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Email : al@mzaudiodistribution.co.in / info@mzaudiodistribution.co.in Call : 9833006667

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VOLUME 05 ISSUE 05 DECEMBER 2019

The World’s Leading Gadget Magazine!

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iPHONE 11 PRO

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

LUXURIOUS

A top-of-the-line projector that not only provides true cinematic viewing experience but also exudes luxury with its understated design

OP TOM A P1 Optoma decides to take things up a few notches - the P1 is not like any of their previous projectors. This feature packed projector, takes the minimalistic design platform to deliver a superior cinematic experience. This ultra-short throw projector can project images to up to 120-inches), making it a practical addition to modern day media rooms in urban households.

You no longer need a large home theater preview room to enjoy your movies. The P1 supports smart assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa and also combines a sound bar with Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital plus support to produce cinema worthy audio. `4,99,999, optoma.com

6 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

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Welcome

Editor’s letter It’s the lull before the storm…

As we inch closer to 2020, product launches have dried up and it means one thing: companies are gearing up for CES. If past visits are any indication, small and big tech companies will bombard the attendees with the products they plan to attend in

Executive Editor Kunal Gangar Consulting Editor Girish Mallya Copy Editor Kriselle Fonseca Contributors Anshuman Ghosh, Sujith Gopinath Editor (UK) Matt Bolton Contributors (UK) Duncan Bell, Claire Davies, Rob Jones, Aaron Brown, Alex Cox Publisher Girish Mallya Head Design & Production Ravi Parmar Senior Designer Prakash Gavnang Photography Mahesh Reddy Production Supervisor Dinesh Bhajnik Product Manager Perseus Master General Manager North and East - Ellora Das Gupta

the coming year.

General Manager South - Girish Shet Circulation Manager Circulation North and East - Kapil Kaushik

Having said that, companies may be cooling their

BRANCH OFFICES

heels off but we were quite occupied ourselves. First

Mumbai 105-106, Trade World, B Wing, 1st Floor, Kamala Mill Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel West, Mumbai-400013. Tel: +91 22 43525252 Ahmedabad Devendra Mehta - Mob No.- 09714913234 Bengaluru Unit No. 509, 5th Floor ‘B’ Wing, Mittal Towers, MG Road, Bangalore -560001, India Tel: +91 80 66110116/17 Fax: + 91 80 41472574 Chennai Salma Jabbar Cenetoph Elite,No.5,1st street, Teynampet, Chennai-6000018 Tel: + 91 044 421-08-421, 044 421-75-421 New Delhi Ellora Das Gupta 26-B, First Floor, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase-III, New Delhi - 110020 Tel: +91 11 4234 6600 / 6678 Fax: + 91 11 4234 6679 Pune S.No.261/G.L.R.No.5 East Street,Camp, Pune-411001 Tel : + 91 20 26830465 Hyderabad Srinivas Gangula -Territory Sales Incharge (Circulation) Mobile no. 09000555756 Kolkata Vidyasagar Gupta -Territory Sales Incharge (Circulation).

Mobile no. 09804085683 Subscription Enquiries Tel: +91-22-43525220 Apple Newsstand & Magzter Queries: help@magzter.com

with the Christmas-y cover story and with the barrage of reviews.

Check out our review of Apple’s latest iPhones, Apple Watch along with Realme’s most expensive phone and a new smartwatch from Fitbit.

If that’s not enough, take a gander at two foldable devices - Xiaomi’s Mi Mix Alpha and Motorola Razr. Xiaomi’s device is still a concept but Motorola’s resurrection of the Razr brand is exciting and it’s coming to Indian shores soon.

Kunal Gangar, Executive Editor k.gangar@nextgenpublishing.net

Views and opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Next Gen Publishing Pvt Ltd. Views expressed by external contributors are their own and not those of the organisations they work for. Next Gen Publishing does not take the responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent without adequate postal stamps for return postage. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in part or full without the prior express written permission of the publisher. All readers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries before sending money, incurring expenses or entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in the publication. T3 India does not vouch for any claims made by advertisers for their products and services. The editor, publisher, printer and employees of the publication shall not be held liable for any consequence in the events of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai only.

OUR AWARDS PLATINUM AWARD

T3 is…

THE DESIGN AWARD

BEST FOR BATTERY LIFE

This award, and others We give this only to Only a five-star review like it, are given for tech that stands out for earn a product our prestigious Platinum stunning aesthetics or a exceptional performance in a key feature clever build Award

8 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

BEST ON TEST

The winners of our group tests earn this accolade, showing them to be top tier

All rights reserved.

Published with the permission of Future plc.

Reproduction in any manner in any language in whole or in part without prior written permission from Future plc & Next Gen Publishing Pvt Ltd. with regard to their respective content is prohibited. Printed by Girish Mallya. Next Gen Publishing Pvt Ltd., 105-106, Trade World, B Wing, 1st Floor, Kamala Mill Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel West, Mumbai-400013. Published by Girish Mallya on behalf of Next Gen Publishing Pvt Ltd., 105-106, Trade World, B Wing, 1st Floor, Kamala Mill Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel West, Mumbai-400013.

Printed at Kalajyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20. Published at Next Gen Publishing Pvt Ltd., 105-106, Trade World, B Wing, 1st Floor, Kamala Mill Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel West, Mumbai-400013.

Editor: Kunal Gangar

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Contents

Contents 059

SAMSUNG FOLD It’s back, and available.

And we’ve tried it

040

CHRISTMAS GADGET GIFTS This year’s most desirable tech that you’ll be hoping to find in your stocking

054

SLEEP TECH

Want more sleep or better slumber but don’t know how to achieve it? We look at the latest smart sleep aids trying to help you bridge the dreamland gap

10 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

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Contents BEST OF THE BEST 089 INTRODUCING THE BEST BUYER’S GUIDE KNOWN TO MAN

HORIZON

TESTED

014

066

HORIZON TOP LAUNCHES

APPLE iPHONE 11 PRO

Meet the Xiaomi concept phone we just can’t stop staring at, plus Rega’s new showstopper turntable

Apple delivers a masterclass in how small changes add up to a big, beautiful performance

030 HORIZON BUILD

070

All the gear you need to create your own versatile podcast studio

APPLE iPHONE 11

032 STYLE

From p phones to tablets, and camera to cars, our selection of the ver best tells you what to buy 085

Has Apple struck the right balance between features and price here?

072

Bundle up in a super-toasty coat and accessorise with a handsome watch

APPLE WATCH SERIES 5

033

How the world’s best smartwatch has just cemented its place at the top

FITNESS & OUTDOORS Get gains without using gym gear with these four key bodyweight exercises

076 REALME X2 PRO

TALKING TECH

Realme ups the ante with its most expensive smartphone yet

TOP HITS

How smart home tech is about to become cool and genuinely useful

078

Vol-2

034

035 AUTO

FITBIT VERSA 2 Hey, Alexa! How is Fitbit’s new smartwatch?

Car shopping goes VR

036

081

GADGET GURU

GAMES

T3’s tech buff on the gadgets you need to strengthen your core, use VPN, and organise smaller gadgets

Time to burn some rubber and deliver some packages! We review Need for Speed Heat and Death Stranding

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE BIG MONEY

097

Essentials 006

SHOWSTOPPER

097

SUBSCRIPTIONS

098

LUXURIES

12 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

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Horizon

The best new tech heading your way

XIAOMI MI MIX ALPHA `TBA, mi.com Worried about how much screen time you’re having?

Then you probably won’t want the new 5G concept phone from Xiaomi. The Mi MIX Alpha’s display covers almost the entirety of the handset, offering an incredible 180.6% screen-to-body ratio, a figure that only makes sense if you squint quite hard. Clearly, the Chinese company’s objective with this phone was to provoke awe and wonder, and it certainly achieves this in the photography department: the Mi MIX Alpha not only rocks a 108-megapixel camera – developed in collaboration with Samsung and capable of taking photos at a mind-blowing 12032x9024 resolution – it also features an enormous 1/1.33 sensor, which will help you to capture dazzling photos in low-light conditions.

Powering all this screen and lens-based innovation is a Snapdragon 855+ chipset (the same one found in Xiaomi’s Mi 9 Pro 5G) and a 4,050mAh battery, while the phone is contained within a luxurious, aerospacegrade titanium alloy frame that’s said to be three times stronger than stainless steel while weighing less. Of course, that frame is wrapped in screen, so it was never really the metal that had us worried when it comes to drops…

Will it actually be practical to try to use? Alas, we have no idea, and possibly never will: Xiaomi has said that it doesn’t have any plans to produce this exceptional handset en masse – but if you do get the opportunity to buy one, and you don’t mind being deprived of over two grand, the Mi MIX Alpha might just be the best thing you ever put in your pocket.

TECH-O-METER

14 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

SLEEK UNIQUE The camera module – which is the only thing that interrupts that wraparound display – is protected by a single piece of sapphire glass, embedded in ceramic. You’ll be hard-pushed to find a sleeker design anywhere

“This came out of nowhere – I can’t think of any phone I’ve been more eager to try!”

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Horizon Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha

PHOTO FIT As well as that 108MP snapper, you get a 20MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 12MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom. There’s no selfie camera – you just turn the handset over and use the rear display as a viewfinder

ON THE BUTTON To enable that unique wraparound look, Xiaomi has not put any physical buttons on the side of the phone. Instead, there’s a pressure-sensitive area complete with a linear motor that helps simulate the feel of real buttons

HUGE BYTES As you’d expect from such a special phone, the Mi MIX Alpha comes with a flagship 12GB of memory and 512GB of storage, enabling you to store all your photos, music and games in one place

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DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 15

Horizon MOTOROLA RAZR `TBA, motorola.in We have seen a few implementations of foldable displays but Motorola’s latest smartphone seems to be the most practical one yet. Dubbed the Razr, the new phone resurrects the old clamshell-style design but this time comes with a foldable display. This way, Motorola manages to give a 6.2-inch Flex View display with the help of a zero-gap hinge that allows both sides of the polymer flexible display system to remain perfectly flush when closed and even protects the display from debris and dust. Just like any flip phone, Motorola Razr has a secondary display that measures 2.7-inches and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 processor, 6GB RAM, 16MP and 5MP cameras but just 2510mAh battery.

T3 SAYS: Motorola Razr is coming to India this month.

TECH-O-METER

APPLE MACBOOK PRO From `1,99,900, apple.com/in Apple dropped a new MacBook Pro last month with a slightly larger display and a revamped keyboard. The MacBook Pro now comes with a 16-inch Retina Display. The large Retina Display panel boasts a Pixel density of 226 ppi with a brightness of 500 nit and P3 wide colour gamut.

The contentious MacBook keyboard has also been revamped and now has a refined scissor mechanism that delivers 1mm of key travel and improved stability along with Touch Bar. Powering the notebook is Intel’s 9th gen processors, up to 64GB, discrete AMD Radeon Pro 5000M graphics and option to expand total storage to a whopping 8TB. T3 SAYS: MacBook Pro features a 100Wh battery that promises a battery life of up to 11 hours.

TECH-O-METER

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Horizon MICROSOFT SURFACE DUO `TBA, microsoft.com Three years after the launch of its last smartphone (the Lumia 650), Microsoft has announced that it’s returning to the market with a foldable handset called the Surface Duo. The device, due to go on sale at the end of 2020, marries two 5.6-inch glass displays via a 360-degree hinge – and the US company’s initial demonstrations suggest that the twin screens work together seamlessly. Microsoft is hoping the gadget will “inspire developers” to build apps that make the most of the new technology. Interestingly, Microsoft has finally ditched its insular Windows Mobile operating system. Never mind the dual-screen theatrics – the fact that the handset now runs on the more broadly compatible Android could be what makes people sit up and take notice.

T3 SAYS: With two displays, Microsoft’s new handset offers so much potential.

TECH-O-METER

GARMIN FENIX 6 SERIES From `79,990, garmin.co.in Garmin has added four new smartwatches to its range to appeal to outdoor enthusiasts and serious runners.

The Fēnix 6 series comprises of fēnix 6S, fēnix 6, fēnix 6X and fēnix Pro Solar (pictured) that brings the much-needed ruggedness, longer battery life and PacePro technology that provides a pace-strategy to the runner. While fēnix 6S caters to users with smaller wrists, the fēnix 6 and fēnix 6X comes with 1.3-inch and 1.4-inch displays. All watches support interchangeable Quickfit nylon bands and supports smartwatch features like receive alerts for incoming calls, texts, emails and more with smart notification.

The fēnix 6X Pro Solar, however, is the most interesting (and expensive) from the lot that has Power Glass, a transparent solar charging lens that uses solar power to extend battery life.

T3 SAYS: Garmin also sells Sapphire editions of these watches that come with scratch-resistant sapphire lens and other high-performance premium materials.

TECH-O-METER

18 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

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Horizon

XIAOMI MI TV 4X (55) 2020 DI ION `34,999, mi.com/in Xiaomi has expanded its TV lineup with yet another affordable Smart TV. The Mi TV 4X (55) 2020 Edition takes over from Mi TV 4X (55) Pro and brings in native 4K content support for Netflix, Prime Video, Hotstar and other content partners in PatchWall 2.0. The 55-inch TV features a 4K 10-bit HDR panel and comes with Xiaomi’s in-house developed image processing algorithm, Vivid Picture Engine (VPE) along with 20W speakers certified for Dolby Audio and DTS-HD. The TV also comes with support for Play Store apps, Data Saver and Google Assistant.

T3 SAYS: Mi TV runs Google’s official Android TV 9.0 OS.

TECH-O-METER

REALME 5S From `9,999, realme.com The entry-level smartphone market is one of the most competitive segments today and Realme has added a new device to the fray.

The Realme 5s is a 48MP quad-snapper that features a crystal design and gives the user the freedom to shoot in high resolution, ultra-wide, closeups with macro or portrait.

The 6.5-inch HD+ display has a good 89% screen-to-body ratio and is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3+. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 665 AIE, 4GB RAM, up to 128GB of internal storage and option to expand (up to 256GB). However, the USP of the device is its humongous 5000mAh battery that promises up to 8.5 hours of PUBG or almost 2 days of talk time.

T3 SAYS: Realme says the crystal design has been polished 133 times to get that distinct look.

TECH-O-METER

20 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

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Horizon VIVO U20 From `10,990, vivo.com Strike while the iron is hot seems to be Vivo’s mantra. Following the positive reception of the Vivo U10, the company is following up with the Vivo U20. The phone now features an upgraded Snapdragon 675 AIE processor with RAM options of 4GB and 6GB. There’s a 6.53-inch FHD+ Halo FullView display, triple camera at the back with 16MP+8MP+2MP and another 16MP as a selfie camera. The phone also features a 5000mAh battery and bundles a fast 18W charger.

T3 SAYS: U20 display comes with Panda MN228 display protection that scores 700 on the Vickers hardness test results.

TECH-O-METER

HAVELLS BT9003 `1,995, havells.com With clean-shaven and stubbled hunk looks making way for more pronounced beard styles, beard trimmers have suddenly become the new fad in the market. Not to be left behind, Havells has introduced their line of trimmers.

The BT9003 is a micro USB quick charge enabled trimmer that provides 20 lock-inlength settings from 0.5 to 10 mm with a precision of 0.5 mm. A zoom wheel with auto-lock feature ensures precise settings, while a detachable stainless steel washable blade helps you keep the device clean all the time. The trimmer has an extra-wide mouth opening, which lets you finish the job faster in a single stroke. A 90-minute quick charge provides 50 minutes of run time.

T3 SAYS: If you like to keep your thin-to-full beard well-groomed and styled to perfection, the BT9003 does the job well.

TECH-O-METER

22 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

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Horizon

IBALL MUSI HOME PRO `9,990, iball.co.in Musi Home Pro combines multiple features to be your bedside or office desk companion.

The device can not only show off the time and room temperature on its big screen but just plop your Qi-supported smartphone and see it charge wirelessly while you’re sleeping or clanking that keyboard mercilessly. There’s a built-in speaker as well to play your favourite tunes or just use them as an alarm.

T3 SAYS: Musi Home Pro plays music via Bluetooth, microSD, aux, FM and USB.

TECH-O-METER

AIROK VISTAR COMFORT From `25,000, airoktech.com With the air quality going down during the winter, air purifiers have become a necessity.

AirOk Technologies have launched their Vistar Comfort series that comes with an EGAPA comfort filter that not only delivers cleaner and breathable air but also absorbs CO2, which is said to make you feel drowsy and lethargic. The Vistar Comfort boasts a clean air delivery of 450m3/hr supports smart connectivity, thanks to the integrated Wi-Fi. Moreover, the Uni Touch interface lets you adjust purifier settings like toggling between modes, increase/decrease fan speed levels and more.

T3 SAYS: Filter replacements vary from 8 months to under a year.

TECH-O-METER

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DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 23

Horizon

LENOVO THINKBOOK 15 `30,990, lenovo.com Lenovo ThinkBook may not look as professional as their ThinkPads but that’s what Lenovo is going for with this new range.

Created for the generation next, ThinkBook 14 and 15 are wrapped in a lightweight anodized aluminium chassis with mineral grey finish and zinc-alloy hinges. Despite its casual looks, ThinkBooks mean all business with its powerful hardware that includes up to 10th Gen Intel Core i7 6-core processor, dual-drive setup, AMD Radeon graphics, Wi-Fi 6, hidden USB port, Type-C port and up to 12 hours of battery life. The laptops also have ThinkShutter for webcams, Windows Hello and 5 year technical support for businesses.

T3 SAYS: The laptops feature a hidden USB port to connect and conveniently store a small USB device like a mouse dongle.

TECH-O-METER

REGA PLANAR 10 `TBA, rega.co.uk Ba in 2015, Rega marked its 40th anniversary Back by y launching an exquisite turntable called the Na aiad. Perhaps realising that only footballers an nd royalty could afford it, the British manufacturer has now released the Planar 10, a turntable ‘developed and engineered to en ncapsulate the essence of the Naiad at a more affordable price’. The Planar 10 certainly do oesn’t sound like your average turntable, thanks to – among other things – its ultralilg ghtweight Tancast 8 polyurethane foam core, 24 4v low-noise motor assembly, diamond-cut ce eramic platter and friction-free RB3000 to onearm. Alright, so you’re still going to be sh helling out well over three grand, but, hey, that’s still less than you could’ve spent.

T3 3 SAYS: Rega’s latest turntable channels the sp pirit of its best ever… and at a cut price.

TECH-O-METER

26 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

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Horizon

CASIO G-SHOCK GA-2000 `8,995, casio.co.in Casio’s G-Shock range watches are known for their ruggedness and durability and the latest to join the family is GA-2000. Design-wise, GA-2000 adopts the same design language as other G-Shock offerings but the thing that sets this watch apart is the updated Carbon Core Guard structure. Put it simply, the watch comes in a carbon fiber reinforced resin case and stainless-steel panel back that dramatically improves the rigidity and the durability of the watch. Moreover, it also helps to protect the internals from shock-induced damage and deformation. Another interesting addition is the ability to swap bands made of traditional resin, velcro, cordura, or cloth. The watch also has water resistance of up to 200m. stopwatch, world time, countdown timer, calendar, alarm and LED light function.

T3 SAYS: GA-2000 stays true to its G-Shock roots with a resilient design and packed features.

TECH-O-METER

TILE PRO `3,999, thetileapp.com Tile is a handy tracking device that allows keeping a tab on your belongings and the company recently launched a few new Tile devices at varying price points. The Tile Pro is the best one you can get right now that connects to your smartphone over Bluetooth and is capable of keeping a check on the ‘tiled’ item in the range of 400 ft. The expected battery life of Tile Pro is up to a year, post which you can easily replace it with the CR2032 battery.

T3 SAYS: Tile Pro’s body is water resistant and comes in colour choices of black and white

TECH-O-METER

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Horizon INFINIX S5 LITE `7,999, infinixmobiles.in We have got devices with notch displays in the sub-10k price range but Infinix is trying to buck the trend by bringing a phone with hole-punch display. At `7,999, the phone comes with a 6.6-inch hole-punch HD+ immersive display with a screen-to-body ratio of 90.5%. It is powered by MediaTek’s P22 processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage that can be expanded further via a dedicated memory card slot. Handling the camera duty is a 16MP triple camera setup with 2MP depth sensor and 16MP on the front for selfies and 4000mAh battery for full-day use.

T3 Says: The Infinix S5 Lite runs on Android 9 with a customised XOS 5.5 Cheetah layer.

TECH-O-METER

ADIDAS ULTRABOOST 20 `17,999, adidas.co.in Drawing inspiration from a space shuttle, thanks to its partnership with the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, Adidas has launched the Ultraboost 20. The new range tries to maximise the performance of each element that is used in the making of the shoe. It features advanced Primeknit upper with Tailored Fiber Placement (TFP) technology that lays down fibres to utmost precision for an improved performance, boost midsole that captures energy in every stride along with Stretchweb and torsion spring, helping to propel the runners forward.

T3 Says: The Ultraboost 20 is also available in a number of limited-edition colorways.

TECH-O-METER

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DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 29

Horizon

WE CAN BUILD YOU

A PODCAST STUDIO Put on a podcast that the planet will love. The only question is which type of true crime you’ll cover…

1

AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-M50X

True, you could use any old headphones to check you’re getting good signal from your microphones, but true monitoring headphones, with a flat tone, are a must if you want to ensure you’re recording exactly what you hear. Audio-Technica’s closedback cans offer exceptional sound reproduction between 15-28,000Hz, and they bleed absolutely minimal sound so you’ll be feedback free.

4

SHURE MV88

The iPhone’s internal microphone is surprisingly capable at close range, and it’s perfect for quick and dirty interviews. For field recordings or a more professional portable recording experience, though? You’ll need a proper capsule, and that’s the Lightning-connected MV88. It’s a condenser mic with a built-in DSP, meaning it’s suitable for a whole host of situations. shure.co.uk

audio-technica.com

2

YETI BLUE YETICASTER

Simplicity itself in microphone form, Blue’s Yeticaster package – which includes a USB-connected Yeti mic, shock mount and articulated desk arm – is an all-in-one package of some highly respected mic hardware. Its triple-capsule setup means it can act just as competently as a personal mic as it does for a multi-person recording. yeti.com

3

RØDECASTER PRO

5

MONOPRICE MICROPHONE ISOLATION SHIELD

Unless you’re willing to plaster your walls with sound-deadening acoustic foam panels you’ll need some way to dampen sound reflections.

Monoprice’s shield both gives you somewhere handy to mount your mic, and deals with the audio surrounding it – behind the foam is a mesh rear plate, which stops any residual echo making its way back to your mic. monoprice.com

The Rødecaster Pro offers fadeable, monitorable inputs for four microphones, a Bluetooth source, a USB source and a mix-minus input for phone calls which ensures those dialling in don’t hear echo.

Internally it contains just about every possible self-contained tool you could need to create multi-track recordings on a microSD card – and Class A preamps and integrated Aphex processing ensures you’ll never have sounded better.

Though it’s optimised for use with the Rødecaster, with a setting on Røde’s desk that automatically applies the best levels, the Podmic will work with any mixer – it’s a dynamic mic, so it doesn’t require phantom power. There’s an integrated pop filter to blot out those plosive mouth sounds, a solid mounting bracket, and a capsule designed specifically for the spoken word.

rode.com

rode.com

6

30 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

RØDE PODMIC

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We can build you…

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DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 31

Style

WHICH WATCH

THE HOTTEST TIMEPIECES RIGHT NOW

JAEGER-LECOULTRE POLARIS DATE

GRAND SEIKO GT-R LIMITED EDITION

Drawing inspiration from the 1970 Polaris II, the Polaris Date features a new hand-lacquered, blue double-gradient dial with sunrayed, grained and opaline finish.

With a stunning blue ceramic case housing the innovative Spring Drive chronograph calibre, the Grand Seiko GT-R Limited Edition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the legendary Nissan GT-R.

jaeger-lecoultre.com

grand-seiko.com

G-SHOCK MUDMASTER GGB100-1A9

CERTINA DS ACTION DIVER TITANIUM

The new mud-resistant, app-enabled G-Shock is designed to withstand tough environments. There are also sensors to measure altitude, temperature and pace (there’s a steps count too).

A true diver’s watch that’s waterproof (300m) and housing the robust Powermatic movement. Certina’s newcomer is crafted from lightweight titanium, so it won’t weigh your wrist down.

casio.co.in

certina.com

32 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

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Fitness

COMPACT HOME GYM GEAR

ADIDAS DOOR GYM A cost-effective, space efficient and versatile door pull up bar (the max load is 110kg).

The Door Gym has three grip positions and is height adjustable, so you can tailor it to the door space you have. A convenient (and cheap) way to build upper body strength. amazon.com

ALL BY YOURSELF LIFORME YOGA MAT Talk about small home gym gear – simply unfurl this eco-friendly yoga mat when you want to practise yoga, to stretch or do body strength training, then roll it up and stick it under your bed when finished. Line markings on the mat help you align correctly for popular poses. liforme.com

ROGUE MONSTER RESISTANCE BANDS Resistance training is one of the fastest ways to burn fat and build muscle. Resistance bands also take up no space, so they’re ideal for smaller homes.

Rogue’s bands are super-tough and come in different resistance levels, from 6.8kgs to 90kgs. rogueeurope.eu

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BEST BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES FOR A FULL BODY WORKOUT T3’s fitness writer Matt Kollat explains how these no gear required exercises can help you get maximum gains away from home Bodyweight exercises use nothing more than your own bodyweight, funnily enough, making them ideal for any time when you’re travelling and don’t have access to fitness gear, but still want to work out. Before you start exercising, warm up. This could be five to ten minutes of cardio to get your heart rate up a bit. The first bodyweight exercise to try is mountain climbers, as it pretty much works your whole body, especially abs and obliques, quads and hamstrings, and basically your whole upper body.

To perform a mountain climber, start off in the standard push-up position, then pull your knees up to your chest, one at a time, in quick succession. Keep your body in a push-up position throughout the exercise, and perform mountain climbers as fast as you can without compromising on technique.

Three 20-second sets should do the trick.

Another bodyweight exercise to try is the walkout push-up, which works your chest, triceps and hamstrings. To start, stand with your legs a little less than shoulder width apart. Bend over as though you want to

touch your toes, but instead place your palms on the floor and walk forward with your arms until you reach the standard pushup position. Do a push-up then walk back with your arms and straighten up. That’s one rep. Aim for three sets of 10.

Stationary lunges deliver noticeable results for your legs, and this exercise is actually pretty straightforward: as you’re standing straight, take a big step forward and bend your knee so that your rear knee almost touches the floor. Then kick yourself back up with your front leg and return to your original position. Do the same with the other leg. That’s one rep. Aim for four sets of 12 reps.

Lastly, throw in some triceps box dips to work your triceps, delts, pecs and upper back. These dips can be performed almost anywhere there’s an elevated surface, such as a chair, sofa or a low wall. To do a box dip, rest your legs in front of you as you do your dips. Concentrate on slow movement as you go down, followed by explosive upward motion. Try three sets of eight reps.

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Opinion

Duncan Bell is in a smart home When will smart home tech move on from being cool to being useful? Pretty soon…

his month I have been pondering the nature of the smart home, and wondering when we’ll be able to do more than just turn our lights on or off by shouting at Alexa. To that end, I spoke to some consultants to the building trade and they had interesting things to say. No, really.

Until quite recently, smart home has seemed more like a cool thing than a useful one. We have had a load of gadgets for early adopters that are fun to use and show off to friends who are still obliged to turn on their lights using a switch, like some sort of caveman.

I’ve been using this sort of stuff for years. I can safely say that, for a long time, smart home products were actually more timeconsuming than their non-smart equivalent. I used to have to reset my router on a quite regular basis just to turn on my hallway lamp, and every product had its own little smartphone app, that you’d have to go into individually to switch on plugs, roll up your blinds, lock your door and so on.

Improvements wrought over time, and the arrival of Alexa, Google and Apple HomeKit have helped resolve that nightmarish scenario, but the tech has retained a slight novelty feel. Recently, though, Amazon has quite cannily made an Echo advert starring a blind woman, which spells out how useful smart home tech – Alexa specifically in this case, of course – could be for people with certain disabilities. Anyone who’s given their older relatives an AI speaker will know that they can be very handy for the elderly, too.

However, smart home has

T

potential uses beyon nd even that. It could help save the world, no less.

And even more impo ortantly, it could save us some money.

As I mentioned, I was talking to some guys from the worlds of planning and building this month and they are very ex xcited by smart home.

A home that’s smart They see a future where homes are like giant Nest thermostats. They’ll monitor our energy and water usage and start adapting so that wastage is reduced, along with the bills. Meanwhile, blinds made of solar panels will top up our electricity reserves, and bacteria will be stung to death by tiny robotic bees. Or maybe I’m getting a bit ahead of myself there.

Perhaps because I am more used to talking to journalists, I’m always

Smart home products used to be more timeconsuming than their non-smart equivalents surprised how uncynical people in other professions are about technology. Nobody really mentioned the security or privacy issues that always come up when talking about connected technology other than in terms of it being a shame that they might potentially put people off.

The reason builders and planners and politicos of every stripe are excited about smart home is its

34 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

potential to reduce pressure on the national grid and make our energy and water networks more sustainable. This isn’t on some abstract eco-friendly whim, although of course ecofriendliness is also a driving factor.

With a number of UK power stations reaching the end of their useful life, and the population showing no signs of impending decline, the possibility of regular power and water cuts in the near future is very real. The price of both is also likely to go up.

How great it would be, then, if we could mitigate that by only running power- and water-hungry devices at off-peak times?

Unfortunately, because I am a cynical journalist, I immediately picture a world where my house is a kind of dictatorial hippy, forcing me to do my laundry in the middle of the night because it’s more virtuous. And then a gang of cyber criminals hacks it, installs ransomware and refuses to let me clean my pants until they are paid off in Bitcoin.

Still, if the choice is between that and having no electricity at all, I suppose it’s something I could live with. It’ll be strange to look back on the days where ‘smart home’ meant telling Alexa to turn on your lights.

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Horizon Auto

GOING CAR SHOPPING IN VR Audi upgraded its retail network and we got a chance to check out their latest effort to digitise the overall buying experience Buying a car for many is a very personal experience. It involves visits to the dealership, test drives and discussions with the family before going through the purchase. However, to make things easier, Audi has introduced virtual reality to the mix. Audi dealers are equipped with a high-end laptop and a VR headset that allows them to show a prospective customer the car and walk through some of the features.

The customer can not only see the car from the outside but can ‘sit inside’ and experience different features. Our demo included an Audi A8L wherein we got to see the features inside the cabin as well as a W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

chance to customise various aesthetic features like the colour of the car, dashboard, seats, etc. The one thing we think could have enhanced the 360-degree presentation is the simulation of the engine sound of that particular car and the noiseless cabin.

Moreover, the thing that adds to Audi’s customisation cred is the augmented reality app that lets the customer do minute customisation. For instance, it lets you see hundreds of colour variations as well as select the colour of the stitching on the seats and so on, allowing the customer to order their personalised car.

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 35

Horizon Gadget Guru

Our tech buff has been training hard at the gym of knowledge

SITARAM KOTE

What’s the best way to strengthen my core?

Get your best and most lurid Mister Motivator leotard on and hit up some basic bodyweight exercises; if you don’t know how to pull them off, there are scads of apps (You Are Your Own Gym, BodBot, 8fit et al) which will bark you through them for a generally pretty modest subscription.

That’s the absolute best way, as much as it pains Guru’s abs to admit it.

But the world of fitness wouldn’t be the world of fitness without outlandish fitness gadgets, and Guru knows of plenty which can help give your jelly belly some

ILLUSTRATIONS: STEPHEN KELLY

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steel appeal. The only limit, really, is storage space and your frivolous exercise gear budget.

Start with an ab roller: Guru loves the SKLZ Core Wheels for planking – it’s definitely a better option than rolling a dumbell around. York Fitness’ squishy Tone Dome Balance Trainer is a

ABOVE Hey, that’s cheating! And it’ll come off in the shower

THE WORLD OF FITNESS WOULDN’T B THE WORLD OF FITNESS WITHOUT OUTLANDISH FITNESS GADGETS, AND GURU KNOWS OF PLENTY

36 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

fun reminder of the moon bouncers GaGu used to grip with his heels in his youth, and probably more effective than any electrical alternative.

If your fittings are sturdy enough, the Adidas Door Gym is perfect for pull-ups – or the Weider Power Tower will do if you can spare the floor space.

And you can’t beat a rowing machine, whether it’s the technologically neat Skillrow from Technogym or the rather more niche but highly attractive WaterRower which uses fluid for resistance and wood for construction.

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Gadget Guru

NEW MEDIA

NOW PLAYING Guru finds the best media you need on your various screens

NIGHT SKETCHES Someone got glue on the ‘Bossa Nova’ button of Parisian band Papooz’s keyboard, but they’ve made the absolute best of a bad situation. Other-worldly, infectious pop.

SHUBHAM S H

Can I run a VPN on my phone? yes: the phone is A Well, arguably the VPN’s most valuable platform, particularly if you’re in an area where iffy mobile signal forces you to hook up to public Wi-Fi. Most of the main candidates, thankfully, make it particularly easy to get set up, adding the appropriate credentials at the press of a button.

As for which to use, Guru’s most awful traffic is hidden behind either NordVPN or Private Internet Access depending on the day – two good services based out of countries where sniffing your internet data isn’t baked into law. They’re subscription-based, but any free VPN is either a trap or a chore, so avoid them if you can.

JAGMOHAN RAO THE GOOD PLACE Season the fourth and the finalth is now dropping weekby-week on Netflix. If it’s something you’ve missed, do yourself a favour and watch from the start.

INSIDE BILL’S BR AIN Also on Netflix, Bill Gates is a man with a lot of money and a mission to spend it on Good Things: this three-parter explains exactly what he’s up to all over the world.

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What’s the best way to navigate in shady areas?

Outside of the walls of Guru’s palatial estate lies a cruel wasteland filled with violent criminals. GaGu does try not to let the local populace see even a sliver of his wealth – and finding his way through the stinking alleyways is detestable at the best of times.

Luckily, Google Maps comes to the rescue with its haptic feedback system: start directions when walking, turn down the volume, and (as long as Maps itself isn’t muted) it’ll buzz twice for a right turn and thrice for left. Just make sure you can feel the vibration, lest you wander too far… The Apple Watch does the same thing for walking directions in Apple Maps, and wrist vibrations are hard to miss.

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ABOVE This new version of Pac-Man’s a bit grittier than we remember

RAMNATH DUBE

How do you organise your smaller gadgets?

A

Let’s be honest here: Guru does not. His office is awash with cables, tools and doodads. But! If Guru were to ever get around to organising his dinky bits, performing tasks such as putting microSD cards in a place where they wouldn’t be somehow erased from existence, he’d use a modular toolbox. GaGu’s choice: the Stanley FatMax Metal And Plastic Rolling Workshop, because of sliding drawers, multiple compartments, detachable top container, and the fact that ‘FatMax’ is Mrs Guru’s special nickname for Guru on junk food Fridays.

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 37

Christmas gadget gifts

CHRISTMAS GADGET

Or something unmissable for the tech lover in your life who’s hard to buy for? Welcome to the world’s greatest gadget grotto…

Words: Alex Cox Photography: Neil Godwin

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Christmas gadget gifts

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DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 41

Christmas gadget gifts

SOUND & VISION

Indulge your senses (or those of the person you’re buying for) with a sleigh full of awesome sounding TV and audio tech

AMAZON ECHO STUDIO

SAMSUNG Q900R QLED 8K TV

PHILIPS OLED+ 984

Apple HomePod? Google Home Max? Three can play at that game! Amazon’s high-end HYHU\ZKHUH ĆULQJ ' DXGLR VSHDNHU XVHV 'ROE\ $WPRV WHFK WR UHDOO\ GLDO XS WKH KL Ć immersion, with all the convenience and smarts of the usual Echo line. amazon.in

This Christmas, grab a next-gen 8K TV. Tech includes a full array backlight, rated to go around 50% brighter for HDR highlights, with impressive black levels. An AI processor handles upscaling brilliantly from 4K to 8K.

Time to salivate. Philips claims its top-end telly has ‘the most advanced sound system ever RIIHUHG RQ D 79è DQG ZLWK WKH 79èV ćRDWLQJ soundbar and unique centrally mounted tweeter delivering exceptional high-frequency performance, it’s hard to argue. philips.co.in

samsung.com/in

BENQ W2700

SAMSUNG QA65Q90R

PANASONIC DP-UB9000

Texas Instruments’ 2019 4K DLP chip is quite the mover: it’s brought true 4K down to a reasonable price, and BenQ takes full advantage of it here. Impeccable contrast, HDR-Pro support and even a decent set of speakers mean this is a do-anything projector. benq.co.in

Want to really see the future? It’s an extravagant gift, sure, but nobody will complain about getting Samsung’s stunning telly. With a few small tweaks, it offers much of Samsung’s advanced tech from its 8K TVs, but with a 4K panel instead. samsung.com/in

Built like a tank, with industrial strength internals, this is the Blu-ray player to have.

Panasonic’s second generation HCX picture SURFHVVRU HQVXUHV \RX JHW WKH ĆQHVW . picture whether you’re playing back discs RUbUXQQLQJ VPDUW DSSV RQ ERDUG panasonic.co.in

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Sound & vision

1 SONOS MOVE At last Sonos brings its wireless audio smarts to something that doesn’t require mains power – juice up the Move and you can take it around the house on Wi-Fi or use it as a Bluetooth speaker if you’re partying elsewhere. Don’t worry about accidental bumps either: the Move has a tough, shock-resistant case. sonos.com

4 SENNHEISER MOMENTUM WIRELESS

2 AUDIO-TECHNICA ATLP5X

3 ALL-NEW FIRE TV CUBE

Your vinyl collection is precious and it deserves to be treated right. This Christmas, treat yourself or a loved one to AudioTechnica’s affordable newcomer.

This three-speed direct drive turntable tracks perfectly, and there’s a built-in preamp to ensure good sound. audio-technica.com

Newly renovated for 4K output and much faster operation, the Fire TV Cube means you won’t need to make the difficult choice between putting an Echo device or a TV streamer on your Christmas list – with an integrated speaker, this is everything in one. amazon.com

5 KEF LSX

These comfortable, closed-back cans do so much it’s crazy: from auto power and smart pause to active noise cancelling with a bleed-through option to keep a little outside sound. But it’s the studio-quality sound that makes them absolute winners. sennheiser.com

For the audiophile with an aversion to wires, these smart Wi-Fi-connected bookshelf speakers are cousin to the excellent LS50s, with transparent sound output and KEF’s innovative Uni-Q integrated driver system.

They’re so compact you’ll be able to fit them in almost anywhere. kef.com

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DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 43

Christmas gadget gifts

HIGH-TECH PLAY

From drones and gaming to Lego and Star Wars, these cutting edge toys and games will make Christmas go with a bang

RAZER KRAKEN X LEGO HIDDEN SIDE Lego is hands-on, it’s creative, and there’s arguably nothing with more replay value. The spooky Hidden Side sets add a whole new technological and storytelling dimension to the experience by having you hunt ghosts in AR in the sets you’ve built. lego.com

The price and lighter weight of the Kraken X might fool you into thinking otherwise, but custom-tuned 40mm drivers and a solid cardioid mic make this is one monster of DbKHDGVHW ZKHWKHU \RXèUH XVLQJ LW RQ D 3& DbFRQVROH RU D SKRQH razer.com

SPHERO MINI ACTIVITY KIT

MSI GS75 STEALTH 8SG

OAXIS MY FIRST DRONE

What could be better than a smartphonecontrolled robotic ball? All that plus a host of STEM-inspired activities, a construction kit for mazes and race tracks, and a FRYHU IRU FXVWRPLVLQJ \RXU DXWR UROOLQJ URERVSKHUH WKDWèV ZKDW sphero.com

Make someone’s face light up with outrageous laptop power in a tiny shell. Good for work, better for games, with an eighthgeneration Core i7, a slim-bezel 144Hz display, an RTX 20-series graphics card and a whole bunch of other best-in-class internals. msi.com

)XOO\ HQFDVHG WR SURWHFW OLWWOH ĆQJHUV IURP spinning rotors, and controllable with the wave of a hand, this is the perfect starter GURQH ,W ZRQèW ć\ WRR KLJK XQGHU WKUHH metres), and its sensors mean it cleverly avoids collisions all by itself.

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High-tech play 1 ROLLPLAY WAVE CATCHER ELECTRIC SCOOTER Switching the rear wheel for a skateboard-style truck gives this 6mph scooter a different look and feel, with a deck that tilts as you ride for a surf-style experience.

The handlebar allows for onehanded riding – pair with pads! rollplay.com

2 STAR WARS D-O INTERACTIVE DROID

3 NINTENDO SWITCH LITE

4 PARROT ANAFI FPV DRONE

Adopt a puppy, or adopt a Bluetooth controlled monowheel balancing puppy that can chase an infra-red beacon ball? It’s a no-brainer, and D-O’s prime position in The Rise of Skywalker means this is going to roll right off the shelves. hasbro.com

More compact, packed with battery and now sporting a proper D-pad, the Switch Lite takes the portable part of Nintendo’s hybrid console and turns it into a superbly lightweight handheld. The ideal gift for whiling away Christmas. nintendo.com

Everything you need for FPV flight, from the goggles to the 4K HDR drone to a backpack which doubles as a launchpad – and with Parrot’s super-simple Arcade Mode control scheme, you might even avoid a catastrophic crash before bedtime. parrot.com

5 OCULUS QUEST VR without the BS: the Quest is virtual reality for those who just want to play. No restrictive cables, no outrageous PC – just an all-in-one headset with roomscale tracking and a guardian system to stop you blundering into the Christmas tree. oculus.com

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Christmas gadget gifts

PRODUCTIVITY BOOST Enjoy a smarter, more powerful way of working with these Santa approved picks 1 APPLE iPHONE 11 For all its other amazing HQKDQFHPHQWV DQG LW LV D SUHWW\ incredible phone) the iPhone 11’s A13 Bionic processor makes it outrageously fast. If there’s something you need to get done, there’s an app that can make it KDSSHQ LQ D ćDVK apple.com/in

2 LOGITECH MX VERTICAL The traditional mouse, for all its EHQHĆWV PDNHV \RX WZLVW LQ VXFK a way that isn’t good for your wrist. The MX Vertical puts your hand in a more natural position – and Logitech’s excellent internals mean it’s more than a gimmick. logitech.com

3 ACER CONCEPTD 500 A professional-level computer that looks the part while speeding XS \RXU ZRUNćRZV (LJKW FRUH processing power, Nvidia pro graphics cards, as expandable as you could want, and all in a quietrunning design. It even has a Qi wireless charging pad on top. acer.com

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ADATA SD600Q All that important work needs WR EH NHSW VRPHZKHUH VDIH å EDFN XS D SRUWIROLR WR $GDWDèV SRFNHW VL]HG 66' ZKLFK \RX FDQ spec up to a full terabyte) and it’s safe from mechanical damage while still transferring at blazing USB 3.1 speeds. adata.com

SAMSUNG SPACE MONITOR Built to bolt onto the back of the desk, the space monitor both ensures you don’t have your nose pressed up against your screen and that you sit ergonomically. With slim bezels and 4K resolution, it’s quite the screen too. samsung.com

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APPLE MACBOOK AIR /XGLFURXVO\ WKLQ DQG ĆQJHUWLS light, the latest MacBook Air is plenty at home in a bag, but it’s got it where it counts on the desktop too. Expandable with Thunderbolt 3, and with enough juice to last as long as 12 hours, it’s a real workhorse. apple.com/in

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE10 0DGH IRU WKH VSDFLRXV EXVLQHVV pocket, this tablet/phone hybrid is the apogee of the working phone.

With more storage than many laptops, and a huge screen with clever and useful pen support, the Note10 helps you get more done. samsung.com W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

Adventure seekers

ADVENTURE SEEKERS There’s a big world out there… Go explore, conquer and capture it all with this fearless band of gadgets

1 COLUMBIA SH/FT HIKING TRAINERS

2 CASIO MEN’S PROTREK (2019)

3 GOPRO HERO8 BLACK

Some days you just can’t make it to the trail. No worries: Columbia’s SH/FT hikers are comfortable and versatile enough to strap on when you’re hitting the streets, and the energy UHWXUQbIURP WKH VROHV PDNHV hiking much easier. columbiasportswear.co.in

Toughened up to military standards in order to cope with any adverse condition, and bolstered by Casio’s own GPSenabled apps, this is a smart watch not just for the sporty but for the adventurous. Never get lost again, whatever the terrain. wsd.casio.com

The Hero8’s abilities as an action cam are excellent, with next-gen HyperSmooth 2.0 stabilisation ensuring videos and shots are pro level. As of December, you can turn the Hero8 Black into a full-bore vlogging kit thanks to GoPro’s new accessories range. gopro.com

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4 OAKLEY PRIZM FLIGHT JACKET CYCLING GLASSES If you’re moving fast, you need your senses heightened; Oakley’s Prizm lenses, available in Road, Sapphire and Black, are like a cybernetic upgrade, tweaking your eye’s colour balance just enough to boost contrast and enhance visibility. oakley.com

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PARIA OUTDOOR BACKPACKING TENT Weighing in at under 6kg, this surprisingly capacious tent won’t make too much of a dent on your overall carry weight – and you FDQ TXLFNO\ HUHFW MXVW WKH ć\ LI \RX need a simple compact shelter. pariaoutdoorproducts.com

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ENDURA MT500 FREEZING POINT 07% -$&.(7 Ride through any weather: incorporating silicone into the shoulder fabric of this straight-cut jacket means it doesn’t restrict movement the way others can, and it’s thermally insulated too. endurasport.com DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 47

Christmas gadget gifts

LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD Nurture your style and your sense of wellbeing with our selection of presents to make you feel as splendid as you look

1 GILLETTE LABS HEATED RAZOR In the context of Christmas gifts, shaving gear is a classic.

Gillette takes it to a new level with its heated razor, designed to replicate a soothing hot towel shave at home. How? Via a steel warming bar that hits 50 degrees in a second. gillette.co.in

3 BEATS BY DRE POWERBEATS PRO These wireless earbuds are water- and sweat-resistant, making them the perfect gadget to soundtrack your high-energy workouts. Want to take them running? Cool, because we’ve yet to discover a way to make them fall out. Plus, they sound ace. beatsbydre.com

2 SONY FES WATCH For the fashion-forward smartwatch-wearer, Sony’s novel e-paper wristpiece is quirky, fashionable and functional.

Not only can you change the watchface on a whim, but the e-ink customisation stretches all around the band, so you can change that too. sony.co.in

4 FITBIT VERSA LITE A pared-back version of Fitbit’s smartwatch, this gives you fitness tracking and other smarts with a good-sized screen, but lacking extras such as GPS or Fitbit Pay. For the price, it’s a great set of features, and makes a nice step up from a pure activity tracker to something a bit handier. fitbit.com

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1 HIMIRROR MINI

2 DYSON AIRWRAP

3 THERAGUN LIV

Want a real-life magic mirror?

The HiMirror is an Alexa-enabled camera-meets-smart-mirror with a built-in light that acts as a skin-analysing beauty consultant, tracking changes to your skin GDLO\ VR WKDWb\RX FDQ VHH KRZ LWèVbLPSURYLQJ RYHU WLPH himirror.com

,I \RX ZDQW VDORQ ĆQLVK KDLU without putting in much effort, the AirWrap should be top of your Christmas wishlist. It curls, ZDYHV GULHV DQG VWUDLJKWHQV WR a degree), and does so without using extreme heat. Your hair ZLOObWKDQN \RX IRU LW dyson.co.in

Buying for someone who exercises hard or who has muscle or joint pain? The Theragun Liv percussive massager moves 16mm to massage deep into any problem areas. All that H[WUD EORRG ćRZ DQG KHDW KHOSV towards boosting recovery. theragun.com

4 APPLE WATCH SERIES 5

5 ORAL-B GENIUS X LUXE EDITION ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH

Simply the best smartwatch ever made, and the most desirable too.

This is wristwear with health tech that can change the way you live – and it’s a thinner, longer-lasting upgrade for anyone who has an older model of Apple Watch. apple.com/in

Ready for a hygienist-level clean at home? Oral-B reckons you’ll get just that with this toothbrush.

7KHb$, HQJLQH VORZV GRZQ WKH brush if you press too hard. oralb.co.in

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SAUCONY GUIDE 13 8 8OWUD OLJKW LQFUHGLEO\ ćH[LEOH DQG PDGH WR ĆW \RXU IHHW SHUIHFWO\ 6DXFRQ\ KDV delivered in spades with these comfy and supportive running shoes. If you’re a running for distance, there’s probably nothing your feet would love more. saucony.com

GARMIN INDEX SMART SCALES Whatever your reason for wanting smart scales, be it weight loss or lowering your body fat percentage, Garmin’s sleek offering is a great way to measure and track those stats for multiple people. garmin.com

Christmas gadget gifts

HAPPY HOBBIES

This Christmas, ask Santa to bring you all the tech you need to make 2020 your most creative, hobby ďŹ lled year yet

BOSCH PSR SELECT FERTI GAMES CROKINOLE 65 &URNLQROH LV D JDPH RI Ä&#x2021;LFNLQJ GLVFV WR WU\ WR NQRFN \RXU RSSRQHQWVè SLHFHV RXW RI WKH central scoring area. Easy to understand, tough to master and unstoppably fun â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this is OLNH KDYLQJ D SRRO WDEOH H[FHSW LW Ä&#x2020;WV RQ \RXU GLQLQJ WDEOH <RX FDQ SOD\ LQ WHDPV WRR ferti-games.com

ROLI LUMI

DJI OSMO POCKET

Learn how to play and make music with Shaky videos be damned â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Osmo Roliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incredibly beautiful, fully illuminated Pocketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3-axis gimbal turns even the keyboard thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beginner-friendly enough for shakiest hand into a master camera operator, newcomers, but offers plenty of features to and arguably does a better job than any keep pro music-makers and songwriters happy.

LQ FDPHUD VRIWZDUH VWDELOLVDWLRQ $FWLYH Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s small enough to sit on your table.

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Boschâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next-gen take on the long-respected PSR Select, which stores 12 different bits RQ ERDUG OHWV \RX FKDUJH LWV OLWKLXP LRQ battery via USB, meaning DIY enthusiasts ZLOO QHYHU EH ZLWKRXW WKH DELOLW\ WR WLJKWHQ XS WR VFUHZV SURQWR bosch.co.in

DREMEL F0132050JB STYLO+ ROTARY TOOL Every creative pursuit gets a little easier with a rotary tool on hand. Dial it up and this can hit an astonishing 20,000rpm, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfect for polishing, grinding, engraving and cutting all sorts of small things. dremeleurope.com W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

Happy hobbies 1 PANASONIC LUMIX DC-GX880K Old-school styled but distinctly futuristic inside, this vloggeraimed mirrorless camera does some special stuff. 4K filming is a snap, the sensor is incredibly sensitive, and post-focus means you can fix up blurry shots after the fact. panasonic.co.in

2 LIVESCRIBE

3 APPLE iPAD (2019)

Journal, scribble notes and hand-write a chapter of your new book with the Livescribe smart pen. It’s stacked with lots of features, including the ability to record and add audio files in your notes, and converts handwritten work to PDFs and plain text files for editing. livescribe.com

The ideal gadget for anyone who loves to sketch, draw, paint, read and watch, all digitally, of course.

The iPad has a hundred uses in a hundred different places, with a rich ecosystem and hardware that just keeps getting faster and stronger. apple.com/in

4 LEGO NASA APOLLO 11 LUNAR LANDER This is definitely a show-it-off centrepiece Lego set for the older builder – the finished product looks awesome. Celebrating 50 years since the moon landing, it has detachable stages and two little spaceman minifigs. NASA helped get the details just right. lego.com

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DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 51

Retro style

RETRO STYLE These gifts may look vintage, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing old-school about the tech inside 1 MARSHALL MAJOR III VOICE

2 SEGA MEGA '5,9(b0,1,

3 TIVOLI AUDIO MODEL ONE BT

That â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Voiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the name doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily refer to tuning (these are as meaty-sounding as youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d expect) but instead to WKH IDFW WKDW WKHVH UHLQYHQWHG foldable Bluetooth cans include *RRJOH $VVLVWDQW HQKDQFHG YRLFH command functions. marshallheadphones.com

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Despite looking almost like a SLHFH RI V VFLHQWLÄ&#x2020;F WHVW HTXLSPHQW WKLV LV DQ $0 )0 radio thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple to use, with a modern Bluetooth twist. Real ZRRG YHQHHU LQ D FKRLFH RI FRORXUV HQVXUHV LWèOO Ä&#x2020;W LQ SUHWW\ much any room. tivoliaudio.com

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$ WUXH WKURZEDFN WR WKH LFRQLF 2QH6WHS /DQG WKLV PRGHUQ UHPDNH adds Bluetooth camera control ,so the days of pointing, shooting and hoping are well and truly behind us. polaroidoriginals.com

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2 KLIPSCH THE THREE HERITAGE SPEAKER

DOT MECHANICAL KEYBOARD

ç'HDU 6DQWD IRU &KULVWPDV ZH would like The Three Heritage 6SHDNHU D EHDXWLIXO YLQWDJH VW\OH tabletop stereo system.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Klipschâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s polished slab of audio opulence dishes out professionally tuned, URRP Ä&#x2020;OOLQJ VWHUHR VRXQG £395, henleyaudio.co.uk

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and, in the world of keyboards, pretty unique, the round-keyed Dot can go wired, wireless, and hook up to three different GHYLFHV DW RQFH ,W DOVR ORRNV pretty damn good on a desk. £69, lofree.co

52 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

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The complete guide to…

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO…

Sleep tech Want more sleep or better slumber but don’t know how to achieve it? We look at the latest smart sleep aids trying to help you bridge the dreamland gap Words: Claire Davies Photography: Phil Barker

leeping well consistently is one of the most nourishing things we can do for our physical and mental health, yet many of us experience regular sleep issues such as snoring, insomnia (the inability to sleep) and frequent waking that prevent us from enjoying great sleep.

According to a 2017 report released by The Sleep Council, an advisory organisation dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of good sleep, more than a third of us have been living with sleep problems for over five years. The report found that the top three things keeping people awake at night are: worry or stress (45%), partner disturbance (25%) and noise (20%). One in 10 respondents also blamed having an uncomfortable bed and mattress for their sleep woes.

Sleep Health America reports that 50-70 million Americans are now affected by sleep issues, while in its Sleep Matters report the Mental Health Organisation estimated (from a survey of 6,700 people) that nearly a third of the UK has insomnia.

S

54 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

Why is good sleep so vital? It maintains our wellbeing and plays just as crucial a role in our physical and mental health as hydration, good diet and regular exercise do.

Sleep helps repair our brains as well as our bodies – we undergo various maintenance processes that help us function better when we’re awake. It is advised that adults aged 19-65 need seven to nine hours of sleep a night to feel at their best.

“Regular poor sleep,” says the NHS, “puts you at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy.” Happily, there’s plenty we can do to boost the quality of our slumber. Tech is trying to help too, which is why we’re seeing a rise in the number of sleep gadgets.

A HELPING HAND

Can tech help us sleep better? Not on its own. As advanced as some sleep gadgets are, no company has yet developed a magic bullet for instantly better sleep that requires zero effort from us. Sleep tech is a

broad church, too, encompassing gadgets and apps that loosely split into two camps: firstly, gadgets that track sleep then provide data to help us understand our sleep behaviour.

Secondly, devices focused on helping us overcome specific sleep woes.

The purpose of sleep-tracking gadgets is to monitor your sleep behaviour to see what patterns and issues might arise, and how your sleep might be affected – a loud or wriggly bed partner or the actual environment within which you are sleeping could be behind your poor slumber. A good sleep tracker not only identifies such issues, it gives you advice on how to rectify them.

However, there is a downside to some types of sleep trackers: they can sometimes create feelings of sleep-related anxiety in the user.

After all, it’s hard to feel energised if a tracker is telling you that you only achieved three hours of quality sleep the night before, and how that lack of good sleep may affect your mood and level of productivity.

So choose a sleep tracker that accurately identifies issues and helps

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Sleep tech

The top three…

ESSENTIAL EXTRAS FOR GREAT SLEEP

The Lumie Shine 300 is perfect for anyone who struggles to wake-up feeling refreshed

Quality slumber isn’t just about deep breathing blocking blue light and journalling help too 01

SWANICK BLUE LIGHT BLOCKING GLASSES Your phone may have anti-blue light tech, but what about your TV or laptop? Blue light suppresses production of melatonin (sleep regulating hormone), but these orange lens glasses block blue light. Pop them on an hour before bed if you’re looking at screens. amazon.com

02 ROCKETBOOK EVERLAST NOTEBOOK A racing mind is a recipe for broken sleep. Journalling is a proven way to ‘empty’ your brain before bed so that you don’t lie there ruminating. Not only is this clever notebook reusable, via the app it also converts handwritten notes into GLJLWDO ĆOHV getrocketbook.co.uk

03 VITRUVI ESSENTIAL OIL DIFFUSER Certain scents,, including g lavender, promote deep relaxation, which gets your body into a restful state for sleep. Vitruvi’s oill diffuser d can be b programmed to release scent in 30-second bursts over 7.5 hours, either before bed or as you sleep. revolve.com

you resolve them. Fitbit and Nokia are ace for sleep tracking from the wrist, with the Fitbit Inspire (fitbit.com) and Withings Steel HR (withings.com) delivering accurate sleep tracking, plus advice for improving your snooze.

HANDS-OFF SLEEP TRACKING If wearing a tracker on your skin is simply too much for you, there are also a raft of noncontact sleep trackers. These either comprise mats or pads that slip under your mattress, or stand-alone app-controlled devices that sit on your bedside table. The Withings Sleep (withings.com), for example, uses a pad that lies under your mattress, from where it tracks sleep and in-bed movements, then pings data to its companion app. Over time you may see a pattern emerge, indicating any disturbances that could be the culprit behind poor sleep.

The ResMed S+ ( amazon.com) does much of the same job but via a device that sits on your bedside table. It remotely and silently tracks your sleep by measuring your breathing and body movements, and analysing light, noise and temperature levels in your bedroom. With that data it creates charts to help you understand your sleep behaviour and how you could improve it.

Some smart lights also fall into the sleep tech sector, with brands including Lumie, Philips Hue and Lighting Science Group offering lighting optimised for better sleep.

The latter has developed a great range called Healthe Circadian Rhythm Lighting, which includes the Good Day and Good Night bulbs (amazon.in). These bathe your bedroom or living space in the right type of lighting for the time of day or night, all to support your natural wake-sleep cycle.

Speaking of waking up, Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD), where your biological clock

is significantly delayed, is another common sleep issue. It’s common among night owl types, but the disorder also makes it difficult for you to wake up easily and feel refreshed upon waking. Naturally a powerful wake-up light is your ally here, especially the Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300 (lumie.com), which rouses you gently with a cheery sunrise, coupled with wake-up sounds, that gets gradually brighter over a set period.

SPOON, SNUGGLE, SNOOZE Devices created to help you fall asleep quicker and enjoy quality sleep are the real golden geese. There are fewer of these and they’re more expensive, which is why the majority offer a time-limited money back guarantee – and why many are viewed with equal degrees of hope and pessimism.

Take the Smart Nora (smartnora.com), for example. Despite having mixed reviews, this anti-snoring solution keeps selling out.

Snoring is a desperate problem for some people and can lead to rifts in the bedroom.

Smart Nora is the closest tech has come yet to being able to reduce the impact of snoring, but it isn’t a guaranteed solution.

There’s a compromise to be made by the snorer in the form of an inflating insert that slides inside their pillowcase to sit underneath the pillow, and a connected

Devices to help you fall asleep quicker and enjoy good sleep are the golden geese

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 55

The complete guide to…

T3 recommends...

FINDING THE RIGHT SLEEP TECH FOR YOU There’s a raft of sleep tech now, but a precious few are designed to actually help you sleep

ONE FOR DEEP SLEEPERS

LUMIE BODYCLOCK SHINE 300 Falling asleep is not the only sleep issue people deal with: rousing or waking easily is a problem too, especially in winter when our bodies crave hibernation.

The Shine 300 wake-up light alarm works to combat this by

slowly bathing your bedroom in a gentle yet stimulating sunrise, coupled with your choice of 14 pre-programmed wake sounds (Tropical Birds and Kitten Purring are fun to wake up to). lumie.com

ONE FOR INSOMNIACS

SOMNOX SLEEP ROBOT Insomnia is the inability to sleep.

By encouraging you to breathe slowly and deeply, the Sleep Robot puts you into a relaxed state to ease feelings of anxiety. This type of breath work helps you fall faster into a relaxed state conducive to

sleep. When you cuddle the bot you’ll feel it inhaling and exhaling, and you should match its depth and length of breath. It’s very expensive for what it does, but it offers a money-back guarantee. meetsomnox.com

56 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

As we’ve said throughout this feature, sleep tech on its own is not a magic bullet for instantly better slumber – your lifestyle choices and sleep hygiene are far more crucial – but some gadgets can give you a helping hand. The key when choosing a smart sleep aid is to consider your main challenge: are you a frequent waker or do you suffer from insomnia? Do you snore (or does your partner)? Perhaps you have trouble waking up easily in the morning? These are all genuine sleep issues that require time, understanding and patience, and there are smart sleep aids out there that, when coupled with proper sleep hygiene, can support you towards alleviating them.

ONE FOR LIGHT SLEEPERS

BOSE NOISE-MASKING SLEEPBUDS If you’re a light sleeper, the smallest sound can wrench you out of your slumber multiple times a night, leaving you feeling exhausted come morning. Bose Sleepbuds mask external noise with soothing sleep sounds.

The level of noise-masking is adjustable, and you can set an alarm that sounds directly in your ears. Best of all, the Sleepbuds are small, comfy and stay put, even if you’re a side-sleeper. bose.co.in

ONE FOR SNORERS

SMART NORA This sleep aid aims to stop the early sounds of you snoring before you wake your partner. A sensor on the bedside table talks to an inflating insert that slips into your pillowcase. When the sensor detects early sounds of

snoring, the insert gently inflates.

By doing so it adjusts the position of your head to alter how you’re breathing, so you’ll stop snoring before you wake anyone (and without being disturbed yourself. smartnora.com W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

The complete guide to… app, you can set the length and depth of the robot’s breathing, and how long each session lasts. Your job is to copy its breathing – you can clearly feel it inhaling and exhaling. The deeper and slower you breathe with the bot, the more relaxed you’ll feel and the more ready to sleep.

Right now the robot’s functionality is limited to breathing and playing lullabies, and we experienced a niggle with the former: every time our Sleep Robot inhaled, we heard a mechanical whirring sound. It wasn’t enough to make us switch it off, but a few times it did pull us out of the meditative state the breathing regulation was dropping us into. There’s no sleep tracking The Somnox Sleep Robot has a built-in on/off button and volume control

pump that sits underneath their side of the bed, plus a contactless sensor that should be placed near the snorer. When the sensor detects early sounds of snoring, the insert gently inflates to raise their pillow and stimulate their throat muscles to encourage normal breathing (so no snoring).

The pump emits a sound that isn’t exactly loud, but it’s enough for light sleepers to pick up on until they get used to it at least.

Light sleepers are susceptible to being woken up by any external sounds, leaving them feeling exhausted come morning no matter how long they spend in bed. If that’s your sleep conundrum, try Bose’s Noisemasking Sleepbuds (bose.co.in). The Sleepbuds help to reduce external noises that might stop you from drifting off or that are waking you up.

The noise-masking is a series of soothing soundscapes (those things again), and you can adjust the level/volume. The Sleepbuds are small, comfy, featherlight and don’t fall out. You can program a wake-up alarm to sound in your ears (so you won’t disturb your partner when getting up early), but you can’t play other form of media through the buds - that’s admittedly a bit disappointing, considering the price.

Then there’s the Somnox Sleep Robot, a device shaped like a very chunky (2.5kg) kidney bean. It’s aimed at people experiencing insomnia, and uses affection (you cuddle and spoon with it) and breath work to relax you in bed, easing any worries you have about not being able to sleep.

It does this chiefly by breathing regulation and playing calming music. Via the Somnox

With sleep tech, the price can often be as big as the promise of better sleep functionality yet, but Somnox is working on that, plus an alarm. It shows a lot of promise, but it’s a very expensive sleep buddy.

And that seems to be the story with a lot of sleep tech - the price can often be as big as the promise of better sleep, but in reality they might not yet deliver on the level you need them to. We’re not dissing sleep tech, as it’s hugely promising, and we’ve certainly been snoozing much better with devices like the Sleepbuds and Sleep Robot, but we’ve also been putting in the work with our sleep hygiene. That, undoubtedly, is having a big impact on how well we’re sleeping too.

THE ROLE OF DIET AND SLEEP HYGIENE

Want to sleep better without waiting for the postie to deliver your sleep tech? Step this way…

When it comes to wellbeing, good sleep is as important as a healthy diet, regular exercise and staying hydrated. It has a positive effect on your hormones and brain function, and helps you maintain a healthy weight and a more positive outlook. If you want to overhaul your slumber, there are some things you can do immediately, starting with food…

Eating magnesium-rich veggies such as spinach and kale, or taking a magnesium citrate supplement, and eating foods containing tryptophan (think salmon, bananas and nuts) all aid better sleep. How? Although there are various causes of insomnia, including stress and depression, insomnia is also a symptom of

magnesium deficiency, and magnesium plays a key role in supporting deep sleep. Tryptophan, an amino acid, is linked to increased production of the sleep hormone melatonin.

So changes to your diet can go some way to enhancing your sleep. That goes for drinks too, particularly those containing high levels of sugar and caffeine. The NHS states: “Caffeine interferes with the process of falling asleep, and also prevents deep sleep.” Same story for alcohol. If a drink is part of your nightly wind-down routine, try a herbal tea or milky drink instead.

Sleep hygiene is also important. On a very basic level this means only using your bed for

58 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

sleeping and sex – so definitely no watching TV or playing on your phone while in bed. It also means setting a specific ‘retire and rise’ schedule, so going to bed and getting up at the same time. This trains your brain into knowing when it’s time to sleep or get up.

The environment within which you sleep is also crucial: too much external light or noise, or too much heat or cold air are all culprits for sleep interference. Use blackout curtains or blinds to block external light, keep the temperature at a sleep optimal 16-18 degrees, and try dressing your bed with temperatureregulating duvets and linens to create the perfect sleep cocoon.

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Open for business

business

The Samsung Galaxy Fold is back after some re-engineering. :H JRW WR WHVW WKH KDQGVHWèV QHZ YHUVLRQ DKHDG RI LW JRLQJ RQ sale, and it’s going to be well worth the wait Words: Aaron Brown, Rob Jones

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Open for business

We really liked the Galaxy Fold when we spent time testing the unreleased original handset earlier this year, but just before it was due to get into customers’ hands, a series of serious issues were discovered, and Samsung wisely pulled it.

But now it’s back, with a gentle redesign that fixes the big issues, and will be available to buy by the time you read this. It still has the ultra-premium price tag we were always promised, though, coming in at a cool `1,64,999.

So, what’s changed in the last five months? Well, the truth is: very little.

The Fold still comes with the same gorgeous and pliable 7.3-inch AMOLED display, which folds directly down the middle, and it still delivers the same genuinely refreshing ability to transform in an instant from tall and long phone, to easy-to-hold-in-one-hand tablet. When unfolded, it really is like holding an iPad mini, just one that you can then comfortably fit in your pocket.

What has changed, though, is how the phone is protected. The screen, for example, on the first Fold featured a protective plastic cover that ran to the edges of the display, but stopped short

The new design is more durable, and looks better of the chassis. The problem with this was that people found they could get their fingers under the plastic cover, and assumed it was just a protective film for shipping ready to peeled off… so they peeled it. It was not supposed to be peeled. So this has now been changed, and on the new Fold the cover extends under the edges of the casing, meaning that it cannot be lifted

60 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

away from the panel.

And, while we’re talking about the casing, at the top centre of the new Galaxy Fold’s Infinity Flex screen, there are now a couple of small protector clips that not only secure the folding mechanism better, but also help to seal off these areas against the intrusion of dust and small detritus. As with any phone that is subjected to usage over an extended period, coming in and out of pockets and bags frequently, these sorts of contaminants regularly get behind cases, in port openings, and down the side of bezel-screen joins. But on the first generation of the Galaxy Fold, both here and around the back down its spine, noticeable gaps meant that this problem was exacerbated. Samsung has clearly worked hard to make the spaces between the back of the screens as flush as possible, so only the most micro-level detritus could theoretically squeeze through. The flusher finish is also more aesthetically pleasing.

Samsung has also reduced another gap that was noticeable on the first iteration of Galaxy Fold: the space running down the centre of the device when closed. The result is that now only a tiny sliver of free space sits between each side of the screen, which tapers in slightly at the phone’s far edge, W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

Open for business

Wondering just how big that folding screen is? Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a life-size version you can compare to your phone/hand/cat/whatever you like to use for scale.

SAMSUNG GALAXY FOLD SPECS OUTER DISPLAY 4.6-inch, 720x1680 AMOLED Cover Display MAIN DISPLAY 7.3-inch, 1536x2152 AMOLED ,QÄ&#x2020;QLW\ )OH[ 'LVSOD\ OUTER FRONT CAMERA 10MP INNER FRONT CAMERA 10MP, 03 GHSWK FDPHUD REAR CAMERA 03 XOWUD ZLGH 12MP wide-angle, 12MP [ WHOHSKRWR

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PROCESSOR 4XDOFRPP Snapdragon 855 MEMORY 12GB STORAGE 512GB OPERATING SYSTEM Android 3LH 6DPVXQJ 2QH8, SECURITY 6LGH PRXQWHG Ä&#x2020;QJHUSULQW VHQVRU IDFH UHFRJQLWLRQ CONNECTIVITY 86% 7\SH & FRQQHFWRU :L )L %OXHWRRWK * 6DPVXQJ 3D\

BATTERY CAPACITY P$K GXDO EDWWHU\ CHARGING :LUHG DQG ZLUHOHVV IDVW charging, Wireless Powershare CLOSED DIMENSIONS [ [ PP OPEN DIMENSIONS [ [ PP WEIGHT 276g COLOURS Space silver, &RVPRV %ODFN

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today 61

Open for business

THE COMPETITION The only other folding phone worth taking note of right now is the Huawei Mate X, ZKLFK LV VDLG WR ODXQFK EHIRUH 1RYHPEHU EXW ZLWKRXW DQ\ VWURQJHU FRQÄ&#x2020;UPDWLRQ WKDQ WKDW \HW ,W WDNHV D YHU\ GLIIHUHQW GHVLJQ approach to Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s: it has a single screen on the outside, which wraps all the ZD\ DURXQG ZKHQ \RX IROG LW 7KLV JLYHV LW VRPH FOHYHU IHDWXUHV OLNH D FDPHUD VHOÄ&#x2020;H VFUHHQ EXW PD\ DOVR OHDYH LW PRUH SURQH to drops.

7KHUH DUH VRPH TXHVWLRQ PDUNV RYHU WKH Mate X still, the biggest of which is that it ORRNV XQOLNHO\ WR KDYH DFFHVV WR *RRJOHèV DSSV DQG VHUYLFHV GXH WR 86 &KLQD WUDGH issues. Huawei has also said there may be plans to put the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next-gen Kirin 990 processor in it, but this looks unlikely to happen at launch, so early orders would JHW WKH VWLOO PDVVLYHO\ FDSDEOH .LULQ Beyond Huawei, other folding phones are coming, but when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be out is anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guess. Oppo has shown off a pretty solid prototype, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d put money on it being QH[W LQ WKH UDFH ;LDRPL DOVR KDV D GHYLFH LQ DGYDQFHG GHYHORSPHQW WKRXJK $QG then thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Motorola Razr, which the company says is comingâ&#x20AC;Ś some time.

creating c ng a sub btle wedge shape when n viewed from the en nd.

But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ss not solely about the ph hysiical ch hang nges â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Samsung gh has also made e a few chan ch ngess to the Foldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interfa nge rface, too o.

A go ood examp ample is that it has ha m ved the home, ba h ack and recents ts ttab. On the e origin nal Fold, ld, this wa was locked bang bottom ttom-c centre en of the de device. Now, though, you can choose whether to place p e it at the bottom-rright, t, bottom-left or b botto om-centre, deepending ng on y your handedness ss orr preferen nce. You can n just choose whi which you wa want frrom the w Settings menu â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a nice ice touch.

Along similar Al i lines, the deviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; virtual virtua keyboard can now also be split down the centre, so that two parts sit on either side of the screen. Again, it will largely be down to user preference, but from our time with it, we found it comďŹ er to split the keyboard when using it open, which reduces ďŹ nger stretching to hit keys that would otherwise sit near the centre of the screen. The keyboard can also be ďŹ&#x201A;oated, too, for positioning wherever you like.

Aside from these other improvements, the major takeaway from our time with the Fo old is that, at least in the UK, it is going to be a 5G device. A 4G-only version is being made, but the UK is getting only the 5G m variant. This means the potential for giant sp peeds where available â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or you can think of it as future-prooďŹ ng your super-expensive phone. And with the core spec of the new Fo old unaltered from the original, which is top, top-level premium for current Android to

62 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

modells (Snapdragon 85 pro es essor, Adreno 64 40 g grraphics, p , 12GB GB RA RAM,, 512 2GB sto storage), g ), itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ss futur uree-proof p oofed all over, rea ally.

Alll tthat power means you can run thre th ee apps livee side-by-side on n the screen when n folded out, t, with no freezing or slow-down.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re cruisin ing towards desktop multiclassing on a d devicee that ďŹ ts in your pocket.

It s a little odd th Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that at you u can ca only run three apps with a horiz iizontal split, not a vertical one, which isn nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ideal if you want to watch video while le doing other stuff, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sure this willl be b tweaked in the future.

Bey eyond that oddity, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear Samsung has as thought really carefully about what people want from a changeable device â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the centrepiece is the App Continuity feature. This enables you to move from the exterior Cover Display to the InďŹ nity Flex display (or vice versa) without interrupting what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing. So, if you plan a route on Google Maps using the expansive 7.3-inch display, then fold it closed; the directions will appear on the smaller Cover Display right where you left them no sooner than you hear the magnets snap into place.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seriously impressive stuff. We tried to trick the software a few times, seeing whether it would keep our place in a list on Spotify (it did), and whether half-drafted messages in WhatsApp would safely make the journey between screens (they did).

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re speaking to somebody on the phone and decide to unfold the Galaxy Fold, your call will automatically be switched to loudspeaker, because Samsung knows

Apps go seamlessly between screens when you fold it

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DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today 63

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you’re neverr going to want to hold ho th he massive 7.3-incch display to the side of your ur head d and shout. When you’re usin sing it, it’s clear tha hat it isn’t just a conce ept that was rushed togeether to show w off the pliable OLED sc screen – th hiss feels f like much more more.

Samsung says say it has updated all of its applications l to support App Continuity, while Google has tweaked the “majority” of its apps. There are some third-party apps, such as Instagram and Spotify, which have also been updated, but early adopters are likely to be in for a wait before all the apps they use day-to-day support the feature.

Likewise, the curved notch in the top right-hand corner of the internal screen, which houses the dual selfie cameras, did cut out the corner of a few apps that we loaded up. Small quirks will undoubtedly be fixed after the handset launches, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re going to be one of the first to jump in.

Given the potential for more weird issu ues, is it worth the high price tag? You’ll have to wait until next issue for a full review, but so far, we’re more optimistic than we expected to be.

The gorgeous 7.3-inch OLED display will make reading ebooks and articles, playing the latest graphics-intensive mobile games, or bingeing Game of Thrones an absolute pleasure. Folding

the screen away ay feells solid, sturdy.

Samsung is confide dent the Infinity Flex display lay w will last for 200 00,0 000 foldss, and it feels safe enough h for that fro from ou our play.

We’re not sold on everythin thing about the design d i – it’s quite thick, so don’t expectt it to slide seamlessly into your skinniest of skinny jeans. And it is possible to spot the crease in the display, if you turn it in the right light – though we never found it distracting when actually using it normally. However, this is the first folding

Carrying a tablet in your pocket is truly transformative

64 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBE ER 2019

smartphone to everr launch, so we are prepared to cut it some slack in certain areas.

After usi sing the Galaxy Fold for an hour or so, you ou really start to get it. Being able to carrry around a gorgeous, colourful, iPad Mini-size screen in your pocket feels truly transformative. And after having to leave the Galaxy Fold, we were a little miffed when we were stuck reading and browsing social media on a single, static, comparatively cramped smartphone screen.

More than a decade ago, smartphones were aimed solely at businessfolk, and when most ‘normal’ people saw them, they dismissed them as way too expensive and big for your average user’s needs.

Initially, the Fold feels a bit like that – a productivity p powerhouse that most people will dismiss initially. But, like smartphones, people will start to try it, and when th hey do, there’ll be no going back.

The Galaxy Fold isn’t perfect. But it’s ambitious, futuristic, and feels like it could completely change smartphone design in the years to come. If you’re willing to put up with some of its charmingly clunk ky first-generation foibles, this is the future.

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TESTED Get the lowdown on the latest gadgets before you buy 66

APPLE IPHONE 11 PRO 70

APPLE IPHONE 11 72

APPLE WATCH SERIES 5 74

SK KULLCANDY CRUSHERS ANC 76

REALME X2 PRO 78

FITBIT VERSA 2 81

GAMES

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

OUR AWARDS PLATINUM AWARD

BEST ON TEST

BEST FOR BATTERY LIFE

THE DESIGN AWARD

For kit with exceptional Only the best products â&#x20AC;&#x201C; those This is given to winners of our This accolade, and others like industrial design and WKDW VFRUH Ä&#x2020;YH VWDUV Ã¥ UHFHLYH group tests, so you can see it, show you which gear is best UHÄ&#x2020;QHPHQW LQ DGGLWLRQ WR IRU VSHFLÄ&#x2020;F IHDWXUHV RXU 3ODWLQXP $ZDUG which is the best at a glance being a great buy

W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today 65

Tested

PROCESSOR Apple A13 Bionic SCREEN 5.8-inch 1125x2436 OLED MEMORY 4GB STORAGE 64GB/256GB/512GB BATTERY Y 3046mAh CAMERAS 12MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP 2x telephoto rear; 12MP front with depth sensor OS iOS 13 DIMENSIONS 144x71.4x8.1mm WEIGHT 188g

From `99,900 apple.com/in

he new top-end iPhone doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look drastically different from last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, cameras aside. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drastically different from last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, cameras aside. Yet lots of small changes all over mean that this is a phenomenal phoneâ&#x20AC;Ś which it had better be, given that it starts at a whopping `99,900 for the 5.8-inch model or `109,900 for the 6.5-inch â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Maxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; model.

The stainless steel on the sides and glass across the back are essentially identical to the iPhone XS. The glass has been upgraded â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Apple says itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the toughest ever on a smartphone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and the phone comes in a new colour called Midnight Green.

The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max have the same screen density (over 400ppi) but at different resolutions, so thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no difference in sharpness.

For movie buffs, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a strong argument to get the bigger model just to really, really enjoy the display, because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exceptional. Peaking at 1,200 lumens when viewing HDR photos or video, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like having an

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BIG DADDY

7KH FKDQJHV PD\ QRW EH Ä&#x2021;DVK\ EXW WKH\ DOO DGG XS WR make this an absolutely phenomenal phone 66 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

Apple iPhone 11 Pro

SUPER RETINA XDR DISPLAY The iPhone 11 Pro comes in two sizes: the Pro, with a 5.8” display, and the Pro Max, Max with a 6.5 6 5” display. Both screens are 458ppi, delivering identical sharpness

LIFE-PROOFING Both models are rated IP68 for water and dust resistance. That means they’ve been tested and found to last at least 30 minutes iin d depths th off up tto ffour metres t

OLED TV in your hand. The wide P3 colour gamut makes photos look vibrant and realistic, and everything is pin-sharp. It’s utterly gorgeous.

HDR videos, especially Dolby Vision, look incredible and the lack of HDR10+ support isn’t a huge problem as hardly anybody uses it: Netflix and iTunes prefer Dolby.

HDR10+ videos will fall back to regular HDR10.

There’s a new ‘spatial audio’ speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support. It’s very loud, and its balance and quality pretty much kills off the need for cheap Bluetooth speakers. It’s better and louder for calls than previous iPhones, too.

The iPhone 11 Pro is Apple’s first rear triple-camera system, and its third lens is another first for Apple: it’s the first ultra-wide iPhone lens.

Apple may be playing catch-up here but the results are compelling.

The ultra-wide lens brings a 120-degree field of view, which is ideal for landscapes, getting crazy perspective shots, shooting tall or wide objects, or zooming out on a shot when you can’t walk backwards W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

any further. This lens supplements the wide-angle and telephoto dual-lens setup Apple has been using for a while.

The telephoto lens now has a larger aperture, which lets in 40% more light for better portraits and lower-light photography, and the wide-angle sensor now has 100% focus pixels, so it’s faster and more accurate at focusing, especially in very low light. This is vital for the new Night Mode option, which is exclusive to the 11 series of iPhones.

Like similar options on other devices (Google’s Night Sight, and so on), Night Mode takes a slow shot in very dark conditions and pulls out colour and detail that would be lost normally.

Apple’s version of this feature is the best we have seen, and produces amazing detail from blackness. But it’s not just the Night Mode option that impresses: the camera overall takes detailed, bright, colourful images, with real colours and dynamic range. It’s the best phone camera we’ve seen so far, and we don’t say that lightly.

Apple reckons this is the toughest glass ever on a smartphone

To accommodate all this, there’s a new Camera app for iPhone 11 and Pro. The flashiest difference is that the live view of what’s being shot isn’t just limited to the main viewfinder – if you’re using the wide-angle lens, a faint view of what the ultra-wide is seeing is displayed under the buttons, making it easier to decide whether you want to change your zoom level.

It’s nice, though oddly doesn’t always appear when you’re in the 1x wide-angle lens. This appears to be connected to focus distance: if you’re shooting an object at fairly close range, you get a black interface. Pull back a little and the view from the ultra-wide fades in.

Another new feature is Quick Take shooting. Press and hold the shutter button to capture video instead of pictures, without changing out of the current mode. Slide your thumb left and you’ll lock into recording video, and don’t need to hold any more. It’s a small change, but being able to rapidly switch between stills and video when your kid does something cute is very useful.

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 67

Tested

LOUD(ER)SPEAKERS The speaker settup is a noticeab bly louder, Dolby A Atmos-supporting system with im mpressive clarity y and separation in calls, music an nd movies. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to give your che eap Bluetooth speaker to charity

LIFE IN COLOUR The phon ne comes in fourr colours: Space Grey, Silver, Gold and Midnight Green.

Green doe esnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look great in photos, but in the ďŹ&#x201A;esh (or metal) itt looks fantastic

There are also improvements to the front camera. It now has an optional wider view; it defaults to the same viewing angle as before but you can tap to switch to wider angles for better group selďŹ es.

Apple says its new phones have the highest-quality video ever for a phone, and we can well believe that.

The detail and dynamic range of its shots are just astounding, especially in 4K, and the new image stabilisation is fantastic for handheld shooting. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not made to be quite as capable as the GoPro Hero 8 Black, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much more transformative than you might think. It pretty

New image stabilisation makes handheld shooting a lot smoother

m much puts an end to any kind of jerky home videos.

Powering all this is the most powerful phone processor ever, the Apple A13 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; extra impressive, since the rest of the industry is only just catching up with last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s A12.

The new chip is 13-20% faster depending on what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing, though iOS 13 is also faster than its predecessor, which really helps. In benchmarks, the new chip even beats the Samsung Note10 by up to 50% in some benchmarks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a serious bit of kitâ&#x20AC;Ś but then, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not like the Note10 ever felt slow to us, nor have the last few iPhones. Apple

dominance here is technical more than practical. That said, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to know you have the headroom for things like recording multiple 4K video streams from the different cameras at once, or doing advanced photo editing. You may not do it, but you could if you wanted.

The other changes in the processor are bigger graphics power, a more powerful neural processor (which enables advanced image processing, including Night mode and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Deep Fusionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the latter of which is a new way of boosting image quality even further thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming in an update,

ALTERNATIVE ATIVE OPTIONS OP

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE10+

APPLE iPHONE 11

SAMSUNG GALAXY S10

6DPVXQJèV FXUUHQW Ä&#x2021;DJVKLS LV D VHULRXV ULYDO to the iPhone 11 Pro. It has an S Pen stylus.

It has four times the storage of the entrylevel iPhone 11 Pro Max and it costs a little bit less too. Big and bold.

From `79,999, samsung.com/in

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll go into more detail on this on the next page, but Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cheaper 2019 iPhone has most of the features here, cutting back on the screen, third camera lens and more premium build materials â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 90% the same phone.

From `64,900, apple.com/in

If the stylus and size of the Note10 are more than you need, stick with Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closest equivalent to the iPhone. The triple-camera V\VWHP LQ VFUHHQ Ä&#x2020;QJHUSULQW UHDGHU DQG slicker new Android overlay are all great.

From `61,900, samsung.com/in

68 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

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Apple iPhone 11 Pro

BETTER BLUETOOTH The iPhone 11 Pro has significantly improved wireless capability with much improved Bluetooth range and support for Wi-- Fi 6, Gigabit 4G and ultra-wideband connections

possibly by the time you read this), and better power management.

Apple has increased battery physical capacity significantly in the 11 Pro models, and has introduced much smarter power use in the A13 processor. The result is a major boost of battery life – Apple says four more hours for the 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro model compared to its predecessor, and five hours more for the 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max. The smaller iPhone model now gets as much battery life as the iPhone XS Max did.

This is a massive jump from any previous iPhone, including last year’s model – it’s easily one of the juiciest reasons for anyone to upgrade. And Apple now includes an 18W fastcharger with folding pins in the box for the Pro. There’s also wireless charging but not the rumoured bi-directional charging, as seen on the Samsung S10 or Huawei Mate 20.

New connections Apple has improved wireless connectivity across the board here.

An extra Bluetooth antenna gives longer range, which is great for headphones and the Apple Watch – we’ve seen the connections for both W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

work across much longer distances.

There’s also support for Wi-Fi 6 and Gigabit 4G. There’s no 5G, but we never expected there to be – Apple waits for new tech like this to settle down a little before it includes it. It’s obviously a shame if you live in a 5G area, but they’re still relatively rare and patchy – Apple says it’s focusing on the best 4G speeds possible right now, because it improves things for the most people.

Lastly, Apple has included support for Ultra-wideband, which is kind of like a next-gen Bluetooth – it can send information over short distances, but also includes more accurate location-detection tech.

Right now, it’s only used for AirDropping files between devices (point your phone at another 11-series iPhone and it will be first on the list), but the potential is huge. A pair of AirPods with Ultra-wideband that you can locate down the back of a sofa using AR is on the cards.

With all of these small changes (and a few big ones), should you upgrade to the 11 Pro? If your iPhone is an 8 or older, yes. The iPhone 11 Pro has a much better screen, brilliant cameras, a slightly more

Enhanced battery OLIH LV GHĆQLWHO\ noticeable, and a massive plus

modern design, much better battery life and faster performance. These are big improvements that you will notice every day, although you don’t necessarily need to go fully Pro to enjoy significant improvements over an iPhone 8 or older – the iPhone 11 has almost all of them.

If you have an XS, it’s not such a big jump. Night Mode is nice to have, and we used the ultra-wide lens a lot, but the battery improvement is the bigger tempter. Really though, if you can wait for the next model, you should. But if money’s no object, buy away, ast this is the best iPhone ever.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Best-in class photography; superb display; great battery; good speakers.

WE’D IMPROVE Not cheap; limited zoom THE LAST WORD Improved in almost every way, and it adds up.

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 69

Tested

PROCESSOR Apple A13 Bionic SCREEN 6.1-inch, 828x1792 LCD MEMORY 3GB STORAGE 64GB/128GB/256GB BATTERY 3,110mAh CAMERAS 12MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide rear; 12MP front with depth sensor OS iOS 13 DIMENSIONS 150.9x75.7x8.3mm WEIGHT 194g

POWER UP

Apple iPhone 11

The non-Pro iPhone 11 is a nearly perfect balance of price and features From `64,900 apple.com/in he iPhone 11 is `35,000 cheaper and one camera lighter than the iPhone 11 Pro, but it’s no budget device. You’ve a top-tier dual-lens camera, generous 6.1-inch screen, sleek glass and metal design, next-gen Face ID security, the most powerful phone processor on the planet and big battery life… It’s a seriously great package.

One thing you don’t have, though, is an OLED display. This iPhone has a ‘Liquid Retina’ LCD display, which is just Apple’s way of saying it’s a very nice LCD with curved corners. It’s 828x1792, which makes it fairly low resolution compared to a lot of rivals, but with a pixel density of 329ppi it’s still easily sharp enough to look great.

However, it isn’t HDR-rated and it’s just over half as bright as the peak power of the Pro model’s OLED.

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70 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

Apple iPhone 11

Like the Pro, the iPhone 11 comes with improved speakers. The spatial audio system is really impressive at creating a detailed stereo sound stage and creating the impression of 3D audio. Most movie-watchers are likely to use headphones, but the speakers are very loud and rich for music, podcasts and calls.

The 11 doesn’t get the three-camera array of its pricier sibling. Instead it’s a dual lens camera system, consisting of a wide-angle lens that’s pretty much the same as the one on the iPhone XR last year, but now with an ultra-wideangle lens to back it up.

The ultra-wide lens is 0.5x zoom compared to the wide-angle, so it effectively enables you to zoom out without having to move your feet – great for landscapes, indoor shots, groups and architecture. It also works with the other sensor for 3D depth sensing, meaning that you can take Portrait mode pics of anything – the iPhone XR could only do it for faces.

The wider lens also helps with the new Night Mode feature, which captures extremely low-light images and is a game-changer. Quite a few

other phones have a similar feature, but Apple’s is the best implementation yet – it not only brightens images without making them noisy, but also adds in loads more detail.

It all adds up to a brilliant camera overall – in terms of pure image quality, joint with the 11 Pro as the best on the market. Photos are realistic, bright and detailed. But with no telephoto lens, it’s a bit less flexible than the Pro, and much less flexible than the Huawei P30 Pro and its 10x Hybrid Zoom.

$ ĆQH GXDO OHQV camera is one of the highlights of the new phone

Processor and battery The beating heart of the iPhone 11 is Apple’s A13 processor, which is the newest and fastest processor from the company that already made the fastest processor last year, and has yet to be bested. This means the iPhone 11 is a screamer when it comes to quickness – everything is instant. Some of this is down to iOS 13 speeding up some key parts of the software on all devices, and some of it is down to the new chip, which is 15-20% faster than last year’s.

Apple has focused on reducing power usage with the A13 this year,

THE ANDROID OPTIONS HUAWEI P30 PRO

SAMSUNG GALAXY S10E

The P30 Pro costs a little more than the iPhone 11, but serves up an OLED screen, plus a 5x optical zoom lens that enables 10x zoom pictures at nearly full quality. Top Android bang for your buck. `71,990, huawei.com

This is Samsung’s closest equivalent to the standard iPhone 11. It lacks the Edge display of other S10s and has a smaller screen, but it’s also cheaperr than the standard S10. Like the iPhone, it has two cameras compared to its siblings’ three. `47,900, samsung.com `

W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

though the iPhone 11 benefits more subtly than the Pro models. For light users, you can get through two days.

Heavy users will definitely have battery left at the end of the day, assuming you don’t literally play Fortnite e non-stop, and you can always top up with wireless charging.

It’s just a shame that Apple has cut corners with the charger, which is a paltry 5W. The phone supports faster charging, though, if you have (or buy) a beefier adapter.

If you have an iPhone 8 or earlier, this is a superb upgrade – you get a modern design, incredible camera, superb speed and much improved battery life. For most people, in fact, the iPhone 11 will be the ideal iPhone – it’s nearly a Pro, without the price.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Superb dual-lens camera; blazingly fast; great battery life; truly high-end build quality.

WE’D IMPROVE No zoom lens; non-HDR LCD screen; pitiful 5W charger included.

THE LAST WORD The iPhone 11 strikes a brilliant balance between features and price.

If only it had an OLED display instead of an LCD.

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 71

Tested

PROCESSOR Apple S5 SIZE 40mm/44mm SCREEN 324x394(40mm)/368x468 (44mm) always-on OLED STORAGE 32GB CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS (all models), 4G (specific models) FEATURES Digital Crown, Apple Pay, Optical heartrate sensor, ECG, fall detection, compass, speaker, mic

SCREEN TIME

Apple Watch Series 5 The best smartwatch around cements its place at the top with some key improvements 72 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

From `36,900, apple.com/in

show your watch face or workout at all times, just dimmed. New screen tech, a low-power display controller and S5 processor that has all kinds of extra power management features he Apple Watch Series 5 all combine to mean that the Watch’s takes everything that made the Series 4 so good, screen can run a refresh rate of just once per second (rather than the sprinkles on a few extra usual 60 times per second of most features, and then cruelly replaces it screens) and be powered at all times with this superior model. without killing battery life.

The stand-out new feature is an In practice, what it means is that always-on screen, which means you when you raise your wrist to look at don’t have to raise your wrist for the screen to show something: it will still the screen, you can get the display at

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A

ull s ed and full brightness.

W en ou ower our wrist, t e brightness drops along with the frame rate, and an large areas of bright colours on our watch face are also switc e out to ac . It means ou can rea t e watc in aw war situations more easil , and others can see ur face st e at all times. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a uge c ange, ut once ou ve use it, eing wit out ee s so o as ione . e onl other hardware change ri i f com ass and altimeter. The altimeter is a new version t at A e as t use e ore: its evious evices cou detect chan es in elevation (how far ouâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve climbed or descended), but not our absolute elevation (what height ou started from). And the compass used here is actuall good, unlike e s evious one com sses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it sta an accurate ints t e w .

These two ma e t is a prett so i i ing watc su en y â&#x20AC;&#x201C; t oug wit ess attery i e t an a Garmin. n r eatures unique to t e Series 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; everyt ing new is in watc OS 6. The main a n n se etec on. I re in an environment t at excee s

90 eci e s, ou t a noti cation arnin o t at act, wit a note saying what length of exposure at that eve wi cause earin oss -r n etect irregu ar eart eats wit out t e nee or an ECG, t ou t e atter is resent here, for recise tests.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also the addition of riod trac ing, wit a e icate Watc app t at integrates wit t e Hea t app on your iPhone. And for ďŹ tness, we love the new â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Trendsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; feature which tells you not on y w et er you ve eat ta ets, ut w et er ou re ttin r rw r i v r im

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The shape hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t changed compared to ri 4 r uminium ni es avai a e: S ace re , Silver and Gold. You can step up to stain ess stee ni es w ic come in Space Black, Gold and Stainless teelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which is silver For t e rst time, t ere are now titanium mo e s. There s a S ace B ac n ni â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Titanium which is more of a natural meta .

Batter i e excee s A e s c aims,

THE ALTERNATIVE FITBIT HAR E If your bud et doesn t stretc to an App e Wat , the Char e 3 is one of t e best all-round trackers u can uy rig t now. It off rs u seven-day battery lif , ood phone support, an a lo d of he lth m rt Ä&#x2020;WELW FR W W W T INDIA

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he tit ni m bl ck is ideal if you want i -qua ity ar tc wit o t t e ine of tee

e Watc Series 5

as it has for the last few A le tch mo e s, ut not as muc as t e eries 4 manage . App e quotes an 18- our attery i e, w ic is e ective y a ay o use e ore s ep, ust i e t e Series 4. However, e found that whereas we reached the en o t e wit aroun 55 atter on the Series 4, it was 3 % h ri Y n rn h a ways-on screen o , i you wa t to exten t at ac to two- ay i . you ave an App e Watc eries 4, you might want to sit this on out: t e a wa -on screen is ove y ut t e ot er eatures aren t transformative enough to justif the pgrade. However, if you have ri r r i r â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especia y a eries 1 or 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; t is is a uge upg a e in every w

VERDI Eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE IMPRE ED lwa - n isp ay is great; exce ent esi n; fantastic health and activit fe t re WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D IMPR VE till no love or n roi p ones; ower atte y ife wit a ways-on screen THE LA T W RD T e App atc Series 5 is sim y t st smartwatc on t mar t. t ta es everyt ing t at was reat about the Series 4 an a s a ove y a ways-on screen.

DE EMBER 2 1 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technolog To a 7

Tested

HAIL THE SKULL-CRUSHER!

Skullcandy brings personalised noise cancelling headphones `24,999, skullcandy.in WORDS ANSHUMAN GHOSH

kullCandy is a diverse player in the earphones and headphones segmen nt with its affordable offerings. The affordable wired earbuds come reall handy in a pinch bag, to more than well elaborate over-ear options, there’s indeed a big array of choices for multiple kinds of listeners. With the latest Crusher ANC on the test bench, Skullcand dy looks going a step further ahead by introducing noise cancellation in its quite fabulous looking Crusher series.

The launch price tag of Rs.25k for the Skullca andy Crusher ANC is evidence of just how serious Skullcandy is! Skullcandy has not specified the battery but claims to deliver up to 24 hours of battery life. It comes with Rapid Charge technollogy that gives a back up of up to three hours with just 10 minutes of charge.

The physical appearance, well fairly utilitaria an.

They’re almost entirely black or classy deep win ne red, with a matte finish. The edges of the hingess are gun silver in colour, providing a splash of brightness on an otherwise flat accessory. Looking fairly pedestrian from a distance, you’re not buy ying an expensive pair of headphones just for looks (w we hope). Yes, the build quality is significantly high her than what you’d expect at first sight. They feel sturdy, with a rigid head strap that’s thickly padded dd d on the inside for super comfort. Ear cups feature faux leather pads that sit soft and supple on the head. An inner foam padding inside the ear pads rest firmly against your ears and provides a tight, comfortable seal. Skullcandy also includes a sturdy zippered nylon carrying case.

The Crushers include control buttons that are located on the back of the right earphone; a large play/pause button with a pair of volume buttons located on either side. Depending on whether you’re listening to music or using your phone, these buttons can also be used to initiate Bluetooth pairing, skip back and forth through different

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74 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

music tracks, to answer or end your calls. The interface is simple, but there’s a lot of functionality for only three buttons.

It’s usually the highs that my ears crave to hear, the bass and mids are relatively easier for me to distinguish. Upon downloading the app and usage, the observation is that there’s a portion of the process where it plays various tones in different ranges and helps to produce a custom sound profile that’s tuned to your hearing. Its overall, an effort to customise the music, so that you hear it the way the playing artist intended you to!

The end result was clean, it sounded as though the W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

Tested

You can create personal sound proďŹ le by taking a real-time audio test on the Skullcandy app

headphones took over the responsibility of boosting the highs. Th The built-in Sensory y Bass feature works exceptionally well when it comes to watching movies or music videos. Exciting indeed, one gets the theater-like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;punchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as though thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that intense scene playing out on the big screen. Even the roars of a revving engine are well intensiďŹ ed by the Crusher ANC. While I appreciate this feature along with the personalised sound tuning, I still prefer having additional old school equalizer settings within the app. Overall, I did ďŹ nd Skullcandyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature bass-thumping sound well ingrained.

Most headphones employ two drivers, these leverage a total of four, enabling the Crusher ANC to deliver some ear-pounding bass. Yes, you can adjust the intensity with the slider on the left side of the earcup but there is no indicator to keep track of where the slider is positioned. Turning up the slider, yet short of half range, the low frequencies come to the forefront, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll really feel and hear drums and bass guitar. For fans of hip-hop, rock, pop, or just about any dance music, this could be the ideal setting for you! Now, with the slider all the way down, the headphones have a well-rounded, rich sound with plenty of bass, offering a better proďŹ le for classical music, or even folk music requiring strong mid and high frequency performance.

The active noise cancellation is a nice incentive to top it, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tad mediocre at best. For many instances, it suppresses the ambient sounds. I tested them out in a train ride, but I could still hear some nearby noises around me, to be precise! Feel that this gets more W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

effective post calibration on the app.

Skullcandy y Crusher ANC are competing in a tough space here, there are several other headphones excelling in delivering top notch noise cancellation and sound quality.They have high-quality speakers for a balanced, smooth sound whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re watching a movie or listening to your favorite music genre. The headphonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at Rs 25k price point is still a big ask when compared with other top-tier models from Sony and Bose overears (well established favorites in the ďŹ eld) or less. Here again, for those who are sold to bass, certainly wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be disappointed by what the Crusherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sensory Bass feature is able to promise and deliver!

VERDICT WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE IMPRESSED Battery life, build quality, sensory bass WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D IMPROVE Active noise cancellation THE LAST WORD Certainly a different kind of headphone listening experience, exciting companion, probably a little expensive â&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easily the best &UXVKHU WR GDWH ZLWK PRUH UHÄ&#x2020;QHG VRXQG and sensory bass.

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today 75

Tested

XTREME

Realme X2 Pro Realme’s most expensive phone comes with a fast processor, superfast charging From `29,999, realme.com/in WORDS KUNAL GANGAR ealme started its Indian operations in 2018 and since then, the company has been selling devices to consumers who want a device with the best possible hardware at an affordable price. While the same strategy still applies for the recently launched Realme X2 Pro, the phone is priced at Rs. 30,000. But is it good enough? We find out.

A glance to the Realme X2 Pro and we won’t be surprised if you mistake it for another lower-priced Realme phone. Although the back boasts a curved 3D glass that gives the phone a premium feel when you hold it, the X2 Pro doesn’t look premium. It could be because of the colour but we feel Realme needs to adopt a new design soon. Also, we wouldn’t mind seeing the phone in other subtle looking colours, in addition to the current Neptune Blue and Lunar White. That said, the phone has a very good hand feel to it. Dual Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protects the front and back and despite weighing 199g, the phone’s

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weight distribution is apt, making it comfortable to use. If we talk about the port and key placements, there’s a dual SIM slot on the right along with the power button; volume buttons on the left; and USB Type-C, loudspeaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom.

Displays can make or break a device and we are happy to report, Realme X2 Pro boasts one of the best displays you can ask for in this price range. The 6.5-inch supports Full HD+ resolution and while it doesn’t jump on the resolution bandwagon, it focuses on delivering picture quality and fast refresh rate. The Super AMOLED panel is HDR10+ certified that enables playback of HDR content and a refresh rate of 90Hz, making it at par with the latest OnePlus phones. The result is super smooth scrolling, which can be changed to 60Hz but we didn’t find any need to. We would have preferred a quick toggle to change the refresh rate in the notification panel or change automatically according to the app but it’s an issue to tackle for another day. The display supports DCI-P3 colour space, brightness that reaches up to 1000 nit and a contrast ratio 2,000,000:1. The display is also certified by TÜV Rheinland for its blue light protection. Oh, and it also integrates a fingerprint sensor, which is really quick.

Equipped with Goodix’s G3.0 fingerprint scanner, the phone can be unlocked in under 0.25 seconds.

Fast is what Realme is going for, which is why you’ll find Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 855+ under the hood. Coupled with 8GB of RAM, the phone handles everything without breaking a sweat. Realme is also selling another variant that comes with 12GB of RAM. As far as storage is concerned, there’s no way to expand but comes with decent 128GB in the starting variant and doubles it up in the Rs. 34,000 one. Moreover, it comes with vapour cooling to keep the thermal temperature in check when you’re playing an intense session of PUBG or CoD. W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

Realme X2 Pro

The phone runs ColorOS 6.1 based on Android 9 and if you have used a Realme device in the past, you know what to expect from the software. It comes with its own set of bells and whistles and is usable but we feel there’s a scope of improvement to make it clutter-free. The phone comes with lots of pre-loaded apps that is offputting for a phone trying to project a premium experience.

The third fast feature and our personal favourite is the battery. It packs in a 4000mAh battery that easily delivers over a day of battery life with moderate use and display refresh rate set to 90Hz but the fun part is when you connect the phone to the charger for a refill. Realme bundles the phone with a 50W SuperVOOC charger and it’s one of the fastest chargers in the market today. Realme claims it charges the phone from 0 to 100% in just 35 minutes and we tend to agree.

Handling the camera duty is a quad-camera setup headed by a 64MP sensor followed by 13MP telephoto, 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP depth. The main sensor shoots images in 16MP resolution by default to give you detailed shots with good colour reproduction and contrast.

However, there’s a dedicated 64MP mode, in case one wants to shoot in full resolution. The 13MP telephoto lens is useful for long-range shots as it allows to zoom from a distance. The camera captures decent photos at 5X hybrid zoom but understandably takes a hit when zoomed full at 20X. However, objects and larger-sized text shot with full W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

zoom, few hundred meters away were still legible.

Just like other Realme phones, the X2 Pro has Chroma Boost and Nightscape that improves low-light pictures.

Interestingly, the front 16MP selfie camera also supports Nightscape mode. On the video side, the phone can record videos in up to 4K resolution at 60 fps and comes with features like video bokeh support, wide-angle video.

Long story short, is the Realme X2 Pro worth it? There’s no doubt that It’s an aggressively priced phone that not only competes with Xiaomi’s Redmi K20 Pro but also the OnePlus 7T. If you can make do with the design, the Realme X2 Pro shines with its fast performance, display and even faster battery charging.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Performance, Battery WE’D IMPROVE ColorOS, design THE LAST WORD A fast phone with even faster charging at a very aggressive price

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 77

Tested

FITTIN’ AWESOME

Fitbit rolls out a new smartwatch with extended battery life, Alexa support `20,999, fitbit.com WORDS KUNAL GANGAR itbit’s smartwatch ambitions started with the launch of Ionic and while the device was a good first smartwatch attempt, the design was not for many. However, things changed with the Versa last year and now with Versa 2, Fitbit is doubling down on the features and design.

The Versa 2 looks similar to its predecessor with a square dial and curved edges but is more refined. The brushed anodised aluminium case is soft and so is the included band, which can be changed very easily. The smartwatch has also shed the Fitbit logo at the bottom of the screen to accommodate a slightly larger screen with glass protection from Corning. But display size is not the only thing that has been improved here as the Versa 2 now

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sports t a OLED pa el ers s the th Versa’s LCD. Having an OLED panel works well for a wearable as it translates to better legibility and power-efficiency.

Fitbit has also tidied up the physical buttons, which has gone from three in the Versa to just one in the Versa 2. It acts as a wakeup or back button and even an Alexa or Fitbit Pay trigger if you long-press it.

Since Fitbit Pay doesn’t work in India and Alexa does, we designated it to handle Alexa commands. There’s a built-in microphone that will pick your Alexa orders and while it works, the overall Alexa experience on the wearable has been a mixed bag. The watch picked our commands for the most part and when it did, the Versa 2 works like any other Alexa-enabled device. The only difference is that you have to view the result on the display as the Versa 2 does not have a loudspeaker. With Alexa, you can control other Alexa-enabled devices in your home, including smart bulbs, speakers and even the Fire TV. Versa 2 also has an always-on display mode that can be used to show off the time (analog or digital) and other info like the battery life, steps, active minutes, floors climbed, distance or calories burned. The amount of data that you can see on the always-on screen is limited but the watch gives the user the freedom to choose what they want to see on the persistent screen. Do note that while the always-on is a handy feature, it affects Versa 2’s battery life and in our use we found it shortened by a day. With always-on turned off, Fitbit Versa 2 lasts over 5 days.

Another minor issue we experienced while using always-on is that the screen does not automatically wake up based on the motion. Instead, you need to press the W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

Tested

button to wake the watch up. p The user interface remains unchanged compared to the original Versa. Swipe down to reveal app notifications; up to get a quick glimpse of tracked activity and a left swipe reveals various apps and settings. Overall, the user interface response is smooth and fluid.

The watch allows to store music but it needs to be transferred via the Fitbit PC software first. Spotify on the watch allows controlling the playback. As for the apps and watch faces, they appear once you have synced the device with the connected smartphone. Using an app on a tiny smartwatch screen seems like a chore but it’s handy if you want to quickly skim through the headlines from The New York Times, use calculator or check weather. However, the surprising revelation is that the Versa 2 still can’t save multiple watch faces. Every time you want to change or customise the watch face, you have to do it from the Fitbit app. We would have appreciated if Fitbit allowed saving the last three used or favourite watch faces directly on the watch for a quick change.

Activity tracking has been Fitbit’s stronger suits and Versa 2 handles it well by automatically tracking the workout or manually activating from the watch. One advantage of manually turning it on is that the watch knows what you’re doing and if you’re on an outdoor run, walk or bike, it will record the GPS data for accurate tracking. The only caveat here is that you need a phone as it pulls GPS data from the connected phone since Versa 2 does not have built-in GPS. The watch is also waterresistant to up to 50 meters and can be used in a swimming pool.

Fitbit Versa 2 also offers continuous heart-rate and W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

while the Fitbit app goes in detail showing the historical heart rate data, cardio fitness and heart rate zones, the device does not notify if it detects irregular heartbeats. In addition to heart-rate monitoring, the watch also tracks sleep and based on the REM, light and deep sleep, the app gives a sleep score. The app also promises to give a detailed analysis of the sleeping heart rate and the toss and turns during the night but they are part of the Fitbit Premium package that the company recently introduced.

Should one pay for Fitbit Premium? That actually depends on the end goal but for a monthly fee, the Premium subscription offers guided programs, wellness report, exercises and even meditation workouts. But when it comes to the actual device, using Alexa completely depends on how invested you are in Amazon’s connected ecosystem but as a fitness watch coupled with app support, extended battery life and an always-on display, the Versa 2 is a good upgrade over the Versa Lite and the original Versa.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Design, battery life WE’D IMPROVE Can’t save watch faces, no built-in GPS THE LAST WORD Fitbit Versa 2 is a great upgrade with improved battery life, always-on display and a vibrant Fitbit ecosystem.

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 79

Tested

SMART TIME

A bold smartwatch attempt by Timex but misses the mark `9,995, timexindia.com imex is known for its conventional watches but compared to other brands, their smartwatch strategy has lagged behind the competition. Timex aims to change it with the introduction of iConnect that brings smart features in a decent looking package at a competitive price.

Round dials on smartwatch give an illusion of wearing a conventional watch with smart features and Timex iConnect is just that. The simple design boasts a circular touchscreen display, a clickable crown on the right-hand side and microUSB port on the left that’s hidden with a cover. The heart-rate sensor is at the bottom. While we like the design approach, iConnect is big the iConnect however, is not without design flaws. We found our review unit’s display alignment to be slightly off.

Although this didn’t hamper the usability of the watch but doesn’t shine a positive light on Timex. Another design decision is the inability to change straps, which means you’re stuck with one colour.

The watch is easy to use with its simple user interface.

There are four pre-installed watch faces that can be changed quickly and easily. However, you cannot download newer ones. When it comes to activity tracking, it can track steps, distance, calories burned.

The heart-rate sensor works like a charm and can even track sleep, provided you’re okay wearing a big watch while sleeping. The watch allows to accept or reject, SMS and even comes with additional bells and whistles like an integrated calculator, calendar, anti-lost and trigger button for the smartphone’s camera. Interestingly, the camera shutter button doesn’t activate the default smartphone camera app but instead, opens up its own from the iConnect app. This means the picture clicked with the watch loses out on the improvements the default camera brings.

Let’s talk about its app - iConnect. It’s a free app available on iOS and Android and the first thing we noticed is how inspired the app is from Fitbit. We don’t mind the banality of the app but the thing we couldn’t let go is the bad optimisation. The app is a battery hogger and during our use with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10+, it drained the battery of the phone, leaving us dry in just five hours compared to easy full-day operation without the app.

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80 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Feature set WE’D IMPROVE App THE LAST WORD Timex iConnect could have been a JRRG VPDUWZDWFK H[SHULHQFH IRU D ĆUVW WLPHU EXW WKH ERWFKHG DSS DQG WKH TXDOLW\ PDNHV LW GLIĆFXOW to recommend

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Need for Speed Heat

Need for Speed Heat Turn the heat up! `3,999; PS4, Xbox One, PC y earliest memory of Need for Speed is when EA released the Need for Speed II SE in 1997. It was a racing game with a good selection of cars and interesting tracks. The series has come a long way since then and while some decisions taken by EA were good and some bad, the general consensus is that NFS is losing its sheen.

However, it seems this year’s Need for Speed Heat is the answer that puts the franchise back on the right track. The latest Need for Speed is all about cars, customisations and races.

The opening sequence sets the ball rolling, giving you a gist of the equation between street racers and rogue cops in Palm City, a fictionalised version of Miami and you are at the very bottom of the totem pole who has just arrived on the scene to make a name for yourself. And how do you make a name? By racing, of course!

The game divides the races into two parts - Day and Night.

The day races are where you enter sanctioned races to earn Bank (aka money) and the night races are illegal ones where you earn Rep by winning races and escaping cops. There’s no shortage of races on the sprawling map but you cannot skip one half of the day as the modes complement each other, making way for newer cars, customisation options and progress through the weak story. While day races are the usual circuit/sprint/drift events, the night races give the adrenaline coupled with octane-filled pursuits that carry on even after the race. One sure way to lose them is to escape but if you get busted, you not only lose street cred but also money.

There are over 125 cars in the game and while you won’t find an in-cabin camera angle to see the interior of the cars,

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the exterior is well-detailed. The cars are good to drive but there’s still that arcadey feel to it. Customisation has also gotten straightforward that allows to make the car beefier with performance customisations or make it look distinct with visual customisations.

However, we feel the game can certainly improve in some areas. For instance, a dynamic day and night system with an option to speed up time would have been great. Also, the unrealistic mowing down of big trees and other objects on the road with just a touch but in-traffic cars built like tank feels a little over-the-top.

Nitpicking aside, Need for Speed Heat brings back the old charm and despite some of the flaws, it is one of the best in the 25-year old series.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Gameplay WE’D IMPROVE Story THE LAST WORD Need for Speed Heat is not perfect but the game is a step in the right direction for the series

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 81

Game Death Stranding

Death Stranding Kojima takes you on an adventure that is all about making connections `3,999; PS4

eath Stranding is Hideo Kojima’s first game after parting ways with Konami and while it would have been a safe bet for Kojima to bring out a new game from a tried-and-tested genre, Death Stranding is drastically different from his previous creations. In fact, it is the most unique game we have played this year.

D

So what exactly is Death Stranding? According to the game’s lore, it is a series of supernatural events that get triggered after mysterious explosions around the world, bringing “spectral creatures” to the human world.

This has put the human race on the verge of mass extinction and it’s up to our protagonist, Sam Porter Bridges to connect everyone and thus save America.

And how do you connect everyone?

By delivering whatever they ask for and connecting them to the chiral network. Yep, Sam Bridges is a delivery guy from the dystopian era who delivers food, weapons, humans and virtually everything that can be delivered! This gameplay loop may sound like a chore and boring but a few hours into the game, I found myself actively trying to improve my cargo management and checking the map to go through the best route to

82 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

avoid steep climbs and enemies.

With over 50 hours in, I can safely say, it is addictive. Of course, you get various vehicles to complete these deliveries and are unlocked as you progress through the story.

Death Stranding includes two types of enemies - Mules and BTs aka Beached Things. Mules are humans addicted to packages who try to loot you while the BTs are the irritating supernatural beings that makes you sneak past them. There are times where you will have to encounter both types of enemies but avoiding them is the best way to quickly and safely complete the delivery. Of course, if things go awry, you can resort to melee, W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

Death Stranding

TUF Gaming which is nothing but mashing the square button repeatedly or use some interesting weapons like grenades made from Sam’s piss and faeces and even his blood. There’s a reason as to why these are used as weapon materials but only an auteur like Kojima could come up with something like that.

Death Stranding is a game but it is nothing short of a movie with long cutscenes and performances delivered by an impressive cast starring Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, Lindsay Wagner and Troy Baker. The acting and voice performances are topnotch and so is the story along with the soothing audio as you embark on a long journey to deliver the goods and complete the mission.

Doing justice to the heavyweight cast is the visuals. Character modelling is realistic along with breathtaking landscape, thanks to the Decima engine. That said, the game could have allowed to completely disable some repetitive cutscenes.

For a single-player game, Death Stranding can be very lonely but W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

M3

Stride Light, Battle Hard

7000 20 7 For Sales Enquries : kintan_shah@asus.com For feedback, email reachus@asus.com info_india@asus.com

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 83

Game Death Stranding

the game implements some internet-connected features that elevate the whole playing experience. As part of the making connection experience, the game connects you to other real-life players.

Although you don’t encounter them in the game, you frequently see their objects like bridges, roads, shelters, signs and even lost cargo spread throughout the map. This way, you can use their laid down path, create your own or deliver their lost cargo, thus, helping each other, which is what the ultimate motive is. However, the most interesting and incentivising part of this shared gameplay is the acknowledgement, that comes in the form of ‘likes’. It’s a proud moment when the game notifies you that someone else used the same path or ‘liked’ the road, ladder and other objects that you placed for them to use.

On the surface, Death Stranding looks like a very easy game where you go and deliver packages but as you play more, you realise the complexity it comes with cargo management, terrain, characters and the real-life social element making it a game like no other.

84 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Gameplay, visuals, story WE’D IMPROVE Skipping repetitive cutscenes THE LAST WORD Death Stranding is a game that looks like a chore but the addictive gameplay and the social connect makes it a game worth playing.

W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M

ISSUE 53/ DECEMBER 2019

Retro

T3 3 India as a magazine/ezine rightly focuses on products that are new and under development. This, of course, does not suggest or imply that everything old is bad and outdated. The pace at which technology moves, demands that we cover all product developments for our readers. In few cases, this means going back to the

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past. Look at the worldwide revival of turntables. Only 20 years ago, the turntable was consigned to the dustbin. Today, pressing plants are hard pressed to meet the demand. The area where retro is most in demand is music â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both Western and Indian, and T3 3 India seeks to address this gap. We hope you enjoy this section.

Classic i Artis istes - Indian

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today 85

TOP HITS VOL 2

TOP HITS VOL 2

In this issue we review some more hits that the T Series label has produced in association with some of the industry’s finest music directors.

Words: H. S. Billimoria

When T Series commenced operations, Rahul Dev Burman was already in his twilight years.

SAMUNDAR (1986) was one of RDB’s last films. Sunny Deol and Poonam Dhillon were the lead stars. Burman’s talent is visible in the racy number, ‘ Ae saagar ki lehron’ rendered competently by Kishore Kumar and Lata.

SINDOOR (1987) was a big star cast film starring Shashi Kapoor, Jeetendra, Jayapradha, Neelam and Govinda. Commercially, it was a moderate success.

Laxmikant Pyarelal’s music was noted for the duet, ‘Patjhad saawan basant bahaar’ sung by Lata, Mohd Aziz and Suresh Wadkar and picturised on Neelam, Govinda and Shashi Kapoor.

86 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

By the time DIL HAI KE MAANTA NAHIN was released, Nadeem Shravan had hit the pinnacle as music directors. Produced by Gulshan Kumar and directed

by Mahesh Bhatt, the film starred Aamir Khan opposite Pooja Bhatt. Both the film and the music were big hits.

The number, ‘Tu pyar hai kisi aur ki’sung by Kumar Sanu and Anuradha was a big hit.

The film was one of the top grosses of 1991.

DIL (1991) starring Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit was a big hit. Anand Milind’s music was a big hit and contributed to the film’s success. All the songs were very popular.

We have selected the Udit Narayan – Anuradha duet ‘Hum pyar karnewale’ as our choice.

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TOP HITS VOL 2

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DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today 87

BEST OF THE BEST The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best tech, all in one place

INSIDE

,I \RXèUH ORRNLQJ IRU WKH YHU\ EHVW WHFK DYDLODEOH WRGD\ \RXèYH GHÄ&#x2020;QLWHO\ FRPH WR WKH right place. %HVW RI WKH %HVW LV WKH PRVW XVHIXO JDGJHW EX\LQJ JXLGH \RX ZLOO HYHU HQFRXQWHU To create it, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve extensively tested the best tech the world has to offer, to bring \RX URFN VROLG UHFRPPHQGDWLRQV IRU \RXU KRPH OLIH GDLO\ FRPPXWH DQG WKH WHFK \RX XVH DOO WKH WLPH In 21 different categories, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve chosen the top three products, so you can choose RQH WKDWèV MXVW WKH ULJKW PL[ RI IHDWXUHV DQG EXGJHW IRU ZKDW \RX QHHG 7KHVH UDQNLQJV FRPH IURP UHDO WHVWLQJ E\ RXU WHDP RI H[SHUWV WKH\èUH WKH SURGXFWV ZHèG FKRRVH IRU RXUVHOYHV DQG ZH FDQèW UHFRPPHQG DQ\ KLJKHU WKDQ WKDW

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Smartphones Mid-range Smartphones Value Smartphones Smartwatches Premium TVs Value TVs Streamers Game Consoles Truly Wireless Headphones Laptops Gaming Laptops Tablets DSLR Cameras Mirrorless Cameras Compact Cameras Action Cameras Drones Fitness Tracker Running Watch Smart Speakers Smart Bulbs

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Best of the best

SMARTPHONES

MID RANGE SMARTPHONES

VALUE SMARTPHONES

APPLE IPHONE 11 PRO

ONEPLUS 6T

POCO F1

From `99,900, apple.com/in

From `37,999, oneplus.in

From Rs. 19,999, poco.net/in If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for an all-round performer, Poco F1 has practical design and brings in topnotch hardware with Snapdragon 845 chip, up to 8GB of RAM and 4000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0.

The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; variant of the OnePlus 6 brings LQ VFUHHQ Ä&#x2020;QJHUSULQW sensor along with a fast Snapdragon 845 CPU, up to 10GB of RAM, high-resolution dual cameras, Optic AMOLED display and super fast Dash charging tech.

Packing the best screen and camera on any phone, plus the fastest processor and a beautiful highquality build, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a phone that earns its Pro name. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a totally polished package.

HUAWEI P30 PRO `69,500, huawei.com One of the best Android phones in the market right now, the P30 Pro comes with a new processor, quadcamera setup with zoom support a super fast charge support that tops up the battery in just around an hour.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S10+ From `69,900, samsung.com/in A premium build, LQFUHGLEOH ,QÄ&#x2020;QLW\ 2 screen with HDR10+, brilliant rear triple camera system and blazing performance in Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slick new One UI make this the Android king.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S10E From `47,900, samsung.com/in The modestly sized and pocket-friendly 5.8-inch screen on the S10e is a breath of fresh air.

With Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impeccable levels of Ä&#x2020;W DQG Ä&#x2020;QLVK JUHDW software and top specs, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a deal.

HONOR VIEW20 From `37,999, hihonor.in Phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claim to fame is the 48MP sensor and an allview display that brings the new hole-punch camera implementation. The phone packs Huaweiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 7nm CPU, 8GB of RAM and a full day battery life.

XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 7 PRO From 13,999, mi.com/in Xiaomiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest Redmi Note packs a lot of features. It boasts a new glass design and is powered by the latest Snapdragon 675 chip along with up to 6GB RAM, and a whopping 48MP sensor and 4K video recording support.

ASUS ZENFONE MAX PRO M2 From Rs. 9,999, asus.com/in The Zenfone Max Pro series is due for an upgrade this year but this is still a decent buy. It comes with a large 6.26-inch display, premium 3D design, Snapdragon 600 CPU, dual cameras and a 5000mAh battery.

ONEPLUS 7 PRO

OPPO RENO 10X ZOOM

REALME 3 PRO

From `48,999, oneplus.in

From `39,990, oppo.com/in Oppo Reno 10x Zoom Edition hides an DQJXODU VKDUN Ä&#x2020;Q SRS up camera with an 11 degree inclination leading to maximum screen real estate. it is available in Ocean Green and Jet Black looking good on the rear glass panel.

From `13,999, realme.com/in/ Realme 3 Pro is a noticeable improvement over its predecessor with a better processor, camera and bigger 4045mAh battery paired with 20W VOOC 3.0 fast charging.

OnePlus 7 Pro brings in a 90Hz AMOLED curved display encompassing the entire front area thanks to the pop-up VHOÄ&#x2020;H FDPHUD 2Q WKH rear is a triple camera setup consisting of a 48MP primary sensor.

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Best of the best

SMARTWATCHES APPLE WATCH SERIES 5 From `36,900, apple.com/in This truly straddles the line between tech and fashion; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just the bestlooking smartwatch, but its health and Ä&#x2020;WQHVV IHDWXUHV always-on screen and good apps PDNHbLW HVVHQWLDO

SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH From `23,990, samsung.com/in

PREMIUM TVS SONY A8F

From `19,990, samsung.com/in

XIAOMI MI LED TV 4X PRO

From `3,29,900, sony.co.in

Rs. 39,999, mi.com/in

Marrying a perfect OLED 4K screen with Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s picture processing prowess makes for a jawdropping HDR TV at 55 or 65 inches.

Motion handling and upscaling of content are both brilliant.

The TV has gone pro with the all-new Android OS giving users the goodness of Android interface and PatchWall.

The 4.9mm thin TV comes with a 55inch 4K HDR display and Dolby Audio.

LG OLED55C8PTA

SAMSUNG NU6100 UHD TV

From `2,24,990

From Rs. 41,990, samsung.com/in Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s answer to the intense competition. It comes in three different size options and brings UHD playback, Live Cast support, screen mirroring and support for video streaming apps.

LGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OLED technology produces beautiful 4K HDR images, and makes HD videos look ace too. LGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s webOS smart platform is one of the better systems around, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideal for gaming.

The best smartwatch for Android users brings a circular screen with great rotating bezel, and slick Tizen software thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to use. It looks good too, and the battery life of up to six days is ace.

SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH ACTIVE

VALUE TVS

SAMSUNG Q8C

VU PIXELIGHT ULTRA HD LED SMART TV

From `2,05,600, samsung.com/in

From Rs. 30,999, vutvs.com

Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s QLED LCD tech is not only able to stand up to the quality of OLED, but even surpasses it in areas such as brightness. It means you get the full effect of HDR even in brighter rooms.

Sleek and powerful, this is the best smartwatch for Android users. The screen and design are on par with the Apple Watch, while a collection of new watch faces give it DbPRGHUQ HGJH

Vuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pixelight range brings 4K playback at an affordable price. It comes with its own version of Smart OS but supports access to widely watched video services like 1HWÄ&#x2021;L[ <RX7XEH DQG even Prime Video.

FOSSIL SPORT

TCL P8

SANYO XT-43S7300F

`14,396, fossil.com/in/en

`199,999, www.tcl.com/in/en The massive 85â&#x20AC;? monster looks sstunning in a sleek meta frame and m narrow bezels n ssurrounding the vivid panel that has HDR. It p has a wider brightness h range and greater picture contrast.

`19,999, www.sanyoappliance.in/

Fossilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth generation of smartwatches serves up whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably the best Wear OS smartwatch available to buy today. Capable and wearable, with good app support.

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The IPS LED panel outputs a crisp Full HD picture and comes equipped with 16W box speakers that are decently loud.

Additionally, the TV comes with a 3.5mm output jack.

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Best of the best

STREAMERS

GAMES CONSOLES

CHROMECAST

MICROSOFT XBOX ONE X

`3,499, store.google.com/in

`44,990, microsoft.com

The Chromecast is a receiver for phones and laptops and depends on them for control and content – but it’s simple, versatile and compatible with iOS, Android, Windows and Mac.

AMAZON FIRE TV STICK 4K `5,999, amazon.in

With 4K, Dolby Atmos, Ultra HD Blu-ray and a fairly FRPSDFW SURĆOH this is the best Xbox ever. It’s even more powerful than the PS4 Pro and also a great home entertainment hub.

SONY PS4 PRO `38,710, sony.co.in

4K HDR for under `6,000 isn’t to be sniffed at. It’s best suited to Prime subscribers and Google apps are absent, but it’s a very capable and affordable streamer IRUb79 DQG PRYLHV

APPLE TV 4K

It’s still overkill if you don’t have a 4K TV, but with 2160p HDR gaming, the PS4 Pro delivers incredible visuals and is smoother and faster than its nonPro siblings.

`29,990, microsoft.com

iTunes has the biggest source of 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos movies, and lots of other services have DSSV KHUH WRR <RX can also easily stream to it from Macs and L26bGHYLFHV

RHA TRUECONNECT `14,999, headphonezone.in Even more comfy, though perhaps slightly less secure, than the Jabras, these also offer best-in-class audio.

Aside from a slightly odd carry case, these are textbook true wireless buds.

APPLE AIRPODS `12,900, apple.com/in

MICROSOFT XBOX ONE S

`15,900, apple.com/in

TRUE WIRELESS HEADPHONES

The S is smaller, whiter and much cheaper than its big brother, and while you don’t get its sibling’s super-powered specs you still get Ultra HD %OX UD\ $ ĆQH KRPH entertainment hub.

Apple’s wireless ’phones may not sound as good as some of the newer rivals, but they still beat them all for battery life, ease of use and often comfort.

They work best with iOS, of course.

SAMSUNG GALAXY BUDS `9,990, samsung.com/in Samsung’s latest truly wireless earbuds have been tuned by AKG to deliver improved audio, adaptive dual mic tech helps keep the background noise at bay and up to 6 hours of playback and wireless charging support.

AMAZON FIRE TV STICK

SONY PS4 SLIM

JABRA ELITE 65T

`3,999, www.amazon.in The cheaper Fire TV variant tops out at Full HD but should be perfect for TVs with the same resolution.

It’s bundled with the new Alexa voice remote that accepts voice commands to navigate or browse through content.

`29,999, www.sony.co.in Boasting a great variety of exclusives, the PS4 silm is getting long in the tooth but still has enough power to play current gen titles without too many visual compromises even if it has been surpassed by the Pro.

`15,499, www.jabra.in Lasting upto 5 hours on a single charge, these IP55 rated earbuds get an additional 10 hours with the charging case. A companion app enables access to extra features to further customise the listening experience.

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Best of the best

LAPTOPS MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 2 `1,37,999, microsoft.com Available in 13- or 15-inch sizes, with a 3:2 screen that gives you more height than other laptops, and plenty of power, this is a light and fast machine that’s DOVR UHDOO\ ćH[LEOH Perfect.

GAMING LAPTOPS ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS S From `2,39,990, asus.com/in The ROG Zephyrus S offers serious gaming performance in an ultra-slim form factor.

The 16.15mm notebook features a 15.6-inch display, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H CPU, and a 144Hz display.

TABLETS APPLE IPAD PRO 12.9 From `89,900, apple.com/in The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 is unbelievably owerful and slick, with an excellent w sscreen, thin and ccompact design, great battery life g and support for the a ew Apple Pencil.

Pricey, but worth it.

DELL XPS 13

MSI GS65 STEALTH THIN 8RF

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S4

`84,390, dell.co.in

From `3,25,999, msi.com This gaming laptop manages to pack an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU, Intel Core i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM into a very portable package. Its Full HD, wide-view 144Hz panel is top rate, too.

`57,900, samsung.com/in 7KH ĆQHVW $QGURLG tablet, this delivers D V\VWHP ZLWK a sharp OLED screen, S Pen stylus, excellent audio credentials, powerful internals, and a neat laptopaping DeX mode.

The Dell XPS 13 is thinner and more powerful than ever. Up to 1TB of SSD storage, 16GB of RAM, and powerful Intel Core i7 processors help make it a high quality all-rounder.

HP SPECTRE X360 From Rs. 1,29,990, hpshopping.in The Spectre x360 packs in the looks and performance.

It features a gem cut, all-aluminium design and brings in Intel’s Core i5 or i7 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, audio from Bang & Olufsen and more.

LENOVO THINKPAD X1 EXTREME `From 1,97,000, lenovo.com/in The 15.6” Thinkpad is slim yet packs in some powerful hardware for productivity. While variants start from v Intel Core i7, they go up to the top end g i7 chipsets paired with upto 1TB SSD storage and 64GB RAM.

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ASUS ROG STRIX SCAR II From `1,64,990, asus.com/in Built for FPS gamers, the 15.6inch ROG Strix Scar II has a refresh rate of 144Hz with 3ms response time.

It has the latest GeForce RTX 2070 GPU, 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU and more.

ALIENWARE AREA-51M `From 2,99,590, dell.co.in The Area-51m is not only one of the most powerful gaming laptops till date but also supports upgradeability with a removable processor and GPU. Although the Core i7/i9 and Geforce RTX GPU will not get outdated.

MICROSOFT SURFACE GO From `37,999, microsoft.com While Windows 10 in tablet mode remains a ‘mixed’ experience, its versatility is impressive and the ergonomics of Microsoft’s new tablet computer are second WRbQRQH

HP ENVY X360 `From 60,990, hp.com/in Sleek and lightweight, the Envy is highly versatile and can adapt to a number of situations given its transforming form factor. The battery life might not be amazing but the HP Active Pen is.

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 93

Best of the best

DSLR CAMERAS

MIRRORLESS CAMERAS

COMPACT CAMERAS

NIKON D850

NIKON Z 7

SONY RX100 VI

`2,34,950, nikon.co.in

`2,30,450, nikon.co.in

`96,990, sony.co.in

With a highresolution 45.4 megapixel sensor, 4K video capture, a 153-point AF system, and a sturdy body, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never be disappointed with what the D850 can create for you.

CANON EOS 7D MARK II `1,14,995, in.canon

With a full-frame 45.7 megapixel sensor, a superb 493-point AF system, a 3.2-inch touch-sensitive screen and a VWXQQLQJ YLHZÄ&#x2020;QGHU the Z 7 is simply a fabulous camera.

SONY A9

FUJIFILM X100F

`2,90,490, sony.co.in The A9 is expensive but earns every penny by packing an incredible 24.3MP full-frame sensor capable of 20fps shooting with tracking autofocus the whole way. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a technical marvel.

Trading up from an entry-level camera?

The 7D Mark II is the camera of your dreams. A superb all-rounder with a 20.2-megapixel sensor and a host of features WR VXLW D YDULHW\ RI needs.

NIKON D500

CANON EOS R

`1,36,950, nikon.co.in

` IXMLÄ&#x2020;OP LQ 7KH )XMLÄ&#x2020;OP ; ) is as beautiful as it is capable. If the retro ORRN Ä&#x2021;RDWV \RXU ERDW then the X100F is a thing to behold. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compact, but packs a large APS-C sensor and a lovely 35mm f/2.0 lens.

CANON G7X MARK II

`1,74,995, in.canon

This solidly built camera is the SHUIHFW FKRLFH IRU those who like to shoot a little bit of everything, thanks to a brilliant autofocus system and glorious image quality from its 20MP sensor.

The ultimate in pocket-sized image quality. A large oneinch sensor is joined by an ace 24-200mm lens, retractable YLHZÄ&#x2020;QGHU WLOWLQJ touchscreen and absolutely glorious picture quality.

`40,395, canon.co.in The EOS R is a classic Canon, but adds a couple of new twists, such as the customisable touch-sensitive multifunction bar. The LPDJH TXDOLW\ LV RQ SDU ZLWK WKH 'b0DUN IV DSLR.

Canonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compact cameras are a great alternative to your DSLR when travelling light. This is the sweet spot in the range, with a great balance between small size and a range of features.

CANON EOS 800D

CANON EOS RP

PANASONIC TZ200

`54,995, in.canon

`110,495, in.canon

`50,500 (approx.), panasonic.com

The 800D inherits specs from higher up Canons, including a snappy 45-point AF system. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also an excellent articulating screen with fast Live View.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfect for '6/5 EHJLQQHUV

94 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

The EOS RP brings full-frame mirrorless shooting to the masses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; its 35mmsize 26MP sensor captures high-end DSLR-class images, yet itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much smaller and lighter, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aggressively priced.

This might be the ideal travel companion, with a versatile zoom lens up to 15x, and a fantastic one-inch sensor that captures bright, sharp images.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also stylish and pocket-friendly.

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Best of the best

ACTION CAMERAS GOPRO HERO7 BLACK `35,000, gopro.com

DRONES PARROT ANAFI approx. `57,000, parrot.com

The waterproof Hero7 Black makes capturing pro-looking shots easier, thanks to HyperSmooth electronic stabilisation. 4K image quality is excellent, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slick 60fps recording.

SONY RX0

`57,000, dji.com Packing a one-inch sensor, with a Zeiss lens bolstering the image quality further, in and out of the water. Other ace features include super-slow video and 15MP stills capture.

GOPRO HERO7 WHITE `19,000, gopro.com The wallet-friendly Hero7 White borrows premium features from the Hero7 Black. Ideal for part-time adrenaline junkies needing a simple HD camera WKDW VKRRWV <RX7XEH ready footage.

YI 4K ACTION CAMERA `9,999, www.yitechnology.com The affordable action camera is capable of 4K recording featuring a 12MP Sony IMX377 CMOS sensor with Exmor R. It can record 720p videos at 240fps but goes down to 24fps for 4K videos.

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FITBIT CHARGE 3 ` Ä&#x2020;WELW FRP

At just 320g, one of the lightest cameraequipped drones you can buy. Flight time is great, and the drone is near-silent in the air, which is appreciated. The camera and zoom are amazing.

DJI MAVIC AIR

`50,490, sony.co.in

FITNESS TRACKER

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no GPS and the capacitive â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;buttonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a bit pants but this is otherwise a textbook tracker.

Sleep, steps, swims, and serious cardio workouts are all handled with aplomb.

XIAOMI MI BAND 3 `1,999, mi.com/in

The Mavic Air is a super-portable 4K camera drone. Video quality from the camera mounted on a three-axis gimbal is excellent, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so simple to control that beginners grasp it fast.

DJI MAVIC 2 PRO

Still trying to get a IHHO RI ZKDW D Ä&#x2020;WQHVV band does? Mi Band 3 is the answer with its simple design that tracks daily steps, sleep and even QRWLÄ&#x2020;HV WKH XVHU RI an incoming call or a message.

GARMIN VIVOSPORT `16,990, garmin.co.in

`1,20,000, dji.com While this doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offer the same size to power ratio as the Air, its 4K video and stills capture are sensational, thanks to an onboard Hasselblad camera and fantastic stabilisation.

DJI MAVIC 2 ZOOM

Garminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rival to the Charge 2 boasts GPS for a similar price, but it also has a dodgy interface and some pointless extra features. The core functionality is good, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waterproof.

SAMSUNG GEAR FIT 2 PRO `13,990, samsung.com/in

`1,00,000, dji.com The alter ego of the Mavic 2 Pro, the cheaper Zoom comes with a different camera, with a 2x optical zoom lens.

Along with the folding design and long battery life, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UHDOO\ Ä&#x2021;H[LEOH

$ UDUH Ä&#x2020;WQHVV WUDFNHU with an AMOLED display that is big and bright enough to see all statistics at a glance. It can track Ä&#x2020;WQHVV DFWLYLWLHV OLNH swimming etc and accurately track your route via GPS.

DECEMBER 2019 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today 95

Best of the best

RUNNING WATCH

SMART SPEAKERS

SMART BULBS

GARMIN FORERUNNER 645 MUSIC

AMAZON ECHO PLUS

PHILIPS HUE

`39,990, garmin.co.in

`14,999, amazon.in

From `2,900, meethue.com

This does everything: GPS for running and cycling, heart rate tracking, VO2 Max, intensity monitoring and even acting as an MP3 player. Expect four days of use between charges.

Thanks to its integrated Zigbeecompliant smart home hub, the Plus is a great smart home starter. Never pay the RRP, though: Amazon discounts Echos every time LW KDV D VDOH

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

GARMIN FORERUNNER 935

BOSE HOME SPEAKER 500

TP-LINK LB130

`44,990, garmin.co.in

`39,000, bose.co.in

`1,999, tp-link.in

Add Garmin’s extra sensors to this and you get incredible detail for how you run, swim, bike and more, as well as your VO2 Max, lactate threshold… it’s for the very, very serious.

This Bose speakers offer the widest soundstage available in a smart speaker with a wall-to-wall stereo sound. It supports Amazon Alexa, which means you can ask questions to Alexa or control the device via voice.

GARMIN FORERUNNER 235

GOOGLE HOME

`24,990, garmin.co.in

`9,999, store.google.com

7KH RIĆFLDO SULFH LV similar but thanks to discounting this is often much cheaper than the 645. There’s no heart-rate or music but you do get GPS, reliable tracking and ace running metrics.

Google Home is a nice addition if you use Google Assistant.

It gives access to the Google ecosystem with personalised schedule, news, and even control smart home gadgets.

Known for its routers but TP-Link offers decent smart bulb solutions and LB130 is their latest solution that does not require a hub to operate, It can be controlled over Wi-Fi and supports multi-colour, circadian mode, voice control.

MI LED SMART BULB `1,299, mi.com/in The Mi LED Smart Bulb is the newest entrant in the smart bulb segment that works with both Alexa and Google Assistant without the need of a bridge and offers a colour space of up to 16 million colours.

FOSSIL SPORT

JBL PULSE 3

SYSKA SMART LIGHT

`17,995, www.fossil.com/in/en.html Fossil Sport runs on Snapdragon Wear 3100 giving an 2 days battery life and its 3 watch faces are fully integrated with Google Fit. in It comes in two case sizes of 41mm and 43mm with choices of six colourways.

`17,499, www.jbl.com The 360 degree lightshow produced by the JBL Pulse 3 adds a distinct party ćDYRXU ZKHQHYHU songs are played or a voice assistant like Siri or Google Assistant is summoned.

From `1,799, syska.com Syska’s main USP is that it uses a normal B22 cap and doesn’t require a hub to operate. After connecting, the bulb can be connected DQG PRGLĆHG IURP anywhere with the help of the app.

96 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

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OR

LUXURIES Exclusive gifts to seriously spoil yourself

You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to go to the Bernabéu to watch a bunch of very expensive players kick a football around a pitch. This rather extravagant foosball table from Italian designer 7HFNHOO SLWV D WHDP FDUYHG RXW RI WKH Ä&#x2020;QHVW &DQDOHWWR ZDOQXW WKDWèV WKH VWXII WKH LQVLGH of luxury yachts is made of) against another fashioned from premium ash wood. A VKLPPHULQJ FU\VWDO JODVV SOD\LQJ Ä&#x2020;HOG VWDQGV LQ IRU WKH SURYHUELDO KDOORZHG WXUI ZKLOH the goals are made out of polished stainless steel and the black and white nets are KDQGPDGH 6XIÄ&#x2020;FH LW WR VD\ WKH r 0LQXWR LV D GDPQ VLJKW PRUH LPSUHVVLYH WKDQ WKH table you used to get at your local youth club. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a shame youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d need a footballerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s salary to buy one. approx. ` DUWHPHVW FRP

98 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today DECEMBER 2019

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