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Welcome When you work in an office with a constant stream of the latest and greatest tech arriving on your doorstep, it can be all too easy to lose sight of the fundamental differences between ‘want’ and ‘need’. Nobody needs an OLED TV that rolls up into a cabinet doubling as a soundbar, but as sure as the grass is green we want one and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. It’s not greed, it’s desire – an incentive, something to work for. That, then, is the basis for Stuff’s annual Most Wanted list: a chance for our pool of experts to offer a self-indulgent opinion on the gadgets, games and gear they currently desire above all else. Of course, our opinion isn’t sacrosanct; so if you’ve got a favourite something that didn’t make the cut or you’d like to lambast us for something that did, make your voice heard on the @StuffTV Twitter channel and call us out. This October issue is also a bumper reviews edition with a proper Noah’s Ark of tech getting the tested treatment, including four of the latest 5G handsets, three of the latest fitness watches, two of the latest Dolby Atmos soundbars and connected toothbrushes, in-ear and over-ear noise-cancelling headphones, a smart door lock we actually like, and an Amazon e-reader with a reassuringly warm glow. Dive on in.
Advertising: Tandem Media 01233 228757 Richard Rowe (richard.rowe@ tandemmedia.co.uk) Ad Operations Manager Martin Williams Ad Production Manager Andy Welch (01233 220245, stuff@ tandemmedia.co.uk) Management Managing Director Phil Weeden Chief Executive Steve Wright Chairman Steve Annetts Finance Director Joyce Parker-Sarioglu Publishing Director Kevin McCormick Publishing Operations Manager Charlotte Whittaker Retail Distribution Managers Eleanor Brown, Steve Brown Audience Development Manager Andy Cotton Head of Events Kat Chappell Senior Print Production Manager Nicola Pollard Print Production Manager Georgina Harris Print Production Controller Alicia Stewart Subscription Marketing Manager Nick McIntosh • Volume 23 issue 10 • ISSN: 1364-963 • On sale 5 Sept 2019 • Audit Bureau of Circulations: 39,953 (Jan-Dec 2018)
James Day, Editor-in-Chief / @James_A_Day DISTRIBUTION Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT www.seymour.co.uk Tel: 020 7429 4000 PRINTING William Gibbons & Sons Ltd
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Kelsey Media 2019 © All rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published. Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The Editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties. Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously. For more information on our privacy policy, please visit www.kelsey.co.uk/privacy-policy/ If at any point you have any queries regarding Kelsey’s data policy you can email our Data Protection Officer at dpo@kelsey.co.uk
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Making Stuff up Editor-in-Chief James Day Hot Stuff Editor Matt Tate Online Editor Natalya Paul Contributors Andrew Williams, Craig Grannell, Andrew Hayward, Sam Kieldsen, Tom Wiggins, Tom Morgan, Verity Burns, Chris Rowlands, Simon Lucas, Basil Kronfli, Kieran Alger, Dom Peppiatt, Vikki Blake, Alan Wen, Gary Spatchcock, Richard Purvis, Ross Presly
I GOT A 5G HOME HUB I was a little apprehensive about having a Huawei box and a Google box in the same room, but so far, so good – at least when I’m in the flat. Optimum data-guzzling tastes good – it’s like eating all your favourite things while having a throat 10 times wider than normal, and not needing to chew. While it was kind of Three to send over a lovely technician (pictured below), it’s a simple plug-and-play setup that my non-existent dog could have figured out. Do they not trust me? Natalya Paul, Online Editor
I GOT CONFUSED BY SOME COSPLAY DUCKS I’d been invited to London for an evening of fun with mini arcade cabs – but a cloth-covered table lurked, and the Numskull rep had a mischievous look. At 8pm sharp, the cloth was removed, revealing dozens of ducks in cosplay outfits. “Do you have any questions?” the rep asked about the line (called Tubbz), while we all stared bewildered at ducks dressed as Spyro, Crash, Chun-Li, Batman and Sauron. Yeah, just one or two… and an urge to use the word ‘quackers’. Craig Grannell, contributor
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OUR MONTH
Streaming, sleeping, cooking and ducking I LEARNED TO FEND FOR MYSELF Conscious that at the age of 36 I was in serious danger of devolving into a vicious cycle of Deliveroo orders, I was prompted by the takeaway company’s decision to sponsor Leeds United to cancel my Plus membership and learn to cook. No better place to start than by visiting Smeg HQ in Oxfordshire to get to grips with its new SmegConnect smart appliances, including ovens for remote cooking and a wine cooler that tells me what plonk to pair with dinner. Blue Nun it is. James Day, Editor-in-Chief
I SLEPT WITH A ROBOT We’ve all been there: you’re absolutely shattered, and then as soon as your head hits the pillow you start worrying about what would happen if cats grew opposable thumbs. I took a snooze with Somnox the Sleep Robot to help clear my mind. It simulates breathing to help regulate your own, and plays soothing sounds to help you relax. Snuggling a kidney-bean-shaped robot takes some getting used to, but I’m glad to say my parents have met him and they wholeheartedly approve. Verity Burns, contributor
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The Hot Four O Samsung Galaxy Note 10 & 10+ O DJI FPV O Cleer Enduro 100 O Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 Vital stats Snapchat Spectacles 3 Coming soon to a fashion victim near you Apps Including a frog in big pink earmuffs Icon Grado S1000e White Edition The Beatles in headphone form, sort of Games First play of Posh Pawnbrokers VR Stream Watchmen and other watchables Start menu A cacophony of crowdfunded cleverness Wheels Tushek TS 900 H Apex Could this be Slov at first sight? Your month Allow us to scribble on your calendar
TESTS p57 Roam gnome
p44 Speak freak
31 First test Samsung Galaxy S10 5G Enormo-phone isn’t all about data speeds 64 Tested Sony WF-1000XM3 Ace new in-ears for the buddy-minded 66 Tested Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Make your living room explode (not really) 67 Tested Kindle Oasis (2019) A fancy e-reader with a sleep-friendly glow 73 3 of the best Fitness watches Strap yourself in for a punishing workout 77 Versus Electric toothbrushes Because you’re a dentalist 78 Tested Ultion Smart Lock Shut the front door! 79 Tested Vizio SB36512-F6 Now you can listen to Octonauts in 3D 80 Long-term test Bose 700 Headphones Noise-cancellers with special talky skills 82 Tested Games Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Fire Emblem: Three Houses
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FEATURES 38 Cover feature Stuff’s 102 most wanted We enjoyed writing this one like a kid enjoys writing a Christmas list: Stuff writers pick the gadgets they really want – from a £30 clock to a £200k speaker system (please send donations to the usual address) 61 Mini meme Animation apps In case you like to move it, move it 62 Upvoted Pens Fight for your write to party 68 Beta yourself iOS 13 & iPadOS 13 Your Apple device is now even smarter 74 Instant upgrades Sony Xperia 1 Fluff up your flagship 106 Random access memories Game & Watch Nintendo’s 1980 handheld gaming pioneer wasn’t completely rubbish after all – discuss
TOP TENS 88 Smartphones, tablets, mobile games What’s the handiest, handsomest handset? 90 Headphones, wearables In-ears, on-ears, smartwatches, trackers 92 Laptops, wireless speakers Porta-powerhouses and music movers 94 TVs, soundbars, smart speakers All you need for a lazy night/day/year in 96 Home cinema, consoles, games Streaming gadgets and gaming goodies 98 Tech toys, electric cars, VR Playing, driving, escaping from reality 100 Smart home, drones, action cams, compacts Comfort when you’re in, fun when you’re out 102 System cameras, budget buys ‘Proper’ cameras and the best tech bargains 104 How to buy… true wireless earphones
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T Notes from a small island
As is customary on a flagship phone these days, the Note 10 and its bigger bro are notchless and bezel-free, using a central punch-hole cutout for the front camera.
Notes receivable At 151x72x7.9mm, the Note 10 demands less of your pocket than the Note 9 and weighs less too‌ yet pushing back those bezels has given this phone 10% more screen space.
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20 PAGES OF THE BIGGEST STORIES FROM PLANET TECH
HOT FOUR #1 BOAST-IT NOTES
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 & Note 10+
Notes and queries Samsung has binned the Bixby button that has appeared on most of its recent devices (now you just hold the power button), and the headphone port is also a goner.
Samsung isn’t exactly known for springing surprises. So while much of what you get with its new Note 10 and 10+ could have been guessed before they were unveiled, that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty here to get excited about. With its massive 6.8in AMOLED Infinity-O screen, 12GB of RAM, 4300mAh battery and quad-camera array, the Note 10+ (£1099) is the pick of the pair, but both come with slimmer bezels and all the internal gubbins needed to work with 5G. Then there’s the classic S Pen, which now features gesture controls that let you channel your inner sorcerer and control apps with a flick of the wrist. The extra camera on the 10+ is for depthsensing, while the others offer telephoto (12MP), wide-angle (16MP) and standard (12MP) shooting skills. One notable addition is ‘live focus’ video for bokeh effects. CPU and GPU performance are both well up on the Note 9, but perhaps most important of all is that the Note 10 is smaller than its predecessor, so giant bear-hands are no longer obligatory. As hot as… the envy of all those who don’t look like wizards when using their phones from £899 / samsung.com 9
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Transferable Note The Note 10 supports wireless charging as well as Samsung’s PowerShare feature, which lets the phone double up as a charging pad for any Qi-enabled device.
HANDS-ON NOTE 10+ NATALYA PAUL ONLINE EDITOR Do I need two hands to operate this? When I’m using the S Pen, will people think I’m doing surveys on the street with a clipboard? To be honest I don’t care, because that is one luscious-looking screen – and there’s just so much of it. I want to watch nature docs on this thing right now. The ‘aura glow’ finish should really be called disco, because it’s so funky you cannot help but ogle the rainbow shine as it catches the light. But this is no phone for the dancefloor – because although the camera is above par in good light, it’s not the same story at night. It can take up to five seconds to complete a shot, and that might result in brighter results but they’re blurry as hell half the time. The ultra-wide camera in daylight is one of the best I’ve used, however. Video stabilisation sees the biggest improvement, and using the S Pen as a remote shutter is fun (for a while). But it’s the pen’s drawing capabilities and the transcription feature, which even managed to decipher my scraggy handwriting, that make the Note 10+ a doodler’s dream phone.
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Whatever floats your Note You won’t want your big shiny phone to get wet, but if it does receive a splash you can rest assured the IP68 rating for water and dust resistance will stop it getting frazzled.
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Murder, she Note The new AR Doodle feature lets you scribble all over your photos and videos using the S Pen, with your creations mapping themselves to the image – even when it’s moving.
The men who stare at Notes If you’re partial to a movie binge on the bus to work, the Note 10+ has you covered with its enormous 6.8in QHD+ display. Both phones also support HDR10+.
Note of many colours Also making use of the S Pen is the new video editor, which lets you precisely trim down your clips with the stylus rather than having to jab at them with your finger.
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HOT FOUR #2 CAPTAIN BIRD’S-EYE DJI FPV Goggles
Whose tern is it? Eight drones can fly simultaneously under one system, but it’s also possible to watch the feed of another budding Anakin Skywalker by engaging Audience Mode.
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It’s hard not to be a bit jealous of birds. They don’t have to worry about Brexit, or conforming to social norms about where it is and isn’t appropriate to go to the toilet – and most of them can fly, which looks like great fun. DJI can’t do anything about the first two points, but its FPV Goggles should replicate the feeling of flight like nothing else. The new headset uses digital image transmission to stream 720p HD footage at 120fps over long distances, with a latency of just 28ms. That’s a massive step up in visual quality on your
average FPV headset, making it perfect for drone racers… or anyone who just wants to know how it feels to be a pigeon. The system has a maximum range of 2.5 miles, and its anti-interference tech ensures a reliable feed to the Goggles at all times. Just try not to smash your drone into the side of a cliff, because no amount of HD cameras and top-notch transmission technology can make up for god-awful flying. As hot as...flying into the sun £525 / store.dji.com
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Inglorious bustards Both the FPV Goggles and the accompanying FPV Camera (£55) are capable of capturing video content, with the Goggles letting you record onto a microSD card.
HOT FOUR #3 ONE HUNDRED HOURS OF SOLITUDE Cleer Enduro 100
Egrets, I’ve had a few Because the headset’s built-in memory records your flight, it’s easy to track down your drone if there is a crash: you can just check the footage to see where it landed.
If you take every song on Spotify featuring the late G-funk monotone crooner Nate Dogg, or even mentioning him anywhere in the title, and add it to a playlist, you get just over 112 hours of fine, fine music to listen to, give or take a few duplicates. Most Bluetooth headphones would probably conk out around the Bag O’Weed (feat Tray Dee) mark, but the Cleer Enduro 100s will get you closer to Me & My Homies (feat 2Pac) from Retro Twerkout. They might not quite see you through to the very end of the playlist (PYT from Warren G’s In the Mid-Nite Hour); but with a battery life that’ll last just over four full days of continuous playback, and a five-minute USB-C quick charge that adds an extra hour each time, these 100hr cans are the most hardworking we’ve seen. Fittingly for Nate, Cleer Audio is a bona fide west-coast company too, hailing from beautiful San Diego. It’s only been going for three years, but the premium build of these cans – plus the inclusion of Bluetooth 5.0, Qualcomm’s latest QCC3034 chip and support for AAC and aptX HD – shows this is no juvenile venture. As hot as… the eastside of the LBC £170 / cleeraudio.com 13
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Master strokes The Active2 gets a major system update from the original Active fitness watch, which Samsung says will improve swim tracking and overall reliability.
HOT FOUR #4 HARDY ’UNS OF THE GALAXY Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2
Samsung’s original Galaxy Watch Active is only a few months old (see review, p73), but the sequel has already surfaced and is expected to go on sale later this year. The updated model brings back the rotating dial of the regular Galaxy Watch, which was absent from the first iteration of its fitness-focused spin-off. The physical dial has become digital, letting you cycle through screens by running your finger around a touch-sensitive ring. You get the same Super AMOLED display as before, but now there’s an ECG to monitor your heart and flag any irregularities, just like the Apple Watch Series 4. An LTE version will also let you make calls without your phone. Oh, and there’s a special Under Armour edition. Designed to work seamlessly with UA’s MapMyRun platform (you get a six-month premium membership included), it’s also the only Samsung fitness watch that will pair with UA’s HOVR Connected running shoes, offering real-time coaching and stats. That’s probably worth the extra $30 over the standard model. As hot as… Bikram yoga in salopettes $279 / samsung.com 14
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P E E D A N D E S O L U T I O N A K E A L L T H E I F F E R E N C E
Experience the powerful combination of high speed and resolution. Possessing an impressive 45.7MP back-illuminated FX CMOS sensor and 9* fps shooting, the full-frame D850 unlocks amazing possibilities. Whether it’s weddings, landscapes, commercial, sports or fashion, capture it all with optimised imaging performance – thanks to ISO 64-25600, a class-leading ’“—Œ†„Â? Â™ÂŒÂˆÂšĹ¤ ‘‡ˆ•Ę ĺĞğÄ?“’Œ‘— Ę –ŒÂ?ˆ‘— Â?’‡ˆ –‹’’—Œ‘ŠĘ Â?’‘Š …„——ˆ•œ Â?Œ‰ˆĘ Ĺ Â—ÂŒÂ?ˆÄ?Â?Â„Â“Â–ÂˆĹ„Ĺ„ „‘‡ Ä˝ ™Œ‡ˆ’ě ”˜Œ“ œ’˜• ŠĞĚ šŒ—‹ œ’˜• “•ŒÂ?ˆ‡ Â?ˆ‘–ˆ– ‰’• “ˆ•‰ˆ†— Œ‘—ˆŠ•„—Œ’‘ „‘‡ –—˜‘‘Œ‘Š •ˆ–˜Â?—–ě ˆ„•‘ Â?’•ˆ „— ŒŽ’‘솒Â? Ĺ„ ˆ”˜Œ•ˆ– —‹ˆ ’“—Œ’‘„Â? Ä? ÄşĹ Â˜Â?—ŒÄ? ’šˆ• „——ˆ•œ „†Ž „‘‡ Ä? Ä?婄č… …„——ˆ•œě Ĺ„Ĺ„ ˆ”˜Œ•ˆ– ‘—ˆ•™„Â? ÂŒÂ?ˆ• –ˆ——Œ‘Š– „‘‡ 𕇠“„•—œ –’‰—š„•ˆě
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T A L S T A T S
SPECCED-UP FOUR EYES Snapchat Spectacles 3
Sound quality has had a big upgrade, with four mics picking up your inane jabber.
£330 / spectacles.com
What sort of person buys Snapchat Spectacles, and who are we to judge? Well, actually, we’re precisely the people to judge. Ridiculous, aren’t they? And yet, with some clever depth-sensing tech at play, social media dons might be onto a winner this time… O Third eye The third-gen Spectacles feature familiar round lenses, but swap the plastic frames for steel – available in carbon or mineral (black or gold to normal people). Tap either button to video up to 60 seconds
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or press and hold for a still; a little LED will light up to show filming has commenced and everyone is now a potential victim. Sync the glasses to your smartphone, edit as you see fit, and fire content over to Snapchat or export for uploading elsewhere. O Eye eye What sets the new Spectacles apart, aside from the Bauhaus styling, is the second camera – which, as with multi-lens phone cameras, enables depth-sensing using the parallax effect (we swear they played at one of the smaller festivals this summer). As well as promising better AR, both cameras can capture HD footage
at 60fps to complement a suite of 3D effects – Snapchat is even bundling its take on Google Cardboard with the specs, in the form a ‘3D viewer’. O Eyely charged There’s 4GB of onboard storage, and an hour-long charge should let you capture around 70 videos or 200 stills. Rounding things off is a flat leather case that’ll give the specs a full juice boost in 75 minutes via USB-C. All of this tech comes at a cost, and we don’t just mean the respect of your friends: they’re also twice as expensive as the previous pair. Pre-order now for a November release.
BOTH CAMS CAN CAPTURE HD VIDEO TO COMPLEMENT A SUITE OF 3D EFFECTS
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How d’ya like them, Apples?
MOPHIE 3-IN-1 CHARGING PAD
BETTER THAN SPECS? O Bose Frames Wireless musical sunglasses with a 9-axis motion sensor, AI voice-assistant support and a dedicated AR platform… what a ludicrous set of words to string together. £199 / bose.co.uk
With Apple still struggling to conquer the world of wireless charging (AirPower, we hardly knew ye), Mophie has stepped up to the little black plate. The company has launched a new Apple-exclusive 3-in-1 wireless charger that, as the name not so subtly suggests, can charge three devices at once. The 7.5W fast-charging mat uses the latest Qi tech to deliver an efficient charge, and is compatible with iPhones, Apple Watches and AirPods. The Watch gets its own designated charging spot, to ensure its display isn’t obstructed in bedside mode. If you’re an Apple addict who’s yet to experience the magic of wireless charging, this might be the perfect pad for your pad. £130 / apple.com
O Vue Smart Glasses The Vue specs are now shipping after a successful $2.2m Kickstarter campaign. Activity-tracking, music playback and hands-free calling are supported. $249 / vue.backerkit.com
O Vuzix Blade These shades have a head-up display, a haptic touchpad, 4GB of storage and an 8MP camera. And for some next-level shiz, there’s Amazon Alexa built in… and DJI drone support. from £708 / vuzix.eu
Strong and stable (and easy to collapse)
DJI OSMO MOBILE 3 Smartphones have undoubtedly democratised filmmaking, but having Tarantino-esque vision isn’t much use if your footage is wobbling about like a monkey on a unicycle. That’s where DJI’s Osmo Mobile 3 comes in. This 3-axis portable gimbal reduces shaky footage by cancelling out your movements in real time to deliver a super-smooth image. The 3rd-gen Osmo Mobile is foldable, making it even more portable, while the ergonomic grip should reduce hand strain when you’re shooting on the move. You can switch from portrait to landscape filming with a double tap, and built-in shooting modes (panorama, timelapse, slow motion, sport) help bring your brilliant/terrible ideas to life. £99 / dji.com
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A P P S This month’s mobile must-downloads 1
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HIDDEN SIDE
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1 Miximum
2 321Fit
3 Face Pause, Face Tube
£free or £1.99 / iOS You might hate iTunes, but it’s great for dynamic playlists. Miximum brings similar smarts to iOS, and lets you construct playlists using rules rather than dragging and dropping tracks like a caveman.
£free / Android, iOS Borrowing from music players, 321Fit presents workouts as customisable playlists. It further encourages you through a blocky Teletext-style man working out, and loads of retro beeps.
£free / Android These twin apps pause your Android’s screen whenever you have the audacity to remove your gaze from it. Handy for video, perhaps, but also foreshadowing a terrifying future for advertising.
4 Start with Yoga
5 Ruff
6 Un Pas Fragile
£2.99 / Apple Watch Yoga apps don’t always help you relax, considering the pounding they give your wallet with IAP subs. This one’s different: a one-off charge, and routines beamed to a streamlined Apple Watch app.
£free or 99p / Android Not so much ‘rough’ as stripped to the bone, this writing app wants to get out of your way. A distractionfree interface is twinned with useful basic formatting and count tools, along with fast sharing.
£2.09 / Android O 1.99 / iOS Recalling Florence’s mix of art, story and (sort-of) game, this one features a frog who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. Not exactly standard gaming fodder, but it’ll penché you in the feels.
7 Flappy Royale
8 P1 Select
9 Chessplode
£free / Android, iOS Being dropped onto an island to battle it out with 99 other players? That’s so last week. Far better to waste your time desperately trying to be the last survivor flapping between Mario-esque pipes.
£3.99 / iOS Another lo-fi mobile dungeon crawler? Yawn. But wait: this one’s by Michael Brough and therefore bonkers. Every move swaps your player’s abilities and power, thereby punching your brain in the face.
£free / Android, iOS Chess in fast-forward with a zappy laser power-up. Take a piece and all those in its row and column – friend or foe alike – go pop. It’s enough to make even a wannabe grandmaster scratch their noggin.
£free / Android, iOS Lego’s previous AR apps were tentative steps that held Stuff’s attention for literally seconds. But Hidden Side shakes things up. For a start, you build an actual Lego set first, which is always good. Then you point your blower at it and go all Ghostbusters on the blocky horrors you find lurking within (it’s rated PEGI 3, so is suitable for all ages, but don’t blame us if you wet the bed). The game bits are fastpaced, if a bit repetitive; still, repeat play is rewarded with new critters to battle and weapons to unlock. There’s no IAP here, although you may end up emptying your bank account to get more sets to use with the game. Cunning play, Lego.
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Garden Bose
BOSE PORTABLE HOME SPEAKER Bose’s new Bluetooth speaker doesn’t have a very memorable name, but it does remind you why these things are still fun. Blast music in your bedroom, all over the house and on your way to the shops with 360° sound, deeper bass than you’ll find in any competing speaker of the same size (it’s claimed) and 12 hours’ playing time between charges. While connected to Wi-Fi, you can jump between playlists and control your smart home with Alexa or Google Assistant, which are built in and have had their ears pricked up by a Bose-made voice pickup system. AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect are also supported. Pre-orders open on 19 September. £330 / bose.co.uk
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WTF IS FORM? Oh my, please don’t tell me these are Google goggles? Well… yes and no. Welcome to the underwater world of aquatic AR, where swim tracking is tackled wearing a pair of goggles with a Google Glass head-up display. Unless you’re a mermaid, Aquaman or Kevin Costner, you tend to need your arms to help propel you through water, so a wrist-based tracker can be bit awks for keeping an eye on times when you’re flapping about.
What about different strokes? Whatchu talkin’ ’bout, Willis? The Form goggles use an accelerometer and gyroscope to automatically detect stroke type, stroke rate and split times. That’s because they’ve been developed using data collected from swimmers of all levels, and the makers claim the goggles can also identify when you’re turning or resting.
Water a brilliant idea. So where’s all the tech?
New play room
SAMSUNG SPACE GAMING MONITOR Earlier this year Samsung unveiled the Space Monitor, a slimline display that could be stored flat against a wall thanks to its clever stand. Now it’s used that same tech to create the Space Gaming Monitor, a 32in 2560x1440 screen designed for gamers. It can be attached to any desk or table, and boasts a 144Hz refresh rate to minimise image lag and motion blur, while AMD Radeon FreeSync keeps the refresh rate synchronised with your graphics processor. In practice, that means smoother gameplay without screen-tearing or stutters. It’s all powered by easily concealable cables to keep your gaming area clutter-free, meaning more room for Sunbites and Mountain Dew. £tbc / samsung.com
A small black box with a two-button control sits on the right side and houses all the goodies. Data can be displayed in either eye and showing any combination of the metrics you want to see in real time. Just slip into the pool and off you go. There’s a 16-hour battery charged with a magnetic cable and Bluetooth connectivity for syncing with the Form app. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, everything is waterproof to a depth of 32 feet.
What if I don’t like numbers in my eyes? You can disable the display and still track your swim. Analysing your activity data afterwards still retains the benefit of keeping your wrists free; and as well as the Form app with its own social platform, it’s compatible with Strava, TrainingPeaks and Garmin Connect. Yours for $199 from formswim.com.
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THEY’RE MADE FROM BRUSHED ALUMINIUM TO DAMPEN DISTORTION
£795 / grado.co.uk Are oversized Polo mints a headphone trend these days? Not that we’re aware of, but these Grado cans look so fresh we’d have no hesitation wearing them. Every pair from the Brooklyn brand’s Prestige Series is handbuilt and this edition – also going by the moniker of The White Headphone – is available in “very limited quantities”. They’re made in the main from brushed aluminium,
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which according to Grado helps to dampen distortion – every audiophile’s kryptonite – while an eight-conductor cable exerts control in the upper and lower ranges of the frequency spectrum. Yes, all that from a cable. I take it there’s some sort of link to the Beatles? Boom Shankar! Yes, there is. As you might have guessed from the
nickname, they’re inspired by The White Album, which big boss man John Grado describes as a family favourite. You don’t need to be a Fabs fanatic, though: the minty look will feel equally appropriate for anyone recreating the video to Stay Another Day by East 17, or cosplaying as Gandalf. The accenting on the earcups also pops strongly against that black leather headband.
Is the ‘white’ thing the reason they’re so expensive? In a way, but anything under a grand for studio-quality open-back headphones is about the right ballpark these days… and there are some nice added extras in the box, including a quarter-inch gold adaptor and a Grado story sheet giving owners a bit of background on the history and heritage at play.
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iPhone a friend
FOSSIL GEN 5 Wear OS watches and iPhones are usually about as friendly to one another as Wenger and Mourinho, but Fossil’s Gen 5 wearables look to change that. For the first time on a device packing Google’s software, you’ll be able to take incoming calls from your tethered iPhone on the watch itself. And that’s not all that’s new: an extended battery mode will purportedly give you multiple days of use on a single charge, while keeping key features like notifications and heart-rate readings active. A swim-proof speaker allows you to hear alarms and responses from Google Assistant, and all devices in the range now run on the Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform. Pretty significant upgrades, if you ask us. £279 / fossil.com
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DROP EVERYTHING & DOWNLOAD Journey £4.99 / iOS Increasingly, iOS devices resemble gaming time machines, placing old PC and console hits right in your mitts. Now it’s Journey’s turn. When on the go, you can explore its mysterious world, leap into the air with your magic cape, and skid down sand dunes in a manner that won’t do anything good for the soles of your feet. Having this game working on a phone is bonkers – although at the time of writing, so are the camera controls, unfortunately. You have to make tiny thumb movements to avoid abruptly yanking your viewpoint about. Still, Journey remains beautiful, finite and solo – just the ticket if you found yourself overwhelmed by the thematically similar (but massively multiplayer) mobile semi-sequel, Sky.
Hasta la Vista, fellow joggers
JAYBIRD VISTA If you’re training for a marathon, you probably don’t want your headphones to do any of the following: fall out, weigh your ears down, die on you just before the final stretch, or test your already stretched resolve with finicky controls. Jaybird appears to have thought of all of this while designing its new true wireless earphones. The Vistas’ fins lock each bud into the ear, and at just 6g you’ll probably forget they’re there. Battery life is 6hrs (plus 10 with the case), customisable one-button controls make it easy to pause, skip tracks, turn up the volume or call Siri/Google Assistant while you run, and they’re rated IPX7 against water, sweat and disgusting sports drinks. £159 / jaybirdsport.com
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G A M E S
OUT 8 OCT
FIRST PLAY CONCRETE GENIE PS4
[ Words Dom Peppiatt ]
Concrete Genie is every inch a PlayStation title. Developer PixelOpus’s second game, it captured the heart of PlayStation boss Shawn Layden from its very first pitch. “We have to have this game,” Layden told his team after he played it in a very early pitch meeting. “PlayStation has to have it.” It’s easy to see why Sony was so set on publishing this game: for anyone who ever had a PS2, Concrete Genie oozes nostalgia. The game casts you as a bullied outcast kid, Ash, who escapes from the trauma of his dead-end
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town via art. In a weird turn of events, his art starts to come to life… and starts to help him confront his bullies. You can paint ‘genies’ on any flat surface – animated, friendly entities that help you solve puzzles and breathe life back into your dismal hometown. Think about how you’d create murals in LittleBigPlanet – it feels like that (no surprise, given Media Molecule helped out with the game’s tech). Traversal when you’re surfing on your paintbrush is reminiscent of Jet Set Radio Future, painting
on the walls to solve puzzles feels like Okami, fighting off enemies with your oversized brushes feels like Sly Cooper, and the curious world design has echoes of Ico or Shadow of the Colossus. There may be a lot of wildly different games in Concrete Genie’s DNA, but it still feels wholly original. While some triple-A titles feel like they’ve been designed by committee, this feels like a game made from the heart… and in designing it that way, PixelOpus may have produced a PlayStation classic.
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FIRST LOOK I DON’T WANNA HOLIDAY IN THE SUN… OR DO I?
THE TOURYST Switch Our summer holidays rarely get more exciting than swimming out to the first buoy, risking factor 20 and calling on six months’ worth of Duolingo lessons to ask for directions in Spanish. You can imagine our surprise, then, when just
minutes after arriving by boat at the Monument Islands, the block-headed protagonist of The Touryst was mucking about in hazard-ridden underwater caves and being grabbed by what looked like the arm of an octopus. And that was just in the announcement trailer. That’s not to say this game doesn’t encourage you to
take it easy on your holidays at times. As you explore your colourful surroundings, you’ll be able to do a bit of souvenir shopping or even throw some shapes at the beach party. Surfing is on the itinerary too, and in a nice cheeky touch, the town’s arcade will feature a racing game that looks a lot like developer Shin’en
Multimedia’s previous game, Fast RMX. With its colourful voxel art style and emphasis on exploration, we’re getting an old-school Zelda vibe from The Touryst… Zelda with Hawaiian shirts and shades, that is. And as the colder days arrive, this promising-looking indie could offer the perfect sunny escape.
BEST OF GAMESCOM ANNOUNCEMENTS
LITTLE NIGHTMARES 2
HOTLINE MIAMI COLLECTION
CYBERPUNK
PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC There weren’t many new games revealed at this year’s Gamescom event in Cologne, but one that did stand out was Little Nightmares 2, a sequel to the sinister puzzle-platformer that launched in 2017. The follow-up appears to feature more outdoor environments.
Switch Trippy top-down shooter Hotline Miami has spawned countless imitators, but few have matched its addictive gameplay loop and distinctive visual style. It seems right, then, that this indie classic – along with its sequel – is now available on the ultimate indie console, the Nintendo Switch.
Stadia CD Projekt Red’s ambitious open-world RPG is nailed on to be next year’s biggest game, and now you won’t even need a console to play it. Google used its Stadia conference to confirm that the game, in all its neon-lit Keanu-y glory, will be playable on Stadia in 2020.
INCOMING OCTOBER O GHOST RECON BREAKPOINT O GRID O THE OUTER WORLDS NOVEMBER O STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER O SHENMUE 3 O MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES DECEMBER O LIFE IS STRANGE 2 – EPISODE 5
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From bank robbers to superheroes via precocious teens and tireless zombies, there’s some sizzling-hot autumnal telly to stream
City on a Hill
The Politician
Transparent
There’s nothing like getting your teeth into a sprawling, big-budget American crime drama – and this one’s got it all: a hopelessly corrupt city (Boston), a sleazy law enforcer (Kevin Bacon), an idealistic DA who wants to shake things up and some good old-fashioned bank robbers. And it’s all carried off with plenty of Hollywood shine. S1 / Now TV, Sky
Ryan Murphy, fresh off the back of hits like Glee, American Horror Story and American Crime Story, makes his Netflix Original debut with this comedy series about a Californian high-schooler (played by Ben Platt, who’s far too old to be in school) with political aspirations. Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Lange and Dylan McDermott co-star. S1 / Netflix
Jill Soloway’s dramedy series put Amazon Studios on the TV map, bagged armfuls of Emmys and Golden Globes and explored trans issues in a way seldom before seen on TV – but like all shows (except Coronation Street) it has to end somewhere, and that somewhere is with this feature-length finale to tie up all its loose ends. S5 (one-off finale) / Amazon Prime
The Good Place
The Walking Dead
Silicon Valley
Another much-loved comedy series returns for its small-screen swansong. The Good Place, with Kristen Bell as a woman erroneously transported to a utopian afterlife, burned briefly but brightly, picking up legions of fans for its sharp writing and willingness to explore the kind of philosophical avenues other comedies wouldn’t touch. S4 / Netflix
Now shuffling into its tenth season, the post-apocalyptic drama is as demise-resistant as the zombies (sorry, ‘walkers’) it portrays. If you’ve already given up on The Walking Dead you’re not likely to come back to it now – but those who’ve persisted with the gore and guts surely won’t resist tuning in to see what lies ahead. S10 / Now TV, Sky
The greatest TV series about tech since Tomorrow’s World (and far funnier), this is a quick-witted satire about Bay Area startup culture, packed with references that’ll hit the mark with anyone who follows the latest dotcom developments. Stuff readers, in other words. This is the sixth and final season. S6 / Now TV, Sky
DO M N TH ISS ’T IS
Watchmen S1 / Now TV, Sky
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Watchmen is arguably the greatest graphic novel of all time, and any attempt to adapt it for the screen is likely to fail miserably – or at least fail to truly capture the complex themes and paranoiac atmosphere of the comics. While Zack Snyder’s 2009 movie adaptation wasn’t the disaster most were expecting, it hardly set the world on fire… so HBO has made a wise decision setting its series 30 years after the events of the book. The trailers don’t give a huge amount away, but a new American revolution seems to be key.
S T R E A M
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S T A R T M E N U
ST KIC AR K TE R
The latest startups, crowdfunded projects and plain crazy ideas
Switch it up
LYRA You could stuff your Android with retro gaming emulators, but the playing experience is rubbish on a slippy glass screen. The Lyra offers a far more palatable way to enjoy the classics on the go. As it uses a Raspberry Pi CM3L, performance should be closer to that of a Picade than all the Pi Zero (and similar) handhelds knocking around. And it’s easy on the eyes and digits, with a 5in 800x480 display, a D-pad, four face buttons and a pair of triggers. An HDMI output is included for TV antics or personal computing, and you can save £30 by building the thing yourself. Of course, you’ll almost certainly trap a speck of dust behind the display that’ll nag you forever. from £149 / creoqode.com BACK IT STACK IT
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ST KIC AR K TE R
ST KIC AR K TE R
I GONDI GOE-
I GONDI GOE-
SACK IT
Touch it up
Turn it up
Hold it up
Make it up
MOKIBO
HUMBIRD
MAGIC DOCK
PI-TOP [4]
Loads of computers equals loads of keyboards, mice and trackpads. With Mokibo, you can banish them all. This svelte keyboard – 7.5mm thick and just 250g – connects to three devices. But it also has 90 embedded touch sensors, and the entire thing transforms into a trackpad that’d even make a MacBook Pro green with envy. £107 / mokibo.com
This tiny device measures 4cm across and weighs just 35g. For audio oomph, it uses bone conduction technology to transform a hollow object into an impromptu loudspeaker: a table, a car dashboard, your head. It’ll ramp up to match the power of five blaring smartphone speakers – hardly audiophile bliss, but fun as an audio toy. £20 / tinyurl.com/y6dn88r4
This swish iPad stand feels like a magic bullet for iPad owners. Your tablet connects magnetically to a microfibre base that can be effortlessly rotated between landscape and portrait. Attach the USB-C connector and your iPad can access anything plugged in around back via USB-C, USB-A, HDMI and a headphone port. from $99 / magic-dock.com
Powered by a Raspberry Pi 4, this module has a programmable mini-screen and buttons, plus a metal case with 14 magnetic components. Sensors, buttons, LEDs and Lego connectors help you bring inventions to life. Upgrade and you can create chunky vehicles with wheels and tracks to terrify the cat. $199 / pi-top.com
W H E E L S
Tushek TS 900 H Apex
ALL YOU NEED IS SLOV Forged alloys and race-spec rubber should mean the Apex feels right at home on the circuit.
NEWS DASHBOARD
£tbc / tushek.eu More four-wheeled vapourware that’ll never see the light of day? Hold up, doubters. It’s not exactly a household name yet, but Tushek has been cranking out dream cars for over a decade. The brand became Slovenia’s first supercar maker in 2008 with the TS 500 Renovatio, and now it’s looking to punch through the speed stratosphere with its debut hypercar. What’s so ‘hyper’ about it? Well it’s not the Lambo-style scissor doors, however cool they might be. It’s the hybrid powertrain, which combines an Audi-derived supercharged 4.2-litre V8 with a pair of electric motors. Petrol power gets sent to the back wheels and electricity drives the front, with a total output of 937bhp. This means it’s not slow. Think 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds, and on to a top speed of 236mph.
All that gubbins must add a fair bit of heft, no? You’d think, but Tushek reckons this is the lightest car of its kind around. A chrome-moly space frame, removable targa top and carbon-fibre tub all help keep weight down, and the ultra-light six-speed sequential gearbox is taken straight from the racing world. It tips the scales at 1410kg, undercutting the Ferrari SF90 Stradale’s 1570kg – and even beating the Bugatti Chiron’s power-to-weight ratio. How long before we see one cruising through Knightsbridge? The first prototype has only just landed in the UK for the exclusive Salon Privé event, and Tushek wasn’t talking prices to any old chancer that wandered up to its stand. But seeing how it’ll consider the £2m Lotus Evija one of its main rivals, a seven-figure sum could be on the cards.
NEW VENTURES IN HIPHI
AUTO MAGIC FOR THE PEOPLE
SPED LETTER OFFICE
The HiPhi 1 isn’t a mobile homage to outdated audio equipment – it’s the first electric SUV from China-based Human Horizons, and is promising 400 miles of range. Note the suicide-hinged rear doors and gullwing roof flaps, which make the Tesla Model X’s doors look humdrum.
Things are looking good for MG’s new all-electric venture: the ZS EV is undercutting its rivals so much that it’s already sold its entire first batch. The compact SUV only promises 163 miles of range, but for £21,495 (with PiCG) you won’t find anything else electric that’ll also fit a family of five.
At the other end of the price scale is the latest hardcore hot hatch from Renault Sport. The Megane RS Trophy-R will cost £50,000 in base trim… but adding the fancy brakes and wheels that let it smash the Nurburgring lap record for front-wheel-drive cars? That’ll be £72,140, please.
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31st LUIGI’S MANSION 3 You could spend your Halloween handing out sweets to small children and decimating a pumpkin, but we have a better idea. Disable the doorbell, hog the Haribo for yourself and hunt some ghosts in Luigi’s debut solo outing on the Switch. After you’ve decimated the pumpkin, obviously.
O NEXT ISSUE November Nocturnal tech special On sale 3/10/19
26th HOT CHIP
READY FOR THE FLOOR Part of a world tour, the Ally Pally show will be Hot Chip’s biggest ever in the UK.
YOUR MONTH
OCT
Fresh from releasing their excellent seventh album A Bath Full of Ecstasy, Britain’s most colourfully dressed dads are playing a big show at London’s Alexandra Palace. In a week when everyone’s bound to be talking (even more) about Brexit, a generous dollop of euphoric synth-pop will be like medicine.
THEN
21 years ago MediEvil released on PlayStation
Hey, it’s rude to scare
NOW Play the remake
4th THEN
17th 35 years ago The Terminator hits cinemas
JOKER A gritty origin story of perhaps the most iconic villain of all that ignores the comics and doesn’t have a Bat to save the day – sounds risky, doesn’t it? But Joker, with Joaquin Phoenix as the titular evildoer, is already generating Oscar buzz.
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25th EGX
NOW Watch Terminator: Dark Fate
Back in London for 2019, the UK’s biggest annual gaming event takes over ExCeL and stuffs it with everything from the biggest blockbusters to the teeniest indies… and the European Final of Capcom’s Street Fighter tournament.
PASS IT ON This Modern Warfare does away with the series’ traditional season pass, meaning lots of free post-launch content.
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE No, it’s not 2007. This year’s CoD is a soft reboot of the enduring sub-series, bringing back the single-player campaign that was absent in last year’s entry and adding a series of ‘moral choice’ scenarios. And the multiplayer will be cross-platform for the first time.
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Total prize value £1295
WIN ONE OF FIVE ULTION SMART LOCKS WORTH UP TO £259 EACH! While we quite like the idea of opening the front door turning into a scene from Blade Runner 2049, there’s every chance the novelty is going to wear off, so Brisant-Secure has done the sensible thing and made its Ultion Smart Lock look like a lock. If that wasn’t ‘normal’ enough for you, you can even open it with something called a key. Behind the contemporary design, however, is a whole heap of tech including automatic entry using GPS and Bluetooth, time-limited electronic access for guests, support for multiple smart home platforms, and military-grade encryption should Vladimir Putin be passing and fancy helping himself to a brew. The lock itself has also passed every physical test imaginable. Head over to p78 to check out our full review of the Ultion Smart… then have a bash at winning one of five locks, in your chosen finish and compatible with your chosen smart home platform. Head over to ultion-lock.co.uk to discover more.
HOW TO ENTER Want a door lock that isn’t going to scare the neighbours into thinking you’re a bioengineered android from the future? Go to stuff.tv/win and answer this:
BLADE RUNNER 2049 STARS WHICH MUMBLING HEARTTHROB? A … Ryan Gosling B … Ryan Giggs C … Ryan Air
HURRY!
COMPETITION CLOSES 10 OCTOBER 2019
Terms & conditions: 1 Open to UK residents aged 18 or over. 2 Entries close 11.59pm, 10 Oct 2019. 3 Prizes are as stated. 4 Prizes are non-transferable. 5 Only one entry per person. Full Ts & Cs: kelsey.co.uk/competition-terms-conditions/ Promoter: Kelsey Media Ltd, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG
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FIRST TEST SAMSUNG GALAXY S10 5G
Samsung like a phenomenon For Galaxy fans who want to stay at the sharp end of technology, the S10 5G combines super-fast data (sometimes) with souped-up Android brilliance
£1099 / stuff.tv/S105G
he 5G evolution of the Samsung Galaxy S10 really goes for it with tech specs, starting with a best-in-class screen, a sleek finish and six cameras that deliver. Factor in the 5G speeds it can hit and we’re almost sold, even with the £1099 asking price… but, of course, just how good
[ Words Basil Kronfli ]
T
your S10 5G is will depend on exactly where you are. If you’re going for a 5G phone, 5G coverage needs to reach you; otherwise you might as well just opt for a much cheaper 4G handset and contract. At the time of writing this review, only EE, Vodafone and Three have gone live with their 5G services in the UK. Coverage is sparse
right now, but the upshot is, it’s only going to get better. And that’s not the only reason your experience of the Galaxy S10 5G will depend on where you are – it also affects the phone’s processor. If you’re in the US you get the Snapdragon 855, which has impressed us countless times, powering phones like the OnePlus 7 Pro,
the Sony Xperia 1 and the Oppo Reno 10x Zoom – it’s a cracking chipset. If, however, you’re in the UK, you’ll be getting the Exynos 9820. That’s the version we’ve reviewed, and in the S10s of old it’s been a weaker CPU. Is there enough new niceness crammed inside the British version of the S10 5G to make it a great device, though?
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FIRST TEST SAMSUNG GALAXY S10 5G
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Fascination treat
4 Close to whee
Given its mammoth 6.7in screen, the Galaxy S10 5G is surprisingly sleek, combining curved Gorilla Glass 6 with polished metal for a phone that feels as good as it looks. The front is almost all screen, with a double punch-hole for the selfie cam.
2 Display for today
That Exynos CPU’s performance falls behind some top-tier devices, but it’s still enough to deliver smooth day-to-day interaction and 3D gaming without any hitches. But this phone gets hot, and despite the huge 4500mAh battery, stamina isn’t great.
5 In between data
This is the biggest display you can get on a non-plus-size phone (the standard S10’s is 6.1in). It isn’t just big, though… it’s also glorious. Resolution is stunningly sharp, outdoor viewing is never an issue, viewing angles are strong and colours look rich but tempered.
We tested this phone in London on Vodafone’s 5G network, and calling the coverage ‘spotty’ would be an understatement – we had to hunt for it. Even then we never found speeds above 200Mbps, with the average looking more like 70-120Mbps.
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3 Adjust like heaven The S10 5G runs Android 9 with the smooth One UI over the top. The homescreen has a grid layout that can be resized; you can add new homescreens, deploy app shortcuts and widgets across them at will, and call up the Bixby screen on the left.
Good Meh Evil
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24 hours with the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
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FIRST TEST SAMSUNG GALAXY S10 5G
Tech specs Screen 6.7in 3040x1440 Super AMOLED Processor Exynos 9820 RAM 8GB OS Android 9.0 with One UI Cameras 12MP + 12MP + 16MP rear, 10MP front Battery 4500mAh Storage 256MB Dimensions 163x77x7.9mm, 198g
Pictures of phew
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Six cameras across front and back, and the mother of background defocus modes, deliver ace depth-sensing
15hrs
18hrs 19hrs
23hrs
Q Lens go to bed
Q A reflection
There’s a 12MP primary camera with variable aperture and optical image stabilisation, a 12MP telephoto (also with OIS) and a 16MP ultra-wide. As for the front, it’s a 10MP sensor with autofocus.
Both main and selfie cams include a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor. This tech is much more accurate than multiple traditional cams for gauging depth. It’s a dream for anyone who loves background blur.
Q All cats are great
Q How beautiful you are
Shooting modes are extensive, and the Galaxy line finally has a proper night option. This is an imaging Swiss Army knife that can be used to capture everything beautifully, from gigs to pets.
We’re big fans of pictures taken with the front camera of the S10 5G. And if a noticeable oblong cutout in the screen can be justified by sensational selfies, you’ll surely get used to it.
The best-looking screen we’ve ever seen joins forces with a stellar camera and very fast mobile internet. It isn’t a complete win: the S10 5G gets hot under the collar, and its battery won’t last more than a day. But with all it can do, it’s still easy to recommend if you really need 5G speeds or just like to be on the cutting edge of tech. @BasilKnows
STUFF SAYS +++++ This 5G hardware will have you future-proofed with sensational snaps and a stunning screen
24hrs 33
FIRST TEST SAMSUNG GALAXY S10 5G
The alternatives: 3 more flagships with 5G Other future-minded phones for data-munching early adopters
BEST FOR PHONE GEEKS
LG V50 ThinQ 5G
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BEST FOR SCREEN ADDICTS
BEST FOR YOUR BUDGET
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G
Huawei Mate 20 X 5G
£805 / lg.com
£699 / mi.com
£999 / huawei.com
What’s the story? LG has ditched its gesture gimmicks in favour of a phone with ‘foldable but not really’ credentials. Shipping with a ‘dual screen’ case, the inside of the folio cover works as a second screen and could be a much-needed point of differentiation in a growing field of 5G handsets. From £50 up front and £69 a month on EE, that’s cheaper than the Galaxy S10 5G.
What’s the story? The 5G variation of last year’s Mi Mix 3 has a beefier battery but no wireless charging. Doesn’t sound like much of an upgrade… but when you consider most 5G phones are selling for hundreds more, this Vodafone exclusive wants you to consider a next-gen network contract much sooner than you might have anticipated.
What’s the story? On paper the Mate 20 X 5G is a tough sell. Huawei has added 5G but removed the headphone jack and a speaker grille, and shrunk the 5000mAh battery from the standard Mate 20 X down to 4200mAh. It’s also roughly twice the price. That being said, plenty of 5G phones cost that much and don’t come with a whopping 7.2in OLED display.
Is it any good? The S10 5G has a better screen and camera, the OnePlus 7 5G looks more futuristic, Oppo’s Reno 5G can zoom further and the Xiaomi on the right costs less, but the LG is the geek’s choice. It’s fun figuring how to get the best from the dual screen, the camera is kicking when you fiddle with the manual settings, and the Boombox feature is great for music.
Is it any good? Like all the 5G phones we’ve reviewed, in isolation this is a great bit of kit… but the Xiaomi needs a bit of TLC to get the best from it – you’ll want to tinker with the UI and play about with the camera settings. But if you’re smitten with the sliding selfie cam and want to dive into a Vodafone 5G contract without spending Galaxy S10 5G money, it could be a great choice.
Is it any good? The worst thing about the Mate 20 X 5G is that you can still buy the original Mate 20 X. It costs less, looks virtually identical and – until 5G rollout is complete – has arguably more useful features. But when stacked up against its 5G rivals this phone holds its own with an excellent display, premium design, powerful innards and a camera packing a fantastic night mode.
TECH SPECS Screen 6.4in 3120x1440 OLED Processor Snapdragon 855 RAM 6GB Cameras 16MP + 12MP + 12MP rear, 8MP + 5MP front Battery 4000mAh Storage 128GB Dimensions 159x76x8.3mm, 183g
TECH SPECS Screen 6.4in 2340x1080 AMOLED Processor Snapdragon 855 RAM 6GB Cameras 12MP + 12MP rear, 24MP + 2MP front Battery 3800mAh Storage 128GB Dimensions 158x75x8.5mm, 225g
TECH SPECS Screen 7.2in 2244x1080 OLED Processor Kirin 980 RAM 8GB Cameras 40MP + 20MP + 8MP rear, 24MP front Battery 4200mAh Storage 256GB Dimensions 175x85x8.4mm, 233g
Stuff says ++++,
Stuff says ++++,
Stuff says ++++,
A gadget lover’s phone with plenty of clever features
A relatively affordable flagship for those just dipping a toe in 5G
Niche, but this is 5G with the biggest plus-size screen in town
GET A SECOND BATTERY HALF PRICE
—
WHEN YOU BUY A TOOL, BATTERY AND CHARGER
Get a second battery half price when you buy a promotional STIHL cordless AK or AP set containing a tool, 2 recommended batteries and charger. The price paid will include the second battery at half price. All the tools in the STIHL COMPACT and PRO cordless system are designed to be easy to use, light weight and also quiet. But they don’t compromise on performance. They are powered by a high-performance Lithium-Ion battery that can be used in all the tools in their system, so the second battery gives you the option to extend the run time in your tool and use it in other tools too. That’s real cordless power. Made by STIHL. AVAILABLE FROM APPROVED STIHL DEALERS, SELECTED GARDEN CENTRES AND BY VISITING SHOP.STIHL.CO.UK
*Buy any promotional set - which includes a tool, 2 x recommended batteries and a charger - and the price paid will include the second battery at half price. Offer ends 31st December 2019. Terms and conditions apply - visit stihl.co.uk/cordless for full details.
RRP £24.99
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MOST WANTED
102 MOST
WANTED Back by negligible demand and because 101 is never enough, the Stuff famalam have each compiled their own lists of gadgets, games and gear they’d sell a limb for (or, y’know, just save up)
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MOST WANTED
3
1
2
Sega Mega Drive Mini
O Megamind
O O Megadeth
O O O Megabytes
Shortly before we started peeking at each other’s work and scuffles broke out, one thing we could all agree on was that Sega joining the retro console revival is a good thing. Here in all its shrunken glory is the Mega Drive Mini, faithful replica of a ’90s cult classic for the GamesMaster generation, spiritual home of Sonic the Hedgehog, and the console for kids who didn’t wet the bed after playing Kirby’s Adventure on the NES. Given the original 16-bit Mega Drive cost £190, £70 seems a bit of a bargain for reliving the glory of dislodging motorcyclists with nunchucks in Road Rash II. It arrives on 4 October. £70 / megadrivemini.sega.com
Among the 42 pre-loaded games are Earthworm Jim, Streets of Rage 2, Golden Axe and a host of original Sonic titles.
You’ll find no battery-fatigued Bluetooth here: the console comes with two classic wired three-button control pads.
Games can be played in a stretched 16:9 aspect ratio, and an HDMI connection means no outdated analogue TV cables.
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MOST WANTED
GoCycle GX
iFi Aurora
Children of the ’80s may remember the Raleigh Vektar, with its ‘onboard computer’ for tracking time elapsed, distance travelled and speed. Ahead. Of. Its. Time. The GX does much the same with an app, leaving the fold-up bike to electronically assist you up to 20mph. £2899 / gogcycle.com
Not quite named after former lower league footballer Iffy Onuora, this all-in-one music system is clad in bamboo and inspired by the architecture of Tokyo. If that trivia doesn’t impress your guests, drown them out with six drive units and two bass radiators that adapt sound to the room. £1299 / ifi-audio.com
Panasonic transparent television
Orbitsound Air D1 You know in Spectre when Bond returns to his sparse Notting Hill apartment? The one thing he’s missing is music, but God forbid 007 should clutter up the place with two speakers. Instead, the active Air D1 creates audiophilegrade stereo from a single cabinet using clever proprietary tech. The stand looks properly mean too. £12,000 / orbitsound.com
I once had a lovely Panasonic MiniDisc player with a transparent digital display on the remote – and I’ve had a thing for see-through tech ever since. This concept OLED TV keeps appearing at tech shows to tease me… Pana, please, make the damned thing. £tbc / panasonic.com
Anden Domino I’ve just done my family tree and discovered ties to Walthamstow in north-east London, so I’ve decided to do my bit for ‘my people’ and buy this magnetised Apple Watch charging base, made to order by local craftsmen. It was that or support Spurs, so no contest really. £149 / madeby anden.co.uk
Solitary mourner of the MiniDisc, the man in charge of the mag will snap your arm off for a transparent TV or a sports yacht – he’s not fussy JAMES DAY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
40
Master Lock MLD08EB
Princess R35
Smeg KLF03
Beosound Stage
Get into a hotel room and the first thing I do is wedge a load of tech in the safe. But get home and my wares stay strewn around the house… which is not good. So I need this solid steel safe, from the brand that helped Houdini, with biometric fingerprint recognition. £145 / masterlock.eu
Without question my top billionaire’s toy of 2019, the Princess R35 doesn’t just make motorboating easy with its unique Active Foiling System; it also comes with a Naim sound system, waterproof Focal speakers and a panoramic display for watching surfers stack it. £535,000 / princess.co.uk
Who knew I needed a rose gold kettle to match my Apple Watch? Boiling the perfect brew in the classiest way possible, the sheen on the steel of Smeg’s special-edition KLF03 kettle (and TSF01 toaster, same price) will remind you just how shattered you look every morning. £180 / smeg.com
What to put with a transparent TV? Just unveiled in Venice, Bang & Olufsen’s first ever soundbar is a proper Danish love-in and oozes appropriate levels of Scandi cool. Designed in collaboration with Norm Architects and featuring Kvadrat fabric, it comes in a silver or bronze finish. from £1250 / bangolufsen.com
Beats Powerbeats Pro My favourite true wireless buds… until I accidentally left them in a Newhaven hotel room and caught a ferry to France. Beats’ most refined sound yet, rapid pairing with Apple’s H1 chip, all-day battery life with the charging case, and a hooked design so they stay in my weird-shaped canals – oh, how I pine for you. £220 / beatsbydre.com
MOST WANTED
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Honda E
O Mad dash
O O Winging it
O O O Green miles
It seems incredible to me that a company as famously forward-thinking as Honda hasn’t made an all-electric car yet, but I’m pinning my hopes on that being because the stupidly cool E gets things right first time. Judging by the 150PS power and 300Nm of torque, this is every bit a city car in city clothing. It’s got sporty rear-wheel drive, but the reason for this is sadly mundane: a turning circle of 4.3 metres and an Auto Park feature to help you navigate the tightest of streets. Reserve one now for £800… but Honda, please make a Type R hot version. Love you forever. £30,000 (est) / honda.co.uk
Two 12.3in displays dominate the woody retro dash, and can be used independently by driver and passenger.
Where we’re going we don’t need wing mirrors – the E swaps them out for a side cameras, which is a first for a compact car.
Range is up to 125 miles, with a fast charge of 80% in 30 minutes, and you can ask the car to find you a charging point.
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3 2 1
42
Fujifilm X-T3
O Viddy giddy
O O Nasal appraisal
O O O Frame game
It boils down to three reasons why I hold this camera in such high esteem. Firstly, it’s one of the most tactile cameras I’ve tried, where every analogue dial is customisable… yet when my raw millennial instincts take hold, it’s the first in the series with a touchscreen. Secondly, you won’t see better out-of-camera jpg images – and honestly, I don’t have time to faff with colour balance in Lightroom. Finally, 425 autofocus points is a huge improvement on the X-T2 and it’s deadly when it comes to locking onto faces, which is entirely my kind of camera-based creepery. £1349 / fujifilm.com
Video isn’t traditionally Fuji’s forte, but this model does 10-bit 4K video at 60fps, which is somewhat of a milestone.
Big beak? This camera has got you covered with a more prominent viewfinder than its nose-squashing predecessor.
Expect 11fps using the mechanical shutter, ace for sports and wildlife. You can raise that to 30fps using the electronic shutter.
MOST WANTED
Mondaine Smart Clock
Electrified X2 Were you just thinking: ‘Goodness me, that’s a stunning bicycle, I can’t believe there’s a 504Wh integrated battery in there, with a range of about 90 miles (on eco mode) and even a smart stealth lock anti-theft system’? Yeah, so was I. The 166 LEDs that keep you informed of speed and battery level are just the icing on the brake. £2598 / vanmoof.com
The classic Mondaine watch, famously based on a Swiss railway clock design, has been fixed on my wrist for 10 years. Those familiar fingers have never let me down. It’s a fine example of unadulterated good design, and that’s why I want one on my wall as well. £211 / mondaine.com
Rolleiflex The original Rolleiflex went out of production in 1976, but I’ve had a fascination with them since I learned Imogen Cunningham used one. They look complicated, but if the monkey in the silent movie The Cameraman can load film into that bizarre tin box then I can probably work it out. from £500-ish / ebay.co.uk
Apple iMac 2019 (27in) I’m setting up my home office at the moment, and there’s nothing more lust-worthy than the latest iMac’s huuuuuge 27in Retina screen with a staggering 5K resolution. It’ll make editing photographs far less of a chore and the colour accuracy will be important when I finally make that potentially award-winning short film. from £1749 / apple.com
The self-confessed youngest old-fashioned person you’ll ever meet describes her chosen gadgets as ‘predictably difficult’ NATALYA PAUL ONLINE EDITOR
Kindle Oasis Kindle perfection at last: the new Oasis (reviewed on p67) has waterproofing, weeks of battery life and – for the first time – the ability to swap cool glare for warm white to massage your eyes at night. It’s even got Audible integration for when you don’t want to keep your eyes open at all. from £230 / amazon.co.uk
Tesla Model 3
Marcato Atlas 150
Libratone Track Air+
Buying a Tesla is not going to give you Greta Thunberg status, but it’s a start. But which one? Rumour has it the Model 3 will benefit from all the tech and software updates whereas the other models will eventually be phased out. Full premium audio too, please. from £39,990 / tesla.com
When I first bought a very cheap pasta maker, it seemed I’d bitten off more than I could chew… and chewy is not the texture you want for tagliatelle. I should’ve trusted the reviews, which all point to this baby. There’s even a motor attachment to lighten the load just a little. £50 / marcato.it
I’ve been waxing lyrical about these wireless buds, and that’s because they’re head, shoulders, knees, toes and earlobes better than Apple’s AirPods. Subtle style is paired with ANC and 6hrs of battery life… and they’re sweatproof, which is great news for my gym sessions. £179 / libratone.com
Smeg Drip Coffee machines with built-in milk-frothing trouble me. The thought of cleaning them makes me unhappy, and the thought of not cleaning them makes me inconsolable. So just give me freshly ground beans to feed into this gloriously retro drip coffee maker. It’ll keep the elixir warm for 40 minutes, which is plenty of time to enjoy the blissful aroma. £180 / smeguk.com
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MOST WANTED
Oculus Quest
Audi E-tron Scooter In a wishlist like this, I should probably be picking Audi’s E-tron electric car. But a car’s a car, right? The E-tron I’m after is both an electric scooter and a skateboard. There’s a handle to grip, but it has four wheels on axles that allow you to weave across the pavement like you would on a normal board. €2000 / audi.com
Of all the gadgets I’ve tested this year, the Oculus Quest has left by far the biggest impression. Granted, many VR games still tend to make me queasier than Theresa May in a nightclub, but at least with the all-in-one Quest I won’t be tripping over a tangle of wires. from £399 / oculus.com
Dyson V11 Somehow, Dyson has made cleaning a room the morning after a house party as fun as trashing it in the first place. Not only does its latest cordless vac come armed with 20% more suction than its predecessor, but it also has an LCD screen that lets you hop between modes and check the battery level. £499 / dyson.co.uk
Playdate I love my Nintendo Switch like I imagine a mother loves her first-born, but – and this is crucial – the Nintendo Switch doesn’t have a crank. The Playdate is an adorable indie handheld that does, and you can use it – sometimes only it – to play games on the 2.7in black and white display. £tbc / play.date
We get to play video games on your magic 77in TV? And you’ll tidy up afterwards with your cordless vac? So thoughtful! MATT TATE HOT STUFF EDITOR
Ikea Symfonisk Lamp Ikea’s thing is nice Scandinavian furniture, while Sonos is quite good at audio. When the pair join forces you get this, an attractive table lamp that conceals a powerful Wi-Fi speaker. Like any Sonos product it’s controlled with the app, and can be added to your multiroom setup. £150 / ikea.com
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Death Stranding Although much of Hideo Kojima’s first post-Metal Gear Solid project is bound to be incomprehensible nonsense, it’s easily the game I’m most intrigued by in the run-up to Christmas. Kojima calls this a completely new type of action game; the trailer suggests it might not be just hype. £tbc / playstation.com
Teenage Engineering Speak
KitchenAid Smart Display
Before you say anything, no, it’s not a calculator. The PO-35 Speak is the latest of Teenage’s teeny synths, which I’ve accidentally started to collect. It has a built-in mic, to record your voice and make it go all Daft Punk before adding drums and sequencing it. £85 / teenage. engineering
While other smart displays give step-by-step visual recipes, only KitchenAid’s will survive the saucepan of water I inevitably throw all over it. As well as being splash-resistant, this Google Assistant smart device features tasty recipes from Yummly. £tbc / kitchenaid.co.uk
Nike Joyride It’s out with the foam and in with the beads in Nike’s new Joyride running shoes. The cushioning system places more than 10,000 beads below your foot to absorb the impact of your stride before bouncing back to thrust you forward. Can’t promise they’ll finally get me to sign up for a marathon, but they don’t half sound fun. £160 / nike.com
MOST WANTED
1
2
3
Beovision Harmony
O In sink
O O Stellar cast
O O O Array of hope
It may surprise you to learn that, despite getting to stare at a whole lot of them as part of this job, I don’t actually own a 4K TV. When I do finally make the jump, though, I’ve always said I want my telly to have oak and aluminum wings that majestically open every time I turn it on. That’s the deal with B&O’s Beovision Harmony, which pairs its swanky front fans (that also happen to be speakers) with an LG 77in 4K OLED panel. Does it matter that it costs about four times as much as a TV that can’t do an impression of a butterfly? Well, possibly, but nobody said this list had to be realistic. £17,100 / bang-olufsen.com
When you’ve finished bingeing on GLOW, the wings retract in a slick sequence as the display gradually lowers.
The three-channel audio setup works with AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Bluetooth, should you want to fill the house with sound.
You also get a 7.1 surround-sound decoder, letting you connect up to 16 Beolab speakers and really scare the neighbours.
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MOST WANTED
1
3 2
46
JVC DLA-NX9
O 18 certificate
O O Scale model
O O O Black marque
Most of us will only be able to afford the £18,000 JVC DLA-NX9 in a decade’s time, when it’s already done a 10-stretch in a rich person’s house. But there’s a reason for that. This is the most advanced home projector around. It has JVC’s legendary D-ILA hardware, for the best blacks any projector can provide, and is the first with 8K e-shift. This isn’t ‘real’ 8K, but there’s not much point in having that yet anyway. E-shift uses a refractor that nudges the 4K panel by half a pixel 60 times a second to get you an algorithmically enhanced 4K image with 8K’s worth of detail. £17,999 / eu.jvc.com
This projector has an epic 18-element lens to deliver extreme sharpness; 8K resolution isn’t worth much without it.
With next-gen upscaling even for 1080p content, you can watch EastEnders in 8K. You’re ’avin’ a bubble, intcha?
JVC’s trusty D-ILA tech offers incredible contrast even if you’re not quite ready to paint your walls, ceiling and floor black.
MOST WANTED
Rega Planar 2
Apple Pro Display XDR
This is the kind of turntable you might choose if you spend several aeons researching different models. It’s been around since the middle of the 1970s, getting a little design tweak every so often since, and seems to have won more awards over the years than Stevie Wonder. £399 / rega.co.uk
OK, so I don’t really need one of these lush screens, but I’ve been smitten ever since clapping eyes on one at WWDC. ‘Gorgeous’ doesn’t really cover it – and as an excuse, I think my iMac’s screen is dying. The only snag: I’d need a shiny new Mac to use it with… $4999 / apple.com
GPD Win 2 This is a pipe dream made into reality. It’s basically a Nintendo 3DS console that runs Windows and lets you play any PC game you like…or attempt to run them, anyway. The Win 2 has an Intel Core laptop CPU that isn’t about to smoke an Alienware gaming machine, but you can use it to play classics like Grand Theft Auto V and Skyrim. £600 / gpd.hk
In the battle of hipster synths he scoffed at the Moog and opted for a miniature Modal Andrew Williams smartphone expert
Forget being that person on the train nodding along to a 12.9in iPad Pro. Whop one of these out instead. It’s a micro-synth that runs on AA batteries and will let you play around like Deadmau5 on the way to work. It’s no toy, though, and would also make a handy addition to a modern home studio. £129 / modalelectronics.com
My belief is you can never have enough Lego – and there are loads of fab kits to choose from. But as much as I admire the chubby Harley motorbike and the superb Ford Mustang, this Jurassic Park set has a massive stompy dinosaur and even a suitably tousle-haired Dr Ian Malcolm minifigure. It’s just not a fair fight. £220 / lego.com
Grateful for anything as long as it involves retro gaming, music creation or Jony Ive Craig Grannell king of apps
Sony RX100 VII
Modal Electronics CraftSynth 2.0
Lego Jurassic Park: T. Rex Rampage
The best camera to own is one you’ll actually use a lot. Sony’s RX100 VII fits into a coat pocket and has features that make some of the latest fullframe DSLRs seem behind the times. How often do you meet a camera that can shoot photos at up to 90fps? This is the ultimate travel compact. £1199 / sony.co.uk
Lua Ninety quid might seem excessive for a plant pot, but Lua combines an old-school virtual pet with the thrill of keeping something real alive. It uses sensors to detect how your plant’s feeling, and relays this via animations plastered across a 2.4in LCD. Handy if, like me, you have the opposite of green fingers. £92 / mu-design.lu
Fender Acoustasonic Telecaster I feel like I’m cheating on the trusty Hohner I’ve owned since I was a teen here, but Fender’s strummer is the business. The hollow body lets you use it unplugged, and knob-twiddling enables you to blend countless electric tones. £1565 / andertons.co.uk
Lyra In my eternal quest to find the perfect retro gaming handheld, the Lyra recently caught my eye (see Start Menu, p26). This beauty is powered by a Raspberry Pi CM3L and is fully dedicated to the golden era of gaming, when the chunky pixels were so sharp you could cut yourself on them. from £149 / creoqode.com
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MOST WANTED
Kindle Paperwhite
B&G Little Sister Private Build This one’s not very gadgety – it’s a normal semi-acoustic guitar – but it has to be on this list because it’s just so gorgeous. I tried one out two years ago and you can still see the drool stains on the shop’s carpet. It’s hand-built in Israel, with a brass bridge and tailpiece and… did I mention it’s gorgeous? £3450 / thenorthamericanguitar.com
I said I’d never get an e-reader. I held out for quite a long time. Then I got bored with going to the library and decided to download a few classic novels onto my iPad. The inevitable conclusion: reading on an iPad is fine, but it’d be even better if it were a Kindle. Sorry, books. £120 / amazon.co.uk
Avid Acutus Reference Mono SP I read up on all the tech specs for this crazy-looking turntable, and I think I actually understood some of them. But there’s only one figure you need to see here, and that’s the price. At last, something to do justice to my collection of rare Phil Collins 12-inches. £31,000 / fanthorpes.co.uk
Beoplay H9i It’s hard to go back to normal headphones once you’ve tried active noise-cancellation. Well, unless you live and work alone in an acoustically treated bunker (which is quite appealing, actually). Anyway, we had these B&Os on the cover in May and I’ve been pining ever since. Our review called them “a masterclass in accuracy”. That’ll do for me. £450 / bang-olufsen.com
Can write what he wants here, as he’s the last person to check pages before printing, but we’ll hazard a guess he’d rather be playing the guitar RICHARD PURVIS PRODUCTION WIZARD
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MercedesBenz EQV
Apple Mac Pro (2019)
MBL 101 X-Treme
Wattbike Atom
It’s a moose, isn’t it? But listen, I’ve got three kids, and that fleet of Lamborghinis is starting to feel awfully impractical. Merc’s electric MPV is just a concept for now, but it’s expected to be launched for real this autumn, with a 250-mile range and a techpacked interior. tbc / mercedesbenz.co.uk
I’m quite happy with my home recording studio, but its brain – a 2017 iMac that seemed quite well specced at the time – is prone to freezing up under heavy processing. What I need, clearly, is the most powerful media machine ever, ideally optioned up to about 20 grand. from $5999 / apple.com
Ha, and you thought the turntable was expensive! This omnidirectional speaker system isn’t so much German hi-fi engineering as high sculptural art. The bit on the right is the bass tower, and the whole lot weighs about 1600kg. My Jam Heavy Metal is 762g. £193,310 / audio emotion.co.uk
This is the only item on my list that could actually change my life. I love cycling but I don’t like being run over, so I no longer even own a bike. But with one of these in the loft, and a little help from Zwift, I’m sure I’d be chasing Egan Bernal up Mont Ventoux within weeks. £1599 / wattbike.com
Nintendo Labo VR When Matt Tate was reviewing this a few months back, I had a go on the Blaster with some daft shooty game and was smitten. The only thing holding me back from getting one is that I don’t have a Switch, because video games are of course evil. Pity, that. from £35 / store.nintendo.co.uk
2 MOST WANTED
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1
Moog Grandmother
O Patched up
O O Active ’verb
O O O Axe murderer
We’re done with electronic music now, aren’t we? It’s all going to be banjos and washboards in 2020. But just in case the beepy-boopy stuff makes a comeback at some point, it’d be really handy to have one of these 32-note beasts under the spare bed. Inspired by the legendary Moog synthesizers of the ’70s and early ’80s, it’s a semi-modular analogue synth with built-in arpeggiator and 256-note sequencer, meaning you can basically do whole songs on it. And yes, it’s called the Grandmother. Presumably because it’s adorably eccentric and sometimes makes unexpected squelchy noises. £778 / pmtonline.co.uk
‘Semi-modular’ means you can use patch cables to reconfigure the routing between the modules, or just play it as it is.
There’s a real spring reverb tank built in, for adding authentically wobbly ambiences to your mystical soundscapes.
You can plug other instruments into the back of the Grandmother to use its filters. Yep, even your guitar can join in.
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2
1
3
50
B&W Formation Wedge
O Hi there
O O Hot mesh
O O O Coney island
I always wanted a B&W Zeppelin. In the world of iPod docks it was very much a superyacht in a sea of tugs… and the Formation Wedge is the Zeppelin’s spiritual successor. With smart speakers becoming increasingly capable on the audio front, this kind of one-box hi-fi seems to have fallen out of fashion, but there’s nothing out of date about the Wedge. Obviously there’s nowhere to plonk an iPod – it relies on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and AirPlay 2 to pipe in the tunes – but with 240W of sound-pushing power inside, it’s the way it pumps them out into the room that’s most important. £899 / bowerswilkins.com
The Wedge supports 24-bit/96kHz audio, so it’s a good choice if you subscribe to a hi-res streaming service.
You can team the Wedge up with other products from the Formation range to make a mesh-networked multiroom system.
There are five drivers inside the Wedge: two tweeters, two 3.5in mid-range drivers and a 6in sub. Tasty.
MOST WANTED
Nintendo Switch Lite I’m only interested in playing one Nintendo game: Mario. So a cheaper, portable-only Switch that allows me to get my fix of fat plumber when I squeeze onto the Tube in the morning is pretty much my ideal Ninty console. Anyone know when Super Mario Odyssey 2 is due out? £200 / nintendo.com
Sony WF1000XM3
LG Signature Z9 8K OLED
Noise-cancelling is a luxury I thought we might have to do without on true wireless earphones, unless they were going to be the size of lightbulbs (which would kind of defeat the object). But Sony has managed to squeeze the tech into the little XM3s… and they sound fantastic. £219 / sony.co.uk
I’m not much of an early adopter, but for LG’s 8K OLED TV I’d be willing to make an exception. Even though there’s nothing to watch (yet), it’ll make 4K stuff look even better… and you can’t beat OLED for picture quality. At 88in, though, there is the small matter of finding somewhere to put it. $30,000 / lg.com
Bose Frames There’s something vaguely sci-fi about Bose’s speaker-packing sunnies that I can’t help but find appealing. Sure, they’ll never sound as good as a proper pair of headphones, but for catching up on podcasts they’d be ideal, plus if people get up close and hear the voices they might think I’m a spy. £200 / bose.co.uk
Usually found podcasting about condiments; dreams of riding around Brighton seafront in a big fat Jag while wearing musical sunglasses TOM WIGGINS JACK OF ALL TECH
Apple MacBook Air There’s one main thing I want from a laptop: good luggability. So while the latest 13in MacBook Air might be a little light on ports and slightly stingy with the storage, it’s light in the way that matters; and the addition of Touch ID is just a bonus. This is Stuff’s No1 laptop for a reason. from £1099 / apple.com
Amazon Echo Wall Clock
Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar
My Echo Plus is pretty much just for playing Genesis albums and telling me when my chicken Kiev’s ready, but sometimes those timers catch me out. Amazon’s Echo Clock will allow me to keep an eye on how long’s left thanks to indicators on its face. £30 / amazon.co.uk
Dolby’s soundbouncing Atmos tech is genuinely game-changing, but proper surround sound in a small flat isn’t really an option… especially if you ask my downstairs neighbour. This huge soundbar (read the review on p66) looks like the answer. £2199 / sennheiser.com
Mag-Lev Audio ML1 There are sound technical reasons for suspending the platter of a turntable in the air and using magnets to spin it: the less chance of vibrations getting to it, the less likely it is that your records will skip. But that’s not really why I want one; I just think it looks really cool. from £2450 / maglevaudio.com
Jaguar I-Pace I could never own a Tesla because Elon Musk is a colossal wand, but Jaguar’s all-electric I-Pace suits me just fine as an alternative. Roomy, rapid, and good-looking without being embarrassingly ostentatious, it’ll do the best part of 300 miles before needing to be plugged in. What more could you want? from £60,995 / jaguar.co.uk
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MOST WANTED
Jaybird Vista
Technogym MyRun Running on a treadmill is some people’s idea of hell, but this isn’t your normal hamster wheel. It pairs with an app to coach you as you run, and tracks key metrics that help to improve your form and technique as well as fitness. It’s also one of the only treadmills pretty enough that I’d happily have it on show in my house rather than stuck in the garage. £3250 / technogym.com
Music is a big part of my running, and these are simply the best true wireless sport buds you can buy. They’re tiny and light (6g per bud), and pack kick-ass sound you can customise to suit your ears. Then there’s 16 hours of battery life, a five-minute rapid charge and a neat charging case. £160 / jaybirdsport.com
Elden Ring Nobody makes action RPGs quite like FromSoftware, who have perfected their formula through a range of atmospheric and utterly involving titles from Demon’s Souls to Bloodborne. And with the upcoming Elden Ring, they’ve enlisted George RR Martin to craft the backstory. £tbc / fromsoftware.jp
Being able to train your muscles without actually working up a sweat is appealing, but this wireless stimulator isn’t a lazy ticket to fitness. It lets you target muscle groups to build strength without impact and helps recovery – ideal for when you’ve just hammered your body. £780 / compex.com
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After flying back from Australia a few months ago, I vowed I’d have a pair of these clamped to my ears the next time I decided to spend 24 hours in a plane cabin. Come for the noise-cancelling talents that swathe you in a serene bubble, stay for the bangin’ audio performance. £272 / sony.co.uk
Loving life behind a lens, but only when he can tear himself away from a serious streaming habit Sam Kieldsen camera buff
The Forrest Gump of tech journalism is often found running an ultra marathon on ‘rest’ days Kieran Alger fitness fanatic
Compex SP 8.0
Sony WH-1000XM3
Mirror
Polar Ignite
Disney+
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fittest of them all? Me, probably… if I could join up to 70 real-time streamed training sessions via this futuristic wall-mounted interactive home setup. You can get direct coaching feedback beamed to your home, train alongside other classmates and pair up a heart monitor. $1495 / mirror.co
I obsess about my stats in training but the real gains are made during recovery, not the workout. This recovery-focused fitness watch (reviewed on p73) would help me close that loop with a nightly recharge feature that tracks the autonomic nervous system to give better advice on when I should go again. £175 / polar.com
While I’ll admit the appearance of yet another service on top of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Now TV makes a mockery of the idea that streaming would ‘simplify’ TV, the sheer glut of cool stuff to watch on Disney+ – from all the MCU movies to new Star Wars series – makes it a must. Just one snag: When will we get it in the UK? £tbc / disney.co.uk
Naim Mu-so 2 I’m too old and too impatient to start a vinyl collection now, having apparently reached the age where convenience means everything. The Mu-so proves this doesn’t have to mean compromise too, by being a compact wireless speaker that sounds big, brash and boisterous, as well as being compatible with any digital format going. £1299 / naimaudio.com
MOST WANTED
1
2
3
Sony A7R IV
O Sexy back
O O Eye see you
O O O 4K computer
Since we’re talking about our most wanted gadgets, I’ll go big or go home here: at almost £6000, this camera/lens setup isn’t likely to find its way into my actual bag any time soon, but I’d dearly love to see what the combo of a 61MP full-frame sensor and super-sharp optics can do. Just when I thought Canon and Nikon had finally caught up, now it looks like they’ve got more catching up to do courtesy of this monstrously capable mirrorless camera offering ‘medium format level image quality’. Time for a bank-note rummage behind the sofa… £3500 (+ £2300 for FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM lens) / sony.co.uk
Sony’s 61MP backilluminated CMOS sensor is joined by a 567-point focus system and a 5.76m-dot OLED viewfinder.
Eye AF lets you lock onto the eyes of your subject and track them (pets included) in real time for both video and stills.
Professional 4K recording and a full readout with no pixel-binning are also included so your movies look their best.
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MOST WANTED
2 1
3
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Nanoleaf Canvas
O Panel show
O O Adhere we go
O O O Scene, not herd
Part smart lighting, part luminescent masterpiece, the Nanoleaf Canvas is a stellar way of transforming a boring wall into a colourful, interactive bit of art. You can join the panels together in whatever design you want, and then light them up in your choice of colour via the accompanying app. Here you can also set timers, organise Alexa or Google Assistant integration, programme the lights to change in time with your music, and lots more. A recent update also added a feature called Touch Actions, which turns each panel into a smart home switch for controlling your other devices around the home. from ÂŁ180 / nanoleaf.me
There are nine panels in a Canvas starter pack, but you can add to this with extension packs to make it your own.
Installation is nice and easy – each panel comes with double-sided tape to fix it securely to your chosen piece of wall.
You can set your own light scene by app or touch, or choose from hundreds of userbuilt options in the Nanoleaf library.
MOST WANTED
Canon PowerShot G7 X MkIII
Roomba S9+ Topping iRobot’s brilliant robot vac range, the S9+ is the firm’s most powerful cleaner yet. It also automatically empties its bin into the included CleanBase, which holds 30 days of dust to save you the hassle. The price tag is obscene, but with two dogs and a baby crawling around the place I think it’s wholly justified. £1500 / irobot.co.uk
While my phone does a great job of taking snaps on the go, I’m keen to get back into the habit of pulling out a proper camera when the moment arises. As a pure point-and-shoot job, the G7 X MkIII is a great option and stacked with extra features for serious content producers. £700 / canon.co.uk
Teplo I don’t want to say I’m a tea snob, but if you put the milk in first we can’t be friends. The Teplo connected teapot ups anyone’s tea-making game by brewing the stuff to perfection. It even packs a heart monitor that will adjust brewing level depending on your mood. More caffeine, please. $299 / teplotea.com
Peloton While we all know spinning is for sadists, there’s no doubt it’s an amazing workout. The Peloton is a state-of-the-art spinning bike for your home, complete with a monthly subscription that offers tonnes of live and on-demand workouts that fit around you. No more excuses about why I can’t get to the gym. £1990 (+ £39/m) / onepeloton.co.uk
We always knew her list would make a statement and maybe even verge on the wild, but nobody imagined she’d be troubling Furniture Village VERITY BURNS HOME CINEMA HERO
Google Nest Hub Max
LG Signature OLED R9
Lista Smart Desk
I’m in the rather belated process of upping my smart home game, and the Nest Hub Max would be a fine way of keeping an eye on my growing hoard of kit. It also doubles as a decent music speaker and has a camera for video calling, which the smaller Nest Hub doesn’t have. £219 / store.google.com
Who knows when you’ll actually be able to buy it, and how ridiculous the price will be, but this 65in rollable OLED TV stole the show at this year’s CES tech fair and for good reason. It packs all the gorgeousness of LG’s OLED televisions, but can be tucked away out of sight with the press of a button. £tbc / lg.com
For a technology journalist, the number of times I go to leave the house and find my phone is at 12% is embarrassingly high. This desk makes such mishaps easy to avoid with a wireless charging pad built in, plus it also squeezes in a Bluetooth speaker and two USB ports. £399 / furniture village.co.uk
Canon Selphy CP1300 A photo printer might seem like something from a Most Wanted list out of the ’00s… but along with my desire for ‘proper’ photography has come a need to actually print my pictures out. This works with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and can produce lab-quality prints in under a minute. £99 / canon.co.uk
B&W Formation Duo The Formation family is filled with Most Wanted fodder, but these active wireless speakers really mean business when it comes to sound quality. They offer all the poise and precision of B&W’s standard hi-fi speakers, but with convenience that includes AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect, alongside multiroom smarts. £3500 (pair) / bowerswilkins.com
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MOST WANTED
DJI Mavic Air There’s only so many shots of gravel tracks trailing off into the distance that my Insta can take – wouldn’t it be great to get a different view to mix up the grid? Being relatively pocketable, and with a decent flight time of 21 minutes, this 4K-equipped drone would be perfect for getting that trail to dissect the scenery. £769 / dji.com
Cyberpunk 2077
Quoc Gran Tourer
I put more hours than I’d like to admit into The Witcher 3. But enough time has passed that I’m prepared to immerse myself in a new CD Projekt Red world that swaps swords for guns, potions for augmentations and Roach for a badass ’80s-style street racer. £tbc / cyberpunk.net
I know, over 200 sheets for a pair of cycling shoes: bit much for just tottering around the cafe stop? But these are designed for being off the bike as much as on it. A waterproof bottom third, air vents, carbon midsole and super-grippy sole make them ideal for long sections of hike-a-bike. £219 / quoc.cc
Peugeot e-Legend The only thing I don’t like about this car is its name. Describing yourself as a #legend generally means I won’t like you. But the Peugeot earns a pass due to its extraordinary retro-futuristic styling, fully autonomous driving and all-electric powertrain. Sadly, there are no plans to build it until at least 2025 – not sure I can wait that long. £tbc / peugeot.co.uk
Taking time out from pedalling halfway up a mountain, check out his selections if you want… but he’s far too punk rock to care what you think ROSS PRESLY DESIGN OVERLORD
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Apple iPad Pro 12.9in
Marshall Mid ANC
I love drawing on the last-gen iPad Pro: skulls, bats, angry cats and all the other gothic terrors flow seamlessly from the Pencil. It’s just annoying to be halted mid-beast by the stylus running out of juice… so hail the dark lord Apple for including wireless charging this time. from £969 (Pencil £119) / apple.com
Everybody else seems to have chosen some noise-cancelling headphones – it’s clear the Stuff team hates being disturbed. I’m sure the Sonys and Boses are great, but I’m after something with a bit more oomph for listening to Sabbath and Kvelertak. £240 / marshall headphones.com
Alpkit Koro For a sneaky midweek ride and bivvy, a cup of coffee in the morning while the sun comes up is the perfect way to start the day. This superlight (124g!) packable stove is excellent for sneaking into a frame bag, and the variable gas-flow control means I’ll be caffeinated in next to no time. £45 / alpkit.com
Google Pixel 4XL It’s taken a long time, but I’ve finally stopped noticing the gargantuan notch on my 3XL. From Google’s own leaks, the 4 is notchless, with a dual-camera setup on the back, facial unlocking and gesture controls. As long as it still takes incredible pictures, I’m in. £tbc / store. google.com
Brother Cycles Allday After a lot of research, it seems nobody is offering the perfect town bike. So the only logical conclusion is to build my own. This steel frame is a perfect base for a wide-tyred, riser-barred, fixed-geared, pizza-racked, six-pack-carrying machine. Naturally I’ll be getting the black version, but there’s also a wicked splatter colour scheme. from £499 / brothercycles.com
MOST WANTED
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2 3
Wahoo Elemnt Roam
O Up-routed
O O Up to speed
O O O Up to your eyes
I’m currently riding around with the basic Wahoo Elemnt strapped to my bars; and no matter how much time and effort I put into planning routes, I always end up spotting an unmarked track or bridleway and heading off down it. Eventually I’ll stop and figure out how to get back on track, but it’d be nice if the computer could do that part for me. So a cheeky upgrade to the Roam model would make all my rerouting hassles vanish, as it does that on the fly. The full-colour screen, 17hr battery life, enhanced mapping and adaptive display for when I’ve stayed out riding too late would be nice too. £300 / wahoofitness.com
You can plan routes in Komoot and send them directly to the Roam – handy if the one you’ve planned is a bit too hilly.
When paired with your phone, it’ll serve up text and email notifications so you can pretend you’re still ‘working from home’.
The Roam’s screens are fully customisable so you can have as much or little data on them as you want.
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MOST WANTED
2 3
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Technics SL-1000R
O Belt up
O O Controlled spin
O O O Heady metal
Yes, the SL-1210 is all well and good. But the real Technics statement of intent is this two-box direct-drive Leviathan. At 50cm it’s wider than most kit-racks, at 40kg it’s heavier than some washing machines and at 14 grand it’s more expensive than some cars. Weird to think turntables weren’t even in Technics’ plans when it relaunched in 2014 – but after demand from distributors, customers and a fiercely loyal fanbase, the brand has finally done the right thing and given the people what they want, albeit at a higher price point than anyone had ever anticipated. Still, this is the absolute sound. £13,999 / technics.com
The direct-drive motor is a key distinguishing feature, meaning greater speed accuracy and stability.
An external control unit houses noise filters and a digital servo with optical sensors to detect speed variations.
Each triple-layered heavyweight platter is tested on the same machine used to balance the wheels of Japan’s bullet trains.
MOST WANTED
Sony KD-85ZG9 Of course I want a massive 8K TV. I want the sky-high detail levels, I want the incredible upscaling, I want the lightning-fast response times and I want the staggering overall fidelity. Having said all that, mind you, I also want someone else to pay for it. Any volunteers? £13,999 / sony.co.uk
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Shure KSE1200 In-ear headphones are meant to be portable – but these electrostatic Shures come with their own amplifier the size of a smartphone. They’re also witheringly expensive. But as a demonstration of exactly what is possible from technology of this type, they are peerless. And they sound bloody stupendous. £1769 / shure.com
The man with the keenest ears and baldest head in the Stuff sheep-pen likes his tech pricey Simon Lucas audio expert
Some people (me, for instance) see an intelligent, forward-thinking piece of design when they look at the outside of the electric BMW i3. And some people (me, for instance) see a dynamic and flawless interior when they look inside. And then there are some people (my partner, for instance) who decide it reminds them of an orthopaedic shoe. Sigh. from £35,350 / bmw.co.uk
Marvel Super Heroes Arcade Cabinet Owning an arcade game feels like the ultimate bit of nerd cred, but somewhere between the exorbitant price and bulky size of most cabinets, I never went for one. Arcade1Up’s 3/4-scale revivals land at both the right price and size – and this Marvel one’s straight after my heart. US$399 / arcade1up.com
When not writing about tech he’ll usually be relaxing at some sort of hacking convention Andrew Hayward full-time nerd
De Rosa SK Pininfarina
BMW i3
I love the S10, but I’m a sucker for oversized smartphones. I’ll take ’em as large as they come… and with its 6.8in AMOLED panel, the new Galaxy Note 10+ ought to do the trick. This S Penpacking beast looks like autumn’s Android of choice for me. £tbc / samsung.com
Comfort? Check. Performance? Check. Materials and specification? Check and check. Only one thing can improve a De Rosa Super King, in fact… and that’s styling by the automotive legend that is Pininfarina. When you properly think about it, the SK Pininfarina is something of a bargain. £3499 / derosa.it
Apple MacBook Pro 13in My MacBook Pro has given me nearly five years of quality usage, but it’s not as speedy as it used to be. Perfect timing on Apple’s part, then, as the base MacBook Pro model has finally been updated with the Touch Bar plus a power boost. from £1299 / apple.com
LIFX Beam The Arcade1Up cabinet won’t be enough to transform my office into a oneman party zone, but LIFX’s Beam smart lighting should complete the illusion. These vibrant bars can be linked up and aligned in any pattern around my desk, adding a rave-like edge to those late nights on deadline. £180 / uk.lifx.com
Samsung The Frame (2019) 65in The Frame offers a novel concept: it’s a top-end TV with the same kind of 4K HDR QLED tech seen in Samsung’s other sets, but it simply looks like a framed artwork when not in use. Well, no chance of affording a real Van Gogh after spuffing £2k… £1999 / samsung.com
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TESTED APPS
Mini meme
BUST SOME MOVES
O Stop Motion
Studio Pro
Even with a decent phone and this smart app, it’ll take days of effort to fashion your own claymation short or slice of animated papercraft wizardry. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, it’s packed with quality features such as layers, audio and filters. You just need the skill to avoid your star resembling a knock-off Morph that’s been battered by Tony Hart’s brush. £4.99 / Android, iOS
With these apps, you can do everything from making snaps dance like Harry Potter’s to unleashing your inner Roobarb with scribbly animations
O Enlight Pixaloop There are plenty of cinemagraph apps that let you take a slice of video and freeze all but a part of it. The magic with Pixaloop is it performs this trick on stills. Load a snap, mask out the bits you want to stay put, drag some arrows, and watch everything animate. It can’t make a human amble across the screen, but the automated motion is very effective on clouds, water and geometric structures. £free (IAPs) / Android, iOS
O PicsArt Animator
O Flugo
O Plays: Animation
O CoreAnimator
Remember when you grabbed a marker, drew silly glasses on photos of people and got branded ‘immature’? Use this app to get your own back by making said glasses move, thereby putting you on a direct path to a senior animator position at Disney. Or not. Either way, it’s a fun and powerful app, with a layers system, speed controls and selection tools. £free (IAPs) / Android, iOS
While Pixaloop adds free-flowing motion to snaps, Flugo’s aim is to add depth, infusing a kind of 3D effect into any photo. Your part in this is using deft finger-painting to outline which bits of your image are foreground, middle and background. A few seconds of number-crunching later, and your pic will jiggle around with a striking parallax effect. Fork out for IAP and a portrait mode is unlocked. £free (IAPs) / iOS
If you mostly share words rather than pictures, you might be feeling a bit left out. Never fear, because Plays lets you get animated with letters. Type a tweet-sized missive and you can then add backgrounds, colour characters, and select an effect to hurl the letters around the screen, often making them unreadable – which might well be an improvement. £free / iOS
Advanced animation is the preserve of desktop apps, but CoreAnimator sidles towards that turf. You’ll need to prepare images elsewhere and break them into parts, ready for animating. The app’s timeline and keyframe system then offers plenty of control as you craft animated epics. The results… well, they won’t scare Pixar, but they could be enough for a cult following on YouTube. £5.99 / iPad
Design Kit
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FINER FOUNTAINS
SLEEKER SCRIBES
BETTER BALLPOINTS
UPVOTED
The stainless scribbler
The larger legend
The rugged writer
Kaweco Liliput Chin-deep in notes and wrestling with a report, the concept of time can seem a distant dream. Root your mind back in reality with the cold, hard certainty of stainless steel: this sleek metal screw-top won’t make those appendices easier, but it might just prevent a midnight meltdown. £78 / kaweco-pen.com
Parker Jotter XL Smartphones might make note-keeping a cinch, but sometimes only the paper certainty of a written to-do will, erm, do. Parker’s click-top Jotter has long been the tool of choice for those of a doodling disposition – and now the classic ballpoint’s back with a barrel that’s 7% bigger. £24 / parkerpen.com
Fisher Space Pen Clutch Heard the one about NASA spending millions on pens that could write in zero gravity, while the Soviets simply used pencils? This is that same tech, made rugged. Hewn from anodised aluminium, the Clutch can write upside down and underwater. Take that, Comrade Graphite. $52 / spacepen.com
PENS The coffee correspondent Caran d’Ache 849 Nespresso Edition 2 Caffeine may cure your writer’s block, but all those coffee capsules make your creativity quite the bin-filler. Ease your eco guilt with this sustainable ballpoint: the result of Nespresso’s second collaboration with Caran d’Ache, the deep-green cylinder is crafted from recycled pods. £40 / carandache.com
The missive missile Baron Fig Squire Copper If copper can do for pennies and pans, why not for premium pens? Styled like a torpedo with a full metal jacket to match, this streamlined cylinder is an exercise in heavy metal minimalism. And, like a treasured tuppence, it’ll gain a unique patina from your fingertips as it ages. $85 / baronfig.com
The pastel powerhouse
The storybook scrawler
The Italian inker
Lamy Safari With its spring clip, sculpted grip, angular shell and ingenious ink window, Wolfgang Fabian’s Safari pen is little short of an ’80s design icon. How does one update such a distinctive scribbler? Why, by releasing it in a range of pastel shades: Mint Glaze, Blue Macaron and Rose Powder. £20 / lamy.com
Montblanc Meisterstück Le Petit Prince Solitaire Doué LeGrand Need some inspiration from a kids’ classic? This exquisite piece carries an excerpt from Le Petit Prince atop the etched leather cap, together with an intricately engraved gold nib and – for true authenticity – a princely price tag to match. £1420 / montblanc.com
Leonardo Momento Zero Resin Sadly nothing to do with the turtle, Leonardo is a new name in the pen game but with decades of heritage behind it. Take the firm’s first fountain pen, the Momento Zero: classically styled, well built and nicely balanced, it’s a picture of craftsmanship available in eight resin shades. €148 / stilografica.it
HOW TO DECIDE 62
Risking wrist pain and ink stains, Chris Rowlands goes full scribe to find nine sublime fountains and ballpoints for slicker scrawling
1 Water fountain Ballpoints are brilliant for easy scribbling, but nothing tops a fountain. Fancy a blend of both? Try a rollerball for the fine lines of water-based ink in a more accessible package.
2 Finer points Not all nibs are the same, and the tip you pick will shape your script. Go rounded for versatility or italic for calligraphy, then select a flexibility and size – from extra fine to broad.
UPVOTED
The wooden wand Faber-Castell Ambition Coconut Channelling tropical vibes for your next novella? Put down that palm tree pencil sharpener – for a true touch of the tropics at your fingertips, try this fruity fountain. Capped by classy chrome, the case is made from coconut wood, so every sentence will send your hands back to faraway sands. £96 / faber-castell.com
3 Free refills Inserts differ between brands. Some pens can take a range of refills, while others need specific cartridges. Want to mix it up? Fit your fountain pen with a converter and fill it with bottled ink.
4 Barrel roles Comfort is key if you’re a serious scrivener, so try plenty of shafts to find one with a weight, length and diameter that fit your writing style, especially if your palms are sizeable.
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TESTED SONY WF-1000XM3
High bud pressure Sony’s latest true wireless in-ears arrive in a market much more crowded than it used to be… so they really, really need to be good
[ Words Simon Lucas ]
£219 / stuff.tv/SonyWFXM3 Almost three years ago, Sony’s WF-1000XM noise-cancelling true wireless in-ears completely trounced Apple’s AirPods, and that was their job done. There was no other real rival. But now, at the back end of 2019, everyone from Cambridge to Bang & Olufsen, from Jabra to Bose, wants to sell you a pair of fully wireless in-ears. Even Apple seems to have made the AirPods competitive. So Sony’s been back to the drawing board. There’s a clear nod to the original 1000XMs in the shape of the XM3s: the (relatively) long racetrack shape isn’t as compact as some bullet designs, but it’s discreet enough, and nothing like as daft as those alternatives that hang down from the ear or protrude outwards like something a Star Trek extra would wear. They feel well made, the fit is excellent and they’re easy to wear for hours at a time. So how do they perform?
Bud brothers Install the Headphones Connect app, arrange the touch controls as you’d like them, get the XM3s comfy in your ears (1) and pair with your device. None of it takes very long. Wireless connection is via Bluetooth 5.0, which is all you could ask for unless you have a phone with aptX HD.
GOOD MEH EVIL
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2
Comfy, durable design
1
Bud and thunder Switchable noise-cancelling is one of the obvious highlights. Sony’s QN1e processor (which also acts as DAC and amplifier) consumes very little power and works beautifully – so while the buds themselves provide some isolation, the active system takes things to another level.
Good battery life
Hefty charging case
Bud on your hands Switching noise-cancelling on or off, engaging Ambient Sound Mode (which actively introduces more of the external noise into your ear), skipping or pausing tracks, or ordering up your voice assistant, can all be done just by touching one of the buds (2). But you can’t adjust volume this way.
Excellent audio quality
Great noisecancelling
Solid wireless connection
TESTED SONY WF-1000XM3
Insider tips Sony chucks in a few different sizes of a couple of types of earbud tip, so getting the fit just right is easy.
Tech specs Connectivity Bluetooth, USB-C charging, Google Assistant Battery life Up to 6hrs with noise-cancelling, 8hrs without (up to 24hrs with case) Weight 2x8.5g, charging case 77g
Sony afternoon They might be feature-laden, but how do the Sony WF-1000XM3s perform with a variety of music?
3
Bud transfusion Battery life is a useful six hours (eight without noise-cancelling) and the charging case is good for another full three charges, giving a total of between 24 and 32 hours between USB top-ups. If push comes to shove, a 15-minute charge is good for 90 minutes of playback.
Bud stream The touch controls (3) can be reorganised using that rather useful Headphones Connect app. In addition, the app lets you trim EQs, prioritise sound quality or wireless connection stability (sound quality every time, of course!), and check the health of each earpiece’s battery.
Q Keep it real
Q Keep it together
The WF-1000XM3s are a very musical listen (believe us, there are enough unmusical headphones around for these to stand out). Any music you play through them sounds natural, believable and full of character.
The bass response digs deep and hits hard, while at the opposite end the treble has plenty of crisp attack. The midrange is open and just as nicely detailed as the rest of the frequency range, with plenty of space for vocals.
Q Keep dancing
Q Keep on truckin’
There’s also a fair bit of dynamism available here. Small harmonic variances get as much prominence as big Pixies-style dynamic swings, but they’re never overstated and never at the expense of the bigger picture.
The more a recording requires scale, the more these Sonys provide it. The more it requires detail, the more they reveal it. And the more it charges and attacks, the more they sink their teeth in. Even call quality is decent.
The original XMs had an easy job in the early days of noise-cancelling in-ears, yet the way the XM3s serve up sound quality as spectacular as this while being truly wireless, while effectively cancelling background noise and while remaining comfortable is quite something. So, just as it was almost three years ago, it’s job done. @onlysimonlucas
STUFF SAYS +++++ Design? Tick. Build? Tick. Specifications? Big tick. Performance? Thankfully, that one’s the biggest tick of all… 65
TESTED SENNHEISER AMBEO SOUNDBAR
Easy wider Sennheiser branches out into home cinema with a Dolby Atmos soundbar huge enough to turn Newsnight into an immersive experience £2199 / stuff.tv/AmbeoSoundbar Q Is the Ambeo Soundbar a piece of Brutalist architecture? In relative terms, it’s every bit as monolithic as a post-war tower block. This means any prospective owner is going to need a big TV to put it under, plus lots of space and a proper wall on which to mount it. Q Part of the reason it’s such a whopper is that Sennheiser was determined the Ambeo should offer full-on home cinema rumble and scale without the need for a separate subwoofer. Showtime There’s a neat little display on the front of the bar. It’s high-res and crisp, and breaks up the swathe of black cloth a little.
Q As a result, it needs a bit of space on account of the 500W of Class D amplification that’s powering its 13 drivers. Class D is efficient, but 500 Watts of it creates appreciable heat – so the vents on top of the Ambeo Soundbar can’t be covered. Q The sheer scale of this thing’s presentation is remarkable. The stage so wide it seems to extend to virtually alongside your seated position. And even more remarkably, it reaches way up high, seeming to place sound almost directly above. Q Watching Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, there’s a brilliance to metallic sounds at the top of the frequency range, real texture and character to the many actorly voices occupying the midrange, and so much punch, substance and impetus to the lower frequencies that no one is going to wish for a subwoofer.
Tech specs Drivers 6x 4in woofers, 5x 1in tweeters, 2x 3.5in full-range Connectivity HDMI, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, optical, RCA, Chromecast, Bluetooth Dimensions 127x17x13cm, 18.5kg
Q Who’s driving?
Q Who’s playing?
There are nine drivers across the front. Six of them are 4in woofers, the other three 1in tweeters. You’ll find two more tweeters in the angled side panels, and two 3.5in full-range drivers firing upwards.
Physical buttons on top of the bar are for the usual controls, and these are duplicated on the remote control. It’s quite a nice, weighty handset, much nicer than some plasticky clickers, and there’s also a phone app.
STUFF SAYS The Ambeo Soundbar is big but the sound it makes is bigger still +++++ Welcome the new king of the soundbars… and then start saving Simon Lucas
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Utterly convincing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D sound, ample power and lots of inputs mean no other soundbar currently available can perform feats with the solidity and confidence of this Sennheiser. And it’s hard to think of any content that wouldn’t benefit from being Ambeo’d. That’s why, as well as being the biggest and the most expensive, it’s the best you can buy.
TESTED KINDLE OASIS (2019)
Page burner For £8 month you can sign up to Kindle Unlimited, which gives you unlimited access to over a million titles as well as audiobooks.
Warm and peace Amazon’s fanciest e-reader stays one step ahead of the affordable Paperwhite with a new amber glow for bedtime reading from £230 / stuff.tv/KindleOasis Q The popular Kindle Paperwhite nails that goldilocks combination of price, design and features. But while the new Oasis model might seem outrageously expensive for what it does, its premium design and page-turning buttons make it a marked step up. Q Amazon hasn’t radically reinvented its priciest Kindle. It only really has one new feature: a colour-adjustable front light that can turn the display from cool to warm, making the transition from day to night-time reading more comfortable. The yellowish hue makes pages resemble real paper more than ever. Q It’s still aluminium, and it still has that rear bulge for one-handed reading. The two front buttons remain far superior alternatives to the occasionally unresponsive touchscreen for turning the page. Q Things we don’t like? The enormous Amazon logo splashed across the metal back is just a bit much, and microUSB survives another update. Urgh. You might want a case too – this thing is waterproof but feels more fragile than cheaper contemporaries. Q Changes in screen warmth can be scheduled to coincide with sunset and sunrise, gradually applying colour to the display over the allotted time period. You can also manually choose when you want the process to start and how strong you want the effect to be.
Q The catcher in the UI
Q The page of innocence
Amazon seems to have settled on a simple user interface that works well, putting your library and reading list at the top of the homepage, with recommended books, bestsellers and new releases at the bottom.
Head into the store and you can browse Amazon’s vast library, and if you have an Audible sub there’s a store for audiobooks. The Oasis can be paired with Bluetooth ’phones if you want the author to do the reading.
Tech specs Display 7in E Ink Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB charging Storage 8/32GB Waterproofing IPX8 Battery life Up to 6 weeks Dimensions 159x141x8.4mm, 188g
STUFF SAYS New lighting functionality makes the best Kindle even better +++++ This flagship Kindle will leave you with a warm glow… literally Matt Tate
The Kindle Oasis remains the ultimate e-reader that very few people need to buy, especially now the far cheaper Paperwhite model has nabbed that all-important waterproofing feature. It’s also annoying that the best device in the line still doesn’t charge with USB-C. But if you do have the cash and want to get as close as possible to the experience of reading a physical book, you won’t regret the additional outlay.
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BETA YOURSELF
iOS 13 & iPadOS 13 Apple’s iPhone operating system hits its teens, and spawns a tablet-specific version… Craig Grannell tells you how to make the most of its fab new features and little-known tricks THE BASICS
Q Find your way Maps now has its own take on Street View – you can access Look Around via the binoculars button. Its 3D view is smooth and, in full screen, adds tappable locations to places of interest. Naturally, it initially works in only a handful of US cities. Sigh. But map collections are worldwide: select a place, tap ‘Add to…’, add it to a collection and share with friends.
Q Back up first Unless starting afresh, back up your existing device to iCloud. Then plug the thing into a Mac or PC, fire up iTunes and take a full local backup. Chances are, nothing will go wrong when you update to iOS 13… but if your device turns into a brick, you’ll be glad your data’s safe.
Q Adjust the Home screen Apple has embraced the dark side. During setup, you can opt for the new Dark Mode, which can also be toggled using Control Centre’s Brightness slider (long-press and tap Appearance). Long presses on the Home screen now give you a contextual menu rather than jiggling apps. And the iPad gets widgets, but only on one Home screen. Baby steps.
Q Manage your files
Q Go a little bit PC
Files is more like a desktop file manager now: connect to USB storage or SMB servers (‘…’ in Browse); zip folders with a long tap and Compress; long-press a folder’s background and choose ‘Scan documents’ to scan to that location, rather than first using Notes. On iPad, a Column view offers metadata and actions for the current selection.
In the Accessibility section of Settings, go to Touch > AssistiveTouch and turn it on. Disable ‘Always show menu’, plug in a USB mouse or connect a Bluetooth one, and you’ve something closer to a PC setup. Note, Apple’s keen to stress this isn’t proper mouse support, and it works differently from on a Mac or PC, instead aping a finger.
DO THE SPLITS Q Use Split View
Remind games In iOS 12, Reminders was the last holdout from the iPhone’s days of textures. The iOS 13 redesign looks smarter and helps you quickly access important notes.
On iPad, Split View now enables you to open multiple instances of any app, to pair arbitrarily across numerous spaces. Drag content – a web link, an email address – to its own space to create a new window. Tap a Dock icon for App Exposé, which shows an app’s open windows.
Q Try Slide Over Slide Over now behaves like a virtual iPhone. Swipe along the bottom to switch apps. Slide upwards to view recent Slide Over apps. Remember you can now open apps in Slide Over and elsewhere.
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OTHER OPTIONS
SWIPE KEYBOARDS The standard iPhone keyboard now includes swipe typing, and in this mode the delete key removes the entire previous word. On iPad, though, only the floating keyboard (pinch on the full-size one) supports this. Gboard and SwiftKey still work fine on iPadOS.
SERVER ACCESS In Files, tap ‘…’ by the Browse menu and there’s an option to connect to local SMB servers. We’ve found this a bit, er, temperamental. It’ll possibly improve. If not, invest in Secure ShellFish and/or FE File Explorer Pro, which integrate with Files anyway.
TAKE CONTROL Q Silence strangers
ON SAFARI Q Take full-screen grabs Shoot a screenshot in Safari as normal, and then tap the thumbnail that appears at the bottom-left of the screen. Tap the ‘Full page’ tab and use the strip at the right to navigate and mark up the page, before exporting it to PDF. This also works in Notes.
Q Go desktop on iPad Safari on iPad now pretends to be running on a Mac. So you get a downloads manager, ‘weak password’ warnings and per-site settings you can tweak. Also, web apps like those from Google finally work properly on the iPad.
In Settings, head to Phone and turn on ‘Silence unknown callers’. Calls from unknown numbers will be silenced and sent to voicemail. They’re still logged in the Phone app’s Recents tab, so you can call back or block accordingly.
Q Access Wi-Fi networks Pull down Control Centre and long-press to expand the network icons. Then long-press again on the Wi-Fi button. You can now change network without taking a trip to Settings. Bluetooth and AirDrop have similar new toys.
Q Sign in privately ‘Sign In with Apple’ will soon be all over your apps. It uses your Apple ID rather than sign-up forms, and you sign in with Face ID or Touch ID. Not keen on handing over your email? The system can hide it.
ALL IN THE EDIT Q Improve snaps and vids A new curated tab in Photos helps to bring up favourite moments, and the revamped editor makes snaps better. New cropping and adjustment tools create a vastly better experience than on iOS 12.
Q Perfect your text Flex your fingers for some new copy-editing gestures: three-finger pinch/unpinch to copy/paste (pinch twice for cut); three-finger swipe left/right to undo/redo; move the cursor just by dragging it. And you can select a word, sentence or paragraph with two, three or four taps.
LIVE PHOTO VIDEOS In Photos you can now select a Live Photo, tap the Share button and select ‘Save as video’ to save the video file back to Photos. Or use Motion Stills to compile Live Photos into tiny movies – and petition Google to update this fantastic app for modern iPhones.
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PHILIPS OLED SETS THE SCENE If you want the best of everything from a 4K TV, an award-winning OLED from Phillips has got the power and poise for every living room
Ambilight tech can be connected to Philips Hue smart lights for an even greater glow
ow do you choose your new TV? Do you like to do as much research as possible, drilling down into specifications and technical highlights? Do you go for the one with the brightest, boldest picture? The one that looks nicest in your living room? Or do you pick the one that seems to be the best value for money? Chances are you do a bit of everything. Every one of those considerations is important, after all. And ordinarily that would mean compromising – trying to strike a balance between features, design, performance and price. Philips doesn’t believe you should have to compromise. It knows you can have the best of everything, and has been setting the pace for OLED TV for a while now – and with its brand new, award-winning OLED804 and OLED854 TVs, it’s once again setting new standards with unique features, exquisite design and class-leading performance that won’t cost the Earth.
H
Unique features There may not seem room in such a vanishingly slim TV, but both the OLED804 and OLED854 absolutely cram in the features. Running the whole show is the latest version of Philips’ acclaimed P5 picture processor. The P5³ is now spread over two chips, and gives such formidable processing power that it’s boosted the picture quality by over 30% compared to Philips’ 2018 OLED TVs – and they were widely acknowledged as among the best around. It also means Philips can offer every HDR format. Doesn’t matter if your favourite shows and movies are in HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ or Dolby Vision –the OLED804 and OLED854 can not only deal with them, but absolutely maximise colours, contrast and all the other elements that go into making an extraordinarily lifelike picture.
Offering every HDR standard is unusual in itself, but Philips has another unique feature: its remarkable Ambilight technology. By enhancing the depth, detail and contrast of images, Ambilight puts the 804 and 854 decisively ahead of competing OLED TVs. Add the user-friendly Android 9 operating system and voice controls via Google Assistant or ‘works with Alexa’, and you’ll realise ‘thorough’ doesn’t really cover it where specification is concerned. So obvious and significant is the Philips advantage, in fact, that the OLED804 recently made off with the Best Buy OLED TV Award from global judges at EISA. Svelte design There’s not much by way of design to differentiate one TV from the next, usually, but Philips likes to let its OLEDs stand out from the crowd. And it’s their award-winning designs that make the OLED804 and OLED854 different. The OLED854 is a minimalist, super-slim frame with chrome bezel, supported by a dark chrome T-bar swivel stand that’s just 30mm high – it really looks like a floating screen. It’s so discreetly sophisticated, in fact, that it recently won five prestigious awards in both the iF and Red Dot design competitions. The OLED804, meanwhile, swaps the swivel stand for two ultra-slim metal feet. Whichever model takes your fancy, though, you can be quite sure its design is a step or two on from the ‘me too’ design language of most TVs. Thrilling performance It doesn’t matter how long the list of specifications, though, or how lovely the design is – if a TV doesn’t thrill you with its picture and sound, it’s not the one for you. It’s safe to say Philips’ OLED804 and OLED854 are able to satisfy in every respect. Read the panel opposite for the full story…
THE OLED 804 AND 854 BOTH ABSOLUTELY CRAM IN THE FEATURES
STUFF PROMOTION
PHILIPS OLED 804/854 HIGHLIGHTS Thanks to the power of the P5³ processor, no other OLED can match the 804 or the 854 where shadow detail or colour handling are concerned. The improved contrast, detail and colour potency delivered by the P5³ chip’s ‘Perfect Natural Reality’ and ‘Ultra Resolution Pro’
features means deeper and darker blacks, pin-sharp edge definition, an incredible impression of depth and brilliantly faithful handling of motion. A peak light output of 1000 nits equates to amazingly bright and lifelike highlights. Picture noise is minimised, and
even complex patterns are smooth and refined. And with a 50W Philips 2.1 audio system integrated into the frame, the OLED804 and OLED854 sound every bit as good as they look. Which means you can enjoy cinema-standard Dolby Atmos
audio along with cinema-standard Dolby Vision HDR images. Philips’ OLED804 and OLED854 TVs don’t compromise. Unique features, beautiful design and unbeatable performance can all be yours – and at a price so competitive it looks like a misprint.
America’s No.1 Soundbar brand* The best sound in cinema now in your home
36” 5.1.2 Soundbar System with Dolby Atmos® £599 Available online at: Richersounds.com | Costco.co.uk | Amazon.co.uk *Source: The NPD Group, Inc., U.S. Weekly Retail Tracking Service, Sound Bars, Based on Units, Feb. 4, 2018 – Apr. 6, 2019
G R O U P T E S T F I T N E S S WAT C H E S
3 OF THE BEST
Fitness watches Hey there, gym lover – these smartwatches are all designed to help you shed a few pounds in weight rather than wonga BEST FOR FEATURES
BEST FOR STYLE
BEST FOR ACCURACY
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active
Polar Ignite
Fossil Sport
What’s the story?
What’s the story?
This spiritual successor to the Gear Sport is a smaller and cheaper version of last year’s flagship Galaxy Watch. With a fitness focus, it retains enough features to suggest it’s a better buy for most people, although Samsung phone owners already sold into its ecosystem are likely to get the most from it.
Polar has been doing heart-rate monitors since the ’70s but was late to the smartwatch game. Now known for accurate readings, detailed data and clever ways of displaying everything, the likes of its Vantage series have been widely lauded. The Ignite claims to offer many of the same features as the flagship Vantage V, but for a lower price and in a slimmer form.
Founded in early-’80s Texas, Fossil followed Polar in launching its first smartwatch in 2015. The Fossil Sport is based on the latest Qualcomm Wear 3100 processor, which is claimed to be super-efficient and, in theory at least, should result in extended battery life. The acid test is whether a traditional watch company can crack this kind of specialised tech.
It it any good?
It it any good?
It it any good?
The Active is full of fitness sensors to track workouts and activity, and its feature-set is almost identical to that of the Galaxy Watch. That makes it a bargain considering you might find one for under £200. There’s a reason for that: its successor is due, with a bigger display and an ECG like on the latest Apple Watch… but expect a higher price point.
It might feel cheap, but this is outweighed by some great fitness features to track virtually any workout (although no multi-sports like triathlons) and lots of data to delve into. It’s a competent smartwatch too, though it’s lacking a few lifestyle features like music and contactless payments. We’d recommend it to anyone bar the most hardcore fitness nuts.
The Fossil Sport is a very pretty watch, and if you’re planning on using it for everyday stuff like counting steps and contactless payments it’ll do just fine. Sadly, we’re not sure where that new chip’s power has gone because battery life and performance don’t match the spec sheet. There are cheaper and more reliable offerings available for fitness fanatics.
Price £229 / stuff.tv/GalaxyActive
Price £175 / stuff.tv/PolarIgnite
Price £219 / stuff.tv/FossilSport
Stuff says ++++,
Stuff says ++++,
Stuff says +++,,
Stylish, affordable and feature-packed, but the Active2 might be worth waiting for
A great little wearable bursting with fitness features, and at an impressively low price
Smart looks, but the Fossil Sport doesn’t quite cut it when it comes to performance
What’s the story?
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FI R TH ST ES AD E… D
SONY XPERIA 1
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ONE RHINO ROV EVERYDAY
TWO SONY WF-1000XM3
For smoothly cinematic panning shots, you’ll want to pick up a slider like the Rhino ROV Everyday. It’s motorised and portable, and was built with smartphones like the Xperia 1 in mind. Sweep from left to right, and your 21:9 wide 4K shot can span a landscape with the dynamism and precision your unique artistic vision demands. £279 / wexphotovideo.com
Fancy something a bit fancier than AirPods? These lightweight noise-cancelling Bluetooth earbuds are taking the audio world by storm, delivering great battery life, a premium finish and, most importantly, excellent sound when paired up with the Xperia 1 and its aptX HD audio support. Want to know more? Read the review on p64. £220 / sony.co.uk
THREE ANKER POWERCORE 10000 PD The Xperia 1’s battery life isn’t great, so keeping an Anker PowerCore stowed away in a bag or car is a smart move. A fully charged powerbank can fast-charge your Xperia almost three times, and it powers up using the same cable as most new phones, laptops and headphones for ultimate convenience. £32 / amazon.co.uk
DO A TH WN ND ES LO E… AD
NO TH W T IS RY …
PS4 REMOTE PLAY
1 FLATTER THE BATTERY
2 SET UP SIDE SENSE
3 FIX LENS DISTORTION
Sony’s Battery Care is great; it slows down the Xperia 1’s charging speed to preserve the phone’s long-term battery life. This means that, unlike some flagships, Sony phones tend to keep their charge even after you’ve been using them for a year or two. When you need to charge fast, though, you will have to disable the feature by opening up the phone’s settings and searching for ‘battery care’.
The Xperia 1 is long with its 21:9 aspect-ratio screen, and that’s part of why we love it, but reaching its extremities can be a stretch even for big hands. Side Sense to the rescue: this pop-up menu fires up where your thumb naturally falls for ultimate ergonomics. Simply double-tap the side of the screen and it pops out, giving access to shortcuts, settings and frequently used apps.
When you take pictures with a very wide-angle lens, it will heavily distort the final picture, creating a fisheye effect. The Xperia 1’s widest camera is no exception, given its 130° field of view. As with GoPros, though, you can ditch the distortion and make everything look realistic in seconds. In the camera app’s settings, select ‘Lens correction (photo)’ and then ‘Prioritise correction for distortion’.
Like other Sony flagships, this one supports Remote Play, so can stream your PS4 to it. You can even hook it up to a DualShock 4 controller and a telly.
POWER DIRECTOR
[ Words Basil Kronfli ]
As feature-rich as the Xperia 1 is, its major omission is a video editor. That’s where PowerDirector comes in – it’s a fine editor with fade-ins, titles and trimming tools.
4 PERFECT CINEMA PRO
5 REIN IN THE VIBES
6 AUGMENT THE AUDIO
Video editing software is not easy to use – so if you try CineVideo, Sony’s powerful video recording app, expect a steep learning curve. That’s because it serves up advanced controls like manual shutter speed, ISO and focus, while also featuring a range of film-like filters. But don’t be dissuaded: it’s an excellent introduction to cinema cameras and gives you manual control over zoom range.
If you notice your Xperia 1 vibrate every time music gets bass-heavy and movies start to boom, it’s because of a feature called Dynamic Vibration. This is intended to add another dimension to multimedia playback, so rumble on if it floats your boat; but if you’d prefer to save some battery, dive into settings, tap Sound then Dynamic Vibration, and toggle it off.
With its Dolby Atmos stereo speakers, Sony’s new flagship is an audiophile and movie buff’s dream. It also delivers better sound separation than most phones. To boost the speakers even more, dive into settings, tap on ‘Sound’ then select ‘Audio’. Here you can toggle the Dolby enhancements on or off, choose from a range of presets, or take the driver’s seat and go manual with a full graphic EQ.
DAVINCI RESOLVE To really get the best from your phone footage, proper desktop editing software is a must. This Mac/Windows editor and colourgrading tool comes bundled with audio tweaking software.
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Ever wondered what’s up with the links in Stuff? We’ve got a team of retail pros who scour the web to find you the best gadget deals – visit any stuff.tv link in this issue and you’ll be taken to the best deal for that product. If you make a purchase, we may get a small commission. It’s that simple, and has no impact on how much you pay.
TEST WINNER Heads up The Philips comes with four brush heads – even one for your tongue, which resembles a tiny paddle.
Dental arithmetic With a lithium-ion battery, the Oral-B brush will keep on spinning morning and night for over two weeks.
Pearly adopters Oral-B Genius X The headline feature here is the customisable light above the power switch: green, purple, red, orange, you name it. The Oral-B has a round head and spins like a plaque-killing Catherine wheel. The charging case is rather neat too. It does a thorough job and there are six cleaning modes, ranging from sensitive to deep clean. One tiny niggle is that you can’t move through the settings when the toothbrush is switched off, which can result in a messy affair. A toothbrush with AI? That’s right. Oral-B’s app will learn which quadrant of your gnashers is getting most neglected, compare that with a load of brushing data and then coach you on technique – and it works.
Brushing modes 6 Battery life 2wks+ Charging USB travel case Weight 139g
VS
Philips DiamondClean Smart
1. DESIGN
Philips might have made the sexiest-looking toothbrush ever. There’s a purple light at the base that’s triggered when you apply too much pressure, and the sleek design ensures mulchy toothpaste water doesn’t get stuck in any crevices.
2. IN USE
There are two controls: the first turns the toothbrush on, the second is either a mode selector (when power is off) or an intensity control (when it’s on). With five settings to choose from, no part of oral hygiene is overlooked.
3. SMARTS
You get real-time feedback if you’re pressing too hard, or if you’re using too much motion. Total coverage is the aim; and if you’ve missed a spot, the app will highlight it in mustard yellow on the graphic on your phone screen.
1 2 3
[ Words Natalya Paul ]
O Price £340 / stuff.tv/GeniusX
+++++
Brushing modes 5 (3 intensity settings) Battery life 2wks Charging USB travel case and glass Weight 141g
O Price £360 / stuff.tv/DiamondClean
STUFF SAYS
+++++
The Oral-B might be smarter, but Philips nicks it for tidy design and ease of use 77
T E S T E D B R I S A N T- S E C U R E U LT I O N S M A R T LO C K
Get locky Safe as houses and then some, this encrypted door lock claims it’ll stay solid even if someone hacks your toaster from £229 / stuff.tv/UltionSmart Q Nobody has really nailed the smart door lock in the UK yet… but Brisant-Secure thinks it has a chance by combining its physical locks, trusted by locksmiths, with a military-encrypted Danalock V3 taking care of the connected stuff, such as geofenced auto-unlocking and support for multiple smart home platforms. Q First impressions are promising. It looks like a door lock, it comes with a key and the contemporary finish won’t alert anyone to the wizardry inside. Installation is simple too: there are no holes to drill or wires to connect. Q Pairing with the Danalock app is quick if uninspiring; it works and it’s feature-rich, with electronic invites for guests (including integration with the Airbnb app), geofencing for auto-unlocking on approach, auto-locking after a selected time, and ‘Twist assist’, which locks the control wheel with a tiny nudge – great for the elderly or those with restricted mobility.
Chrome improvement To ensure it’s smart in both senses of the word, the lock comes in black, white, stainless, chrome or gold finishes.
Q We found the auto-lock function to be entirely reliable. A slight downside is the loud whirr of the mechanism – you might need to rethink your technique when sneaking in late at night. Q Our Bluetooth-only model felt slightly restrictive, but it can still be voice-controlled with Alexa via a smart speaker and the IFTTT app, or linked to devices like smart lights. Internet-connected models offer more remote functionality.
Tech specs Connectivity Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Smart home compatibility Apple HomeKit, Alexa, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings, Zigbee, Z-Wave Battery life Up to 1.5 years
Q I can handle it
Q Nice pad
Algorithms are AES256-secure to US military standards, connections are encrypted, and authentication data is dealt with by a cryptoprocessing chip so nothing leaks. The lock itself has undergone 8000 hours of weather-testing.
A Bluetooth wireless keypad storing up to 20 PIN codes is available as an accessory (£119). Brisant also offers matching ‘furniture’, including door numbers, letterboxes and various handle styles.
STUFF SAYS Tradition and tech partner up in a smart lock to please everyone +++++ A reassuring combo of digital and physical burglar-proofing James Day
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The Danalock V3 is available as a standalone lock – it’s had mixed reviews – but with hardware from a name trusted by locksmiths, here its clever encryption gets added minerals to stop real intruders. Whether you’re tech-savvy or not, all bases are covered… and we can overlook the boring app and noisy motor if it means proper peace of mind where home security is cornered.
TESTED VIZIO SB36512-F6
Straight to Vizio Dolby Atmos soundbars are in demand, and this affordable American import isn’t hanging around for a chlorinated chicken trade deal to liven up your home cinema £599 / stuff.tv/Vizio36512 Fluffy pause As well as a compact remote, there’s voicecontrol support from Google Assistant and touch controls on the soundbar.
Q Don your ‘Make home cinema great again’ baseball cap, because Vizio claims to be America’s No1 soundbar brand. Boldly spreading its wings to the 51st state, its first offering for us Limeys is an intriguing 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos setup with a wireless sub and rear satellite speakers – all for under 600 nicker. Not bad. Q If there’s one thing America doesn’t do it’s subtlety, but the sleek 36in soundbar is actually understated. The plastic isn’t premium, but it’s tempered by acoustic fabric elsewhere. That includes a matching subwoofer designed to lurk somewhere at the back of the room alongside two tiny rear satellites. Q Everything is really teeny, so it’s impressive to find eight channels of crystal-clear sound. The clarity of dialogue delivery is deeply impressive, and it retains its composure even when Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual:X and the subwoofer are making choppers sound like they’re landing in your living room. Q The one true American characteristic is how loud this thing goes – but whether you’re watching movies, gaming or streaming music, it never sounds crass or brash. In fact it’s all rather refined, and things can be polished still further with the uncluttered SmartCast app, offering EQ presets, night mode and more.
Q Put it all behind you
Q Order at the bar
Sitting a subwoofer at the rear of the room feels wrong, but here it makes sense. It’s easier to keep out of sight, gives your sofa a pleasant rumble and means the satellite speaker cables run safely around the back.
Just as the rear speakers use a single connection without the need to strip fiddly speaker wire, so the soundbar keeps things simple. Choose from HDMI ARC, HDMI, digital optical or 3.5mm auxiliary to connect to your TV.
Tech specs Speakers Soundbar, 2x satellite speakers, wireless subwoofer Connectivity HDMI, optical, aux, USB, Ethernet, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Chromecast Dimensions (soundbar) 914x81x64mm, 2.54kg
STUFF SAYS A bargain for anyone after a legit Dolby Atmos upgrade +++++ The best home cinema system you can get in this price range James Day
From the five-minute setup to my existing remotes working with it automatically, Vizio has taken the stress out of setting up surround sound. Everything from the svelte soundbar to the clean UI of the app is well thought out, nicely designed… and simply works. Some might desire a soundbar display, wireless satellite speakers and a bit more Dolby Atmos punch – fair enough, but you’d better be ready to pay more for it.
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TWO WEEKS WITH THE BOSE 700 HEADPHONES
Prattle do nicely Bose claims its latest noise-cancelling cans will let you chat in peace while hell is busy breaking loose around you… so Matt Tate arms himself for a fortnight of commuting £350 / stuff.tv/BoseNCH700
DAY 01 When noise-cancelling headphones first became a thing, their mission statement was clear: allow the user to listen to their Cliff Richard megamix uninterrupted by the piercing screams of a nearby baby. And with its previous headphones, the QuietComfort 35s (and then the QC35 II version), Bose continued to raise the bar above everyone else. So what’s next? Well, having sorted out what you can hear when you’re wearing a pair of
improved, and the 700s’ new design is undoubtedly a premium step up from that of the QC35s. USB-C charging is a welcome addition too. The only question is, has Bose done enough to take back the crown from Sony’s WH-1000XM3s? The first thing you’ll realise when you pick up the 700s is that they don’t fold up. The headband is forged from a single piece of stainless steel, which gradually thins out into two cylinders that run through cutouts on the outer surface of the earcups. There are no
Voice pickup is amazing – I can easily walk alongside a busy road and have a conversation without raising my voice its cans, Bose is now focusing on how well other people can hear you. With its Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 (the first and last time we’ll refer to them by that stupidly cumbersome full name), Bose is able to isolate your voice from 360° of undesirable racket. The idea is that you’ll be able to have a conversation with someone at the height of rush-hour without needing to shout to be heard above the taxi horns and yelling van drivers. Now adjustable, the traditional noise-cancelling has also been
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visible hinges here. Your immediate concern is likely to be that this makes the ’phones less portable, but the earcups do rotate to lie flat in a shallow carry case. To adjust the headphones for fit you simply slide the earcups into position. While it’s undoubtedly slick and adds to the 700s’ minimalist, premium aesthetic, there’s a fair bit of friction involved, which can make readjusting them when they’re already on your head a bit trickier than with a traditional clicky mechanism.
The right earcup is touch-sensitive, letting you control playback with swipes and taps.
LO N G -T E R M T E S T
01
Donut of Truth™
05
04
02 03
01 Great new design 02 Noise-cancelling is as brilliant as ever, and now fully customisable 03 Peerless voice pickup and voice assistant support
04 Not quite as comfortable as the QC35 IIs, and the Bose app is still buggy 05 Sony’s WH-1000XM3 over-ears are cheaper and sound better
Tech specs Connectivity Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C charging Battery life Up to 20hrs (charging time up to 2.5hrs) Dimensions Phones 203x165x 51mm, 250g; case 218x179x 62mm, 180g
DAY 02 I’ve been having a bit of a play with the 11 levels of noise-cancellation. Handily, you can select one of three favourites with the dedicated button. By default it’s 0, 5, and 10 (maximum), and in practice this seems very sensible. The lowest setting lets all surrounding noise pass through the earcups, while 10 totally cocoons you.
DAY 04 The 700s make use of eight microphones. Six are dedicated to noise-cancelling, while two combine with two others to significantly enhance voice pickup. The results are pretty amazing. This morning I found it quite easy to walk alongside a busy road and have a conversation without needing to raise my voice, and I managed to aggressively rustle a packet of crisps completely unbeknown to my colleague on the other end of the phone.
DAY 05 A huge advantage that Bose’s cans continue to have over Sony is their ability to be connected to two different devices at once. For example, I can seamlessly hop
between listening to a song from my iPhone and a film trailer I want to watch on my iPad. The Bose Music app’s clean UI is nice, but I’ve encountered some buggy behaviour. More than once I’ve returned to the app minutes after using it and found myself signed out, and occasionally it fails to connect despite the headphones being close by.
DAY 09 Audio quality hasn’t had the same dramatic overhaul as the design and noise-cancelling capabilities, but I think they’re subtly a bit more balanced than the QC35 IIs. They’re punchy and sharp, with each instrument being given ample room to breathe, and the bass never knocks your head off its neck.
DAY 14 These cans’ USP is undoubtedly the new voice pickup system. If you’re someone who makes a lot of calls on the go, you won’t find better. Meanwhile the already exceptional noise-cancelling tech is even better. Other features, such as the slick touch controls, are also winners. It’s just a shame that, for now at least, the app is a bit temperamental.
STUFF SAYS There are better-sounding cans, but as all-rounders these are hard to beat +++++
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TESTED GAMES
Wolfenstein: Youngblood The latest twist on the franchise continues to deliver both nostalgia and terrifying soothsaying. But is this new approach too great a departure for veteran fans? espite being set in the 1980s, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, just like its predecessors, is full of disturbing Nazi technology where retro is fused with science-fiction in a world of killer robots and laser-firing behemoths. But while previous Wolfenstein games have been forged on strong narrative foundations, Youngblood lacks its predecessors’ flair for storytelling. And although we are back with the Blazkowiczs, this spin-off tale lacks the polish you
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might expect from a story set within this universe. You play as either Soph or Jess Blazkowicz, teen twin daughters of series stalwarts BJ and Anya. After teaching them the family business of shootin’ and stuff in Texas, BJ goes missing in a Nazi-occupied Paris. It’s refreshing to play a shooter as an energetic female lead, but the sisters’ relationship is as cringey as it is cute. Their mid-battle cries of encouragement and groaninducing antics when standing
around in lifts fall on just the wrong side of entertaining. Youngblood is one of the few shooters to offer a full co-operative campaign. While you can lone-wolf it and leave an unimaginative AI to manage your sibling player, it’s a game that cries out for you to partner up with a pal. However, the gameplay itself lacks cohesion. There are RPG-lite health bars, a skill tree, and daily challenges… Youngblood doesn’t seem to know what kind of game it is. That said, the combat is every bit as meaty
as you’d expect, and there are plenty of ways in which your arsenal can be upgraded and improved. While there’s a lot that could, and should, be better about Wolfenstein: Youngblood, we couldn’t help but enjoy ourselves. No, Jess and Soph won’t be to everyone’s liking – but if you’re looking for an inexpensive co-op shooter, you could do a lot worse than invest some time in the next generation of Blazkowiczs. Vikki Blake
STUFF SAYS Doesn’t hit the highs of its predecessors, but it’s still an enjoyable adventure +++,, 82
TESTED GAMES
All platforms / stuff.tv/Youngblood
Ghosts in the machine
That golden honeycomb armour makes us suddenly want a Crunchie.
It’s very different to the real Paris (and not only because of the mecha-Nazis).
Not all games are launched in a state of perfection, granted, and we appreciate Youngblood comes at a budget price (£30). But when you’re forced to replay missions because of glitching key items or broken spawns, or a bug that prevents either sister from opening sewer gates (there’s a lot of co-operative opening of sewer gates and lift doors in this), something’s amiss. Playing on a PlayStation 4 Pro, the sound regularly glitches out, going from hideous static blasts to deathly silence and everything in between. Twice we experienced save issues (we’d complete a mission in co-op only to be forced to replay it when returning to the game later that day), and sometimes the subway fasttravel system wouldn’t activate because of phantom enemies that either didn’t exist… or did exist but had spawned behind unreachable walls. There are plenty of microtransactions too. The dismay at their inclusion varies from player to player; but from our perspective, we found they were entirely unnecessary, and it was easy – quick, even – to routinely ‘rank up’ Soph or Jess without spending a penny of our hard-earned IRL cash.
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TESTED GAMES
Switch / stuff.tv/3Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses Schooling the competition, this hugely epic tactical RPG will take over your social life fter its success on 3DS, the Fire Emblem series has taken its time to come back to home consoles, with a diversion into bite-sized strategy on mobile and the less tactical hack-and-slash of Fire Emblem Warriors. The wait has been worth it, as Three Houses takes advantage of the Switch to become the series’ most ambitious and epic instalment yet. The sense of scale is apparent early on when, as a new professor at Garreg Mach Monastery, you’re asked to choose which of the titular three houses you’ll take charge of, each providing a unique perspective on the over-arching story when war eventually breaks out. This is just the first of many agonising choices the game has to offer. Following a school year calendar, you’ll be balancing an academic and social schedule to train your students as well as build friendships (or even more). But with limits on what you are able to do each week, you’re
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constantly making choices over whether to socialise, invest in your own personal development or even poach students from rival houses. You can, however, skip the depth if you just want to get straight to the battles, which remain as brilliant as ever. Thanks to the Switch hardware, they have a grander sense of scale than before as units fight with battalions of troops. There are some breaks from the formula – notably, no more weapon triangle – but the real lifesaver is the ability to undo your moves (although there’s a limit), so even purists playing on perma-death mode don’t need to hit reset when a mistake costs them a beloved unit. Filled with painstaking decisions at every turn, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a game you won’t be able to stop playing. It’s also one of those rare delights where you’ll already be plotting your next playthrough before the credits have rolled. Alan Wen
“Sorry to bother you… does this place have a National Trust gift shop?”
Choose your house wisely… and make sure you get a full survey if it’s an older property.
STUFF SAYS Crammed with tactical and social depth, this is the series’ best yet +++++ 84
THE ULTIMATE SPORTS GPS Touchscreen Outstanding GPS performance Large 3.5" Hi-Res screen Very long battery life (16 hours) Bluetooth Smart Waterproof (IP68)
Buttons GPS/GLONASS/GALILEO Hi-Res OS Mapping Barometric altimeter Wi-Fi Shockproof (IK7)
Satmap.com | sales@satmap.com | 01372 869 070
DIGITAL EDITION
Available online from Readly or Pocketmags
TOP TEN
This gadget has leapt straight outta testing and into our rankings.
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OF EVERYTHING
HOT BUY
Time changes everything, including Stuff Top Ten entries.
BARGAIN BUY UPDATE Searing with techy genius, a product that’s set our hearts aflame.
A solid gold bargain. Worth owning, regardless of cashflow.
Smartphones Tablets, mobile games Headphones Wearables Laptops Wireless speakers TVs Soundbars, smart speakers Home cinema, consoles
88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96
Games Tech toys, electric cars VR headsets & games Smart home Drones & action cams, compact cameras System cameras Budget buys How to buy… true wireless earphones
97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104
HOW TO USE THEM
TOP TENS SMARTPHONES
88
1
HOT BUY
Huawei P30 Pro Huawei’s latest superphone sets a stratospheric benchmark for camera power, with no cost to overall performance. Everything about the design is top-notch, with only screen sharpness failing to hit the very highest marks – at least by Huawei’s own giddy standards. But it’s those oh-so-clever rear camera lenses that really set the P30 Pro apart. Just be aware that ongoing political problems for the brand make this a risky purchase at present.
TIPS & TRICKS Use Huawei’s OneHop tech for quick wireless file transfers from the phone to your laptop.
Stuff says +++++ Heaps of power – and the best smartphone camera you can buy
The P30 Pro works as a wireless charger, so you can share its juice with any other Qi-enabled device.
O NOW ADD THIS Huawei Smart View Flip Cover This case has a transparent window that will display your P30 Pro’s notifications, time and weather. £15 / amazon.co.uk
Drive an Audi? You can use this phone as a digital car key, to unlock it and even start the engine.
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Samsung Galaxy S10
OnePlus 7 Pro
from £665 / stuff.tv/S10
from £649 / stuff.tv/OnePlus7Pro
Some phones have more power, some have better cameras, some last longer between charges… but the S10 isn’t far behind in any area, and has just about every feature you could want: a versatile camera, a gorgeous display and truly ace performance.
The 7 Pro is not an affordable ‘phone of the people’ but it is just the sort of expensive handset OnePlus should make – with the features people actually want. If you want the meaty bits of a premium phone for less cash, buy this one.
Stuff says +++++ Nothing else running Android is quite so well rounded
Stuff says +++++ An ultra-high-end phone that focuses on the important stuff
BARGAIN BUY
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Oppo Reno 10x Zoom +++++ £700 / stuff.tv/Reno10x A sensational camera phone that gets a lot right despite its overbearing software.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro +++++ £600 / stuff.tv/Mate20Pro The last-gen Huawei flagship is still a stunning phone that makes most look lazy in comparison.
Apple iPhone XS +++++ from £999 / stuff.tv/iPhoneXS Familiar on the outside, hiding treats on the inside: this is the X but better.
Honor View 20 +++++ £350 / stuff.tv/View20 Honor enters the big leagues with one of the best phones in its class… and it’s got a punch-hole.
Moto G7 +++++ £220 / stuff.tv/MotoG7 The G7 may be more of the same from Motorola, but that’s exactly what we wanted. A budget no-brainer.
Sony Xperia 1 +++++ £850 / stuff.tv/Xperia1 Pricey, brave, excellent: the Xperia 1 is a sensational phone and a film fan’s dream.
Google Pixel 3 XL ++++, from £869 / stuff.tv/Pixel3XL The latest Pixel isn’t revolutionary, but it’s still one of the best Androids around – and it’s now pretty cheap.
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW PHONES, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SMARTPHONES
O Prices quoted are for handset only unless otherwise stated
from £899 / stuff.tv/P30Pro
TOP TENS TABLETS
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MOBILE GAMES TOP TENS
89
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HOT BUY
HOT BUY
Apple iPad Pro
Data Wing
The latest iPad Pro isn’t cheap, but it’s a mobile powerhouse like no other, with a diverse and rich app ecosystem, tons of power, a gorgeous screen, and the kind of focus on creativity and productivity that just doesn’t exist on other tablets. If you just want to faff on Facebook or Netflix it’s massive overkill, so we’d recommend going for the new iPad Air (from £479) instead; but even if you don’t actually need the new iPad Pro, you’re going to want one if you have it in your mitts for five minutes.
This game starts off as if Asteroids had a baby with a top-down racer: your triangular craft blasts around circuits, gaining speed when its bum scrapes neon track edges. Soon you discover you’re part of an OS ruled by a deranged AI. Story and game quickly expand, as you glimpse the world beyond the screen and battle gravity in cavern-based sections that recall 8-bit classic Thrust. Rarely do mobile titles pack in so many hours of clever, thoughtful narrative. Pretty much never are such games free.
Stuff says +++++ Once again Apple blasts ahead of the pack, with a stylish, powerful tablet full of creative potential
Stuff says +++++ A mobile game we’d happily recommend if it cost a fiver – for nowt, it’s an absurdly generous bargain
from £769 / stuff.tv/iPadPro
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Microsoft Surface Go from £379 / stuff.tv/SurfaceGo Having this slinky Windows tab up your sleeve (not quite literally) is like carrying a mini PC on you at all times. The processor is adequate for everyday tasks and the 10in screen is lovely. Stuff says +++++ An affordable, ultra-portable workmate
Apple iPad from £319 / stuff.tv/iPad2018 There might not be a whole lot different here compared to the previous iteration of the standard iPad, but subtle improvements and a relatively affordable price mean this is the best workaday tablet for most people. Stuff says +++++ A versatile tablet for both work and play
Amazon Fire HD 8 +++++ from £80 / stuff.tv/FireHD8 For the price, you get a stonkingly capable tablet that doubles as an Echo Show.
Apple iPad Mini ++++, from £399 / stuff.tv/iPadMini The best small tablet out there, with a fine mix of portability, power and apps.
£free / Android, iOS
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Jumpgrid £2.99 / iOS Pac-Man and Frogger meet Super Hexagon and buckets of adrenaline in this superb game, a twitch/arcade/punishment crossover masterpiece. It’s a stunning ride that will leave you a quivering wreck. Stuff says +++++ The best twitch arcade game on mobile
Oddmar £free (IAPs) / Android O £4.99 / iOS Oddmar looks like it could have breezed in from a PS4. Now available on Android as well as iOS, it’s packed full of superb level design and lush animated visuals, as a beardy Viking oaf sets out to save his tribe. Stuff says +++++ Touchscreen platformers can be great after all
Bring You Home +++++ £3.19 / Android O £2.99 / iOS Make your own future with this imaginative, brilliantly designed and devious puzzler.
Knight Brawl +++++ £free / Android, iOS If Monty Python made a sword-fighting game for mobile… it still wouldn’t be this silly.
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE PRODUCTS IN OUR TOP TEN LISTINGS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10
TOP TENS IN-EARS
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ON/OVER-EARS TOP TENS
90
1
HOT BUY
HOT BUY
RHA TrueConnect
Sony WH-1000XM3
Wireless in-ears usually come with compromises. Great sound, poor fit. Great design, no waterproofing. And that’s before we start on the biggest bugbear: connection stability. But the RHA TrueConnects seem to nail all the important stuff, and arguably better than any others we’ve tested. They sound fantastic, the design is lovely – they’re now available in navy or white as well as the original black – plus there’s waterproofing to IPX5 and the Bluetooth 5.0 connection is rock-solid.
Sony’s WH-1000 series was already a top performer, and the WH-1000XM3s make for an even more compelling package. With Bluetooth wireless and great noise-cancellation, they’re the ultimate public transport stress killer… well, aside from a chauffeur or a lottery win that lets you retire. The leather pads make them incredibly easy to wear, not unlike sitting in one of those ultra-comfy leather chairs, and most importantly of all the sound quality is fantastic.
Stuff says +++++ These wireless buds are superb all-rounders, with solid tone and a strong Bluetooth connection
Stuff says +++++ Great wireless headphones with effective ANC and a sound that nails just about everything
£147 / stuff.tv/TrueConnect
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Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 £120 / stuff.tv/Melomania1 Offering an engaging and exciting listen, these buds lack just a drop of dynamism but do most things really well… and for hours and hours at a time. Add that all together and you’ve got a bargain. Stuff says +++++ Light yet robust, affordable yet great-sounding
Beats Powerbeats Pro £220 / stuff.tv/PowerbeatsPro It’s not all about the bass this time – in fact, when it comes to audio quality, it’s all rather mature. Add the great ear-hook design and simple setup, and this is the best pair of ’phones yet to carry the Beats moniker. Stuff says +++++ The best truly wireless buds for iOS users
Sony WF-1000X +++++ £129 / stuff.tv/SonyWF Can’t afford the new WF-1000XM3s? Sony’s last-gen in-ear buds offer impressive clarity.
SoundMagic E11C +++++ £50 / stuff.tv/E11C Super-light and comfortable, the E11Cs are capable, durable and affordable buds.
£272 / stuff.tv/SonyWHXM3
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B&O H9i £329 / stuff.tv/H9i Like all B&O products, these noise-cancelling cans scream luxury… but they’re not just a pretty face. There’s measured punch in the low end and timing is spot-on, with a crisp and expressive midrange. Stuff says +++++ Some of the best noise-cancellers you can buy
Urbanista Seattle Wireless from £61 / stuff.tv/SeattleWireless The Seattles are some of the best-sounding affordable wireless cans around. They’re full and rich-sounding, with the sort of tasteful bass drive that will please the masses without turning off the chin-stroking crowd. Stuff says +++++ Bags of style and fantastic sound quality
Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 +++++ from £199 / stuff.tv/Momentum2 Pricey but just about worth the outlay, the Momentum 2.0s will have you smitten.
Bose QuietComfort 35 II +++++ £260 / stuff.tv/QC35 Frequent flyers and long-range commuters: these could be the headphones for you.
TO READ THE FULL REVIEWS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/IN-EAR-HEADPHONES & STUFF.TV/TOP-10/HEADPHONES
TOP TENS SMARTWATCHES
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FITNESS TRACKERS TOP TENS
1
HOT BUY
Apple Watch Series 4
HOT BUY
Moov Now
from £399 / stuff.tv/WatchS4
£55 / stuff.tv/MoovNow
The Apple Watch Series 4 has everything going for it – the larger screen, improved processor and louder speaker mean it’s easier to actually do stuff on it than any previous Watch, and it has a load of health features that just aren’t on other wearables. Whether you’re navigating somewhere using Maps, going for a run without your phone, or just wanting to keep track of your activity during the day, this Apple Watch does a great job of handling all these things and more.
Slow and steady wins the race, and the Now has gone on to prove that with a marathon-like pace helping it finally make it to the top of this list. We’ve long considered this tracker a bargain, but further reductions have helped it enter the realm of ‘downright steal’. OK, so it doesn’t have a screen or smartphone skills, but with guided voice coaching, a six-month battery and solid waterproofing, it has everything you’d ever want in your perfect fitness tracker.
Stuff says +++++ Best wearable ever: a sleek, sophisticated redesign of the previous generation with some hearty upgrades
Stuff says +++++ A bargain-tastic fitness band that does more than just track your steps
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Samsung Galaxy Watch from £279 / stuff.tv/GalaxyWatch A sturdy and stylish smartwatch with plenty of power and a truly lovely user interface. Those with an iPhone are still likely to get a better experience and more functionality from an Apple Watch, though. Stuff says +++++ The best smartwatch for Android users
Garmin Vivoactive 3 from £200 / stuff.tv/Vivoactive3 It looks good, isn’t a wrist-dominator, outlasts just about all normal smartwatches and gets you the same kind of tracking as the Fenix 5 at half the price. We just wish it had more smart features up its sleeve. Stuff says +++++ A fine smartwatch for sporty types
Garmin Fenix 5 +++++ from £450 / stuff.tv/Fenix5 Like the annoying kid in school who’s both super-smart and great at every sport.
Garmin Forerunner 945 +++++ £520 / stuff.tv/Forerunner945 A well-built, comfortable and feature-rich smartwatch, perfect for fitness freaks.
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Fitbit Inspire HR £90 / stuff.tv/InspireHR Fitbit’s latest is a great little tracker. As well as step-counting, it’s surprisingly capable for proper run-tracking if you go out with a phone. Add notifications and that’s just about everything we want in a low-key band. Stuff says ++++, All the tracking skills that most people need
Withings Steel HR Sport £190 / stuff.tv/SteelHRSport Like Paul McCartney’s career, the Steel HR Sport can keep on going and going… and going. With a subtle, stylish design, it promises to last for 25 days on a single charge. This is one hybrid that won’t burn out even when you do. Stuff says ++++, One of the most well-rounded, stylish hybrids
Fitbit Charge 3 ++++, £130 / stuff.tv/Charge3 A capable tracker with an easy-to-wear design and long battery life.
Suunto 9 ++++, £359 / stuff.tv/Suunto9 Epic battery life and accurate tracking make this a great – if pricey – option.
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SMARTWATCHES & STUFF.TV/TOP-10/FITNESS-TRACKERS
TOP TENS LAPTOPS TIPS & TRICKS
A Touch ID button at the top right of the keyboard saves the agony of forgetting your password.
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Apple charges a hefty premium for extra storage, so consider a cheaper external SSD.
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HOT BUY
Apple MacBook Air from £1099 / stuff.tv/MacBookAir13
With the ‘basic’ version of the MacBook Pro no longer in Apple’s line-up, a July update to the Air model – including a £100 price drop – sees it power to the top of this list. And justifiably so, because in 2019 this is absolutely the go-to MacBook for most people. It looks every bit as premium as the Pro, and the fantastic screen represents a substantial leap from the old generation’s basic panel. That keyboard is a treat for your fingers too.
Stuff says +++++ Its stunning design, screen and features make this the perfect MacBook O NOW ADD THIS Satechi Type-C USB 3 Combo Hub Two ports not enough? This hub adds loads more and sits snugly against the MacBook Air’s side. £35 / amazon.co.uk
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Microsoft Surface Laptop 2
Dell XPS 13
from £935 / stuff.tv/SurfaceLaptop2
from £1249 / stuff.tv/XPS13
While there’s little that’s truly new about the Surface Laptop 2, that also means this computer has kept everything that made it such a phenomenal device in the first place. The additions of Intel’s latest processors and the full version of Windows 10 ensure it’s even better.
Last year’s Dell XPS 13 was one of the best Windows laptops in the world, and the new model is even better. Every element is top-quality. As before, you get style, portability, performance and great battery life… and as before, every part of it just feels good.
Stuff says +++++ An even stronger all-round workhorse than its predecessor
Stuff says +++++ There’s nothing else out there that’s quite so well rounded
8 9 10
Huawei MateBook X Pro +++++ from £980 / stuff.tv/MateBookXPro Not massively better than the 2018 model, but this is a real powerhouse of a Windows laptop.
Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 +++++ from £1599 / stuff.tv/XPS2in1 A powerful, portable and versatile hybrid, but with a hefty price tag to match.
Razer Blade 15 Advanced ++++, from £2550 / stuff.tv/BladeAdvanced Razer’s Blade models are our favourite gaming laptops, and this is a worthy flagship.
Asus ZenBook Pro 14 ++++, from £1100 / stuff.tv/ZenBookPro14 A capable multimedia laptop with a clever gimmick: a second screen instead of a trackpad.
Acer Swift 5 ++++, from £899 / stuff.tv/Swift5 A capable and extremely portable laptop at a tempting sub-£1000 price.
Asus Chromebook Flip C434 ++++, £550 / stuff.tv/FlipC434 One of the best high-quality Chromebooks, with a great screen and strong battery life.
HP Envy 13 ++++, £849 / stuff.tv/Envy13 A versatile ultraportable with a dedicated graphics card and respectable battery life.
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW LAPTOPS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/LAPTOPS
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TIPS & TRICKS
With iPhones and Android devices, you can control your Sonos speakers from your lock screen.
WIRELESS SPEAKERS TOP TENS
1
Sonos speakers use a feature called Trueplay that tunes the sound to your room’s acoustics.
HOT BUY
Sonos multiroom system from £199 / stuff.tv/SonosOne If you want to pretend your favourite band is playing in your living room, there’s no better option than a Sonos wireless speaker. They look great, work with your smartphone and boom out your tunes with dazzling finesse – from the compact and Alexa-compatible One (£199) to the flagship Play:5 (£499) and the TV-friendly Beam (£399).
Stuff says +++++ Infinite music in every room without the need for custom installers? Sign us up! O NOW ADD THIS Spotify Premium Sick of playing your iTunes library on repeat? Sign up to Spotify for more new music than you could ever possibly listen to. £9.99/month / spotify.com
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Naim Mu-so 2
B&W Formation Wedge
£1299 / stuff.tv/Mu-so2
£900 / stuff.tv/BWWedge
The Mu-so 2 is a fuller, richer, more detailed and louder listen than the model it replaces, with lots of added functionality, and it’s every bit as handsome and decorative. Too expensive? You can still get the original Mu-so for several hundred pounds less.
The Formation Wedge does look a bit weird, and it might seem unduly expensive at first acquaintance. But make up your own mind about the looks, think long and hard about the price, then hear the Wedge in action – and the pros will far outweigh the cons.
Stuff says +++++ Naim’s luxury wireless speaker sequel is an improvement all round
Stuff says +++++ A brilliant illustration of what a wireless speaker is capable of
BARGAIN BUY
8 9
10
JBL Xtreme 2 +++++ £239 / stuff.tv/Xtreme2 A hefty portable speaker that growls with confidence whatever you play through it.
KEF LSX +++++ £999 (pair) / stuff.tv/KEFLSX Convenience and fine sound at a real-world price, and in some vivid colours.
Marshall Tufton +++++ £350 / stuff.tv/Tufton Huge power, 360° clarity and long battery life make this the perfect portable party speaker.
Loewe Klang M1 +++++ £123 / stuff.tv/KlangM1 Exceptional build quality and sound in a comprehensive compact speaker.
Jam Heavy Metal +++++ £65 / stuff.tv/JamHM Classy sound and design at a bargain price: this is still the best affordable Bluetooth speaker.
UE Ralis +++++ £170 / stuff.tv/Ralis A pretty speaker with great battery life, and it sounds superb when cranked up.
UE Megaboom 3 +++++ £170 / stuff.tv/Megaboom3 You’ll struggle to find a better, or more fun, portable Bluetooth speaker.
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW HI-FI, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/HI-FI-STREAMING
TOP TENS TVs TIPS & TRICKS
Pick one of the expert preset modes and you won’t have to do too much tweaking to get a fantastic picture.
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First turn off any extra processing, then bring it back bit by bit to see if you like the changes.
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Looking for some HDR10+ content? Warner Bros, Fox and Amazon are on board with the format.
HOT BUY
Panasonic FZ802B from £1580 (55in) / stuff.tv/FZ802B
As 4K TV prices continue to tumble, there’s been a mad dash from manufacturers to convince the world their OLED panel looks better than everyone else’s. So which one really does? This Panasonic, showcasing one of the best 4K HDR displays on the market for a pretty affordable price. OK, so the design looks plain and the lack of Dolby Vision might surprise a few, but when the picture looks so detailed and natural, who really gives a damn?
Stuff says +++++ You won’t find a better OLED for the money than this talented Panasonic O NOW ADD THIS Sky Q Once you’ve got a 4K TV, you’ll want access to the best 4K content. Sky Q is a good bet for watching and recording all your favourite shows and films. from £20 + £22/month / sky.com
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LG 55 C8
Philips 55OLED+903
£1299 / stuff.tv/LGC8
£1500 / stuff.tv/55OLED903
The current LG flagship television doesn’t appear to be a huge upgrade on 2017’s model, but some clever tweaks to the processor have turned this into one of the finest OLED screens you can get. Sure, the E8 has a more jaw-dropping design and more immersive audio, but the C8 offers the exact same picture quality at a less premium price. For this reason, it’s our top pick from LG’s impressive range.
This handsome device is capable of stunning video and audio – the latter thanks to the contribution of British hi-fi kings Bowers & Wilkins. You won’t confuse the sound this telly makes for that of a dedicated audio system, but it’s superior to any other TV you’ve heard – and by a considerable margin. The price keeps it off top spot, but if you have this sort of money to spend on a new TV, you have to see (and hear) this one.
Stuff says +++++ Small improvements make this LG’s best OLED television yet
Stuff says +++++ Philips enlists the hi-fi specialists to deliver a stylish TV with great sound
7 BARGAIN BUY
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Samsung QE65Q90R +++++ £3419 / stuff.tv/QE65Q90R Samsung has stuck to QLED… and upped its game to rival OLED in virtually every way.
Samsung QE55Q8DN +++++ £1149 / stuff.tv/SamsungQ8D This affordable QLED option is a brilliantly accomplished TV and worth every penny.
Philips 55POS9002 +++++ £999 / stuff.tv/55POS9002 Available at a relatively affordable price for an OLED 4K HDR set, this Philips is an ace bargain.
Sony KD-65XF9005 +++++ £1499 / stuff.tv/KD65XF9005 It may have a mid-range price, but this Sony’s 4K LCD panel is still a proper belter.
Panasonic TX-58GX800 +++++ £885 / stuff.tv/58GX800 Not the last word in picture excellence, but this is a lot of TV for the money.
LG 65SM9800 ++++, £2199 / stuff.tv/65SM9800 Among the best backlit TVs around and a fine OLED-dodging compromise.
Philips 55PUS6753 ++++, £429 / stuff.tv/55PUS6753 A bargain Ambilight TV that offers an awful lot of 4K HDR screen for the price.
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW TELEVISIONS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/TVs
TOP TENS SOUNDBARS
1
SMART SPEAKERS TOP TENS
95
1
HOT BUY
Sonos Beam
HOT BUY
Sonos One
£399 / stuff.tv/SonosBeam
£199 / stuff.tv/SonosOne
Sonos’s home cinema gear has always been a little expensive, but with the Beam it’s created a great-value soundbar. It sounds ace, c omes with loads of features and is compact enough to fit into the average living-room AV setup without taking over. If you want the best-sounding system then the Playbar or Playbase are still the products to go for, but they’re a lot more money, they don’t have Alexa, and they don’t control your TV in the same slick way the Beam does.
Making an amazing speaker was an easy job for the multiroom champs, but getting Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant to dance along in time with it… well, that wasn’t such a simple task. But the One is now an altogether more well-rounded device than it was at launch, supporting Spotify with voice control as well as Amazon Music and TuneIn Radio, while the early Alexa hiccups seem to have been fixed by a series of software updates. It also has an improved processor in its 2019 ‘Gen 2’ form.
Stuff says +++++ Smaller and cheaper than the already excellent Playbar, and packed full of smarts
Stuff says +++++ Sonos’s Alexa-powered speaker remains a class apart from the competition
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Q Acoustics Media 4 £179 / stuff.tv/Media4 The justifiably multi-award-winning Media 4 combines subtle detail with precise surround effects to be one of the best-sounding and best-value soundbars you can buy. Stuff says +++++ A whole lot of under-telly hi-fi for the money
Sky Soundbox from £249 / stuff.tv/SkySoundbox If you already have a Sky Q subscription, you can get this fantastic audio booster on the cheap. If you haven’t, it’s really too expensive to be worth considering ahead of the class-leading Dali Kubik One. Stuff says +++++ The best-value upgrade ever… if you’ve got Sky
Dali Kubik One +++++ £799 / stuff.tv/KubikOne Gorgeous high-end performance for a not so gorgeous high-end price.
Philips Fidelio B5 ++++, £640 / stuff.tv/FidelioB5 A tech-packed soundbar that sounds as exciting as it looks.
BARGAIN BUY
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Amazon Echo Dot £50 / stuff.tv/EchoDot The big price difference means that, for many people, the 3rd-gen Dot is a better bet than the full-size Echo. The only downside is its poor-quality speaker, but the 3.5mm audio output will solve that problem for most. Stuff says +++++ One of the best bargains in tech right now
Google Home Max £299 / stuff.tv/HomeMax If you want a smart speaker that can blow the doors off a party, this is the best you can get right now. All the smarts of the basic Home speaker are here, naturally, and the larger drivers offer much more powerful bass. Stuff says ++++, A smart speaker that’s ready to party
Apple HomePod ++++, £279 / stuff.tv/HomePod For Apple Music users who want a high-end smart speaker, this is a cracking choice.
Amazon Echo ++++, £90 / stuff.tv/AmazonEcho Nothing else in this price range looks quite as good or gets the job done quite as well.
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE PRODUCTS IN OUR TOP TEN LISTINGS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10
TOP TENS HOME CINEMA
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CONSOLES TOP TENS
96
1
HOT BUY
HOT BUY
Sky Q
Sony PlayStation 4 Pro
Sky Q works flawlessly and could change the way you watch TV – especially now 4K’s arrived. With Sky Movies’ huge range of films and Sky Sports in stunning Ultra HD, along with the new addition of Netflix, there’s something for everyone to treat their eyes with. And 2TB of storage means you can record 350 hours’ worth of entertainment, so you’re unlikely to be sweating over which show needs deleting. Factor in its multiroom skills, and Sky Q is undoubtedly the best TV experience you can get.
As a gaming platform, PlayStation 4 is the best around – which makes the PS4 Pro the best of the best. Games optimised for the new console look stunning on a 4K HDR TV, and are substantially improved by the extra grunt inside this slightly bigger machine. Sure, it can’t match the Xbox One X for sheer power or resolution, but it makes up for that with an impressive line-up of games – including Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn and Bloodborne – and virtual reality support.
Stuff says +++++ You’ll have to cough up for a subscription, but this is the best box for watching both live and recorded shows
Stuff says +++++ The system for console gamers who have a 4K TV and want the best catalogue of games on offer
from £20 + £22/month / stuff.tv/SkyQ
2
BARGAIN BUY
3
4 5
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K £50 / stuff.tv/FireStick4K Amazon’s latest streaming stick offers 4K plus a faster processor than its predecessor, and comes with the new Alexa Voice Remote. It is very Prime-centric, but the selection of third-party apps is excellent. Stuff says +++++ The best 4K streaming stick you can buy
Google Chromecast £30 / stuff.tv/Chromecast The latest Chromecast is an incredibly neat little gadget that will let you watch almost all of your favourite streaming and catch-up services on a television that doesn’t have the apps built in. Stuff says +++++ The cheapest way to smarten up your TV
Roku Streaming Stick+ ++++, £50 / stuff.tv/RokuPlus This simple all-rounder is a great choice for the open-minded telly watcher.
Apple TV 4K ++++, from £179 / stuff.tv/AppleTV4K Streaming boxes might be on the way out, but Apple’s 4K version still has its uses.
£349 / stuff.tv/PS4Pro
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Nintendo Switch £259 / stuff.tv/NintendoSwitch Nintendo’s console earned a promotion in our list after it impressed us with a growing list of fantastic games. Plus, no other device here offers the joy of portable gaming. Train journeys will never be boring again. Stuff says +++++ This 2-in-1 console is the real deal
Microsoft Xbox One X £450 / stuff.tv/XboxOneX There’s no doubt the Xbox One X is the most powerful console here, capable of producing stunning 4K visuals… but it simply doesn’t have the line-up of games to usurp the PS4 Pro from top spot. Stuff says +++++ A 4K monster held back by its game catalogue
Sony PlayStation 4 +++++ £250 / stuff.tv/PS4 Haven’t got a 4K TV? This is the best way to enjoy PlayStation’s brilliant exclusives.
Microsoft Xbox One S +++++ £250 / stuff.tv/XboxOneS No longer our Xbox of choice, but the One S remains a serious affordable option.
FOR FULL REVIEWS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/HOME-CINEMA & STUFF.TV/TOP-10/GAMES-MACHINES
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GAMES TOP TENS
HOT BUY
Red Dead Redemption 2 from £30 / PS4, Xbox One
Believable characters, a world to lose yourself in, top-class voice acting and a story that intrigues all the way through. Warts and all, with improvements from other games ignored, this is Rockstar at its most arrogant but also its most powerful. Red Dead Redemption 2 trusts you to explore, to grow, and to let its world seep into your consciousness. This is a special game and one that was entirely worth the wait.
TIPS & TRICKS Make sure you talk to strangers more than once – you never know what they’ll reveal.
Stuff says +++++ Ultra-addictive gameplay in one of the greatest open worlds ever created
Regularly brushing and feeding Arthur’s horse will increase their bond. It’s what all good cowboys should do anyway.
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O OR PLAY THIS Zelda: Breath of the Wild If you’re after a different kind of open-world experience that’s just as expansive and has a lot of heart, this is the one for you. £48 / Switch
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God of War
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
£25 / PS4
£45 / Switch
A lot has changed for PlayStation’s god-slaying champion, Kratos. He’s acquired a beard and a new magic axe… but while the action is as breathtaking as ever, it’s the surprisingly mature storyline that’s the draw here, with Kratos learning the ropes of parenting.
It’s no exaggeration to say this is hands-down the best Smash game yet. There’s just so much going on, with a huge array of fighters – it’s a fantastic way to enter into the world of Smash, and long-time fans of the series will not be disappointed.
Stuff says +++++ The epic return of Kratos is yet another phenomenal PS4 offering
Stuff says +++++ Smash is well and truly back, and it’s bigger and better than ever before
8 9 10
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice +++++ from £45 / PS4, Xbox One, PC A brutally punishing action adventure that will get your heart a-pumping.
Forza Horizon 4 +++++ from £40 / Xbox One, PC This is a bar-raising sandbox-racing game experience that’s worth buckling up for.
Monster Hunter: World +++++ from £15 / PS4, Xbox One, PC Fun for veterans and newcomers alike, World is one monster of a game.
Resident Evil 2 +++++ from £24 / PS4, Xbox One, PC Highly polished and much more than just a remake, this is the series’ best entry yet.
Super Mario Maker 2 +++++ £40 / Switch One of Nintendo’s smartest ideas in years feels perfect for the Switch.
Kingdom Hearts III +++++ from £20 / PS4, Xbox One This fantastical trip is a worthy tribute to its Disney heritage.
Devil May Cry 5 ++++, from £25 / PS4, Xbox One, PC A strange blend of world-class combat and old-fashioned design.
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW GAMES, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/GAMES
TOP TENS TECH TOYS
98
ELECTRIC CARS TOP TENS
1
HOT BUY
HOT BUY
Lego Boost Creative Toolbox
Jaguar I-Pace
Building Lego models is already ridiculously good fun, so think what great a time you’ll have when the completed model turns into a functioning robot. With the accompanying tablet app, you can use simple coding to make the robot move, fire projectiles and play various games. And rather than retiring it to the dusty shelf once you’re bored, you can rebuild him into four other programmable models: a harmonica-playing cat, a driveable rover, a working robot-builder and a playable guitar.
Not content with simply making an electric vehicle that can get you from A to B with minimal fuss (and fuel bills), Jaguar has created something desirable, fun to drive and impressively capable when the going gets tough. This car offers Amazon Alexa integration, smartphone connectivity and a 10in touchscreen on the upper deck. With the I-Pace, Jaguar can happily claim to be the first mainstream brand to really give Tesla something to worry about.
Stuff says +++++ All hail Vernie and friends – for value and sheer fun, it’s hard to beat this programmable Lego kit
Stuff says +++++ Fun, fast and practical, the I-Pace is the greatest thing to happen to electric cars in a long time
from £60,995 (with PiCG) / stuff.tv/ipace
£150 / stuff.tv/LegoCreativeToolbox
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Propel Star Wars X-Wing Battling Drone
NEW
£62 / stuff.tv/SWDrone The Star Wars Battling Drone works indoors and outdoors, and doesn’t require a licence or CAA permit to fly. It’s a total blast… just a shame there’s no camera or app. Stuff says +++++ Is the Force strong with this one? You betcha!
Sphero Bolt
Nissan Leaf from £27,995 / stuff.tv/NissanLeaf Nissan has really got it right with the latest Leaf – an accomplished family car that packs some serious range and performance, and acts as a flagship for the company’s most advanced driver assistance gizmos. Stuff says +++++ A strong candidate for your eco-conscious cash
NEW
Tesla Model S
£150 / stuff.tv/SpheroBolt This little rolling ball of tech is great fun, and educational to boot. We hope your skirting boards are up to taking a few knocks, but if your kids have any curiosity about coding it’ll keep them entertained for months to come. Stuff says +++++ Proves that learning really can be fun
from £77,200 / stuff.tv/TeslaS This sleek saloon re-writes the rules for all-electric performance and offers advanced autonomous driving tech that most of the other makers are only just beginning to explore. Stuff says +++++ A true groundbreaker among high-class EVs
Kano Harry Potter Coding Kit
Volvo XC90 T8
+++++ £63 / stuff.tv/KanoHarryPotter A magical way to make coding accessible and fun to learn.
+++++ from £66,645 / stuff.tv/XC90T8 This plug-in hybrid 4x4 looks great and can tackle the twistiest routes.
Nintendo Labo VR Kit
BMW i8 Roadster
++++, from £35 (+ Switch) / stuff.tv/LaboVR An irresistible mash-up of cardboard-folding adventures and lo-fi VR entertainment.
+++++ from £127,105 / stuff.tv/i8Roadster The electric motor turns this stunningly futuristic convertible into a genuine supercar.
FOR UP-TO-DATE LISTINGS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL KINDS OF GADGETS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10
TOP TENS VR HEADSETS
1
VR GAMES TOP TENS
99
1
HOT BUY
HOT BUY
Oculus Quest
Blood & Truth
The Quest offers all manner of fully interactive, roamable virtual worlds that you can throw in your backpack without a single wire. That’s a mindblowing technical feat. Yes, the battery life is average, but the inside-out tracking and total absence of any cables make this the best all-round VR headset to date. It also ships with the Oculus Touch motion controllers included, which means you can play fully fledged Oculus Rift titles without being anywhere near a PC.
Blood & Truth uses every trick available to deliver an absolutely rollicking action thriller – sweaty palms are guaranteed. Covering a huge breadth of environments and sequences that will make you forget its relatively short runtime, it turns London into a playground packed with dazzling action set-pieces, while the story keeps you grounded with a likeable and compelling cast. Anyone with a PSVR needs to play this; and for those who don’t already own one, the time is now.
Stuff says +++++ If you’ve been waiting to board the VR bandwagon, the Quest might be the best reason yet to go for it
Stuff says +++++ A stunning full-length VR action blockbuster with a great story
from £399 / stuff.tv/OculusQuest
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HTC Vive £499 / stuff.tv/HTCVive There isn’t much difference between this and the much cheaper Oculus Rift, in all honesty. But if you’re thinking of upgrading to the Vive Pro in the future, this is a great gateway headset. Stuff says ++++, A solid choice for immersive virtual reality
HTC Vive Pro £799 (headset only) / stuff.tv/HTCVivePro This high-end headset offers the best virtual reality experience by a long way, but its sky-high price means you should only really buy it if you’re a VR obsessive with a super-powerful gaming PC. Stuff says ++++, This hardcore headset is overkill for most
Google Daydream View ++++, £99 / stuff.tv/DaydreamView This budget-friendly option is the best way of bringing VR to the masses.
PlayStation VR +++,, from £250 / stuff.tv/PSVR It can deliver incredible experiences, but the PSVR is held back by niggling issues.
£28 / PSVR
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Superhot VR from £16 / Oculus Rift, Vive, PSVR There’s something really cool about hiding behind a desk before blitzing your opponents with streams of bullets as if you were starring in your very own Matrix movie. A wonderfully action-packed title. Stuff says +++++ A superb 2-in-1 VR puzzler and shooter
Farpoint £16 / PSVR If it weren’t in VR, Farpoint would be a distinctly average space-based FPS. But the PSVR headset and Aim Controller lift it above the pack and make it a must-play, not just for VR fans but also for FPS addicts. Stuff says +++++ Simply a thrilling VR experience
Moss ++++, £15 / PSVR This platform puzzler offers a one-of-a-kind fable that’s perfect for VR.
Thumper ++++, from £16 / Oculus Rift, Vive, PSVR This mesmerising rhythm game is best played in VR, despite the lack of tracking.
FOR FULL REVIEWS, AND TO EXPLORE MORE OF THE STUFF TOP TEN LISTS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10
TOP TENS SMART HOME
100
1
HOT BUY
Tado Smart Thermostat
from £200 + installation / stuff.tv/Tado It might not be as pretty as the Nest 3.0, but Tado has quietly evolved into the best all-round smart heating system around. Like autopilot for your boiler, it senses when you’re leaving home or coming back thanks to the app’s geolocation. And Tado’s gadgety goodness is second to none, with the option of zonal control for individual rooms and voice smarts from the likes Alexa and Google Assistant.
TIPS & TRICKS Check out the app’s Energy Savings Report to see how well you’re doing each month.
Stuff says +++++ Tado roasts the competition with its combination of simplicity and smarts
Crank up the nerdery by tinkering with Tado’s IFTTT channel or adding it to your HomeKit setup.
O NOW ADD THIS Tado Smart Radiator Thermostats Once you’ve tasted the joys of zonal smart heating, you and your wallet will never go back. £70 each / tado.com
Hook up an Amazon Echo or Google Home to change the temperature with your voice.
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5 6 7 Netatmo Welcome
Nest 3.0
£160 / stuff.tv/NetatmoWelcome
£179 / stuff.tv/Nest3
Netatmo’s smart cam has face recognition capability, which works well once it’s got to know you, and the usual motion and noise detection is easy to control. You can also remotely monitor your house to keep the paranoia at bay while on holiday.
This is one of the cleverest (and best-looking) smart thermostats on the market. Nest learns your habits – when you’re in, when you’re likely to need a lot of hot water and so on – so it can control the boiler to save energy and keep that shower nice and toasty.
Stuff says +++++ A neat security cam with loads of features and storage options
Stuff says +++++ A simple and mess-free smart thermostat with Alexa compatibility
NEW
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Philips Hue Starter Kit +++++ from £60 (white) / stuff.tv/PhilipsHue Become an indoor god with the smartest way of lighting up your home remotely.
Arlo Pro +++++ £225 / stuff.tv/ArloPro A good home cam that becomes a great one outdoors. Your shed has never been so secure.
Google Wifi +++++ £129 / stuff.tv/GoogleWifi A signal-spreading wonder that’ll make your old router look like a tech dinosaur.
Google Nest Hub ++++, £119 / stuff.tv/NestHub Google’s rebranded smart helper, formerly the Home Hub, offers real value for money.
Amazon Echo Show 5 ++++, £80 / stuff.tv/EchoShow5 A great alarm clock and a feature-packed smart display: this is a sub-£100 bargain.
Nest Hello ++++, £229 / stuff.tv/NestHello Not only is this a nifty smart doorbell, but it also doubles as a useful security camera.
Nest Outdoor IQ ++++, £329 / stuff.tv/OutdoorIQ Nest’s most capable outdoor security cam is worth the extra installation effort.
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF THE BEST SMART HOME DEVICES, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SMART-HOME-DEVICES
TOP TENS DRONES & ACTION CAMS
1
101
COMPACTS TOP TENS
1
HOT BUY
HOT BUY
GoPro Hero7 Black
Sony DSC-RX100 V
This is basically the excellent Hero6 Black (a five-star action cam that cost £500 at launch) with a bunch of improvements added – the most useful of which being the incredibly effective HyperSmooth image stabilisation, which has a huge impact on video quality. It’s great to see a company like GoPro continue to innovate in ways that are genuinely valuable to its main customer base, and the Hero7 Black is the best camera it’s made in years.
We wouldn’t recommend buying this camera if you already own the old IV model, but a few improvements have ensured Sony remains the top dog in our compacts list – and we’re keeping this model above the newer RX100 VI simply because of the huge price difference. It remains one of the finest point-and-shoots we’ve ever seen, with a flexibility that few pocket cameras can muster. While it’s still not exactly cheap, we reckon this is the cam to buy if you want fantastic-looking snaps from your holidays.
Stuff says +++++ GoPro’s smoothest operator ever, and a brilliant flagship action cam
Stuff says +++++ Only a small improvement over the RX100 IV, but this Sony is close to premium point-and-shoot perfection
£379 / stuff.tv/Hero7Black
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4 5
DJI Osmo Action £329 / stuff.tv/OsmoAction The image stabilisation is sensational and the face-optimised metering makes DJI’s action cam an ideal choice for vloggers. It has some idiosyncrasies, but this is a smart shooter that captures great footage without faff. Stuff says +++++ Despite a few quirks, this is a stellar cam
DJI Mavic 2 Pro £1349 / stuff.tv/Mavic2Pro Aimed at the enthusiast willing to spend a little more to fly and film a little further, this is an undeniably pricey drone – but we think it’s worth every penny. It’s a fantastic flyer that feels superbly responsive in the air. Stuff says +++++ The gold standard in portable flyers
DJI Mavic Air +++++ £769 / stuff.tv/MavicAir A cracking gadget that combines the best bits from the Spark and the Mavic Pro.
DJI Spark +++++ £449 / stuff.tv/DJISpark The most user-friendly drone on this list, making it perfect for beginners.
£799 / stuff.tv/RX100V
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Panasonic Lumix TZ200 £599 / stuff.tv/TZ200 This Panasonic compact is a significant upgrade from the TZ100, offering extra reach with the zoom lens, better colour reproduction, and an improved experience when using the electronic viewfinder. Stuff says +++++ Small, neat and not dramatically overpriced
Sony DSC-RX100 VI £1099 / stuff.tv/RX100VI A true all-rounder that shoots 24fps at full resolution and has stunningly fast autofocus, topped off with a whopping 8x zoom lens that’s quite spectacular for such a tiny camera. Stuff says +++++ A dinky yet luxurious point-and-shoot
Panasonic Lumix LX100 +++++ £449 / stuff.tv/LX100 One of the most capable compacts on the market, with superb stills and HD video.
Fujifilm X100F +++++ £1199 / stuff.tv/X100F The best street shooter around if you don’t need the flexibility of interchangeable lenses.
FOR FULL REVIEWS, AND TO EXPLORE MORE OF THE STUFF TOP TEN LISTS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10
TOP TENS SYSTEM CAMERAS
102
1
HOT BUY
Fujifilm X-T3 It’s really hard to find anything bad to say about the X-T3 – it’s just consistently great in so many ways. Fuji has looked at virtually every feature on the X-T2 and upgraded it. With substantial tweaks made to the pro-level video options, the high-res EVF, the super-fast autofocus and the burst shooting, what you’re left with is an all-round beast of a camera in a small, beautiful form. As APS-C shooters go, it’s the best there is.
TIPS & TRICKS Pre-shot ES mode starts taking photos and adding them to the buffer as soon as you half-press.
Stuff says +++++ An incredible stills shooter with video smarts to match
Sports Finder mode’s display enables you to see what’s about to come into frame for moving shots.
O NOW ADD THIS Manfrotto 190 Go! Carbon Fibre Tripod You no longer have an excuse for wobbly photos with this carbon-fibre tripod. It weighs just 1.65kg. £249 / manfrotto.co.uk
Tapping an area on the 3in touchscreen will let you set the focus point or take an instant shot.
2
HOT BUY
3
4 5 6
Sony A7 III
Fujifilm X-T20
£1763 / stuff.tv/SonyA7iii
£599 / stuff.tv/XT20
The A7 III manages to pack in a lot of technology and desirability for less than £2000. It’s a fantastic all-rounder that’s well suited to a bunch of shooting scenarios, coping well with landscapes, portraits, and even a little bit of high-speed sport shooting. As a camera design it’s admittedly not the prettiest thing we’ve ever seen, but it handles well for its compact size.
With its 24.3MP APS-C sensor, plus a touchscreen, the X-T20 will deliver results that are in some cases just as good as you’ll get from Fuji’s pricier models – and will leave you with a lot more spare cash in your account. With well-laid-out controls, a huge viewfinder, excellent AF and access to superb lenses, the X-T20 is just one more fantastic mirrorless camera from Fuji.
Stuff says +++++ A fantastic all-rounder that excels in low-light conditions
Stuff says +++++ The X-T20 nails the sweet spot between price and performance
7 8 9 10
Panasonic Lumix G9 +++++ £949 / stuff.tv/LumixG9 The G9 is the best Lumix camera to date and a fine choice for wildlife or action photography.
Sony A6500 +++++ £1199 / stuff.tv/A6500 A cracking system cam for action photography, but stick with the A6300 if your budget is tight.
Fujifilm X-H1 +++++ £1045 / stuff.tv/XH1 By adding in-body image stabilisation, Fuji has created a wonderful all-rounder.
Canon EOS 80D +++++ £979 / stuff.tv/80D The 80D is so easy to use that even a toddler would get some great shots with it.
Nikon Z6 +++++ £1529 / stuff.tv/Z6 A top-notch and reasonably sized mirrorless camera from the optical experts.
Nikon D850 +++++ £2649 / stuff.tv/D850 This super-cam has enough fantastic features to excel in pretty much any situation.
Canon EOS RP +++++ £1399 / stuff.tv/EOSRP A full-frame mirrorless snapper that’s light enough not to be a burden.
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW CAMERAS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SYSTEM-CAMERAS
O Prices quoted are for body only unless otherwise stated
£1349 / stuff.tv/FujifilmXT3
103
1
BUDGET BUYS TOP TENS HOT BUY
SNES Classic Mini £70 / stuff.tv/ClassicMini
TIPS & TRICKS
Why bother splashing out over £200 on a games console when you can get the SNES Classic Mini for a fraction of that? Especially when you get 21 classic titles pre-installed on this nostalgia-inducing machine, including the likes of Super Metroid, A Link to the Past, Super Mario World and the never-before-released Star Fox 2. And with two controllers bundled in the box, you’ll be able to start the Super Mario Kart action right away.
Chickens killed you in Zelda again? You can rewind up to five minutes and pretend it never happened. For full-fat nostalgia you can read the instruction manual for each of the SNES games online.
Stuff says +++++ With 21 classic games installed, gamers won’t find better value anywhere
Stop trying to raid Bowser’s castle in one sitting, and use one of the four save slots to take a break.
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O NOW ADD THIS 8Bitdo Bluetooth Retro Receiver Fed up of those short cables? Use this clever device to connect most modern controllers wirelessly. £15 / 8bitdo.com
3
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Raspberry Pi Zero W
UE Wonderboom 2
from £9.30 / stuff.tv/PiZeroW
£90 / stuff.tv/Wonderboom2
It might be nearly twice the price of the original Pi Zero, but when you’re still getting change from a tenner the wireless Pi is fantastic value. Simplicity is key, with no need to mess about with dongles or hubs. This also means your Pi projects can be squeezed into smaller places.
This tiny speaker is a mighty delight. It’s ideal for the park, or even if you’re looking to use one (or two) to supercharge your bedroom setup. Audio quality is ramped up from its predecessor, giving you better bass and more detail, but not at the expense of dinky portability.
Stuff says +++++ The Pi Zero was already brilliant; wireless add-ons make it better
Stuff says +++++ A rugged little wonder that’ll bring a sonic boost to any occasion
8 9 10
Moov Now +++++ £55 / stuff.tv/MoovNow The best budget tracker you can buy – gives most Fitbits a run for their money.
SoundMagic E10 +++++ £30 / stuff.tv/E10 We love the E11s, but the previous model is still available for real bargain-sniffers.
Moto G7 Play +++++ £130 / stuff.tv/G7Play Motorola’s still got it – here’s another cracker we’d happily pay twice as much for.
Vodafone Smart X9 ++++, £99 / stuff.tv/SmartX9 Network-branded phones may not be cool, but this one’s a legit bargain.
Google Home Mini ++++, £49 / stuff.tv/HomeMini The friendliest and most knowledgeable miniature smart speaker around.
Ryze Tello ++++, £84 / stuff.tv/Tello Rule the skies without breaking the bank with this affordable toy drone.
Ikea Tradfri Dimming Kit ++++, from £25 / stuff.tv/IkeaSmartLights Philips Hue might have colour-changing bulbs, but Ikea’s Tradfri smart lights are crazy cheap.
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THESE GADGETS, AND TO EXPLORE MORE TOP TEN LISTS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10
TOP TENS HOW TO BUY
104
HOW TO BUY TRUE WIRELESS EARPHONES
Separating the buds from the duds, it’s the hottest trend for lugs: fully cable-free in-ear headphones
IP RATING This shows how resistant devices are to water. If you like running in the rain, look for IPX4 or upwards.
JARGON BUSTER
TRUE WIRELESS Some Bluetooth buds are linked by a behind-the-neck cable. ‘True wireless’ types aren’t.
CONTROLS Some buds have touch controls; others use proximity sensors to stop the music when you take them out.
BUDDY TYPICAL 1
’Tooth hertz
The importance of Bluetooth tech on true wireless earphones can’t be overstated. Nobody wants dropouts during listening sessions, so a solid link between the buds and your music source is vital. The newer the supported Bluetooth version, the better it’s likely to be. The likes of Apple and Beats use an H1 chip for top stability and battery life. O Get this: Apple AirPods £199 / apple.com
OR TRY ONE OF THESE…
BUDDY MARVELLOUS 2 Case notes Each bud houses a battery – and with no way to plug them in while listening, the amount of play time between charges is key. That’s why they typically come with a charging case. Some cases take a cable connection, others support wireless charging, and they can be very different in size, shape and weight. Aim for a combined bud/case battery life of 24hrs. O Get this: RHA TrueConnect £147 / rha-audio.com
3 Noise annoys True wireless in-ears are generally great for noise isolation, because they act like earplugs. For drowning out serious background sound, however, a number now have active noise-cancellation (like you get on over-ears from the likes of Bose). Good news for travellers lacking space for big cans, but the tech does drain the batteries a bit quicker. O Get this: Sony WF-1000XM3 £219 / sony.co.uk
4 Gland designs While a snug fit is crucial, also consider bud design. Some sit in your ears like earrings, others droop down with antennas or, in the case of the Powerbeats Pro, hook over to stay put during workouts. One Stuff staffer once had a bud roll out into the middle of the road, where it was promptly run over by a passing car. Don’t be a victim. O Get this: Beats Powerbeats Pro £220 / beatsbydre.com
5 Good listener If you prefer to keep your mobile in your pocket, phone calls and chats with your smart assistant can also be handled by your buds. Look for mic tech that kills the background noise. O Get this: Cambridge Melomania 1 £120 / cambridgeaudio.com
CLEER ALLY PLUS
LIBRATONE TRACK AIR+
£179 / cleeraudio.com Cleer squeezes 30 hours of play time from its ANC buds. You also get touch controls, auto-playback proximity sensors and voice calls.
£179 / libratone.com Libratone’s buds also carry ANC tech and claim to tune out 30dB of ambient noise. You’ll get 24hrs’ play time with the magnetic charging case.
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How alarming
Game & Watch eriously? All of Nintendo’s rich gaming history, and you pick this? Yep. Perhaps younglings might find it hard to comprehend how exciting the likes of Fire, Parachute and Octopus were back in 1980, but this was the dawn of mobile gaming. As an alternative to having a colossal console plugged into the back of your telly, or visiting an arcade with horrible sticky floors and suspiciously sticky people, this was nothing short of revolutionary. And besides, if Nintendo hadn’t cut its teeth with the Game & Watch, we wouldn’t have had the GameBoy, the DS and the Switch. So there.
S
Fine. It influenced a lot of Nintendo consoles. Let’s never talk of it again. Well, hang on, because the Game & Watch in hindsight was more than a stepping stone for Nintendo to clamber to greater heights. This was gaming stripped back to its core. The limitations of the system – as few as two buttons, and an LCD with fixed positions for characters and objects – greatly reduced its scope. Yet this resulted in compelling games you’d want to play repeatedly – albeit in short bursts. If you can’t see the links with today’s best mobile games, there’s a book on gaming history we’d like to crack about your head.
So Canabalt and many other phone games have roots in Game & Watch. Can I go now? Sure. Go back to your Fortnite and Clash of Clans. To be fair, even though many modern Twitch classics exist on mobile, it’s not like Nintendo’s making the Game & Watch easy to revisit, despite the simpler two-button titles being ideal for phones. No, the company would rather mug your wallet with a freemium Mario Kart. Still, perhaps that’s for the best – we’re not sure we could take an ad-ridden version of Chef, begging for money every time you dropped some food on the floor.
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[ Words Craig Grannell ]
RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES 1980
Because it was the 1980s, Game & Watch games were also alarm clocks. This was loads of fun when the things went off at random hours and you had no idea what was happening.
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The new DJI Ronin-SC Lightweight design and superior stabilisation
DJI Ronin-SC
£325 Order your DJI Ronin-SC today online, by phone or in store T&Cs: All prices incl. VAT at 20%. Prices correct at the time of going to press. E. & O.E. Prices subject to change. Goods subject to availability. Wex Limited (Company Registration no. 00425579) and Warehouse Express Limited (Company Registration no. 03366976). ŠWarehouse Express Limited 2019.