PS PORTAL STREAM YOUR GAMES ANYWHERE

2024’s
TOP GADGETS
All the tech you need to kick yournew
year off with a bang!

HIGH-TECH BOSE QC
REVIEWED

TRAVEL
The destinations
to discover, the
gear to pack
ULTRA
Banish noise with
Bose’swonder cans

TESTED
MACBOOK NEW
PRO M3 STEAM
Apple cranks
up the power DECK OLED
The console debuts
a gorgeous display

ISSUE 355

Let’s get ESSENTIAL

physical
From turntables to tape decks,
EVGUIDE
Incredible next-gen
join the retro-media revolution electric cars, revealed

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

APPSOLUTE UNIT
Want to track your shares? Monitor your Duolingo
progress? Display random memes? Tidbyt’s 500-plus
apps cater to all this and more

TIDBYT GEN 2
Two years after the barnstorming crowdfunding campaign that brought its first dot-matrix
displays to market, Tidbyt is back with its second-gen display. The customisable screen can
show any info you might need and allows you to schedule each app to appear when you most
need it. Meanwhile, it rocks a whole bunch of upgrades. Its new display is brighter, showing off
more of the gorgeously retro LEDs and less of the space between them. It can now also offer
8-bit style audio notifications and its touch control surface allows you to skip through apps with
a tap. Finally, its built-in mount allows you to plop it on a desktop or wall mount it with ease. So
if you want to see it become a reality, better check out its current Kickstarter campaign.
From $159, kickstarter.com

JANUARY 2024 T3 3

 
 Meet the team

Meet the team MEET OUR

ADVERTISING TEAM
Get in touch to see what T3
can do for your brand!
ACCOUNT MANAGER
CHARLOTTE BECKETT
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sasha.mcgregor@futurenet.com
JOSH RUSSELL MICHELLE McLAREN RUSSELL LEWIN
Editor Art Editor Production Editor
THE GLOBAL
MAGAZINE
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worldwide, from
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MARC CHACKSFIELD MAT GALLAGHER MATT KOLLAT

Content Director Editor In Chief, T3.com Active Editor

FRANCE POLAND

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Home Editor
HOW TO LICENSE T3
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NEWSLETTER

4 T3 JANUARY 2024

 
 Welcome

Editor’s letter
Not only are we entering a brand shining new year,
there’s another anniversary atT3 Towers this issue. T3
355 marks my 50th issue as the editor ofT3, meaning
I’ve been at the helm of this esteemed mag for almost a
seventh of its life. Where has all the time gone?
Am I proud of everything the mag has achieved
during this time? Absolutely. Am I looking forward to
another 50 issues of serving you up the best gadgets
the world has to offer? You bet. Am I terrified at the
way time seems to be running through my fingers like
so much poorly sieved quinoa? Oh god, yes.
Looking forward to the future has, naturally, got me
thinking about new year’s resolutions. And while they can
be hard to keep – currently, my German fluency is still
total schrecklich and my debut novel is shorter than most
takeaway menus – T3 is on hand to help you ensure you
can hit yours. So whether you’re looking for help getting
those fitness gains, refining your style or smashing
through your to-do list at work, we’ve got all you’ll need.
Or perhaps your resolutions involve globe-trotting
and discovering far-flung places. If so, check out our
guide to the most hi-tech destinations to visit in 2024
and the kit you need to make any trip complete.
Josh Russell, Editor
josh.russell@futurenet.com
Tweet me @joshlrussell

T3’S MISSION
Our mission is to bring you the clearest recommendations
we can – and that means a great deal of hard work happens
before a product even reaches our pages!
Because we only feature products the T3 team would
happily use ourselves, we end up discarding a significant
number of options in each category before settling on a final
shortlist to review. We select only the best of the best for
our Tested section; the gear we know you’ll want to seriously
consider purchasing. And that should mean an end to you
having to undertake hours of painstaking research and
product comparisons.
You won’t see any duff products, but you will come away
with clarity on which one is the best in its category or for
a specific task: our awards badges (see below) ensure that
everything T3 recommends is clearly highlighted on the page.
It goes without saying that every product in our review
section has been thoroughly tested by our team of experts,
enabling you to buy with total confidence.

OUR AWARDS
This is given to winners of our group tests, Only the best products – those that score
so you can see which is the best at a glance five stars – receive our Platinum Award
T3 (ISSN 1364-2642) is published monthly with an extra issue in September by Future Publishing, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA, UK
The US annual subscription price is $194.87 Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named World Container Inc., c/o BBT 150-15 183rd St, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA
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Subscription records are maintained at Future Publishing, c/o Air Business Subscriptions, Rockwood House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3DH, UK

JANUARY 2024 T3 5

 
 Contents

Contents
029 LIFE-CHANGING GADGETS
With this transformative tech,
make 2024 the year you shine

043 HI-TECH TRAVEL

The places to go and the gear to take
for tech-savvy holidays in the new year

053 INCREDIBLE NEXT-GEN EVs

2024 is set to be a big year for electric cars,
so here’s a motorcade of the most striking
6 T3 JANUARY 2024
059 LET’S GET PHYSICAL
Turntables, tape decks, Polaroid cameras… these
analogue gadgets still do a brilliant job

 
 
 Contents

BEST OF THE BEST

HORIZON TESTED
010
HORIZON TOP 10
068
MACBOOK PRO 14-INCH
Teenage Engineering’s EP-133 KO II: A powerful and long-lasting MacBook
music is made of this with a hefty price tag attached
072
PLAYSTATION PORTAL
Stream games from your PS5 in style

018
STYLE
Retro sportsgear to kick off your year
019
OPINION 073
The F1 tech coming to your car JBL BAR 1300
With this soundbar’s cinematic scale,
020
FITNESS
your local Odeon has met its match 079
YOUR IN-DEPTH
This foldable treadmill is perfect for BUYER’S GUIDE
runners short on storage space Our giant buyer’s guide helps you find
the world’s best gadgets in over 50
021
TRAVEL
categories, from top tellies to DSLRs
to car tech to shavers – all tested by
For those about to get on their bike T3’s team of tech experts!
and ride, here are the places to hit
074
BOSE QUIETCOMFORT ULTRA
HEADPHONES
For brilliant ANC and overall sound
quality, you can’t go wrong here
076
SUBSCRIBE
AND SAVE BIG MONEY
ACER CHROMEBOOK PLUS 514 Get the latest offers
022 This medium-level Chromebook does
everything you need it to 040
LIVING
Heat meat to a perfect temperature
024
GADGET GURU
Winter-proof your wheels, pinpoint
tech deals and prevent bike steals
027 078
INSTA360 ACE PRO
OPINION An exciting action cam with lots of
Mat Gallagher talks self-parking cars unique editing options

8 T3 JANUARY 2024

 
 
 Horizon

The best new tech heading your way

TEENAGE
ENGINEERING
EP-133 KO II
£299, teenage.engineering
Teenage Engineering may have made its name
cooking up costly music gadgets like the OP-1 – and
later cemented its reputation in the design world with
(amongst other things) its collaborations with
Nothing, Ikea and Panic’s Playdate console – but the
Swedish company’s retro-styled Pocket Operator
series might be its most iconic output.
Sporting a raw buttons-on-circuit-board design,
Game-and-Watch-style LCD displays, and differing
musical abilities depending on which of the many
models you picked, the super-low price of the Pocket
Operator series put portable electronic tunesmithing
into the hands of the masses. We mention this by way MINIMAL
of getting to two of the highlights of the PO line, the MEMORY
boxing-themed PO-33 and Street Fighter co-branded The KO II keeps
PO-133 – both dinky and remarkably capable costs down
samplers, whose DNA is fully present in this truly by building its
remarkable evolution of TE’s low-cost line. wide feature
What once was LCD is now what TE calls the set on relatively
‘world’s first super segment hybrid display’, rudimentary
reminiscent of colour-screen LCD games of yore. hardware. 64MB
What once were simple surface-mounted tac- of storage doesn’t
switches are now pressure- and velocity-sensitive sound like much,
mechanical pads, styled to look like the coolest but it’s enough to
calculator there ever was. And the Pocket Operators’ hold on to up to
intuitive user interface carries over, gets bumped up a 999 samples.
notch, and remains just as inspiring and exciting as it
ever was. The fidelity may not match up to the OP-1,
but, at a sixth of its price, the EP-133 has no trouble
making a very muscular case. An absolute haymaker
of a music creativity device.

“e EP-133 screams

TECH-O-METER fun and just begs to
be played with”
Josh Russell, Editor

10 T3 JANUARY 2024

 
 Top10

CHANGING SOUND
Scores of effects are available – TE cleverly calls these
‘Punch-in 2.0’ – each indicated by a typically character-
filled icon on the VFD-style display. They can be
automated, layered, and nothing’s baked in unless you
want it to be – so you can always go back.

G N I R E E N I GNE EGANEET :ECR UOS E G A M I

MORE THAN SAMPLES
Full MIDI in/out means the EP-133’s samples can be triggered
with a keyboard, and its sequencer can fire off other music
hardware. It’ll also sync (or be synced to) tempo, hook up
to external amplification if you don’t want to use its internal
speaker, and record sounds at 46kHz/16-bit.

JANUARY 2024 T3 11

 
 Horizon
Top10

SONY A9 III
£6,099, sony.co.uk
Although modern camera speeds mean image
distortions caused by rolling shutters have just
about been eliminated, those working at high
speeds may still curse the shutter’s name. Sony
aims to eliminate such issues with what it
claims is the world’s first full-frame stacked
CMOS sensor featuring a global shutter, which
means all of its 24.6 megapixels are exposed
at the exact same time. It can burst (with full
AF/AE) at up to 120fps with no viewfinder
blackout, has a maximum shutter speed of
1/80000 second when taking single shots, and
features Composite RAW shooting, allowing for
post-processing that eliminates noise even in
low lights or at high speed. Given Sony’s rising
star in the camera market, Canon and Nikon
will be quaking. This’ll be the semi-pro camera
to beat – at least until the next Alpha arrives.
T3 SAYS: Fast shooting for fast-moving fun.

Y N O S :ECR UOS E G A M I
TECH-O-METER

PRO-JECT PERSPECTIVE
FINAL EDITION
£1,299, project-audio.com
Pro-ject’s foundation is built on affordable,
quality turntables, but its story can’t be told
without the Perspective. As one of the
company’s first high-end turntables released in
the ’90s, it pioneered Pro-ject’s sub chassis
design, isolating the tone arm and platter from
the main chassis to prevent any transfer of
vibrations that might alter the needle’s
interpretation of those vinyl grooves. The
company has now resurrected the Perspective
for a super-limited final run, with only 400 of
these transparent beauties hitting the market.
The design has been brought up to standard,
featuring adjustable springs connecting the sub
chassis, three aluminium spike feet, a one-piece
carbon tonearm, and an electronic two-speed
motor replacing the twin motors of the original.

T C E J- O R P :ECR UOS E G A M I
T3 SAYS: An exclusive and beautiful disc spinner.

TECH-O-METER

12 T3 JANUARY 2024

 
 
 Horizon
Top10

McLEAR RINGPAY 2
£100, mclear.com
‘Pay with a punch!’, is what McLear’s marketing
materials would read if they were to listen to
us. They probably shouldn’t, because we’d be
underselling the rather lovely ceramic RingPay
2, which comes in steel, black or white. It’s
potentially the fastest way to make a
contactless payment. Your phone gets to stay
in your pocket and those archaic cards can sit
in a drawer at home while you tap your fist on
the reader instead. You don’t need to concern
yourself with charging – like a contactless card,
it’s a battery-free process. You needn’t even
worry authentication, given the RingPay 2
employs a PIN-protected middleman account
that sits between your transactions and your
actual card numbers – it only tops itself up
once it reaches a pre-agreed limit. That’s some
smart finance with smart looks.

RAELcM :ECR UOS EGAMI

T3 SAYS: Ring in the personal payment changes.

TECH-O-METER

STEAM DECK OLED

From £479, steampowered.com
This isn’t (technically) a big upgrade to the
processing numbers of the original Steam
Deck. It’s running the same AMD APU specs
as before, even in the face of beefier
competition, though a streamlined
manufacturing process does reduce the power
draw a little. Elsewhere, though, we see huge
upgrades: smaller boards mean a bigger
battery for up to 50% more life, a new Wi-Fi 6E
card triples the download speed, and a fresh
fan design causes it to run much cooler and
quieter. And, yes, it’s a big win in terms of the
screen, swapping out the LCD panel of the
original for a slightly larger, super-vibrant 1000
nit OLED screen, now capable of 90Hz refresh
rates. A massive boost to the Deck’s standing,
but not one that affects its price too severely.
T3 SAYS: A stopgap upgrade before the Deck
2? Perhaps.

M A E T S :ECR UOS E G A M I
TECH-O-METER

14 T3 JANUARY 2024

 
 
 Horizon

LEGO ORIENT EXPRESS

£260, lego.com
Rarely do we ever accuse Lego of missing a
trick, but let’s get the bad news out of the way
first of all: this ultra-detailed, super-cute ABS
recreation of the iconic Orient Express is not,
out of the box, motorised. It won’t speed
around your living room even though you
would like it to. But let’s be realistic: Lego is
about creativity as much as it is building set
models. We all know that Lego train fans won’t
be able to resist finding a way to modify its
tender and graft on a battery box to get this
chuffing around a track – and Lego has made it
compatible with L Gauge track for just that
reason. Plenty of shelf appeal here, extra credit
for the new locomotive elements included, like
a nifty little whistle, and you can’t be too sad
about a raft of period-correct minifigs that get
to ride in luxury.
T3 SAYS: All aboard to Bucharest and beyond.

OGEL :ECR UOS E G A M I

TECH-O-METER

GARMIN DESCENT G1 SOLAR

OCEAN EDITION
£570, garmin.com
The Descent G1 is, says Garmin, not a watch but
a dive computer – one which will perpetually
recharge itself via the sun if you’re in the
shallows thanks to its solar screen. Even if
things get slightly darker, it will reveal its data
happily via a bright backlight nestled beneath
its monochrome LCD display. It is, of course, a
watch, whatever they might say; naturally it
features a diving-focused spin on Garmin’s usual
selection of wrist-based fitness smarts and
advanced health monitoring features. We’d say
the best thing about the Ocean Edition is that
it’s actually keeping plastic out of the sea; it’s
manufactured from plastics that were at high
risk of ending up in the ocean, not only offering
it dazzling good looks but earning it a large
number of sustainability points in the process.

N I M R A G :ECR UOS E G A M I
T3 SAYS: Dive safe – but don’t go below 100m...

TECH-O-METER

16 T3 JANUARY 2024

 

OPAL TADPOLE
$175 (around £140), opalcamera.com
Laptops and webcams don’t tend to
mix well. They tend to sport either
inadequate sensors (stand up, Apple)
or up-the-nose angles, and adding an
external cam is too much for most
flimsy hinges. So why has it taken so
long for something like the Opal
Tadpole to crop up? It’s one heck of
an eye, packing a mirrorless Sony
sensor – binning 48MP down to
1080p resolution – behind a six-
element f1.8 lens. It features a
directional MEMS mic deliberately
designed to pick up only what’s in
the camera’s field of view, and a
clever mute button built into its
MOBILE PIXELS GEMINOS
From £619, mobilepixels.us
The introduction of a new concept in
desktop monitors feels a little like
sorcery at this point, so entrenched
are we in our side-by-side or
ultrawide screens. But Mobile Pixels’
clever setup, which places two
thin-bezelled panels in a vertical
configuration, has us fully intrigued,
particularly in the more expensive T
edition, which includes touch facilities
on its slanted lower panel. No more
swivelling one’s head while working,
and no need for extras on the desk
like speakers, a USB hub, or a
webcam since they’re all built in.
Certain aspects lack the kind of juice
 
Top10
USB-C connector. Most importantly
it’s hugely compact and, at under
50g, incredibly light – we wouldn’t
echo Opal’s claim that it’s the first
webcam designed for laptops,
because that’s silly, but its clip-on
design makes it the best option yet.
T3 SAYS: Opal’s tiny cam might just
be a diamond.
L APO : E C R U O S E G A M I
TECH-O-METER
COOLNESS
INNOVATION
FEATURES
HUMANE AI PIN
$700 (around £555), hu.ma.ne
AI probably is the next big thing. But debuted at Paris Fashion Week rather
is the Humane AI pin the next big than, say, CES, might be a clue as to
thing for AI? It could be argued that its true position. This is more lifestyle
the Apple engineers that scarpered indicator than market innovation, but
from Cupertino to create a screenless it’s still important. To find our way to
square Star Trek communicator might the future of AI, we need the devices
have fired the photon torpedoes a in between.
little too soon. We admire the cool
features – the laser ink display that T3 SAYS: The proof of concept is in
E N A M U H :ECR UOS E G A M I
beams notifications onto (and reads the pudding.
gestures from) your palm, the
platform it provides for AI-addled
apps, the battery booster that keeps TECH-O-METER
the main lapel-mounted device slim COOLNESS
– but question just how useful this INNOVATION
will truly be. Perhaps the fact that it FEATURES
we’d really like – the 24-inch panels
are only 1080p, and they’re locked to
60Hz, which doesn’t feel like quite
enough – but with a little future
massaging this is the kind of gear
that’ll reinvigorate many creative
workflows. One to keep an eye on.
S L E X I P EL I B O M : E C R U O S E G A M I
T3 SAYS: Look up and down, not left
and right.
TECH-O-METER
COOLNESS
INNOVATION
FEATURES
JANUARY 2024 T3 17
 Horizon

RETRO LEAGUE
Evoke a time when shorts were small and a headband compulsory.
Nostalgia rules in sportswear, and it’s time to indulge…
NORTH FACE BASEBALL CAP
This lightweight cap is made from
recycled ripstop and is named after its
year of inspiration: 1992. The khaki and
navy colourway give it authentic
retro vibes. An elasticated back
tap keeps it snug
£35, mrporter.com

TED TRAINERS
Dune says these retro-inspired trainers have ‘timeless style’.
We say the mix of cream, tan and brown suede effect is
unmistakably vintage. A sleek sneaker with a leather mix
upper and perforated panel.
£80, dunelondon.com

FLEESKI JACKET
Retro activewear fashion was big on
beige and brown. Celebrate this retro
palette with a coat designed for outdoor
adventures. An insulating fleece and a
water-repellent finish will keep you toasty.
£160, mrporter.com

RETRO COURT SNEAKER

Rag & Bone has captured the
vintage look of a classic tennis
shoe but kept the comfort modern
with cushioned OrthoLite footbeds
topped with white leather uppers.
£235, mrporter.com
N OZAMA , E N U D ,RETRO P R M :ECRU O S EGAMI

FILA CLASSIC HEADBAND

In the late 1970s Björn Borg
was not just Wimbledon
champ but he was hitting aces
style-wise too with his iconic
Fila headband. The sports
brand are still working it with
this unisex lightweight replica.
£21.96, amazon.co.uk

18 T3 JANUARY 2024

 

Could motorsport tech
improve your road car?
Jon Bentley is optimistic that the racing industry can once again
give the average motor a meaningful jump start
O
ne of the justifications
for car manufacturers
spending millions
funding racing and
rallying teams over the years has
been that motorsport technology
filters down into their road cars,
making them better. Examples
include disc brakes, active
suspension and steering wheel
buttons – all inspired by the
racetrack. But, if anything, in recent
years the trend has been inverted.
Hybrid powertrains and lithium-ion
batteries, for example, appeared
first on the road. But could that
trend be about to switch back?
I recently visited the impressive
new headquarters of Jaguar TCS
Racing at Kidlington in Oxfordshire.
It’s where the team’s very
successful electric Formula E
racing cars, now in their third
generation, are engineered. All
the talk was about how racing
developments will help improve
the company’s future roadgoing
electric Range Rovers, Defenders,
Discoverys and Jaguars.
While some Formula E
components, including the battery,
chassis and tyres, are standard and
common to all teams, others such
as the inverter, motor and gearbox,
can be engineered by teams for
their competitive advantage. That’s
where they can show innovation.
 
According to Jack Lambert,
Jaguar’s Research and Innovation
Manager, their racing engineers in
partnership with Wolfspeed have
created improved silicon carbide
semiconductors. These boost the
performance of the inverter, a
component that converts direct
current from the battery into the
alternating current that powers the
motor. Meanwhile, new gearbox oils
that can be re-refined – cutting
Even the frustratingly
distant goal of truly
self-driving cars is
being furthered
emissions in half – have been
developed with Castrol. All these
developments will help improve the
company’s electric road cars.
Though politicians can adopt a
tunnel-vision approach, with
battery EVs as seemingly the only
option for our automotive future,
motor sport has a refreshingly open
attitude. Formula One is set to be
running on sustainable, lab-created
e-fuel in 2026. These may be a
controversial niche, with concerns
Opinion
about how much energy and other
resources are used in their creation,
but this will be watched with huge
interest by classic car owners. Not
to mention by manufacturers who
want to take advantage of the EU’s
decision to allow the sale of internal
combustion cars running on
synthetic fuels after the fossil fuels
cut off date of 2035.
Hydrogen is also being explored
in a competitive environment. The
Automobile Club de l’Ouest,
organiser of the Le Mans 24 Hours,
has announced that it will allow
hydrogen-engined vehicles to
compete in the legendary
endurance race in 2026. Renault’s
sporting brand Alpine says it’s
developing a fuel cell hydrogen-
powered car for the event, while
Toyota has shown its GR H2 Racing
Concept, which burns the fuel.
Even the frustratingly distant
goal of truly self-driving cars is
being furthered by motorsport. The
Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing
League, or A2RL, is launching next
April with 10 teams from around the
world racing autonomous cars
capable of 300 km/h.
It’s all extremely exciting. We
could be on the brink of a creative
and exhilarating new era of
motorsport-inspired road car tech.
Pop the champagne corks – we will
all be winners!
JANUARY 2024 T3 19
 Horizon
Fitness
BACK TO
BLACK
STUBBLE & CO
KIT BAG
OC & EL B B U T S : E C R U O S E G A M I
Part-crafted from recycled
materials with a waterproof
exterior and plenty of internal
pockets, the 45-litre Stubble
& Co Kit Bag provides all the
functionality you need from a
gym backpack while looking
good on your back.
£155, stubbleandco.com
NIKE METCON 9
With considerable changes
since its predecessor,
including a bigger Hyperlift
plate for added stability
during those big lifts, a much
E K I N :ECR UOS E G A M I
wider toe box, a larger rope
guard and a great colourway
selection, this functional
fitness shoe is even better
than before.
£129, nike.com
SKULLCANDY
CRUSHER ANC 2
e Skullcandy Crusher ANC
YD NACLLUKS :ECR UOS EGAMI
2 Headphones build on their
bass-heavy predecessor and
add active noise cancellation
to provide an even more
immersive sound. A must-
have for lovers of loud music
and action movies.
£199.99, skullcandy.co.uk
20 T3 JANUARY 2024
 
X E LFWOB :ECR UOS E G A M I
AF-FOLD-ABLE
LET IT FLIP
Bowflex launches its BXT8Ji affordable folding treadmill in the UK
Folding treadmills are very popular as they ability to pair your device to the JRNY
require less floor space to store than adaptive fitness app. Although there is no
traditional running machines, making them built-in multimedia display, you can pop
an ideal choice for people with smaller your tablet or phone on the media shelf to
homes. And while some folding treadmills stream any content you wish.
can cut corners, we can always count on Key features include a 20 x 60-inch
Bowflex to provide a similar high-quality (51cm x 152cm) running belt and Comfort
workout experience to its full-size Bowflex Tech cushioning system for a softer
Treadmill 22 with the BXT8Ji Treadmill landing, SoftDrop folding system and
(£1.599, fitness-superstore.co.uk). transport wheels, DualTrack LCD screen
Bowflex’s new home-gym equipment with 26 built-in workout programs (no
offers high-performance cardio and the Wi-Fi required) and more.
ON YOUR MARKS...
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
R.A.D debuts its first-ever running shoe, the R-1
Launching a new trainer franchise isn’t
easy, let alone if you’re trying to take on
big-ticket brands like Adidas or Nike.
Nevertheless, this is exactly what R.A.D
is aiming to achieve with its new running
shoes, the R-1 (£150, rad-global.com).
Featuring the SwellFoam N2 supercritical
D . A . R :ECR UOS E G A M I
foam midsole partly made from sugar
cane, the R.A.D R-1 provides cushion for
long runs and enough pop for tempo
and interval sessions. If it delivers, the R-1
might just become the new workhorse of
every runner’s shoe rotation…

L E S S E K N AV OC : E C R U O S E G A M I
LIFE CYCLE
SADDLE UP
Kicking off a pedal-powered fitness regime in 2024? ese are the
spots both far and near which should be on your radar
2024 will be the first time the Tour de
France won’t finish in France’s capital, due
to the Paris Olympics, which kick off in
July 2024. This year, Nice will be the
finishing point. Our favourite cycling spot
in the city? The beautiful Promenade des
Anglais, from which you’ll enjoy beautiful
views over the ocean.
Elsewhere, Amsterdam has always
ranked as one of the world’s most cyclist-
friendly cities, and the latest development
on this front is the new underwater bicycle
park, which recently opened next to
Amsterdam’s central station. This space-
age structure, designed by Dutch design
studio Wurck, is located nine metres
beneath the city’s canal network. The
subterranean building has room for 7,000
bicycles and can be accessed by both
visitors and locals, who can use transport
cards to enter.
Further afield, Manila, the capital of the
Philippines, is going all out to make itself
more appealing to cyclists. Since 2023 a
network of new bicycle routes has encircled
the Intramuros neighbourhood – an
historic walled area filled with Spanish-era
landmarks such as Fort Santiago and a
shrine to national hero José Rizal. Manila
is huge, and cycling its streets can be
intimidating at first, so we recommend
 
signing up for a tour with Bambike, a
Manila-based company, which offers
guided tours of Intramuros (bambike.com).
Over in Bangkok, another Asian city
that is gradually becoming more accessible
to cyclists, we suggest saddling up with
Co van Kessel, a fantastic bicycle tour
company that offers a huge range of
cycling tours designed to dig a little
deeper into Thailand’s capital. Our
favourite tours include the Co Classical,
which takes in Chinatown, lesser-known
temples and various wet markets, and the
Co Canaling, which focuses on Thonburi,
a neighbourhood known for its ancient
canals (or klongs).
Fancy something closer to home? The
UK’s newest long-distance cycling route is
the Traws Eryri (Trans Snowdonia), a
140-mile mountain biking route in north-
west Wales. The route, a collaboration
between Cycling UK and Natural
Resources Wales, was unveiled in 2023,
and with 4,000m of climbing it’s not for
the faint-hearted. The route weaves
through wonderfully wild scenery,
including the more remote parts of Parc
Cenedlaethol Eryri (formerly Snowdonia
National Park), the Mawddach Estuary, the
forests of Coed y Brenin and reminders of
North Wales’ slate-mining heritage.
Travel
BE A SAVVY
CYCLIST WITH
THESE
ESSENTIAL
ACCESSORIES
SILVA FREE 1200 XS
Silva is touting its latest
product as the world’s first
modular headtorch. Silva
lamps of other lumen levels
AVLIS :ECR UOS EGAMI
can be attached to it (it comes
with a 1,200-lumen lamp),
making it perfect for a wide
range of scenarios, including
night-time cycling.
£139.99, silvasweden.uk
BODYLITE
NIGHTVISION LED
BELT
Bodylite’s new NightVision
ETILYDOB :ECR UOS EGAMI
range is designed for both
cyclists and runners. ere’s a
fantastic vest and a handheld
light for runners, but our
favourite product is this
storage belt, fitted with LEDs.
£17.00, bodylitegear.com
KNOG BLINDER 1300
FRONT BIKE LIGHT
e clue’s in the name. Be
unmissable with the help
G O N K :ECR UOS E G A M I
of Knog’s new 1,300-lumen
light. It’s USB-C rechargeable,
100% waterproof and will last
up to 120 hours when used on
Eco Flash mode.
£99.99, knog.com
JANUARY 2024 T3 21
 Horizon
HOME
COMFORTS
LOQED TOUCH
SMART LOCK
One touch is all it takes with
the LOQED Touch Smart Lock.
e first smart lock to open
D E QOL : E C R U O S E G A M I
and close your door with one
touch, it gives homeowners a
safe and secure way to enter
and exit the home without
needing to use keys.
£299, loqed.com
SIMBA HYBRID ULTRA
e Simba Hybrid Ultra has
more layers, springs and
comfort than ever before. It’s
AB M I S :ECR UOS EGAM I
made up of 13(!) layers and
has been engineered with
temperature control and
moisture-wicking properties,
so you don’t sleep too hot.
£3,809, simbasleep.com
NINJA WOODFIRE
ELECTRIC OUTDOOR
OVEN
is multifunctional
appliance is equipped with
eight cooking functions and
can act as an oven, BBQ,
AJ N I N : E C R U O S E G A M I
smoker, roaster and pizza
oven. It delivers delicious and
authentic flavours that will
get you excited to cook in the
garden (even when it’s cold).
£349.99, ninjakitchen.co.uk
22 T3 JANUARY 2024
 
JOINT JABBER
TAKING THE TEMPERATURE
Cook food to perfection with the new Meater 2 Plus thermometer
Ever wanted to cook the perfect roast
chicken? Or maybe you panic about
under or overcooking and you have a
nice cut of beef to prepare? Then you
need to check out the new Meater 2 Plus
(£119, meater.com).
Leading cooking thermometer brand
Meater recently added to its growing
collection of meat thermometers with the
Meater 2 Plus. Building off the success
and popularity of the original Meater, the
Meater 2 Plus has been given a whole host
of smart feature upgrades, and a whole
new app design that makes cooking meat
easier and stress-free.
The Meater 2 Plus is the ultimate tool
for all methods of cooking, including
roasting, grilling, smoking and even air
frying. One of its best upgrades is its
first-of-its-kind ability to cope with direct
open-flame high-heat grilling. Setting itself
apart from its competitors, the Meater 2
Plus can be used over direct heat on
barbecues and grills, and reach an
ambient temperature of 500°C with a
maximum internal temperature of 105°C.
Many users found the first Meater meat
thermometer to be a little bulky and hard
to spear through meat for accurate
RETA E M :ECR UOS EGAMI
readings. With this in mind, the Meater 2
Plus has been given a redesign and is 30%
slimmer and stronger than the original.
Made from stainless steel, the full metal
probe has an ambient sensor, which
detects the right temperature at all times.
For even more precision, the Meater 2
Plus also has five internal sensors called
Smart Temp Multisensors, which detect
real-time temperature for the best cooking
results every time.
Like most devices and appliances
these days, the Meater 2 Plus has its own
app. The brand upgraded the new
contraption with better wireless
connectivity, an extended wireless range
and a built-in range booster, so you can
tuck it away in the oven, and you’ll still be
able to receive its progress. The Meater
app gives you real-time information on the
Meater 2 Plus, including internal, ambient
and desired temperatures of the meat
you’re cooking. It also has a Meater Master
Class feature, which gives recipe
inspiration and advice.
For chef-worthy meals, the Meater 2
Plus is a must-have device – you’ll never
have to worry about under or overcooked
steak again!
 Living

A FINE ART
Bold shapes, opulent materials and rich colours will dominate in 2024 as Art Deco resurges
DECO TULIP WALLPAPER
Art Deco – short for the French
term Arts Décoratifs – was a
trend that first emerged in the
1920s. Glamour characterised
the look and this wallpaper
captures the rich aesthetic
to perfection. Inspired by
tulips, the design is beautifully
delicate, while the opulence of
gold against black captures a
quintessential Art Deco vibe.
£24 per sqm, wallsauce.com
PEACOCK ART DECO GOLD
FIRE SCREEN
Art Deco designers adored
fan shapes, curved lines and
statuesque grandeur. Think of
the Empire State Building and
you’re on the right track. This
expanding fire screen has all the
correct aesthetic elements. It’s
tall and neat when stored, then
opens into a seashell-like design
to become a golden firescreen.
£225, frenchbedroom.co.uk
DECO WALL CLOCK
Chic, stylish and functional, this

E G R O E G T S T T E K C O R , K R O WD O O W N A I L A R T S U A , M O O R D E B H C N E R F , E C U A S L LAW : E C R U O S E G A M I
clock ticks all the right boxes.
With its bold hands and clean,
elegant lines it’s Art Deco with
a modernist flourish. The clock
face is made from silver ash,
which contrasts beautifully
with the darker, richer hues of
the Jarrah frame. A fine example
of craftsmanship.
£157,
australianwoodwork.com.au
PINK GLASS ART DECO
DECANTER
As a trend that celebrated
luxurious exuberance, the Art
Deco movement saw the
creation of many objets d’art
that served those who liked
to party. This decanter
is a lovely replica
of an era when a
favourite tipple
was poured in
style. Cheers!
£60,
rockettstgeorge.co.uk

JANUARY 2024 T3 23

 
 Horizon

T3’s weather-bitten tech hack

offers more glimpses of sunshine

GINAHARRIS,LONDON
How should I winter-proof my car?
A First of all, let us ensure you tenner with a free bottle of ‘Cologn’
have the vitals covered. for some reason – though you can’t
GaGu doesn’t mean snow go wrong with a few sprays of good
ABOVE
The Yeti’s size 24
feet struggled
rations from mre-uk.co.uk. A big
box of army-standard scran goes
for about £16 and can live in your
chains – this isn’t Canada – but be old Blue Star de-icer (£3.50 ish). with the pedals car for as long as you dare.
sure to top up your fluids, replace In case of emergency, bung a but he passed his If you really fear the nip of Jack
any freezables with non-freezables, good blanket in the boot (Guru was test third time Frost, you could install a sat-nav
and get yourself some way to going to recommend one from that’ll get you rescued even if
de-ice that windscreen. Because Selfridges’ range, but they appear you’re out of mobile signal range.
Guru hates you, he recommends to cost as much as his car) as well The Garmin Tread XL Overland
YLLEK NEHPETS :SNOITARTSULLI

pouring boiling water on it straight
from the kettle. What could go
wrong? Alternatively, there are
various 12v-powered warmth-
makers out there – check Amazon
for the hilariously named
‘Electromagnetic Molecular
Interference Antifreeze Snow
Removal Instrument’, yours for a
as some long-lasting, self-heating
Guru was going to recommend
a good blanket from Selfridges’
range, but they appear to cost
as much as his car
Edition (£1,300) might be designed
for rugged all-wheel excursions
through gullies, but its built-in
InReach satellite communications
will (with an active subscription)
allow you to alert anyone to the
presence of your Hyundai i10
wherever you may be. Costly, sure,
but what price do you put on safety?

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: INBOX@T3.COM OR FACEBOOK.COM/T3MAG

24 T3 JANUARY 2024

 
 Gadget guru

RYAN,VIAEMAIL
What are your choices of top tech
bargains, Guru?
A Guru, like you, is feeling the consoles coming out of China is
pinch, though that may be astounding these days, so a £65
more due to his growing Miyoo Mini Plus is a great way to
and increasingly furious lobster put thousands of retro games in
collection than any financial worries. one’s pocket. On the tabletop,
Fear not, reader: welcome to simple is best: try Uno, Monopoly
Honest GaGu’s Bargain Emporium, Deal, or GaGu favourite Port Royal
where your favourite penny- (all £10-ish card games) for easy
pinching uncle will rapid-fire you a whip-it-out fun.
whole bunch of ways to throw your CMF by Nothing’s £50 Buds Pro
meagre funds at neat things. are a bargain (though JLab’s
Samsung’s A series is home to non-ANC Go Air Pops are half the
the most bang-for-your-buck price); don’t miss the original
phones around; the A13 might lack Soundcore Q10 cans, particularly if
storage and RAM but at £115 it’s you see them discounted to £30;
perfect for your teenager; the A34, the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 is a much
all of £400, has no such downsides better watch and activity tracker
and puts many flagship phones to than you could reasonably expect
shame. Need a laptop? Guru, for its £35 ask.
through bile, must admit that a GaGu could go on. The point
Chromebook Plus (the £400 Acer here is not that these delights exist ABOVE
Chromebook Plus 515, why not) is a for such a reasonable price, it’s that There would be
 BENJAMINWOZNIAK,
far better idea than skimping on a the relentless march of technology CARDIFF
Windows laptop, and superior to
the Chromebooks of yore.
(and, er, card games) has driven
us to the point where even the
no outrunning
the custard How do I protect
Into games? Legally dubious
contents aside, the quality of mini
reasonable stuff is delightful. It’s a
nice place to be.
explosion now
my bike against
thieves?
GADGET GURU’S MAGIC BOX A Tactical placement may be
key, but those hoodied
cads are so persistent that
Often this little section of (£120) but he doesn’t want Lumie they’ll probably have away with
Gadget Guru is where your getting any ideas so instead he’s your wheels even if they’re shackled
author shares his latest gone for the £405 Philips inside a safe surrounded by a moat
obsessions, the things he’s Smartsleep Connected. It gently filled with hydrochloric acid – and
been kindly sent by excellent wakes GaGu up with summery those aren’t easy to come by, let
industry friends, or the details rays, tricking his brain into alone carry in your bag.
of his seasonal miseries. thinking it’s actually light When a filthy criminal wants to
Guru’s doorbell has been outside, and positively infuriating get through a lock, they will. If
suspiciously silent this month, Mrs Guru who’d rather snooze. GaGu’s local environment is
and he appears to be mostly Guru has also instituted an actual anything to go by, they’ll do it in
obsessed with the weather, thus lunch hour in his daily routine, during broad daylight, and nobody will do
you get your regularly scheduled which he leaves the house with his a thing about it. But locks aren’t
dose of grumpiness. Lucky you! dog Teeth, eats a sausage roll, and useless. It’s important to consider
Maybe we’ll change the formula soaks up actual sunbeams. This is a lock not as a deterrent or a
a bit and look at ways to be less obviously deeply unpleasant in the preventative, but a temporary
hate-filled, though, as Guru has moment, though the punishment impediment. Make sure street
upgraded his collection of seasonal meted out by the elements is hooligans won’t want to waste their
affective disorder preventatives. On diminished somewhat by GaGu’s lovely time getting through whatever
his desk, annoyingly placed half way in front new coat. It’s a Uniqlo Balmacaan, which you’re putting on your bike: make it
of his monitor, is the Lumie Vitamin L Lamp costs £109 and is dead comfy and warm. tough, awkward, very obvious, and
(£100), tuned magnificently to sunlight So what if it’s not really practical in the double up if you have to.
temperature and constantly blasting GaGu rain? Everyone needs a good, fashionable Consider the Hiplok D1000
in the face with its therapeutic photons. donkey jacket, and this one covers up (£250). It’s made of graphene-
Next to GaGu’s bed would be another Guru’s considerable donkey-sized thorax. reinforced hardened steel, tough
Lumie product, the Bodyclock Shine 300 That, reader, is a mood lifter for all involved. enough to resist angle grinder
attacks and pretty pick resistant.

JANUARY 2024 T3 25

 
 Horizon
NEW MEDIA
NOW PLAYING CanFAYE,VIAEMAIL
tech make
Guru finds the finest
media you need on
your various devices
XOF ©
THE SIMPSONS
Heard of this? Fine, you have
– but the latest season (34!) is
a return to the form the yellow
guys lost around season 10.
Particularly the ace ‘Treehouse
of Horror’ episode, pictured.
E G E LLOC Y T I N U M M OC NAIR A L O T ©
SHUFFLE UP & PLAY
Hour-long YouTube videos
of people playing Magic: e
Gathering aren’t for everyone,
Guru admits. But they’re good
company in an empty house,
and surprisingly funny.
C I S U M TI H G I B ©
GOLDEN
GaGu, despite being a mid-
forties curmudgeon, loves
K-Pop. us he enjoyed most of
BTS member Jungkook’s solo
album – it’s Michael Jackson
adjacent in places, if that sells it.
26 T3 JANUARY 2024
 
me more zen?
A Despite his name, Guru is
like the least zen guy ever.
So he may join you in trying
the likes of the Homedics Drift
(£250), a little automatic mandala
thing that automatically rolls a steel
ball around to create mesmerising
patterns in sand. He may enjoy the
vibes of the classic FM3 Buddha
Machine (£25), now reissued in five
versions to bring its iconic ambient
loops to a new generation. Heck, he
may even allow some sort of stink
diffuser in his house: the Beurer
LA40 (£40) ultrasonically atomises
essential oils in style. GaGu could
not find any tech that will help you
close your eyes and say ‘omm’
though, so you’ll have to work that ABOVE
bit out for yourself. If you can read
 CHRISTOPHER
LIVINGSTONE,ELY
all this, you get
Why did they
 ANONYMOUS, the code to open
VIAEMAIL
What’s the most
the lock
shut down
securewayto Omegle?
messagemy A Didvideo
you ever use random
chat matcher
friends? Omegle? Did you have
to scrub your ears out after the
screech of a gaggle of 12-year-olds,
A Weirdly, given what he feels
about Meta, Guru would
recommend WhatsApp.
or bleach your eyes after unwillingly
witnessing the nocturnal activities
of the other kind of user that
It’s encrypted end-to-end so Mark frequented the service? That’s
Zuckerberg theoretically can’t get why. Those two things are not
his peepers on your messages compatible, and should never mix.
directly, it’s simple to use, and it’s Guru fully supports creative web
pretty ubiquitous. Use the chat lock things, and is sad to see one of the
feature to password protect remaining mad ideas of the old
super-personal chats. internet meet its end. But Omegle
If you don’t want to share your isn’t the first, it won’t be the last,
phone number, Telegram is a good and it lived far longer than it
option, and rival Signal is testing probably should have done.
username-based sign in too –
though bear in mind that both have
developed an iffy reputation Don’t miss another
because their encrypted nature instalment of the
means scammers love ’em. legendaryGadget Guru!
WhatsApp is encrypted end-to- SUBSCRIBE
end so Mark Zuckerberg
theoretically can’t get his
TODAY! See p40
peepers on your messages

At this German garage,
your car will park itself
Mat Gallagher jumps into a Mercedes-Benz and experiences what
might be the future of vehicular valeting
T
here’s a curious sign at
Stuttgart Airport for
Automated Valet
Parking. It’s a project
developed by Mercedes in
partnership with Bosch and Apcoa
that allows your car to park itself in
the garage, leaving you to head
straight for your flight.
I visited the parking garage for
myself this week and got a full
demo of the process. The
Intelligent Park Pilot technology
required to operate the
automated valet parking is
currently available for seven
models of Mercedes-Benz,
including the Mercedes S-Class
(including the LWB version), EQS,
EQS SUV, EQE, EQE SUV and the
new Mercedes E-Class. However,
the technology required to use it
has been made open source, so
that other manufacturers can use
it in the future.
You need to pre-book one of
these slots in advance, which you
can do through the MercedesMe
app. As you arrive at the car park,
the cameras register your number
plate and open the barrier. You then
drive into one of the two specially
designed drop off bays and take all
of your luggage out of the car.
There’s a waiting zone next to the
car where you can go into your
MercedesMe app and select ‘Drop
 
off’. The car will then connect with
the system and the lights will flash.
The next part is quite eerie to
watch. Your car will turn back on
and start reversing out of the space
on its own and drive off into the car
park. Our EQS indicated and then
drove down the ramp to the lower
level of the car park. Once it
reached the pre-assigned space, it
indicated again and started to
reverse in.
Your car will reverse
out of the space on
its own and drive off
into the car park
The parking process took just
under 10 minutes, but once you hit
the drop off button, you’re free to
leave the garage and let the car
do the rest. As this is a level 4
automation, you are not
responsible for your car at this
stage – it’s the onboard computer
that is doing the driving. When you
return to the car park later on, you
can use the app to call your car
back to the drop off area – in
advance of you arriving.
Opinion
The car park Mercedes has used
for this live demonstration is very
old and has really narrow turns and
slopes. This meant that the rather
large EQS often had to make lots of
small turns to position itself for the
ramps but it did it perfectly. The car
park has been fitted with Bosch
cameras throughout and 5G
connectivity. The car then uses the
data from these cameras to assist
with the movement in addition to
its own onboard cameras.
Driving through narrow car parks
can be stressful with large,
expensive cars, even for
experienced drivers like me, so
letting the car take on the
challenge is a welcome relief. I’ve
also never been a fan of handing
my keys over to a complete
stranger. Maybe I’ve watched Ferris
Bueller too many times.
Here you keep hold of your keys
at all times, and can return to your
car if you’ve forgotten something,
and can drive it out manually if
you prefer. As these garages are
typically on private land,
restrictions on autonomous driving
often don’t apply, so the roll out of
this is likely to be much faster than
driverless cars on the road. In just a
few years time, the idea of parking
yourself in any parking garage
could be a thing of the past, and
I’m okay with that.
JANUARY 2024 T3 27
 
 Life-changing gadgets

LIFE-CHANGING
GADGETS
Supercharge your year ahead with our top picks of transformative tech
to elevate the way you live, work and play
Words: Becca Caddy Photography: Neil Godwin

JANUARY 2024 T3 29

 
 Life-changing gadgets

GET FIT

1 2
WAHOO KICKR SMART TRAINER DOMYOS FITNESS BALANCE BOARD
Transform your outdoor road bike into a stationary fitness bike Challenge your body this new year with a balance board.
with this smart trainer, so you can ride whatever the weather on fun An essential piece of kit if you’re training for snowboarding,
virtual courses. It’s quiet and promises a realistic cycling experience. surfing, trail running or any activity that requires strength and
With Wi-Fi connectivity, it works with your favourite fitness and stability. It’s also enjoyable and rewarding to put your daily routine
cycling apps, meaning you can track your cadence, distance, speed to the test on a balance board and see how much you can improve
and power as you pedal. over the months and years.
£1,100, wahoofitness.com £19.99, decathlon.com

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WORKOUTS

As the new year approaches, many of us
prepare to set health goals and make fitness
resolutions. But staying motivated and
making the most of your workouts, especially
once the initial excitement has worn off and
the January blues have kicked in, can be a
challenge. The good news is that you can
transform your fitness resolutions into
long-lasting achievements with the right
tech and mindset.
Fitness trackers have moved on
significantly since the early days. Now, the
best sports watches and activity monitors
are packed with sensors, collecting vast
amounts of data about your health, fitness
and well-being, including your sleep,
movement, heart rate, blood oxygen levels
and much more. The best ones put that data
30 T3 JANUARY 2024
to good use, enabling you to spot trends,
track your progress over time and even get
tailor-made recommendations about
improving your habits.
Many fitness trackers also have built-in
features allowing you to share your progress
and putting you head-to-head in challenges
with your friends – a great motivator if
you’re competitive. Even if you’re not,
research suggests that tracking your daily
activity can bring about long-term positive
behaviour change. It can also be an effective
way of reconnecting you with your body,
switching you on to which habits are making
you feel good and which you can leave
behind in 2023.
To elevate your fitness experience in the
new year, consider upgrading the essentials
that will instantly make working out more
enjoyable. The more fun exercise is, the more
you’ll want to do it. Start by curating a
motivating workout playlist packed with your
favourite tunes that get your adrenaline
pumping, and then find a pair of headphones
built for comfort and stability. We also
recommend investing in a pair of well-
designed, supportive trainers. Finding the
right shoes can significantly impact your
workouts and your motivation to get out and
hit the gym, road or track.
In the new year, fitness should be about
enjoyment and not exhaustion. Tracking your
goals, building awareness, and refreshing
your essential kit are excellent ways to
sustain your fitness journey and make it a
lasting part of your lifestyle.

 
 Get fit

3 4
BOWFLEX SELECTTECH
840 KETTLEBELL
Boost your exercise routine
with a smart kettlebell. Thanks
to this clever option from
BowFlex, you can replace the
need for six separate kettlebells
by adjusting the weight from
3.5kg to 18kg with a simple
dial. You get extra space, added
flexibility and easy access to
a full-body workout, making
you more likely to stick to your
fitness goals.
£199, bowflex.com
HOKA ROCKET X 2
Step up your running game in
the new year with a pair of high-
performance shoes from Hoka.
The Rocket X 2 are engineered
with a stiff, carbon fibre plate
between layers of foam and a
foot-hugging mesh upper. The
result is a super soft pair of
shoes engineered for long-
distance comfort that’ll push you
to clock up the miles. Just make
sure you’re comfortable with a
very tight fit.
£220, hoka.com
5 6
WHOOP
Get serious about fitness
tracking with Whoop. This
simple and comfortable device is
packed with sensors, collecting
data 24/7 about your sleep,
movement and more. With an
emphasis on strain and recovery,
it’s ideal for those looking to
take their training to the next
level. No screen means no
distractions, leaving you to focus
on hitting your personal best.
Price based on subscription,
whoop.com
JABRA ELITE 8 ACTIVE
Stay focused when you work
out with earbuds designed
for fitness. These Jabra buds
are dustproof, waterproof,
sweatproof and drop-resistant.
A silicone finish adds grip,
ensuring they’re secure during
even the most intense workouts.
With adaptive noise cancellation
tech to minimise distractions
and 8 hours of playback time,
they provide the soundtrack you
need to smash your goals.
£199.99, jabra.co.uk

JANUARY 2024 T3 31

 
 Life-changing gadgets

SOCIALISE

1 2
APPLE VISION PRO LOGITECH C920
Feel close to loved ones no matter where you are with Apple’s Upgrade the built-in camera on your laptop to make all your video
upcoming virtual and augmented reality headset. With it, you can calls and meetings more enjoyable. With full HD 1080p video calling,
have immersive and intimate video calls, seeing your friends and stereo audio, a 78-degree field of view, and HD auto light correction
family in life-sized proportions in front of you. You can also use that adjusts depending on your environment, this webcam from
the sleek and comfortable headset to play games, use apps, watch Logitech delivers crystal clear video in a versatile design that’ll work
movies and more. well with most laptops and monitors.
£TBC, apple.com £89.99, logitech.com

CONNECT WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

We all wish we had more time with our
friends and family. But although nothing can
beat the warmth of a real, in-person hug,
technology can connect us with our loved
ones, even when we can’t all be in the same
room together.
Video calls are a great way to bond.
Although lockdowns made everyone an
expert in video calls, there are still plenty of
ways to make getting face-to-face with pals
more accessible, reliable and rewarding.
Smart speakers with screens are a fantastic
idea for hassle-free, voice-enabled calls.
Place one on your coffee table or kitchen
countertop, and a quick call can be part of
your daily routine or fun and spontaneous.
32 T3 JANUARY 2024
We all know it’s frustrating to be on a
video call when the connection keeps
dropping out, the picture glitches or the
audio is muffled. Consider upgrading your
webcam to elevate professional calls and
allow you to enjoy personal ones. It’ll give you
the ultimate peace of mind so you can chat,
play games, hang out or watch a movie at the
same time with zero fuss.
New and upcoming virtual and augmented
reality devices, like the Apple Vision Pro,
could soon add a whole new dimension to
connecting with people you care about
across long distances. With one of these
headsets, video calling becomes much more
realistic, allowing you to see life-sized
versions of the people you love in front of
you as you move around your home. One day,
these devices may even be able to replicate
the sensation of hugging them, but we might
have to wait a little longer for those
immersive advances.
Although tech can bridge the gap when
you’re not with loved ones, it can also
elevate experiences when you do get time
together. An instant camera adds a nostalgic
thrill to a gathering, letting you play, create
analogue memories and share digital ones.
A projector is the perfect companion to any
movie night, speakers are essential for a
party, and a karaoke machine is a must-have
if you want to turn the fun up to 11.

 

3 4
AMAZON ECHO SHOW 8
Connect via video call quicker
and easier than ever with
Amazon’s latest Echo Show
smart speaker. It brings you
high-quality videos and the
Alexa smart assistant rolled into
one device, which means you
can call your loved ones hands-
free with just your voice. With
integration with popular apps,
it’s a hassle-free way to see your
loved ones in seconds.
£149.99, amazon.com
 
4
LEICA SOFORT 2
Cherish special moments
with this cute and compact
hybrid camera from Leica. An
incredibly versatile device, it’s
both a digital camera and an
instant camera rolled into one.
You can store photos, share
them to social media or print
them out instantly from the
camera itself. It’s an enjoyable
piece of tech designed for
making memories.
£350, leica-camera.com
5 6
MARSHALL EMBERTON II
Be prepared for a party with
this portable Marshall speaker.
Its two two-inch full-range
drivers deliver rich, clear and
loud 360-degree sound for over
30 hours, and a Stack Mode
connects two speakers to pump
up the volume. Whether at home
or on the move, its compact and
rugged design ensures you’re
always ready for a get-together.
£149.99,
marshallheadphones.com
Socialise
6
XGIMI ELFIN MINI
PROJECTOR
Host a movie night wherever you
are with this portable projector
from XGIMI. It’s small and
lightweight at just under 900g,
with a 1080p resolution and
600 ISO lumens for a stunningly
clear picture. There’s a fast setup
function that optimises the
display and on-board Harman
Kardon speakers for high-quality
audio in seconds.
€649, eu.xgimi.com
JANUARY 2024 T3 33
 Life-changing gadgets

BOOST YOUR
PRODUCTIVITY

1 2
NEST WIFI PRO LOGITECH WAVE KEYS
Strengthen the Wi-Fi signal in your home with the Nest Wi-Fi Refine your workspace for comfort and productivity with a new
Pro. This simple mesh Wi-Fi router provides lightning-fast speeds wireless keyboard. The Logitech Wave Keys has an ergonomic,
and reliable internet, so you never have to worry about losing wavy design and cushioned palm rest to relieve pressure, reduce
connection. It automatically manages performance across your typing fatigue and keep your hands in a natural position. You can
network, solving any issues as they arise and prioritising essential customise the shortcut keys and connect to multiple devices at once
tasks, like video calls, to keep everything running smoothly. for hassle-free working.
£189.99, store.google.com £69.99, logitech.com

USE TECH TO REALLY GET THINGS DONE

The quest to be productive and reach inbox
zero can feel never-ending. Tech often seems
like the problem. If we could only switch off
our emails for a few days, the world would be
better, right? But the answer isn’t to ditch
your devices; it’s to find multitasking
essentials that work for you and help to
minimise distractions, not add to them.
Start by refreshing your essential tools.
Maybe your laptop keeps breaking down, or
your dodgy Wi-Fi connection interrupts your
flow. In that case, you must either commit to
repairing your tech or consider recycling and
replacing it. Buy new devices that are reliable,
functional and can multitask. Like a laptop
that allows you to switch between work and
34 T3 JANUARY 2024
play instantly. Or a tablet built for on-the-go
note-taking as well as on-the-go gaming.
Everyone’s priorities are different, but if you
can’t decide which device suits you, choosing
the one with a big, bold, bright screen is
always an excellent first port of call.
In the new year, we’re no longer grinning
and bearing it or working ourselves to
exhaustion. We must make ourselves happy,
comfortable and focused to enjoy what we
do. A good pair of noise-cancelling
headphones is a must-have, especially if you
work in an office filled with distractions and
the potential for auditory overwhelm.
Consider upgrading your desk with a smart
lamp to illuminate your space and elevate
your energy, especially one that’s adjustable
so you can change the colour temperature
throughout the day. Add more ease to your
long typing sessions with an ergonomic
keyboard designed to cushion your wrists or
a desk chair built to improve your posture
and reduce back pain.
Most importantly, find ways of working
that work for you. There’s so much
productivity advice out there, especially at
this time of year, that the pressure to
optimise your office space, your daily routine
and the tech you use can feel overwhelming.
Start small and consider upgrades to the way
you work that prioritise comfort, enjoyment
and ease above all else.

 
 Boost your productivity

4 6

3 4 5 6
ASUS ZENBOOK 14 SENNHEISER LUMIE TASK APPLE iPAD PRO
FLIP OLED ACCENTUM WIRELESS Optimise the way you work with Power through almost any
Refresh how you work in the Immerse yourself in a cocoon the Lumie Task desk lamp. It’s task with the iPad Pro. This
new year with a super portable of high-quality sound with designed to reduce eye strain high-performance tablet has
laptop. The Zenbook 14 these Sennheiser over-ear with adjustable brightness and a stunningly bright 12.9-inch
Flip OLED is a slim and light headphones. They boast colour temperature. Thanks Liquid Retina XDR display
convertible notebook, meaning excellent active noise to high-spectrum LEDs, it can and Apple’s M2 chip built-
you can use it as a laptop, bend cancellation, top-quality audio also simulate daylight, boosting in, promising upgrades over
it into a touchscreen tablet or and cloud-like comfort to help your mood, increasing alertness, previous models, including
stand it up to watch movies and you minimise distractions. And, and even improving your sleep faster performance and
play games – ideal for seamlessly thanks to a 50-hour battery life, at night. It has a sleek, simple improved graphics. You can use
transitioning from work to customisable audio and simple and fully adjustable design that it for design, gaming, note-
play. It weighs more than some controls, you can stay in the instantly elevates wellbeing in taking, photo and video editing,
laptops but it’s a joy to work on. zone as long as you need to. the workplace. FaceTime calls and much more.
From £1,499, asus.com £159.99, sennheiser-hearing.com £249, lumie.com From £899, apple.com

JANUARY 2024 T3 35

 
 Life-changing gadgets

IMPROVE YOUR STYLE

1 2
FEARS BRUNSWICK AURORA AUDIO TECHNICA M50XBT2 HEADPHONES
Enhance your style in an instant with this elegant watch from Scale up your headphone game with this pair of wireless over-
Fears. Designed to elevate any outfit, it features a 40mm stainless ears from Audio Technica that look cool and sound fantastic. They
steel case and a beautiful mother-of-pearl dial that looks like the deliver up to 50 hours of listening time and high-fidelity audio that’s
ocean. You can choose between a blue nubuck strap or a stainless perfect for focusing at work, entertaining you while travelling or
steel bracelet. And it’s not just classy: it’s also sporty, with water using to get reliable sound on a conference call. They also boast
resistance up to 150m. advanced features, like multipoint pairing and voice controls.
£3,850, fearswatches.com £169.99, audio-technica.com

REINVENT YOUR LOOK FOR 2024

The new year represents a fresh start. It’s the
perfect time to reassess your style, whether
adding key statement pieces to your
everyday look, switching up how you do
your hair and make-up or pursuing a
full-scale glow-up for 2024.
Although a complete aesthetic overhaul is
tempting, resist replacing everything you own
and making drastic decisions about new hair
colours in favour of taking things slowly.
Instead, upgrade one or two essential items.
You might choose a high-end and long-lasting
new accessory, like a classic, elegant watch or
a timeless pair of earrings. Prioritise
functional, reliable purchases that look great,
suit your style and are guaranteed to last –
36 T3 JANUARY 2024
fast fashion and disposable accessories are
not the vibes for 2024.
Revamping your tech can also make a
difference, especially if you choose your next
pair of headphones wisely. A pair of great-
looking over-ears are a low-commitment way
to mix up your style, whether you’re
commuting, heading to the gym or getting
your head down at work. Or keep things
understated with a pair of true wireless buds
that fly under the radar.
Wearable tech, like smartwatches and
smart rings, can also change your look, with
plenty of strap options or different finishes
if you want a minimal accessory or a
high-impact one that makes a statement.
Devices we wear have come a long way in
a short time. Early designs for smart glasses
were big and bulky. But now the latest
devices from Ray-Ban and Meta prove
high-tech wearables can also look stylish
and aren’t just for early adopters. Packing
tech into the classic Wayfarer design that’s
loved by so many is a stroke of genius.
Alternatively, if it’s your home that could
do with a makeover, consider a new speaker
that’ll instantly bring you fantastic audio
quality and elevate the look of any room. Pick
a retro design for old-school cool points,
choose sleek and clean lines for a minimal
aesthetic or a bright, bold option if you want
to add more colour and energy to your space.

 
 Improve yourstyle

3
4

3 4 5 6
RUCKAS TOTE NATIVE UNION WFA RAY-BAN META PANASONIC ER-CKN1
Update your go-to bag with TECH ORGANIZER WAYFARER MULTISHAPE
this practical, stylish, versatile Organise your essentials with Smarten up your sunglasses Perfect your look wherever
option from Ruckas. It’s a this incredibly lightweight and with this collaboration between you are with the Panasonic
multitasking backpack, tote and handy storage solution from Ray-Ban and Meta. These classic Multishape range, a modular
shoulder bag all rolled into one. Native Union. It’s designed frames are fitted with the latest system with one base and
Made from recycled materials, to house all your devices, tech, including a 12MP camera different attachments for
it has a padded laptop sleeve, accessories, cables and more, and microphones, meaning you hassle-free styling. The ER-
an expandable water bottle so it’ll keep everything secure, can listen to music, take calls CKN1 is an essential option for
pocket and a zip pocket. It’s protected and tangle-free. and more hands-free using only trimming your hair and beard,
also water-resistant, making it Made from recycled plastic voice commands. There are 5 with a waterproof design and
ideal for commuting and travel bottles, it’s incredibly functional hours of battery onboard, but a rechargeable battery for quick
far and wide in all kinds of but minimal, with a pleasing, portable charging case gives you and easy touch-ups. Choose
weather conditions. understated design. eight more charges on the move. from 39 different length settings.
£100, chromeindustries.com £34.99, nativeunion.com £329, ray-ban.com £69.99 panasonic.com

JANUARY 2024 T3 37

 
 Life-changing gadgets

HAVEFUN

1 2
WE ARE REWIND CASSETTE PLAYER NANOLEAF 4D SCREEN MIRROR + LIGHTSTRIP KIT
Rediscover the smooth and rich joy of old-school sound. We Create the ultimate sensory entertainment experience with this
Are Rewind has reimagined the classic cassette player, adding a lighting kit from Nanoleaf. It syncs colours from whatever you’re
rechargeable battery with 12 hours of playback and Bluetooth so watching on your TV screen and mirrors them on the LED lighting
that you can connect it to wireless headphones or a speaker. With behind it. The result is vibrant, fun colours that’ll instantly immerse
a minimal aesthetic, manual buttons and sleek aluminium casing, it you in whatever you’re watching, whether it’s a game, sporting
sounds good, looks great and delivers a satisfying hit of nostalgia. event or movie.
£133, wearerewind.com £71.99, nanoleaf.me

MAKE FUN A PART OF YOUR

SELF-DEVELOPMENT
It’s tempting to make a long list of strict
resolutions in January. But everyone’s
number one resolution should be to prioritise
fun and rest in 2024 as much as productivity
and self-development. If you’re not sure what
you enjoy because you’ve been focused on
work, social commitments and making it to
the new year in one piece, you’re not alone.
All you need to know is that research
shows rest is essential for mental well-being,
and play is vital for creativity and connection.
Importantly, what constitutes rest and play
can look a little different for everyone. The
key is to lean into what feels good, and you
can choose tech to help you relax, not cause
you more stress.
38 T3 JANUARY 2024
Maybe you want to do nothing but kick
back and listen to music. In that case, invest
in a great pair of high-end headphones that
deliver rich, clear audio and excellent
noise-cancelling and pair them with a
top-quality music player. If learning is your
jam, download a language app, take
keyboard lessons or buy a camera to finally
lean into your passion for photography. Or, if
you love losing yourself in a game for hours
on end, grab a high-end console and a TV
optimised for gaming, a handheld device for
fun on the move or a virtual reality headset
for ultimate immersion.
Maybe your idea of enjoyment and
relaxation is turning all of your tech off and
spending time outside surrounded by nature
– we get it. In that case, devices can play a
helpful role in giving you more peace of mind
as you’re enjoying the wilderness, like a
high-end GPS watch that’s solar-powered
and will keep track of your route so that you
don’t have to.
If you’re desperate to try a new hobby this
year, record your adventures so you can
share them and remember them. A state-of-
the-art drone allows you to explore new
environments you’d have never seen for
yourself on foot. Or, if you’re feeling daring,
you can clip an action cam to your clothes as
you embark on new extreme sports, like
surfing and snowboarding.

 
 Have fun

3
5

4
6

3 4 5 6
GARMIN INSTINCT SUPER POCKET LIMITED DJI MINI 4 PRO INSTA 360 GO 3
2X SOLAR EDITION BUNDLE Get creative and explore new Jump head first into every
Explore the great outdoors with Reawaken your love of retro perspectives with this portable adventure with this tiny,
this ultra-tough GPS watch from gaming with the Super Pocket. and versatile drone from DJI. It waterproof camera that packs
Garmin. It boasts 24/7 health These handheld consoles have weighs only 249g and records a high-performing punch. It
monitoring, including heart rate 18 Taito arcade or 12 Capcom high-quality and smooth 4K records stunning 360-degree
and blood oxygen levels, and classic games built-in. They also videos with advanced features footage and boasts excellent
tracks a range of sports. It’s support Evercade cartridges, like obstacle sensing, thanks stabilisation for smooth and
ideal for trail running, hiking giving you access to over 380 to wide-angle sensors and crystal-clear results. At only
and adventures, with a rugged, games, including old-school Atari subject tracking to keep what’s 35g, it’s light and pocket-sized
waterproof, shock-resistant and 8-bit titles. They’re perfect important in the frame. There’s with a magnetic design to
design and a solar-powered for on-the-go fun or gaming with never been a better excuse connect to different mounts
display – no more worrying friends and you can pick up both to escape and embark on an and accessories for endless
about battery life. in this affordable bundle. enthralling adventure. creative possibilities.
£399.99, garmin.com £129.99, funstock.co.uk £689, dji.com £379.99, insta360.com

JANUARY 2024 T3 39

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 HI-TECH
Hi-tech travel

TRAVEL
Wondering where to head to for your holidays in 2024? We’ve 12
destinations guaranteed to appeal to tech fans, whether it’s solar-
powered breweries or ski resorts with on-demand cable cars
Words: Tamara Hinson & David Nield

TRO SER I K S X A A L :ECR UOS E G A M I

JANUARY 2024 T3 43

 
 Hi-tech travel
T R O S E R IK S X A A L : E C R U O S E G A M I
JANUARY
e Cotswolds
For the ultimate winter warmer, head to the
Cotswolds. If the weather allows, opt for a
pedal-powered exploration along the
Stroudwater Navigation – a massive
restoration project is making it more
accessible to cyclists and walkers. Reward
your efforts at one of the Cotswolds’ growing
number of distilleries, breweries and
vineyards. Top of your list should be the
canal-side Stroud Brewery, which scores
highly in the sustainability stakes – 25% of
the electricity is provided by rooftop solar
panels and 70% of suppliers are within 50
miles of the brewery. Base yourself at Stroud’s
Painswick Hotel, which provides rental
bicycles (including electric ones) for guests.
44 T3 JANUARY 2024
 
FEBRUARY
e Antarctic
Hurtigruten, known for its expedition-style
cruises, is relying on tech to minimise
environmental impact. eir fleet includes
the MS Roald Amundsen – the world’s first
battery-hybrid powered cruise ship. For the
ultimate bucket list trip, consider their
February Antarctic Circle Expedition on MR
Roald Amundsen (hurtigruten.com). During
this 18-day sailing you’ll weave between the
sea ice, spotting colonies of penguins, seals,
whales and seabirds and gliding past
towering glaciers. Being at sea no longer
means being cut off, either – Hurtigruten
recently became the first cruise line to
implement SpaceX’s innovative Starlink
broadband service across its entire fleet.
MARCH
Switzerland
March is a great time to hit the slopes, and we
suggest heading to the Swiss resort of Laax,
which rolled out the first on-demand cable
car in late 2023. e FlemXpress will reduce
energy consumption by temporarily
removing empty cabins from the track.
We’re also huge fans of the French ski resort
of Les Arcs, which has Flocon Vert
accreditation (awarded to resorts going
above and beyond when it comes to
sustainability). It’s achieved this in various
ways and recent examples include a
campaign to encourage more visitors to fill
water bottles from the town’s fountains,
regular resort-wide clean-ups and the
extensive use of energy efficient transport.

Travel tech for the trails and slopes
RIESE & MULLER UBN FIVE
An ebike that’s lightweight, stylish and packed with tech: the
UBN Five makes any journey enjoyable, whether you’re taking
in the wonders of the countryside or simply getting from A to
B. Pedalling really doesn’t get much smoother or much quieter,
and you’ve got a 430Wh battery built in that’s going to be good
for many hours of cycling adventures.
From £4,909, r-m.de
CANON EOS 90D
Capable of capturing top-tier 32.5 megapixel images, the Canon
EOS 90D mid-range DSLR is a versatile, powerful and reliable
camera – and superb value for money, even at this substantial
price. It feels ultra-premium to hold and to use, and will get you
fantastic results no matter what you’re shooting, from the local
wildlife to the northern lights.
£1,210, canon.co.uk
 
Travel tech for thetrails and slopes
APPLE WATCH ULTRA 2
The new and updated version of Apple’s premium smartwatch
brings with it a noticeably brighter screen – handy for viewing
in all conditions – plus all the toughness, durability and
elegance you got with the first model. It’ll comfortably cope
with low temperatures and high altitudes, making it the perfect
companion for exploring wintery climes.
£799, apple.com
EMBER TRAVEL MUG 2+
Ember’s smart drinking vessels keep on getting better and
better, and the Travel Mug 2+ is perfect for any kind of trip
where you need to keep drinks nice and hot. In fact, you can set
a specific temperature for your beverage, via the touch display
on the front. On top of that, it’s stylish to look at and easy to
clean, and can even survive being submerged in water.
£199.95, uk.ember.com
JANUARY 2024 T3 45
 High-tech travel
APRIL
India
A country which is becoming increasingly
known for its tech (it launched its first
successful moon mission in 2023), India’s a
fantastically diverse destination. In March
2024 Virgin Atlantic launches direct flights
between the UK and Bangalore, a hi-tech
hub with the highest number of breweries of
any Indian city. We recommend toasting
Bangalore at Biergarten in the Whitefield
neighbourhood (the Aam Panna Sour, which
OTNJ :ECR UOS EGAMI
has notes of cumin, is delicious). And then
there are India’s beautiful national parks. For
a walk on the wild side, head to Bandhavgarh
Jungle Lodge on the edge of Bandhavgarh
National Park. ink of it as a digital detox –
radios are banned inside the park.
46 T3 JANUARY 2024
 
MAY
Stockholm
You’ll struggle to find a more hi-tech (or
beautiful, for that matter) city than
Stockholm. It’s made up of 14 islands, but
don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s hard
to navigate. Public transport options include
Zeabuz, the world’s first commercial,
emission-free, autonomous passenger ferry,
and in late 2024 another tech company,
Candela, will launch a new electric boat
service for both locals and visitors. Another
hi-tech reason to visit Sweden’s capital is
Wisdome Stockholm, which opened at the
Museum of Science and Technology in
December 2023. Head here to immerse
yourself in 3D 360° projections created using
the latest visualisation technology.
JUNE
Japan
Reasons to visit Japan in 2024 include the
reopening (in January) of teamLab
Borderless in Tokyo’s Azabudai Hills
neighbourhood. ere’ll be a huge selection
of immersive, interactive and digital art
installations such as the Light Sculpture
series, which challenge our perception of
time through the use of three-dimensional
circular light sculptures and mirrors.
Heading further afield in Japan? Make a
beeline for Kanazawa, a UNESCO City of
Crafts. e city – and the surrounding area
– will soon become even more accessible to
visitors coming from Tokyo thanks to the
Hokuriku Shinkansen Line’s extension,
due to open in March 2024.

Travel tech for city breaks
NIKON Z FC
The lightweight build of the Nikon Z fc makes it perfect for
touring around cities and being ready for action at a moment’s
notice: whatever you need to capture, and however quickly you
need to take the shot, this is a DX-format mirrorless camera
that won’t let you down. To add to the appeal we’ve got the
vintage look and the 4K video capture capabilities.
£789, nikon.co.uk
DELL XPS 13
There aren’t many more plaudits we can give the Dell XPS 13:
it’s quite simply one of the best compact Windows 11 laptops
around, combining a very capable level of performance with
a gorgeous design. It’s ideal as a travel laptop, with a battery
that’ll last all day away from a power source, and a form factor
that means you can use it just about anywhere.
From £848.99, dell.com
 
Travel tech for city breaks
CELESTRON NATURE DX ED
Adding a pair of binoculars to your packing list can enhance
just about any trip: whether you want to get a closer look
at the local wildlife or the local architecture, you’ll be glad
you took along the high resolution, high contrast Celestron
Nature DX ED. They match more expensive models in terms of
performance, and you can’t really ask more than that.
£169.99, celestron.com
SONOS ROAM
There’s no better way to take your tunes with you on your
travels than with the Sonos Roam, a light and waterproof
speaker capable of producing a sound that belies its small
size. There’s a 10-hour battery life here, a choice of wireless
connection options, and even a variety of cool colours to pick
from (so you can buy one to match your aesthetic taste).
£179, sonos.com
JANUARY 2024 T3 47
 High-tech travel
JULY
Seoul
South Korea is shaping up to be one of the
world’s most hi-tech countries. Its
government has pledged to roll out
widespread UAM (urban air mobility, which
refers to vehicles such as drones and electric
helicopters) by the end of 2025, and robots
GR O . M I E H NE G G U G :ECR UOS E G A M I
are commonplace here. Our favourite is the
one at Seoul’s Incheon airport – it roams the
departure hall, approaching passengers to
offer advice and to carry their bags. Key sites
to visit include Seoul’s Robot & AI Museum,
which opened in July 2023, although we also
love the city’s innovative approach to green
space. Our favourite example is the Gyeongui
Line Forest Park, a linear park in the
footprint of a former railway.
48 T3 JANUARY 2024
 
AUGUST
New York
New York’s Solomon R Guggenheim Museum
is a great place for a hi-tech art fix, proof of
which is its recent appointment of an LG
Electronics Associate Curator. e
appointment is part of a plan to showcase
more technology-based art, such as work
by Brooklyn based artist and AI expert
Stephanie Dinkins, whose pieces focus on
everything from chatbots to augmented
reality. Meanwhile, music fans should hop
over to Queens to check out the recently
opened Louis Armstrong Centre, opposite his
former home. Exhibits on display include
Armstrong’sgold-plated trumpet, while
interactive digital displays provide further
info about the world’s greatest jazz musician.
SEPTEMBER
Singapore
Visiting Singapore is now even easier, thanks
to the opening of Terminal Two at Changi
Airport. September is when the Singapore GP
takes place, and we suggest splashing out on
entry to the Amber Lounge, F1’s legendary
after party, for the ultimate post-race
experience. And while motor racing and
sustainability don’t exactly go hand in hand,
it’s worth noting that all of Singapore’s track
lights are now LEDs, solar panels power the
pit building and new solar-powered toilets
save 129,600 litres of water over the three-
day race weekend. Stay at the Shangri-La
Singapore, where you can sign up for the one
of the hotel’s Local Heritage Tour Experiences
around lesser-known areas of Singapore.

Travel tech for long-haul trips
SONY WH-1000XM5
Sony promises “your world and nothing else” when you’re
wearing the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones: the optimised
noise cancelling on these cans means that everything from
aeroplane engines to city bustle can be effortlessly quietened
down, leaving you free to enjoy your music, movies, podcasts or
audiobooks while you’re on your travels.
£319, sony.co.uk
META QUEST 3
Meta’s latest virtual reality headset adds vastly improved mixed
reality capabilities too, so you’ve got a host of new experiences
to enjoy – including blasting away furry aliens as they invade
whatever room you’re in. The Meta Quest 3 is compact and
portable, and means you’ve always got a guaranteed box of
entertainment tricks wherever you’re travelling to.
From £479.99, meta.com
 
Travel tech for long-haul trips
KINDLE OASIS
When it comes to portable gear to take away with you, the
Kindle Oasis is hard to beat. You’ll never be bored on your
travels, as this has room for thousands and thousands of ebooks
and can last for weeks and weeks on a single battery charge. It’s
one of the more expensive Kindles, but the waterproofing and
warm light make the price worth it.
From £229.99, amazon.co.uk
ANALOGUE POCKET
There’s always some downtime on a trip – it can never be
non-stop fun and games – and for those periods it’s handy to
have the Analogue Pocket in your... erm... pocket. Out of the box
you’ve got access to close to 3,000 Game Boy titles, and that’s
before you get to support for the Game Gear, Atari Lynx and
others. In short, you’ll never be bored.
$220 (about £180), analogue.co
JANUARY 2024 T3 49
 Hi-tech travel
OCTOBER
Berlin (or Brussels)
For twin-centre fun, head to Europe, where a
number of new railway routes are making it
easier than ever to combine multiple
destinations. ese include a range of new
services being rolled out by ÖBB and
Deutsche Bahn. e first routes, which will
connect Berlin and Brussels via Cologne, and
Berlin to Paris via Strasbourg, launched in
December 2023, and will run three times a
week, before becoming a daily service by the
end of 2024. e trains, which will reach
speeds of up to 230 kilometres per hour, will
have spacious mini-cabins, while solo
travellers can book pod-style single cabins
with integrated mirrors, reading lamps and
lockers for hand luggage and shoes.
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NOVEMBER
e Maldives
For some winter sun, you can’t go wrong
with the Maldives, and we suggest one of the
growing number of resorts going all out to
harness the latest tech. Great examples
include the Ritz-Carlton Maldives, where
a team of researchers relies on drones to
gather data about ocean-based plastic waste.
Guests can watch the researchers carry out
their work, and try out the sim used by the
drone pilots. And then there’s the Patina
Maldives. Since December 2023 guests have
been able to explore beneath the waves in
the resort’s two-person sub – in this case,
a hi-tech vessel typically used by deep sea
researchers and divers working for oil and
gas companies.
DECEMBER
London
London doesn’t need snow to transform into
a winter wonderland during the winter
months. We recommend checking out its bar
scene – in October 2023 London’s bars
bagged more spots on the World’s 50 Best
Bars list than ever before. Lucy Wong, a
subterranean Fitzrovia watering hole, was
one of the bars which made the cut. But
there’s more to London than its bars, and one
of the attractions we’re most excited about is
the Museum of Shakespeare, which opens in
early 2024. is Shoreditch museum will be
located within the remains of the Curtain
Playhouse (a venue where Shakespeare once
acted) and it will use AI to allow visitors to
walk across an Elizabethan stage.

Travel tech for sightseeing
TILE PRO
In terms of keeping tabs on your expensive gadgets while you’re
away from home, you don’t want to leave anything to chance –
and the Tile Pro definitely doesn’t. Attach these trackers to your
stuff and you’ll get alerts whenever they leave your possession,
so you don’t have to worry about leaving bags on trains or
forgetting laptops in coffee shops.
£29.99, tile.com
SNAPCHAT SPECTACLES 3
When you’re making your way around the sights of your travel
destination, you want to stay in the moment but also capture
some memories for posterity. The Snapchat Spectacles 3 let you
do both, making the process of grabbing photos and videos of
your trip as easy as looking around – and of course Snapchat
integration is built right in.
£330, spectacles.com
 
Travel tech for sightseeing
NETGEAR NIGHTHAWK M6 PRO
Pop a SIM into the Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro and it’ll create
a Wi-Fi hotspot that up to 32 devices can connect to. It means
you and the people you’re travelling with can always get online
(provided there’s a phone signal somewhere), and because it
can run on battery power as well as mains, you can take it on
the road, to the beach, or into the wilderness.
£899.99, netgear.com
DJI OSMO POCKET 3
For capturing video on the go, whatever your destination, the
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is an absolute dream to use. The advanced
action cam features a hugely impressive one-inch CMOS sensor
and a pro-level gimbal that keeps your clips perfectly balanced
and level at all times, it starts up in a second, and it’s small
enough to pack away with ease.
£489, dji.com
JANUARY 2024 T3 51
 Everything you need
to live the Apple life

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 
 Incredible next-gen EVs

INCREDIBLE
NEXT-GEN EVs
Stunning electric vehicles that are the last word in comfort, power and efficiency
Words: Alistair Charlton

2024 is set to be a huge year for electric cars, with major new launches from Audi, Hyundai
and Polestar, plus an all-new Mini and the first electric SUV from Maserati.
There’s also the Lotus Emeya, a four-door super saloon set to do battle with the Porsche
Taycan, the handsome Volvo EX90 and even a two-seat convertible sports car from a
resurgent MG. Who’d have thought we would be saying that just a couple of years ago?
Oh, and don’t forget the first all-electric Range Rover. We don’t know much about this one
just yet, but it should arrive before the end of 2024, likely beating most other luxury SUVs
to the plug-in punch. Plainly, there’s a lot to be excited about. So unhook the charger, put on
your seat belt and join us for a roundup of the new EVs we’re most excited about for 2024.
JANUARY 2024 T3 53

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 Incredible next-gen EVs

AUDI A6 / Q6 E-TRON
Audi’s electric family will grow in 2024 with the new Q6 SUV (shown above
in concept form) and related A6, with the latter available as a coupe-style
Sportback and seriously stylish Avant estate. The A6 and Q6 E-tron will
share the same platform, naturally, and this will also be closely related to the
underpinnings of the electric Porsche Macan.
A dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup is expected, while Audi’s next-generation
infotainment system will make its debut in the A6 and Q6 E-tron, with
three screens spread across the dashboard. Interestingly, the 10.9-inch
passenger display has a ‘privacy mode’ whereby it can show video to the
passenger without distracting the driver. Audi says the voice assistant of
its new Android Automotive system is self-learning and will remember
information from previous conversations.
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BMW i5 TOURING
We’ve already driven the fantastic new BMW i5, and while the
switch from saloon to estate might not seem radical, the extra
practicality – and, we hope, even more stylish looks – will make the
upcoming i5 Touring truly special. BMW hasn’t said much about
the electric estate for now, and all we’ve seen is a moody, low-light
silhouette, but it has confirmed a spring 2024 reveal and how the
5 Series Touring will be available with petrol, mild hybrid, plug-in
hybrid and all-electric configurations.
As with the i5 saloon, the Touring will be available in top-spec
M60 configuration. That means two motors, all-wheel-drive, and
a massive 600 horsepower under the driver’s right foot.
LOTUS EMEYA
Like MG, Lotus is another British sports car company recently
flush with Chinese cash, in this case from the automotive firm
Geely that also owns Volvo and Polestar. For 2024, Lotus will
follow up on its Eletre SUV with a luxury electric saloon called the
Emeya. To rival the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-tron GT, the dual-
motor Emeya produces an astonishing 905 horsepower and 985
Nm of torque. Lotus claims a class-leading power-to-weight ratio
for the Emeya and a 0-62mph time of just 2.78 seconds.
The cabin features carbon-backed seats, a 5G connection, cameras
for wing mirrors, a KEF sound system and a big touchscreen display.
An estate version is also rumoured to be in the works.
 
Incredible next-gen EVs
HYUNDAI IONIQ 7
To be the flagship of Hyundai’s all-electric Ioniq range, the 7 (shown
above in concept form) shares its modular E-GMP platform with the
closely related Kia EV9. Kia’s range all share the same base but with
markedly different bodies on top. We certainly saw this with the
distinctly different Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, so we can’t wait to see what
the larger 7 will look like once it’s revealed in 2024.
Pixel-style exterior lighting will be a key design detail of the Ioniq 7,
while the interior is likely to be spacious and airy with lots of room
across all three rows of seats and good storage. The dual 12.3-inch
display setup of the Ioniq 5 and 6 will probably make an appearance
in the 7 too, along with the optional for digital side mirrors.
MASERATI GRECALE FOLGORE
Folgore means ‘lightning’ in Italian and it’s the name Maserati is
giving to its new all-electric cars. The first Folgore was a battery-
powered GranTurismo and the second is this, the Grecale Folgore
SUV, due in 2024.
The Folgore completes a Grecale lineup that also includes run-
of-the-mill Modena and GT variants and the pumped-up Trofeo,
which is powered by the turbocharged V6 from Maserati’s MC20
supercar. Likely to compete against the upcoming Porsche Macan
EV, the Grecale Folgore uses two motors for all-wheel-drive and
550 horsepower. Maserati claims a 0-62mph time of 4.1 seconds
and a range of up to 310 miles from the 105 kWh battery pack.
JANUARY 2024 T3 55
 Incredible next-gen EVs

MINI EV
An all-new Mini hatchback is on the way, with a bespoke electric platform (although a petrol
version will also be available), a range of about 240 miles, and a bold new interior with
what Mini claims is the world’s first circular display to be fitted to a production car. We’ll be
interested to see how third-party apps work on the round screen and its Android system,
but it’s certainly a fun nod to the central, circular speedometer of the 1959 original.
The entry-level, £32,000 car has a 40.7 kWh battery, a claimed range of about 190 miles
(much more than its predecessor) and a power output of 181 bhp. Prices then rise to about
£38,000 for a larger 54.2 kWh battery, a range of about 250 miles, a power output of
215bhp and a 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds. The car will be joined by an equally new (and
equally electric) Mini Countryman SUV.

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 Incredible next-gen EVs

RANGE ROVER EV POLESTAR 3

We don’t know much about this one for now, but the first full- Due in the second quarter of 2024, the £79,000 Polestar 3 SUV is
electric Range Rover is widely expected before the end of 2024. the company’s largest car to date, and will share a platform with the
When the current generation car (pictured above) arrived a year Volvo EX90, also due in 2024. The Swedish startup’s house style
ago it was said the hybrid platform was ready to work as a fully- from the Polestar 2 remains, but for the larger 3 the company is going
electric car too. further up market, where it is expected to compete with the Jaguar
Should it arrive before the end of 2024, the electric Range Rover I-Pace and BMW iX.
could land ahead of battery-powered versions of rivals like the The first version of Polestar 3 to go on sale will be the dual-motor
Bentley Bentayga, Aston Martin DBX and Porsche Cayenne. We flagship in Long Range specification, promising 483 bhp, over 600 lb
can’t wait to see how much more luxurious a smooth, silent electric ft of torque and a 0-62mph time of 5.0 seconds. Range from its 111
drive train could make the Range Rover, and we’re equally excited by kWh battery is up to a claimed 379 miles. Inside, there’s a 14.5-inch
the prospect of silent, emissions-free off-roading too. infotainment touchscreen running Google’s Android Automotive.

POLESTAR 4 PORSCHE MACAN

Aren’t Polestars like buses, eh? You wait ages then two come along Porsche’s second electric car arrives in 2024, in the form of the all-
at once. What’s most striking about the Polestar 4 is its lack of rear new Macan SUV. To compete with the aging Jaguar I-Pace, the
windscreen, with the driver’s view behind augmented by a camera plug-in Porsche shares its platform with the similarly sized Audi Q6
on the roof and a display where the mirror used to be. Polestar says E-tron, also due in 2024. The all-wheel-drive Macan uses a pair of
the screen’s removal increases headroom for rear passengers and motors similar to those of the Porsche Taycan, with a maximum
allows for a more dramatic design. output from the flagship model of 603 bhp and 738 lb ft. Sportier
The dashboard is dominated by a 15.4-inch touchscreen display models will have an electronic locking differential.
running Google software. The top-spec version has a 102kWh The Macan will be fitted with a 100 kWh battery pack, slightly larger
battery pack and a range of about 350 miles. Polestar says the dual- than that of the Taycan and with an expected range of around 300
motor variant puts out 537 bhp and delivers a 0-62mph time of just miles. Like the Taycan, the Macan uses an 800-volt system that
3.8 seconds, making it Polestar’s quickest car to date. allows for a very fast charging rate of over 270 kW.
JANUARY 2024 T3 57

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 Incredible next-gen EVs

VOLVO EX90
An all-electric replacement to the XC90, Volvo’s new seven-seat flagship SUV lands in 2024
and promises to be packed full of technology. This includes a lidar sensor on the roof for
improved driver assistance (while also making the EX90 look a bit like a London taxi), 5G
connectivity, native support for Google Maps, and even side mirrors that automatically
adjust based on the position of your face.
Volvo says the EX90 has a range of up to 363 miles, produces 517hp in Twin Motor
Performance guise and can accelerate to 62mph in 4.7 seconds. The minimalist, leather-
free interior features responsibly sourced wool blend, glowing ambient lighting, a 14.5-inch
touchscreen and a full-length panoramic glass roof. Prices start at £96,255.

MG CYBERSTER
After a 13-year hiatus, MG is making sports cars again. To be the halo model of the resurgent
brand, the Cyberster is a two-seater with a folding fabric roof, vertically-hinged doors and
the option of a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive or dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain.
Prices are expected to range from around £50,000 to £65,000, with the entry-level car
having a single motor on the rear axle, 335 bhp, a claimed range of up to 323 miles and
a 0-62mph time of 4.6 seconds.
The dual-motor variant is expected to be considerably more powerful, with 536bhp at the
driver’s disposal. MG says the Cyberster will come to the UK in the summer of 2024.
58 T3 JANUARY 2024

 
 Let’s get physical

LET’S GET
physical
Enjoy the hiss of tape and crackle of vinyl, spinning discs and electric ink
Words: Carrie Marshall

JANUARY 2024 T3 59

 
 Let’s get physical

BLU-RAY
PANASONIC DP-UB820EB
You can spend much more on even higher-spec Blu-ray playback but this Panasonic delivers the goods
exceptionally well, with a vibrancy and subtlety that belies its mid-range price tag. The omissions here
– there’s no SA-CD or DVD-A support – aren’t going to be deal-breakers for most, and while it’s been out
for a few years now it remains one of the best Blu-ray players you can buy in any price bracket. It supports
all the key surround and HDR standards and in the director’s chair you’ll find Panasonic’s excellent second
generation Hollywood Cinema Experience picture processing engine.
£349.99, panasonic.com

TAPE DECK TURNTABLE

CLEAR TECH UO
Urban Outfitters does a great job of making us feel our age: it recently
sold out a range of early-2000s iPods to retro-crazed fashion kids,
labelling them as ‘vintage retro tech’. So it’s not a huge surprise to see
the retailer also offering Walkman-style tape players to introduce a
new generation to the joys of winding on cassettes with your finger or
an HB pencil. The Clear Tech UO is available in clear, transparent pink
and transparent blue, includes an AM/FM radio and runs off two AA
batteries. Sadly the headphones aren’t orange foam: they more closely
resemble Apple’s earbuds.
£38, urbanoutfitters.com
REGA PLANAR 3
The vinyl revival shows no signs of slowing down, and no wonder when
you can play music on turntables as desirable as this. The Planar 3 sits
in the middle of Rega’s range, and it’s as beautiful to look at as it is to
listen to. It’s similar to the more affordable Planar 2 but delivers better
isolation and has higher-spec components, including the bearings and
interconnects. It’s a very precise and musical turntable, and reviewer
after reviewer says that the Planar punches way above its price tag to
deliver a deeply involving performance that’ll make you fall in love with
vinyl all over again.
£660, rega.co.uk

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 Let’s get physical

INSTANT CAMERA
POLAROID NOW+
You can’t beat the thrill of shaking a Polaroid picture and watching magic happen, and this second
generation i-Type instant camera pulls off the trick of delivering retro thrills and styling without
leaving out more modern features such as smartphone connectivity – for both iOS and Android
– and in-app editing. It works with both Polaroid i-Type and 600 film to deliver full-size Polaroid
images and it includes five lens filters including starburst, red vignette and a choice of orange, blue
and yellow for even more photo fun. Expect to pay around £19 for a pack of Polaroid 600 films or
£16 for i-Type ones.
£119.98, polaroid.com

JANUARY 2024 T3 61

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 Let’s get physical

CARTRIDGE HANDHELD
EVERCADE EXP
The Evercade EXP has a nice trick up its retro gaming sleeve: in addition to the built-in Capcom games it
ships with, you can play cartridge games from the entire Evercade library. That currently encompasses over
380 games across 38 different collections. The games may be classic but the hardware is much more modern
with Wi-Fi, USB-C and a mini-HDMI out for playback on external displays. The handheld has its own 4.3-
inch IPS display delivering 800 x 480 resolution, and it’s covered with tempered glass to prevent everyday
lumps and bumps from getting in the way of your gaming fun.
£112, evercade.co.uk

CARD-BASED HANDHELD BULLET JOURNAL

NINTENDO SWITCH OLED
If you prefer your gaming hardware to be thoroughly modern but
still want the satisfaction of snicking a game cartridge into a slot,
Nintendo’s OLED Switch is the perfect solution: it may use flash cards
rather than big cartridges but it’s just as satisfying, and the combination
of today’s processing power and that gorgeous OLED screen deliver
gaming thrills that the consoles of old could only dream of. The
hardware’s great but it’s the games that really shine here, because
Nintendo continues to deliver sheer gaming joy: its latest release,Super
Mario Bros Wonder, has just been released to universal acclaim.
£309.99, nintendo.co.uk
LEUCHTTURM1917 BULLET JOURNAL EDITION 2
We’re suckers for a good journal and this is a really good journal.
On the outside it’s a typically good-looking notebook; inside there’s
wonderfully luxurious 120gsm paper with very low transparency, a
page divider for easy grouping and a set of stickers for days, weeks and
months. The index and Future Log are backed up with 206 numbered
pages with clever little status bullets so you can mark them complete
or incomplete and it’s an absolute joy to write on and plan with. The
only thing we don’t really like is the rather garish Bullet Journal text
on the front cover.
£27.50, leuchtturm1917.co.uk

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 Let’s get physical

PHOTO PRINTER
CANON PIXMA TS6350A
This new Canon is a superb all-rounder that’s as happy printing off work documents
or your work in progress novel as it is printing your family photos ready for framing.
With A4 printing, copying and scanning it’s a particularly good option for a home office
and because the inks are individual you won’t be wasting entire cartridges when one
colour runs low. Canon promises 100-year life from your photo prints and the printer
also works with media such as double-sided matte paper and iron-on transfers, making
it a great option for families and creative adults alike.
£129.99, canon.co.uk

JANUARY 2024 T3 63

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 Let’s get physical

TURNTABLE
SONY PS-LX310BT
There’s no substitute for the sound of a turntable cabled up to a good amp and speakers or high-quality
headphones, but you can’t exactly lug your whole hi-fi into the kitchen or garden when you want to entertain
elsewhere. That’s where this clever Sony excels: it’s a decent quality hi-fi component with a built-in phono
stage for easy connections, but it also has Bluetooth connectivity for easy streaming to smart speakers and
Bluetooth headphones. It won’t sound as good as a Rega Planar, but it’s surprisingly good for the money and,
with support for up to eight wireless devices, exceptionally flexible too.
£249, sony.co.uk

CD/DVD BURNER PAPER

ASUS SDRW-08D2S-U
If you were around during the Rip, Mix, Burn era you may have a
library of digital music on your computer – which is fine when you
want to listen to it on that computer or stream wirelessly from it. But
a CD burner is ideal for taking your music to places you can’t stream
to, such as in-car CD players, and having the ability to burn DVD
discs means it’s also a great way to back up your collection in case of
some unforeseen catastrophe. Very few PCs come with optical drives
of any kind these days, but Asus’s nifty little burner is compatible with
Windows and Mac via USB.
£29.99, asus.com
MOLESKINE SMART WRITING SET
We’ve tried many supposedly paper-like writing technologies and none
of them feel like paper. So why not just make paper clever? That’s
what Moleskine has done with its Smart Writing Set, which works
like any other ballpoint pen and paper combination but records what
you write to create an instant digital copy of every single page in the
smartphone app. Whether you’re an illustrator, a writer, a note taker or
just a daydreaming doodler like us, the Moleskin Smart Writing System
offers the best of low and high tech. Just don’t lose the Smart Pen, as
it’s £100-plus to replace.
£229, moleskine.com

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 Let’s get physical

CD PLAYER
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO CXC
You might think that digital data is either there or it isn’t, so one CD player is as good as any
other. Not so. If your player doesn’t deliver precise, consistent playback it may introduce read
errors and noise that will colour what you hear. Enter Cambridge Audio and its super-accurate
CD transport, which delivers exceptionally low levels of jitter and exceptionally high levels
of precision. That’s made it a multiple award winner with a string of glowing reviews, but it’s
important to note that this is purely a CD transport: you’ll need to connect it to a DAC in order
to hear what that precision delivers.
£399, cambridgeaudio.com

JANUARY 2024 T3 65

 
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24 AMAZING MACBOOK ALTERNATIVES
Apple-smashing portable powerhouses
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BOSE QC ULTRA EARBUDS TESTED

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 
 TESTED
Expert reviews and recommendations
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Edited by Josh Russell

68 72 73 74 76 78
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HEADPHONES PLUS 514

HOW WE TEST
In T3, we feature only the finest gadgets out We only choose people with specialist THE SCORES EXPLAINED
there, and we believe that you – our loyal knowledge for each test, so you know you’re
reader – deserve only the best tech in your going to get an outcome based on many years Forget it
life. We don’t want you to waste time, and of experience in their respective field. Below average
money, on inferior products, and that’s As well as our traditional five-star rating Good for the price
exactly why our Tested section exists. system (right), we also give out awards to
In here you’ll find only the latest and particularly exceptional gadgets, using the Very good all round
hottest tech. Each product has been line-up below - so when you spot one of An exceptional,
handpicked and tested by T3’s experts. these, you’ll know you’re onto a good thing. best-in-class product
OUR AWARDS
This is given to winners of our group Only the very best products – those
tests, so you can see which is the best that score five stars – receive our
at a glance Platinum Award

JANUARY 2024 T3 67

 
 Tested

Display 14.2-inch 2796 x 1290 120Hz

1600 nit mini-LED Chip Apple M3 / M3
Pro / M3 Max CPU 8-core - 14-core
GPU 10-core - 30-core Neural engine
16-core Storage 512GB - 8TB Memory
8GB - 128GB OS macOS Sonoma Battery
life up to 22 hours of video playback
Connectivity MagSafe 3, 3x Thunderbolt
4, HDMI, SDXC card slot, 3.5mm
headphone jack, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth
5.3 Dimensions 312.6x221.2x15.5mm
Weight 1.55kg - 1.62kg

From £1,699
apple.com

PRO ACTIVE
MacBook Pro 14-inch
All-new Space Black finish, all-new M3 power, all-new price:
the 2023 MacBook Pro is out-of-this-world impressive

I
t feels like only a heartbeat
ago we were reviewing the
last MacBook Pro – the
16-inch M2 Pro model, 10
months ago, back in March 2023 – and
quickly realising it was not only
among the best MacBooks money
could buy, but ultimately one of the
best laptops on the planet.
at a new MacBook Pro has
arrived so soon after seems somewhat
peculiar, but we’re not complaining:
the all-new M3 silicon (as revealed in
the ‘Scary Fast’ event) is here to reign
supreme and, in the 14-inch MacBook
Pro M3 Max model we had for review,
it’s truly outstanding.
Not only that, dressed in the also
all-new Space Black finish (which
we’re mildly obsessed with – all
Apple products should offer Space
Black), and with a lower entry-level
price, can the late 2023 MacBook Pro
M3 series do no wrong? We’ve been
using it for a full week and there’s no
doubt in our minds it delivers an
almost out-of-this-world experience.
In today’s economic climate, all
products’ prices seem to rise by big
percentages generation to generation.
So what’s this? e M3 MacBook Pro is
cheaper than the M2 equivalent? at’s
right – and by quite a margin. e
14-inch M2 models were priced from
£2,149, but the M3 at its entry-level
configuration is priced from £1,699.
Of course we have the M3 Max-
toting MacBook Pro on review here,
so it’s towards the top end. An
entry-level Max in the 14-inch body
will set you back £3,299. But ours has
the upgraded chip with 16-core CPU,
40-core GPU and 16-core Neural
Engine, plus 64GB unified memory –
bringing the total to a rather
handsome (or not) £3,999. e
16-inch model maxed out can almost
double that.
But there’s a proposition of value
here – and in this user-configurable
format you can build a MacBook Pro
that suits your needs and, to some
degree, budget. What it delivers
makes it well worth it, just don’t
overreach for no distinct reason. e
most disappointed people, however,
are likely to be recent M2 buyers

68 T3 JANUARY 2024

 

whose MacBook Pro models are no
longer part of the line-up – it’s almost
as if they never existed.
So just what is new about the late
2023 MacBook Pro? ink of this as a
mid-term refresh really, as visually
speaking you’re getting the same
chassis, same screen, same ports –
pretty much same everything – as the
earlier M2 equivalents. But that’s not
to say there isn’t one big change to the
exterior – and it’s called Space Black.
We’ve already waxed lyrical about
how great-looking this new Space
Black finish is and, given the choice,
it’s the option we’d want to buy. It
doesn’t cost any more to select it and
we really like its depth of dark, yet it
has a silvery shimmer to it when
caught in the right light. It’s also got
an anti-fingerprint technology finish,
applied during the anodisation of the
material, to keep it looking pristine.
Otherwise the key take away with
the late 2023 MacBook Pro is the
addition of M3 silicon, including Pro
and Max variants (no Ultra version
has been announced... yet?).
Interestingly, the M3 is a marginally
 
ALL BRIGHT ON THE NIGHT
Apple’s XDR mini-LED display tech makes a
welcome return here – the MacBook Pro’s screen
is super-bright, can hit refresh rates of 12OHz
and doesn’t experience the black-bleaching
blooming effect so common on LCD displays.
lower clocked processor than its Miniature LED
predecessor, but it’s architecturally backlights deliver
different and, overall, more capable. big on brightness
and contrast
Display replay
Just because the M3 MacBook Pro
doesn’t have new everything doesn’t
mean that everything isn’t great.
e 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR
display here, as a key example, is a
masterclass in how laptops should
deliver their screens.
at panel name may take a little
bit of decoding, because it’s in Apple
language. e ‘XDR’ bit is the
company’s way of saying it’s mini-
LED and high dynamic range (HDR)
capable. Our way of saying it is that
it’s super-bright (to 1600 nits). And,
thanks to a high resolution (3024 x
1964 pixels) and up to 120Hz refresh
rate, everything is crisp and smooth.
Apple isn’t new to mini-LED now,
as it was in the previous-generation
MacBook Pro models and also in
recent iPad Pro models too. As the
name suggests, it uses miniature
LED backlights to deliver big on
brightness, but also big on
MacBook Pro 14-inch
backlighting precision. at means no
light bleed, while contrast is high and
black levels extra deep.
As we’ve said in earlier MacBook
Pro reviews, mini-LED is an
important feature because you really
cannot tell the difference between
true black in the display and the black
bezel surround of the display itself.
And because this MacBook has a
notched display – ie there’s a chunk
up top where the cameras live that is
blacked out – this all but vanishes
from view in many apps that ‘fill in’
the bezel on screen. Yes, we’d prefer
to not have a notched screen, but
we’ve not found it a bother – after a
few hours of initial use we ceased to
notice it.
From a top-notch display (it’s pun
o’clock) to top-drawer speakers, the
MacBook Pro M3 is one seriously
impressive-sounding laptop. e
audio is mighty impressive across the
board, but it’s the lower-frequency
response that’s beyond any
competitor we’ve ever tested (aside
from its predecessor or, indeed, the
16-inch model). at gives sound real
JANUARY 2024 T3 69
 Tested

M3 TIME
Despite being lower-clocked
than its predecessor,
Apple’s M3 chip has had
an architectural overhaul,
meaning it cuts through
demanding tasks like a red-hot
katana through candyfloss.

depth and emphasis that you just
don’t usually get from a laptop.
ere’s more too: the six-speaker
arrangement here features Spatial
Audio support, so when you’re
playing music mixed in the object-
based format or watching a show or
movie that’s Atmos mixed, you’ll
get the real three-dimensional
experience even without wearing
headphones. For example, if you ride
an indoor bike and run Zwift using
this MacBook, the sounds sometimes
genuinely seem as though they’re
coming from metres away to your side
– it’s really impressive.
Our only complaint In addition to Bluetooth wireless,
is that there’s no there’s also a 3.5mm jack if you’re one
USB-A port here who prefers to wire in, while the
HDMI 2.1 support also supports
multi-channel audio output too.
Speaking of ports, the MacBook
Pro M3 has them in reasonable
abundance: there are also three
USB-C/underbolt 4 ports and even
a full-size SD card slot.
e only complaints are that
there’s no USB-A port here, for which
you’ll need a separate adaptor
instead, and that MagSafe 3 isn’t an
ideal charging solution for everyone
(another USB-C wouldn’t go amiss).
Also, just because we’re nitpicking,
that black cable provided with the
Space Black finish oddly has a massive
white plug for the wall – colour-
matching that detail would’ve looked
a lot better, as small details count.
Power trio
ere’s no doubting that M3 silicon is
massively impressive – in the M3 Max
configuration we’ve got on review, it’s
actually way more than we’d ever
need to be honest. So don’t over-
purchase the specification of your
MacBook Pro; fit it to your
requirements and spend the sum that

PRO ADD-ONS

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necessarily need Spatial Audio headphones. So USB-C is far superior to its predecessors. But MacBook Pro’s stunning screen? This rocks a
how about some wired cans to max out your sadly half our devices still use USB-A cables, 5K Retina display, six-speaker Spatial Audio,
sound quality instead? The HD 660S2 offer making a hub essential. Belkin’s has that much- 12MP ultra-wide web cam and optional nano-
serious bass and a wide, open sound stage. needed USB-A port plus four USB-C ones. texture glass that nerfs glare in bright rooms.
£499, sennheiser.com £199.99, amazon.co.uk From £1,499, apple.com

70 T3 JANUARY 2024

 
 MacBook Pro 14-inch

SOUND ALL AROUND

With its spectacular six-driver
array, the MacBook Pro delivers
a surprisingly effective Spatial
Audio effect – meaning you don’t
need headphones to enjoy Dolby
Atmos soundtracks.

NOTCH TO WORRY
While the webcam notch
may not be everyone’s cup
of tea, that mini-LED display
offers such deep blacks that
it will mostly vanish into the
background when apps fill in
the space either side.

fits. Because you can upgrade a lot of
aspects – which will be great for
demanding professionals.
We’re staggered by just how
impressive the M3 Max is though: it
cut through our Photoshop edits and
video renders like a knife through
butter. ere will be other examples
significantly beyond our means, such
as if you’re working in 3D design and
modelling or producing music and
don’t fancy bouncing everything
down all the time to take the strain off.
When we tested the 16-inch
MacBook Pro M2 Pro model, its
benchmark scores came in at 1,957
single-core and 15,134 multi-core;
53,000 (Metal) and 46,000 (OpenCL)
for graphics. Admittedly it’s slightly
apples and oranges but how does the
M3 Max compare to that? A 2,357
single-core and 23,177 multi-core,
which equates to a significant 20%
boost for single and 50% for multi. In
graphics we’ve been getting 101,553
(Metal) and 92,478 (OpenCL) – so a
doubling of graphics performance.
at’s a massive amount of power
potential that marks the MacBook Pro
M3 Max as a laptop that’s as powerful
as a desktop. Whether plugged in or
unplugged, it’s got the flexibility to
deliver – although the fans do kick in
somewhat aggressively if you’re really
pushing things.
Meanwhile, the Metal score above
will also begin to mean more and
more as developers begin to produce
for Apple native, which means the
future of gaming on Mac could
become a huge deal too.
When it comes to battery life,
that’s where there’s a compromise
between M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max
though. e entry-level M3 is said to
deliver literally a full day of use per
charge. at’s insane battery life. On
the other hand, we have the M3 Max
on test – and while it won’t last nearly
as long, it’s still extremely capable.
We set a 1440p resolution YouTube
video running with mid-level audio
running and brightness set to half
and the M3 Max was able to deliver
13.5 hours before calling it a day. When
the test was re-ran at full brightness
it dropped to 8 hours – which goes to
show how impactful the mini-LED
screen is in the equation.
Either way, the day after these
battery tests we used the laptop all
day with mid-level brightness, and it
lasted even longer than the streaming
tests. Nothing too strenuous running
here, but you can easily use this
laptop (even in M3 Max config) on a
The battery life long-haul flight or when meeting-
is insanely hopping throughout a day and not
impressive need to find a plug.
Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 is
a powerful and accomplished laptop.
With the 13-inch MacBook Pro now
dead and buried and a 15-inch
MacBook Air on the market for more
casual use-cases, the MacBook Pro in
this 14-inch and larger 16-inch
versions are perfectly positioned for
true pro-grade use. e M3 Max we’ve
had on test is as powerful as a desktop
PC, simple as that.
VERDICT
WE’RE IMPRESSED Huge price drop; super-
powerful M3 silicon; stunning bright screen.
WE’D IMPROVE Notched display won’t
please all; no USB-A port.
THE LAST WORD Such a powerful machine,
you’ll be engulfed by its peerless capability.
Find the best deals on the MacBook Pro
14-inch at: bit.ly/t3mbkprm3

JANUARY 2024 T3 71

 
 Tested
PlayStation Portal
STATION TO STATION
PlayStation Portal
Not quite the Nintendo Switch rival wewere hoping for,but the
PlayStation Portalcan still be a perfect match for a PlayStation 5
T
he PlayStation Portal Remote Player,
to use its full name, is a portable
games machine with its own screen
and wrapped in a controller – much
like a Switch or many of the other portable
consoles, but it’s also quite different. It doesn’t
technically run games, for starters.
Instead, it uses a PlayStation 5’s existing
Remote Play functionality to stream games over
a home or external wireless connection, using
your PS5 as the host and the Portal as a receiver.
e Portal only has an LCD touchscreen, but
it’s highly impressive nonetheless. Being eight
inches means it is beefy and bold enough to make
a gameplay session feel more tangible, and it has a
decent viewing angle to boot.
e PlayStation Portal has no on-board
storage and you cannot install games directly on
it. It therefore requires a wireless network
connection to run. However, that can be at home
on the same network as your PlayStation 5 or, as
we’ve tested, over a remote data hook up.
Streaming at home is a seamless experience
with so little lag that it’s imperceptible. Indeed,
we left the TV on too at one point to see how
much latency there is and control movements
worked on both screens simultaneously.
e performance when out and about is less
reliable, as it will entirely depend on the data
connection. Running the Portal on a 4G mobile
signal in a fairly remote area resulted in a drop in
resolution and frame rate, but Spider-Man 2was
still eminently playable.
72 T3 JANUARY 2024
 
£199.99
playstation.com
It’s also worth noting that the stereo speakers
are very decent, with the ability to present a loud
personal soundstage. Which is just as well
because, while Bluetooth is also on board for
wireless headphones hook-up, you’re confined
to pairing the official PlayStation headset or
earbuds. You cannot use third-party Bluetooth
in- or over-ears.
Sony claims that the battery should give you
around eight hours of gameplay time, but we’ve
found that’s pretty ambitious. We’d place it more
at around five to six hours in general use.
e usability and desirability of the
PlayStation Portal will come down to
VERDICT
circumstance. For us, it’s a great way to carry on WE’RE IMPRESSED Excellent
a game in another room, while someone else is display; DualSense haptics and
watching something on the main screen. adaptive triggers; little latency on
What we would like in future, though, is the home network; works remotely.
ability to stream games over the cloud to the WE’D IMPROVE Only streams
Portal and we’re a little surprised that it doesn’t from your home PS5; battery life
already. Sony does offer cloud gaming through its less than claimed; can’t use third-
PlayStation Plus membership service, to PS Plus party Bluetooth headphones.
Premium subscribers, so why not let them also THE LAST WORD An oddity
play those games on the new device? perhaps, the Portal isn’t a true
If Sony decides to add this to the Portal handheld console, rather a way
handheld in future, that’d make it an even more to stream games from your own
essential purchase. However, it is already worth PS5. But in that respect it excels.
considering for PlayStation power users. e
eight-inch display is excellent, even without
HDR, and the feel of the controls, with their force
feedback and haptics, is better than on any Find great PlayStation Portal
equivalent. It’s niche, yeah, but it’s the good kind deals at: bit.ly/t3psport
of niche and can get better still.

JBL Bar1300
This surround sound sensation offersdetachablespeakers to use as
rears, a super subwoofer and convincing Dolby Atmos
T
he JBL Bar 1300 is an 11.1.4 channel
soundbar that uses detachable
wireless rear speakers to deliver
immersive Dolby Atmos. It also ups
the ante by adding a beefier subwoofer,
increasing the amplification power and including
even more features. All of which makes this
system a contender for one of the best soundbars
you can buy.
e JBL Bar 1300 offers a layout based around
a main unit, two wireless rears and a 10-inch
rear-ported and downward-firing wireless
subwoofer. e soundbar contains six racetrack
drivers, five tweeters and four full-range
up-firing drivers, while the rears each have a
racetrack driver, an up-firing driver and a
passive radiator.
e Bar 1300 decodes the Dolby Atmos and
DTS:X object-based audio formats, delivering
them using front left and right channels, a centre
channel, front and rear overhead channels,
width channels and front and rear side
channels, creating a 3D hemisphere of sound.
is soundbar is good with music, thanks to
larger drivers that provide clarity and detail,
while the width of the cabinet creates plenty of
stereo separation. e beefy sub delivers a solid
foundation of bass that feels tight and controlled,
especially after running the automated
calibration feature.
With multichannel music, movies or TV
shows, the side-firing speakers create extra
width, while the centre channel keeps the
 
Tested
JBL Bar 1300
£1,299.99
jbl.com
RAISING THE BAR
dialogue clear and focused on the screen. e
wireless rear speakers are free of delays or
dropouts, delivering multichannel audio with
genuine surround presence.
When it comes to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X the
entire 11.1.4-channel soundstage is employed,
creating a fully immersive spatial sonic
experience. ere’s a feeling of being enveloped
in a realistic hemisphere of sound as the
decoding places audio objects in three-
dimensional space.
e Bar 1300 works exceptionally well with
games, creating a realistic and engaging
soundstage that’s particularly effective with
VERDICT
first-person shooters. e balanced nature of the WE’RE IMPRESSED Incredibly
system moves sounds seamlessly from speaker to immersive sound; Dolby Atmos
speaker, creating a greater sense of immersion. and DTS:X support; deep but
e overall delivery is very dynamic, with controlled bass; easy to setup.
plenty of headroom thanks to all those powerful WE’D IMPROVE No 4K/120Hz,
amps. So whether watching TV, listening to VRR or HDR10+ passthrough.
music or playing games, this soundbar delivers THE LAST WORD This feature-
an exhilarating and enveloping sonic experience packed soundbar delivers Dolby
that’s sure to please. Atmos and object-based sound
e JBL Bar 1300 is an impressive addition to with cinematic scale and bass.
the brand’s soundbar range. Dolby Atmos and And the detachable rear speakers
DTS:X are delivered through a powerful and allow you to create a genuinely
dynamic speaker configuration that includes a immersive system with zero fuss.
subwoofer capable of digging deep. ere are also
useful features like the detachable rears, slick
remote app and effective auto-calibration that
ensures a balanced and cohesive system. e Find great deals on the JBL
result is an impressive performer that produces Bar 1300 at: bit.ly/t3jbl1300
an engaging object-based audio experience.
JANUARY 2024 T3 73
 Tested

Audio features active noise cancelling,

spatial audio, automatic personalisation
Connectivity USB-C, 2.5mm jack,
Bluetooth 5.3 Weatherproofing IPX4
Battery life up to 24 hours (ANC on, spatial
audio off) Dimensions 195x139x50.8mm
Weight 252g

£449.95
bose.co.uk
SILENCE IS GOLDEN
Bose QuietComfort
Ultra Headphones
The QuietComfortUltrareally do deliver theultimate activenoise cancelling –
but are they worth the asking price?

W
hen the QuietComfort
Ultra Headphones landed
in our laps, we were
excited to see how much
Bose had advanced its already amazing
noise-cancelling formula. But these
cans are pricey, even compared to the
competition. So is it worth spending
so much for pure travelling bliss?
e Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Headphones fit into the company’s
line-up as a sort-of replacement for
the Bose Headphones 700. at might
sound peculiar, as those in the know
of Bose’s range will be all too aware of
the QuietComfort 45 model. But really
the Ultra are akin to both the above
melded into an all-new product.
at’s because unlike the 700
model, these have a folding design.
But unlike the more plasticky and
exposed-screw design of the QC 45
model, the Ultra Headphones appear
seamless and are more attractive.
Compared to the Bose 700
Headphones, these are lighter... but
only by two grammes (at 252g versus
254g). e two pairs of headphones are
a similar size and the QuietComfort
Ultra actually has a thicker, wider
headband – which is great for comfort.
Being able to fold them down is
great. And the included carry case is
nice and small: 215 x 155 x 52mm
overall, which will easily slot into all
sorts of bags with ease.

74 T3 JANUARY 2024

 

e QC Ultra Headphones feature
fairly minimal controls: there’s an on/
off/Bluetooth connect button and
cycle-through-ANC button on the
right earcup, plus a small touch-
control strip for controlling one
function (as set within the app).
But we do really miss the touch
controls of the 700 Headphones, which
enabled tap, double-tap, swipe up/
down and swipe forward/back to
control all the basics. e QC Ultra
don’t offer anything so rich from that
touch-control strip – it can only tell
you the battery level, change
Immersive Audio, activate voice
assistant, or resume Spotify playback.
ere’s a kind of hush
From the moment we put them on,
we were taken aback by just how
connective the sound profile is –
with the significant active noise
cancellation (ANC) playing a major
part in enabling the headphones to
drive sound to your ears without
external distractions. If you’re after
top-class ANC then, well, look no
further – these are the best of the best. stereo cuts it perfectly fine.
But it’s a bit more complex than
that, too, as there are a variety of
THE ALTERNATIVES
BOSE 700
If the QuietComfort Ultra’s
asking price is a bit too rich
and you can cope without
a folding design or spatial
audio, then the much older
Bose 700 are available at a
bargain price – for however
much longer they’re available!
£349, amazon.co.uk
 
Bose QuietComfortUltra Headphones
options at play. e ANC can be
adjusted, for example, but only if you music tastes, these
add a new ‘Mode’ within the app (such willsound
as Commute, Focus, Music etc) and
dial in from zero to 10 just how strong
you want that ANC to be.
Beyond the ANC settings, however,
the new Immersive Audio feature is
actually a far bigger deal than it may at
first seem. It’s only when then moving
your head – which gives you spatial
depth, as if turning your head in a
three-dimensional arena of sound –
that you can feel what this does for the
experience. It’s pretty astonishing.
But Immersive Audio needs to be
taken with some consideration too.
Yes, it sounds great for many sources,
and we’ve really enjoyed that bolstered
soundscape that it’s introduced. But
the processing does cause the sound
to be different: that oddly ‘fizzier’
top-end as a result of its activation, for
example, or feeling the sensation of the
forward point swooping to reposition
if you hold your head in a new forward
position. Immersive Audio is great, but
it’s not great for all things. Sometimes
Fortunately, whether in Stereo or
Immersive Audio, the QC Ultra are
SONY WH-1000XM5
The Sony WH-1000XM5
will certainly give the
QuietComfort Ultra a run
for their money. They cost
a little less, and also offer
superb ANC and sound,
which could tip the balance
in their favour.
£319, sony.co.uk
Whatever your masters at audio.Yes, it’s a very ‘Bose’
sound, which some purists may not
deliver superb
quality love, but they don’t disappoint when it
comes to laying on low-end delivery.
However, it’s really the sound as
a whole, in conjunction with the
customisation from the app, that
means these headphones will deliver
superb sound across the board
whatever your tastes.
We love their superb active noise
cancelling and stellar sound quality.
If you’re looking for incredible travel
headphones then you can do no better.
Sure, the price is high and other
headphones offer stiff competition, but
in the world of ANC and travel the
QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are
the ultimate experience.
VERDICT
WE’RE IMPRESSED ANC
truly cancels ambient sound;
Immersive Audio can be superb;
comfortable, lightweight design.
WE’D IMPROVE Immersive
Audio adds processing effects;
limited touch controls; pricey.
THE LAST WORD These offer
the ultimate ANC and stellar
sound quality. However, the price
is certainly high, while Immersive
Audio’s brilliance won’t make all
sources sound better.
Find great Bose QuietComfort
Ultra deals at: bit.ly/t3bosqcul
JANUARY 2024 T3 75
 Tested

Display 14-inch 1920 x 1200 60Hz

LCD CPU AMD Ryzen 3 7320C /
AMD Ryzen 5 7520C GPU Radeon
Graphics Storage 128GB / 256GB
SSD Memory 8GB OS ChromeOS
Battery life up to 12 hours
Connectivity USB x 3 (USB-C x 2, USB
x 1), HDMI, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1
Dimensions 319x227x19.9mm
Weight 1.55kg

£399.99
acer.com

CHROME TRUTHS
Acer Chromebook Plus 514
Acer’slaptop goes beyond theChromebook basics and performs
well inmost areas, without really excelling

A
s well as aiming to be one
of the best Chromebooks
around, the latest version
of Acer’s 514 Chromebook
has the Plus label attached, putting
it at the vanguard of the new
Chromebook Plus scheme, a badge of
quality for Google ChromeOS laptops.
Chromebook Plus is a certain
benchmark that laptops have to reach
to get the premium label attached to
them, and that benchmark includes
having at least a 1080p HD screen. e
Acer Chromebook Plus 514 goes better
than that, with a 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,200
display that’s sharp and reasonably
bright: it does the job for watching
videos and working on documents.
As for the rest of the design of this
laptop, it’s all rather straightforward.
We like the two-tone texture effect on
the laptop lid, the bezels around the
screen are reasonably thin, and the
Acer logo (outside and inside) is subtle
enough. It has a weight and a plastic
feel that tells you this isn’t a top-tier
laptop, but it also feels solid.
In terms of connectivity there’s one
built-in HDMI port, one USB 3.2 Gen 1
Type-A port, and two USB 3.2 Gen 1
Type-C ports – that’s a good amount of
connectivity options, and Wi-Fi 6E is
supported too. Above the display
there’s a 1080p webcam (another
Chromebook Plus requirement), and
in our testing it maintained a picture

76 T3 JANUARY 2024

 
 Acer Chromebook Plus 514

that was reasonably sharp and clear in hours of video watching in total. In Acer says it meets software you can run. Some Android
a variety of lighting conditions. more general use, you’re looking at 3-4 military-grade apps are better optimised for large
hours, so this is a laptop that’s going to durability displays and keyboards and trackpads
Balance of power last you half a day away from a plug standards than others but you can do some cool
e review model sent to us had an socket rather than a whole day. syncing tricks with Pixel 8 Pro and
AMD Ryzen 5 7520C processor, 8GB of e Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is other Android phones.
RAM, and a 256GB SSD installed. fitted with two upward-firing, If you know that a Chromebook is
Apart from the 8GB of RAM, those DTS-enabled speakers, one on either what you want to go with for your next
specs are above and beyond what a side of the keyboard. ese speakers laptop upgrade, then the Plus 514
Chromebook Plus laptop needs, and it can reach an impressively high volume offers a bang for buck balance that’s
translates into performance that’s level without any audio distortion, and difficult to beat at the moment. ere
more than adequate for most web- they’re good enough for casual music are cheaper Chromebooks out there,
based and app tasks – from editing listening and movie watching – there and more expensive options too, so
documents to streaming videos to is some tinniness and shallowness to this one strikes a nice balance.
checking social media. the sound though, which reflects the As long as you’re aware of what the
We tested it out with a variety of laptop’s competitive price. limitations of ChromeOS are, and
tasks, including watching movies on en there’s ChromeOS: it seems you’re happy to work within them,
YouTube, playing music on Spotify, as though Google may keep certain then the Chromebook Plus 514 from
and editing images in Google Photos features for Chromebook Plus laptops Acer is a sensible and solid choice.
– and the laptop barely skipped a beat. in the future, but at the moment it’s
We did notice a few stutters in not clear how this will play out. What
high-end Android games such as is certain is that ChromeOS continues
Asphalt 9, but these mostly ran well to improve, and continue to add in
enough too, so you’ve got no real more artificial intelligence (AI)
worries here in terms of performance. features – useful for everything from
As for battery life on the Acer erasing parts of a photo to reducing
VERDICT
Chromebook Plus 514, watching a background noise on a video call. WE’RE IMPRESSED Compact
letterboxed movie at maximum ChromeOS comes with support for and durable design; good
brightness and low-ish volume Android apps too, just as you’ll find in performance for most tasks;
reduces the battery level by an average many of the best phones, giving you plenty of on-board ports.
of 18% per hour – that’s around 5-6 even more options in terms of the WE’D IMPROVE Battery life;
high-end games can drop frames;
no biometric login.
THE ALTERNATIVES THE LAST WORD While it
can’t match the premium-level
HP ELITE DRAGONFLY CHROMEBOOK ACER CHROMEBOOK 516 GE Chromebooks out there, the
Just about the best Chromebook If you’d rather spend Chromebook Plus 514 offers
around right now: it offers less, this costs half the great value for money for office
plenty of performance, a price of the HP, while also work and student use.
superb design, a 13.5-inch significantly more than
touchscreen, the Chromebook Plus
and even an 514. But it’s worth the
integrated extra cash if you want its Find great Chromebook Plus
SIM slot. beefed up gaming specs. 514 deals at: bit.ly/t3acer514
Around £1,725, hp.com £849.99, acer.com

JANUARY 2024 T3 77

 
 Tested
Insta360 Ace Pro
£429.99
insta360.com
Insta360Ace Pro
The ultimate, AI-powered compactcamera for vlogging, this aunique
offering that’srighton trend and offers a ton of functionality
C
o-engineered with Leica, the
Insta360 Ace Pro follows the success
of the Insta360 ONE RS 1-Inch.
While the new action cam’s shape
and functionality resemble traditional action
cameras, because this is Insta360 we’re talking
about, expect some AI-powered features, like AI
Highlights and AI Warp.
e Insta360 Ace Pro has a rectangular body
with a couple of physical buttons, with a large
screen at the back and a smaller one at the front
of the unit. Its somewhat protruding optical
unit was co-engineered with Leica and
comprises a large 1/1.3-inch sensor, a 5nm AI
chip and a Leica SUMMARIT lens, ensuring
excellent low-light capabilities.
e Ace Pro is almost tailor-made for vlogging
and shooting videos where you stare at the
camera. is is in part thanks to the pivoting
2.4-inch touchscreen display, which has a
resolution of 240 x 400 pixels and a maximum
brightness of 850 nits. It’s bright and responsive
and the hinged approach ensures you can see the
screen from the rear, looking down or facing the
camera. However, we do have some concerns
about the system’s longevity, as fewer moving
parts usually mean a longer lifecycle.
e Insta360 Ace Pro has numerous shooting
modes, resolutions and framerates to play with.
You get the standard video mode up to 8K
resolution with built-in Active HDR for videos up
to 4K@30fps, image stabilisation, horizon lock,
78 T3 JANUARY 2024
 
ACING IT
Slow Motion, Starlapse, Timelapse, TimeShift,
Pre-Recording and Loop Recording.
e standout new feature is PureVideo,
powered by that 5nm AI chip. It uses a custom-
trained AI neural network to de-noise the footage
in real-time, resulting in a clearer image.
Another of our favourite new features is
Clarity Zoom. In certain 4K shooting modes,
double-tapping the display allows the camera to
zoom in and out without any loss of quality. It
does this by cropping its 8K max resolution to the
middle 4K frame of the camera, rather than
losing resolution with an optical zoom. Clever!
VERDICT
e Ace Pro has cool, fun features including WE’RE IMPRESSED Large,
the AI-powered templates and editing modes in pivoting display; large sensor;
the Insta360 app. Some of these are more novelty variety of shooting modes; Leica
stuff, admittedly, like the new AI Warp, which co-engineered lens.
uses machine learning to create little four- WE’D IMPROVE No vertical
second clips of your videos based on your input. video option; AI Highlights
Others are a bit of a compromise, like the AI needs refinement; hinged display
Highlights feature, which analyses footage on probably isn’t too durable.
camera and picks out the best bits. In our THE LAST WORD Almost
experience, this feature not only eats up battery impossible not to like. It has all
life, it also struggles slightly with finding the best the ingredients of the best action
moments in the videos. cams, as well as offering loads of
e Insta360 Ace Pro has all the ingredients of unique editing options.
the best action cameras but it offers loads of
unique editing options via the Insta360 apps.
While the Hero 12 Black should still be considered
the top choice for extreme sports and action Find great Insta360 Ace Pro
shots, the Insta360 Ace Pro is better for the deals at: bit.ly/t3i360ace
growing army of bloggers and content creators.
 Best of the best

BEST OF
INSIDE
Smartphones 80

THE BEST
Cheap smartphones 80
Smartwatches 80
Hybrid smartwatches 81
Watches 81
Watches under £1,000 81
TVs 82
TVs under £1,000 82
Projectors 82
The world’s best tech, all in one place Gaming TVs
Games consoles
83
83
Soundbars 83
Turntables 84
Streaming DACs 84
Multi-room speakers 84
Bluetooth speakers 85
Bluetooth headphones 85
True wireless headphones 85
Noise-cancelling headphones 86
Wired in-ear headphones 86
Wired over-ear headphones 86
Laptops 87
2-in-1 laptops 87
Tablets 87
Gaming laptops 88
Gaming headsets 88
4K monitors 88
Drones 89
Action cameras 89
Cheap action cameras 89
DSLR cameras 90
Mirrorless cameras 90
Compact cameras 90
Sat-navs 91
Dash cams 91
Electric bikes 91
Smart speakers 92
Smart bulbs 92
Smart thermostats 92
Smart plugs 93
Security cameras 93
Robot vacuums 93
Cordless vacuums 94
Washing machines 94
Dishwashers 94
If you’re looking for the very best tech available right mix of features and budget for what you need. Coffee machines 95
today, you’ve definitely come to the right place. These rankings come from real testing by our team
Best of the Best is the most useful gadget- of experts – they’re the products we’d choose for Fridges 95
buying guide you will ever encounter. To create it, ourselves, and we can’t recommend any higher Ovens 95
we’ve extensively tested the best tech the world than that. Electric shavers 96
has to offer, to bring you rock-solid Look for the links above each category Electric toothbrushes 96
recommendations for your home life, daily that take you to the same list (plus more beyond Beard trimmers 96
commute and the tech you use all the time. the top four, and many more categories) at T3.com, Fitness trackers 97
In 54 different categories, we’ve chosen the top where our price comparison system shows you the
four products, so you can choose one that’s just the current best deals for every product. Running watches 97
Running headphones 97

JANUARY 2024 T3 79

 
 Best of the best

SMARTPHONES CHEAP SMARTWATCHES

Find the lowest prices at:
SMARTPHONES
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestphone t3.com/bestcheapphone t3.com/bestsmartwatch
APPLE iPHONE 15 PRO MAX APPLE iPHONE SE (2022) APPLE WATCH SERIES 9
From £1,199, apple.com From £419, apple.com From £399, apple.com
The iPhone 15 Pro A near-flagship The Apple Watch
Max continues to iPhone for a fraction Series 9 provides
push what is possible of the cost. The SE the best smartwatch
from a smartphone. delivers cutting- experience today.
It’s lighter and edge innards, with a There might be some
stronger than ever, superb camera and with longer battery
boasts a better a speedy A15 CPU, life or more features,
camera array, and has all wrapped in a nice but we’ve yet to see
USB-C charging for small-scale design one that can surpass
the first time. that’s easy to pocket. Apple’s platform.

SAMSUNG GALAXY ONEPLUS NORD CE 2 SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH 6

S23 ULTRA
From £1,249, samsung.com From £299, oneplus.com From £289, samsung.com
Samsung rules the Based on the Nord There is a lot to love
roost when it comes 2, but cheaper, about the Samsung
to premium Android OnePlus gets all the Galaxy Watch 6.
phones, the Galaxy fundamentals right. The smartwatch
S23 Ultra being the Anyone on a budget looks stunning and
pinnacle of its range, who wants a small, radiates quality, not
featuring a gorgeous light phone with to mention the IP68
design, subtly curved decent battery life rating that ensures
display, even a built-in and a good display longevity and some
S Pen stylus. will be happy. extra durability.

GOOGLE PIXEL 7 PRO MOTO G31 APPLE WATCH SE 2

From £849, store.google.com From £169, motorola.co.uk From £219, apple.com
Google’s 2022 Offering long battery The corners Apple
flagship features life and a bright 6.4- had to cut to keep
astounding cameras inch display, the G31’s the price of the Apple
that deliver great lower-end processor Watch SE 2 at an
results. Google’s may mean less-than- affordable level are
second-gen Tensor perfect performance more than forgivable.
processor is also at times, but you can We’d recommend it
super fast, and still casually game and to people who prefer
crunches through take successful snaps to get their money’s
tasks with ease. with the cameras. worth and seek value.

NOTHING PHONE (2) SAMSUNG GALAXY A53 5G GOOGLE PIXEL WATCH 2

From £579, nothing.tech From £399, samsung.com From £339, store.google.com
The Nothing Phone The A53 looks like The Pixel Watch 2
(2) is comfortable to an S-series, and is on the right track
use, with a distinctive features an enormous to catch up with the
design. It improves 6.5-inch Super Apple Watch. The
over the first-gen AMOLED display form factor is on
phone in battery life with 120Hz refresh point, and thankfully,
and screen quality, rate, but skimps on Wear OS isn’t a pain
and adds a dollop of performance a bit to use anymore,
fun with features such in order to slash the thanks to the
as Glyph lights. price tag. fast processors.

80 T3 JANUARY 2024

 
 Best of the best

HYBRID WATCHES WATCHES

SMARTWATCHES
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
UNDER £1,000
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/besthybrid t3.com/bestwatch t3.com/bestwatchunder1k
WITHINGS SCANWATCH AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK CHRISTOPHER WARD
CHRONOGRAPH C60 SAPPHIRE
£280, withings.com £21,500, audemarspiguet.com From £850, christopherward.com
A hybrid smartwatch We love Audemars Striking, bold designs
with advanced Piguet’s simple really set this British
health features for stainless steel model brand apart from its
people who don’t with a blue Grand more conventional
like smartwatches. It Tapisserie pattern Swiss rivals. The best
offers heart health dial. It features a self- example of this is
features and sports winding manufacture the C60 Sapphire,
tracking, but looks like calibre 2385 which features a see-
an ordinary analogue movement with a 40- through dial made
watch at first glance. hour power reserve. from sapphire crystal.

GARMIN VIVOMOVE HR PREMIUM BAMFORD LONDON VICTORINOX I.N.O.X

MAYFAIR DATE
£250, garmin.com £500, bamfordlondon.com From £459, victorinox.com
One of the most The Bamford Mayfair Having undergone
comprehensive hybrid Date is dependable 130 durability
watches you can buy, and has the added tests, this watch
with a wide range of benefit of being will stand up to
fitness- and health- waterproof to anything you throw
tracking features, a 10ATM, making it a at it. The paracord
subtle touchscreen great accessory for strap hints at its
digital display, and outdoor activities adventurous heritage,
several different whilst remaining and it’s great for all
colours to pick from. cool and stylish. wrist sizes.

KRONABY SEKEL BAUME SMALL SECONDS HAMILTON KHAKI FIELD

£219, kronaby.com £430, baume-et-mercier.com From £395, hamiltonwatch.com
This 41mm watch Baume uses This is a faithful
keeps its smarts under sustainable and recreation of its
a traditional face, recycled materials original 1960s
strap and buttons. where possible, and forebear and is
Its battery lasts up its elegant watches true to Hamilton’s
to two years, there’s are fully customisable, military heritage.
a vibration motor with over 2,000 The 38mm stainless
for notifications and permutations steel case is paired
alarms, and of course achievable on an with a durable
a daily step count. online configurator. NATO strap.

FREDERIQUE CONSTANT BELL & ROSS BR03-92 NIGHTLUM TISSOT SEASTAR 1000
HOROLOGICAL SMARTWATCH
£910, frederiqueconstant.co.uk £2,300, goldsmiths.co.uk £695, tissotwatches.com
This pricey hybrid No complicated bells This Swiss-made
comes from a Swiss and whistles here; the watch has an
maker with the design BR03-92 has its roots automatic self-winding
and quality you would in aviation, a heritage movement with a
expect. An MMT-285 the folks at B&R have date complication at
quartz movement clearly channelled six o’clock. With its
sits inside a 42mm into the BR03’s classic dive watch
stainless steel case straightforward, design, this is a must-
protected by a seconds-minutes- have timepiece for
sapphire crystal. hours-date design. any collection.

JANUARY 2024 T3 81

 
 Best of the best

TVs TVs UNDER PROJECTORS

Find the lowest prices at:
£1,000
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/besttv t3.com/besttv1000 t3.com/bestprojector
SAMSUNG S95C SAMSUNG BU8500 OPTOMA CINEMAX P2
From £2,399, samsung.com £459, samsung.com £1,999, optoma.co.uk
A top quality TV A 4K LED TV with This second-gen ultra-
that represents impressive specs and short throw projector
remarkable value for picture quality that delivers a fantastic 4K
money, with awesome will have you thinking viewing experience
picture quality, a it costs a lot more overall. Image quality
comprehensive smart than it does. With its is superb, and you can
system, and extensive Crystal 4K processing get a 120-inch picture
gaming features. technology, your with the projector
Still no Dolby Vision content is going to placed around a
support though. look super-sharp. metre from the wall.

LG OLED C2 SAMSUNG QE55Q80A BENQ TK850

From £1,400, lg.com £999, samsung.com £1,499, benq.com
The best OLED TV This well-specced A brilliant buy if you
for most people, 55-inch set from want 4K big-screen
delivering great 4K Samsung gives sports, but don’t
HDR picture quality enormous bang for particularly want to
at a great price point. your buck, balancing dim all the lights. Its
With HDMI 2.1 superb image quality motion smoothing
ports and variable with plenty of extra is highly effective,
refresh rate support, features. Bright and so onscreen action
it’s a top choice for colourful, it acquits looks wonderfully
gamers too. itself excellently. naturalistic.

PHILIPS OLED 937 SKY GLASS BENQ TK700STI

From £3,199, philips.com From £156/year, sky.com £1,299, benq.com
OLED, Ambilight, The Sky Glass is a This 4K projector is
and great sound? 4K QLED TV with a smartly geared up for
It is possible. If you decent display that’s gaming, with a low
absolutely must easy to set up and, input lag (16ms at 4K
have the best fully most importantly, you 60fps), with movies
integrated TV on the don’t need to drop and TV catered for
market then, well, this a chunk of cash on via a hidden Google
is the answer. Support it to buy – it can be TV stick, and an
for gaming is very bought as part of your impressively short
reasonable, too. monthly Sky package. throw of 2m.

SAMSUNG QN95B SAMSUNG 43QN90A VIEWSONIC M2 MOBILE STUDIO

£2,399, samsung.com £999, samsung.com £599, viewsonic.com
A Quantum Dot A Neo QLED panel, The perfect 1080p
mini-LED TV with using a mini-LED option for big-screen
Shape Adaptive Light backlight, creates fun and games. It
Control making for images that are much requires next to no
particularly punchy brighter than a lot of warm up, runs cool
HDR content. It the competition, this and is maintenance
boasts the best Neo 43-incher delivers a free. Images are sharp
QLED performance remarkably cinematic and detailed, and
we’ve seen in a stylish, picture. It also colour performance is
slim design. handles motion well. similarly outstanding.

82 T3 JANUARY 2024

 

GAMING TVs
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestgamingtv
SAMSUNG QN95C
£2,399, samsung.com
Samsung’s 2023
flagship 4K TV – and
it shows. You get
extremely bright
HDR performance,
but new light-shaping
tech means more
fine control of local
dimming for really
dark shadows.
LG C3
£1,399, lg.com
With no fewer than
four HDMI 2.1 ports,
you’ll be able to get all
of the 4K/120Hz, VRR
and ALLM goodness
you want as a gamer.
We like the brightness
of the screen too, and
a new processor keeps
things responsive.
HISENSE A6G
£279, hisense.co.uk
The A6G features
HDR10+ and Dolby
Vision HDR, and
supports VRR and
ALLM on all three
HDMI 2.1 inputs. You
get eARC, Wi-Fi, USB,
Ethernet, CI Card
and RF too. Even
composite video.
SAMSUNG Q80B
£1,299, samsung.com
A solid choice that
won’t break the bank.
Apart from on the
50-inch version, all
four HDMI 2.1 ports
support 4K 120Hz,
with ALLM, Nvidia
G-Sync and FreeSync
Premium Pro, so
you’re well covered.
 
Best of the best
GAMES SOUNDBARS
CONSOLES
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/gaming t3.com/bestsoundbar
PLAYSTATION 5 SAMSUNG HW-Q990C
£449, playstation.com £1,599, samsung.com
The big, bold PS5 Samsung’s 2023
offers powerful flagship delivers over
hardware, backwards 600W of power from
compatibility, an 22 different speakers.
excellent controller The system comprises
with haptic feedback a soundbar, a beefy
and stunning graphics. subwoofer, and two
It’s home to the pricey small rear speaker
PS VR2 virtual reality units in an 11.1.4
headset too. channel configuration.
MICROSOFT XBOX SERIES X SONOS BEAM 2
£450, xbox.com £449, sonos.com
Microsoft has nailed A superb soundbar
it. This is a console that’s small enough
that delivers massive to fit under even a
amounts of power and 32-inch TV but big
performance. Because enough to fill your
of its raw pixel- room with brilliant
pushing prowess, it’s a sound. This version
superb base for a new adds Dolby Atmos,
generation of jaw- and improved on-
dropping experiences. board processing.
NINTENDO SWITCH OLED YAMAHA SR-C20A
£310, nintendo.com £229, uk.yamaha.com
How easily you can Looking for a decent
switch between cheap soundbar? Your
playing on your TV search has ended.
to gaming on the Despite the soundbar
go hasn’t changed. only being 26cm in
What has changed is length, the sound
that bigger, brighter has really impressive
screen; it makes width and stereo
handheld gaming positioning. Dynamic
much more enjoyable. range is good too.
MICROSOFT XBOX SERIES S PHILIPS FIDELIO FB1
£250, xbox.com £799, philips.co.uk
Stylish, affordable, If you’re looking
easy to set up and for a single-box
taps into the very soundbar solution but
slick Xbox ecosystem absolutely want big
seamlessly. It does bass, then the Philips
have limited storage Fidelio FB1 is a great
space out of the box option. Its low-end
though, and can’t play output makes it a real
current or previous sell, and it’ll be a savvy
gen games on disc. option for many.
JANUARY 2024 T3 83
 Best of the best

TURNTABLES STREAMING DACs MULTI-ROOM

Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
SPEAKERS
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestturntable t3.com/bestdac t3.com/bestmultiroom
PRO-JECT ESSENTIAL III SONOS PORT SONOS ERA 300
£250, project-audio.com £399, sonos.com £449, sonos.co.uk
Really sounds great A great streamer, The latest Sonos Era
for the money, with especially if you 300 premium smart
an expansive and already own a Sonos speaker is hugely
enjoyable sound speaker. It has an impressive, delivering
across a range of analogue input and bigger sound than
genres and volume output, as well as you’d expect from
levels. It also looks streaming to any its diminutive size.
very pleasing, in Sonos speaker, so The best wireless
a variety of high you can plug in speaker money can
gloss finishes. your turntable. buy right now.

TECHNICS SL-1200GR YAMAHA WXAD-10 BOWERS & WILKINS

ZEPPELIN
£1,199, technics.com £120, yamaha.co.uk £699, bowerswilkins.com
With rock solid build This Yamaha lets you Streams pretty
quality, easy set-up, stream everything much everything,
immense bass, and a from Bluetooth and borrows some
hugely exciting and to hi-res audio, technology from
involving sound, this with support for the kind of hi-fi gear
is much more than AirPlay, most of your where if you have
just a DJ deck. There favourite streaming to ask the price, you
are few turntables services and, of can’t afford it. By
that are more course Yamaha’s audiophile standards,
enjoyable to own. own MusicCast. this is cheap.

PRO-JECT PRIMARY E IFI XDSD SONOS ONE SL

£179, project-audio.com £399, ifi-audio.com £179, sonos.co.uk
Pro-ject’s entry-level This dinky little In terms of the sound
player is the record combined Bluetooth quality, this really
player stripped down receiver, DAC and impresses with detail
to its most basic form. headphone amp and clarity across the
Everything comes supports AAC and whole range, and how
pre-adjusted and pre- aptX and sounds well balanced it is for
installed, so it’s ready really superb. It has treble and mid-range
to go right out of the a battery, and can be especially. You can get
box with the perfect used with earphones two for stereo, but
tracking force. as well as speakers. one works fine.

ELIPSON CHROMA AUDIOLAB 6000N BLUESOUND PULSE M

CARBON RIAA BT
£699, elipson.com £449, audiolab.co.uk £449, bluesound.com
Elipson’s top-line Probably impractical Treat it to the quality
turntable pulls if you don’t have a of content it demands
down a lot of features hi-fi stack, but with and this is a very
from the truly high support for audio up rewarding listen.
end. You get a to 192Khz/24-bit, You can buy smarter
super-stiff carbon its sound quality is speakers than this
fibre tone arm and noticeably better for less money – but
new digital belt drive than the Sonos and it’s safe to say they
motor, plus AptX Yamaha streamers won’t sound as big or
Bluetooth and USB. further up the list. as accomplished.

84 T3 JANUARY 2024

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BLUETOOTH
SPEAKERS
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestbluetooth
BANG & OLUFSEN
BEOSOUND A1 V2
£239, bang-olufsen.com
If you want a full,
punchy sound that’s
fairly expansive, and
that doesn’t crush
when going loud,
then this is the place
to start. It’s also an
object of desire, and
is available in a great
range of colours.
ULTIMATE EARS WONDERBOOM 2
£89, ultimateears.com
The Wonderboom 2
doesn’t really try to
straddle home and
outdoors: it’s clearly
meant to be taken to
wherever the party is.
It’s waterproof, and
well protected against
grit, dust and beach-
side sand.
BOSE PORTABLE SMART SPEAKER
£379, bose.co.uk
One of the best
portable speakers
money can buy.
Connect it to
Wi-Fi for Alexa or
Google Assistant
functionality, or use
it over Bluetooth, for
powerful, accurate,
360-degree sound.
JBL FLIP 6
£129, uk.jbl.com
This speaker is small
enough to chuck in
your bag with space
left over. It’s now fully
dustproof as well as
waterproof. Battery
life is average, with
about 12 hours of
music, but that’s not
bad for this price.
 
Best of the best
BLUETOOTH TRUE WIRELESS
HEADPHONES
Find the lowest prices at:
EARBUDS
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestwireless t3.com/besttruewireless
SONY WH-1000XM5 NOTHING EAR (2)
£379, sony.co.uk £129, nothing.tech
These headphones The Ear (2) knocked
boast an unbeaten the T3 team’s socks
suite of features and off (well, ears off).
audio quality. The ANC earbuds
sound is dynamic don’t come more
and full, offering rich complete than this,
bass and bright, clear with excellent sound
treble. The active quality, a top-notch
noise cancellation app interface and
is impressive too. great battery life.
BOWERS & WILKINS PX8 BEATS POWERBEATS PRO
£469, bowerswilkins.com £269, beatsbydre.com
Yes, they’re pricey, The over-ear loop on
but if you want the Powerbeats Pro
luxe materials and means the excellent
finish, plus hours of audio isn’t going
comfortable wear anywhere. With
and top-flight hi-res powerful sound and
codec support, then great passive noise
there’s little else that cancelling due to the
can compare at any snug fit, these gym
price point. buds are unrivalled.
BOSE QUIETCOMFORT ULTRA APPLE AIRPODS PRO 2
£449, bose.co.uk £229, apple.com
Not only ultimate A top choice for
at audio, but their iPhone owners. Not
active noise cancelling only do they have
is unrivalled – it’s handy automatic
actually even more pairing and switching,
powerful than the but they’ve also got
Sony above. There’s wireless charging
also a fantastic spatial functionality, as
audio feature to well as handy IPX4
enhance sound. water resistance.
BOSE QUIETCOMFORT 45 BOSE QUIETCOMFORT ULTRA
EARBUDS
£319, bose.co.uk £299, bose.co.uk
These Bose folding Expensive, but
cans have some of these sit in scarce
the very best noise company. Complete
cancelling, and with a top-notch app,
are exceptionally you’ll find exceptional
comfortable. You get noise cancelling
great sound, a handy properties and a
app and an array of listening experience
mics for excellent call that doesn’t fatigue
quality too. on long sessions.
JANUARY 2024 T3 85
 Best of the best

NOISE-CANCELLING WIRED IN-EAR WIRED OVER-EAR

HEADPHONES
Find the lowest prices at:
HEADPHONES
Find the lowest prices at:
HEADPHONES
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestnoisecancelling t3.com/bestinear t3.com/bestoverear
SONY WH-1000XM5 MEZE AUDIO RAI SOLO SENNHEISER HD660 S2
£379, sony.co.uk £179, mezeaudio.com £489, sennheiser.com
These wireless With a single-driver If you want a big,
headphones with design capable of robust and opulently
multiple microphone excellent dynamic detailed sound from
noise cancelling keep range, these can pull light, comfortable and
out high and mid from a deep well properly constructed
frequency noises, of bass as well as headphones, you
while the Auto NC shimmering treble. need to give these
Optimizer adjusts to A well-priced, unfussy your complete
wearing conditions and great-sounding attention – and really
and the environment. pair of headphones. good sources.

BOSE QUIETCOMFORT ULTRA AUDEZE EUCLID MARK LEVINSON NO. 5909

£449, bose.co.uk £1,099, audeze.com £999, marklevinson.com
Headphones are Superior audiophile- A hugely impressive
about listening to grade earphones. If audio experience,
music and these Bose used with a suitable with everything
headphones are not source the bass slotted together with
only great at that, is substantial, but care and precision. If
their noise cancelling the midrange is you have the budget
is unrivalled. They so spacious and to be able to consider
are particularly good so convincing that them, we don’t think
for blocking out the every listen seems you’ll be disappointed
outside world. like an event. with what you get.

BOSE QUIETCOMFORT ULTRA FLARE AUDIO FLARES JET 3 AUSTRIAN AUDIO HI-X15
EARBUDS
£299, bose.co.uk £49, flareaudio.com £99, austrian.audio
Pricier than many of Maintaining the Detailed, unfussy and
their competitors, quality of the Flares thoroughly engaging
but if blocking out Pro but removing audio with convincing
extraneous noise to the DAC element, tonality and extensive
the extreme is your the Flares Jet 3 dynamic headroom.
goal then these are manage to slash the These are inexpensive
the in-ear market price of a great pair but comfortable
leaders. The audio of audiophile in-ear headphones, which
is up there with the headphones. These means you get a lot of
best, too. are tremendous. bang for your buck.

JBL TUNE 660NC SENNHEISER IE600 GRADO GS3000X STATEMENT

£58, uk.jbl.com £699, sennheiser-hearing.com £2,195, gradolabs.com
The Tune 660NC These premium wired If you want exquisite
combine excellent buds add a fresh twist and uncompromising
noise-cancelling of ingenuity with a looks – which
capabilities with unique 3D-printed in- others may call
a weighty, punchy ear design. The single ‘uncompromising’
sound, so there’s no driver arrangement is – then Grado’s
chance of the outside pure joy for your ears, super-premium and
world distracting you. too, delivering ultra- wood-finished open-
These are an excellent detailed audio across back headphones are
budget buy. a large soundstage. hard to beat.

86 T3 JANUARY 2024

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 Best of the best

LAPTOPS 2-IN-1 TABLETS

Find the lowest prices at:
LAPTOPS
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestlaptop t3.com/best2in1 t3.com/besttablet
APPLE MACBOOK AIR (M2, 2022) ASUS ZENBOOK FLIP 13 APPLE iPAD AIR (2022)
£1,249, apple.com £800, asus.com From £569, apple.com
Apple’s cheapest The Zenbook Flip 13 A seriously powerful
laptop is a revolution. might be the best piece of kit, the iPad
Think thin and light laptop Asus has ever Air (2022) features
laptops have to released. Tooled up Apple’s M1 chipset,
sacrifice power? Not with an 11th-gen and the upgrade really
any more. This is the Intel Core processor, shows. You can pretty
best of all worlds, the tablet mode feels much do anything
with an M2 CPU as great to use, thanks and everything on
powerful as those in to a responsive this incredible tablet.
gaming PCs. touchscreen. It’s just right.

DELL XPS 13 PLUS DELL XPS 13 2-IN-1 APPLE iPAD 10.2 (2021)
From £1,299, dell.com From £1,249, dell.com From £319, apple.com
With great Intel Very appealing The cheapest full-
processors and up to looks, superb specs... size Apple tablet
32GB of RAM, this is what’s not to like? has evolved in some
a portable PC that’s As usual with Dell really useful ways.
going to be able to devices, a variety The storage options
handle everything of configurations is have been increased
that you throw at it. available. All of them to 64GB or 256GB,
You’ll find the Dell are very capable, very while the processor
XPS 13 Plus a highly versatile, and very has been boosted to
capable laptop. well designed. the zippy A13 Bionic.

ACER SWIFT 3 MICROSOFT SURFACE GO 2 SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S6 LITE

From £699, acer.com From £399, microsoft.com £299, samsung.com
An affordable Microsoft’s 2-in-1s Though not quite as
machine, but with have been a huge powerful as others
plenty of oomph, the success, and this in the range, this is a
Swift 3 packs 12th- new model adds a strong yet affordable
gen Intel CPUs, HD premium-feeling offering. It comes
screens, and up to design and a small with an S Pen, which
1TB of SSD storage, specs bump, plus a makes it great for
with a spare slot for bigger screen, into sketching in addition
upgrades. It’s a lot for the same size as the to watching your
your money. original Surface Go. favourite content.

HP SPECTRE X360 14 HP ELITE DRAGONFLY G2 GOOGLE PIXEL TABLET

From £1,250, hp.com £2,003, hp.com From £599, store.google.com
Alongside its funky A seriously impressive Unlike other tablets
foldy hinged design, laptop – it’s faster, on this list, Google’s
the keyboard is more premium and flagship comes with
superb, the screen even nicer to use than a dock, so you can
is bright and clear, the first generation of mount the tablet or
and it’s a genuinely the PC, the HP Elite wherever you wish.
good-looking machine Dragonfly, and that’s It’s ideal as a home
with great ergonomics saying something. hub-style device that
and strong security Versatile and can be picked up by
to boot. transportable. the whole family.

JANUARY 2024 T3 87

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 Best of the best

GAMING GAMING 4K
LAPTOPS
Find the lowest prices at:
HEADSETS
Find the lowest prices at:
MONITORS
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestgaming t3.com/bestheadset t3.com/best4kmonitor
ALIENWARE M16 ASUS ROG DELTA S LG 27GP950-B
From £1,699, dell.com £189, asus.com £799, lg.com
The Alienware M16 This is an impressive This 27-inch 4K
is the best choice for piece of kit, delivering monitor comes with
most people. It can an excellent audio a stunning list of top-
hold its own against experience for PS4 end specs, such as
the worst any game and PS5. A USB-C HDMI 2.1 and 144Hz
has to offer, even dongle makes it quick refresh rate, making
managing to play to set up and means it it ideal for gamers. It
Doom: Eternal on will also work with a all adds up to a screen
its most demanding PC, Nintendo Switch experience that’s one
settings at 240FPS. or Android phone. of the best available.

MSI RAIDER GE 78 HX TURTLE BEACH STEALTH PRO DELL U2723QE

£3,795, msi.com £280, uk.turtlebeach.com £899, dell.com
This is a machine They don’t come This ‘Ultrasharp’
that is extra in all of cheap but we monitor is a great
the best ways. It’s challenge you to find do-it-all option. It
expensive, but with a better-sounding combines a 27-
a 17-inch display, gaming headset. The inch panel with the
powerful graphics immense noise- features of a USB-C
chip, and a great cancelling helps hub, so is ideal to use
many RGB lights, the absolutely immerse as a laptop screen
Raider is very fast and yourself in the game whilst simultaneously
extremely capable. and play undisturbed. powering it.

ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS G14 TRUST THIAN AOC U27P2CA

From £1,699, asus.com £60, trust.com £320, aoc.com
A game-changer This headset gives A great choice for a
that delivers buckets you great audio home office setup,
of performance quality in return for where you need a
despite being not much money at all screen to be rock
compact and light. compared to many of solid in terms of
It does this thanks the other options on its computing and
to its use of AMD’s this list. Setup is an colour output. It also
hot Ryzen CPUs absolute breeze no comes in at a very
and Nvidia’s RTX matter what device reasonable price,
2060 GPU. you’re using. which always helps.

ACER PREDATOR HELIOS 16 SKULLCANDY PLYR APPLE STUDIO DISPLAY

£1,699, acer.com £130, skullcandy.co.uk From £1,499, apple.com
A nice balance Sounding great for Apple’s own Studio
between looking like music and movies as Display is an
a fun gaming machine well as games, the undeniable looker,
with RGB lights and PLYR has a plethora complete with 5K
just a nice smart of wired and wireless resolution. The only
laptop. The casing connection options downside here is
is almost all plastic, to choose from and that it’s 60Hz, but as
which is a shame, but a decidedly funky the best monitor for
does keep the cost aesthetic that might Apple users it’s an
and weight down. not be to all tastes. obvious high-end pick.

88 T3 JANUARY 2024

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 Best of the best

DRONES ACTION CHEAP ACTION

Find the lowest prices at:
CAMERAS
Find the lowest prices at:
CAMERAS
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestdrone t3.com/bestactioncam t3.com/bestcheapaction
DJI MAVIC 3 CLASSIC GOPRO HERO 12 BLACK GOPRO HERO7 WHITE
£1,399, dji.com £399, gopro.com £296, gopro.com
The Mavic 3 Classic “In a league of its The wallet-friendly
looks identical to the own,” says our review. Hero7 White
older Mavic 3 apart This new model is borrows premium
from one crucial an iteration, not a features from the
aspect: the Classic has reimagination, but it’s Hero7 Black. Ideal for
just one camera. It’s a good iteration and part-time adrenaline
a 20MP Four Thirds one that everyone junkies needing a
type sensor fronted interested in action simple HD camera
by a 24mm-equivalent cams should be that shoots YouTube-
lens, and is excellent. excited about. ready footage.

DJI MINI 3 PRO INSTA360 X3 AKASO BRAVE 7 LE

£709, dji.com £459, insta360.com £149, akasotech.com
The Mini 3 Pro comes Not a generational The Brave 7 LE
with either a standard leap over its fits nicely in the
controller, or a brand predecessor, but palm of your hand.
new hand controller still the best small While its headline
with its own ultra- 360 action cam on feature is a front-
bright screen. The the market: rugged, facing screen, it
camera incorporates waterproof, easy-to- also sports a number
a 1 1/3-inch CMOS use and packed with of features only
sensor and wide f1.7 features to capture usually found on
aperture for low light. striking 360 shots. fancier models.

HOVERAIR X1 GOPRO HERO 11 BLACK AKASO BRAVE 7

From £382, thehover.com £349, gopro.com £149, akasotech.com
The first pocket- A new, larger sensor Able to record 4K
sized 2.7K camera- delivers the highest at 30fps (the image
equipped drone to resolution, greatest stabilisation isn’t up
not require a hand colour depth, to much, however).
controller at any time, highest level of video It’s waterproof to
although it also works stabilisation and 10m, has a 2-inch
in conjunction with widest field of view rear touchscreen, and
an app for further ever featured in a comes with a remote
functionality. Great Hero camera. You get as well as supporting
for selfies. good battery life too. voice controls.

DJI MAVIC 3 PRO GOPRO HERO 10 BLACK OLFI ONE.FIVE BLACK (2ND GEN)
£1,879, dji.com £249, gopro.com £149, olficamera.com
The prosumer drone This stalwart action A bulging bag of
we’ve all been waiting cam packs a powerful bangs for a relatively
for. It’s the same as processor that small number of
the current Mavic 3 means this GoPro bucks. It can shoot
on the outside, but is slicker than ever in 4K, take 15MP
the Pro takes aerial before. Video tops photos, is waterproof
videography and out at 5.3K 60FPS, to 30m, can record
photography to a 4K at 120FPS, and at 120fps, and has
much higher echelon 2.7K/240p. Stills get a wealth of other
with three cameras. a boost to 23MP. premium features.

JANUARY 2024 T3 89

 
 Best of the best

DSLR MIRRORLESS COMPACT

CAMERAS
Find the lowest prices at:
CAMERAS
Find the lowest prices at:
CAMERAS
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestdslr t3.com/bestmirrorless t3.com/bestcompact
NIKON D780 CANON EOS R6 MARK II SONY RX100 VII
£2,299, nikon.com £2,779, canon.co.uk £1,150, sony.co.uk
The D780 is, in many Canon hits the For the best image
ways, a Nikon Z6 sweet spot between quality in a pocket-
(mirrorless) camera practicality and price friendly body, look
inside a larger DSLR here. It may not here. The RX100 VII
body. Thanks to this, be as advanced as continues to build on
we’ve got room for flagship cameras, but Sony’s reputation for
dual memory card still offers a lot of high-quality premium
slots and a lot more the same specs and compacts, and does
direct control dials features for hobbyist so without breaking
and buttons. photographers. the bank.

NIKON D850 PANASONIC LUMIX S5 II FUJIFILM X100V

£3,499, nikon.co.uk £1,999, panasonic.com £1,349, fujifilm.co.uk
With a high- Whether you’re A beautifully retro
resolution 45.4 a beginner or design mixed with
megapixel sensor, a photography a host of advanced
4K video capture, enthusiast, the Lumix features, this, like
a 153-point AF S5 II is a first-rate its predecessors,
system, and a sturdy camera. It’s simple to sports a DSLR-sized
body, you’ll never be get your head around (APS-C) sensor,
disappointed with but still manages to which is paired with
what the D850 can pack in an advanced a 23mm f/2 fixed
create for you. array of features. length lens.

CANON EOS 90D NIKON Z 30 PANASONIC LUMIX ZS100 / TZ100

£1,249, canon.co.uk £699, nikon.co.uk £449, panasonic.com
A mid-range model Nikon’s smallest The best budget
that packs a lot of MILC yet is aimed compact camera
power for its price. at videographers, manages to pack a lot
You get a 32.5 with no viewfinder in. You get 49-point
megapixel sensor, or built-in flash. You AF with face and eye
uncropped 4K video get 20.9MP in an detection, 10x optical
recording, and an APS-C sensor, 11fps zoom, 10fps burst
optical viewfinder that shooting, 4K video shooting and the
offers a 100% view of at 30fps, and built-in ability to shoot RAW
the scene. stereo mics. as well as JPEG files.

NIKON D500 FUJIFILM X-H2 PANASONIC LUMIX TZ200

£1,699, nikon.co.uk £2,499, fujifilm-x.com £599, panasonic.com
This solidly built The Fujifilm X-H2 This might be
camera is the produces impressive the ideal travel
perfect choice for results using a smaller companion, with a
those who like to APS-C 40MP sensor. versatile zoom lens
shoot a little bit of You get retro looks up to 15x, and a
everything, thanks to and physical buttons fantastic one-inch
a brilliant autofocus and dials as well as its sensor that captures
system and glorious levers and switches – bright, sharp images.
image quality from its including forward and It’s also stylish and
20MP sensor. rear command dials. pocket-friendly.

90 T3 JANUARY 2024

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 Best of the best

SAT-NAVS DASH CAMS ELECTRIC

Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
BIKES
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestsatnav t3.com/bestdashcam t3.com/bestebike
TOMTOM GO DISCOVER NEXTBASE 622GW GOGORO EEYO 1
From £239, tomtom.com £269, nextbase.com £3,999, eeyo.uk
A straightforward The latest dash The Gogoro Eeyo 1
navigation device cam from Nextbase has dazzling looks and
without fancy boasts much- performs admirably.
features. It is improved video The type of ride
ultimately about quality, improved you get isn’t going
utility, not fancy stabilisation and to be for everyone,
tricks, and there’s the inclusion of but it’s really worth
no doubt TomTom some rather clever investigating if you
delivers excellent What3Words fancy an ebike that
usability here. geolocation services. makes a statement.

TOMTOM GO PREMIUM GARMIN DASH CAM 66W HONBIKE UNI4

£339, tomtom.com £199, garmin.com £1,699, honbike.com
This state-of-the-art This fantastic little A perfect daily rider,
sat nav links with cam earns its place offering comfort and
IFTTT, so you can on this list with good more than enough
connect to home image quality, extra power. The quality of
devices, interact features including the (quirky) design
with personal digital GPS and speed and build is excellent,
assistants, get camera warnings, and which is even more
notifications, and an attractive design. impressive when you
share location and Video is 1440p, in look at the cost of
arrival data. a 180° angle. buying this bike.

GARMIN DRIVESMART THINKWARE F800 PRO RAD POWER BIKES RADWAGON 4

61 LMT-S
£229, garmin.com £249, thinkware.com £1,999, radpowerbikes.co.uk
This sleek sat-nav With an almost A cracking (not so)
has substance to invisible design, little cargo bike that’ll
match its style, time-lapse recording do the legwork for
with a big display, and a great night you. With the right
lifetime traffic mode, this is a good accessories, and
and maps (for stealthy option thanks to its 158kg
Europe) and useful if you’re worried payload, it can handle
points of interest more about vandalism anything from school
information courtesy or theft than your runs to weekly
of TripAdvisor. fellow drivers. shopping excursions.

TOMTOM GO 6200 NEXTBASE 522GW BMC 257 AMP AL TWO

£239, tomtom.com £149, nextbase.com £4,000, bmc-switzerland.com
Packed with good The first dash cam This bike’s comfort,
features but never available in the UK ease of use and
fiddly, and with with Alexa built- long battery life
Google and Siri in, this also has impressed us. It may
support, this is a impressive safety be expensive, but you
really good mobile features that will can effortlessly jet
companion too. The alert the emergency to work on it during
price includes lifetime services of a crash. It the week then go
updates via Wi-Fi for also crisply masters exploring with it at
most features. the basics. the weekend.

JANUARY 2024 T3 91

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 Best of the best

SMART SMART BULBS SMART

SPEAKERS
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
THERMOSTATS
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestsmart t3.com/bestbulb t3.com/bestthermostat
AMAZON ECHO SHOW 10 PHILIPS HUE NEST THERMOSTAT E
£239, amazon.co.uk From £69, philips-hue.com £180, nest.com/uk
The most Hue dominates the This cheaper
comprehensive Alexa smart lighting sector Nest model
smart speaker to date, for good reason: it’s doesn’t fit as much
capable of doing lots, a superb system with information on its
and with a unique the widest range of screen and doesn’t
trick: its large screen bulbs and a simple, feel as premium,
rotates to follow you useful app. Rivals may but that’s it. Same
around the room, so be cheaper but they algorithm, same Alexa
that you can always can’t compete with and Google Home
see it clearly. Hue’s variety. compatibility.

AMAZON ECHO SHOW 15 LIFX TADO SMART THERMOSTAT

£239 (without stand), amazon.co.uk From £15, lifx.com From £179, tado.com
Amazon’s biggest If you fancy a Hue Tado is very sociable:
smart display can be system but don’t want it works with 95%
mounted on the wall to spend so much, of the systems out
or on a stand. The LIFX has a strong there. It’s flexible,
15-inch HD screen product range and clever and supports
looks fantastic, and integrates with your a wide range of
the brand new Alexa favourite personal accessories too.
widgets, make this digital assistant. Price cuts have
the most useful smart Philips still wins, made it even
display yet. but only just. more enticing.

GOOGLE NEST HUB MAX NANOLEAF ESSENTIALS NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT

£219, store.google.com From £18, nanoleaf.me £219, store.google.com
Winner of our 2020 A line of bargain- This smart-looking
T3 award as the priced bulbs and third-gen Learning
best smart speaker light strips that Thermostat is able
for doing absolutely support Thread, to monitor your
everything. You get an upcoming protocol habits and control
a crisp 10-inch screen, a bit like Zigbee. the heating. There’s
a speaker that can We love the faceted also an activity sensor
fill a room, a front look, but they’re only which adjusts the
camera and of course available in E27 or heating if it detects
Google Assistant. B22 fittings. someone’s home.

SONOS ERA 300 IKEA TRÅDFRI HIVE ACTIVE HEATING 2

£449, sonos.com From £13, ikea.com £139, johnlewis
This Sonos smart Ikea’s Zigbee- Hive is developed by
speaker sounds compatible system British Gas but you
absolutely incredible. doesn’t have the don’t have to be a
It’s on the pricier side, range of Hue, but British Gas customer
but you’re getting if you prize control to use it. The system
plenty for your money. over colour options is simple to use, and
The difference Dolby it’s stellar value for the app features
Atmos sound makes money and has some location tracking so it
is something you have great controllers can warm your home
to hear to believe. and dimmers. when you’re nearby.

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 Best of the best

SMART PLUGS SECURITY ROBOT

Find the lowest prices at:
CAMERAS
Find the lowest prices at:
VACUUMS
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestplug t3.com/bestsecurity t3.com/bestrobotvac
TP-LINK KASA MINI KP115 EUFY S220 SOLOCAM ROBOROCK S8 PRO ULTRA
£21, kasasmart.com £110, eufy.com Around £1,500, global.roborock.com
A reliable smart The Eufy S220 When you send the
plug that doesn’t SoloCam is an S8 Pro Ultra into
include energy excellent security battle it cleans your
monitoring, but it’s camera with a home, vacuuming and
happy to work with bunch of features, a mopping at the same
Alexa, Google Home reasonable price and time. Then it comes
and Bixby. The TP- no subscription. Plus back to base, ejects
Link Kasa app is also if you get enough the dust and debris,
much improved on sunshine, you can run and then cleans itself.
recent generations. it via solar power. Brilliant stuff.

HIVE ACTIVE PLUG ARLO PRO 4 iROBOT ROOMBA COMBO J9+

£39, hivehome.com £219, arlo.com £1,249, irobot.co.uk
Similar to Belkin, The Arlo Pro offers This 2-in-1 Combo
Hive’s plug can 2K HDR video, full version of the J9+ has
turn sockets on/off weatherproofing, a a self-emptying Clean
via your phone, and 160-degree viewing Base and onboard
create schedules. angle, and even colour water tank for
It also works with night vision. It also automatic refilling of
Alexa. You need connects directly the robot’s mop
a Hive Hub (£80) to your home Wi-Fi reservoir. Expensive,
to use the Active so you don’t need a but an exceptional
Plug, though. separate hub. cleaning performer.

TP-LINK KASA SMART WI-FI ARLO ESSENTIAL IROBOT ROOMBA J7+

POWER STRIP KP303 SPOTLIGHT CAMERA
£30, kasasmart.com £130, arlo.com £899, irobot.co.uk
With three smart Arlo’s standalone The smartest-looking
outlets, each with camera connects charging dock-cum-
independent control, directly to your Wi-Fi collection-bin in the
as well as a pair but still manages business. Ingeniously,
of USB ports for to provide person, the J7 identifies
charging and power, package and animal obstacles and avoids
the Kasa Smart detection, two-way them when necessary,
Wi-Fi Power Strip communication, sending its owner
KP303 delivers plenty colour night vision images it has taken
of flexibility. and a spotlight. of any obstacles.

AMAZON RING STICK UP CAM KÄRCHER RCV3

SMART PLUG
£25, amazon.co.uk £89, ring.com £349, kaercher.com
Designed to be used Pretty much any Exceptional suction
with Alexa, this plug feature you could power and excellent
can be controlled ask for is included, object avoidance, plus
using voice commands such as night vision, a soft brush roller,
or through the Alexa motion detection mean this bot cleans
app. If you use the alerts, two-way both carpets and
Google Assistant, audio, and 1080p hard floors. It even
or if you have Apple video you can view has a flannel mop. It’ll
HomeKit, you’ll want on Alexa devices fill up with pet hair
to look elsewhere. with screens. quickly, though.

JANUARY 2024 T3 93

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 Best of the best

CORDLESS WASHING
VACUUMS
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MACHINES
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DISHWASHERS
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t3.com/bestcordlessvac t3.com/bestwashing t3.com/bestdishwasher
DYSON V15 DETECT ABSOLUTE MIELE WEG 365 BOSCH SERIE 6 SMS6EDW02G
£600, dyson.co.uk £1,199, miele.co.uk £739, bosch-home.co.uk
Refined and improved You pay a premium This best-selling
across all surfaces for a Miele but you 60cm freestanding
but the real headline can expect it to last Bosch has space for
feature is the addition longer and clean 13 place settings and
of a headlight: a laser better than one half includes Wi-Fi, five
mounted at an angle the price. It also programs, automatic
on the front of the offers detergent auto- door opening, two
hard-floor head that dosing, an excellent cutlery holders and
reveals a horrific 20-minute cycle and a decent Class C
amount of dirt. great performance. energy certificate.

GTECH AIRRAM PLATINUM BOSCH SERIE 4 WAN28281GB SIEMENS IQ500 SN95ZX61CG

£350, gtech.co.uk £500, bosch-home.co.uk £1,059, siemens-home.com
If you find stick vacs A great fit for a A sterling integrated
ungainly, this is the family of four, the machine from a
vac for you. The floor Serie 4 is capable high-end brand, the
bears the weight of and quiet, with iQ500 has no door
the motor and bin so settings for shirts, handle and comes
you just need to push sportswear, wool and with an excellent
and pull. It also makes silk. Its SpeedPerfect feature set, including
short work of all program can cut the an aquaSensor that
types of flooring, even time spent washing monitors the amount
deep pile carpet. by up to 65%. of dirt in the water.

ULTENIC U12 VESLA BOSCH SERIE 6 WAU28PH9GB MIELE G7110 SC

£180, ultenic.com £698, bosch-home.co.uk £1,199, miele.co.uk
Despite its inability to A larger capacity, and Economical,
stand up alone, and a larger price, than easy to use, and
its battery level not the Serie 4 above, controlled from your
being the greatest this model comes smartphone, the
in the world, this is with a full gamut of G7110 SC comes
an excellent value washing programs, a with automatic
vacuum cleaner. It has rapid 1,400rpm spin detergent dispersal
powerful suction, LED speed, low operating for up to 20 loads,
lighting and a futuristic noise, and works with and has a quick
display screen on offer. the Bosch app. power wash cycle.

EUFY MACH V1 ULTRA HISENSE WFQY1014EVJM LG TRUESTEAM QUADWASH

DF455HMS
£680, eufy.com £349, hisense.com £750, lg.com
The standout feature Well priced, A striking 14-placer
of the Eufy MACH V1 spacious, easy to available integrated
Ultra is its mopping, operate... there are or free-standing. It
but its steam cleaning a lot of reasons to has an assortment of
and vacuuming choose this washing tech, including four
functions also hold machine, and it’s no washing arms instead
their own and offer surprise to see the of the usual two,
a deep clean. It isn’t appliance earning dual zone washing,
cheap… but it’s so rave reviews from and automatic door
good, we don’t mind! satisfied customers. opening to help dry.

94 T3 JANUARY 2024

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 Best of the best

COFFEE FRIDGES OVENS

MACHINES
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestcoffee t3.com/bestfridge t3.com/bestoven
SAGE BARISTA TOUCH IMPRESS SIEMENS IQ300 KS36VVIEPG NEFF N 70 B57CR22N0B
£1,199, sageappliances.com £849, siemens.com £789, neff.co.uk
Launched in 2023, If you need plenty The unique Slide and
this innovative bean of space for your Hide door is brilliant,
to cup machine is fresh groceries, the touchscreen is
hard to beat. With this sizeable fridge handy and the oven’s
multiple drinks to has ample storage. no slouch: it enables
choose from, the What’s more, the you to cook multiple
Sage Barista Touch Super Cooling dishes without that
Impress easily technology reduces unfortunate cross-
tackles all manner of its temperature to contamination from
caffeinated drinks. +2 °C. Frosty. strong flavours.

DELONGHI LA SPECIALISTA ARTE HISENSE RR220D4ABF RETRO BOSCH SERIE 6 MBA5575S0B

FRIDGE
£459, delonghi.com £192, ao.com £1,349, bosch-home.co.uk
To make really great For those after a A premium double
coffee, you usually stylish, retro fridge oven with automatic
need to spend big. that won’t break the cooking programs
This machine turns bank, this is a great and a built-in meat
that notion on its option. It also comes probe for roasting
head; it’s affordable, with plenty of space the perfect medium-
offers an intuitive and convenient rare beef below
dosing control knob features like Auto while a golden apple
and has a brilliantly Defrost and an pie bakes in the
simple tamping guide. adjustable thermostat. top oven.

JURA E8 KENWOOD KUL55X20 ZANUSSI FANCOOK ZKCNA4X1

UNDERCOUNTER FRIDGE
£1,195, jura.com £159, currys.co.uk £518, zanussi.co.uk
The E8 makes great Have a compact A double oven with
coffee at the press of kitchen? This could be plenty of cooking
a button – and offers your answer. With its capacity, with an
more than a dozen 133-litre capacity, this extra-fast grill and a
options. And while is sufficient enough to perforated air-fry tray
fully auto machines accommodate all your for the perfect oven
used to be notorious fresh grocery needs. chips. It’s a breeze to
for their weak coffee, And despite its small use, and is available
this knocks it out of stature, it doesn’t for something of a
the park every time. compromise in style. bargain price.

BEEM ESPRESSO GRIND SMEG FAB10LRD5 MIELE H7164BP

PROFESSION
£500, beem.co.uk £1,099, ao.com £1,389, appliancesdirect.co.uk
A commercial Smeg are the cool Reliable and easy to
company’s first cats of the appliance operate, this model
consumer machine, world. If you have a comes with plenty
this is easy to use, compact space, this of features that are
customisable in a comes with sufficient going to appeal – like
number of ways and room for all your its Moisture Plus tech
it makes blooming groceries. As with for getting perfect
excellent espressos most Smeg gadgets, ‘bake off’ results. You
that never fail to expect to pay a can even control it
delight the palate. premium though. from your phone.

JANUARY 2024 T3 95

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 Best of the best

ELECTRIC ELECTRIC BEARD

SHAVERS
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TOOTHBRUSHES
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TRIMMERS
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t3.com/bestshaver t3.com/besttoothbrush t3.com/besttrimmer
BRAUN SERIES 9 9390CC PHILIPS SONICARE 9900 PRESTIGE PHILIPS BT9000 PRESTIGE
£250, braun.com £300, philips.co.uk £120, philips.co.uk
Given that the Philips’ most The classiest looking
trend is to shave advanced electric beard trimmer
less nowadays, we toothbrush yet, it we’ve ever clapped
recommend the features SenseIQ eyes on, it offers an
Braun Series 9 foil technology. It senses equally classy shave.
shaver over Philips’ pressure, motion and Designed primarily
almost equally coverage up to 100 for neater beard-
impressive efforts. It times per second, scaping, it whips away
is slightly better on adapting the intensity whiskers without any
longer stubble. if you brush too hard. snags or pulls.

PHILIPS SERIES ORAL-B PRO 2 2500 PHILIPS ONEBLADE PRO

9000 PRESTIGE
£300, philips.co.uk £35, oralb.co.uk £50, philips.co.uk
The second best This only has two The best trimmer for
shaver has a silly cleaning modes those with sensitive
RRP (£430!) but is and no ‘smart’ skin, this uses
available for around functionality to innovative OneBlade
£300. It’s good for speak of, but ask technology. It’s good
sensitive skin, mows yourself… do you for both your face
long stubble and is really care? It has and your downstairs,
really close to the a timer, pressure although you may
shave you get from sensor, and excellent wish to change heads
traditional razors. rotary cleaning. in between.

BRAUN SERIES 7 PHILIPS SONICARE 6100 BRAUN BEARD TRIMMER 7

70-N7200CC PROTECTIVECLEAN
£165, braun.com £125, philips.co.uk £65, braun.com
This new offering Offering the current This trimmer feels like
from Braun, with best blend of features good value for money,
three foil heads, and price in the earning it a place on
is an absolute Sonicare range, this this list. Small, light
cracker in every brush doesn’t pile on and easy to use, its
respect. It shaves too many pointless tough blades shave
as close as a wet cleaning modes – just cleanly. Battery life is
razor, only in half the self-explanatory solid, and the unit is
the time. And that’s ‘clean’ and ‘white’ plus waterproof enough
no exaggeration. a ‘gum care’ mode. for easy rinsing.

PANASONIC ES LV95 ORAL-B IO9 REMINGTON B5

£149, panasonic.co.uk £500, oralb.co.uk £35, remington-europe.com
Deploying a ridiculous The RRP for the iO The Remington
array of five blades, Series 9 is ridiculous, B5 borrows the
this is a wet–and-dry but you can get it for rotary dial set-up of
winner. The pivoting less, and it is brilliant rivals, which makes
head and quick-lift at actually cleaning adjusting the length
foil help make shaving your teeth, plus it’s of the built-in comb
smooth and almost also very stylish, with really easy. It also
enjoyable, particularly a colour touchscreen boasts one of the best
if you have a few and a tooth-tracking spread of lengths
days’ growth. monitoring system. we’ve seen.

96 T3 JANUARY 2024

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 Best of the best

FITNESS RUNNING RUNNING

TRACKERS
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WATCHES
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HEADPHONES
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t3.com/bestfitness t3.com/bestrunningwatch t3.com/bestrunningphones
FITBIT SENSE 2 GARMIN FORERUNNER 965 JABRA ELITE 7 ACTIVE
£269, fitbit.com £599, garmin.com £169, jabra.co.uk
An excellent health Thin, light, full of The Elite 7 Active
smartwatch and the sensors, and ideal buds are a significant
best fitness tracker for a wearable update over the
money can buy. It professional athletes Jabra Elite Active
has a new stress will use for training. 75t and offer more
tracking system, a The titanium bezel personalised sound,
more user-friendly and AMOLED display better fit and even
interface, a physical are nice touches, improved calling
button, and the same as are the different thanks to the three-
handsome design. colours available. mics-per-bud setup.

WHOOP 4.0 COROS PACE 3 LG TONE FREE FIT UTF8

From £18 a month, whoop.com £219, coros.com £180, lg.com
An excellent fitness A terrific smartwatch We expected LG’s
tracker for those who for runners that workout buds to
train hard and want offers upgraded sound good, but they
to know when to slow sensors and tons of offer much more than
down. Although the performance and just excellent sound.
membership costs can recovery features for These are some of
stack up, it can help not a lot of money. It’s the smallest workout
you hit the optimal more than accurate headphones we’ve
balance between rest enough for training, tried, and sound
and workouts. and easy to use. exceptionally clear.

FITBIT CHARGE 5 GARMIN FORERUNNER 255S BEATS FIT PRO

£169, fitbit.com £299, garmin.com £199, beatsbydre.com
A decent update over With its new triathlon These combine easy
the Charge 4, and mode, this is now a and intuitive pairing
the AMOLED screen full-fledged triathlon and controls, excellent
is very handsome. watch. And the sound quality and
It’s comfortable to smallest of those, too, phenomenal active
wear, and the overall enabling those with noise cancellation.
user experience is small wrists to access The Fit Pro also have
also great, but it’s as pro workout features a sublime build quality
expensive as some and heart-rate and fit: no losing
running watches. variability tracking. these at the gym.

HUAWEI BAND 7 APPLE WATCH SERIES 8 CLEER ARC II SPORT

£50, huawei.com From £419, apple.com £199, cleeraudio.com
Worth your attention The Apple Watch now As far as open-ear
for its huge screen offers personalised workout headphones
and long battery life, Heart Rate Zones, go, the Cleer ARC II
the Band 7 shows and a Race Route Sport is pretty much
small refinements feature, which notes perfect. It offers long
over the Band 6. It’s the routes you run or battery life, crisp
accurate, attractive, cycle most often and sound, a comfortable
functional, and lets you set goals. The yet secure fit, and an
jam-packed with only downside is the IPX5 rating to go with
useful features. battery life. excellent sound.

JANUARY 2024 T3 97

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 LUXURIES Exclusive gifts to
seriously spoil yourself

RESSENCE
TYPE 1° ROUND MULTICOLOUR
That colour palette may make it look a little like if Google released an analogue Pixel watch but the
Ressence Type 1 Round Multicolour is a singular timepiece. It features the brand’s patented
Ressence Orbital Convex System 1.3, a gorgeous domed mechanism that allows the hour, minute,
second and days of the week dials to revolve around each other as time passes. That face is then
capped with a double-domed sapphire crystal top, while its case is fashioned from grade 5 titanium
to help protect it from knocks. And while it offers caseback winding, its self-winding mechanism and
36-hour power reserve should give it plenty of life.
Around £15,185, ressencewatches.com

NEXT ISSUE IS ON SALE THURSDAY 18 JANUARY

Breathtaking gadgets – stunning gear that will make your home a high-tech knockout
98 T3 JANUARY 2024

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