Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2024 i Stuff UK

Hello and welcome to our 101 hottest gadgets issue! We’ve picked out the most essential tech for you to buy today – and we’ve got some amazing ideas for you to choose from, across multiple categories including gaming, wearables, home gadgets and a whole lot more. We’ve also previewed the latest Sonos Ace headphones, which have a special trick up their sleeve – one you might like a lot if you already own a Sonos soundbar. In our first test we’ve checked out the (overpowered?) M4 iPad Pro and its sister tablet, the iPad Air, now also given a significant power boost. Elsewhere in our reviews section we introduce you to Sony’s latest Xperia smartphone, the 1 VI, as well as Google’s compelling new mid-range option, the Pixel 8a. We’ve…

£tba / cupraofficial.co.uk This looks familiar… or does it? The Cupra Formentor has been a big hit already, but now it’s been given a full-on makeover. This is a sporty SUV that really stands out from the crowd thanks to some exterior design tweaks, while the interior, the tech and the engine options have been upgraded too. Design tweaks, you say? There’s a lot of exterior detailing, with a distinctive shark-nose front end, dramatic three-triangle headlights and a Cupra badge sitting on the bonnet. Around the back you’ll find more triangular lights, an illuminated logo and a reworked bumper with diffuser. What about the interior? That’s looking much sharper than before, with a clear improvement in the quality of finish and more use of recycled materials. There are lots of…

The next-gen newbie Adidas Match Light 3.3 A sort of squash/tennis hybrid played with giant ping-pong bats, padel is the hottest thing in racket sports since the introduction of shorts. Fancy giving the Mexican mashup a swing? Designed for first-timers, this rubber and fibreglass number moves light and easy – perfect for working on your reflexes inside the four walls of a padel court. £70 / adidas.co.uk TENNIS The super spinner Prince Vortex 100 Producing spin in Wii Tennis is one thing; doing it on a real court is another. While it doesn’t feel like a Wiimote, this Prince job will leave your opponents dizzy: its V-shaped bridge gives vertical strings more room to move, while an open 14x21 pattern creates more bite on the ball for topspin on tap.…

Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 Hate the gaming aesthetic? Skip the Helios Neo 14. Otherwise, this is a compact powerhouse with a 14.5in 3K display that laughs in the face of demanding games, thanks to a mighty combo of Intel Core Ultra processors and Nvidia RTX 40 Series graphics. from €1599 / acer.com Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra With a zippy Intel Core Ultra processor, the power of Nvidia’s mighty RTX 40 Series graphics and a gorgeous 16in AMOLED touch display, the Book4 Ultra has plenty going for it. See also the much less frighteningly expensive Book4 Pro, tested on p69. from £2449 / samsung.com Boox Palma Imagine an Android phone with an E Ink screen. Now take out the SIM. Congratulations, you’ve just designed the Boox Palma: an e-reader that…

OnePlus Watch 2 Nordic Blue Edition People tend not to talk about the original OnePlus Watch. At least, not kindly. But rather than giving up in shame and slinking into the smartwatch shadows, OnePlus defiantly released a sequel – which has met with critical acclaim thanks to much-improved functionality, a beautiful design, and seriously impressive battery life. Enter, then, the Nordic Blue Edition of the Watch 2, which elevates things further with a vibrant blue/white dial and a hybrid leather strap that combines the look of pure moo-moo with the durability of rubber. Sharing the same specs as its non-Nordic brother, it’s the perfect wrist upgrade for anyone in search of something a little different… for only £30 more than the standard model. £329 / oneplus.com Visor Resembling a swanky…

Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 Dodgy Wi-Fi? No worries. This security cam has built-in 4G connectivity that automatically selects the strongest network in your area – it’s an all-seeing, never-sleeping camera system, bolstered by a hefty 9400 mAh battery and bundled solar panel. The 100-lumen spotlight and 4K resolution – in colour, day and night – aren’t too shabby either. £249 / uk.eufy.com Logitech Mevo Core Don’t call this a mere webcam: the Mevo Core is an all-in-one livestreaming solution, offering high-quality video (record in 4K or stream in 1080p) and integration with the likes of Twitch and YouTube. The battery life of up to 6hrs will be plenty unless you plan to stream actual paint drying. $999 / mevo.com Nanoleaf Smart Outdoor String Lights Nanoleaf’s multicoloured string lights catch…

£1299 / go.stuff.tv/Xperia1vi When you test as many phones as I do, you can’t help noticing which ones are most popular out there in the real world. In that respect, Sony Xperias are a bit like motorbikes with sidecars: rarely spotted, a bit quirky, but always a welcome sight. While other makers have long since abandoned their unusual features in search of mainstream appeal, Sony has kept doing its own thing in the hope that there was still an audience out there for skinny 4K screens, cameras packed with manual controls and creator-friendly apps. But could the Xperia 1 VI be the motorcycle that lost its sidecar? Sony has opted for just a Full HD+ screen and a less unusual 19.5:9 aspect ratio, while adding more AI tricks to help…

HOT BUY 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…

HOT BUY 1 Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max £2199 / 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 £799 / 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 BARGAIN…

HOT BUY 1 Fujifilm X-T5 £1449 / go.stuff.tv/XT5 Fujifilm’s most popular compact system camera gets a sensor upgrade while keeping up tradition everywhere else. This means you’re getting identical stills performance to the more modern X-H2, while retaining the old X-T4’s dials and compact dimensions – making the X-T5 the sweet spot of Fuji’s lineup, and a top all-rounder. The sensor is even better at low-light shooting than before, and the wide choice of lenses means everyone will find something to like. Stuff says Slick modern internals meet the manual controls loved by Fuji diehards NOW ADD THIS Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f4 This versatile lens covers a bigger zoom range than most and adapts to pretty much any requirements. £699 / jessops.com TIPS & TRICKS • It’s easy to set up…

£1299 / fujifilm-x.com Has somebody applied a retro filter to that camera? That’s actually a very pertinent observation – because as well as outwardly giving off some serious old-school vibes, the X-T50’s commitment to recreating the past runs right through it. Fuji’s film simulation modes are nothing new – think of them as a more grown-up version of Instagram filters, with names like Sepia, Classic Chrome and Butlin’s Holiday ’93 (OK, maybe not that last one) – but here there’s a dial on top that lets you twist your way through them. There are 20 in total, with eight presets on the dial and space to add three of your favourites. Why not just use Instagram? Because your phone doesn’t have a 40.2MP X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor or X-Processor…

We’ve just done the second Everything Electric show in Australia and it was three times bigger than the first one – it was enormous and amazing. They’re on a different timeline to us but the speed of adoption of electric vehicles in Australia is dizzying, because there were none four years ago and now there’s a hell of a lot – it’s really taken off. A lot of the Chinese cars that are just starting to come into Europe have been in Australia for the last few years – they get them early on. Also, they have solar. If you’ve got solar panels on your roof in Australia you don’t pay electricity bills, and if you’ve got enough of them you can charge your car as well, so you don’t…

It can’t be said by any stretch that this is an underpowered tablet. Packing a chip that’s newer than anything in a Mac, Apple is hoping to boost flagging iPad sales with a device that’s both super-slender and super-powered. There’s also a new Apple Pencil Pro, and anybody who uses an iPad Pro for any kind of art or design work will definitely benefit from it. We’re testing out the 13in model; there’s also an 11-incher and both are available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB versions. Size apart, both Pros have the same spec sheet this time. What is particularly stunning is just how thin this tab is. It was pretty thin anyway, but the new 13in Pro clocks in at 5.1mm. It’s the thinnest product Apple has ever…

Insta360 X4 This little fiend has the highest resolution in a 360° action camera yet, thanks to 8K video and 72MP photo smarts. Dual ultrawide sensors capture your surroundings, automatically stitching seamless 360° content together. And with its rugged design and 2.5in Gorilla Glass touchscreen, it’s built to survive all sorts — even if you’re not. £500 / insta360.com Nikon Zf Despite costing a couple of grand, Nikon’s latest full-frame mirrorless cam is a steal, with a 24MP sensor, five-axis stabilisation, dual SD slots and a 3.2in tilting touchscreen. Its 4K video has a slight crop, but it’s still an ideal pairing for the new compact Nikkor Z 24-50mm f4-6.3 lens. £2149 / nikon.co.uk Canon EOS R50 Content Creator Kit Want to kickstart your career as a famous vlogger but…

Simba Apex Mattress Never skimp on things that separate you from the ground. Shoes… chairs… tyres… and especially mattresses. This one is a sumptuous combo of wool, cashmere and mohair, while Simba’s QuadCore spring tech ensures precise pressure relief and spinal alignment, catering to all body shapes and sleeping styles. from £2199 / simbasleep.com Loop Earplugs Switch Whether you want to save your eardrums from tinnitus or simply filter out pub noise, these earplugs have you covered thanks to three-way noise-reduction mode switches. They’re made of hypoallergenic plastic with silicone tips for all-day wear. £55 / loopearplugs.com Dyson Supersonic Nural This is Dyson’s most intelligent hairdryer yet. A network of sensors means it’s able to automatically reduce its heat output when the dryer gets too close to your scalp, preventing…

Shelfy Not-so-fun fact: the UK produces the largest amount of kitchen waste in Europe, with the average household spending £470 annually on food that ends up in the bin. Enter Shelfy — a fridge gadget that promises to extend the life of your food by as much as 12 days, while reducing bacteria and eliminating odours in the process. It’s pretty low-maintenance, with a filter that never needs replacing and a battery that should last three weeks between USB-C charges. Those with a penchant for stats can also use the Vitesy Hub app to gobble up insights into fridge usage and food storage tips, and it’s compatible with Google Home and Alexa… although you may find that broccoli won’t respond to voice commands. £129 / vitesy.com Ninja Blast Battles over…

THE BASICS ■ Make lists Your garden won’t thrive if you randomly lob bulbs at dirt. Research what’s best for your garden and when tasks should be done. Get to-do lists and shopping lists down, and then share everything if you don’t maintain the garden alone. At least then the plants will get watered and you’ll avoid buying four identical sheds. ■ Plan and design If you’re very organised, properly map out the garden… or at least one section of it. Planter (from £free on Android and iOS) is great for vegetable patches – you drag and drop items to grids – and it works for flowers too. Avoid spending too much by keeping tabs on your budget with another free app: Spending Tracker. ■ Keep it going Gardens refuse…

FIRST ADD THESE… ONE PITAKA MAGEZ CASE 4 Add magnetic mounting and charging to your S24 Ultra without piling on the bulk by sheathing it in this smart aramid fibre case. Perfect for people who hate phone cases, it’s supremely thin, comes in three finishes, and feels solid and grippy. Don’t be thrown off by the dollar pricing either: Pitaka offers free UK shipping when you order. $70 / ipitaka.com TWO HUAWEI WATCH FIT 3 Put off smartwatches by their fearsome pricing and one-day stamina? This little Huawei is a dialled-back delight. It lasts for more than a week, weighs just 26g despite its glass and metal build, and packs GPS, a heart-rate monitor and a crisp, bright, responsive touchscreen. Despite limited app support, it’s a winning mix for casual…

from £499 / go.stuff.tv/Pixel8a DAY 01 In recent years, Google’s cheaper ‘a’ models have dominated the mid-range phone market. They’ve delivered outstanding value by including many of the brand’s flagship features (think amazing cameras and slick software) and cutting corners where you’re less likely to notice. Is that still true of the Pixel 8a? At first glance it looks and feels identical to the full-on Pixel 8, but closer inspection reveals a few key differences. For a start, the display bezels are slightly thicker, and everything is just a bit more softly rounded. “I’m amazed at how good the cheaper Pixels are for photography – the detail in distance shots is really impressive” I actually prefer this design. The matt back provides more grip, and the camera bar is less…

ON SALE 5 JULY DON’T MISS OUT! Pay the normal shop price* and get the next issue delivered direct to your door ORDER ONLINE AT SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK OR CALL NOW ON 01959 543747 *Terms and conditions apply. UK delivery costs £2.75. Order by 21 June; you should receive your copy around 5 July. Front cover is for illustration purposes only and is subject to change. Lines are open Mon-Fri 8:30am–5:30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate.…

HOT BUY 1 Sony WH-1000XM5 £293 / go.stuff.tv/WHXM5 Nobody was able to displace Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones from the top of this list for two years… yet the latest model manages to be even better. Key to the XM5s’ overall quality is the new carbon-fibre composite 30mm drivers: they bring even greater clarity than the previous generation, and the sound reproduction is beautifully precise. The simple fact is that these are the best noise-cancellers around by almost every measure. You really won’t regret buying them. Stuff says Sony keeps its grip on the top spot with an unrivalled combo of great sound, ANC and comfort 2 Sennheiser Momentum 4 £279 / go.stuff.tv/SM4 These are headphones that sound naturalistic, engaged and entirely musical, making every recording sound like an event. And they’ll last a…

from £1049 / microsoft.com Microsoft’s AI-boosted hybrid has ditched Intel for smartphone-inspired Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. Should Apple be worried? The ways of the ’dragon With their tablet proportions and detachable keyboards, Microsoft’s Surface Pro hybrids have been around for 11 iterations now – and this latest version could be the bestest best of both worlds yet. Microsoft has binned Intel chips completely, with five different configurations to choose from, the cheapest of which comes with a Snapdragon X Plus CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, whereas the priciest (£2149) has a Snapdragon X Elite, twice as much RAM and 1TB of storage. The big gloss While all the models look identical at first, there’s one difference that you will be able to spot with the naked eye: the…

from £599 / go.stuff.tv/iPadAirM2 ■ With the further powering up of the iPad Air via Apple’s M2 chip, this is now essentially an iPad Pro just without a few extras such as Face ID support. But it also shares a lot with the 10th-gen base-level iPad, including Touch ID. Once again Apple’s tablet range makes sense, with a classic ‘good, better, best’ arrangement. ■ Much has been made of the Pro’s skinniness, but this Air isn’t far behind at 6.1mm. Both 11in and 13in versions are heavier, but not by a great deal: the 13in model weighs a mere 38g more than its Pro equivalent. ■ In addition to the processor there are two reasons for going for the Air over the standard iPad. Firstly, like the Pro, it’s available…

The Boring Phone It’s 2002. Avril Lavigne deals with complications. Tom Cruise catches criminals with psychic precognition. Four years have passed since Opal Fruits were rebranded to Starburst, and you’re still bitter. You whip out your flip phone, bash out a T9 predictive text SMS (complete with homemade ASCII art) and go about your day. This is what the Boring Phone encapsulates: a new flip phone harking back to those days, it’s the perfect retro-fuelled companion for anyone seeking to break free from the constant distractions of smartphones and social media. With its monochrome display and limited functions, it strips away all unnecessary features, apps and 3am doomscrolling, leaving only calls, text messages and a basic 0.3MP camera. £free / heineken.com Huawei Pura 70 Ultra The Pura 70 Ultra makes…

FiiO R9 On the hunt for a headphone amp? How about a USB DAC for your PC? Or perhaps you’d like a wireless music streamer? Oh, would you also like to play local music files? If so, you’ll be delighted to hear the FiiO R9 does all of that – and a heck of a lot more. At its core, the R9 is a hi-res DAC and headphone amp, delivering sound that will delight the most discerning audiophile. Built like a tank, its metal finish is complemented by a subtle RGB strip and a 6in touchscreen for navigating its Android interface. Inside you’ll find some formidable audio power, including a robust amp and dual eight-channel DAC, capable of driving even the most demanding headphones. The results are a joy: crisp…

Disney+ A few hours in the air is the perfect excuse to finally watch that MCU series you’ve been putting off for ages. And with the Disney+ app, you can download every episode with a single tap. Movies can be downloaded too, although probably avoid stuff like Air Force One unless you want your flight to be a little more tense than it otherwise might have been. from £7.99/m / Android, iOS Readly Being locked in a metal tube hurtling through the heavens also gives you a chance to catch up on magazines you’ve been meaning to read. Oh, but they take up space in your carry-on. Bah! Readly provides a solution, letting you download all your favourite mags to one device. There’s a handy ‘reader’ view for phones as…

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1 What’s the story? Lenovo’s ThinkPad range is known for rather corporate laptops, distinguished by their utilitarian design, but the X1 Fold 16 is different. Really a 16.3in tablet that folds in the middle, it has a separate QWERTY that can be placed over the bottom half of the screen if you don’t like virtual keys. There’s an attachment that adds a fold-out stand, so you can also prop it up in either portrait or landscape to make the most of the whole display. Is it any good? Good? That really depends on how you choose to use it. It shines brightest when using the stand to become a rudimentary all-in-one PC, with its punchy speakers making it a strong movie machine, while the…

£150 / go.stuff.tv/LiveBeam3 ■ Clever cases that save you reaching for your phone to change settings might just be the next wireless earbud battleground. JBL’s Live 3 models offer three new takes on the touchscreen charging case idea… and the stem-style Beam variant is probably the pick of the trio. ■ The driver housings aren’t dramatically sculpted to match your ear shape, but the silicone tips ensured they stayed in place while I commuted to meetings or went jogging – you get four different sizes in the box. ■ They’re an entertaining listen through and through. Analytical or subtle they are not, but clarity is very good across the frequency range, with a thumping sub-bass that avoids getting boomy. It’s great to see LDAC Bluetooth on board, but enabling it…

HOT BUY 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. •…

HOT BUY 1 Apple Watch SE from £198 / 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 £399 / go.stuff.tv/Fenix7 If your budget stretches, the impressive mix of rugged…

HOT BUY 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…

HOT BUY 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. £162 / amazon.co.uk TIPS & TRICKS • The Echo’s built-in Zigbee hub can hook up hundreds of smart home devices without a bridge. • Pair a compatible…

Cost-of-living crisis or not, are you really going to talk about cardboard tech? Not all of Cardboard was cardboard. The original kit included lenses, magnets, Velcro and a rubber band! And on its debut at the 2014 Google I/O conference, this DIY slot-in-your-own-smartphone headset grabbed all the headlines. This was Google making a play for the future, saying VR didn’t need specialised hardware beyond your phone: it could be accessible to everyone, encouraging developers to build a new generation of immersive digital experiences. Like a VR stationery store so you could buy more tape when your headset fell apart? Ah, stop being so cynical. Many Google Cardboard apps transported you into outer space or plunged you into the ocean depths. We recall quite a few rollercoasters and a trippy VR…