL. In fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find another phone that takes better shots, despite the single 12MP sensor system on the rear. There’s loads of detail, the colours are gorgeously bright, and overall the results are just breathtaking. Low-light performance is brilliant, capturing dramatic shots instead of grey murk. Portrait mode also works brilliantly, adding realistic bokeh for stunning headshots.
THE ALTERNATIVES HUAWEI MATE 20 PRO This 6.5-inch phone has a brilliant triple-camera setup on the rear, a speedy processor, a futuristic in-screen Ćngerprint sensor, and a gorgeous screen. It’s a technical tour de force. Our full review arrives next issue. From £899, huawei.com
APPLE iPHONE XS MAX This 6.5-inch phone is damn expensive, but you get a fantastic screen and camera, stunning stainless steel Ćnish, and a processor faster than most pro laptops. It’s the slickest phone around. From £1,099, apple.com/uk
The dual front camera setup is interesting: two 8MP sensors can combine for a Group Selfie Cam feature, helping you achieve a wider shot that includes more people. Photography is one area where the Google Pixel phones really do lead the pack, and if photos are important to you, this phone should be near the top of your list when you upgrade. In fact, it should be on the list no matter what you want from a phone. With a better camera, performance and screen, this is a great upgrade from the Pixel 2, and sits strongly among its peers. We’ve been hugely impressed by the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and iPhone XS, so it’s worth checking those out too before you commit.
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Google has aced the camera again; screen is big and beautiful; excellent version of Android. WE’D IMPROVE That notch is massive; battery life is middling. THE LAST WORD From the camera and OS perspective, the Pixel 3 XL is hard to beat. This is one of the phones of the year, no doubt, but there are a few features and technical areas where others surpass it.
Get the latest Google Pixel 3 deals at: bit.ly/t3pixel3
D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 9 9
Tested PERFECT FOR
Christmas
Smart speakers These speakers all promise good sound quality along with their voice-assistant smarts, but which offers the best complete package? Words: Matt Bolton Photography: Olly Curtis
BEST FOR SOUND
CLASSIC ROCK, MODERN TECH
INCREDIBLE AUDIO FOR APPLE FANS
MARSHALL STANMORE II VOICE
APPLE HOMEPOD
UE MEGABLAST
£349, marshallheadphones.com
£319, apple.com
£269, ultimateears.com
The rock riff that plays when you turn this on tells you what you’re in for. This amplooking speaker includes Alexa, and you can play music over aptX Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (though the latter only works with Spotify Connect), and has dials on top for volume, bass and treble. Audio-wise, we found it strong, but a little frustrating – it’s damn loud and has a pretty open sound that’s doesn’t skimp on detail, but the bass feels ćabby and loose. We love the design and build, but for the price we want more streaming options and low-end control.
This is the best-sounding speaker of its size we’ve heard. Seven tweeters deliver roomĆlling sound with tons of detail, while a mind-blowing woofer delivers immaculately poised bass way beyond what it looks capable of. It’s a truly rich, full soundstage in small package. You can also have two in a stereo pair, and there’s AirPlay 2 multiroom streaming. However, it only works with Apple devices, and Siri is not the smartest assistant, though its control of HomeKit-compatible smart devices is really strong and ćexible.
Want to take Alexa anywhere? The Megablast is rated as IP67 dust- and waterproof, so it can withstand getting splashed in the garden or the bathroom, and can survive a few knocks thanks to its rubberised build. Speaker quality is great, pushing 360-degree sound that’s powerful enough to give your next party a big pop. It’s a pretty nuanced soundstage too – big and bold, but pleasing across every genre. And because it’s rechargeable, youbcan take it around the house as you listen tobyour favourite radio station and podcasts.
10 0 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
SOUND AND SMARTS TO GO
Smart speakers
hen smart home assistants first began appearing, music control was clearly a big selling point for people. But the original Amazon Echo’s speakers were crap, so it’s wasn’t a great combination overall.
W
But that’s all changing. Great companies want to make sure you get the most flexible speakers to play music on demand, so they’re throwing ingenious sound tech into tiny packages that work perfectly in any room, filling them with lush
sound at your command. Far-field mics ensure that the various assistants can hear what you want, and extra wireless connectivity means you can play from devices. Here we put six speakers tuned for sound through their paces.
BEST FOR SMART HOME
THE SMART HOME SUPREMO
THE SURPRISE PACKAGE
ONE SPEAKER TO RULE THEM ALL
AMAZON ECHO PLUS (2ND GEN)
RIVA CONCERT
SONOS ONE
£139, amazon.co.uk
£199, rivaaudio.co.uk
£199, sonos.com
The new Echo Plus is more of a looker than its predecessor and has the tech to match. This is an Alexa-powered smart speaker with Dolby-tuned audio that’s balanced really well and has plenty of punch, but sounds a litle more compressed than the more expensive options here. It’s also a smart home hub, controlling devices directly using built-in Zigbee wireless. This means you don’t need a base station for compatible gear, which includes smart plugs and Philips Hue bulbs. That’s a bit limited now, but it’ll grow. Setup is super easy too.
This looks to be gunning straight at the Sonos One: it’s about the same size, has Alexa built-in, but even more ways to play, including Bluetooth, plus Apple AirPlay (not AirPlay 2), Spotify Connect and DLNA over Wi-Fi. The audio potency in this thing is really impressive – it has way more bass than the Sonos One (pushing more towards the HomePod’s thump), giving a rich, full sound overall. However, when treble gets busy it feels noticeably a bit crunched and compressed compared to the open detail of the Sonos. This is small, but mighty.
This is really aiming to be the high-tech speaker for everyone. Being a Sonos, it works with other Sonos gear as a wireless multi-room setup or stereo pair, but it can also do Apple AirPlay 2 streaming. AI smarts are handled by Amazon Alexa, which means it can do a lot, though Google Assistant is promised as an option soon too. The microphone quality is good, though the more expensive HomePod and Marshall hear better over noise. The sound quality is excellent: clear and complete in the mid and top-end, though bass is slightly thinner.
D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 101
Tested NextBase 612GW
PERFECT FOR
Christmas
ALL-SEEING
NextBase 612GW Dash cams get the Ultra HD treatment with this 4K wonder, but does it have the goods to impress beyond pixel power? £249.99 nextbase.com extBase’s best dash cam yet takes a more premium approach to a gadget that can at times feel utilitarian, by adding a slick aluminium case. But what you’re really here for is the image quality, packing in 4K video recording using a Sony Exmore R sensor that’s excellent in low light. The result is as good as you’d hope: we’d say it has the best image quality of any dash cam we’ve tested, thanks to that high-resolution sensor and a seven-element lens that offers an ultra-wide, 150-degree viewing angle, plus a polarising filter (there to help reduce any glare that comes in through the window). The image quality was only let down when we were driving towards the sun, when it would tend to underexpose the roads and other cars. This can be fixed, though, as NextBase gives you exposure compensation control via the built-in three-inch touchscreen. In all other conditions, image quality proved excellent and is the most detailed we’ve seen so far, which isn’t a surprise given the 612GW’s Ultra HD credentials. Still, this kind of spec
N
10 2 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
jump doesn’t always come with actual benefits, but here it really does make a difference. You also get all of the useful features you would expect from a modern dash cam, including Wi-Fi connectivity for uploading videos, plus GPS tracking for data capture. The included mount uses suction and magnets, making it easy to fit the camera or to remove it when you’re leaving the car. All of this core stuff is great, but we do have a few issues with the 612GW. For a start, it’s far from svelte. In fact, it’s ones of the chunkiest dash cams we’ve installed (taking up much more windscreen real estate than the Garmin Dash Cam 55, our current top dash cam pick). When using the cam, you’re also hit with a tidal wave of beeps and chimes. It’s not a major issue, just slightly annoying, but it makes the dash cam seem cheaper than it is. Mercifully, these can be turned off. While the 612GW has Wi-Fi and a companion app available on both the Google and Apple app stores, it’s worth noting that a lot of people have reviewed the app negatively, saying they had connectivity problems with it. We didn’t have any major problems, but hopefully any issues can be fixed with a software update. Overall, if you want the best picture in case there’s an accident, this is the cam to buy.
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Image quality is the best in the business; the included magnetic mount is reliable and sturdy; lots of genuinely useful features. WE’D IMPROVE The big, chunky unit is a bit intrusive; there’s potential forbapp issues. THE LAST WORD The Nextbase 612GW is a very good dash cam, offering excellent image quality and a range of useful features.
Find the best deals for this dash cam: bit.ly/t3dashcams
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The ultimate SMART HOME 2019 Save money, energy and time by upgrading your home with the ultimate in smart tech, from solar batteries to robo assistants
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BEST OF THE BEST The world’s best tech, all in one place Edited by Matthew Bolton
If you’re looking for the very best tech available today, you have deĆnitely come to the right place. Best of the Best is the most useful gadget-buying guide you will ever encounter. To create it, we’ve ruthlessly Ćltered down to the biggest groups, to bring you rock-solid recommendations for your home life, daily commute and the tech you use all the time. Within each of those groups, we’ve got a dozen categories for key tech buys. We’ve picked one product for every category that we think is the best you can get on balance, taking into account price, quality and features, so it’s easy to know what you need in your life. You should also check out T3.com, where you’ll Ćnd even more categories, if you’re looking for something that isn’t here. From big-budget buys to the little (but essential) accessories, we’ve got you covered.
INSIDE 106
ENTERTAINMENT
107
AUDIO
108
LIFESTYLE
109
AUTO
110
SMART HOME
111
LIVING
112
COMPUTING
113
TRAVEL & OUTDOORS
D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 10 5
Best of the best BEST OF…
ENTERTAINMENT
However serious you are about your TV, movies and gaming setups, we’ve got the perfect buys for a tricked-out living room OLED 4K TV
VALUE 4K TV PHILIPS 43PUS6262 Combining UHD resolution with Philips’ patented Ambilight mood lighting, this is a sure-Ćre crowd-pleaser. Image quality is excellent for the price, with crisp Pixel Plus 4K detail and punchy HDR contrast. From £329, philips.co.uk
SONY AF8 Sony’s next-gen 4K HDR TV looks fantastic thanks to its OLED display and advanced image processing. Because of ingenious tech that uses the screen itself as a speaker, it also sounds superb. From £2,499, sony.co.uk
TOP-END 4K TV
4K HDR PROJECTOR LG W8 With an incredible 2.75mm thin screen and a 4.2-channel soundbar, this is a stunner. But there’s also a new brain that takes image quality to a whole new level. It’s more like a window than a screen. From £5,999, lg.com
VALUE 4K BLU-RAY PLAYER
ACER V7850 Acer hits the Ultra HD sweet spot with this high-performance, relatively low-cost beamer that gets just about everything right. Brightness is great and images look razor sharp. Bonus: it’s fairly small. £1,999, acer.com
TOP-END 4K BLU-RAY PLAYER PANASONIC DMP-UB900 The 4K and HDR pictures from this unit are out of this world, packing incredible colour depth and detail in Ultra HD (and making everything else look fantastic, too) to elevate your home cinema experience. £399, panasonic.com
XBOX ONE S Yes, this is primarily a games console, but it’s a damn good UHD Blu-ray player too. Budget 4K players from other brands still cost around the same as this, but you can’t stick a game in them. £199, microsoft.com
4K STREAMER
UNIVERSAL REMOTE APPLE TV 4K The only streaming box capable of highend Dolby Vision HDR and 4K, with the biggest library of 4K HDR movies via iTunes, as well as streaming from Amazon, iPlayer, Now TV and loads more. £179, amazon.co.uk
TV SOUNDBAR
AV RECEIVER SONOS BEAM Not only is this a superb-sounding TV speaker, with an excellent mode for enhancing dialogue, it’s multi-room ready with Sonos’ other products, supports Apple AirPlay, and has Alexa built-in. £399, sonos.com
PORTABLE GAMES CONSOLE NINTENDO SWITCH Not the most powerful current-gen console, but with Nintendo’s legendary games line-up and the ćexibility to play in stacks of different control conĆgurations, it’s the best portable machine you can buy. £279, nintendo.com 10 6 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
LOGITECH HARMONY ELITE A dual-purpose remote, as at home in your hands as it is sat in the corner of your living room, controlling everything from your TV to your lighting. You can even control it from a phone app! £279, logitech.com
MARANTZ NR1608 Small enough for any setup but packing in features, this receiver offers 7.2-channel surround, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D audio, eight 4K 60Hz HDMI ports, Wi-Fi music playback and smart 4K upscaling. £595, marantz.co.uk
4K GAMES CONSOLE XBOX ONE X The most powerful console ever is a true technical marvel, capable of astonishing graphics in native 4K and HDR, and Dolby Atmos 3D sound. It even includes highquality 4K Blu-ray playback. £449, xbox.com/en-gb
Best of the best BEST OF…
AUDIO
From wireless convenience to audiophile heaven, this is the gear you need to make the most of your favourite music MULTI-ROOM SPEAKERS
WI-FI SPEAKER
SONOS ONE Pound for pound, this is a hell of a lot of speaker for your money, easily Ćlling a room, and expandable through the versatile Sonos speaker range. Built-in Alexa support clinches it for Sonos. £199, sonos.com
PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
NAIM MU-SO It’s expensive, but there just isn’t a better sounding or looking wireless speaker for the price. The sound is monumentally excellent, and it supports a solid range ofbstreaming options. £1,199, naimaudio.com
WIRELESS OVER-EAR HEADPHONES BOWERS & WILKINS PX These stylish headphones are also technical marvels, boasting adjustable noise cancellation via an app. They pause automatically when you take them off, last ages, and sound absolutely fantastic. £329, bowers-wilkins.co.uk
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO YOYO M These portable speakers are made for wireless stereo sound and come as a pair (though you can use one on its own). They offer punchy audio in an impressively wide sound Ćeld, and look great, too. £249, cambridgeaudio.com
WIRELESS IN-EAR HEADPHONES
WIRED OVER-EAR HEADPHONES BOWERS & WILKINS P9 SIGNATURE These are open-backed headphones, so they let sound in and out, but the quality is astounding, especially through a serious headphone DAC/amp setup – and they’re wonderful with compressed music too. £699, bowers-wilkins.co.uk
BOSE SOUNDSPORT FREE These are great all-rounder headphones, with the bonus of true wireless freedom. They sound great, are sweat-proof for exercise, have a healthy Ćve-hour battery life per charge, and are a good price. £179, bose.co.uk
WIRED IN-EAR HEADPHONES
PORTABLE HIGH-RES PLAYER
KEF M100 This blend of KEF’s traditional audiophile instincts with comfortable contemporary styling is a fantastic product, great value, and the best in-ear headphones, pound forbpound, that you can get. £89, uk.kef.com
HI-FI STREAMER
ASTELL & KERN KANN A substantial audio device at nearly 300g, but one that does incredible things. It’s a DAC in its own right, it’s an astonishing hi-res player, and its massive battery will keep you rocking for days on end. £899, astellnkern.com
BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS NAIM UNITI ATOM An immensely stylish streamer with a great screen, that’s compatible with a host of music streaming services. It’ll play anything on your network and via Chromecast, AirPlay and Bluetooth aptX. £1,999, naimaudio.com
HI-FI STEREO AMP CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AZUR 851A Nine easily selected inputs and Cambridge Audio’s own patented Class XD ampliĆer design combine to make this a truly unique and special amp, one that can stand up to any musical test. £1,400, cambridgeaudio.com
KEF LS50 WIRELESS Adding wireless smarts and built-in ampliĆcation to KEF’s brilliant UniQ drivers makes these not only sound amazing, but they’re super ćexible tobplace and play any music too. £1,999 (pair), uk.kef.com
TURNTABLE AUDIO-TECHNICA AT-LP5 Pouring 60 years of turntable expertise into one device, Audio-Technica’s AT-LP5 will give you vinyl pleasure for years, thanks to its glorious audio quality, tanklike build and USB-output future-prooĆng. £329, eu.audio-technica.com D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 107
Best of the best BEST OF…
LIFESTYLE
Kit yourself out with the ultimate in personal technology. This is the stuff you use every day, so make sure you get it spot on with our picks ANDROID PHONE
PREMIUM PHONE APPLE iPHONE XS Apple improves on last year’s near-perfect iPhone X with a faster processor, better battery life, an amazing new camera that shoots excellently in low light, top speakers, and a bigger 6.5-inch size. From £999, apple.com/uk
HUAWEI MATE 20 PRO The Mate 20 Pro delivers an experience that leaves nothing to be desired. It has a super-fast chip, stunning OLED screen, knock-out Leica camera system and a next-gen in-screen Ćngerprint reader. From £899, consumer.huawei.com
MID-RANGE PHONE
VALUE PHONE
ONEPLUS 5T This isn’t the newest phone, but at the prices you can now Ćnd it for, it’s ideal. You get a six-inch display, a fast Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB of RAM, and truly premium build quality. £399, oneplus.com/uk
HONOR PLAY You get some incredibly tasty technology in the Honor Play, including the rapid Kirin 970 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a very spacious 6.3-inch FHD+ screen. It feels like a phone that costs three times more. £279, hihonor.co.uk
HYBRID WATCH
SMARTWATCH
MISFIT PHASE Smartwatch functionality without the screen – all the alerts, connectivity and activity tracking you desire, packed into a stunning and completely inconspicuous analogue watch with a six-month battery. )URP e PLVĆW FRP
APPLE WATCH SERIES 4 Beautiful big screens, a thinner design, cellular connectivity, great battery life and groundbreaking health, and Ćtness features make this the essential techy timepiece… for iPhone users only, alas. From £399, apple.com/uk
ANALOGUE WATCH
FITNESS TRACKER
TUDOR BLACK BAY GMT Sporting a bold 41mm steel case and distinctive blue and burgundy bezel, the Black Bay GMT can keep track of not one, not two, but three time zones. It’s ideal for those who often travel internationally. £2,790, tudorwatch.com
BLUETOOTH TRACKER TILE SLIM A tiny keyring-sized square that helps your phone keep tabs on your wallet and vice versa, with a selection of ringtones, a year’s battery life, and the endurance to last a lifetime sitting in your back pocket. £30, thetileapp.com
ELECTRIC RAZOR PHILIPS SERIES 9000 PRESTIGE This razor is incredibly comfortable to use, almost feeling like it’s just wishing thebstubble away as it goes over your face – but the hair deĆnitely goes, even when you’re dealing with a few days of growth. £420, philips.co.uk 10 8 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
FITBIT CHARGE 2 It’s not the most feature-packed tracker on the market, but it wins out for comfort and amazing app support that can make it part of a complete Ćtness program as itbtracks sleep, steps, distance and more. e ĆWELW FRP
EREADER KINDLE OASIS Ultra-thin, lighter than a ćimsy paperback, and weighted to be held in one hand, the Oasis takes digital reading to the next level. Clip on the leather charging cover and you’re set for months of books. £269, amazon.co.uk
ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH PHILIPS SONICARE DIAMONDCLEAN SONIC Whiten and polish with the vibrations from this versatile brush, which whips your toothpaste into a bubbly frenzy to get between your teeth more effectively. £149, philips.co.uk
Best of the best BEST OF…
AUTO
Get the best driving experience possible. No matter whether you tend to go for two wheels or four, these are the top vehicles and accessories around FAMILY CAR
FUN CAR ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE Aston Martin’s most affordable vehicle is also its most fun. A stunning design, amazing agility and the raucous four-litre V8 engine will have you grinning from the moment you slip behind the wheel. From £120,900, astonmartin.com
AUDI Q7 E-TRON The Q7 is ice-cool, uncompromising and ruthlessly efĆcient. The spacious sevenseater has all of the entertainment and technology to make long journeys as smooth and comfortable as possible. From £65,750, audi.co.uk
CITY ELECTRIC CAR
LONG-RANGE ELECTRIC CAR JAGUAR I-PACE A T3 Award winner. Jaguar focused on making its Ćrst all-electric vehicle into the very best car it could be, with an impressive 300-mile range, 394bhp to all four wheels, and a smart interior. From £63,495, jaguar.co.uk
BMW i3 The i3 is a responsive, highly practical electric runabout packed with connectivity options and enough power in its 170bhp motor to hit 62mph in just 7.3 seconds. Perfect for a daily commute. From £30,250, bmw.co.uk
SMART CONNECTOR
SAT-NAV
LOGITECH ZEROTOUCH Transform your Android phone into an Alexa-powered voice assistant for your car. This car holder connects to your phone over Bluetooth to provide voice and gesture control when driving. £49, logitech.com
DASH CAM
TOMTOM GO 6200 Sat-nav brought bang up to date, with pinperfect mapping joined by on-board Wi-Fi, a data SIM to keep you up to date with the trafĆc, and full hands-free facilities for your phone, including narrated alerts. £239, tomtom.com
IN-CAR CHARGING GARMIN DASH CAM 55 Constantly watching the road, the Dash Cam 55 does more than record footage and save it in case of an incident. Driverawareness warnings will tell you if you’re too close or veering out of your lane. £109, garmin.com
ELECTRIC BIKE
BELKIN ROAD ROCKSTAR Plug this into your car charger to create two USB ports for juicing up your devices at the front... And with a six-foot cable that extends to the back with another two USB ports, everyone can charge up. £29.99, belkin.com/uk
ELECTRIC FOLDING BIKE BROMPTON ELECTRIC Brompton’s expertise means this folds down super small, but still gives you that ebike oomph. Adaptive power level tech means it automatically gives you the amount of assistance you need. From £2,595, brompton.com
GTECH EBIKE CITY A budget-friendly ebike that’s impressively lightweight. There are two levels of assist to help you power up hills, or to speed up your journey if you’re in a hurry. Handsdown, this is a great commuter bike. £995, gtech.co.uk
SMART HELMET
BIKE-NAV LIVALL SMART HELMET A connected helmet with turn signals, speakers for safe Bluetooth calling, ridetracking facilities to keep you pushing harder, and an SOS alert which detects impacts and shares your location. £90, livall.com
BEELINE BIKE COMPASS More of a traditional navigation device than a modern one, the backlit E-Ink display of the Beeline constantly points to your destination and tells you how far precisely you have left to ride. £99, beeline.co D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 10 9
Best of the best BEST OF…
SMART HOME
Upgrade your house with the best tech for monitoring security, saving energy and controlling everything from one place VOICE ASSISTANT
SMART LIGHTING SYSTEM PHILIPS HUE Philips is the big name in smart lighting, thanks to a ćexible, expandable system. Great app control, clever lighting options and integrations with other smart home devices make it the brightest of the bunch. From £50 (starter kit), philips.co.uk
AMAZON ECHO Alexa is everywhere these days, but nowhere is Amazon’s AI more at home than in its Echo. It couples an awesome array microphone with pleasing design for the perfect assistant experience. £89, amazon.co.uk
SMART DOORBELL
SMART SECURITY
RING VIDEO DOORBELL 2 Part motion-detecting security camera, part ring-anywhere doorbell, the Video Doorbell 2 alerts you via your smartphone when you have a visitor – and you can two-way talk even if you’re not home. £179, ring.com
LIFESTYLE WI-FI CAMERA
Y-CAM PROTECT Y-Cam’s smart networked alarm supports up to 32 sensors and alerts your phone if it detects motion, or doors or windows are breached – and the built-in battery and phone SIM mean it works in a blackout. £149, y-cam.com
SMART SECURITY CAMERA NEST CAM IQ OUTDOOR Facial recognition and person tracking provide truly intelligent alerts here, and image quality from the 4K sensor is excellent, day or night. It’s really hardy, and there’s a matching indoor version. £269, nest.com/uk
LOGITECH CIRCLE 2 WIRED No smart home cam is as fun to use as this – instead of CCTV, it’s more like a Fitbit of home monitoring. It provides a sped-up ‘brief’ of the day, two-way communication, has a 180° camera and Alexa control. £149, logitech.com
DOOR & WINDOW SENSORS
SMART LOCK
HIVE WINDOW OR DOOR SENSOR Super-simple to install, reasonably priced, and highly inconspicuous once they’re up, Hive’s sensors are a great addition to an existing Hive set-up and there’s even one in the Hive starter pack. £29 each, hivehome.com
SMART PLUG
YALE CONEXIS L1 Unlock your front door with a key fob, a phone tag or using Yale’s cool Bluetooth Twist and Go tech – just turn your phone 90 degrees and you’re in. PA24-certiĆed for security, and tamper-proof, too. £230, yale.co.uk
WEATHER STATION BELKIN WEMO INSIGHT SWITCH This isn’t just a way to switch your devices on and off (though it does do that); the WeMo also keeps close tabs on your energy usage, so you can see just how much that tumble dryer is costing you. £29, belkin.com/uk
SMART HUB
THERMOSTAT NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT This is a crowded market, but Nest’s quality app, clever preference-learning tech and automatic energy-saving options push it to the top for us. Plus the 3rd-gen Nest looks amazing on the wall. £200, nest.com 110 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
NETATMO WEATHER STATION Netatmo’s outdoor sensor pulls in metrics about temperature, humidity and more, but it’s the indoor sensor, which keeps tabs on the air quality and CO2 levels in your home, completes the package. £120, netatmo.com/en-gb
AMAZON ECHO PLUS (2ND GEN) The Echo Plus isn’t just Alexa and Dolby 360° speakers – its built-in hub can discover and control tech from Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, Hive and others directly as your smart hub. £139, amazon.co.uk
Best of the best BEST OF…
LIVING
The home and garden technology that makes life easier, from cooking and cleaning to lifestyle luxuries COFFEE MAKER
KETTLE SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL SMART KETTLE The perfect cup of tea requires careful temperature control. The Sage kettle offers Ćve options, and can keep itself nicely warm for 20 minutes. £89, sageappliances.co.uk
SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL THE ORACLE TOUCH A sleek machine bringing barista-level coffee making to your home, with the hard part handled automatically. You can also go manual and the results are just as tasty. £1,999, sageappliances.co.uk
COOKER
MICROWAVE RANGEMASTER ELISE 110 Want the versatility of gas hobs and the reliability of an electric oven? This dual-fuel range is the ultimate in kitchen convenience, with six solid burners, two ovens and a grill with glide-out action. £2,379, rangemaster.co.uk
DEHUMIDIFIER
SAMSUNG MS28J5215AS The most attractive metal box your kitchen counter has ever seen – it almost looks like a Galaxy S8 – with a host of settings, such as a deodorisation blast for purging the scent of last night’s meal. £139, samsung.com/uk
PURIFIER PHILIPS AC3256 AIR PURIFIER Philips’ device doesn’t just do a great job of cleaning the air in your room, it lets you know the current quality at a glance with its glowing coloured ring. If it turns red, it’s time to clear out for a while… £339, philips.com
MEACO 25L ULTRA LOW ENERGY DEHUMIDIFIER This small unit can drag 25 litres of water out of the air in a day, perfect for drying clothes indoors without the risk of mould or condensation ruining your windows. £299, meaco.com
WASHING MACHINE AEG 9000 SERIES L9FEC966R This fantastic cleaner introduces a salt dispenser to clothes washing, softening the water for better results. It also runs quietly and is rated A+++ energy efĆcient. All for a very reasonable price, too. £929, aeg.co.uk
ROBOT VACUUM
DISHWASHER AEG COMFORTLIFT FSS62800P ComfortLift means just that. Pull out the bottom rack and it rises up to meet you, meaning you won’t need to bend to Ćll this A++ rated washer. It even opens the door at the end of the cycle to let off steam. £989, aeg.co.uk
MANUAL VACUUM NEATO BOTVAC D7 CONNECTED This rapidly clears hard ćoors and carpets, its D shape helping it get into corners. It sends your phone a map of where it’s cleaned, and you can set ‘no-go’ areas. It works with Alexa and Google Home. £679, amazon.co.uk
ROBOT LAWNMOWER ROBOMOW RS635 Not a blade of grass out of place, particularly once the Robomow activates its edge mode. With 56cm cutting width and up to 100 minutes’ work time on a charge, it’ll cover even the largest lawns. From £2,199, robomow.com
DYSON BIG BALL ANIMAL 2 What Dyson has got spot on here is the weight of the Big Ball cylinder and how it navigates and balances – righting itself, even. Suction is exemplary, and there’s a variant for pet hair, if you need it. £299, dyson.co.uk
PRESSURE WASHER KÄRCHER K7 By using multiple pressure layers and an adjustable spray lance, K¦rcher’s premium water blaster cleans efĆciently and quickly, with enough options available to scrub just about any surface or vehicle. £569, kaercher.com D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 111
Best of the best BEST OF…
COMPUTING
From gaming paradise to mobile workhorses to tablets with laptop power, these computer and accessory picks will increase your productivity ULTRAPORTABLE LAPTOP
PRO LAPTOP MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 2 15 This super-ćexible laptop brings huge Intel quad-core power and Nvidia GTX 1060 graphics to a thin frame, but also thebability to detach the screen and use itbas a generously sized 15-inch tablet. £2,349, microsoft.com
HP SPECTRE 13 4K An incredibly thin, light and beautiful laptop, with a dense, high-end 4K panel. Despite being 1cm thick, it doesn’t skimp on the power either, thanks to an Intel Core i7 processor. From £1,599, hp.com
GAMING LAPTOP
GAMING PC ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS GX501 This is an amazing piece of engineering. Despite being incredibly thin and light (2.2kg), it packs insanely powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics, a quad-core processor, and a 120Hz 1080p display. £2,799, asus.com
ALIENWARE AREA 51 THREADRIPPER Enjoy a colossal performance with up to a 16-core overclocked CPU and Dual AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 graphics (top-end model) in this unusual casing, which holds parts at 45° angles for better airćow. From £2,149, dell.com
4K MONITOR
ALL-IN-ONE
SAMSUNG U28E590D Everyone’s getting in on the 4K game, but Samsung’s 28-inch panel is yet to be bested. A 1ms response time means it’s perfect for even twitchy games, and 60Hz 4K action is just a DisplayPort away. £300, samsung.com/uk
APPLE iMAC WITH 5K RETINA DISPLAY There’s never been a screen like this. Big enough for every task, detailed, bright, colourful, and it happens to have a Mac stuffed in the back of it as well. From £1,749, apple.com/uk
GAMING HEADSET
MECHANICAL KEYBOARD
STEELSERIES ARCTIS PRO WIRELESS This brilliant PC and PS4 headset supports dual wireless streaming over Bluetooth and 2.4GHz simultaneously, lossless audio, has swappable batteries, and is super lightweight and comfortable. £139, steelseries.dk
GAMING MOUSE
RAZER BLACKWIDOW CHROMA V2 Razer’s special own mechanical switches (promised to last for 80 million hits) make this ideal for gaming or typing. It comes with fully programmable keys, and Ćve custom media keys. A premium package. £165, razer.com
PREMIUM TABLET RAZER DEATHADDER ELITE Razer’s Chroma-lit mouse is ultraergonomic for even the most awkward hands, and its Omron switches (good for 50 million clicks, apparently) are only bested by the 16,000 CPI optical sensor. £69, razerzone.com/gb-en
MID-RANGE TABLET APPLE iPAD 9.7 Apple’s cheaper iPad has a super-fast A10 processor, a vibrant 9.7-inch 2048x1536 display, and a wealth of tablet-speciĆc apps and games that run great. It also supports the excellent Apple Pencil stylus. From £319, apple.com/uk 11 2 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
APPLE iPAD PRO The iPad Pro is more than a tablet. It’s a creative toolkit, a processing powerhouse, and an essential addition to any mobile workćow, whether you opt for the 10.5-inch or 12.9-inch model. From £619, apple.com/uk
VALUE TABLET AMAZON FIRE HD 8 While it’s a budget device, don’t expect budget performance. The Fire HD 8 offers up everything you need for a smooth experience, and enough muscle to deal with anything you can throw at it. From £80, amazon.co.uk
Best of the best BEST OF…
TRAVEL & OUTDOORS Whether you’re off for a holiday or just hitting the running trail, get the most from your trips with these amazing tech buys ENTRY-LEVEL DSLR
FULL-FRAME DSLR NIKON D850 This 45.7-megapixel camera takes full advantage of its big full-frame sensor to produce truly astounding images. On top of that, it’s packed with great features, andbis easy to handle. Pretty much perfect. £3,499, nikon.com
CANON EOS 800D The 800D gets great features from Canon’s pro line, including a snappy 45-point AF system, top build quality, articulating screen and, most importantly, fantastic image quality. A top all-rounder. From £609, canon.co.uk
MIRRORLESS CAMERA
COMPACT CAMERA
SONY A9 It’s so expensive, but it earns every penny by packing an incredible 24.2-megapixel full-frame sensor, with 20fps shooting while tracking autofocus the whole way. It’s a technical and imaging marvel. £4,299, sony.co.uk
ACTION CAMERA GOPRO HERO7 BLACK On top of classic GoPro toughness and 4K 60fps image quality, this adds image stabilisation that makes recordings super smooth. It has voice control, a touchscreen, and is waterproof to 10m. £399, gopro.com
RUNNING WATCH GARMIN FORERUNNER 645 MUSIC Garmin is the king of sports watches. Fast GPS and oodles of useful data (especially with a connected Garmin chest strap), plus music storage and playback to Bluetooth headphones, make this a winner. £399, garmin.com
BATTERY PACK
SONY RX100 VI If you want the ultimate in pocket-sized image quality, this is it. A large one-inch sensor is joined by an ace 24-200mm lens, retractable electronic viewĆnder, tilting touchscreen, and glorious picture quality. £659, sony.co.uk
CAMERA DRONE DJI MAVIC AIR Enjoy pro-level aerial photos and video, regardless of your skill level. A three-axis gimbal keeps the Mavic Air’s 4K camera stable, with a range of auto ćight and tracking modes delivering brilliant results. £769, dji.com
WATERPROOF PORTABLE SPEAKER UE WONDERBOOM As at home on the beach or ćoating in the pool than it would be in your kitchen, the UE Wonderboom generates a 360-degree sound from its tiny IPX7-rated shell. Up tobten hours of battery life is great, too. £79, ultimateears.com
CHARGING CABLE ANKER POWERCORE 20000 Being away from a power socket doesn’t mean you’re away from power. Anker’s battery pack can charge an iPhone 7 seven times, determine the best way to charge your devices, and weighs only 350g. £29, anker.com/uk
BACK-UP PHONE
STK BINARY 3 There’s no universal charging port on modern gadgets, but there is a universal cable – this has adapters for compatibility with micro-USB, USB-C and Lightning, with brilliant braiding so it won’t fray. £30, stklife.com
UNIVERSAL CHARGER NOKIA 3310 The 3310 will win no awards for its tech, that’s true. But for a bargain price like this, with a battery that goes on and on, it’s the perfect second phone to chuck in a bag when you’re hitting the great outdoors. £49, nokia.com
MU WORLDWIDE TRAVELLER DUO Two ports for a pair of devices that can charge at once, a range of foldable plug pin connectors for different countries, and the thinnest design we’ve seen for abUSB wall charger. £34, themu.co.uk D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 113
VICES
Guilty pleasures to seriously spoil yourself
SU N TORY HIBIKI 17 Y E A R OL D Immortalised in the 2003 Ćlm Lost In Translation, when Bill Murray’s struggling actor was seen advertising it, Suntory is renowned for its award-winning malt whiskies, distilled at the foot of Mount Kaikomagatake in the Japanese Alps. Onebof those, the Hibiki (Japanese for harmony), is a truly indulgent blend that contains notes of vanilla, ripe bananas, marzipan and fruit cake, and comes in a gorgeous, multifaceted bottle representing the 24 ‘small seasons’ of Japan. But what makes the 17 Year Old edition of this tipple especially noteworthy is that Suntory is discontinuing it due to a shortage of stock – meaning your investment is likely to go up in value, if you can resist opening it. Considering how damn good this stuff tastes, that’s a very big if. £550 for 70cl whiskyshop.com
NEXT ISSUE IS ON SALE FRIDAY 28 DECEMBER Save energy and money with our guide to the ultimate smart home 114 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
A FESTIVE SELECTION
The best gadgets for £100 & under
Christmas gifts for £100 and under
Contents 04 Secret Santa Oh, you’re buying for that work buddy? Don’t worry, our selection of budget-friendly Secret Santa pressies will see you right
06 No place like home Give the gift of a smarter home. We especially love this teeny, Alexa-integrated plug-in speaker and radio…
08 Movie night magic All the TV you can handle with our round-up of streaming gadgets, plus the best new and remastered movies for Christmas
10 On the road again
Welcome You don’t have to spend a fortune to Ćnd a brilliant Christmas present for a loved one, friend or work buddy. There are plenty of awesome gifts for £100 and under, and we’ve collated our favourites to help you
Gorgeous gifts and handy accessories for jetsetters, weekend adventurers and seasoned commuters
12 Ready, set, playtime! Buying for the little ones is easy, especially with these playful yet educational toys for toddlers and older kids
shop smarter, without breaking the bank. From travel and home tech to toys and grooming gadgets, you’ll Ćnd great gift inspiration here. ––
13 Furry friends Of course your pet deserves a gift. Will it be a tennis ball launcher, laser dot game, or a GPS collar to keep them out of trouble?
Team T3
Contributors
14 Unleash your creativity Get busy with tech to create 3D models in real wood, print vintage-style copies of phone pics, and build ‘smart dough’ models
Editor
Senior Content Editor
Matthew Bolton
Claire Davies
16 Look good, feel good
Production Editor
Art Editor
Kimberley Ballard
Michelle McLaren
Feeling lethargic and looking grey? Then step this way for stylish accessories and health gadgets to perk you up
Global Editor-in-Chief
Senior Art Editor
Paul Douglas
Jo Gulliver
FREE WITH ISSUE 289 OF T3 MAGAZINE. NOT TO BE SOLD SEPARATELY
18 Game on Tune out from the mayhem of Christmas and lose yourself in an ultra-vivid game. Football fans and wannabe cowboys catered for D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 3
Christmas gifts for £100 and under
Wow Wee RC Mini Robot Playing Secret Santa to someone who’s hard to impress is easy, actually, with this bitty fella. Wow Wee’s ’bot is cute, easy to drive, and guaranteed to raise a smile. £14.99, amazon.co.uk
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Secret Santa
Chilly’s Reusable Water Bottle Cocktail Carry-on Kit One for cocktail fans. Magarita, Italian Spritz‌ There are many kits to choose from, all of which include the tools to create the featured tipple. Just add booze. £17.90, wandpdesign.com
Buying for an eco-conscious work buddy? Help them Ćght ocean plastic with this reusable bottle, available in three sizes and a variety of colours and prints. From £15.99, chillysbottles.com
Retro Pocket Games Console A lifesaver for work buddies who have to sit through tedious meetings, this dinky handheld console packs in 150 classic 8-bit games to help them while away the time. e ĆUHER[ FRP
Secret Santa
Anker PowerCore 5000 Charger The PowerCore 500 can fully re-charge most phones at least once, making it a truly handy gift for commuters. ÂŁ15, amazon.co.uk
Fun, useful and stylish gifts for every type of work buddy
Game Boy Heat Change Mug Forget fake poop. Choose this Game Boy mug with a ‘screen’ that activates whenever you pour hot drinks inside. e WUXIćHVKXIćH FR XN
Rocketbook Everlast Mini Amazon Basics GoPro Strap Adrenaline junkies will love this action cam head mount for cycling and off-road pursuits. It’s surprisingly durable and adjustable, Ćtting a range of helmets. £7.99, amazon.co.uk
Compatible with all cloud services, this pocket-sized reusable notebook transforms handwritten scribbles into digital Ćles. To reuse a page, add a drop of water. Magic! £15.99, getrocketbook.co.uk
Salter Cactus Digital Scale Buying for a baker who makes Mary Berry look like amateur hour? There’s only one gift they’ll want: Salter’s limited edition kitchen scale with easy-read display. £19.99, salterhousewares.co.uk D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 5
Christmas gifts for £100 and under
Logitech Pop Smart Starter Kit
Smarter iKettle 3.0
iBox Ellipsis
Control your smart lighting, locks and more with Logitech’s wireless Pop Smart Button. Create ‘recipes’ to control speciĆc aspects of your smart home simultaneously. £79.99, logitech.com
With Smarter’s Alexa-enabled and app-controlled iKettle, you can either say, “Alexa, switch the kettle on,” or do it yourself, on the way home, via the app. £99.99, store.smarter.am
No, this isn’t a smart plug. It’s an Alexaenabled plug-in Wi-Fi speaker with internet radio. A nifty gadget for quickly adding tunes and smarts to any room. £59.99, iboxstyle.com
No place like home
We’re not suggesting you buy someone a Wi-Fi plug for Christmas, but these smart home gifts are sure bets…
Netatmo Healthy Home Coach
Ember Ceramic Mug
Philips Hue Tuar Pedestal
By monitoring the temperature, humidity and air quality of the room it’s in, this gadget can elevate the general wellbeing of the person you’re gifting it to. £89.99, netatmo.com
Death to tepid tea! Set your preferred drinking heat and this temperature-control mug will maintain it to the last drop. It can also track your caffeine intake. £79.95, ember.com
Team up with Philips to shed some smart light on your loved one’s lawn or patio, courtesy of the app-controlled Tuar for year-round outdoor feature lighting. £89.99, meethue.com
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No place like home
Google Home Mini With this dinky Google Assistant-powered smart speaker, your loved one can control their smart home, stream music and radio, get news updates and more. ÂŁ49, store.google.com
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Christmas gifts for £100 and under
1
Stream it all Get your Ćll of the best-looking and sounding media this Christmas, and control playback with ease
2
3
4
1. Amazon Fire TV with 4K UHD Launch and control playback on your favourite movies and TV shows using Amazon’s smart streaming stick, optimised for 4K UHD content and boasting all-new Alexa voice control functions. £69.99, amazon.co.uk
2. Now TV Smart Stick Like Amazon’s streamer, you can use voice control to activate any Now TV content you’d like to view. It’s basically idiotproof: sign in to Now TV, insert the Smart Stick into your compatible TV and start viewing. HD content is supported. £14.99, nowtv.com
3. Google Chromecast Ultra Enjoy 4K content (on 4K TVs) and stream music with Google’s cute dongle. The device plugs into your TV’s HDMI port to deliver superfast streaming, and works with iOS and Android devices. £69.99, store.google.com
4. LogiTech Ultimate Remote Control Alexa compatible, the Ultimate Remote Control turns its RF signals into IR and Bluetooth commands. This enables you to transform your phone into a universal remote to control your TV, games console, music system and more. £89, amazon.co.uk
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Movie night
Movie night Our pick of the hottest new releases and remastered vintage gems heading your way in time for Christmas
Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom
Mama Mia! Here We Go Again
Rambo First Blood
Isla Nublar is erupting, but not before some dastardly military types go on a dino hunting spree that has dire consequences for the planet. Can Owen and Claire save us from another jurassic catastrophe?
If you don’t like Abba, watch this anyway just to see how much plastic surgery Cher’s had. No, seriously, if you want a big family sing-along ćick, this is the one. Flares and platform boots not included.
Marine vet John Rambo is still looking for his old service buds, and that sadistic deputy sheriff is still waiting to stick the boot in. Join Rambo as he Ćghts back in this ’80s classic, remastered for Chrimbo.
£14.99 (Blu-ray), £24.99 (4K UHD)
£14.99 (Blu-ray), £24.99 (4K UHD)
£14.99 (Blu-ray), £19.99 (4K UHD)
he Equaliser 2
Incredibles 2
Braveheart
Denzel Washington reprises his role as former CIA agent Robert McCall, a book nerd with a proclivity for vigilante justice. If you want a gritty alternative to all the talking animations, start here.
Speaking of animations… This rad family favourite sees Helen called upon to headup a campaign to bring back the Supers, but the emergence of an epic new villain throws more than a spanner in the works.
Turn down your smart lighting for this remastered version of Mel Gibson’s Academy Award-winning retelling of how Scottish hero William Wallace fought to liberate his country from a tyrannical king.
£14.99 (Blu-ray), £19.99 (4K UHD)
£14.99 (Blu-ray)
£19.99 (4K UHD + Blu-ray)
BlacKkKlansman
he Meg
he Big Lebowski
Spike Lee’s tale of an African American cop inĆltrating the Ku Klux Klan in the ’70s is based on the memoir of Ron Stallworth, before bringing us bang up to date with footage from the Charlottesville riots.
Jaws? Pah! Steven Spielberg’s shark was a minnow compared to the Meg. Hold your breath as Jason Statham tries to save his crew from a prehistoric 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon.
The Dude is back. The Coen Brothers’ masterful comedy still delivers the goods, giving us bowling, weed, thugs and extortion, plus a ćying carpet fantasy sequence that puts Aladdin to shame.
£14.99 (Blu-ray), £24.99 (4K UHD)
£14.99 (Blu-ray), £24.99 (4K UHD)
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Christmas gifts for £100 and under
Patagonia Arbor Classic Backpack Stylish and roomy, Patagonia’s ever-popular 25-litre Arbor offers enough space for all of your work and gym gear, or to house your weekend adventure essentials. £65, eu.patagonia.com
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On the road again
Travel Pillow and Eye Mask Set Frequent ćiers, and those who snooze on public transport, will enjoy every second of sleep gained with this plush twinset. Perfectly sized for bags and carry-ons. £70, mastersofmayfair.com
Kobo Aura Edition 2
Optoma Nuforce BE Free5
Treat your favourite bookworm to the lightweight Aura, designed with a six-inch Carta E Ink screen that’s a pleasure to read in dazzling sunlight and by cosy nightlight. £89.99, uk.kobobooks.com
Use these audiophile-quality true wireless earbuds to drown out noisy commutes and keep you in tunes on your adventures. The case doubles as a charger. £99, optoma.co.uk
On the road again Nifty gadgets and stylish treats for commuters, adventurers and jetsetters
Scosche MagicMount Pro Dash
Ted Baker Hoppi Charger
Tile Pro (2018)
Enjoy a hands-free phone in your car with Scosche’s magnetic mounting system. It also comes with a window mount, and has a 360-degree swivel design for clear viewing. £22.74, amazon.co.uk
This premium leather-covered Qi portable charger packs in two USB A ports (with USB-C charging cable) and offers fast, dualdevice charging on the go. £80, proporta.co.uk
Now sporting a removable battery, the revamped Tile Pro Bluetooth tracker has an increased range of 300ft, plus an extra-loud speaker so you can hear it over any din. £30, thetileapp.com D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 11
Christmas gifts for £100 and under
Logiblocs Spytech Kit
Wired X Electric Scooter
Boxer AI Robot
One for budding coders and future secret service agents, the Logiblocs kit has everything you need to make a doorbell, intruder warning device and more. £18.99, shop.sciencemuseum.org.uk
With a top speed of 12km/h, small and big kids alike will enjoy zipping around on this easy-balance escooter, designed with a ‘squeeze’ break and anti-slip footplate. £90, halfords.com
Teeny bot, big personality. The remote- and app-controlled Boxer AI Robot displays a range of emotions, and loves playing games such as Paddle Bot and Bot Bowling. £69.99, amazon.co.uk
Ready, set, playtime! From coding kits to robot sidekicks, these toys will help your kids to learn while they play
Seedling Parker Augmented Reality Bear
LittleBits Base Inventor Kit
This (iOS) app-controlled teddy teaches kids about basic biology, digital literacy and how to be more compassionate. Each time your little one cares for Parker, the bear’s happiness level increases. Aw! £49.95, apple.com
Help them turn their bright ideas into inventions with this onestop shop of smart ‘bits’ and parts that move, light up and make noise, all to help kids develop their STEAM skills through play. £99, shop.littlebits.com
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Furry friends
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Furry friends Pets deserve presents too, so here’s some top tech to keep them entertained and cared for 2
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1. Tractive GPS Love to know where your pet disappears to? Fit them with this GPS tracker and follow their route in real-time. £44.99, tractive.com/en 2. AFP Mini Ball hrower The machine that plays fetch with pets, launching mini tennis balls up to six metres away. e ĆUHER[ FRP 3. Motorola Scout 85 Pet Camera 360-degree views, two-way audio, and motion and temperature notiĆcations help keep your pet safe at home. £99.99, motorolastore.co.uk 4. Frolicat Bolt Let this laser toy whip your kitties into a frenzy with its non-stop dots and patterns. £19.99, argos.co.uk D EC E M B ER 2 018 T3 13
Christmas gifts for £100 and under
Bosch PSM 18 Cordless Sander
Polaroid Root Play 3D Pen
Sand it down, polish it up… Bosch’s handheld sander has a built-in dust extraction system to draw dust into the microĆlter box, keeping surfaces clean. £59.99, shop.bosch-do-it.com
Create freehand 3D models in wood, using sawdust-containing Ćlaments. Use the Polaroid Play Trace app to create 3D stencils based on your photographs. £34.99, polaroid3d.com
Tech Will Save Us Electro Dough Kit It’s like next-level Playdough! Create cool shapes and faces, then add in simple circuits to make them buzz and light up. £22.99, techwillsaveus.com
Unleash your creativity Tinker, sand and snap your way to a fun-Ćlled Christmas with our round-up of presents for creative types
Ryobi ONE+ 18V Combi Drill This cable-free drill features a screwdrive setting that enables you to achieve the best Ćnish each time without having to Ćnd the right torque setting Ćrst. £80, homebase.co.uk 14 T3 D EC E M B ER 2 018
OlloClip Mobile Photography Box Set The latest set for the iPhone X comprises Fisheye, Super-Wide and Macro Lenses to help you capture interesting new angles. £99.99, olloclip.com
Victorinox Pioneer Nespresso The Pioneer Nespresso pocket knife, made from recycled aluminium capsules, features a blade, two screwdrivers, a wire stripper, and more for getting creative outdoors. £49, victorinox.com
Unleash your creativity
KiiPix Instant Photo Printer Your smartphone is probably chocca with cool photos that you want to print out and frame or to pin up. Do both with the KiiPix, a portable device that turns smartphone pics into retro-style mini prints. e ĆUHER[ FRP
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Christmas gifts for £100 and under
Philips OneBlade Pro Face Help your loved one neaten up their facial fuzz with Philips’ agile razor, designed to trim, edge and shave beards, mustaches and sideburns. It comes with a 14-length precision comb for tailored trimming. £89.99, philips.co.uk
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Look good, feel good
Bellroy Hide & Seek Wallet Swatch Noirette
A unisex watch to ćatter a range of outĆts, the Noirette features a playful texture across the strap and face. It’s affordable, versatile and perfect for everyday style. £58, shop.swatch.com
Wallets are a classic gift, but you can do better by buying one with RFID protection to safeguard bank cards from skimming. There’s also a secret pocket for notes. £65.95, bellroy.com
GHD Air Hairdryer The salon-quality Air uses ionic tech to better lock in moisture, keeping the frizzies at bay and boosting the health of your hair’s cuticles with each blow-dry. £99, johnlewis.com
Look good, feel good Clarisonic Mia 2
Our pick of the best Ćtness and style gifts are good for your pocket and your wellbeing
This facial-cleansing device declogs pores and works to reĆne the skin’s surface. £89.99, clarisonic.co.uk
Xiaomi Electric Toothbrush Customised brush modes send 31,000 vibrations per minute to blast away bacteria and plaque. £30, amazon.co.uk
Moov Now
Polar H10 HR Strap
The Moov Now is like having a personal trainer on your wrist, coaching you through a range of exercises from running and boxing to cycling and swimming. £49.99, welcome.moov.cc
This sensor chest strap take readings of your heart rate, helping you to Ćgure out how hard you’re working. It can also connect to two Bluetooth devices. £76.50, polar.com/uk-en
House of Marley Uprise Buying for an eco-friendly gym bunny? They can soundtrack their workouts with the sweatproof Uprise wireless earphones, made from recycled natural wood. £79.99, houseofmarley.co.uk
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Christmas gifts for £100 and under
Game on
Shoot ’em up in the Wild West, or go toe-to-toe with Ronaldo, with our pick of the best games for Christmas
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Destiny 2: Forsaken
FIFA 19
The bad news: you’ve been sentenced to death. The good news: you get to embark on an epic journey of war and gods, meet rad ancient Greek Ćgures, and uncover an electrifying truth about your past.
Do your duty by bringing law and order back to the Reef, now overrun with a band of the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy. But don’t worry, you’ll have access to tons of Ćerce new weapons.
Instead of braving the winter winds to have a kick around, live out your premier league fantasies indoors. There are new game modes to explore and multiple leagues to conquer.
From £47.99, argos.co.uk
From £49.99, game.co.uk
From £41, amazon.co.uk
Forza Horizon 4
Red Dead Redemption 2
WWE 2K19
Put pedal to the metal this Christmas in more than 450 cars, as you drive them around a historic and scenic Britain. A must-buy for car enthusiasts and fans of open-world racing games.
One of 2018’s most anticipated actionadventure games is set to take you on an outrageous ride at the close of the Wild West era. Outlaws, bounty hunters, impossible choices… This one has it all.
Put your wrestling moves and knowledge to the test and don your spandex to play from a huge roster of WWE superstars and legends in this latest addition to the 2K wrestling game franchise.
£44.99, game.co.uk
From £47.99, store.hmv.com
From £47.99, game.co.uk
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