Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i Stuff UK

In Britain, we spend an average of 24 hours a week watching TV. If you’re devoting a seventh of your life to the gogglebox, it’s important you choose the right one. But don’t go thinking you have to spend thousands of pounds on one of the latest OLEDs to get a great viewing experience. There are loads of superb tellies available at every budget in 2019 – and whether you’re a gaming geek, a football fanatic or just a massive Hollyoaks devotee, our guide starting on p38 has everything you need to know about your next television. It’s also that time of the year when we think about getting away for that much-needed holiday. Whether you’re off to Barbados, or just heading to a campsite next to the Hollyoaks set…

26th NEXT ISSUE August Photography special On sale 11/7/19 2nd SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME Spoilers if you haven’t seen Avengers: Endgame, but Spider-Man is no longer a pile of dust. In his latest outing we find Peter Parker struggling to come to terms with that death, and realising the world now needs a new hero. THEN 10 years ago Dragon Quest IX launches on Nintendo DS NOW Play Dragon Quest Builders 2 3rd VODAFONE 5G Never again will realising you forgot to download a whole season of Chef’s Table just before you get on a cross-country train be a crisis. With 5G, offered by Vodafone in seven cities from July 3, you’ll be able to grab the whole thing in seconds. WOLFENSTEIN: YOUNGBLOOD A new Wolfenstein game is always a good thing, and…

Huawei P30 Pro What’s the story? We’re all aware of recent Huawei headlines, but that doesn’t stop this seriously shiny handset from being a contender for the Pro phone to own. Glorious OLED visuals, a screen doubling as a speaker, a stupidly powerful CPU, masses of storage and all manner of AI genius may go some way to getting Huawei back in your good books. Is it any good? The P30 Pro’s four-way camera array sets a stratospherically high bar for zooming capabilities at no compromise to battery life or performance, while the periscopic lens had us clambering for moon craters on a clear night. It’s not all about the software either – this phone’s impressive hardware specs, thanks to a smart decision to partner up with Leica, prove that…

Nokia 210 You know all those festival promo videos with carefree souls swaying at sunset as some long-haired bohemian strums away on stage? Strange how they never show anyone drunkenly slinging their smartphone in a swampy puddle, sobbing uncontrollably then taking a wee in their welly. Still, if you’re going to lose a mobile in the mud, might as well make it a cheap one – like this internet-connected Nokia, with VGA rear camera and 20-day battery. Hydro Flask 64oz Growler Bring a keg, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. What they didn’t mention was the massive hill you’d have to roll it up. Fancy barrel-fresh beer without the backache? Fill this 1.9-litre flask with the foamy good stuff and it’ll keep it chilled and fizzy for a full…

Casio WSD-F30 Face paint and a beret might make you feel like a marine, but no amount of khaki can camouflage your inability to read a compass. Bring your orienteering arsenal up to military spec with Casio’s toughest smart ticker to date. Besides GPS for accurate mapping and support for comprehensive offline maps, the WSD-F30 comes wrapped in a case that, unlike your rambling resolve, is rugged enough to pass a raft of US Department of Defense tests. Doogee S40 Legend has it the Grand Canyon was formed when a giant dropped his Nokia 3310. Want to repeat the feat? Sling this sturdy smartphone at the ground and, even if it doesn’t make a crater, it’ll surely survive the fall. Built tough with a metal frame, reinforced corners and a…

£220 / stuff.tv/PowerbeatsPro ■ Ever since parent company Apple released its first AirPods in 2016, Beats has been crying out for a pair of truly wireless earbuds to call its own. And so, at last, we have the Powerbeats Pro. ■ The buds and their matt black plastic charging case feel premium and soft to the touch, while the hook design (to keep the earphones in place) never feels overbearing. It’s a slick product. ■ Thanks to the same H1 chip found in Apple’s latest AirPods, connecting the Powerbeats Pro to an iOS device is a doddle: flip open the lid, wait for the on-screen prompt and hit ‘Connect’. Done. The experience for Android users is a slightly more convoluted affair. ■ The on-bud controls give you full functionality on…

THE BASICS ■ Have a free trial Head to primephonic.com and click Try For Free. You can sign up using Facebook or Google; better, set up a new username. Once you’re done, you’ll be able to stream restriction-free for 14 days – without adding any payment details. Use the web player to explore in a browser, and/or download the iOS/Android app. ■ Take some FLAC When it’s time to pay, you have two options. ‘Premium’ is actually the standard tier: at £7.99/month or £79.99/year, you get unlimited streaming of over a million classical tracks in 320kbps mp3. If the notion of compressed audio insults your ears, opt for the hi-res Platinum tier… which bumps up the sub to £14.99/month. ■ Press play In the browser, the playback strip includes a…

Ever wondered what’s up with the links in Stuff? We’ve got a team of retail pros who scour the web to find you the best gadget deals – visit any stuff.tv link in this issue and you’ll be taken to the best deal for that product. If you make a purchase, we may get a small commission. It’s that simple, and has no impact on how much you pay.…

This game starts off as if Asteroids had a baby with a top-down racer: your triangular craft blasts around circuits, gaining speed when its bum scrapes neon track edges. Soon you discover you’re part of an OS ruled by a deranged AI. Story and game quickly expand, as you glimpse the world beyond the screen and battle gravity in cavern-based sections that recall 8-bit classic Thrust. Rarely do mobile titles pack in so many hours of clever, thoughtful narrative. Pretty much never are such games free. Stuff says A mobile game we’d happily recommend if it cost a fiver – for nowt, it’s an absurdly generous bargain 2 Euclidean Skies This is a challenging mobile game that pulls off quite the achievement in managing to create demanding and labyrinthine pathways…

The Apple Watch Series 4 has everything going for it – the larger screen, improved processor and louder speaker mean it’s easier to actually do stuff on it than any previous Watch, and it has a load of health features that just aren’t on other wearables. Whether you’re navigating somewhere using Maps, going for a run without your phone, or just wanting to keep track of your activity during the day, this Apple Watch does a great job of handling all these things and more. Stuff says Best wearable ever: a sleek, sophisticated redesign of the previous generation with some hearty upgrades 2 Samsung Galaxy Watch A sturdy and stylish smartwatch with plenty of power and a truly lovely user interface. Those with an iPhone are still likely to get…

Making an amazing speaker was an easy job for the multiroom champs, but getting Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant to dance along in time with it… well, that wasn’t such a simple task. But the One is now an altogether more well-rounded device than it was at launch, supporting Spotify with voice control as well as Amazon Music and TuneIn Radio, while the early Alexa hiccups seem to have been fixed by a series of software updates. It also has an improved processor in its 2019 ‘Gen 2’ form. Stuff says Sonos’s Alexa-powered speaker remains a class apart from the competition BARGAIN BUY 2 Amazon Echo Dot The massive price difference means that, for many people, the 3rd-gen Dot is a better bet than the full-size Echo. The only downside is…

The Quest offers all manner of fully interactive, roamable virtual worlds that you can throw in your backpack without a single wire. That’s a mindblowing technical feat. Yes, the battery life is average, but the inside-out tracking and total absence of any cables make this the best all-round VR headset to date. It also ships with the Oculus Touch motion controllers included, which means you can play fully fledged Oculus Rift titles without being anywhere near a PC. Stuff says If you’ve been waiting to board the VR bandwagon, the Quest might be the best reason yet to go for it 2 HTC Vive There isn’t much difference between this and the much cheaper Oculus Rift, in all honesty. But if you’re thinking of upgrading to the Vive Pro in…

Why bother splashing out over £200 on a games console when you can get the SNES Classic Mini for a fraction of that? Especially when you get 21 classic titles pre-installed on this nostalgia-inducing machine, including the likes of Super Metroid, A Link to the Past, Super Mario World and the never-before-released Star Fox 2. And with two controllers bundled in the box, you’ll be able to start the Super Mario Kart action right away. Stuff says With 21 classic games installed, gamers won’t find better value anywhere NOW ADD THIS 8Bitdo Bluetooth Retro Receiver Fed up of those short cables? Use this clever device to connect most modern controllers wirelessly. 2 Raspberry Pi Zero W It might be nearly twice the price of the original Pi Zero, but when…

I SCARED SOME CYCLISTS IN THE OUTER HEBRIDES Has summer been cancelled? That’s how it feels when you’ve spent the weekend in the wet and blustery Outer Hebrides. Thing is, life is joyous anyway when you’re in the comfort of the new Nissan Leaf, zipping along open roads in cyclist-spooking silence en route to the coast for a rendezvous with a seal. With zero petrol and a range of over 120 miles on a full charge, plus 60% of the interior made of recyclables, I’m green all the way. I MET SOME REAL-LIFE STUFF READERS Hosting an evening for Stuff competition winners, it was thoroughly reassuring to discover you’re real and not internet bots (you probably thought the same about me). So thank you for existing… and also for taking…

IT’S A SIMPLE TWO-SPEAKER SETUP – THE DESIGN JUST MAKES IT LOOK COMPLICATED That looks like something out of No Man’s Sky. Ah, No Man’s Sky. That’s a name we haven’t heard in a long time. Here’s another one: Jean-Michel Jarre. The French keyboard botherer and laser fan might still be gigging but his days of playing to 3.5 million people in Moscow are behind him. Now he spends his time putting his name to bizarre novelty speakers, such as the doughnut-shaped Twist, the canine-inspired AeroBull range and the AeroSkull, which is designed to look like a human cranium wearing sunglasses. As far as Jarre’s current output goes, then, the Aeroframe HD1 is positively sensible. Ah, so it’s a speaker? It is indeed, although the chances are anyone who sees…

INDIEGOGO You’re an absolute rock MOMENT PEBBLE Technology wants to fill every gap in your life, which can leave you exhausted and stressed out. Moment Pebble bucks the trend. Fashioned like an actual rock, this 60g device is designed to act as a simple physical reminder to take a few moments for yourself. Flip it over and you’re led through breathing exercises, the ‘rock’ glowing to help with timing. There are no further connections: no app, no online stats to share. This device wants you to focus briefly on a tangible, real-world object that isn’t connected to tech, but that might help you connect with yourself. And, yes, this means you’ll now have to recharge a rock overnight. KICKSTARTER You’re flipping marvellous TOUCHTYPE PRO If an iPad Pro’s mugged your…

ESSENTIALS Knomo Budapest Vagabond or city slicker, one-bag travel is the ultimate goal. You know, flouncing through the arrivals hall while the sorry masses hoard around the baggage belts. Keen to cut free from checked-in commitments? Make the switch to a single sack with this featherweight number from Knomo. Divided inside and replete with handy pockets, there’s space enough for a laptop and a week’s worth of clothes – and at 700g it won’t devour your cabin allowance. Denon AH-GC30 From aeroplane engines to droning men in suits, distracting sounds abound on business trips. Cut out the hum with these lightweight wireless cans. Each memory-foam cup packs two noise-cancelling mics, while specialised modes for flying, commuting and offices ensure perfect hush from desk to departure. Fuming at your boss flying…

Nikon W150 No beach retreat is complete without a raft of Instagram uploads, but those standard effects are no way to treat your tropical shots. Do something different with DIY filters: smear lotion on your lens for a dreamier look or stick sand in your camera for added grain. Then again, it might make more sense to try this rugged Coolpix number from Nikon. Waterproof down to 10m, its 13.2MP CMOS sensor will put seaside pretenders to shame. RAVPower Solar Charger You hit the beach for a quick solar top-up, so why shouldn’t your powerbank? Sealed from the elements and shocks, this tough cell comes capped by a charging panel, so it can boost its battery while you sizzle on the sand. And once you retreat to the parasol to…

SPOTIFY Arguably still the leading music streaming service, Spotify is the best bet if you want great weekly recommendations and enjoy sharing playlists with friends. Students get 50% off, and the service is also moving into podcasts, music docs and live videos. GOOGLE PLAY MUSIC Spotify has a free option, so why should you even look at Google’s music service? Mostly because, even without paying a penny, you can upload 50,000 of your own songs and get at them wherever you may be. TIDAL If audio quality is your main concern, Tidal will be music to your refined ears: you pay double for the privilege, but its HiFi tier pumps out lossless audio. It doesn’t quite match Primephonic’s maximum settings, but comes close if you want some pop in the…

Huawei’s latest superphone sets a stratospheric benchmark for camera power, with no cost to overall performance. Everything about the design is top-notch, with only screen sharpness failing to hit the very highest marks – at least by Huawei’s own giddy standards. But it’s those oh-so-clever rear camera lenses that really set the P30 Pro apart. If you think photography is the most important skill you need from your next phone, this is the one to get. Stuff says Heaps of power – and the best smartphone camera you can buy NOW ADD THIS Huawei Smart View Flip Cover This case has a transparent window that will display your P30 Pro’s notifications, time and weather. 2 Samsung Galaxy S10 Some phones have more power, some have better cameras, some last longer…

Wireless in-ears usually come with compromises. Great sound, poor fit. Great design, no waterproofing. And that’s before we start on the biggest bugbear: connection stability. But the RHA TrueConnects seem to nail all the important stuff, and arguably better than any others we’ve tested. They sound fantastic, the design is lovely, there’s waterproofing to IPX5 and the Bluetooth 5.0 connection is rock-solid. They also pack a generous five-hour battery life, with 20 extra hours available from the sturdy case. Stuff says These wireless buds are superb all-rounders, with solid tone and a strong Bluetooth connnection 2 Sony WF-1000X Sony’s buds offer impressive levels of detail and clarity, a decent amount of bass weight, great dynamics, and active noise-cancelling that works as well as you can expect from a pair of…

Slow and steady wins the race, and the Now has gone on to prove that with a marathon-like pace helping it finally make it to the top of this list. We’ve long considered this tracker a bargain, but further reductions have helped it enter the realm of ‘downright steal’. OK, so it doesn’t have a screen or smartphone skills, but with guided voice coaching, a six-month battery and solid waterproofing, it has everything you’d ever want in your perfect fitness tracker. Stuff says A bargain-tastic fitness band that does more than just track your steps 2 Fitbit Inspire HR Fitbit’s latest is a great little tracker. As well as step-counting, it’s surprisingly capable for proper run-tracking if you go out with a phone. Add notifications and that’s just about everything…

Sky Q works flawlessly and could change the way you watch TV – especially now 4K’s arrived. With Sky Movies’ huge range of films and Sky Sports in stunning Ultra HD, along with the new addition of Netflix, there’s something for everyone to treat their eyes with. And 2TB of storage means you can record 350 hours’ worth of entertainment, so you’re unlikely to be sweating over which show needs deleting. Factor in its multiroom skills, and Sky Q is undoubtedly the best TV experience you can get. Stuff says You’ll have to cough up for a subscription, but this is the best box for watching both live and recorded shows 2 Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Amazon’s latest streaming stick offers 4K plus a faster processor than its predecessor,…

Building Lego models is already ridiculously good fun, so think what great a time you’ll have when the completed model turns into a functioning robot. With the accompanying tablet app, you can use simple coding to make the robot move, fire projectiles and play various games. And rather than retiring it to the dusty shelf once you’re bored, you can rebuild him into four other programmable models: a harmonica-playing cat, a driveable rover, a working robot-builder and a playable guitar. Stuff says All hail Vernie and friends – for value and sheer fun, it’s hard to beat this programmable Lego kit 2 Propel Star Wars X-Wing Battling Drone The Star Wars Battling Drone works indoors and outdoors, and doesn’t require a licence or CAA permit to fly. It’s a total…

With some review samples of Samsung’s Galaxy Fold phone breaking after just a few hours in the hands of their testers, the era of folding gadgets hardly got off to a glorious start. But that hasn’t stopped Lenovo developing its own folding PC. Essentially what you get is a 13.3in tablet that can be folded in half; and while the full specs are yet to be announced, with proper Windows and an Intel CPU on board it’ll be more full PC than giganta-phone. When closed up it’s about the size of a hardback book, but the hinge allows for various modes: there’s a kickstand so you can prop it up in tablet mode and attach a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse; partially folded, you can put it down and use it…

Er, is this some sort of wind-up? In both senses the answer to that is a resounding no. This little yellow terror is the Playdate – a genuine attempt to do something different with mobile games. And while initial impressions might suggest things have taken a turn for the Trevor Baylis in the handheld world, the crank on the side is used to play it, not power it. How does that work, then? You turn it and stuff happens. You have used handles before, right? Some games will be controlled exclusively by the crank, such as Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure, which has you using it to manipulate the flow of time. Others won’t use it at all – it’s up to the devs. For those who prefer more traditional methods…

£n/a (concept only) / citroen.co.uk I thought this page was for cars, not movie props? Sure, it could have rolled straight off the set of a Tron sequel, but Citroen reckons the 19_19 concept could actually hit our roads… in a decade or two. It’s the maker’s 100th birthday present to itself, but also an excuse for its designers to show what they could do once autonomous driving makes boring stuff like crash safety redundant. Those big wheels must make for a really uncomfortable ride. Actually they use custom-made Goodyear rubber, paired with hydraulic cushion suspension, for a ‘magic carpet’ ride that’ll feel like you’re gliding over the road. Perfect for reclining in your deckchair with a book while the car does all the work. Wait, deckchair?! Well, with AI…

So, OnePlus has levelled up. This, the 7 Pro, is easily its most tech-packed phone to date. It has an amazing screen, the most discreet selfie cam you’ve ever met, and a brilliant rear camera. Nothing is free, though – not in this world. Yes, OnePlus is all grown up, but the price might not please those who lost their minds over the company’s £229 One model back in 2014. So is it worth it? In a word, yes. You probably need to be convinced that those extra pounds are worth spending, but the fact is you need to dig a little deeper into your wallet to get something that looks genuinely new. And while the OnePlus 7 looks just like last year’s 6T (more or less), the 7 Pro…

£520 / stuff.tv/Forerunner945 ■ The successor to the 935, Garmin’s latest Forerunner gets a chunky, fibre-reinforced polymer plastic shell and super-stretchy silicone strap, which helps keep it comfy. What it doesn’t get is a touchscreen – just buttons. ■ The display is topped with Gorilla Glass DX to make it super-rugged, but the 240x240 resolution is a little disappointing. Still, that LCD screen barely uses any power – you’ll get up to two weeks in smartwatch mode. It’s also easy to read in the sun. ■ The 945 is aimed at triathletes and runners, but its feature set sprawls way beyond this. We took it for a few runs, some cycling and a bit of yoga, and accuracy was top-notch, with a rock-solid GPS connection and decent tracking. But while…

RHA TrueConnect Those big city lights might inspire you, but sirens all around are enough to spoil your serene state of mind. Need beats to make you feel brand new? These wireless AirPod alternatives aren’t noise-cancelling, but each 7g bud can block most background sounds with a fit that dreams are made of. Responsive buttons control tunes and talk, while a five-hour battery life and weather-resistant shell should give you no reason to grumble in the concrete jungle. Native Union Smart Charger International Travel adapters live difficult lives – stored in darkness beside bumbags and padlocks, then brought out twice a year and expected to be their versatile best. Hardly fair. Show pride in your pins with this fabric-topped smart charger. Equipped with a pair of USB ports, it works…

Sony’s WH-1000 series was already a top performer, and the WH-1000XM3s make for an even more compelling package. With Bluetooth wireless and great noise-cancellation, they’re the ultimate public transport stress killer… well, aside from a chauffeur or a lottery win that lets you retire. The leather pads make them incredibly easy to wear, not unlike sitting in one of those ultra-comfy leather chairs, and most importantly of all the sound quality is fantastic. Stuff says Great wireless headphones with effective ANC and a sound that nails just about everything 2 B&O H9i Like all B&O products, these noise-cancelling cans scream luxury… but they’re not just a pretty face. There’s measured punch in the low end and timing is spot-on, with a crisp and expressive midrange. Stuff says Some of the…

Sonos’s home cinema gear has always been a little expensive, but with the Beam it’s created a great-value soundbar. It sounds ace, c omes with loads of features and is compact enough to fit into the average living-room AV setup without taking over. If you want the best-sounding system then the Playbar or Playbase are still the products to go for, but they’re a lot more money, they don’t have Alexa, and they don’t control your TV in the same slick way the Beam does. Stuff says Smaller and cheaper than the already excellent Playbar, and packed full of smarts 2 Q Acoustics Media 4 The justifiably multi-award-winning Media 4 combines subtle detail with precise surround effects to be one of the best-sounding and best-value soundbars you can buy. Stuff…

As a gaming platform, PlayStation 4 is the best around – which makes the PS4 Pro the best of the best. Games optimised for the new console look stunning on a 4K HDR TV, and are substantially improved by the extra grunt inside this slightly bigger machine. Sure, it can’t match the Xbox One X for sheer power or resolution, but it makes up for that with an impressive line-up of games – including Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn and Bloodborne – and virtual reality support. Stuff says The system for console gamers who have a 4K TV and want the best catalogue of games on offer Nintendo Switch Nintendo’s console earned a promotion in our list after it impressed us with a growing list of fantastic games. Plus, no…

Not content with simply making an electric vehicle that can get you from A to B with minimal fuss (and fuel bills), Jaguar has created something desirable, fun to drive and impressively capable when the going gets tough. This car offers Amazon Alexa integration, smartphone connectivity and a 10in touchscreen on the upper deck. With the I-Pace, Jaguar can happily claim to be the first mainstream brand to really give Tesla something to worry about. Stuff says Fun, fast and practical, the I-Pace is the greatest thing to happen to electric cars in a long time 2 Volvo XC90 T8 The latest XC90 is a monster 4x4 that features some of the most impressive interior tech seen on any car today, hybrid or not. It also looks great, rides beautifully…

It might not be as pretty as the Nest 3.0, but Tado has quietly evolved into the best all-round smart heating system around. Like autopilot for your boiler, it senses when you’re leaving home or coming back thanks to the app’s geolocation. And Tado’s gadgety goodness is second to none, with the option of zonal control for individual rooms and voice smarts Stuff says Tado roasts the competition with its combination of simplicity and smarts NOW ADD THIS Tado Smart Radiator Thermostats Once you’ve tasted the joys of zonal smart heating, you and your wallet will never go back. 2 Netatmo Welcome Netatmo’s smart cam has face recognition capability, which works well once it’s got to know you, and the usual motion and noise detection is easy to control. You…

GET THE BEST GADGET DEALS WITH STUFF Ever wondered what’s up with the links in Stuff? We’ve got a team of retail pros who scour the web to find you the best gadget deals – visit any stuff.tv link in this issue and you’ll be taken to the best deal for that product. If you make a purchase, we may get a small commission. It’s that simple, and has no impact on how much you pay. • In the mag: We pick out the best price for every featured product • Online: Choose from our roster of great-value retailers…