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NEW YEAR, NEW TECH

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Welcome You might find this hard to believe, but I basically run the good ship Stuff from an iPad Pro. If I had a pound for every time I’ve plugged into an external monitor and tried to swipe the screen like a twonk, I’d be embarrassingly minted by now.

Touchscreen confusion aside, one thing that becomes immediately apparent when switching from a laptop to a tablet is a total reliance on apps. Whether it’s creating, banking, uploading, unzipping, listening, writing, travelling, storing or consuming content, if you want full functionality your web browser alone just doesn’t cut the mustard.

The problem is your smartphone, tablet or smartwatch only has space for so many downloads, so we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the greatest apps you’ll find anywhere on the planet to help you decide which ones are essential, plus the best gadgets to get the most from them.

But not everything comes with an app in 2020. Take the lovely Transparent Speaker on p64: a stripped-back Bluetooth sound system made of glass that’s as plug-and-play as they come these days. That speaker forms part of a bumper reviews section to kick off a new decade with a wanted list fresher than the kecks you got for Christmas. Gird your loins and prepare the credit card.

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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 Chief Operating Officer Phil Weeden Chief Executive Steve Wright Finance Director Joyce Parker-Sarioglu Managing Director Kevin McCormick HR and Operations Manager Charlotte Whittaker Retail Director 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 24 issue 2 • ISSN: 1364-963 • On sale 23 Jan 2020 • Audit Bureau of Circulations: 39,953 (Jan-Dec 2018)

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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, Matthew Griffin, Chris Rowlands, Verity Burns, Simon Lucas, Basil Kronfli, Leon Poultney, Marc McLaren, Juninho Paulista, Richard Purvis, Ross Presly

I WANT TO SEE FOOTBALLERS’ TEARS IN 8K The prospect of watching Cristiano Ronaldo cry in upscaled 8K makes Euro 2020 one of this summer’s must-watch sporting events, and the greatest argument so far for upgrading your TV. And if you’d rather avoid CR7’s temper tantrums, hi-res washboard abs with justified emotional breakdowns can also be seen at the Tokyo Olympics, the Tour de France and Finland’s World Wife-Carrying Championship. There may be trouble (and strife) ahead.

James Day, Editor-in-Chief

I’LL BE SAVING UP FOR NEW CONSOLES A new decade brings with it a new generation of gaming.

Microsoft has officially unveiled the Xbox Series X (see p18), while Sony stunned crowds at CES by revealing the PS5, er, logo. But a grand reveal of the actual console can’t be too far off. There’s been plenty of excited chatter about ray tracing, 8K graphics and streaming, but as ever it’ll all come down to the games. And while I usually consider myself a pacifist, there’s nothing like the early days of a brand new console war.

Matt Tate, Hot Stuff Editor

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OUR YEAR: 2020

What we’re hoping for in the months ahead I CAN’T WAIT FOR VIRTUAL REALITY TO IMPROVE ON ACTUAL REALITY I got my kids an Oculus Quest for Christmas. And when I say ‘my kids’, I mean… well, I’ll probably let them have a go eventually. It’s a properly mind-blowing piece of kit, but VR is getting steadily better and I’m intrigued by what the next generation of experiences might offer. What I’m really hoping for is a fully immersive hyper-realistic open-world first-person shooter – ideally one with the option of hiding in a shed until all the people with guns have left.

Richard Purvis, contributor

I WANT AN IMPOSSIBLE SAUSAGE You know deep down that all vegetarian sausages are entirely unsatisfactory.

I know it, because I’ve tried every one of them. But that might be all about to change thanks to – drum roll – the Impossible Sausage. This is coming from the same culinary nerds who brought us the Impossible Burger, which is plant-based and amazingly tastes like beef. The secret ingredient is ‘heme’, a compound extracted from plants that contains iron and resembles blood. But will it taste like pork? And will it sizzle?

Natalya Paul, Online Editor

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The Hot Five O Sony Vision-S O Samsung Q950TS O Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold O Amazfit T-Rex O Insta360 One R Vital stats OnePlus Concept One A phone that doesn’t actually exist, with a camera that appears to be invisible Icon Xbox Series X Kicking off the great 2020 console wars Wheels A nice electric Mercedes that reminds us of the long-gone internal combustion era Games How we’re planning to squander our immense potential in 2020 Stream This month’s in-demand on-demand telly Start menu Including some essential ear-panthers The futurist Stuff’s techie tealeaf-reader on the slightly terrifying future of wearables

p42 Apps for gamers

p40 Apps for AR fans

p49 Apps for snowmen

TESTS 31 First test Amazon Echo Show 8 Yes, it’s yet another Alexa gadget, because Amazon are our all-knowing masters now… but is this the most useful smart display yet?

60 Tested Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 It’s supposed to be dull, it’s Microsoft – but this is still a killer PC 61 Tested Audi E-Tron A nice electric Audi that reminds us of the long-gone internal combustion era 64 Tested Transparent Speaker Well, it’s a speaker, and it’s transparent… we have nothing to add at this point 66 Group test True wireless buds Five of the finest ways to plug your lugs with Cliff Richard Sings Einstürzende Neubauten 74 3 of the best Affordable TVs Big-name 4K tellies, non-scary prices 76 Long-term test Nikon Z50 Just like a big, pricey camera, except that it’s not big or pricey 78 3 of the best Noise-cancelling headphones Can these canny cans can the clamour of your clanging clan?

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FEATURES 36 Cover feature 100 best apps Like a pint glass, a buffet plate or the House of Commons, a smartphone is only as good as what you fill it with – so here are the very best of the current downloadable crop 58 Upvoted Coffee cups Swiggers with attitude, part two 62 Beta yourself Fitness Slightly more sophisticated alternatives to getting in shape by throwing your tracker up in the air and running after it 72 Instant upgrades iPhone 11 Pro There’s not much wrong with Apple’s latest superphone, but you can still make it better 98 Random access memories Motorola StarTAC A sort of magic telephone that you could carry around without needing a cable

TOP TENS 80 Smartphones, apps, mobile games Hot handsets and dreamy downloads 82 Headphones, wearables In-ears, on-ears, smartwatches, fitness tech 84 Laptops, speakers Porta-powerhouses and music movers 86 TVs, soundbars, streamers All you need for a lazy night/day/year in 88 Tablets, consoles, games Swanky slates and gaming goodies 90 Tech toys, electric cars, VR Playing, driving, escaping from reality 92 Smart home, drones, action cams, compacts Comfort when you’re in, fun when you’re out 94 System cameras, budget buys ‘Proper’ cameras and the best tech bargains 96 How to buy… a sports smartwatch

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T If eye let you go The 33 sensors scattered around the Vision-S include video, radar and ultrasonic, plus solid-state LiDAR and ToF cameras to give it a full picture of what’s going on inside and out.

HOT FIVE #1 NEVER MIND THE WALKMAN, NOW SONY’S GOT A DRIVEMAN Sony Vision-S

Sony has concocted some unexpected stuff in its time. There was the futuristic but largely pointless robotic dog, Aibo. And who can forget the futuristic but largely pointless dancing Bluetooth speaker, Rolly?

Its latest is kind of a combination of the two: an electric concept car.

As concepts go, though, the Vision-S is pretty low on the bonkers scale, which is always a good sign for its chances of ever becoming reality. Beneath its Tesla-esque exterior are two 268bhp electric motors that will send it from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and top out at 149mph, while 33 sensors inside and out keep an eye on everything from traffic conditions to driver and passenger behaviour.

Each seat has its own audio system that can be used independently from the others, while its panoramic touchscreen dashboard is just one of many widescreen displays inside the highly customisable cabin – and there are also easily reached dials in case you want to recline your seat.

Well, as it’s all set up and ready to take advantage of fully autonomous driving, why wouldn’t you put your feet up?

As hot as… getting your kicks on the A66 £N/A (concept) / sony.co.uk 8

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19 PAGES OF THE BIGGEST STORIES FROM PLANET TECH

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CES 2020 CONCEPTS MERCEDESBENZ VISION AVTR The Vision AVTR (above) is inspired

by James Cameron’s Avatar, complete with biometric driver recognition, crablike movement and 33 ‘bionic flaps’ on the back. We’ve got many questions, but the main one is: Why isn’t it blue?

FIAT CENTOVENTI Ever gone shopping for a car and wished you could pick and choose each part as if you were customising your ride in Forza? Fiat’s modular Centoventi lets you do just that, from bumper colour and interior layout to the capacity of the batteries.

HONDA AUGMENTED DRIVING CONCEPT Honda’s latest concept looks a bit like a bathtub from the future. With no pedals, you push or pull the steering wheel to change speed, or just take your hands off the wheel to switch to autonomous mode.

Hello my love Visual sensors on the outside of Sony’s car will identify the driver and any passengers before they even get in, so everything will be set up just how they like it.

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You raise me app Sony has also come up with an app that will transfer route info and the music you’re playing to the car when you get in. You’ll even be able to summon it from its parking space.

Chair it again There are four extremely comfy-looking seats, but that’s not a set arrangement: this EV platform is designed to be used for cars of all shapes and sizes, from coupes to SUVs.

I have a dream Fall asleep in the back of a Vision-S and it’ll clock that you’ve done so, automatically adjusting the temperature around that seat to ensure you slumber on through the journey.

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Speak up

Scale up

You’re engrossed in a tense scene, then someone starts blending a smoothie in the kitchen… Active Voice Amplifier automatically detects any loud noises and raises the volume of the dialogue.

The Q950 has AI ScaleNet tech, which compresses whatever you’re streaming and restores it as it arrives on the TV. This cuts down on the bandwidth required to stream hi-res content.

HOT FIVE #2 YOU’VE BEEN UNFRAMED Samsung Q950TS

It’s been over a year since the first 8K tellies started cropping up, and we’re still no closer to being able to watch World’s Strongest Man at 7680x4320 resolution… so manufacturers have started to come up with other ways of convincing us to covet their latest wares. To be fair, it’s worked, because we’re already measuring up a space to house this nearly bezel-less 75in Samsung.

Just 15mm thick and with a screen-to-frame ratio of almost 99%, the QLED Q950TS looks like a screengrab on a stand, but Samsung has still found space for speakers on every side and even subwoofers 12

round the back. AI-assisted upscaling means it’ll spruce up ‘mere’ 4K content, and that AI will also help to automatically adjust brightness and ensure surround-sound performance is accurate.

Bixby is on board and will now allow you to ask the TV to display soothing scenes if you’ve just watched a particularly harrowing episode of Neighbours, but you can still use Alexa or Google Assistant instead. You might want to start by asking them when there’s actually some 8K content coming.

As hot as… Stefan Dennis £tba / samsung.com

Shape up The Q950 will come with Samsung Health on TV, a fitness hub that’ll let you see your activities, track progress and chase shared fitness goals with the whole family of (former) couch potatoes.

HOT FIVE #3 GOING FOR FOLD Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Open up a dictionary at Lenovo HQ and it won’t include the word ‘laptop’. How do we know? Because Lenovo reckons this is the world’s first folding PC. Now, we’ve seen a lot of hinged computers in our time… but to be fair, not many of them have looked quite like the ThinkPad X1 Fold.

Its 13.3in OLED screen bends in the middle, so you can use it like a tablet, read it like a book, or prop it up on itself and summon a virtual QWERTY to type on it like a traditional… er, folding PC. Both sides of the crease can be treated like separate screens, so if you’d rather connect the Bluetooth Mini Fold Keyboard for typing (it tucks away inside to charge wirelessly), you can use the bottom one for web browsing, video calling or anything else that won’t fit up top.

When folded up, the smart leather coating makes it look more like a sci-fi notebook than a tablet, but with Windows 10 to run the show and battery life of up to 11 hours, it’s a genuine hybrid that’ll only take up as much space on your desk as a hardback book. Say, a dictionary.

As hot as… Susie Dent $2500 / lenovo.com 13

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Shoot from the moon It’s not all about the lenses: Insta360 has also announced an Aerial Edition, which includes a mounting system for clipping it to a drone and shooting 360 video from the skies.

HOT FIVE #4 JURASSIC LARK Amazfit T-Rex The Amazfit T-Rex has got bite. In fact it’s so nails it’s bagged MIL-STD-810G military-grade protection, hence the double-hard name. This rugged wearable for adventurers and gnarly types has got a bit of Casio G-Shock styling about it, and has been designed to function in extreme heat, extreme cold and extreme wet, plus cope with exposure to salt and abrasive substances – all the elements required to survive a year in Swindon.

And despite it’s dinosaur moniker, survive it will with a battery lasting 20 days on a single charge. Switch to basic mode and it’ll see you through 66 days, although continuous GPS takes that figure down to just 20 hours. It has a 1.3in AMOLED display covered in Gorilla Glass 3 and an anti-fingerprint coating.

You also get waterproofing to depths of 50 metres, 14 sports modes including skiing, Bluetooth 5.0, a heart-rate sensor, plus support for Android or iOS devices. Instead of Google’s Wear OS, this 47mm wearable uses its own software, but at this price it still feels like a bargain.

As hot as… a dinosaur-dynasty-ending asteroid shower $140 / en.amazfit.com 14

Pretty fly for a night sky Insta360 has created various nifty modes to make shooting particular scenes easier, including one for night-sky timelapses and one for stop-motion animations.

HOT FIVE #5 BEST LENS FOREVER Insta360 One R

They say the best camera is the one you’ve got with you, so why not make it one that does the job of three separate snappers?

Insta360’s new One R is a modular action cam system with one battery, one processor and a trio of lens attachments, so you can pick whichever one is best for the job at hand.

There’s a 4K Wide Angle Mod that also does up to 8x slo-mo, a Dual-Lens 360 Mod that uses two lenses and shoots 5.7K, and a premium 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod that’s been co-engineered with Leica and includes a much larger than usual 1in sensor to capture higher-quality 5.3K video and 19MP stills. No matter

which one you’ve got attached there’s IPX8 waterproofing, voice control and a pair of mics for noise-cancelling and wind reduction.

Insta360’s FlowState algorithm offers gimbal-like stabilisation, plus there’s support for HDR and a new Night Shot mode that improves low-light performance. All those possibilities might put a bit more strain on battery life, so there’s a Boosted Battery Base that you can add to make it last twice as long. Somebody tell Gregg Wallace.

As hot as… jalapeno cheesecake with curry sauce from £300 / insta360.com 15

CAM OUT, CAM OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE OnePlus Concept One £tbc / oneplus.com

When OnePlus’s boffins decided to create their first ever concept phone, they were clearly too sidetracked with refining the tech to think up a more imaginative name… but frankly, who can blame them when they were working on an ‘invisible camera’? This isn’t some pathetic special effect, like James Bond’s ridiculous vanishing car in Die Another Day – the Concept One uses impressive glass technology to hide the lenses from sight.

O Under the rainbow Colour-shifting electrochromic glass on the back of the Concept One can change its transparency, so the lenses only become visible when the camera is in use. It’s a trick inspired by the clever sunroof of supercar partner McLaren’s 720S, with organic particles in the glass shifting it from opaque black to entirely clear. The glass also doubles as a built-in polarising filter so you can achieve sharper, more finely detailed shots under strong light.

O We’re off to see the wizard The Concept One uses two glass panels just 0.1mm thick with the colour-shifting material sandwiched between them.

It takes 0.7 seconds to make the transition from solid black to fully clear – quicker than it takes for the 48MP camera (with a 16MP ultra-wide-angle lens) to fully activate, and using almost no power in the process.

O The merry old land of OnePlus OnePlus calls this Electronic CMF and sees it as the blueprint for future smartphones, but it’s gone into overdrive with the overall design too. Collaborating with McLaren, it experimented with bamboo, bulletproof Kevlar, Alcantara, matt-frosted glass and ceramic before finally settling on an orange leather back that’s easy to grip and looks the part. No word on if or when the Concept One will become a reality… but in the words of Jean-Luc Picard, make it so.

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SECRET SNAPPERS O OnePlus 7T Pro The Concept One uses the same rear camera used by the 7T Pro, only on the production phone it’s not invisible. But the 16MP selfie-cam is a pop-up, leaving the 90Hz 6.6in display completely free of notches. £699 / oneplus.com

O Motorola One Hyper Motorola’s latest affordable handset has a pop-up module for its front camera. This 32MP selfie-cam affords the phone a spacious 6.5in Full HD+ display, while there’s a 64MP camera with Night Vision on the rear. £270 / motorola.co.uk

Follow the mellow ’nics road

TECHNICS EAH-AZ70W We’re a tad disappointed that Technics’ true wireless earphones don’t resemble tiny turntables – but we still have high hopes for its debut buds, with graphene-coated 10mm drivers to aid airflow and clarity.

Even more tantalisingly, they match the noise-cancelling tech found on Sony’s imperious WF-1000XM3s and include an ambient mode to help you hear your surroundings in times of need. Switch to the Technics Audio Connect app to adjust sound modes to your own preference, check battery levels, or locate lost buds on a map if they’ve bowled off somewhere. Available in black or silver from June, they’re IPX4 splash-proof and offer 24-hour battery life with the charging case. £tbc / technics.com

O Oppo Reno 2 The Reno 2’s 48MP, 13MP, 8MP and 2MP rear lenses sit totally flush to the phone. Flip it over and the 16MP sharkfin selfie-cam is a pop-up, so the 6.5in AMOLED display remains clear of interruptions. £450 / oppo.com

If I only had a heart monitor

WITHINGS SCANWATCH Withings was already on the pulse with its analogue ECG watch that could detect irregular heart rhythms, but the hybrid ScanWatch adds sleep apnea detection to its medical bag of tricks. Using an SpO2 sensor, which emits and absorbs light passing through bloodvessels, it measures oxygen saturation levels to identify breathing disturbances and quality of sleep. The ScanWatch also detects more than 30 different exercises and will even take a VO2 max score – your oxygen conversion rate during exercise. Specs-wise there’s a circular PMOLED display with a waterproof stainless steel build, and it should be here by the spring. Be still, my beating heart. Wait, that’s not right, is it? £279 / withings.com

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Not for high rollers

LG OLED48CX Remember LG’s rollable Signature Series OLED TV R? It’s finally going on sale this year… with an expected price-tag of $60,000. Ouch.

So perhaps the best announcement from LG this month is also the smallest: a world-first 48in OLED TV, which should make happy reading for those who want in on the very best screen tech but have previously been put off by the enormous panel sizes it tends to favour. It’s officially a 4K display, but with eight-million-plus pixels on a smaller screen, LG says the density is comparable to a 96in 8K set. The inclusion of Nvidia G-Sync tech makes this, according to LG, “the ultimate gaming monitor”.

Hmm, if only there were an exciting new Xbox console to plug into it… £tbc / lg.com

Tweet sensation

SONY Z8H 8K LED Either Sony has been steering clear of ‘dry January’ or they’re still drunk from Christmas, because announcing an actual car (see p8) followed by the unveiling of a logo for the PlayStation 5 is up there with the weirdest press conferences we’ve ever seen. At least it sobered up momentarily to show off some new tellies so we can plan exactly which one to team the new console with. The new 8K and OLED TVs adapt the picture and sound to your room; opt for the flagship Z8H 8K LED and you’ll get a ‘frame tweeter’ that vibrates the TV to generate sound. You’ll also get hands-free Google Assistant voice control as well as Alexa integration plus Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support. They’re due in the spring. £tbc / sony.co.uk

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XBOX SERIES X £tbc / xbox.com Crumbs, is… is that a new console?

Yes indeed. This windowless black tower is ironically from Microsoft.

It’s the Xbox Series X, it arrives this year and absolutely nobody saw it coming… except everyone who knew the PlayStation 5 was on its way and immediately put two and two together. If the design’s giving you vertigo, don’t fret – it’ll work on its side too, although insufferable geeks reckon that’ll make it the same height as the Xbox One X but double the width, so either way the real winner here is Ikea.

Will it beat the PS5 for power?

Specs are scarce, but AMD is on processor/graphics duty and it will use rapid GDDRG memory. Far more exciting is Microsoft’s claim that the Series X will support 8K gaming at up to 120fps with a variable refresh rate. There’s also a built-in solid state drive (SSD) for super-fast loading times and support for everyone’s favourite renegade cop… sorry, graphics rendering buzz term, ray tracing.

This simulates lighting in the most realistic way yet, so environments look true to life – because being

reminded of the real world is what everyone wants when playing video games. Sony’s PS5 is expected to go pretty much toe to toe in the specs stakes, although leaked benchmarks suggest the Series X wins by 12 teraflops to 9 (with a teraflop measuring theoretical performance). The important part is they’ll both play FIFA. Any other titles for online players to embarrass us on?

Well, we know Halo Infinite is in development, along with Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. The Series X will also support games that play on the previous-generation Xbox One consoles. Old controllers will work too, although the new console will come bundled with slightly smaller new gamepads featuring the hybrid D-pad from the Xbox Elite controller, along with a dedicated share button.

Any more for any more?

Xbox boss Phil Spencer says VR will not feature when the Series X hopefully arrives in time for Christmas, priced at around £400 to £500.

MICROSOFT CLAIMS IT WILL SUPPORT 8K GAMING AT UP TO 120FPS, WITH RAY TRACING FOR REALISTIC LIGHTING

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WTF IS SAMSUNG NEON? This is going to be a talking fridge, isn’t it?

Not quite. Samsung has indeed announced a new Family Hub connected fridge to go alongside a tennis-ball-cum-droid called Ballie that controls your smart home, but Neon is something else: its mildly terrifying project to invent artificial people. Described as realistic humanoid AI chatbots, they’re not meant to actually replace humans (after all, Samsung still needs those to sell stuff to) but to somehow “make us more human”.

Hex in the lounge

NANOLEAF UNIFIED Nanoleaf has been working its way through a shape-sorter of geometric figures for its smart LED lighting panels. First triangles, then squares, and now hexagons – so it’s ushered in a new Unified system where they can all work together. Nanoleaf says this makes them the first ever modular smart lights with shape interconnectivity – and more shapes will launch throughout 2020 and 2021. This offers the freedom to design bespoke configurations, from abstract layouts to replicas of favourite characters, like a massive LED Caitlyn Jenner. Touch-reactive, the hexagons (and presumably Caitlyn) are ultra-thin so they appear to be almost floating. They arrive in May. £tbc / nanoleaf.me

That sounds equally absurd.

Neon’s virtual digital people behave like most real humans by showing emotions and intelligence, and the video chatbots are designed to look and act like you and me – but they’re not smart assistants, so they can’t tell you the football scores or play you music. Instead they have real conversations, form memories and learn new skills. They can act as teachers, financial advisors, spokespeople or TV presenters.

So we’re being made redundant? Great.

Well, it’s been on the cards for a while, hasn’t it? Samsung insists Neons will be our friends, collaborators and companions.

They can borrow traits from real people and look and sound similar, but can’t be exact copies of existing humans. So that’s alright then.

Who’s making these rules up?

We’re not entirely sure, but the project comes from the mysterious Samsung Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) lab that Stuff columnist Matthew Griffin mentioned in our 250th issue. Whether you find it exciting or sinister, there’s something very ‘uncanny valley’ here, where the uncomfortably familiar becomes sinister, eerie and slightly repulsive – and so we reserve the right to kill it with fire.

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Belkin out the tunes

BELKIN SOUNDFORM ELITE In last month’s Hot Stuff we brought you news that fancy French audio firm Devialet had collaborated with Huawei on a HomePod-esque smart speaker. Now it’s packing the same 360° audio tech into another such device, from Belkin – only this one has a wireless charger on the top. And unlike the Huawei Sound X, the Soundform Elite isn’t solely being released in China with a Chinese voice butler, making Belkin’s Google Assistant speaker the first to be widely available with Devialet hardware. The SAM (Speaker Active Matching) tech is designed to reduce distortion at higher volumes – and as anyone familiar with Devialet’s Phantom series will know, loud is very much its forte. £280 / belkin.com

Mercedes-Benz EQC

WHISTLE WHILE YOU MERC Charging time is around 40 minutes from a rapid 110kW outlet, so you’ll want to top it up at home when you can.

[ Words Leon Poultney ] *price includes £3500 PiCG

from £62,220* / mercedes-benz.co.uk What’s this? Mercedes having a go at electric propulsion?

Yep, and you’d better get used to it. Some £9.2bn has been invested in its electric vehicle programme, so you can expect a lot more battery-powered Mercs to come in the future. This is the very first: an all-electric SUV that looks surprisingly like lots of other high-riding German machines.

How does it drive?

The ride is nothing short of fantastic – and this is one of the quietest, most refined places to while away the motorway miles this side of a Bentley. That said, it can smash the 0-62mph sprint in just 5.1 seconds. The surge of acceleration produced by electric cars like this is addictive – even if it is a heavy bugger in the corners.

Is it just a GLC with a couple of Duracells stuffed in the back?

Not exactly, because the platform has been altered quite a bit to house an 80kWh lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors – one mounted to the front axle and the other at the rear. That’s becoming quite the ubiquitous setup, but here it offers a scintillating 403bhp and 760Nm from the moment you stamp on the throttle, as well as a claimed range of between 232 and 259 miles on a charge.

Ah, so best avoid the race circuits?

Definitely. This isn’t a performance machine – it just strives to make everyday life that bit smoother.

The constantly connected and voice-activated MBUX infotainment system, for example, will calculate remaining range and adjust navigation accordingly, informing you where to stop for a charge. The twin screens are stunning and the overall interior ambience is top-notch. This isn’t as flashy as a Tesla, but plenty of people will probably quite like that.

NEWS DASHBOARD

YES, IT’S AN EXTENDER!

DRIVING HOME FOR CRISPNESS

THE NOBLE SAVIC

Proof that electric racing programmes pay their way comes with a recent software update for the existing Jaguar I-Pace, which sees range extended by 12 miles after plugging it into a dealer’s computer.

This is thanks to “advanced technical insights” from the I-Pace eTrophy race machine.

McLaren has just unveiled what is arguably the closest thing you’ll get to a race car for the road without attracting unwanted attention from the law. The 620R, which will go into limited production this year, is essentially a 570S GT4 with creature comforts and more power.

This two-wheeled treat is an electric motorcycle from Australian outfit Savic that takes cool retro styling and blends it with cutting-edge battery tech.

Available in three power outputs, it manages a 0-62mph time of 3.5 seconds and can return up to 125 miles on a charge.

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G A M E S

OUT 29 MAY

TOP 5 GAMES FOR 2020 ONE THE LAST OF US PART II PS4

[ Words Andrew Hayward ]

Naughty Dog might be known for the Uncharted franchise, but in our eyes the studio’s magnum opus remains The Last of Us. That 2013 PS3 (and later PS4) title carried over the developer’s knack for thrilling moments, bold set pieces and dazzling characters, but pumped up the tension and emotion as a pair of survivors navigated a post-apocalyptic USA. Five in-game years have passed since its conclusion; and while heroine Ellie is older and wiser at 19, the world around her seems to have only got

22

worse. The Last of Us Part II begins with Ellie and Dina living in a walled-off settlement with other survivors… but when a patrol of their surroundings goes very bad, Ellie sets out for revenge against the fanatics who apparently did her wrong.

From what we’ve seen, Part II amplifies what we loved so much about the original game, with richly animated and impeccably performed characters that look and act as real as any we’ve seen, whether they’re sensually slow-dancing or brutally slaying mutated fungus monsters. The

enemy threats look even more terrifying than before, including new guard dogs that can track your scent. Thankfully, you’ll also have more tools in your arsenal, including enhanced stealth capabilities.

If you haven’t played The Last of Us Remastered, you still have a couple of months to right that injustice before Part II arrives.

Given Naughty Dog’s pedigree, and what we’ve seen so far, this is sure to be the PS4’s must-play exclusive for 2020… and don’t be surprised to see it on the PS5 as well.

TWO

CYBERPUNK 2077 16 April / PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia In development for the better part of a decade, Cyberpunk 2077 is the latest from CD Projekt Red, the Polish studio behind the brilliant fantasy epic The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. As the name suggests, however, Cyberpunk 2077 is low on witches and warriors; instead we get a corporate-controlled future Californian metropolis filled with cyber-enhanced humans.

The end result looks like Grand Theft Auto Future, with a grungey yet hi-tech open city to treat as your playground while you romp, fight and explore at will. But there’s a complex role-playing edge here, as you can customise your character to suit your preferred play style.

Want to go in hard with physical prowess and high gun proficiency?

That’s your call to make. Prefer to use hacking techniques to manipulate not only machines and robots, but also the augmented people who live in the city? There’s a lot of potential there, as you might imagine.

Cyberpunk 2077 also tops off its Matrix-esque allure with a plum role for Keanu Reeves himself, who stars as a ‘digital ghost’ that’s at the heart of this gritty, violent affair.

THREE

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE 3 March / PS4 Square Enix finally gave in to fan demands and made this gorgeous-looking remake of the seminal role-playing classic… or at least the first chunk of it. Cloud and co look better than ever, but we’ll have to see whether it’s still brilliant after 23 years. Human League mixtapes ready.

FOUR

ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW HORIZONS 20 March / Switch Nintendo has been quiet on its 2020 plans, and we don’t know if the new Zelda will make it or not – but we’re keen on having a chill time in the latest Animal Crossing life sim, which drops you back into the colourful town on Switch.

FIVE

HALO INFINITE Late 2020 / Xbox Series X & One, PC With the powerful Xbox Series X (see p18), now’s the time for Microsoft to restore the Halo series to its former glory. Halo Infinite, also releasing on Xbox One and PC, might be up to the task, putting Master Chief back in the lead role and packing a sleek new game engine to boot.

INCOMING FEBRUARY O ORI AND THE WILL OF THE WISPS O IRON MAN VR MARCH O DOOM ETERNAL O HALF-LIFE: ALYX O NIOH 2 SUMMER O GHOST OF TSUSHIMA O WATCH DOGS: LEGION

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S T R E A M

Pacino, Colman, Lightyear… some of the world’s great actors feature in the pick of this month’s new on-demand shows and films

The Favourite

The Stranger

Toy Story 4

Come for Olivia Colman’s hugely acclaimed turn as Queen Anne, stay for Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz’s almost-as-memorable performances as two courtiers competing for her affections in this sumptuous black comedy.

Nominated for ten Oscars, it’s a strange, striking movie that’ll one day be viewed as a classic.

Film / Now TV

American crime novelist Harlan Coben has been responsible for the deaths of an awful lot of trees, but thanks to this new Netflix series you don’t have to be a big reader to delve into his gripping works.

Starring Richard Armitage as a man discovering dark secrets about his loved ones, it’s perfect eye-fodder for these long winter nights.

S1 / Netflix

It doesn’t matter if you’re seven, 77 or somewhere in between – you’re going to have a blast watching the first new Toy Story movie in almost a decade. Even if Pixar is now just another of Disney’s many movie studios and great CGI films are released all the time, there’s still some secret sauce in the trials and tribulations of Woody, Buzz and co.

Film / Now TV

The Righteous Gemstones

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Better Call Saul

Larry David’s long-running sitcom is a journey into the everyday world of Hollywood’s most misanthropic multimillionaire: Larry David.

Arguably better than the show he famously co-created, Seinfeld, it sees David use a fictionalised version of himself to delve into life’s frustrations and quirks, surrounded by a cast of famous faces.

S10 / Now TV

Who’d a thunk it? What started off as the Breaking Bad spin-off nobody asked for, about a character nobody cared about, has become the best show on Netflix, tracing a brilliantly compelling character arc.

And it finishes with this fifth season, in which loveable Jimmy McGill will complete his metamorphosis into the slimy Saul Goodman. Sad times.

S5 / Netflix

Danny McBride is at his best on the small screen, with Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals proving him a world leader at playing the oafish clown we somehow end up rooting for. Made by the same team as those rough diamonds, this new series sees him enter the world of televangelism. Praise the Lord!

S1 / Now TV

Executive-produced by Jordan Peele and starring Al Pacino (such a genuine movie star that he’s only appeared in three TV series in a career that began over 50 years ago), this Amazon Prime original looks like a combination of The Boys and The Boys from Brazil. Set in 1970s New York, it concerns a ragtag crew of Nazi-hunters striving to foil a heinous terrorist plot and prevent the arrival of a Fourth Reich. Violent, funny and triumphantly stylish, Hunters looks in good shape to be Amazon’s TV highlight of 2020.

DO M N’ TH ISS T IS

Hunters S1 / Amazon Prime Video

25

S T A R T M E N U

ST KIC AR K TE R

The latest startups, crowdfunded projects and plain crazy ideas

Do the hand jive

ORBA Proper instruments are hard work when you’ve a banger in your head that just has to come out – so the tiny Orba is a good bet for instant gratification of the musical kind.

Looking like half a grapefruit spliced with a drum machine from the future, it allows you to prod, stroke, shake and spin it to smash out beats, lay down head-nodding basslines and silky chords, and then craft riffs that will stick in your head for months. Its strange but deeply portable form works wonders when you want to take your next step to superstardom too: the Orba can connect to music apps via Bluetooth or USB, and has a 3.5mm output as well as an onboard speaker. $89 / artiphon.com BACK IT STACK IT

26

ST KIC AR K TE R

I GONDI GOE-

I GONDI GOE-

ST KIC AR K TE R

SACK IT

Keys leaving home

Lens go crazy

Now cat’s what I call music

Born flippy

NUTYPE F1

SHIFTCAM

TIGER&ROSE

SHARPIN

Not keen on your MacBook’s keyboard, but even less keen to splash out two grand on the shiny new 16in model? Then whack a NuType over your existing keys. It clamps on via magnets, leaves your trackpad accessible and delights eyes and fingers with custom RGB backlighting and mechanical switches. £85 / nuphy.com

The iPhone 11 Pro has three cameras. ShiftCam reckons that’s at least two too few, and so offers you a case with a sliding section whose embedded lenses add 4x telephoto, 10x and 20x macros, fisheye and a glare-killing polariser. More into selfies? Use the lens adapter to attach one of ShiftCam’s ProLens series. from £53 / shiftcam.com

Sick of minimalist me-too earbud design? Presumably Tiger&Rose’s creators were too. These buds give you all the usual tech – Bluetooth 5, IPX5, touch controls – but they also look like carved panthers trying to escape from your lugholes. We’ve no idea how they sound, but… well, they’re not boring. £61 / tigersniffsrose.com

Virtual pinball tables can cost thousands; mechanical ones are even pricier. The Sharpin plugs the gap by miniaturising ball-spanging to tidy bartop form, but retains tactile buttons for smacking your balls about. The Base kit demands a phone, but go Ultra and you get a built-in computing unit. from €149 / digital-pinball.com

AL GO L CA M EP ST

THE FUTURIST

THE INVISIBLE WEARABLES Personal tech is about to get very slim… and transparent, says Matthew Griffin

[ Illustration @punkross ]

As a futurist I’m au fait with the fabled ‘singularity’ – the point at which humans and technology merge.

This is estimated to happen in or around the year 2045… but I’m fairly certain people aren’t going to be thrilled at having computer chips implanted surgically into their brains so they can plug into the power of AI in the cloud, or have swarms of nanobots racing around their blood carrying out routine body maintenance – even though I’ve already seen both of these things.

So before tech is placed inside us, wearables will continue to place tech upon us. And there are plenty of developments on the way.

So how do you see the current state of play with wearables, o wise one?

Today our wearables are fairly smart – after all, they can track our heart rates, all manner of metrics, and our location. But by tomorrow’s standards they’re

dumber than a rock and chunky as hell. I’m already seeing the next wave of wearables emerge, and thanks to advances in technology the number of wearable formats is soon going to explode.

Sounds like wearable Buckaroo.

Are we going to have enough space on our bodies?

Transparent flexible electronics are emerging that mean future wearables will be super-thin and look a lot like clingfilm – the only difference being that they’re a lot more capable and intelligent.

Packed with increasingly powerful sensors – such as infra-red ones that could combine with AI to decode your body’s biochemistry and genetic makeup, and solidstate microwave sensors that could monitor wound-healing

at the cellular level, as well as keeping a real-time eye on baby if you’re pregnant – these new wearables will be a major leap from what we use and wear today.

Teams at MIT and Harvard have already developed a ‘smart tattoo’ that places health sensors directly onto your skin, with no power or wireless link required. The ink reacts to the chemical composition of the interstitial fluid beneath your skin’s surface, which reflects the state of your blood.

So how much further can this transparent wearable tech go?

When all these new sensors – and there are a lot more than the ones I just talked about – are combined with AI, there’s nothing they won’t be able to analyse or figure out.

Raised cortisol levels? You’re stressed. Raised white blood cell count and elevated temperature?

You’re going to get ill next week.

Problematic heartbeat? I’ve already alerted the doctor.

High sugar levels? You’ve been snacking again, I’ve alerted your health insurer… and so it goes on. And as you buy more of these gadgets, you can feel safe in the knowledge that you’re being monitored and looked after – albeit by big companies in the cloud, your insurance companies, and possibly some hackers.

Cheery prospect, then. But let’s be honest, tech implants are still coming, right?

Despite any reservations about having computer chips implanted in our brains, there’s no denying that this tech is getting closer to us. Think about it – technology used to be far away from us in the form of data-centre mainframes, then it got closer to us with the arrival of the PC and the laptop, then it got closer still in the form of smartphones, and then wearables arrived and all of a sudden it was actually on us.

So one day, yes, it will be inside us… but for now, I’m comfortable leaving that last frontier to the human cyborg wannabes and body hackers. Enough said.

FUTURE WEARABLES WILL LOOK A LOT LIKE CLINGFILM… BUT WILL BE PACKED WITH INCREASINGLY POWERFUL SENSORS

SEE-THRU SOLAR Aside from transparent wearables, Panasonic has been working on a concept transparent OLED TV, and in this issue we’ve even reviewed a Transparent Speaker… but how about transparent solar cells? Being see-through makes it much easier for them to be attached to buildings and vehicles as well as portable gadgets. Korean scientists have developed flexible and transparent solar cells by embedding silicone microwaves into a polymer matrix, with no loss of efficiency.

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FIRST TEST AMAZON ECHO SHOW 8

The greatest Show, man The multitasking Echo Show 8 sits right in the sweet spot for smart displays, making it probably Amazon’s most useful gadget yet £120 / stuff.tv/EchoShow8

mazon has become definitive in a bunch of different areas.

It’s the master of online shopping, the czar of ebooks, the king of tax-dodging and the galactic emperor of the smart home.

Blinking Alexa eyes and ears live in millions of homes across the UK. And the formula is pretty

[ Words Andrew Williams ]

A

basic: Amazon Echo gadgets are cheap and easy to use.

The Echo Show 8 continues this simple strategy. It’s an eight-inch smart screen with speakers good enough to act as a mini hi-fi, and at £120 it costs no more than you might have spent on a Bluetooth speaker a year or so ago.

It sounds miles better than

the Echo Show 5, costs a lot less than the 10in Echo Show, and therefore can’t really fail.

Guess what? It doesn’t. But there are a couple of points that are worth considering before you go blowing dosh on this smart screen. The display isn’t quite as funky as rivals, there’s no support for Netflix, and it shakes like a defecating whippet

when the volume is cranked up to 11. Also, Google and Amazon still don’t get along, so you’ll have to find a workaround to enjoy those YouTube videos while preparing the dinner or sitting on the bog.

But hey, it still gets our seal of approval for a number of reasons – many of which we will divulge, like, right now…

31

FIRST TEST AMAZON ECHO SHOW 8

1

Shake some actions

Built-in Alexa allows things called routines: little pre-programmed commands that fire off multiple actions from a single voice prompt. Obvious uses for this are to switch off a bunch of smart stuff when you go to bed, or as a shortcut to a music playlist.

1

2 I’m intercom thing good The Show 8 has a 1MP camera that lets you use it like a video walkie-talkie thanks to a feature called Drop-In: run the Alexa app on your phone and you can quickly start video-chatting through the Show elsewhere in your house.

3 Fade away and radiator You can blast beats through two 2in drivers and a passive radiator.

Just hook it up to a music source as you would any other Bluetooth speaker – the Show 8 will flip automatically between audio beamed from your phone and played directly through Alexa.

4 These alarms of mine Although perfectly brilliant as a kitchen accompaniment, the Show 8 also makes for a very convincing alarm clock. Worried about the distraction? Fret not: its ambient light sensor lets it dim down almost completely at night, so it won’t keep you awake.

5 S hub party It’s possible to set the Show 8 up to communicate with things like Sonos speakers, Hue lights and smart home cameras. We’re not at the level of Blade Runner AI yet, but you can make sure Alexa knows which TV you’re asking her to turn on.

Good Meh Evil

It an loo d t ks ha lik t’s e a de blo fin w ite nHm ly up ba m ag E ck , t oo cho gr im dt S ou e hin ho nd to u g. w 5 im pd , a a ge te O . th m h lo yp o at bo ict k, t rin ur he e. 1M g Se P lfie ca It tim m fo run rf s e! can illin th ev gt eS en he po ta ke kit tify ch a p e T n w p, w Th her ith hic is e’s tu h i th v ne s g ing er s. re re y lit at all tle ys v ha ibra ke tio si n ts co Th bo nt is e s ot ro dis c y. l. tra ree ct n l ing oo in ks m ve y p ry er ‘ta iph bl Tim er ety Pr e al ’, w im to vi h e V hi sio ic ide t up n. h o, Am w a hic z h b on Se ot Mu m tt h r si ak ing un c a es u br nd life p ro illia w ut nt ith ine ly sm s i . ar s a b t ga it o T dg f a ca he D se ro et fa s s ff fo pr m In im bu ple t f ult ea r. ipl tu e S re m ho a w ke de s vi a g ce oo s. d

24 hours with the Amazon Echo Show 8

1min 32

3mins

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FIRST TEST AMAZON ECHO SHOW 8

Tech specs Display 8-inch 1280x800 LCD touchscreen Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Alexa (4x mics) Audio 2x 2in drivers, passive bass radiator Camera 1MP Processor MediaTek MT 8163 Controls Mics/camera on/off, volume up/down Dimensions 200x136x99mm, 1.04kg

2

This is the moddin’ world Even absolute beginners can get more out of the Amazon Echo Show 8 with a little bit of customising…

T wa he b ke as up s is th su e n rp eig ris Da hb ing to m ou ly g as n – rs oo km t . d. e t he n Tim o t ei et g ur h o n i bo Th t do urs th e a es m w us n! e cr bie dD ee n t n – li ro pm ght In u st sen Ad be so m di ak ng be r a es a dt uto it e ski im l e. dim as l to ier ch s to ec p k K lan th be ids fo e w fo co rt e re m he at sc pla da her ho in y. ol. th Ki ey ds ca th n’t es w e d at ay ch s… Ne tfl ix

3

13hrs

14hrs 14.1hrs

22hrs

Q Deletin’ trifles

Q The bitterest kill

It’s easy enough to do away with Amazon’s boring old default background image.

You can upload a photo of your own directly from your phone through the Alexa app.

Don’t worry, you have full control over who can use the new Drop-In instantaneous video call function by selecting either On, Only My Household or Off from the main settings menu.

Q Spat’s entertainment

Q Pizza render

The Amazon/Google feud means there’s no dedicated YouTube app, but you can simply ask Alexa to search YouTube for a favourite video or channel. This will then be played through a browser.

Love pizza? Domino’s has its own Alexa skill that allows you to repeat your last order or create a new pizza just by shouting some instructions at your Show 8. Not necessarily in an Italian accent.

The Echo Show 8 could be the right smart display for a lot of people. It’s big enough for easy video chatting, and to fit in drivers powerful enough to fill rooms with music. We just wish Amazon could find a way to iron out the politics that mean we don’t get such important video staples as YouTube and Netflix. @wwwdotandrew

STUFF SAYS +++++ The Alexa home invasion continues apace with a smart display that’s hard to complain about at the price

24hrs 33

FIRST TEST AMAZON ECHO SHOW 8

The alternative: Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition A weapon of mass distraction to stop the nippers hogging your Echo device £200 / stuff.tv/Fire10Kids

Let me annex to your Fire Every tab comes with a year’s free access to Fire for Kids, offering games, videos, books and more on a safe platform.

Q With its chubby protective case, there’s no mistaking who the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is aimed at: it’s a big, bold, rubbery affair that looks faintly ridiculous in the hands of anyone over the age of about 12. The padding works brilliantly, though, cushioning the tablet from even a high fall onto a hard kitchen floor.

Q The case has had a couple of updates, the main one being the addition of a kick-stand. This is pretty well implemented: it rotates through 270°, so you can prop up the tablet to watch videos with the screen leaning either slightly forwards or slightly backwards, and it’s big enough to provide plenty of stability in this mode.

Q This slate has a USB-C port on the top for charging, rather than microUSB. This is a very good thing, offering faster fuelling so long as you’re careful to use the included 9W charger. Amazon reckons it’ll now juice up from flat in four hours. No more tears.

Q The 10.1in display is identical to the one on the previous version, which means it has 1920x1200 pixels. That’s 224ppi, which is way behind what you’d get on any iPad but still perfectly fine for kids. More importantly, it has an improved octa-core processor for supreme speed and stability.

Tech specs

[ Words Marc McLaren ]

Display 10.1in 1920x1200 IPS touchscreen Connectivity Wi-Fi, USB-C Storage 32GB, expandable via microSD Battery life Up to 12 hours Cameras 2MP front and rear Dimensions 292x206x26mm, 778g

34

The Fire HD 10 Kids Edition has moved further ahead of its rivals thanks to a couple of upgrades that really matter (faster processor, better battery life) and a couple that aren’t so vital but are still welcome (USB-C, kick-stand).

STUFF SAYS +++++ Solid upgrades ensure this remains the best tab for kids

Q Purple yays

Q Tipsy eyes

Q Stone freely

Amazon’s binary ‘pink or blue’ option is no more, as there’s now the choice of a funky purple for those who don’t want to fall into stereotypes before they even know what that word means.

There are both front-facing and rear cameras, but we suggest leaving well alone: the little 2MP snappers on this tablet aren’t really good for much more than some low-res selfies.

Amazon is so confident in its rubber bumper protective case that it provides a two-year warranty with the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition.

Break it and they’ll replace it free of charge.

DIGITAL EDITION

Available online from Readly or Pocketmags

[W ord sC rai gG

ll ] ne ran

There are two types of people in this world: psycho types who arrange their apps in folders, and those of us who aren’t planning on killing any time soon. Whichever you are, know that the spaces on your homescreen are there to be filled – and these are the essentials to stick there.

37

100 BEST APPS NOW ADD THIS

Don’t need multiple lenses?

Buy a single lens and clip for around £75.

PIXELMATOR PHOTO Trained on millions of pro shots, Pixelmator Photo lets you fix your photos with the prod of a button. It beats all rivals, subtly adjusting lighting to make your snaps shine; and if you feel the need, you can then leap into a world of adjustment sliders and buttons. Essential, unless all your pix are perfect already. £4.99 / iPad

OLLOCLIP If you’ve even a reasonably recent iPhone or Android phone, chances are it’s got a decent camera. But by adding Olloclip hardware, it can do much more. This modular system is a breeze to set up, and enables you to quickly boost your blower’s telephoto capabilities, get up close and personal via macro lenses, go oddball with fisheye, grab more of a scene with ultra-wide, and take things to the next level with the high-end Pro Lens series. kits from £105 / olloclip.com

38

GRAPHITE BY BECASSO

MOMENT PRO CAMERA

There are so many apps that turn stills into virtual art that yet another one risks making the eyes glaze over.

But give Graphite a go. Its sketch filters are among the best we’ve seen on mobile, and the pro IAPs let you fiddle around with the results you get, so you can pretend that you too are an artist. £free (IAPs) / iOS

This manual camera has been on iOS for over a year, but now it’s also on Android. There are controls for shutter speed, ISO, white balance and focus, and you can bling up the viewfinder with focus peak highlights. And how have you managed up to now without anamorphic desqueezing? £3.59 / Android £5.99 / iOS

CLIPS Apple’s social video app has always favoured the unreal, having you create selfie videos set in immersive 3D scenes.

The blurring of fiction and reality continues apace with the latest major update, which replaces your beautiful face with a range of Animoji or a custom Memoji.

Soon the app won’t need you at all. £free / iOS

100 BEST APPS

FILMIC FIRSTLIGHT There are echoes of Snapseed in this stills snapper. Like Google’s app, it has an emphasis on gestural control, letting you swipe across and upwards to set focus and exposure. There’s a lot beneath the surface too, with custom functions and analogue-style filters if you’re prepared to pay $1 a month. from £free / iPhone

PIXALOOP

DUETCAM

SPECTRE

Cinemagraph apps, where you freeze all but one bit of a video, are common; but Pixaloop works in reverse, creating animations from stills. It doesn’t work with every shot, but with a few taps and drags, landscapes can have billowing clouds and flowing water, candles can flicker, and hair can wave in the breeze. from £free / Android, iOS

As if there were any doubt about how ludicrously powerful modern iPhones are, DuetCam enables you to shoot using both cameras at once. So whether recording an interview or capturing your reactions to an event, you’ll get two videos, which you can later edit into something amazing. £2.99 / iPhone

This app’s creators have form in the camera space, also being responsible for the excellent Halide. Spectre is far more focused, using its computing smarts to shoot long exposures. It’s perfect for creating rivers of light, or removing pesky crowds from otherwise perfect tourist shots – as long as you have a tripod. £2.99 / iPhone

SHOOT SMART Power up your phone’s camera with apps to snap away like the star photographer/cinematographer you always knew you were

ADOBE PREMIERE RUSH

APOLLO: IMMERSIVE

Adobe’s video editor finally coming to Android is a big deal for anyone working across platforms. Although Android has desktop-grade video editors, this app is designed for you to do basic work on your phone then transfer the results to your actual desktop.

Top stuff for pros – or anyone aspiring to hit Hollywood. £free / Android, iOS

Portrait mode on iOS captures depth information, and Apollo makes use of that to assign realistic lighting effects in post.

During the last year, realism was ramped up significantly with individual light sources casting real-time shadows.

The results can transform even the most mundane snap into an atmospheric wonder. £2.99 / iPhone

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100 BEST APPS

ANGRY BIRDS AR: ISLE OF PIGS Catapulting birds at egg-stealing pigs in ramshackle houses seems quaint in a mobile gaming universe that features Fortnite.

But this AR take has made Angry Birds interesting again: being able to consider shots from any angle results in deeper, more engaging play. £free / Android, iOS

MINECRAFT EARTH Having taken over the gaming world for kids of a certain age, Minecraft now has its sights set on the real world too.

In what amounts to ‘Minecraft meets Pokemon Go’, this AR title has you place your life-size creations on streets and in parks, and then team up with other builders for mini adventures. £free / Android, iOS

BIG BANG AR Probably not the greatest option for big-headed people, this app from CERN recreates the birth of the universe in your hand. After a suitably sizeable explosion, stars and planets form before your very eyes, while Tilda Swinton narrates.

And when it’s all done, you get to take a selfie, because of course you do. £free / Android, iOS

DAVID BOWIE IS If you couldn’t get to the blockbuster exhibition in the real world, or couldn’t see much because tall people stood in your way, this app transforms the entire thing into a desktop AR experience.

With costumes, sketches and nearly 40 songs, it’s a fitting hightech tribute. £8.49 / Android £9.99 / iOS

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REBOOT REALITY

SPIGEN ARMOR CASE When you’re faffing about in virtual vistas, it’s easy to blunder into something solid and let your phone tumble to the ground. To avoid subsequently embarking on an expensive repair, buy your phone a decent case first. If you want something properly rugged, Spigen has a wide range of tough cases designed for many modern phones. from £20 / spigen.com

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WANNA KICKS There’s a point with tech when you might wonder if you’re being a bit lazy; with Wanna Kicks, you’ve sailed way beyond that point. Rather than trying on actual shoes in a shop, this AR app enables you to try on trainers in AR and shoot video to share with friends. Just don’t forget these shoes aren’t real before heading out. £free / Android, iOS

When the real world’s not quite interesting enough, slap tiny digital universes on top of it with this selection of AR apps

100 BEST APPS

CLOSER

MELODY VR

Richie ‘Plastikman’ Hawtin gets you up close and personal at a selection of gigs as he gives a serious kicking to synths, decks and drum machines.

You can switch viewpoints, turn channels on and off, and thereby DJ the DJ. Or something. Make sure you’ve loads of space, because the gig downloads are massive. £free / Android, iOS

Like concerts?

Less enamoured with actually going to concerts? With Melody VR, you can plonk yourself in front of the stage at a range of gigs, or – if you’re feeling cheeky – right on the stage itself.

Just don’t forget where you are and start air-guitaring in your shared flat.

That’s not a good look for anyone. £free (IAPs) / Android, iOS

BRIAN ENO: REFLECTION Ambient music god Eno describes this work (co-created with Peter Chilvers) as like sitting by a river, in that it’s always the same but always changing. As with its abstract visual component, the shifts in sound are subtle and slow.

It’s expensive, but infinite Eno can be perfect background fodder forever. £29.99 / iOS

SEQUENCE GROOVEBOX Android gets a rough deal with music-making, but Groovebox hits the spot with its mix of power and immediacy. You can build drum and synth loops on the fly or string them together to make songs. Whether you’re into soaring synths, ambient washes or heavy beats, it’s top stuff. £5.99 / Android NOW ADD THIS

FEEL THE NOISE Make some music, or just smarten up the way you listen to other people’s, with these phone-based phunksters

IK MULTIMEDIA iRIG KEYS I/O

SPLASH – DIVE INTO MUSIC Pad-based systems for transforming you into a musical genius are nothing new. But Splash is a welcome addition due to its immediacy, solid and varied selection of loops… and being entirely free. Load it up, prod some buttons, and then dance behind a massive synth doing precisely nothing. £free / Android, iOS

Software on a touchscreen is all very well, but to be the next Howard Jones you’ll need an actual synth with keys to press and knobs to twiddle.

The iRig Keys is a compact unit that ably does the job, and thoughtfully even includes a stand for your iPad. More of a virtuoso pianist than a synth smasher? Go for the 49-key edition (€366) instead. €244 / ikmultimedia.com

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100 BEST APPS

SKY: CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT You remember Journey? Ambling about in a desert, sliding down hills, solving the odd puzzle? Well, this is that – only more so. And this time it’s gone massively multiplayer, so you can attempt to solve puzzles by making oddball parping gestures at other players. £free / Android, iOS

GRID AUTOSPORT Mobile racing has had arcade masterpieces like Need for Speed and Asphalt, but this AAA console hit puts proper racing in your mitts.

To succeed here you’ll need to learn to drive, rather than just barrel along.

It’s tough, but rewarding – at least when you can finally turn off the driving aids. £9.99 / Android, iOS

GRIS The painterly landscapes of Gris are a world away from Mario, helping this indie PC platformer to stand out on mobile. The mechanics might be familiar – run, jump, find objects to unlock stages – but this world is packed with detail, joyful moments and emotionally charged set pieces that all add up to a memorable journey. £4.99 / iOS

ROME: TOTAL WAR If you like your RTS games truly epic, Rome: Total War gives you a crack at ruling the largest empire of the ancient world.

Instead of tiny skirmishes, you send hundreds of bloodthirsty fighters into the fray, while also figuring out how to direct economic, civic and religious affairs elsewhere. £9.99 / Android, iOS

PLAY HARD FOOTBALL MANAGER 2020 TOUCH Love repeatedly proving that you’d win every league in the world, given half a chance?

Frustrated that you can’t lug your PC with Football Manager everywhere? This mobile take on Sega’s footie title brings across almost everything from the desktop original – but you’ll need hefty hardware to run it. £19.99 / Android, iPad

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TELLING LIES Her Story made FMV essential, letting you unravel a mystery from fragmented video snippets.

Telling Lies is a Hollywood take on that indie hit. This time, a stolen NSA database features four people with one big secret.

It’s great on PC, but the game’s intimacy – and voyeurism wrongness – are really ramped up on mobile. £6.99 / iOS

If you want something like you’d get on a ‘proper’ games system on your phone, feast your eyes on these scaled-down gaming greats

100 BEST APPS NOW ADD THIS

BAD NORTH: JOTUNN EDITION The Vikings are coming – and they’re a bit murdery. In this RTS, you must mount a defence.

Select groups of fighters and place them where they’re most effective; rinse, repeat, upgrade, and in the end you might just survive and eke out a victory that they’ll be talking about for centuries to come. £4.59 / Android O £4.99 / iOS Colour options include several camo looks and an iPhone-like rose gold.

THE GARDENS BETWEEN A tale of friendship and time-travel, this tactile experience finds Arina and Frendt exploring dreamlike islands.

When their paths are blocked, you manipulate cause and effect by moving objects until things start moving again.

Although it began life on PC, this one makes more sense on a touchscreen. £4.99 / iOS

TROPICO First, Civilization ambitiously arrived on mobile – but now it’s Tropico’s turn in the sun, so you can discover how to be a despot.

Only it’s not easy: it turns out stomping on people’s faces forever gets you killed, and so you must make the citizens love you by building the odd road and turning your island into a tourist paradise. £11.99 / Android, iOS

WILLIAMS PINBALL Pinball Arcade was a big favourite on mobile, and it was a wrench when it lost the Williams Bally tables. But here, Zen Studios ramps up the visuals to almost desktop level. Ball-spanging on mobile has never been so eye-popping… even if the slapped-on freemium stuff leaves a bad taste. £free (IAPs) / Android, iOS

SONY DUALSHOCK 4 Sure, you could just flail about on a slippy touchscreen until your opponents punch your face in. Or you could recognise that many of these games arrived from PCs and consoles, and respond by arming yourself with a suitable wireless controller. Sony’s DualShock 4 is the best of them. It works with Android – and as of iOS 13, Apple finally gave in and added native DualShock support to its devices. As a bonus, almost every Apple Arcade game supports this controller as well. £45 / sony.co.uk

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100 BEST APPS NOW ADD THIS

The 42mm case is good for both sexes and houses a 1.3in OLED touchscreen.

MINDKEEPER Nobody would be daft enough to try and shove Doom inside an Apple Watch, right? Wrong.

Kind of. In this auto-runner you use the Digital Crown to steer, but otherwise you really do barrel through a maze-like 3D environment filled with traps and horrors. And you start with only a torch to defend yourself with. £1.99 / watchOS

CHIRP

SKAGEN FALSTER 3 Skagen’s Danish-inspired smartwatches are full of Scandi minimalism, from their stylish design to the clean deliverance of Wear OS. The Falster 3 promises to be pretty unflappable too, with NFC, GPS, a heart-rate monitor and swim-proofing to 30 metres. New on this latest model is a speaker for taking calls, conversing with Google Assistant, getting audible translations or narking commuters with your music. £279 / skagen.com

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If the idea of full-fat Twitter on your wrist gives you palpitations, maybe give this one a miss.

But if you need instant access to a stream of 280-character posts and videos, plus your DMs, Chirp gives you everything you could want. Cough up for an IAP and you can even have your name in lights. £free (IAPs) / watchOS

WEAR AUDIO RECORDER Recording to your wrist sounds a bit Johnny English, but saving important conversations in the heat of the moment is easier when you don’t need to fumble with a phone. This audio recorder is simple to operate and can be synced with Google Drive so messages are easily stored and shared with MI7. £free / Wear OS

INFINITY LOOP Playing games on a smartwatch is a fiddly affair, but somehow Infinity Loop works wonderfully on Wear OS watches.

This simple puzzler offers up a bunch of lines, leaving you to flip-reverse them until they form… yep, infinite loops, that look a bit like endless ballsacks.

Less nauseating than it sounds. £free (IAPs) / Wear OS

100 BEST APPS

WHEN DO It’s too easy to forget important stuff way off in the future. This app lets you quickly define an event’s date and name, give it an icon, and then squirt the result into a Complication. Once that’s done, you’ll spot it whenever you check the time, reminding you of a future day of bliss – or an anniversary you mustn’t overlook.

99p / watchOS

WEAR GESTURE LAUNCHER Like filling your smartwatch with apps like a Hanoi scooter rider loads up livestock? Here you can tap on the right side of your touchscreen and draw gestures to launch an app. Add different gestures for different apps to shortcut your way to what you want without tapping the crown to death. £free / Wear OS

ASTEROID COMMANDO

GOOGLE PAY This one might be obvious, but having Google Pay ready and waiting on your wrist is ultra-useful when you’ve got your hands full.

Contactless payment at public transport terminals, shop tills, bars and even the gym vending machine makes this a Wear OS must-have provided your watch has NFC. £free / Wear OS

This one more or less puts Asteroids on your wrist. Your spaceship helpfully moves and shoots on its own, and you twiddle the Digital Crown to steer.

You must blow the rocks to bits before they crush you, grab power-ups, and occasionally pause to marvel at all this being on your wrist. Pac-Man next, please! £1.99 / watchOS

WEAR IT WELL Turns out that thing on your wrist is good for far more than just telling the time, as these tiny apps underline

LIFESUM

START WITH YOGA

A stripped-back version of the food-logging Android phone app, Lifesum helps you keep tabs on what you’re shoving down your cakehole (even if it actually is cake). Choose your breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner, select the size of the portion and correlate with the approximate number of calories. Mmm, cake… £free (IAPs) / Wear OS

Maybe you like the idea of yoga, but aren’t so keen on heading to a session where other people can effortlessly tie themselves in knots but you can barely touch your knees. This app has ten routines, and serves pictures to your wrist showing you what to do, along with providing a heart-rate monitor to prove you’re still alive. £2.99 / watchOS

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100 BEST APPS

INFUSE PRO 6

WE FLIP

This video player continues to excel. It still pulls content from anywhere you point it at, and then seamlessly plays it on your Apple device. But now libraries sit in the cloud for full sync, on-demand subs are fully ad-free, and AirPlay 2 is supported. If the price-tag’s too rich, try the free but limited non-Pro version. £23.99 / iOS

Google’s been on a mission in recent months, pumping out a range of digital wellbeing experiments. Most fall under the ‘health’ banner, but We Flip is more fun. You and friends all flip a switch together, and if someone unlocks their phone, you can then check out how long you all lasted – and how many sneaky peeks occurred. £free / Android

MAGINARY Remember those books when you were a kid that clumsily inserted you into the story by adding your name? This is like that, but not rubbish. Through interactions with your device, you feel immersed in events – even the IAP unlock is part of the story. It’s a clever mash-up of narrative and mobile tech. from £free / iOS

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CHILL, BABY

Cs MUSIC PLAYER

POCKET CASTS

Apple’s Music app is now obsessed with Apple’s Music service, so Cs recalls the halcyon days when you could focus more on your collection. Its re-arrangeable tabs quickly get you to artists, albums and playlists, and tracks can be re-ordered with a prod or two.

It all feels a bit retro, but in the best possible way.

99p / iOS

Podcasts are like the best bits of radio in a format you can enjoy at your leisure. Head to bit.ly/stuffcasts for our picks, and use Pocket Casts to blast them into your ears. This premium app now lacks a price-tag but is still full of handy features, like silence trimming and speech boost for talky shows. £free / Android, iOS

TVs? Stereos? Actual shops? How very last century. Everything you need to entertain yourself is in the palm of your hand…

PRIMEPHONIC The big streaming services have catalogues of classical music, but they weren’t built for classical.

Primephonic was.

It rethinks search for the genre, and emphasises discovery to help you broaden your horizons beyond the usual suspects.

There’s great audio quality too: up to 24-bit lossless. £9.99/month / Android, iOS

100 BEST APPS

The basic HD model comes with 32GB of storage and a Siri remote.

MIXIMUM You can create playlists in the Music app, but they’re a bit basic.

Miximum brings something closer to the desktop app Smart Playlists, letting you create dynamic custom mixes based on user-defined rules.

Whether you want random 1980s tracks or audio bursts clocking in at under a minute, this app can help. £free / iPhone

NOTONTHE HIGHSTREET The high street is being obliterated

by Amazon, which is also obliterating small creative businesses. Help the latter fight back by using this app to discover and buy hand-crafted gifts and experiences… and all without the hassle of having to head to tiny markets in the middle of nowhere on your day off. £free / Android, iOS

TRIODE Something’s rotten in the state of digital radio apps, which are mostly infested with IAPs and ads. Triode wants to take it all back to basics.

You can quickly access stations and launch streams without the screen being covered in commerce. There is a premium tier, but merely to add favourites and sync across devices. £free / iOS

APPLE TV Yeah, we know – Apple’s little black box is overpriced, and you can get much cheaper gadgets from Roku or Amazon. But there’s no getting away from the Apple TV’s lush interface, and it’s a cracking all-in-one video hub with the right apps installed – be that Infuse (our favourite), Plex, Netflix or Amazon Prime. Plus, add an Apple Arcade subscription and a PS4 controller and you’ve got a decent console too – and suddenly that price doesn’t seem like such bad value. from £149 / apple.com

NIGHT SKY 7 Although not the most elegant iOS astronomy app (hello, Sky Guide), Night Sky is arguably the most feature-packed. Its revamped UI makes it a cinch to rapidly find any celestial body, which can then be plucked from the sky and perused in AR. Go premium and you can gawp at an AR orrery or partake in stargazing mindfulness. from £free / iOS

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100 BEST APPS

LINEA SKETCH

FLOW BY MOLESKINE

This app reasons that you need just enough tools for optimum scribbling, rather than too many. Everything is within easy reach on three panels, and further help is at hand from grids, templates and ZipShapes that snap to regular polygons if your attempt at a circle or square goes a bit skew-whiff. £4.99 / iPad

The kings of chunky premium notebooks bring a suitably polished sketchpad to iOS. Taps add dots and lines to an endlessly scrolling canvas; tools sit at the screen’s edge, and can be tweaked then stashed to use later. Not bad, given that a year’s sub is less than buying a single Moleskine Classic notebook. £10.99/yr / iOS

PROCREATE 5 The best painting app on iPadOS expands your canvas in v5 by way of a revamped engine and a slew of new tools. The most important is Brush Studio, for crafting custom brushes and also importing Photoshop ones… which run faster than in Photoshop.

There are great new tools for working with colour and animation as well. £9.99 / iPad

TAYASUI COLOR 2 At odds with the likes of Pigment and Lake, this colouring app eschews massive catalogues of pics and IAPs. Instead, a one-off purchase nets you a bunch of fine illustrations and some superb tools that feel realistic in every sense – and that extends to the noises they make when you’re laying down colour. £1.99 / iOS

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DARE TO DOODLE

APPLE PENCIL (2ND GEN) The original Apple Pencil stylus for iPad was great but flawed, what with its tendency to roll off the desk and the stupid way it was charged. Its successor is better in every way: precise, charging by snapping its flat edge magnetically to the side of an iPad Pro, and with a double-tap area for triggering actions and selecting alternative tools. £119 / apple.com

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PHOTOSHOP FOR iPAD Photoshop for iPad fell short of the hype – claimed parity with the desktop release – but it does have full file compatibility with it, and is a solid foundation on which to build. Subscription pricing means Affinity Photo remains a better one-off buy, but if you have a Creative Cloud subscription already, grab this iPad take immediately. £9.99/month / iPad

Whether you have a masterpiece fit for Tate Modern or just want to sketch an idea down, these are the apps you need on your iPad

100 BEST APPS

APPY WEATHER Here’s a rarity: a Windows Phone app! Course, we’re only including it because it’s now on Android. But it’s properly good, with bold forecasting blocks set in a scrollable timeline that uses language normal humans can understand.

Prefer conventional hourly/daily lists?

You can swipe across to those. £free / Android

SPACE WEATHER REPORTER If you’ve worked your way through every weather app and still hanker for more, give this one a go and find out what’s going on in space. You’ll get data from the superbly named DONKI (Database Of Notifications, Knowledge and Information), giving you insight into solar flares and such like. £free / Android

SNOWFLAKE WEATHER

ATMOSPHERE WEATHER

With a background in letting you keep an eye on computers by way of iStat Menus, Bjango now wants to help you track the weather too.

Its app marries immediacy and high detail, letting you delve into conditions to whatever depth you want. Subscribe for maps, themes and customisation. £4.99 / iOS

There’s a retro feel to this app, whose interface recalls a barometer. It’s a nice glance-friendly system, making it easy to spot cloud and temperature predictions over the coming 24 hours. You can also create custom activity thresholds based on weather conditions that are then added to the dial. £free / Android NOW ADD THIS

RAIN SUPREME Never be caught short without your umbrella/shades/snowshoes again, by ensuring you have a top-notch forecaster in your pocket

MUJJO TOUCHSCREEN GLOVES

CARROT WEATHER Although insisting she’d like to end humanity, the Carrot AI at the heart of this amusing app continues to ramp up forecasting. You need to splash out on IAPs to get at some of the best bits, like multiple sources and advanced mapping, but even the basics are ace… and the snark comes for free. £free (IAPs) / Android £4.99 (IAPs) / iOS

When you’re out in the cold and need to check the forecast, you don’t want to have to remove your gloves and expose your paws to the elements. So grab a pair of Mujjo’s touchscreen gloves.

They have conductive properties, meaning you’ll be able to use your phone as normal and discover whether that sleet really is getting worse. from €25 / mujjo.com

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100 BEST APPS

The Series 5 is the first Apple Watch to have an always-on display.

321FIT

TEAMTOMM

EEVIE

If you don’t have time for a gym, 321Fit says you can squeeze exercise into odd moments.

You choose from pre-set routines or create your own, and then get to do reps alongside a character that appears to have escaped from Teletext. Neatly, there’s also an ETA clock to advise when the punishing ordeal will be over. £free / Android, iOS

Think you live in a pigsty? Do local pigs note that, actually, their places are a lot tidier? Then you should probably get on with some housework. This app helps break that down into chunks, providing daily cleaning playlists that fit with your lifestyle, and sharing the load with flatmates or family members. £4.99 / Android, iOS

We live in an age of consumption, but the planet wishes we didn’t. If you’d like to make your behaviour a bit more eco-friendly, Eevie gives you the means. Each of the 20 built-in habits can be tracked, and a card succinctly outlines the benefits it brings.

Need prodding a bit? Turn on reminders, or join forces with friends. £free / Android, iOS

APPLE WATCH SERIES 5 It was a good day when Apple changed tack on the Watch, abandoning pretensions at having created bling jewellery and instead recognising the device’s health smarts. With watchOS 6, this ramped up another notch.

Along with keeping tabs on your heart, an Apple Watch Series 5 (or 4) looks after your ears: if loud noises are blaring all around without you realising, you’ll get a nudge so you can quickly bung in some earplugs or head somewhere a bit quieter. from £399 / apple.com

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TOO GOOD TO GO Too much food ends up in bins.

You can do your bit at home, but Too Good To Go helps shops and eateries cut down on waste. Fire up the app and you’ll find local bakeries, supermarkets and restaurants keen to sell you cut-price goodies before they go out of date. There’s a good meal with a bargain price-tag attached for everyone. £free / Android, iOS

100 BEST APPS

LIVE BETTER Improve your health, and possibly the world, by having apps remind you to exercise, track your moods and help defeat stress

SMILING MIND Modern life, eh?

AARGH!!! Kids and adults alike need to decompress and have a few minutes to themselves.

Smiling Mind is a free app that helps you bring balance to your life with mindfulness and meditation exercises. Ten minutes a day is enough for real change, and programmes are offered for all ages. £free / Android, iOS

DESERT ISLAND

UNLOCK CLOCK

This digital wellbeing experiment by Google invites you to select what you consider your essential apps; 24 hours later, it’ll outline how many times you used them – and the number of times you opened other apps, thereby suggesting you re-evaluate your behaviour (or your app choices). £free / Android

If you have a tendency to spend hours faffing on your phone and standard tracking apps don’t help, try Unlock Clock.

Instead of an app, this is a wallpaper that fills the screen with a daily unlock count. It’s very basic, but the massive number should be enough to put you off unlock no.67. £free / Android

MOODFLOW

VANILLA BEAN

Moods govern how you feel, but what governs your moods?

This app helps you figure that out. You assign ratings to each day, building a colourful mood calendar. To dig deeper, you can flesh out the details of any given day by noting specifically how you felt, writing journal entries, and having Moodflow infuse positive routines. £free / Android, iOS

One way you can make yourself and the planet a bit healthier is to eat less meat. When you’re out and about, Vanilla Bean helps you quickly discover places nearby that sell vegan and vegetarian food. Or if you’re still hankering for flesh, you can at least find places that serve local produce, thereby cutting down on food miles. £free / Android, iOS

POCKETCOACH Anxiety, stress and panic can lead to freezing, meaning you can’t get on with life. Pocket Coach is designed to provide coping mechanisms through an interface that looks like a messaging app.

The subscription’s steep, but you get some programmes for free and it can be genuinely effective. £free (IAPs) / Android, iOS

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100 BEST APPS

PENNA You could go for any old Bluetooth keyboard, connect it to your device and get into some deep customisation and coding larks… but we’re rather fond of the Penna range.

They resemble vintage typewriters, sync with up to three devices simultaneously, and have carriage return levers that are used to record and trigger macros. from $199 / elretron.com

TWEAK OUT

1BLOCKER

NOW ADD THIS

When you’re browsing on your iPhone or iPad, you don’t want your data or time being eaten by webpage annoyances. With 1Blocker in place, you can hide offending elements for good.

But also, if you want to support a site you can whitelist its ads; and if you want to go all-in geeky, it’s possible to write your own custom CSS. £14.99/year / iOS

CODEA There’s going to come a point when Xcode rocks up on iPad. Until then, Codea gives you the chance to create interactive apps and games on your tablet.

There are loads of examples you can fiddle with, or you can kick right off with a blank canvas. And yes, apps made with Codea do exist on the App Store. £14.99 / iOS

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Whoever made your phone would like to think it’s perfect out of the box… but it isn’t, so customise it with these apps

CERI LAUNCHER

FLICK LAUNCHER

Android launchers are often hugely customisable but also a little baffling. Ceri takes a very different approach, stripping things right back.

You get a clock, a bunch of icons to launch your apps, and a super-sleek search bar. Sure, others might give you ‘more’, but this one gives you all you actually need. from £free / Android

You might greet Flick Launcher to thoughts of ‘more of the same’; but this 2019 arrival has more than just a dock search bar, custom gestures and the means to get at Google Now with a swipe.

Mostly that’s down to its API, Nigel, which aims to give you the app you’re after before you even know it. from £free / Android

LAUNCHER WITH MULTIPLE WIDGETS Apple’s iOS is far more locked down than Android, but this download still gives you a smattering of customisation.

‘Today view’ widgets integrate with Shortcuts, provide deep links into Settings, and can fire off web launchers in your browser of choice. £4.99 / iOS

100 BEST APPS

AMAZON FIRE HD 10 KIDS EDITION

PACIFY THE PUPS Keep your wee ’uns quiet by handing them a device with a fun new app installed – and remember, it’s educational (probably)

AVO! In what amounts to an interactive slice of kids’ telly, Avo! has your youngling direct a piece of sentient fruit to aid a teenage scientist in her battles with a nefarious villain. The game bits are basic, but it’s impressive how the avocado blends into his surroundings, the performances are great, and kids will think it’s very tasty. £free or £4.99 / iOS

LEGO DUPLO WORLD

PANGO PAPER COLOR

SAGO MINI VILLAGE

THINKROLLS SPACE

If you’ve had enough of the agony of treading on plastic bricks, stick them all behind a glass screen with this game. All manner of interactive experiences await, such as learning to count, creating a brick snowman and helping pedestrians to cross a road. And no foot injuries. £free (IAPs) / Android, iOS

Plenty of colouring apps for kids exist, but never are they as mesmerising as Pango’s. Origami creations are coloured with a tap then magically multiply across the scene. Gradually, the screen comes to life with vibrant papery creations going about their business. Even cynical adults will be dazzled. £2.99 / Android, iOS

Local gnomes need a favour. They’ve nowhere to live, and aren’t big enough to carry blocks for constructing dwellings. It’s up to your kid, then, to unleash that inner architect and stack up buildings… and then it’ll be up to you to stop them designing monstrous carbuncles when they grow up. £3.99 / Android, iOS

The long-running Thinkrolls series of logic tests blasts into space. In this adventure, trundling protagonists must tackle interstellar conundrums that feature aliens, teleporters, plasma fields and tunnels of moon cheese.

It’s top tappy stuff as your tot reaches for the (collectable) stars. £3.49 / Android £3.99 / iOS

If the thought of handing an iPad over to a child leaves you short of breath, go for Amazon’s Fire HD 10 Kids Edition. The display’s solid, the battery’s big and the apps are curated.

Most importantly, the thing’s almost indestructible, being housed in a chunky rubberised case that would conceivably survive being hurled into a ravine. £200 / amazon.co.uk

Review p34

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100 BEST APPS NOW ADD THIS

If you also have an iPhone and/or iPad, many apps will seamlessly sync across.

DUET DISPLAY This long-time iOS darling finally rocked up on Android last year.

It transforms a black rectangle you’ve got lying around – phone, tablet, Chromebook – into an extra display. Response times are a touch variable, but this is an excellent way to squeeze extra value from kit that would otherwise be doing nothing. £9.49 / Android O £9.99 / iOS

APPLE MACBOOK AIR In theory you could run your entire life from a phone, especially when armed with a hardware keyboard or using an external display with a Samsung DeX blower; and iPads are also pretty nifty these days… but most office types are still going to be happier with a laptop.

Apple’s most recent MacBook Air is our current fave: a solid mix of power, looks, technology, security and value. Anti-Mac? Try Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 3 or Dell’s XPS 13 instead. from £1099 / apple.com

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CARDHOP

SPARK

ECOSIA

Yes indeed, we’re recommending a contacts app. But the devs behind this one have managed the impossible and actually made it fun to use. Mostly that’s down to Cardhop’s superb design, which surfaces information when you most need it, through carefully planned layout and natural-language input smarts. £4.99 / iOS

Fed up with your existing email app?

Spark invites you to take control of your inbox with a host of tools that help you focus on what’s important, snooze messages for later, assign reminders, and delegate when you’re working with a team. If you’ve never made inbox zero, Spark’s worth a shot – and it’s free for personal use. from £free / Android, iOS

Do your bit for the planet just by jeffing about on the internet. Ecosia, like other search engines, makes money from ads; but it uses that cash to fund reforestation.

There’s a built-in browser too, which never tracks your searches or grabs your data, because the only dirt Ecosia’s interested in is the stuff trees are planted in. £free / Android, iOS

100 BEST APPS

EXPENSES: SIMPLE TRACKER The clue’s in the name here, with an app that wants to help you track your spending – but without forcing you to spend much time using it. It’s quick and simple, works online and is free from IAPs. Over a hundred currencies are supported, and you can spit out the final figures as an Excel spreadsheet. £free / Android

ULYSSES

PRODUCTIVE

HOUR BLOCKS

You might look suspiciously upon apps that switch to subscriptions with claims they’ll now be updated often.

But Ulysses is the real deal. Already an excellent repository for your writing, it’s been extensively updated for iPadOS, including multitasking and dark mode, along with full keyword management on mobile. £4.49/month / iOS

The good news is, this superb iOS habit-tracker has made it across to Android fully intact.

Productive is bright and clear, and can schedule things for chunks of the day, like ‘morning’ or ‘evening’. The bad news is the annual subscription being doubled… but at least you can track three habits free forever. from £free / Android, iOS

Calendars can overwhelm. Hour Blocks cuts the cruft by having you decide what’s really important on any given hour. Even if you use a more traditional calendar alongside it, this app can help you gain a sense of focus for your time. Like the idea but have a complex schedule?

The Pro version lets you add sub-blocks to events. from £free / iOS

WORK WONDERS These days, your office is in your pocket – as long as you have the right apps – so use these beauties to be productive with your phone

MAGPIE

OTTER

For the visually inclined, Apple’s Notepad doesn’t cut it. Magpie, though, rethinks note-taking as a photos-first scrapbook. Every item can also have brief text notes, a price, a link and a map, but pictures are the main focus here. It’s top stuff for gift lists, reminders of great places you’ve stayed, and just records of cool stuff.

99p/month or £7.99 / iOS

The problem with voice memos is you have to pick through the recordings later and type them out. Otter does away with such tedium by automatically transcribing recordings as they’re made, time-stamping everything and auto-tagging your archive. You get ten hours per month for nothing, and text can be exported to TXT. Bargain. £free / Android, iOS

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100 BEST APPS

CARD OF DARKNESS The surprisingly great Apple Arcade platform could have dominated this spread. It hasn’t, but this epic hand-animated card adventure still stands out.

Shoving RPG and strategy into a solitaire-shaped box creates a game that thumps your brain yet still fits into odd moments. £4.99/m (Arcade subscription) / iOS

JUMPGRID Take Frogger and Pac-Man and fuse them to the psychotic beating heart of Super Hexagon, and you have Jumpgrid. Dart from point to point munching cubes, avoid whirling scenery, and wonder how much you can take. It’s like a combination of art, sadism and an arcade classic that never was. £2.89 / Android £2.99 / iOS

PIGEON WINGS STRIKE This endless flyer takes no prisoners as you belt along, slipstreaming fellow pilots, zapping enemies and trying to avoid becoming pie-filling on slamming into a wall. Longevity is provided by dinky unlockable characters such as Louie the rabbit, who causes nearby pigeons to become trigger-happy. £free / iOS

VECTRONOM With its geometric style and trundling movement, Vectronom feels reminiscent of mobile classic Edge.

The difference here is that levels move and morph on a thumping beat.

So you must clock the patterns, ready your best swiping digit, and effectively have your little cube dance its way to victory. £3.99 / Android, iOS

BE A PLAYER KNIGHT BRAWL This game’s creator has form in fashioning oddball side-on sports titles where players appear to have springs for legs and windmill blades for arms. Here, that concept is transferred to a medieval brawler. But there’s depth alongside the madness, with one-on-one battles, mass skirmishes and missions. £free / Android, iOS

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DIG DOG – TREASURE HUNTER Like a demented Dig Dug, this one finds you blazing through underground mazes to find tasty bones. The game moves at serious speed, and you’re only ever one swipe away from disaster. But there’s serious replay value in this title, which proves fast-paced arcade games can thrive on mobile. £2.79 / Android O £2.99 / iOS

If you need to entertain your brain for a few minutes, these touchscreen classics will help you get your game on

100 BEST APPS NOW ADD THIS

The included wireless charging case brings play time up to around 24 hours.

MINIT Visually, this one recalls classic RPGs from the Game Boy and NES era. It mostly plays like one too, bar one major twist that finds the hero dropping dead every 60 seconds. Fortunately, you’ll reincarnate with your possessions. Completing your quest therefore requires a mix of brainpower, planning and speed-run dexterity. £4.19 / Android O £4.99 / iOS

BACKFIRE

VOID TYRANT

PHOTOGRAPHS

Arena shooters usually ramp up the tension, but Backfire veers into abject terror. Its enemies emerge with a squelch from the arena’s edges and tear after you while making hideous guttural noises. All you can do is shoot from your ship’s behind.

Cue running away, inevitable death and upgrades. £2.79 / Android £2.99 / iOS

Think blackjack is intense when you’re waiting for that card to flip over? It’s got nothing on Void Tyrant, where each card can be the difference between life and death. Yep, in this universe you battle intergalactic scumbags by way of deck building, bonus cards, a smattering of strategy, and quite a bit of luck. £free / Android, iOS

The mechanics underpinning this puzzler are familiar, but Photographs subverts the usual challenges by fusing them to emotionally charged narratives.

So whether you’re placing Tetris shapes, mapping out angles on a shooting game or swiping objects to a goal, every action drives a story about choice. £3.99 / Android, iOS

APPLE AIRPODS PRO You’re not going to spend over £200 on a pair of buds just for playing games. But there’s no denying modern mobile titles are blessed with superb soundtracks and atmospherics that are lost when audio is attempting to blare out of your device’s tiny speakers. Stick Apple’s latest earpods in your lugholes and you can immerse yourself in noise-cancelling bliss, or use transparent mode for playing while walking, thereby ensuring you don’t inconveniently get hit by a bus. £249 / apple.com

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TOASTY TANKARDS

BOLD BEAKERS

SUSTAINABLE SLURPERS

UPVOTED

The fibrous fancy

The righteous rice

The born-again brew

Ecoffee Cup Craft your own mug from organic materials and there’s a high likelihood of leakage. Use this eco cup instead – made from natural fibre, resin and corn starch – and the only drips will be in your percolator. Hygienic by design and sustainable to boot, it trumps any throwaway container. from £9 / ecoffeecup.com

Huskup Coffee addicts might adore a pure caffeine hit, but chucking cups is a dirty habit. Get clean with this ethical vessel: aping the classic cafe carrier, it ditches dodgy materials in favour of biodegradable rice husks. Send it to a composting plant and, unlike your cravings, it will simply disappear. from £9 / huskup.com

rCup What’s better than a reusable cup?

A reusable cup created from other cups.

Imagined by a former Dyson designer, the recycled rCup turns discarded disposables into beakers that are leak-proof, insulated and practical: pop the top with a single finger and sip from any point around its rim. from £11 / rcup.co.uk

The disruptive decaf Fosh Social Graffiti A graffiti protest against tax-dodging coffee chains might win you favour with the indie bean brigade, but you’ll soon regret that canned vandalism when you’re begging for lukewarm tea in a cell. Brim this beaker at your local cafe to make a spray paint statement without losing your liberty. £22 / foshbottle.com

Chris Rowlands hits the lattes hard to find nine of the best reusable containers for sipping joe on the go

The glass glugger KeepCup Brew Cork Not one to drop in the bottom of your bag, this tempered glass tumbler comes with a ring of cork around its middle. Besides cushioning the shell and saving your fingers from the heat of your ethical espresso, this brown belt perfectly complements your coffee-stained Birkenstocks. from £18 / uk.keepcup.com

The heat handler

The smart stewer

The grind guardian

S’ip by S’well Takeaway Mug Holding heat is an important quality for a coffee cup; allowing you to hold that heat in your paw is another. Do both with this handy mug: double-wall insulation keeps your jitter-juice toasty, while a large handle puts an end to your daily game of takeaway hot potato. $20 / swellbottle.com

Ember Mug² Maintain your morning mud with the second-gen Ember: set your preference via the app and the 14oz Mug2 will sustain your swill at the perfect temperature for up to 80 minutes. An LED tells you when it’s safe to sip, while the charging coaster makes boosting the battery a breeze. from £100 / apple.com

Hydroflask Coffee Mug TempShield might sound like something you’d use to avoid an over-eager stand-in receptionist, but the stainless steel walls of this 12oz cup are designed to insulate your drink, not your personal space. Attach the press-in lid to avoid sloshed coffee as you run for the cover of your cubicle. £36 / uk.hydroflask.com

HOW TO DECIDE 58

COFFEE CUPS

1 Regular or large?

Travel coffee cups come in all kinds of sizes.

Most start at a standard 8oz volume, while some ship in capacities of up to 16oz – perfect if you prefer your latte served like soup.

2 Room to brew Can’t do the daily grind without a double shot from your local shop? Be sure to pick a cup that can fit under the nozzles of its machine – the clearance can sometimes be less than 10cm.

UPVOTED

The custom container Frank Green Ceramic Reusable Cup Like a bright start to the day? Consume enough caffeine and you’ll see new colours. Or, for saturation that doesn’t give you the shakes, spec the lid, button and base of this ceramic-lined cylinder with hues to suit your mood. Keep it classy with muted shades or mix things up for a three-tone tube. from £23 / uk.frankgreen.com

3 Contents may be hot Most travel cups are insulated, but some do more than others. Go for double-walled if you want warmth to last the morning, or a lighter single skin if you get your swill down swiftly.

4 Caps lock Some cups have secure lids for spill-free stowage.

Others pack pop-on tops to maintain warmth as you walk. Taking coffee on the commute?

Pick one with a little slot for safer sipping.

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T E S T E D M I C R O S O F T S U R FA C E L A P T O P 3 ( 1 3. 5 I N )

Square is the love Never mind that it’s a bit boring – this is a PC, not a sex robot. And Microsoft’s latest laptop excels in all the important areas… from £899 / stuff.tv/SurfaceLap3 Q The Surface Laptop 3 is what a MacBook Pro would be like if Apple hadn’t spent the last five years adding bits and taking other bits away. It’s a plain old laptop with an ace keyboard, useful connectivity and absolutely zero fluff.

Just can’t get enough Microsoft claims 11.5hrs of battery life; we got a little over 10hrs with just writing, and more like 8hrs with mixed use.

Q There are loads of other sensible Windows laptops around, but none of them can match the loveliness of this one. It doesn’t have a flip-over hinge or a panoramic screen, but it’s slim and light and it feels fantastic.

Q The sharp and punchy 13.5in screen has a rather square 3:2 aspect ratio. It’s not so good for movies, but Microsoft would argue it’s better for productivity apps.

Microsoft optimising for the boring stuff? Who’d have thought it?

Q The meaty, slightly springy feel of the keys is brilliant, and makes most Windows rivals feel a bit dead. You also get a three-intensity backlight and a large trackpad.

Q Our review laptop has the Core i7 CPU with 16GB of RAM. Don’t edit video, make music or do deep edits on 100MB images? The version with an i5 and 8GB RAM will do the trick for a lot less.

Q Intel’s higher-end integrated GPUs get you close to the performance of an entry-level graphics card – and this laptop is very quiet under pressure. After half an hour of Skyrim, it still gives out just a quiet whirr.

Tech specs Display 13.5in 2256x1504 multitouch CPU Quad-core 10th-gen Intel Core i5/i7 RAM 8GB/16GB Storage 128/256/512GB/1TB SSD Connectivity USB 3, USB-C, 3.5mm audio, Surface Connect Dimensions 308x223x14.5mm, 1.3kg

Q Boom boom wow

Q Don’t stop the porty

The ‘omnidirectional’ speakers sit under the keyboard; they have some of the best spatial imaging and tonal character we’ve heard in a Windows laptop, with natural audio that seems to expand well beyond the laptop’s dimensions.

The Surface Laptop 3 doesn’t just have USB-C ports. There’s also a full-size USB 3.1 and a headphone output – and the power connector is separate, so the USB-C is still available while the laptop is plugged in.

STUFF SAYS Forget frills and gimmicks: this is everything a laptop should be +++++ Microsoft has nailed all the specs it chose to focus on Andrew Williams

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The Surface Laptop 3 seems painfully plain on paper. There’s no second screen, no graphics card, no hybrid hinge, no fingerprint scanner. But Microsoft has put so much attention to detail into every part that matters that this ends up being one of the best Windows laptops at any price. The build is superb, the keyboard is fantastic, the screen is good and those unusual speakers are up there with the best of their type.

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T E S T E D A U D I E -T R O N

Audi, partner The all-electric E-tron looks just like a friendly, familiar SUV from the German maker… and that’s a very good thing from £71,560 / stuff.tv/etron Snug life The myAudi app keeps tabs on battery levels and range, and runs the climate control so it’s cosy or cool before you get in the car.

Q While the Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X set out to look deliberately different, there’s something ‘Vorsprung Durch Conventional’ about the styling of Audi’s latest SUV. Strip things away, though, and you’ll find electric motors on each axle and a 95kWh battery offering 402bhp.

Q The I-Pace is a second faster from 0 to 62, but then the five-seat E-tron weighs 300kg more. And it’s plenty quick enough, with a top speed limited to 124mph.

The smooth, quiet power delivery makes total sense in an SUV that glides across the tarmac with very little fuss.

Q That might have something to do with the foam-lined tyres… and while you’ll enjoy the silence, calmness is needed in a cabin with five screens – two in the centre console, a full-width dash display and two more on the doors either side for the rear-view cameras.

More on that below…

Q Audi’s Virtual Cockpit UI is the best in the business, supported by OLED touchscreens, Alexa voice commands, Bang & Olufsen surround sound, and great smartphone connectivity including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Q Performance is sluggish in the most economic driving mode, but switch to Dynamic and things become a bit too intense – and the E-tron really isn’t that sort of SUV.

Q On reflection, however…

Q Couldn’t lever alone

The E-tron is available with side cameras instead of mirrors.

Sounds cool, but in practice it’s mystifying. You have to lower your gaze to a screen in the door panel, which is unnatural and takes your attention off the road.

The gear lever is also perplexing at first, but get used to the pivoting action and it’s pretty pleasurable. The paddle shifters behind the steering wheel control the regenerative braking rather than changing gear.

Tech specs Battery 95kWh Range 248 miles 0-62mph 5.7secs Top speed 124mph Displays 10.1in and 8.6in haptic touchscreens Connectivity Alexa, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, Qi wireless charging

STUFF SAYS The most innovative SUV in the world, hidden in plain sight ++++, Mirror madness aside, this is just what an electric Audi should be James Day

Audi’s reasoning for replacing the wing mirrors is drag reduction. That’s especially important for electric vehicles, and on the E-tron it can mean as much as four extra miles of range. Pity, then, that this car’s most innovative feature is its biggest weakness.

Still, in virtually every other area it’s a textbook Audi SUV – one that shouldn’t just tempt existing customers to go electric, but make them switch without even thinking.

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BETA YOURSELF

FITNESS Feeling creaky? Regretting eating those extra 57 mince pies during the festive break? Craig Grannell invites you to kick off 2020 by getting fitter with the help of your phone…

THE BASICS

Q Invest wisely Don’t head out on day one and buy all of the kit, or a home gym that would make your town’s actual gym envious. Instead, splash out on the things you really need: decent shoes, headphones if you’re planning on exercising to music or apps, perhaps a wearable – but that doesn’t necessarily mean one that’s right at the cutting edge.

Q Start off slowly You might like the idea of going from full couch-spud status to running a marathon this summer, but that’s a good way to do yourself in, perhaps even causing long-term damage. So start small, and gradually build up your routine as your body becomes used to the changes you’re inflicting on it.

Q Exercise regularly-ish Your Apple Watch will scream at you daily, as will other hardware and apps. Nuts to them. You do need to get into a routine with exercise if it’s to stick, but rest days are important for recovery.

Do what works for you, and balance out activity evenly across a week or month, tracking it as appropriate.

Q Use the great indoors You might like fresh air, but the outdoors might not like you when paths become ice rinks and clouds make you regret not having access to an umbrella – or a canoe. Where possible, think of activities you could do in your own home during the winter. Plenty of apps offer routines that don’t require equipment, just some space and willpower.

Q Get protection Running or biking in the dark?

Make yourself visible. Riding a bike anywhere at all? Wear a helmet. Doing any kind of strenuous exercise? Warm up and warm down. Do stretches.

And yes, Stuff is not your mum, but you’ll regret not taking such easily forgotten precautions should something go ‘sproing’ or you end up bouncing off of a bonnet during an evening jog.

GET APP TO SPEED Q Escape the undead

You can run…

Need reminders to get moving? Stick your exercise apps on your home screen, in the dock or as widgets to make them as in-your-face as possible.

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Feel like the only way you’d get a sprint on is under threat of being torn limb from limb?

Then download Zombies, Run!, which more or less combines Runkeeper with The Walking Dead, having you quite literally ‘run’ missions of survival.

Q Grab some territory Assuming you can get a bunch of like-minded locals on board, Run An Empire can transform your neighbourhood into an intense battle for territory.

You grab land by walking or running loops, in what amounts to real-world Risk with added physical exertion.

RUN-READY AUDIO APPS

SPOTIFY Annoyingly, Runkeeper recently dumped its pace-match Spotify system for matching songs to your running speed. But you can still connect the two apps and select from playlists with defined BPMs, rather than having to compile your own. £9.99/m / Android, iOS

RUNTASTIC Although it’s buried in the settings, Story Running remains part of the Runtastic experience. When setting up a run, tap the music icon, select Story Running, and choose from a range of tales to keep your mind occupied over half an hour or so. £free / Android, iOS

MAKE TIME FOR FITNESS Q Set recurring events

WORK (IT) FROM HOME Q Go on a winning Streak Streaks Workout reckons you shouldn’t need any kit beyond a wall and floor – and even the former is optional, since this app lets you deselect exercises you don’t fancy.

Note: its long routine is named ‘Extreme’ for a reason.

Q Try 321Fit Streaks is Apple-only; 321Fit is your best bet on Android.

Its canned workouts assume you have weights, but you can create your own exercise ‘playlists’ instead, which run with little Teletext-style figures detailing what you should be doing.

Never seem to have the time to exercise? That’s because you’re not making it. So use your calendar app to schedule recurring events that give you the space you need. Even if you scrap sessions, you’ll at least do some of them.

WATCH OUT Q Add new workouts

Notifications are annoying, but that’s kind of the point: you’d better let those apps bug you when it’s time to work up a sweat. And leave the notifications loud so you won’t miss them.

The Apple Watch uses motion tracking to guess activities.

Often it gets things right; but if you’re fussy about log accuracy, you can kick off sessions manually by scrolling down in Workout, tapping Add Workout and making your selection from the list.

Q Track your progress

Q Calibrate your watch

Trends are more important than the day-to-day. Most exercise apps log progress, but you should also consider a habit tracker app. This will provide a focused indication of how well exercise has been infused into your routine.

Not completing your exercise ring? Then open the Workout app, select Outdoor Walk or Outdoor Run and do your thing at normal pace for 20 minutes. Now your Apple Watch will be more attuned to your pace.

Q Get notifications

POCKET CASTS Really this could be any podcast app – the point is that, while you’re exercising your body, you could be expanding your mind by way of podcasts like the BBC’s Infinite Monkey Cage, with sky-pointer Brian Cox and wag Robin Ince. £free / Android, iOS

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T E S T E D T R A N S PA R E N T S P E A K E R

A see-through Scandi supermodel breaks through the glass ceiling of Bluetooth speakers… but how can something so stark-looking sound so lush?

[ Words James Day ]

£900 / stuff.tv/Transparent According to Scandinavian design principles, products should sit in harmony with their environment and be built to last. A noble idea, even if – in a region with some of the world’s highest tax rates – it can make things rather expensive.

Take anything ever made by Bang & Olufsen, for example: you might not immediately realise you’ve remortgaged your house for an iconic TV, but 20 years later when it’s still going and still the centrepiece of your living room, it’ll hit home.

Swedish company Transparent Sound doesn’t deal in the conventional either, offering Bluetooth speakers made from materials like stoneware and glass that push the boundaries of hi-fi design. Its Transparent Speaker is undeniably striking, with flawless build quality and materials made to last a lifetime… which is entirely the point, except that here you’ll also find some modular magic at play to ensure the tech stays up to date.

GOOD MEH EVIL

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Design is incredible to behold

3

Clear a space This gorgeous creation is built from an aluminium uniframe and tempered glass (1). The size of a small briefcase and 11kg, it’s far from portable – so decide where you want it and leave it there (it can also be wall-mounted). White gloves come bundled in the box for keeping grubby mitts at bay.

3

Loud and clear A Class D amp and digital signal processor feed two 3in drivers and a 6.5in subwoofer (2) for a maximum 100W stereo output.

It sounds fantastic, overcoming any acoustic doubts about its glass build to provide a warm, natural tone that’s finely balanced and never overbearing.

See your way clear The control module includes an on/off switch, knobs for volume, bass and treble, and a 3.5mm line input (3). On the rear there’s another line-in, a line-out and a USB power socket, plus cryptic wording pointing to the ‘Tinker Tool’ – this is where the unit’s modular chops come into effect.

Clear and present dangler This speaker includes instructions on how to disassemble it. Rather than a gimmick to get audio nerds salivating, the idea is it’ll become better over time by swapping out components for new tech. It also allows for plug-in upgrades like a Chromecast dongle or an Amazon Echo Input for Alexa voice control.

A good clearout Out of the box, this is a basic Bluetooth speaker in every sense of the word, with no AirPlay 2, no Chromecast, no built-in streaming services, not even an app. Some will find the lack of features baffling; others will thrive on the blank canvas for adding the latest connected components.

Cool modular philosophy

It’s a pretty expensive speaker

2

Nicely balanced sound

No built-in multiroom smarts

No built-in voice control

T E S T E D T R A N S PA R E N T S P E A K E R Clear the air Among the various wireless upgrade options, you can add a Sonos Connect to make this part of your existing multiroom setup.

Tech specs Drivers 2x 3in, 1x 6.5in Max output 100W Connectivity Bluetooth, line in, line out, USB power Dimensions 431x333x118mm, 11 kg

Or for half the price…

Small Transparent Speaker £450 / stuff.tv/Transparent

2

1

Transparent Sound really isn’t making much of an effort with its product naming policy. The Small Transparent Speaker is half the size and half the price of its sibling.

You lose the subwoofer, swap black components for white and reduce the stereo output to 30W, but as a sensible Bluetooth speaker it actually makes more sense.

Perfectly sized for bedside cabinets, kitchen worktops, wall-mounting or moving around the house, it uses the same aluminium uniframe and tempered glass, and the white components and wires sit smartly in any

Simplicity is the Transparent Speaker’s greatest strength and its greatest weakness. There’s something refreshing about unboxing a new gadget that doesn’t need to be connected to the Wi-Fi then have the firmware updated and a companion app downloaded. Most importantly, it really does sound as good as it looks. @james_a_day

environment. It carries the same modular options hidden in the base, but with one difference: you can wirelessly connect two Small Transparent Speakers without a multiroom upgrade.

We found it plenty loud enough to fill an open-plan kitchen diner, giving the Apple HomePod a run for its money in the sound stakes, while the lack of on-speaker controls is easily remedied with your phone’s EQ. And yes, you still get the white gloves.

Stuff says +++++ More portable and more palatable in price than its big brother

STUFF SAYS ++++, This is a magic modular Bluetooth speaker, even if its lack of connected features will grate for some potential buyers 65

GROUP TEST WIRELESS BUDS

A rush of buds to the head These sub-£200 options might make you want to switch to true wireless earphones sooner than you thought

Amazon Echo Buds Price £120 / stuff.tv/EchoBuds

What’s the story?

Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant has been making herself at home in wireless headphones of various shapes and sizes for a while now, so it was only a matter of time before Amazon itself got involved at the hardware end.

These true wireless buds come packed with mics to accurately pick up voice commands, meaning you can summon Alexa to control your music, podcast or audiobook, check the weather or depress yourself with the news headlines, all without lifting a finger.

Amazon has also teamed up with the ambient noise-banishing wizards at Bose to ensure you can listen on public transport. You are, then, getting a whole lot of functionality for the price – plus sonic ability that, while far from mind-blowing, is more than good enough for the price.

Are they any good?

Chunkier than Apple’s AirPods and fashioned mainly from plastic,

these aren’t going to win any Red Dot Design Awards soon, while a lack of physical controls (there’s not so much as a volume rocker) makes interacting with the units a little tricky.

But voice control is the star of the show here, with each bud packing outer microphones and one inner mic that work in unison to reduce ambient noise and ensure Alexa can always hear you clearly.

Being able to ask for a quick news blast or weather forecast as you head out is genuinely useful and allows you to keep your phone in your pocket, while Bose’s noise-cancelling tech is really impressive here. It’s just a shame the sound quality isn’t great, the charging case is massive and the battery life is average.

Tech specs O 5hrs + 15hrs with case O IPX4 O Bluetooth 5.0 O 7.6g

STUFF SAYS Not the finest you can buy, but you won’t match their feature set at this price ++++,

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BEST FOR VOICE CONTROL

Mic drop The companion app allows for lots of personalisation with gesture functions… and yes, you can turn the mics off to protect privacy.

Room at the tap The Echo Buds respond to double taps and long presses.

You can easily set up one to play/pause and skip, and one to activate Alexa.

Loose talk Amazon will of course push its buds’ ability to control Prime Music, but voice commands work fine with Spotify and Apple Music too.

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GROUP TEST WIRELESS BUDS BEST FOR MARATHON SESSIONS

In two deep The 10mm drivers have dual-layer diaphragms that use a combination of hard and soft materials to create full-range audio with big bass.

I get tweak All of AT’s wireless buds can be linked to an app for checking battery levels, and for customising hearing preferences and controls.

Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW Price £149 / stuff.tv/CKS5TW What’s the story?

Audio-Technica boasts nearly six decades of audio knowhow and is fast becoming renowned for top-notch headphones. Its latest pair of AirPod-worriers offers a whopping 45-hour battery and a pricetag that massively undercuts much of the competition. Although not as sleek as others in this test, they have among the best battery life in the biz.

Are they any good?

With great battery power comes great bulk, and we

found that the ATH-CKS5TWs stuck out from our ears little too much. So although they were reasonably snug in our ears, they never felt 100% secure: we were always aware that an errant loop of hair was all that stood between our fancy buds being safely lodged in our ears and being accidentally catapulted onto the pavement.

However, these buds pack a lot more staying power than some of their rivals. In fact, you get an impressive 15 hours of continuous playback

on a full charge. And the reason that charging case is a tad large is because it can store an extra 30 hours of juice once you’ve powered it up to the max via the USB-C port. That brings battery life to a grand total of 45 hours, which is hyper-impressive.

A larger frame also means more room for 10mm drivers with a dual-layer diaphragm, delivering the best possible sound to your lugholes. The soundscape is excellent no matter what you’re listening to, and these buds perform

particularly well on classical and acoustic pieces and live recordings, where cheaper headphones often fail.

Offering incredible battery life, seamless operation, excellent audio with solid bass and great noise isolation, there’s a lot to like here, especially when you factor in the reasonable price.

Tech specs O 15hrs + 30hrs with case O IPX2 O Bluetooth 5.0 O 8g

STUFF SAYS Excellent audio and battery life make up for a slightly awkward design ++++,

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GROUP TEST WIRELESS BUDS

BEST FOR AIRPOD APING

Finger buffet Double-tapping the buds on either side carries out a predefined action, which can be set and adjusted in the accompanying app.

Apple bye They are compatible with iPhones, but the AI Life app isn’t on iOS so you won’t be able to customise the touch controls or tune the ANC.

Huawei FreeBuds 3 Price £170 / stuff.tv/FreeBuds3 What’s the story?

Huawei is fearless when it comes to hardware. While manufacturers like Apple and Google bide their time and launch new tech once it’s failed a few times first, we have to give the politically precarious Chinese tech giant credit: it innovates, hard.

Huawei’s third generation of AirPod rivals are the world’s first active noise-cancelling earbuds with an open-fit design, meaning they rest gently in your ear openings rather than being jammed

in tight. They also promise high-quality audio skills and zippy charging.

Are they any good?

Let’s gloss over the fact that these appear to be direct copies of Apple’s true wireless creations and focus on the good bits: like how well they stayed in our sweaty lugholes.

We went jogging, had a few workouts and went on a couple of long-haul flights without them budging. At 4.5g each they’re light too – over 1g lighter than Samsung’s

Galaxy Buds, although they don’t feel fragile.

The microphone isn’t particularly good at drowning out background din, but active noise-cancelling up to 15dB does help with clarity when on the receiving end. Better still, the Huawei AI Life app (Android only) allows quick changes to the targeted frequencies, so sound suppression can be optimised for the environment.

Thanks to a neatly designed and lightweight case, Huawei’s buds power up twice as fast as

second-gen AirPods, with a charging time of 30 minutes.

When full, they deliver four hours of playback time, though this time drops if noise-cancelling is fired up… and you will be wanting to activate that, as the sound experience delivered by these buds is fantastic when distraction is minimised.

Tech specs O 4hrs + 20hrs with case O No waterproofing O Bluetooth 5.1 O 4.5g

STUFF SAYS Innovative noise-killing buds, but steer clear if you’re an iPhone owner ++++,

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GROUP TEST WIRELESS BUDS

Tap dancing There is a little learning curve with button functions: press twice on the left to play and twice on the right for Siri or Google Assistant.

BEST FOR TOUGH WORKOUTS

Bring it on drown The Urbanistas’ IP67 waterproof rating is good for swimming, sweating and running in the rain. They’ll even survive a spin in the washing machine.

Urbanista Athens Price £119 / stuff.tv/UrbanistaAthens What’s the story?

Designed with an outdoor life in mind, these ultra-rugged true wireless earphones from Swedish manufacturer Urbanista exude durability.

The addition of a stylish charging case, the lightweight design and particular attention to meaty bass notes make them a viable alternative to far pricier rivals.

Are they any good?

In short, yes, they are rather excellent. Not only are they rugged enough to swim with,

smart enough to talk to both Siri and Google Assistant and good for two marathons on a single charge, but these buds do all of that at a price that’s really quite affordable.

Whip them out of their case and, provided you’ve previously paired them with your device, they’ll connect automatically; do it in reverse and they’ll disconnect when you pop them away. It’s a neat touch that worked every time in our testing.

The soundstage could be a little more expansive, and that

strong bottom end can overwhelm the mids, but it’s worth remembering that these buds undercut most of their rivals on price – and still sound plenty good enough to please all but the most pernickety of ears.

On top of that, the passive noise isolation is excellent. As long as you’ve found a good fit, few outside sounds will penetrate. In fact, so effective is the seal that you might prefer a set of buds – such as the Jabras opposite – with a transparency mode that lets

outside sounds in. Run with these and it’s just you, your music and the clomp of your feet on the asphalt.

That addition would’ve been nice for joggers, and wireless charging would’ve sweetened the deal further; but for stellar sporty earbuds that don’t break the bank, Athens is a worthy destination.

Tech specs O 8hrs + 32hrs with case O IP67 O Bluetooth 5.0 O 6g

STUFF SAYS Rugged, punchy and with great stamina: a lot of buds for your money +++++

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GROUP TEST WIRELESS BUDS

Roar like swooshy HearThrough transparency mode lets in just enough ambient noise to let you avoid errant black cabs and grumpy cyclists.

Blower in the wind Jabra’s four-mic tech filters out disruptive noise when you’re making a phone call – and that includes windy weather.

BEST FOR SOUND PER POUND

Jabra Elite 75t Price £170 / stuff.tv/Elite75t What’s the story?

Hot on the heels of Apple’s AirPods Pro came Jabra’s update to its Elite 65t true wireless buds. Smaller in size with increased battery life and more attention to ergonomics than the old model, they attempt to undercut the competition on price but not on features. Good battery life and excellent sound make them worthy of any shortlist.

Are they any good?

The first thing you notice about the 75t version of the

Elites is that they look a lot nicer than the 65t model: they’re neater, lighter and more compact.

The distinctive protruding arm from is gone – or at least significantly rounded off. In its place is a much smaller bump that houses the microphones, with two in each bud powering improved outbound audio on calls.

Fit can be an issue – we found ours were often easy to shake loose – but we’ve no complaints about the small but excellent charging

case and the bass-focused sound, which is improved.

The Jabras don’t have all the fancy extras of some leading true wireless buds – there’s no active noise-cancellation, for example – and they’re not quite as slick as the AirPods Pro. But you’ll struggle to find a pair of earbuds that pack in so much for the price.

Battery life is double that of the 65t model and a full charge should see you through a week of average use. There’s Bluetooth 5.0 for stable pairing and we like the way removing

either bud from your ear automatically pauses the music – and returning it kicks it off again.

Fine performance, superb portability and strong battery life in a smart little package mean these enticingly wallet-friendly true wireless earphones are worthy of your consideration.

Tech specs O 7.5hrs + 20.5hrs with case O IP55 O Bluetooth 5.0 O 5g

STUFF SAYS Ace buds with solid sound, Apple-slaying battery life and features galore ++++,

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FI R TH ST ES AD E… D

APPLE iPHONE 11 PRO

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ONE EONO SCREEN PROTECTOR

TWO HUAWEI BAND 4

THREE AMAZON ECHO BUDS

Apple may suggest its new iPhones are tougher than tough, but our 11 Pro has picked up scuffs despite our best efforts – bad news when you’ve spent in excess of a grand on your phone!

Safeguard that display with a tempered glass screen protector. At eight quid for three, it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind. £7.99 (3 pack) / amazon.co.uk

The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch around – but if you don’t fancy spending hundreds of pounds and just want to track your steps and sleep, Huawei’s Band 4 is a seriously elegant solution.

It has a heart rate monitor, keeps tabs on workouts and, best of all, charges without a cable – just plug it straight into a USB port. £35 / consumer.huawei.com

If you’re after on-the-go noise-cancelling buds but Apple’s own AirPods Pro are out of your price range, these are a great-value option.

Packing Bose ANC tech, they drown out background hubbub and offer hands-free Alexa as well as five-hour battery life… for less than half the price of the Pros.

Read the full review on p66. £120 / amazon.co.uk

NO TH W T IS RY …

TH TH EN ES GE E… T

INSTANT UPGRADES

SKY: CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT 1 SAVE EYES AND POWER

2 PUT THE PHONE DOWN

3 TAKE A SHORTCUT

Taking advantage of the Pro’s OLED screen tech, Apple’s new dark mode swaps whites for blacks throughout a chunk of the interface, which means battery-saving benefits. To activate it, open your iPhone’s settings, scroll down to Display & Brightness and tap the Dark toggle. Oh, and see that Night Shift option? Press it to filter out blue light in the evening and help you get a proper sleep.

Digital life is taking over, so Apple wants to help you get a handle on how much time you’re spending glued to your phone. In settings, Screen Time is where you set Downtime, which disables all but a few features in the run-up to a good night’s sleep. Here you can also activate App Limits, so time spent scrolling through compulsive culprits like Instagram can be curtailed.

There’s a new app in town on iOS 13: Shortcuts. It’s here to save you diving into other apps to perform frequent tasks. The first time you tap it, you’ll see a whole load of nothing; but set a few parameters and it can streamline everything from your podcast listening to your smart home automation. To create a shortcut, fire up the app, tap the ‘+’ icon at the top right and select Add Action.

This charming game from the makers of Journey marries 3D platform elements with dreamy landscapes plus plenty of puzzles. £free (IAPs)

TOO GOOD TO GO

[ Words Basil Kronfli ]

This ingenious app can search your local area for bargains on grub that would otherwise be wasted. It has filters for vegans and vegetarians. £free

4 REFRAME YOUR PICS

5 SHOOT IN THE DARK

6 GET FREE STUFF

One of the best things about the iPhone 11 Pro is its trinity of cameras. In addition to the main snapper and 2x zoom, there’s an ultra-wide cam for high-impact landscapes – press the 0.5x button to activate it. The phone can even simultaneously take a wide and an ultra-wide photo, so you can zoom out of a shot after you’ve taken it. In settings, select Camera and toggle ‘Photos Capture Outside the Frame’.

Apple has finally loaded up its iPhones with a night mode that stacks up against the best out there. If the lighting isn’t great when you prepare to take your shot, a crescent moon symbol will pop up next to the flash icon. If it turns yellow, night mode will fire up automatically; but if it doesn’t, tap it to force a longer exposure – just be sure to keep your hand steady to get the best results.

Everyone who has an iPhone 11 Pro gets a free month of Apple Arcade and Apple News+, plus a whole year of Apple TV+.

Arcade is a library of premium games; News+ brings glossy content from the likes of Grazia and National Geographic; and Apple TV+ is the tech giant’s answer to Netflix. All of these are pre-installed, so fire them up and remember to cancel before your first billing date.

NOTED Noted combines audio with written notes, making it an ideal lecture and meeting companion. It knows when to skip silences, and supports dragging and dropping from other apps. £free (IAPs)

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V E R S U S A F FO R DA B L E T Vs

BEST FOR QUALITY

Safe sets [ Words James Day ]

Proof that big names, big screens, big specs and big resolutions don’t have to mean a big hit to the bank balance

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Sony KD-49XG9005 What’s the story?

It’s not quite as cheap as the two rivals opposite, but Sony packs a lot into its middleweight package, including a design that’s essentially all-screen. The dark grey bezel is minimal, smoothly finished… and so unobtrusive that when the screen is off it pretty much disappears.

The X1 Extreme picture processor is also a boon, capable of dealing with various HDR standards.

If picture quality is your vice, this could be the telly to hang with.

set is. The colour palette is impeccably judged, contrasts are punchy and the detail in black tones is lavish. It’s a pity the audio performance can’t come close to matching its picture prowess, although this does present an inviting vacancy for a soundbar.

Sony’s operating system is built around Android 8.0 so it’s clean and easy to use. It may not pack all the niceties of one of Sony’s flagships, but this TV has the bulk of the performance at a fraction of the price.

Price £799 / stuff.tv/XG9005

Is it any good?

Stuff says +++++

Screening 4K Dolby Vision content demonstrates just how well balanced this Sony

Other Sony TVs are bigger and slimmer, but none can match this one for value

V E R S U S A F FO R DA B L E T Vs

BEST FOR GAMING

BEST FOR SMARTS

Panasonic TX-50GX700 What’s the story?

Panasonic has managed to pull a 50in 4K HDR LED rabbit out of the hat marked ‘TVs under £500’ by ditching some of the styling flourishes found in its more expensive models. Don’t expect many shiny metals here, but the set itself is slim and handsome enough when hung on a wall. Best of all, its ability to upscale 1080p content is very respectable and its bold user interface is simple but packed with features.

Is it any good?

The TX-50GX700 has better features than a flagship TV of four years ago. It has support for the HDR standards HLG, HDR10 and HDR10+, and although it goes without

Dolby Vision HDR, that’s the most significant omission from its spec sheet.

The slimline design, LED backlighting and 4K Studio Colour picture-processing engine are just a few highlights; and while the sound quality doesn’t quite match up to the TV’s excellent picture whether upscaling or showing native 4K content, those wanting bang for their buck will get just that. Plus the low price frees up a bit of dosh to splash out on a soundbar.

Samsung UE43RU7020 What’s the story?

A 43in screen size might seem diminutive in this age of excess, but it’s the right size for those who don’t want their TV to take over the entire room. This is also the most affordable 4K set Samsung builds, acting as a tempting gateway drug into pin-sharp image quality. Yes, the frame is a bit plasticky, but it is compatible with the HDR10+ standard and has one of the fastest response times out there for 4K gamers.

vibrant but not unnatural shades, and sky-high levels of detail.

For 4K gamers, nothing comes close to Samsung’s 10ms response time. The remote is shockingly bad and the sound quality isn’t much better, but the Tizen-based OS is the same as that found in its QLED TVs. Sure, there are compromises here, but this Samsung’s picture-processing skills massively outweigh the drawbacks, especially if you’re on a tight budget.

Is it any good?

Price £499 / stuff.tv/GX700

Stuff says +++++ It’s not perfect, but then it is very affordable and very nicely put together

As a TV for the real world where most content will be upscaled, this is a capable performer. Inevitably native 4K is even more enjoyable, with convincing colours,

Price £299 / stuff.tv/RU7020

Stuff says +++++ Way better than its place in the Samsung pecking order might suggest

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TWO WEEKS WITH THE NIKON Z50

Nuff zed A lightweight and affordable APS-C version of Nikon’s Z-series mirrorless monsters might be all the camera you really need… Natalya Paul spends a fortnight finding out £849 (body only) / stuff.tv/NikonZ50 Nikon’s two new lenses make for an ace starter kit before you move to more ‘pro’ options.

DAY 01 The Z50 is Nikon’s first camera with an APS-C sensor, and it arrives with the aim of creating some fresh noise in a crowded system camera scene. To slightly confuse matters, Nikon calls this ‘DX format’, but the idea is simple: to build on the success of its mirrorless Z6 and Z7 models by offering a compact alternative for beginners.

It’s done this by cherry-picking the best features from its older

siblings and shoehorning them into a slimmer shell. That means the relatively tiny body of this 20.9MP shooter gets Nikon’s largest Z-mount and is joined by an Expeed 6 processor, which allows 4K video as well as an impressive native ISO range of 100 to 51200. Fortunate enough to own or have access to any Z6 or Z7 kit? You get to use all of the existing lenses, before feasting on two entirely new ones designed

At a fraction of the price of its pro counterparts, the Z50 promises trusty Nikon ergonomics and image quality

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for the DX format: a 16-50mm pancake and a 50-250mm telephoto. And Nikon says it’s planning to announce more throughout the year.

The Z6 and Z7 might be overkill for the burgeoning enthusiast, and that’s where the Z50 comes in: it’s a proper camera in miniature.

At a fraction of the price of its pro counterparts, it promises a trusty Nikon ergonomic design and impressive image quality, albeit with a compromise in resolution.

The all-plastic body weighs 450g with the battery in place.

That’s a pigeon’s tail-feather

compared to those pro-level Z cameras, and the dimensions are noticeably more dinky, making it easy to use one-handed. It fits into a bag with the pancake lens fixed, but you’ll have no trouble wearing it around your neck all day anyway.

There’s a 0.39in, 2360k-dot EVF and a 3.2in tilting touchscreen that you can even tap to take pics.

The zoom display functions are also included on the touchscreen.

Layout is much the same as the Z6 and Z7, but it doesn’t feel crowded in this smaller format and everything can be operated with a thumb.

LO N G -T E R M T E S T

01

Donut of Truth™

06

05

02 03

04

01 Practical and portable for everyday use 02 Processor and optics from far pricier cameras 03 Great starter lenses and more to come

04 Excellent in daylight and low light 05 The impractical display won’t please vloggers 06 Zooming and high ISO get grainy

Tech specs Sensor 20.9MP APS-C CMOS Displays 0.39in EVF, 3.2in tilting LCD touchscreen ISO range 100 to 51,200 (extended 100 to 204,800) Burst shooting Up to 11fps AF points 209 Video 4K @ 30fps, Full HD at 120fps Dimensions 127x94x60mm, 395g

DAY 02 I’m out shooting stills today and the colours are vibrant yet still true to reality, offering excellent dynamic range – plus the metering really balances exposures. The Z50 has no trouble finding detail when photographing architecture against bright skies: it’s adept at capturing the most awkward of light, and that’s a testament to the optics and processor. It also performs well in low light with a telephoto lens.

DAY 05 I’m going after living subjects today. The face-seeking Eye AF locks on immediately and keeps hold when the person moves.

Sadly it’s no good for animals, so you’ll have to focus on your pet’s eyes yourself. Start to zoom and things look a touch grainy, but hey, this isn’t a Fujifilm X-T30.

Silent mode is useful for sneaky street photography missions, while 4K can be shot across the full sensor width with a timelapse option and a cool slo-mo mode.

DAY 10 I’ve found Nikon’s estimated 300-shot battery life to be on the conservative side, which is

pleasing, but there are some niggles. The screen doesn’t articulate sideways, and that makes things awkward for vloggers self-shooting with a gimbal as the screen is blocked when it’s flipped, although Nikon say a handle is in the works.

The absence of a top display and joystick has been an issue too, and it’s a shame considering the latter is our favourite way to select focus points. Images also start to get incredibly grainy once you get into the higher ISO numbers.

DAY 14 Studying the specs again, the Z50 is clearly mightier in the hand than it looks on paper. Borrowing some of the best features from the Z6 and Z7 without the physical or financial heft of those models is an eye-catching proposal for beginners. Some might see this as the ideal travel snapper, with that little pancake lens perfect to take everywhere… although if you’re going on safari, remember to stare directly into the eyes of that threatening leopard.

Overall, though, the Z50 is much more than that and could be your first ‘proper’ camera. And with more lenses coming, it’s only going to improve along with your photography skills.

STUFF SAYS One of the best APS-C options around, with a multitude of pro features at a non-pro price +++++

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GROUP TEST ANC HEADPHONES

3 OF THE BEST

Noise-cancellers There’s life beyond Bose, Bowers & Wilkins and Sony when you want headphones that block out (most of) the world

BEST FOR TRAVEL

BEST FOR iPHONES

Beats Solo Pro

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BEST FOR BUDGET

Sennheiser PXC 550-II

Philips PH805

What’s the story?

What’s the story?

What’s the story?

Apple’s engineers have given the Solo Pro on-ears active noise-cancelling with a new transparent mode, an improved frequency response and a nifty folding design. They support Bluetooth 5.0 and Audio Sharing so two peeps with compatible cans can listen at once. You get integrated on-ear controls and 22 hours’ listening time with ANC engaged.

These Sennheisers have it tough. They have to replace the much-lauded PXC 550s – and at this price, compete with Bose, Sony and co. But they’re featherweight and foldable, have Bluetooth 5.0 and support the latest low-latency aptX codec. Touch controls and 30 hours of ANC playing time put them right in the mix with the big boys too.

Pay £350 for premium cans, or £25 for some that may turn out to be a fire hazard? The PH805s take the middle ground, promising Bluetooth 5.0 high performance that won’t break the bank. Style-wise they have a whiff of Sony and the battery is good for 25 hours of ANC niceness – including an ambient mode for letting some of the world back in.

Are they any good?

Are they any good?

Are they any good?

These are the best Beats yet. The trademark bass remains, but all frequencies are more finely balanced now. The ANC is impressive, and anodised aluminium ensures build quality scales new heights – the folding mechanism is smart, although some might find the fit too tight for comfort. A lack of ANC adjustability and a bias towards Apple compatibility also grate slightly, but not enough to put us off.

You’ll get more audio excitement from the Momentum Wireless, but these over-ears do plenty of good work in an understated manner and the soft-touch materials don’t yell “Look at me!” so much. Meanwhile the ANC reduces noise without totally banishing it even on the maximum setting. Walking a fine line between ‘dull’ and ‘sophisticated’, these headphones fall just the right side of it.

Touch controls, a mature design and a choice of ANC modes make these cans look and feel more expensive than they are. Sonically they get way more right than wrong; but while bass is deep and mids detailed, the highs tail off too soon. The ANC never feels completely isolating, but ambient mode works well. All in all, decent cans – for a decisive step up from this, you’ll have to double your outlay.

Price £269 / stuff.tv/SoloPro

Price £299 / stuff.tv/Senn550

Price £160 / stuff.tv/PH805

Stuff says +++++

Stuff says +++++

Stuff says +++++

A fine pair of on-ear noise-cancellers best suited to those with smaller noggins

No drama – these smart Sennheisers manage to look and sound totally discreet

Step this way for all the looks and most of the performance for about half the money

TOP TEN

This gadget has leapt straight outta testing and into our rankings.

NEW

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 Apps, mobile games Headphones Smartwatches, fitness tech Laptops Speakers TVs Soundbars, streamers Tablets, consoles

80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88

Games Tech toys, electric cars VR headsets & games Smart home Drones & action cams, compact cameras System cameras Budget buys How to buy… a sports smartwatch

89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96

HOW TO USE THEM

TOP TENS SMARTPHONES

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1

HOT BUY

Apple iPhone 11 You’re getting a really neat package with the iPhone 11 – and crucially, it’s not silly-expensive.

The new Bionic A13 chip packs some serious power, the cameras are near-faultless for a smartphone and the battery will last all day.

The lack of an OLED display could be an issue for some, but if you can bring yourself to get over that, it’s time to say hello to the new everyman iPhone… and start thinking about what colour you might opt for.

TIPS & TRICKS Swipe-typing makes writing messages much smoother: just run your finger over the keyboard letters.

Stuff says +++++ Wow – an affordable Apple handset that doesn’t scrimp on specs

Haptic Touch means pressing longer instead of harder to enable shortcuts like taking a selfie.

O NOW ADD THIS Ted Baker Wireless Power Bank A mix of cabled connections and Qi wireless charging means this bank can fuel up two devices at once. £80 / proporta.co.uk

Dark mode works with many third-party apps, so browsing Insta at night is now easier on the eyes.

2

3

4 5 6 7

OnePlus 7T

Apple iPhone 11 Pro

£549 / stuff.tv/OnePlus7T

from £1049 / stuff.tv/iPhone11Pro

Significant upgrades bring a price hike over the OnePlus 7, but for your extra dosh you’re getting better-than-flagship features for a lower-than-flagship price.

As well as an improved camera, it has stacks of power, great battery life and a dreamy new design.

This is Cupertino’s elite handset, with a triple-camera array that’s up there with the best we’ve tested (including an excellent night mode), an A13 Bionic chip that brings about untouchable speeds, and finally the godsend of fast charging.

Stuff says +++++ Smooth, slick and still bargainy, this is the latest Android to beat

Stuff says +++++ The best phone Apple has ever made, but it’s just too pricey to top our list

8 9 10

OnePlus 7T Pro +++++ £699 / stuff.tv/OnePlus7TPro This Pro shares some key specs with the basic 7T but boosts the screen size, battery and storage.

Huawei P30 Pro +++++ from £750 / stuff.tv/P30Pro Heaps of power and the best phone camera you can buy… but the Google issue makes it a risky choice.

Samsung Galaxy S10 +++++ from £649 / stuff.tv/S10 A well-rounded Android with a versatile camera, a gorgeous display and truly ace performance.

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G +++++ £949 / stuff.tv/S105G This 5G hardware will have you future-proofed with sensational snaps and a stunning screen

Oppo Reno 10x Zoom +++++ £580 / stuff.tv/Reno10x A wondrous camera-phone that gets a lot right despite its overbearing software.

Moto G8 Plus +++++ £240 / stuff.tv/G8Plus Classic Moto: a smart, well-equipped and capable smartphone for less than £250.

Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro +++++ £424 / stuff.tv/Mi9TPro Makes all the right sacrifices to become the most desirable phone you can get for around £400.

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 £729 / stuff.tv/iPhone11

TOP TENS MOBILE APPS

1

MOBILE GAMES TOP TENS

81

1

HOT BUY

HOT BUY

Pixelmator Photo

Data Wing

Apps like Snapseed revolutionised photo editing on mobile, making the process user-friendly and fast. Pixelmator Photo takes this to a whole new level. By way of a machine-learning algorithm trained on 20 million pro snaps, it’ll try to fix your photo with a single tap. Amazingly, this mostly works, resulting in balanced, natural tones. And should you want something more personal or creative for your photographic chef d’oeuvre, there are plenty of manual controls too.

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 +++++ A first-rate picture editor – only avoid if you don’t have an iPad… or hate making your photos look nice

Stuff says +++++ A mobile game we’d happily recommend if it cost a fiver – for nowt, it’s an absurdly generous bargain

£4.99 / iPad

4 5

£free / Android, iOS

Korg Gadget 2

Jumpgrid

£38.99 / iOS When making music, there’s GarageBand for iOS and Caustic for Android, but we remain smitten with Gadget. Its instruments ape everything from classic synths to game consoles, and workflow is silky-smooth.

Stuff says +++++ This could turn you into the next Kraftwerk

£2.89 / Android O £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

BFT – Bear Focus Timer

Oddmar

£1.19 / Android O £1.99 / iOS It’s too easy to be distracted by your phone, so BFT trains you to put it out of reach. You define work/break sprints, but the timer only works when your phone’s face-down.

Try to cheat and the bear scowls at you.

Stuff says +++++ The best app for more responsible phone use

£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

Moodflow: Year in Pixels

GRID Autosport

+++++ £free / Android, iOS Track moods, find patterns and change your life with this simple self-improvement app.

Bloom: 10 Worlds +++++ £7.99 / Android, iOS Control Brian Eno inside your phone as you bend an organic art/audio project to your will.

4 5

+++++ £9.99 / Android, iOS The best racing game on mobile is an astonishing achievement.

Bring You Home +++++ £3.19 / Android O £2.99 / iOS Make your own future with this imaginative, brilliantly designed and devious puzzler.

FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE PRODUCTS IN OUR TOP TEN LISTINGS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10

TOP TENS IN-EARS

1

ON/OVER-EARS TOP TENS

82 HOT BUY

HOT BUY

Sony WF-1000XM3

Sony WH-1000XM3

The original WF-1000XMs had an easy job in the early days of noise-cancelling in-ears, because there simply wasn’t much in the way of competition. That’s all changed now – 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 in the ears, is quite something. So, just as it was with the original XMs, it’s job done for Sony.

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 +++++ Outright winners on design, build, specifications and, most importantly of all, performance

Stuff says +++++ Great wireless headphones with effective ANC and a sound that nails just about everything

£199 / stuff.tv/SonyWFXM3

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless

4 5

£229 / stuff.tv/SonyWHXM3

Bowers & Wilkins PX7

NEW

£240 / stuff.tv/MomentumTW Everyone wants to sell you a pair of true wireless in-ears, but not many companies can compete with Sennheiser. You’ll find daintier options, and cheaper ones, but nothing that sounds better at this price.

Stuff says +++++ They’re big and they certainly are clever

£350 / stuff.tv/PX7 B&W’s second ANC headphones place greater emphasis on comfort and are all the better for it, while the noise-killing is as effective as you’ll find anywhere. Oh, and they sound flipping good too.

Stuff says +++++ B&W takes on the best with top-class cans

Libratone Track Air+

Bose NCH 700

£174 / stuff.tv/TrackAirPlus These distinctive wireless buds are excellently designed and sweatproof, provide up to 24 hours of battery life, offer active noise-cancelling, and are neat in all senses of the word.

Stuff says +++++ Ace design, sound and versatility

£350 / stuff.tv/BoseNCH700 You won’t find a better voice pickup system than Bose’s, while the company’s already exceptional noise-cancelling tech is now even better. Other features, such as the slick touch controls, are also winners.

Stuff says +++++ As all-rounders these are hard to beat

Apple AirPods Pro

Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 3

+++++ £249 / stuff.tv/AirPodsPro Not really ‘Pro’, but still excellent wireless in-ears for iPhone users.

RHA TrueConnect +++++ £149 / stuff.tv/TrueConnect Fantastic sound, lovely design, waterproofing to IPX5 and rock-solid Bluetooth.

4 5

+++++ £349 / stuff.tv/MomentumWireless These noise-killing cans give an enjoyable listen regardless of your musical tastes.

B&O H9i +++++ £329 / stuff.tv/H9i Offering luxury for your ears, these are some of the best noise-cancellers you can buy.

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 TECH TOP TENS

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HOT BUY

Apple Watch Series 5

HOT BUY

Moov Now

from £399 / stuff.tv/WatchS5

£47 / stuff.tv/MoovNow

There’s no great secret to Apple’s continuing smartwatch domination: it’s all down to a seamless relationship between hardware and software, plus impressive health features that other makers still haven’t been able to match. But while the Series 5 isn’t as significant an upgrade as last year’s model, it does have one key addition: an always-on display. Also new is a compass, while the watchOS 6 update adds a host of new tricks that make the Watch even smarter than it was already.

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 +++++ This is a minor upgrade on S4, but an always-on display makes the best smartwatch even better

Stuff says +++++ A bargain-tastic fitness band that does more than just track your steps

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Apple Watch Series 4

2

from £349 / stuff.tv/WatchS4 Series 5 is the new king, but the old model remains a great option. The big screen, fast processor and punchy speaker mean it’s easier to do stuff on it than any previous Watch, and it has superb health features.

Stuff says +++++ Still a sleek and sophisticated wearable

Samsung Galaxy Watch

3

from £269 / 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 Fenix 6

NEW

+++++ £530 / stuff.tv/Fenix6 The best fitness-orientated smartwatch, offering incredible levels of detail.

Garmin Vivoactive 3 +++++ from £200 / stuff.tv/Vivoactive3 It’s cheap, it looks good and it’s a fine all-round smartwatch for sporty types.

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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

Huawei Watch GT 2 £199 / stuff.tv/WatchGT2 A tracker that thinks it’s a smartwatch, the Watch GT 2 has impressive design, tracking skills and battery life; only the lack of third-party app support will rule it out for serious fitness fiends.

Stuff says ++++, The best-looking tracker money can buy

BlazePod ++++, £410 / stuff.tv/BlazePod This reflex training system transforms your workout into a fun game of Whac-A-Mole.

Stealth Plankster ++++, £89 / stuff.tv/Plankster Slot your phone into this balance board and play a range of ab-scorching arcade games.

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.

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, last summer’s update to the Air model (including a £100 price drop) saw it power to the top of this list. And justifiably so, because in 2020 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. £40 / amazon.co.uk

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NEW

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Microsoft Surface Laptop 2

Apple MacBook Pro 16in

from £899 / stuff.tv/SurfaceLaptop2

from £2399 / stuff.tv/MacBookPro16

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.

The new 16in Pro doesn’t look much different from its 15in predecessor, but all doubts fade away when you start using it. The keyboard is better, the screen is superb, the speakers are great, it only rarely gets warm, and even the battery lasts longer.

Stuff says +++++ An even stronger all-round workhorse than its predecessor

Stuff says +++++ A top upgrade that bodes well for the next-gen MacBooks

8 9 BARGAIN BUY

Dell XPS 13 +++++ from £1199 / stuff.tv/XPS13 Style, portability, performance… there’s nothing else out there that’s quite so well rounded.

Huawei MateBook X Pro +++++ from £1299 / stuff.tv/MateBookXPro Not massively better than the 2018 model, but this is a real powerhouse of a Windows laptop.

Apple MacBook Pro (2019) +++++ from £1299 / stuff.tv/MacBookPro13 The entry-level Pro grows up with a revamped screen, a Touch Bar and more powerful innards.

Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 +++++ from £1715 / stuff.tv/XPS2in1 A powerful, portable and versatile hybrid, but with a hefty price tag to match.

Razer Blade 15 Advanced ++++, from £2199 / stuff.tv/BladeAdvanced Razer’s Blade models are our favourite gaming laptops, and this is a worthy flagship.

Asus ZenBook Pro 14 ++++, from £1176 / stuff.tv/ZenBookPro14 A capable multimedia laptop with a clever gimmick: a second screen instead of a trackpad.

Acer Swift 5 ++++, £799 / stuff.tv/Swift5 A capable and extremely portable laptop at a tempting price.

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

You can control your Move with the touch controls on top, the Sonos app, Google Assistant or Alexa.

Auto Trueplay adapts the Move’s sound to different rooms, while the app offers additional EQ tweaks.

1

SPEAKERS TOP TENS HOT BUY

Sonos Move £399 / stuff.tv/SonosMove

The Sonos range of wireless speakers had been crying out for a battery-powered portable model for ages – and finally our favourite multiroom audio specialist caved in. Luckily, the Move was worth the wait. Its adaptability and sound quality mean it’s fine value for money, and a no-brainer for anyone who’s already a fan of the brand.

Not only is this the speaker Sonos should have launched years ago – it’s one of the best products of its type and price that we’ve heard.

Stuff says +++++ Sonos finally gets up to speed with the portable speaker craze, and in style O NOW ADD THIS Primephonic Bringing sexy Bach, this is streaming for classical music. Niche, yes, but its not-on-Spotify film and game scores offer a great way into the genre. from £7.99/month / primephonic.com

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Sonos One

Naim Mu-so 2

£199 / stuff.tv/SonosOne

£1299 / stuff.tv/Mu-so2

The Sonos One is now a 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. It’s a class apart from the competition.

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.

Stuff says +++++ A great balance of sound and smarts for forward-thinking audio nerds

Stuff says +++++ Naim’s luxury wireless speaker sequel is an improvement all round

8 9 10

B&W Formation Wedge +++++ £900 / stuff.tv/BWWedge Pricey, weird-looking… and a brilliant illustration of what a wireless speaker is capable of.

JBL Xtreme 2 +++++ £199 / 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.

Urbanears Ralis +++++ £170 / stuff.tv/Ralis A pretty speaker with great battery life, and it sounds superb when cranked up.

Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 +++++ £170 / stuff.tv/Megaboom3 You’ll struggle to find a better, or more fun, portable Bluetooth speaker.

Amazon Echo Studio ++++, £190 / stuff.tv/EchoStudio Easily the best-sounding Echo speaker you can buy, and the 3D audio is a lot of fun.

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

We prefer to keep most picture processing off, but the P5 chip is great for upscaling.

86

Flitting between the Movie and ISF Day/Night presets gives the best picture out of the box.

1

Choose to have Ambilight’s colours match the picture, stay static or move to the music.

HOT BUY

Philips OLED+ 984 £4499 / stuff.tv/OLED984

The OLED+ 984 offers outstanding picture performance with universal HDR support, and goes above and beyond what we expect from TV sound thanks to a custom-made speaker system from British hi-fi brand Bowers & Wilkins. Plus it looks gorgeous, particularly with that four-sided Ambilight in full effect.

Above all, this is the best picture we’ve seen from a Philips yet, and the best audio we’ve heard from any TV.

Stuff says +++++ Going big on design, performance and sound, this is the best Philips TV yet 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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Panasonic TX-55FZ802B

Panasonic TX-55GZ1500

from £1450 / stuff.tv/FZ802B

£1699 / stuff.tv/GZ1500

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.

This Panasonic is a strong candidate, 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?

This isn’t the biggest or most expensive OLED in the Panasonic range, but on a ‘quality versus price’ basis it’s definitely one of the best you can buy right now.

It’s a 4K screen equipped to deal with any HDR standard you care to mention, and its handling of contrast has to be seen to be believed. Colour and dynamism are as good as you can get, and even the little integrated soundbar does admirable work. The GZ1500 is the complete package.

Stuff says +++++ You won’t find a better OLED for the money than this talented Panasonic

Stuff says +++++ An excellent TV with superb HDR picture quality – worth every penny

BARGAIN BUY

8 9

LG 55 C8 +++++ £1248 / stuff.tv/LGC8 Small improvements make this LG’s best OLED television yet.

Philips 55OLED+903 +++++ £1500 / stuff.tv/55OLED903 The first fruit of Philips’ collaboration with hi-fi specialist Bowers & Wilkins is a fine, stylish set.

Samsung QE65Q90R +++++ £2199 / stuff.tv/Q90R Samsung has stuck to QLED… and upped its game to rival OLED in virtually every way.

Samsung UE43RU7020 +++++ £329 / stuff.tv/RU7020 Way better than its place in the Samsung pecking order suggests, this is an unassuming cracker.

Sony KD-65XF9005 +++++ £999 / 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 +++++ £677 / stuff.tv/58GX800 Not the last word in picture excellence, but this is a lot of TV for the money.

LG 65SM9800 ++++, £1299 / stuff.tv/65SM9800 Among the best backlit TVs around and a fine OLED-dodging compromise.

FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW TELEVISIONS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/TVs

TOP TENS SOUNDBARS

STREAMERS TOP TENS

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Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar

HOT BUY

Sky Q

£2199 / stuff.tv/AmbeoSoundbar

from £20 + £22/month / stuff.tv/SkyQ

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. The sheer room-filling scale of this device’s sound is remarkable, 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.

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.

Stuff says +++++ The Ambeo Soundbar is a big unit but the sound it makes is bigger still

Stuff says +++++ You’ll have to cough up for a subscription, but this is the best box for watching both live and recorded shows

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Sonos Beam £399 / stuff.tv/SonosBeam Sonos’s great-value Alexa-equipped soundbar offers fine audio quality, comes with loads of features and is compact enough to fit into the average living-room AV setup without taking over.

Stuff says +++++ Compact, affordable and packed with smarts

Vizio SB36512-F6 £599 / stuff.tv/Vizio36512 An intriguing 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos setup with a wireless sub and rear satellite speakers, all for under 600 nicker. Not bad… and the quality of its delivery, from film dialogue to thrumming helicopters, is deeply impressive.

Stuff says +++++ A bargain Dolby Atmos upgrade

Q Acoustics Media 4 +++++ £179 / stuff.tv/Media4 This is a whole lot of under-telly hi-fi for the money.

Sky Soundbox +++++ from £249 / stuff.tv/SkySoundbox The best-value upgrade ever… as long as you’ve already got Sky.

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Amazon Fire TV Cube £100 / stuff.tv/FireTVCube The Fire TV interface is easy to use and all the big catch-up services are available via this tidy box – and best of all, Alexa voice control works brilliantly. You’ll never have to worry about losing the remote again!

Stuff says +++++ A marvel of voice control for your telly

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 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

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.

FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE PRODUCTS IN OUR TOP TEN LISTINGS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10

TOP TENS TABLETS

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CONSOLES TOP TENS

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HOT BUY

HOT BUY

Apple iPad Pro

Sony PlayStation 4 Pro

The 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 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.

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 +++++ Once again Apple blasts ahead of the pack, with a stylish, powerful tablet full of creative potential

Stuff says +++++ The system for console gamers who have a 4K TV and want the best catalogue of games on offer

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 £349 / stuff.tv/iPad2019 If all you want a tablet for is consuming media and typing up the occasional Word doc, this is still the best option. iPadOS’s arrival also makes this an ideal time to invest in a new tablet if you haven’t done so in a while.

Stuff says +++++ The basic iPad remains the best entry-level tab

Amazon Fire HD 10 ++++, from £150 / stuff.tv/FireHD10 Amazon obliterates the competition at the lower end of the tab market.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 ++++, from £589 / stuff.tv/TabS6 This is the Android tablet to get if you like doodling or gaming.

£269 / stuff.tv/PS4Pro

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Nintendo Switch £279 / 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 £289 / 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 +++++ £179 / 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 £25 / 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.

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. £44 / Switch

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God of War

Resident Evil 2

£16 / PS4

from £16 / PS4, Xbox One, PC

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.

Top to bottom, nothing in this game feels like a mere upgrade on an old formula. As polished and defining as recent favourites like God of War, RE2 will inform not only the future of the survival horror genre, but the interactive entertainment medium as a whole.

Stuff says +++++ The epic return of Kratos is yet another phenomenal PS4 offering

Stuff says +++++ Highly polished and much more than a remake – the series’ best entry yet.

8 9 10

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate +++++ £44 / Switch Smash is well and truly back, and it’s bigger and better than ever before.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice +++++ from £30 / PS4, Xbox One, PC A brutally punishing action adventure that will get your heart a-pumping.

Forza Horizon 4 +++++ from £22 / Xbox One, PC This is a bar-raising sandbox-racing game experience that’s worth buckling up for.

Gears 5 +++++ £19 / Xbox One, PC Huge, thrilling and luxurious at every turn – this is absolutely essential.

Super Mario Maker 2 +++++ £37 / Switch One of Nintendo’s smartest ideas in years feels perfect for the Switch.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 +++++ £37 / Switch Luigi finally gets a blockbuster hit that would make his brother proud.

Devil May Cry 5 ++++, from £16 / 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

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ELECTRIC CARS TOP TENS

90

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HOT NEW BUY

HOT BUY

Sphero RVR

Jaguar I-Pace

The RVR pulls off the balance between serious coding and knockabout fun perfectly: it’s a fast, fun all-terrain vehicle that you can throw about without worrying about it breaking; but it also has serious hi-tech chops, being compatible with the best low-cost programming machines around. That means playing with the RVR can be as simple or as complicated as you want: spend hours constructing the most intricate driving routine imaginable, or just gun the motor and tear it up.

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 +++++ If you’re turned off by the mere mention of the word ‘coding’, the RVR might just convert you

Stuff says +++++ Fun, fast and practical, the I-Pace is the greatest thing to happen to electric cars in a long time

£260 / stuff.tv/SpheroRVR

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Lego Boost Creative Toolbox £150 / stuff.tv/LegoCreativeToolbox Building Lego is already ridiculously good fun, so think what great a time you’ll have when the completed model turns into a functioning robot. You can use simple coding to make it move, fire projectiles and play games.

Stuff says +++++ This programmable Lego kit is hard to beat

Sphero Bolt £125 / 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

Kano Harry Potter Coding Kit +++++ £50 / stuff.tv/KanoHarryPotter A magical way to make coding accessible and fun to learn.

Nintendo Labo VR Kit ++++, from £35 (+ Switch) / stuff.tv/LaboVR An irresistible mash-up of cardboard-folding adventures and lo-fi VR entertainment.

from £60,995 (with PiCG) / stuff.tv/ipace

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Nissan Leaf from £26,345 / 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

Tesla Model S from £78,690 / 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

Volvo XC90 T8 +++++ from £66,645 / stuff.tv/XC90T8 This plug-in hybrid 4x4 looks great and can tackle the twistiest routes.

BMW i8 Roadster +++++ 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

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VR GAMES TOP TENS

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HOT BUY

HOT NEW BUY

Oculus Quest

Beat Saber

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.

Most VR games equip you for immersive combat, but Beat Saber’s dual laser swords aren’t meant for slicing and dicing foes. Instead, you’ll gleefully swing them to chop blocks that are flung your way to the thumping beat of a song. This game has reinvented the rhythm genre for VR and it is glorious indeed, turning the power fantasy of dual-wielding lightsabers into an exhilarating modern music experience. And add-on packs keep the beat going for longer.

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 mesmerising musical melee that’s at its absolute best when played on the cable-free Oculus Quest

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

Oculus Rift ++++, £329 / stuff.tv/OculusRift Still the best affordable VR headset, and you get the Touch Controllers thrown in.

PlayStation VR +++,, from £224 / stuff.tv/PSVR It can deliver incredible experiences, but the PSVR is held back by niggling issues.

from £23 / Oculus Quest/Rift, Vive, PSVR

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Superhot VR from £16 / Oculus, 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

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission £15 / PSVR This 3D platformer serves up a heaped helping of Mario-esque magic, but in a built-for-VR world that uses that unique perspective to create fresh challenges and surprises. You can’t help but grin.

Stuff says +++++ A wonderfully charming PSVR essential

Blood & Truth +++++ £15 / PSVR A rollicking PSVR-exclusive action thriller with brilliant set-pieces and terrific gunplay.

Star Wars: Vader Immortal ++++, £24 / Oculus Quest/Rift Step into a galaxy far, far away… and yes, swinging a lightsaber is as cool as it sounds.

FOR FULL REVIEWS, AND TO EXPLORE MORE OF THE STUFF TOP TEN LISTS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10

TOP TENS SMART HOME

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HOT NEW BUY

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock £60 / stuff.tv/EchoDotClock

The Echo Dot smart home assistant has for a long time been one of the best bargains in tech; now you can get one with a clock on it for a few quid extra. If you don’t want the clock, save money and buy the cheaper one. Everyone’s happy. But with solid Alexa performance, the Echo Dot with Clock is really difficult to fault at this price. The only downside is that you’re going to have one less excuse for being late to work.

TIPS & TRICKS The Dot’s display doesn’t just tell the time – ask Alexa for the temperature or to set a timer.

Stuff says +++++ It’s hard to see how the Echo Dot could get much better than this

It also automatically adjusts to ambient light, so it won’t glow too brightly in the middle of the night.

O NOW ADD THIS Small Transparent Speaker Plug your Dot into this glass sound system to create an eye-catching smart speaker with sonic oomph. £450 / transparentspeaker.com

Pairing the Dot with a second one creates stereo sound, even if you’re linking it to an older 3rd-gen model.

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NEW

4 5 6 7

Amazon Echo (3rd gen)

Google Nest Mini

£90 / stuff.tv/AmazonEcho

£49 / stuff.tv/NestMini

The 2nd-generation Echo was a great-value smart speaker… right until you asked it to play music.

But that shortcoming has been thoroughly addressed in v3, which is basically an Echo Plus without the ZigBee connectivity. It’s a fine listener and a fine speaker.

For anyone living in Google’s world, the Nest Mini is about the best, cheapest way to get into the smart home game. If you want a small smart speaker to stick in the kitchen, this one gives you a radio, encyclopaedia, recipe book and timer all in one.

Stuff says +++++ For a smart speaker under the £100 mark, you can’t argue with this Echo

Stuff says +++++ Louder and cleverer than ever… and it’ll only improve over time

8 9 10

Tado Smart Thermostat +++++ from £200 / stuff.tv/TadoV3Plus This heating system roasts the competition with its blend of simplicity and smarts.

Netatmo Welcome +++++ £155 / stuff.tv/NetatmoWelcome A neat security cam with loads of features and storage options.

Nest 3.0 +++++ £195 / stuff.tv/Nest3 A simple and mess-free smart thermostat with Alexa compatibility.

Philips Hue Starter Kit +++++ from £60 (white) / stuff.tv/PhilipsHue Become an indoor god with the smartest way of lighting up your home remotely.

Brisant-Secure Ultion Smart +++++ from £229 / stuff.tv/UltionSmart Tradition and tech partner up in a smart lock to please everyone.

Arlo Pro +++++ £199 / stuff.tv/ArloPro A good home cam that becomes a great one outdoors. Your shed has never been so secure.

Google Nest Hub Max ++++, £219 / stuff.tv/NestHubMax A fine smart display… and see also the non-Max version for a whole £100 less.

FOR FULL REVIEWS OF THE BEST SMART HOME DEVICES, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SMART-HOME-DEVICES

TOP TENS DRONES & ACTION CAMS

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COMPACTS TOP TENS

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HOT BUY

HOT BUY

DJI Mavic Mini

Sony DSC-RX100 V

The Mavic Mini definitely won’t be for everyone. If you want maximum control over your footage, have no qualms about registering your drone, need 4K capture at 60fps, are OK with spending the best part of a grand and consider object-tracking a must-have, you’ll want to look elsewhere. If, however, you just want to get a fantastic balance of user experience, features, convenience and quality at a stomachable price, the Mavic Mini is the most accessible premium drone we’ve used to date.

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 +++++ Dinky drones don’t come more feature-packed, and bigger drones than this need to be registered. Win!

Stuff says +++++ Only a small improvement over the RX100 IV, but this Sony is close to premium point-and-shoot perfection

£369 / stuff.tv/MavicMini

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4 5

£699 / stuff.tv/RX100V

GoPro Hero8 Black

Panasonic Lumix TZ200

£319 / stuff.tv/Hero8Black GoPro fends off the DJI challenge by giving its latest flagship action cam even better stabilisation skills plus 4K 60fps video, a range of wide angles, waterproofing and fast/slow timelapse capture.

Stuff says +++++ Then most stable action cam we’ve ever used

£569 / 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

DJI Osmo Action

Sony DSC-RX100 VI

£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 Superbly responsive in the air, this is the gold standard in portable flyers.

DJI Mavic Air +++++ £769 / stuff.tv/MavicAir A cracking gadget that combines the best bits from the old Spark and the Mavic Pro.

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4 5

£899 / 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 +++++ £399 / stuff.tv/LX100 One of the most capable compacts on the market, with superb stills and HD video.

Fujifilm X100F +++++ £1129 / 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

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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.

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5 NEW

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Sony A7 III

Fujifilm X-T30

£1754 / stuff.tv/SonyA7iii

£839 / stuff.tv/XT30

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.

While the X-T3 is a more powerful camera, particularly for video, the X-T30 does a brilliant job of distilling the pricier model’s essential appeal into a cheaper, more compact body. Not only is it richly equipped when it comes to both video and stills shooting options, but it’s designed so that photographers have lots of control at their fingertips… and the image quality is superb.

Stuff says +++++ A fantastic all-rounder that excels in low-light conditions

Stuff says +++++ Versatile, compact, powerful, stylish and not insanely expensive

7 8 9 NEW

Panasonic Lumix G9 +++++ £899 / stuff.tv/LumixG9 The G9 is the best Lumix camera to date and a fine choice for wildlife or action photography.

Sony A6500 +++++ £999 / stuff.tv/A6500 A cracking system cam for action photography, but stick with the A6300 if your budget is tight.

Fujifilm GFX 50R +++++ £3449 / stuff.tv/GFX50R The ultimate image quality in a medium-format camera that’s not too ridiculously huge to carry.

Canon EOS 80D +++++ £980 / stuff.tv/80D The 80D is so easy to use that even a toddler would get some great shots with it.

Nikon Z6 +++++ £1449 / stuff.tv/Z6 A top-notch and reasonably sized mirrorless camera from the optical experts.

Nikon D850 +++++ £2499 / stuff.tv/D850 This super-cam has enough fantastic features to excel in pretty much any situation.

Sony A6100 +++++ £679 / stuff.tv/A6100 Fine features make this mirrorless Sony an ideal first step into ‘serious’ photography.

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

£1149 / stuff.tv/FujifilmXT3

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BUDGET BUYS TOP TENS HOT BUY

Sega Mega Drive Mini £60 / stuff.tv/MegaDriveMini

TIPS & TRICKS

There’ll be playground rows and online feuds over whether Nintendo’s or Sega’s games are better, but the Mega Drive Mini wins the miniature retro console war in terms of the faithful recreation of both hardware and software – especially as there are 42 games included. It’s taken a long time to get here, but as the saying goes, to be this good takes ages – and the Sega is the must-buy console of the moment.

Dip into the display settings to switch from the standard 4:3 aspect ratio to fit your widescreen TV. Switch the language settings to Japanese and you can play vastly different versions of games.

Stuff says +++++ Sega’s back – and this really is the ultimate mini gaming machine

Struggling with the old-school difficulty?

Hold down the start button to use one of four save slots.

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O NOW ADD THIS Retro-Bit Official 6-Button Controller A must for fans of fighting games, this six-button USB pad is also compatible with PCs, Macs and even the Switch. £18 / amazon.co.uk

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SNES Classic Mini

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock

£145 / stuff.tv/ClassicMini

£60 / stuff.tv/EchoDotClock

Why splash out over £200 on a games console when you can get the SNES Classic Mini for so much less? You get 21 titles pre-installed on this nostalgia-inducing little machine, including the likes of Super Metroid, A Link to the Past and Super Mario World.

Amazon’s Echo Dot smart home assistant has for a long time been one of the best bargains in tech; now you can get one with a clock on it for a few quid extra. And with solid Alexa performance, the Echo Dot with Clock is really difficult to fault at this price.

Stuff says +++++ Retro-minded Nintendo fans won’t find better value anywhere

Stuff says +++++ It’s hard to see how the Echo Dot could get much better than this

8 9 10

Moto G8 Plus +++++ £240 / stuff.tv/G8Plus Classic Moto: a smart, well-equipped and capable smartphone for less than £250.

Raspberry Pi Zero W +++++ from £9.30 / stuff.tv/PiZeroW The Pi Zero was already a brilliant mini-computer; wireless add-ons make it even better.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 +++++ £90 / stuff.tv/Wonderboom2 A rugged little wonder that’ll bring a sonic boost to any occasion.

Moov Now +++++ £47 / stuff.tv/MoovNow The best budget tracker you can buy – gives most Fitbits a run for their money.

SoundMagic E10 +++++ £20 / stuff.tv/E10 We love the E11s, but the previous model is still available for real bargain-sniffers.

Google Home Mini ++++, £19 / stuff.tv/HomeMini You can grab this little smart speaker for next to nothing now that the improved Nest Mini is out.

Ryze Tello ++++, £79 / stuff.tv/Tello Rule the skies without breaking the bank with this affordable toy drone.

FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THESE GADGETS, AND TO EXPLORE MORE TOP TEN LISTS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10

TOP TENS HOW TO BUY

HOW TO BUY A SPORTS SMARTWATCH

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Run, bike, swim or hike, here’s how to choose a wearable that’ll unleash your superhero potential

GNSS Multi-GNSS devices use three satnav systems (GPS, Glonass and Galileo) to track your every move.

HRM Optical heart-rate monitors are now built into many smartwatches to constantly track your pulse.

IP & ATM An IP rating reveals how well your watch can handle sweat, dirt, dust and knocks. ATM is just for water submersion.

JARGON BUSTER

KEEP WATCH 1

Wrist never sleeps

Your watch shouldn’t quit before you do, but using juice-thirsty sensors like HRMs and GPS is a test for any fitness watch. If you need to go long, shoot for a top-end watch that lets you customise your training settings (selecting low-GPS modes that sacrifice accuracy to eke out battery life) and has the ability to switch off the built-in heart-rate tracking.

O Get this: Coros Apex Pro from £450 / coros.com

OR TRY ONE OF THESE…

STRAP YOURSELF IN 2 After the goal rush Some sports watches offer ‘virtual coaching’ with tools that let you know if your blood, sweat and tears on the gym floor are actually helping you hit your goals. The most useful include instant post-workout readouts for the training impact of your session and benchmarking measures such as VO2 Max. O Get this: Garmin Forerunner 945 £520 / garmin.com

3 Speakin’ out Of course, not all sports watches are equally talented. If it’s important that you can get phone notifications beamed to your wrist, make contactless payments, bark orders at a voice assistant and make calls – all while you sweat – look for watches that connect to your phone… or, better still, have built-in 4G connectivity.

O Get this: Apple Watch Series 5 £399 / apple.com

4 Music is love Science boffins have proven that music can motivate us to push deeper into the pain cave – but how you tap into your tunes depends on your device. If you insist on working out phone-free, look for a training partner that offers offline music storage. Or pick a 4G-connected tracker that puts streaming services right on your wrist.

O Get this: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 4G £419 / samsung.com

5 Out on the weekend?

Fatigue, sleep quality and stress all affect how quickly you’re ready to roll again. A watch that pairs with an HRM chest strap offers deeper insights to help you maximise your recovery.

O Get this: Polar Vantage V £439 / polar.com

FITBIT VERSA 2

POLAR IGNITE

£200 / fitbit.com This sporty watch delivers video workouts and has Alexa built in, so you can order more Creme Eggs without stepping off the treadmill.

£175 / polar.com It’s all gain, no strain with this all-round fitness-focused watch, which matches guided workouts to your readiness to train.

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Kick out the clams Motorola reportedly sold 60 million StarTAC phones. In 2010, French company Lekki reissued the phone in bright yellow. Stuff is willing to bet they didn’t sell 60 million.

RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES 1996

h, the classic flip phone that everyone owned in 1996. No, hang on, what’s this abomination?

The Motorola Razr, with that satisfying ‘SNAP’ when it closed, remains forever lodged in the public consciousness.

But it was no pioneer when it rocked up in 2004, eight years behind Motorola’s own StarTAC. And although the older phone might not be a looker to modern eyes, in 1996 it was revolutionary. It was practically wafer-thin (19mm), weighed less than half an iPhone 11, and had the added advantage of looking like a Star Trek communicator.

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I’m not convinced that is a bonus. So why was the StarTAC so good, then?

Now and again, a piece of new tech instantly makes everything that came before it look a bit rubbish – like when Apple hacked the keyboard off mobiles with the iPhone. Before the StarTAC, phones were mostly brick-like monstrosities, not svelte slices of must-have gadgetry. Motorola itself started the revolution with its compact (for the day) MicroTAC, but the StarTAC was the model that blazed into the future. For a start, you could fold the thing in half and shove it in a pocket – without it then pulling down your trousers.

Sure, it was lightweight and it folded in half.

But what else could it do?

The StarTAC came out in 1996. Back then, we were still five years away from the Game Boy Advance and people were cooing over the Nokia 9000 Communicator – which was chunky enough to bean someone with.

And yet, along with making calls, the StarTAC could receive SMS texts and vibrate rather than ring if you needed to be discreet. We remember it here because it was influential.

And if you question that, just think how many smartphone makers are currently trying to make their phones fold in half.

DON’T MISS THE NEXT ISSUE! ON SALE 20 FEB

[ Words Craig Grannell ]

Motorola startac

Go Beyond

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DALI iO Go with Music www.dali-speakers.com