Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2024 i Stuff UK

Hello and welcome to our smartphone supertest issue, where annually we take a detailed look at the entire phone market. So whether your next handset will be a zoomy flagship or a brilliant budget job, your options are laid out for you from p35. Our first test this issue is Samsung’s brilliant new range-topping QD-OLED, which checks in at around 20% brighter than last year’s model. We’ve also looked at Apple’s latest upgrade in the form of the MacBook Air 13in (M3), along with a long-term test of the OnePlus Watch 2, which is something of a redemption after its last effort in the smartwatch space. Also reviewed is Cowboy’s newest city e-bike – as with the company’s other rides, it’s reliably good. If it’s retro gear you’re after, then…

Most cameras are very careful about letting light in. Except for the moment when you hit the shutter button it’s like an exclusive club inside that chassis, and light’s name is very much not on the guestlist – unless the snapper in question is Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 99. This compact instant cam has LEDs inside that can tint your shots with Faded Green, Warm Tone, Light Blue, Soft Magenta or Sepia hues, plus a randomised Light Leak mode to mimic the look of those cheapo ’70s cameras that hipsters love (see p23 for a real one, hipsters). Twisting the lens barrel turns it on and off, and allows you to choose between three focal lengths: 3m and above, 3m-0.6m, and 0.6-0.3m. There are multiple shooting modes, including Sports for freezing…

£649 / polar.com Polar’s new Apple Watch Ultra rival is tougher than a well-done steak cooked by Anthony Joshua Grit’s a jungle out there There’s not much point in owning a rugged adventure watch if it loses its way when you stray more than a few miles from a Starbucks. But the Grit X2 Pro comes pre-loaded with offline maps for Europe and the USA, with free downloads available for everywhere else – so no matter how far you are from a latte macchiato (or any other Italian landmark), you won’t get lost. Dual-frequency GPS means it should be able to say where on that map you are, while the 1.39in AMOLED touchscreen makes it easier to see the turn-by-turn instructions as you find your way back to civilisation. Fool…

BACKBONE GETS A GRIP ON YOUR iPHONE CASE Backbone has made a small but vital tweak to its iPhone game controllers. Matching the USB-C versions, the Lightning-ported second-gen One and PlayStation Edition (both £100, playbackbone.com) come with magnetic adapters so your phone will fit even if it’s in a case. SPOTIFY WANTS TO TEACH YOU EVERYTHING Spotify now includes educational videos alongside its music ones. You can get help with training your dog, pick up some photography tips or learn to DJ with Carl Cox, plus loads of others. Users can try two lessons free of charge before choosing to subscribe, with prices starting from £9.99. STRAVA RECKONS YOUR DOG IS GETTING LAZY Exercise-tracking app Strava has added support for our four-legged friends. For the moment it only works with…

Sounds like a solution to my massive energy bills. Wouldn’t that be nice? Unfortunately, FreePower isn’t here to dish out gas and electricity for nothing, but it could free us all from the tyranny of having to be precise when using wireless chargers by turning almost any surface into one. FreePower’s tech can be embedded into stone, quartz or wood, so everything from your bedside table to your kitchen worktop could be infused with wireless charging skills – and you won’t have to worry about placing your phone down with surgical precision for it to work either. What’s different about it, then? FreePower uses Qi2 tech, so in that sense it’s no different to the latest wireless phone topper-uppers from Belkin, Anker and the like – it’s how everything is…

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1 Crowded house Capacity estimates are often on the ‘sardine can’ side of optimistic. If you’re travelling with gear or prefer a bit more personal space, it’s usually better to go one size up from your person count. 2 Weather report Any tent’s your friend when the weather’s set fair, but only some can handle tough conditions. Three-season tents are waterproof and light; four-season jobs can withstand winter wind. 3 Air supply Waterproof fabric might keep you dry, but a completely sealed skin will soon make things stuffy. Some tents use breathable materials, while others have mesh panels for ventilation. 4 The cramps Taller walls mean more headroom, but lower profiles sit tight in the wind. Floor dimensions matter too: some taper to save fabric; others let lankier campers stretch…

If you’re after a flat-screened, specced-out Android phone with long battery life, the Zenfone 11 Ultra is exactly that. Its huge 6.78in AMOLED screen is perfect for watching videos and gaming; and matched with expansive stereo speakers and HDR support across Amazon and YouTube, this is a dream media mobile. Running rings around Apple and Samsung with its battery specs, this Zenfone packs a huge 5500mAh cell, easily getting you through a full day – and with 65W fast charging and a power brick in the box, plus the option of going wireless, fuelling up is nippy and nimble. That’s the AI – like it? Asus is taking a leaf out of Samsung’s book by adding AI to everything – so whether you want to summarise a transcription, live-translate a phone…

The OnePlus 12 might be the most low-compromise phone at its price point. It crams in a striking design, an excellent screen, bang-up-to-date processing power and truly premium innards. While past OnePlus phones have struggled on the camera front, the 12 gets a revamped setup and Hasselblad-tuned photo processing, as well as one of the biggest batteries out there. Add fast wired and wireless charging to the mix, and while it misses out on the AI skills of Google and Samsung phones, everything else about this one makes it easy to recommend. The 12’s curved glass front tapers into a metal frame, while a big circular camera array enjoys pride of place around the back. The rounded sides make it feel soft in the hand, and it can handle a splash…

The Nothing Phone 1 came out with a see-through back, ‘glyph’ lights and wireless charging at a confusingly low price. Then came the Nothing Phone 2, adding power and refinement to the mix. Now a third instalment, the Phone 2a, arrives as the budget option, piling on the plastic and paring back the specs. But did Nothing strip things back too much? The Phone 2a is a style departure. Gone is the glass and metal; now it’s a plastic bonanza. But it’s light for its size and feels great in the hand, with the back curving into the frame for a soft hold. It also gets streamlined glyph lights to keep costs down, complete with a redesigned look for the transparent back. When so many budget options go with a formulaic…

Captiva/Vision 1993 This boxy instant took 500 film and was one of the last times Polaroid used a folding SLR design. The prints popped out of a window. i-Zone 1999 Manufactured by toy brand Tomy, the i-Zone was one of the best-selling cameras of its era. Its 1.5x1in images came on a long pull-out strip. Macro 5 1998 For professionals needing close-up instant pictures, the Macro 5 delivered just that. Medics, engineers and forensics teams used it. I-2 2023 The current I-2 is a celebration of Polaroid’s rebirth with the Impossible Project. It offers manual controls and an app… and costs £600.…

THE BASICS ◼ Use your brain Don’t be that ‘drove into a lake because an app said to’ person. Map apps can have outdated info – or prioritise twisty routes down narrow lanes over a nice A road if it’ll shave half a nanosecond off your journey time. So if in doubt, re-route – the app will catch up and make adjustments soon enough. ◼ Plan your journey It might sound old-school to map out a journey in advance when apps have turn-by-turn navigation, but it can be useful when heading somewhere new. Double-check your destination’s location, in case your app has it wrong. Use Google’s Street View to clock landmarks that’ll help while driving or walking. ◼ Pay attention When driving, keep your eyes on the road and not…

1 Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max from £1199 / go.stuff.tv/15ProMax This is the best iPhone Apple has ever made. The camera revisions are great, USB-C was long overdue but is fantastic now it’s here, and the action button is genuinely useful. It’s probably only worth upgrading from the 2022 equivalent if you’re desperate for that USB port, but there’s no denying this Max lives up to its name. Stuff says Just a solidly sensible advance, but the new camera smarts are an absolute joy ● NOW ADD THIS Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 This solid MagSafe charging dock lets you top up your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. £140 / belkin.com TIPS & TRICKS Select Optimised Battery Charging to limit top-ups to 80%, keeping your battery in prime condition. Create a Contact…

1 Apple Watch SE from £209 / go.stuff.tv/WatchSE The SE is easily the best-value Apple Watch. It tracks sleep and all the exercise you need, supports Apple Pay, works great with your iPhone and… what more do most people require? The user experience is broadly identical, and while the screen bezels are a bit larger than on the Series 9 it’s hard to tell them apart without getting right up close. Note also that your SE will now be carbon-neutral if you take it with a Sport Loop (unless you choose one of the fancy multicoloured options). Stuff says Offers most of the full Apple Watch experience for a whole lot less cash 2 Garmin Fenix 7 from £475 / go.stuff.tv/Fenix7 If your budget stretches, the impressive mix of rugged durability, serious…

1 Sony XR65X95L £1799 / go.stuff.tv/X95L With Sony’s track record, it would have been more of a shock if the X95L hadn’t been a stunner. But its bright and composed images, fine build quality and wide feature set mean only console gamers demanding OLED response times and a Dolby Vision game mode need to think twice; for everyone else, it’s got what you need and then some. Just be aware that it’s a chonky old set, and doesn’t come in anything smaller than 65in. Stuff says Bigger, brighter and better than before, Sony’s new Mini LED range is a winner ● NOW ADD THIS Sony HT-A9 Onboard mics and upfiring drivers help these four speakers pull off convincing Dolby Atmos audio. £1799 / sony.co.uk TIPS & TRICKS Other brands with…

1 Sonos Move 2 £449 / go.stuff.tv/Move2 The ‘2’ means our favourite speaker is now even better. Sonos has upgraded the Move in the areas that matter most – sound quality and battery life, the latter of which has more than doubled. Our only criticisms are about the high price and the weight, which is an inevitable trade-off for the muscular sound. Line-in is also a little bit of a faff with the extra adapter… but if you’re in the market for this excellent box, you’re probably beyond cables. Stuff says Beefed-up audio and a longer-lasting battery – a winning combo NOW ADD THIS YouTube Music Premium If you’d like a side of optional visuals with your audio, look no further than the ad-free tier of YouTube Music. £10.99/m /…

1 Amazon Echo (4th Gen) £110 / go.stuff.tv/Echo Having morphed from a cylinder to a sphere, the latest Echo is an excellent newsreader, weather forecaster, personal assistant and intercom straight out of the box; but it’s now also a capable speaker and a very accessible smart home hub. It doesn’t sound as good as the Sonos One for listening to music, but it’s significantly smarter and considerably cheaper too. Stuff says An all-round upgrade that makes the Echo a smarter speaker than ever NOW ADD THIS Honeywell T6R This Zigbee-enabled thermostat is wireless so you can place it where it’s most convenient. £170 / screwfix.com TIPS & TRICKS The Echo’s built-in Zigbee hub can hook up hundreds of smart home devices without a bridge. Pair a compatible thermostat and the…

AllTrails being named Apple’s 2023 iPhone App of the Year was our Pulitzer Prize and our World Cup! They celebrated AllTrails for “helping the world find their way outside”, and that’s our mission – to get people outdoors, so that they can experience the holistic health benefits of time outside. I co-founded Liftopia before moving to AllTrails. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I was lucky enough to live within driving distance of amazing areas for skiing. I learned to ski in Tahoe and got hooked on the freedom of exploring the mountains. I recognised, though, that between lift tickets and gear it’s a really expensive sport, so a lot of people never get the chance to ski. I started Liftopia, which allows people to save by buying…

Whether your current phone is nearing retirement, or you just can’t resist the allure of shiny new hardware any more, the competition for a place in your pocket has never been tougher. We can chalk that up to class leaders Apple and Samsung not rocking the boat with their next-gen models, which aren’t too far removed from last year’s efforts. This has left the door wide open for rivals to offer up some strong alternatives, with head-turning tech and options at every point on the price spectrum. So, do you stick with what you know or mix things up? Put it this way: if you ate the same meal every day, you’d be missing out on a world of flavour. It can’t hurt to look at the menu, right? Over…

More expensive than the OnePlus 12 or Pixel 8 Pro, Honor’s latest flagship needs to be excellent… and for the most part, it is. Available in a vegan leather green or glass-backed black, its curved frame, front and back make it totally cornerless for a comfortable hold, though it is big and heavy. With IP68 resistance to water and dust, it’s also competitively durable. The 6.8in LTPO OLED display looks stunning, with a peak HDR brightness of 5000 nits. So outdoor viewability is excellent – but watching HDR content can be uncomfortable as it gets so bright, especially in dark rooms. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 plus 12GB of RAM, the Magic6 Pro delivers flagship performance, and the 512GB storage goes some way to justifying its oomphy price. Helplessly…

Xiaomi’s mid-range arm, Redmi, is known for nailing value. But in recent years it’s also toyed with maxed-out specs in certain areas… and punchier prices. No phone makes this point more clearly than the Note 13 Pro+. At £449, this Google Pixel 7a rival combines curved glass with half a TB of storage and a wildly hi-res 200MP camera. To look at, the Note 13 Pro+ strikes us as a flagship wannabe from a few years ago. It has a 6.67in display that curves in at either side, but misses out on the slimline profile of true top-tier handsets. And the frame is plastic, though it has a metal-like finish and feels weighty. Redmi delivers an exceptional AMOLED display that dazzles with vibrant colours, a crisp picture and a peak brightness…

The Honor Magic V2 is the firstbig-screened foldable to feel like a traditional phone when closed. It’s no more cumbersome than a big iPhone or Galaxy. With a nice-sized front screen and a great-feeling hinge, it also edges ahead of both the Google Pixel Fold and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 when it comes to usability. It isn’t all positive on the design front, mind: unlike Google and Samsung’s flagship folders, the V2 lacks an IP rating for water-resistance. Still, the titanium hinge is rated for 400,000 folds, so it should be relatively life-proof provided you keep it out of the bath. You get two OLED screens, both with 120Hz refresh rates and plenty of pixels, so visuals are punchy and sharp whichever one you’re gazing at. The kickstand case…

£359 / go.stuff.tv/A50X ◼ With the mic permanently affixed and an abundance of controls on the right earcup, there’s no mistaking this for anything other than a serious gaming headset… but considering the price, I was hoping for a more premium feel. It’s sturdy enough to survive the odd bout of gamer rage at least. ◼ The headband and adjustable earcups are nicely padded, and the clamping force is spot-on, but they’re not breathable enough to stop my ears getting a bit sweaty after an extended Call of Duty session. At 363g, this is not the lightest headset either. ◼ With 40mm graphene drivers inside, gunshots have plenty of impact, the sound of breaking glass is brilliant textured, and tyre squeals are suitably shrill without becoming sibilant. There’s plenty of…

WAZE This one’s a friendlier, more human driving aid than Apple Maps or Google Maps. Before you set off it outlines when’s best to leave, notes hazards on the route, and lets you add fuel and food stops. It also lets you report accidents and queues. £free / Android, iOS WEATHER ON THE WAY It’s one thing when an unforeseen traffic jam wrecks a journey; it’s another when it chucks it down and you’re not prepared. This app lets you explore what the sky’s likely to send your way at all points during a long drive. £free or £4.99/m / iOS ALLTRAILS Apple and Google will give walking directions, but only care about getting you there at speed. By contrast, AllTrails wants to keep you straight while off the beaten…

1 Garmin Edge 1040 Solar £580 / go.stuff.tv/1040Solar Ideal for multi-day adventures and training camps, the Edge 1040 Solar harnesses the sun’s power for a massive 45hrs of riding time on one charge. It has all the mapping, navigation and training firepower you’ll ever need, including accuracy-boosting dual-band GPS, best-in-class route planning and detailed training insights via Garmin Connect. The screen could be brighter, but we love the custom ride profiles that make it easy to exploit all that performance data. Stuff says A do-it-all beast of a bike computer with unrivalled battery life, reliable GPS and useful training smarts 2 JLab JBuds Air Sport £70 / go.stuff.tv/AirSport The third-gen JBuds Air Sport seriously flex JLab’s value muscle: with a solid earhook fit, custom EQ, an ambient awareness mode plus rapid charging…

1 Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max £1699 / go.stuff.tv/AmbeoMax Utterly convincing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D sound, ample power and lots of inputs mean no other soundbar currently available can perform sonic feats with the solidity and confidence of this Sennheiser. The sheer room-filling scale of its sound is remarkable – and see also the more affordable (but still hugely powerful) Plus version. Stuff says The Ambeo Soundbar Max is a big unit but the sound it makes is bigger still 2 Sonos Arc £899 / go.stuff.tv/SonosArc Don’t expect this soundbar to do everything a multi-speaker Dolby Atmos setup can do, but its up-firing and side-firing drivers give a real sense of cinematic scale. See also the much more affordable Ray model. Stuff says Big-screen sound for your big-screen binges 3 Roku Streambar £108…

KUROGAKI IS A WOOD THAT COMES FROM PERSIMMON TREES AND IS PRETTY SPECIAL Is that leopard print? When was the last time you had your eyes tested? Get down the opticians, pick out a nice pair of specs and come back for a closer look. Done? Good, because what we have here is a long way from Pat Butcher territory. It’s kurogaki, a unique wood that comes from persimmon trees; drying it out isn’t a simple process, so it’s considered to be pretty special in its native Japan… which is probably why Audio-Technica has named these extremely luxurious over-ears after a Shinto god. There’s a god called ATH-AWKG? Not quite – they’re part of a range called Narukami, one of the names for the god of thunder and lightning who’s…

SOLO SLEEPERS The trekking tarp Alpkit Tarpstar 1 Every gram matters when you’re trudging towards your Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Want featherweight protection? Ditch the inner compartment and this waterproof pyramid adds just 500g to your load. All you need is one hiking pole to hold up the roof. £160 / alpkit.com The backpack bivouac Rab Ridge Raider Bivi Seasoned adventurers can make a shelter using three sticks and some fern leaves. If the results of your bushcraft are more bare chills than Bear Grylls, add this single-skin bivvy to your pack. Lightweight at 890g, its overhead hoop design makes it roomier than a simple survival sack. £357 / trekitt.co.uk The handlebar hideaway MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack 1-Person Between inner tubes and multi-tools, pannier space is at a premium…

If you’re over oversized phones, the Xiaomi 14 could be the pocketable powerhouse you’re looking for. While many compact options are spec compromises, Xiaomi has loaded up this one with a proper top-tier Snapdragon CPU and Leica-powered imaging. The flat screen meets a polished aluminium frame to create a sleek look and feel, and its rounded corners nuzzle comfortably into the palm. If you get the Xiaomi 14 in black, its glass back is frosted for a matt finish, while the white and jade options are super-polished. The phone’s IP68 rating adds durability, and it also ships with a case and pre-fitted screen protector. Display for today The 6.36in screen is manageable enough to swipe across easily, and with its AMOLED tech it looks zingy. The smooth variable refresh rate (up…

APPLE iPHONE 15 PRO MAX Apple’s most specced-out phone zooms further, feels lighter, looks sleeker and upgrades the power to almost games console levels: if you haven’t seen Resident Evil Village running on it, you’re missing out. But it’s also a mighty expensive option, so why would you pick it over a Galaxy or Pixel… or indeed a OnePlus? Well, to anyone already sold into the Apple ecosystem, this handset is as good as it gets. You’ll love the new titanium build, slimmer bezel and more immersive screen, and yes, even the Dynamic Island. It all feels like the best big phone Apple has ever made. If USB-C her, say hello The camera also gets a boost with a new 5x telephoto lens, building on the last gen’s resolution bump…

Despite not being the leader of Honor’s line, the Magic6 Lite gives off big flagship energy while undercutting many of its competitors. Honor has a reputation for affordable phones that resemble far pricier models, and this is no exception: with its curved-edge glass, slim build and metal-effect frame, it exudes a premium feel. Available with a plastic (black or green) or vibrant vegan leather (orange) back, this phone has a five-star rating for drop protection, making it durable despite its sleek design, with the front glass made of three layers that should be able to withstand a 1.5m impact from any angle and live to tell the tale. Honor’s also sealed it up to IP53 for dust and splashes. The 6.78in AMOLED display has deep blacks, and its peak brightness of…

With more subtle styling than its predecessors, you might wonder if this Asus really is a gaming phone… until, that is, you see the customisable dot-matrix light effects on the glass rear panel. Well, it’s true that the slim chassis puts it more on a par with mainstream mobiles… and a few features have been sacrificed for that. Front-facing stereo speakers are out, and the hidden selfie-cam has become a potentially distracting punch-hole type. On the plus side, the touch-sensitive air triggers remain. Most importantly, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (with 16GB RAM) is as quick as it gets. Big titles including Arena of Valor and Genshin Impact have been specially optimised for the hardware and run a treat on the 165Hz OLED display. Icon see clearly now The ROG take…

Antler Stamford 2.0 Cabin What’s the story? Although Antler does the Clifton Cabin in several million colours, this is the fresher and fancier Stamford 2.0 Cabin. You can get it in blue, black, green or red – and this design comes in other sizes too, if you don’t mind having your stuff chucked in the hold. Is it any good? With a TSA-approved combination lock (they’re the US aviation security people), you won’t have to worry about this case being busted open. The finish isn’t as premium as it can look in pictures, but it’s clearly hardy and the Hinomoto wheels are divine. There’s a really well thought out interior too, with a removable divider and compression straps. Price £200 / go.stuff.tv/StamfordCabin Key specs ● 37L ● 54.1x40.2x20cm, 2.8kg Stuff…

It’s always an event when you get attacked by larger mythical monsters, some of them with more than one head. Unlike run-of-the-mill goblins and harpies, these beasts can be scaled, Shadow of the Colossus-style, to reach their weak points. Climbing onto a griffin’s back might mean they’ll fly you somewhere else entirely. Generally combat is both meaty and deep – no surprise, given this game comes from the studio behind Monster Hunter and Devil May Cry. But the character classes are approachable, without the overwhelming number of weapons from the former game or the intricate combos from the latter. You’ve got your standard sword-and-shield fighter, archer and wizard classes, but I had more fun with the quick-footed thief, who can get in there fast for some brutal takedowns. The trickster…

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Oh look, everyone’s top retro handheld. As long as they like green. And motion blur. It’s easy to scoff at the Game Boy’s dot-matrix display, with its four shades of murk and visible ghosting. And yes, next to the Sega Game Gear and Atari Lynx, the lack of colour – and clarity – was stark. But while falling short in terms of visual clout, the Game Boy excelled where it mattered and quickly became a handheld for the masses. It didn’t munch through batteries; it was affordable and light; and most importantly, it had those stellar titles that you really wanted to play. So what you’re saying is that it was mostly all about the games, boy? Don’t do that. But… yes. Super Mario Land did enough to set itself…