In the last 100 years, technology has grown exponentially. So much so that computer speed and power have generally doubled each year since the 1960s.
Here’s a staggering fact: our current phone chips are more powerful than the guidance computers NASA used to put man on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission.
Every September like clockwork, there’s a new crop of Apple products brought to market. Similarly, the likes of Samsung, Google, Nokia and Sony are constantly updating their devices for faster processors, more features, better battery life and more advanced models than ever before.
While this does make the previous iterations outdated, it creates a strong hankering from technophiles everywhere to upgrade - often a costly affair, but incredibly helpful when the gifting season rolls around. You really can never go wrong with the latest phone, tablet, laptop, headphones, TV or the like for ardent tech supporters or those with die-hard loyalty to a particular brand. Selecting the optimal gift for the present exchange can be as easy as treating them to the latest innovation.
But which are worth your hard-earned pennies? Well, that’s where we come in.
We’ve put the recent tech unveilings to the test to find the ones that will delight any lucky recipient. From new releases (with more added as they drop), to digital devices that have revolutionised the space since their inception, we’ve scoured the market for the best tech to gift.
See below
Sony WH-CH720N
Best for: Sony for a steal
Sony is a brand that needs no introduction. And while it may no longer be the striding all-consumer-tech colossus it once was back when it lent its hand to phones, laptops and TVs, when it comes to personal audio, the big S is still winning over the fans. Especially now that said person audio is more affordable than ever.
In this instance, I speak of the WH-CH720N over-ears that became available much earlier this year. Priced at just under the ton mark on release, savvy ear-users can now pick these up for just £64. No, your eyes do not deceive you.
So, what do you get for this next-to-nothing, cost-of-living-pleasing price? For a start, a relatively minimalist-looking pair of ear-huggers with all the requisite buttons required to play and pause, skip back and forth, adjust volume and answer calls placed neatly on the right earcup. Which sees to the basics. Then you have Bluetooth 5.2 offering both a reliable connection and multi-point to keep your essential gadgets paired up. Effective ANC keeps unwanted racket at bay, while an Ambient option lets you allow some sound in on the off-chance you need to keep an ear out.
Then there’s the sound. Featuring a more diminutive set of 30mm drivers, what they may lack in scale is more than made up for by the inclusion of 360 Reality Audio which works to surround you in a nicely balanced bubble of audio that lends your music a welcome feel of space, helping to fend-off the annoying but inevitable issue of listening fatigue.
Light too, at just 192g, they may not be the most comfortable cans I’ve had clamped to my noggin during the course of these reviews, but for 64 quid, they’re more than acceptable.
With the Sony Headphones Connect app available to make minor adjustments to set-up, quality, relatively expense-free ANC is now available for the masses.
Tech Spec
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2, 3.5mm
Drivers: 30mm
Noise cancelling: ANC
Mic: Yes
Playtime ANC on: 35-hours
Included: USB-C charging cable, carrying case. 3.5mm cable
Weight: 192g
Buy now £64.00, AO
Shark Beauty Cryo Glow Under-Eye Cooling Mask
This is the UK’s first LED light therapy mask with under-eye cooling technology. This innovative feature helps soothe, depuff, and tighten the under-eye area while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
The mask combines cooling with LED therapy to improve skin texture and radiance. It offers multiple modes, including Under-Eye Revive for targeted cooling and Better Ageing to reduce wrinkles, alongside Blemish Repair and Skin Sustain modes.
The InstaChill Cold Technology provides quick relief using the Peltier Effect, making it perfect for both morning depuffing and evening relaxation. With a comfortable, adjustable fit and a rechargeable battery, this mask is a convenient addition to your skincare routine.
Buy now £269.00, lookfantastic
Google Pixel 9 Pro Smartphone
The Google Pixel 9 series has seen the introduction of AI into our handsets. The four phones in the collection (the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold) have entered their ‘Gemini Era’ as the brand explains with the ability to ask a range of commands not dissimilar from voice assistant - like what the weather will be like today - but with the added benefit of distilling complex information, learning something new and solving problems such as settling a debate or drafting a resignation letter.
As is always the case with Google phones, the camera has the biggest upgrade with new features like ‘Add Me’, which changes the photo-taking game. This allows you to incorporate the photographer into the shot. There are also improvements to panoramic shots with Night Vision and Action for moving snaps and the editing process is more advanced with the ability to use prompts to add elements into the shot like a tree or autumn leaves.
The Pixel Pro 9 has a 24-hour battery life, comes in four chic colours and is waterproof.
The only gripe? Google Pixel phones used to be a cost-friendly alternative to iPhones but now come at around the same RRP. That being said, it’s a lot of phone for the price.
Buy now £1099.00, John Lewis
Sony WF-C510 Truly Wireless Earbuds
Sony has forged a name for itself in the audio sphere, offering reliable sound quality and excellent noise cancellation in a lightweight package.
New to the Japanese conglomerate’s collection of cans, the WF-C510 true wireless earbuds encapsulate this. Not much bigger than a thumbnail, they may be small, but they certainly are mighty. The case alone is half the size of my Powerbeats Pro, stashing more easily into the pocket of my running leggings.
There is always the fear of loss with tech of this compact nature, but the ergonomically designed rounded buds remarkably lock in place, feeling comfortable and customisable with three tip sizes. The only issue is the IPX4 rating, which will see you through your workout but is not down-pour-proof.
The buds have 11 hours of battery life that extends to an additional 11 hours with the case — but plug them in for just five minutes and you have an hour of uninterrupted listening. Sound quality is where the WF-C510s excel. The buds punch far above their weight considering the price tag. Bass, treble and more are adjustable via the accompanying app, while DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) upgrades the audio of any playlist. For an immersive audio experience, the 360 Reality Audio feels like you are in a concert. They are made from recycled plastic, are free from plastic packaging and come in four chic colourways with a matte finish.
Was: £54.99
Buy now £39.99, Amazon
Fujifilm X100VI
Best for: a retro all-in-one
All the cameras above come with an interchangeable lens mount, but the X100VI is different. Its 23mm f/2 lens is fixed in place, and the 40MP APS-C sensor behind it produces images that look as if they were taken with the classic combination of 35mm film and a 35mm lens.
This is taken further with the application of Fujifilm’s film simulation modes and the camera’s retro styling, which can make it feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The camera’s processors are bang up to date, however, and there's in-body image stabilisation and wireless connectivity that photographers from the 1960s could only dream of.
Buy now £1599.00, Wex Photo Video
Samsung Galaxy Watch7
Was: £289
Buy now £288.99, John Lewis
Lexon Mina Sunrise Lamp Alarm Clock
Best for: style and substance
Resembling that of a traditional mushroom lamp, not only will Lexon’s Mina makes a chic addition to your bedside table set-up but there are health benefits too. When the days are darker, the lamp stimulates sunrise to make you in a gentle way, rather than the jarring Big Light switch on.
It’s satisfying too as to turn the alarm off, you must simply press on the top of the lamp, turning the illumination on or off. There are nine LED colours and an LCD display that shows the time. It’s also lightweight and crucially if you’re lacking in sockets, wireless - providing four months of charge.
Buy now £79.90, John Lewis
WHOOP 4.0
A balance of sleep, strain and recovery is essential to optimise your body’s performance and it’s these elements that the WHOOP pays close attention to. Disguised in a seemingly minimal black strap is a hi-tech wearable that connects via an app to reveal a wealth of data about the quality of your dozing, physical exertion and how effectively your body is able to bounce back - all of which are recorded via five LED sensors adorned on your wrist.
Given the seal of approval from professional athletes like LeBron James, Rory McIlroy and Michael Phelps, WHOOP has been proven through studies to positively change behaviour, ensure sleep is prioritised and improve physiological biomarkers.
Price includes 12-month membership, which typically costs from £16 per month.
Buy now £229.00, Amazon
Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses
The new iteration of the collaboration between Ray-Ban and Meta arrived in time for Christmas 2024. This is the second release of the smart glasses, taking the original design to the next level but enhancing previous features. It is easier than ever to take photos and videos - all of which can then be uploaded to your social media platforms at the touch of a button.
The silhouette is sleek and stylish, in line with the other Ray-Ban models - in fact, they are hard to distinguish unless you opt for the see-through casing. There are 150 different combinations of frame and colour - and it's lightweight too at just 48-50g. Live streaming is a doddle and you can switch between your camera and glasses with ease. The camera is 12MP, storage is 32GB and the battery life is 4.5 hours with the charging case.
Buy now £299.00, Selfridges
Fitbit Versa 4
Best for: Fitbit fanatics
Fitbit arguably catalysed today’s ubiquity of wrist-worn health tech well before Apple’s first forays into the space. It stands to reason that Fitbit hasn’t rested on its health-tracking laurels – the Versa 4 being the latest of Fitbit’s touchscreen smartwatches.
The Fitbit Versa 4 is a lightweight fitness companion-cum-smartwatch, that’s Google-app-supportive and which also offers Amazon Alexa utility – a nifty voice-activated utility that succeeds where many other Apple Watch alternatives fall short. You get a day’s battery from just 10-ish minutes of charging, and it’ll do most everything you want a smartwatch to do day-to-day – with added Fitbit fitness friendliness. If you’re already a Fitbit fanatic, fink about festooning yourself with this.
Buy now £179.00, Currys
Meta Quest 3
With better immersive graphics than ever before, the Meta Quest 3 is the latest and greatest VR headset to hit the market. The latest redesign has seen the addition of two GB colour cameras with an innovative depth projector, which gives you the ability to seamlessly blend virtual and physical spaces.
This is a mixed reality and the result is transformational. Your living room is digitised and infiltrated with the Stranger Things Upside Down or you can get lost in all four corners of this world and others, whether transported to Venice in Assassin's Creed or into space. As you climb, the possibility of falling feels real, while fighting off invaders in lifelike situations gives the feel of real consequences.
Lightening-fast performance is supported by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor and the 4K+ infinite display will leave you struggling to discern reality from fiction.
Buy now £359.00, John Lewis
Horizn H5 Cabin Luggage (35L)
A piece of smart luggage with an equally smart look? The Horizn cabin suitcase with its hard, protective exterior comes in a range of 13 colours from glossy lemon to dark olive. It has impressive sustainable credentials too - the suitcase is entirely vegan and the production process is 99 per cent waste-free.
It features two USB charging ports and an integrated smart power bank - that is easily removable in case you need to check in your luggage.
The compression pad is also a nifty addition as it helps maximise storage capacity and stops the contents of your suitcase moving about - ideal for keeping those ironed clothes pristine. Three sizing options are available making Horizn perfect for both cabin baggage and checked-in luggage.
Buy now £301.00, Horizn
Google Pixel Tablet
Google has entered the tablet space, bringing with it clever hacks and elevated features that are designed to make our lives that extra bit easier. First and foremost, you simply need to say “Hey Google” to power apps or ask questions, leaving your hands free to do other tasks around the home. You can also split the screen to view two apps at once and video call with HD resolution where the camera follows you as you move so you’re always in frame.
Best of all, it comes with a Charging Speaker Dock - there’s no extra expense to shop it as an attachment. This converts the tablet into a digital photo frame when on standby, keeps it fully juiced and blasts room-filling sound with quality audio.
Buy now £619.00, Amazon
Ember Smart Mug
Waking up groggy can set the tone for an unproductive day, but the Ember Smart Mug might be the surprising game-changer to your morning.
Perfect for those who rely on a hot drink to kickstart their day, this innovative mug keeps your coffee or tea at the perfect temperature for as long as you need, eliminating the stress of reheating and letting you savour every sip at your own pace.
By syncing with the Ember app, you can customise your drink’s temperature to suit your preferences, ensuring every morning brew is just right.
Starting your day with a steady, warm drink has been shown to gently wake up your system, encouraging hydration and a calming morning ritual.
Buy now £124.99, Ember
Amazon Echo Hub
Small, easy on the eye in a manner that doesn’t attract the expression ‘wall-acne’, and very, very smart, the Echo Hub may not be a necessity for many, but for those who have fully embraced the concept of the off-the-shelf, plug and play smart home, it brings a certain sense of clarity to what could otherwise be a confusingly loose assemblage of distinctly disparate devices, corralling them all into one central location and allowing – for the first time – whole-house control of said smart-stuff.
For that, and an asking price of just £170, the Echo Hub is easily the best and most affordable means to full smart control device on the market.
Buy now £169.99, Amazon
Google Pixel Buds Pro
A good pair of headphones is a daily essential; feeling totally immersed in your favourite tracks or podcast can get you through the horrors of the commute. Google's Pixel Buds Pro offer a wireless solution with active noise cancellation, clearer calls and pin-sharp audio. They’re available in pastel and neutral shades.
Was: £199
Buy now £129.00, Amazon
Advantage Wired Controller for Xbox Series X/S with Lumectra + RGB
Best for: Battery beating enlightenment
The Xbox X comes complete with a wireless controller, but the trouble with wireless stuff is that it constantly needs recharging, and if you’ve only got one controller, that means gaming downtime. This is why a wired option will not only keep thumbs on-mission but also won’t break the bank.
Say hello to the nattily named Advantage Wired Controller for Xbox Series X or S, a seriously sharp-looking battery-free happiness-brining handpad that connects to the Xbox X over USB-C and brightens up both your game-space and gaming specifically by being imbued with – deep breath – multi-zone, customisable RGB lighting, two mappable buttons that you can change mid-game, dual rumble motors, 3-way trigger locks (and who doesn’t enjoy a 3-way?), and even a built-in IR transmitter that allows you to control compatible Lumectra Zone RGB lighting accessories, 4ft of which come with the controller in the shape of an LED strip, so you can have your surroundings become illuminated action.
Officially licensed and coming with all the feel of your usual Xbox controller, the smooth controls keep you on aim and in the action with unerring ability, while the built-in 3.5mm jack accommodates your headphones with simplicity itself.
It looks cool, it is cool and it costs next to nothing in the grand scheme of gaming, so avoid waiting between controller charges and get the Advantage and get lit.
Buy now £35.00, Amazon
Fender Frontman 10G Guitar Combo Amp
Dimensions: 14.6 x 26 x 27.9cm
Wired or wireless?: Wired
An attractive and versatile portable amplifier, the Fender Frontman was designed with the beginner electric guitarist in mind, with its straightforward and easy-to-use nature. Switch between clean and overdrive tones with the push of a button thanks to the clean/overdrive button at the front panel and enjoy the convenience afforded by a headphone out and AUX in.
Buy now £75.00, Amazon
AnkerWork S600 Speakerphone
Best for: Compact, handsfree complete comms
If you have concerns about holding a mobile next to your head, or just spend too much time on video calls, this little beauty from AnkerWork will be right up your street: the S600 Speakerphone.
Like a small, minimalist Dalek in design, this aide de call is a little sliced of conference contact ingenuity, hooking up over strong Bluetooth 5.3 with your smartphone, then combining all its many assets of a 360° speaker, environmental noise reduction, voiceprint recognition, 4x mic array smart voice pickup, and AI-powered voice filtering. It also delivers perfectly pin-sharp, crystal-clear voice calls, with your dulcet tones painstakingly plucked out from any background noise around you and piped to the lucky listeners utterly untainted. Likewise, on the flip side, the 5W 360° speaker fills your shell-likes with beautifully balanced acoustics on a call and also banging bass when work is done and playtime begins.
Mainly powered or portable thanks to a built-in 16-hour life battery, iPhone users can even make use of the Qi2 charging 70° magnetic phone stand for hands-free video calls.
Easy to operate with Play, Volume Up, Volume Down, Mic Off, and Call Answer/End buttons on the front, the AnkerWork S600 comes compatible with Android, iOS, Windows and macOS, and plays perfectly with FaceTime, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Restream and more, so now there’s no excuse for missing meetings and never again will you have to utter the immortal words “Hello? Can you hear me? Hello?”
With a premium feel and sturdy build, the S600 is already a Red Dot Design Awards winner and one look at it and you’ll see why.
Buy now £179.99, Amazon
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
Best for: Work and play
Designed for gaming but, after vigorous testing has concluded, also excellent for office duties, if you’re in the market for cans for both activities, don’t fork out twice, face the music/calls/epic world adventures with headphones that offer the audio lot: the new Arctis Nova Pro from SteelSeries.
Hi-Res capable, with ANC complete with transparency mode, and an AI-powered retractable microphone, 40mm Neodymium drivers deliver a rich, balanced soundscape, with both music and call vocals delivered with equal clarity, while options of preprogrammed audio profiles or self-mixed EQ means you can get unerring audio ideally suitable to you.
Connecting via dual USB to two devices simultaneously, such as PC, PS4/PS5, Switch/other main handhelds, and Mac, toggling between your two options in the blink of an eye, the inclusion of Bluetooth 5.0 means you can also wirelessly hook up to your phone to take calls while you play.
Coming with a wireless base station, to boot, during those heated team games, you can find your exact equilibrium between game audio and that mate who is always far too excitably loud, adding to the overall comfort of wear.
Plus, coming with two hot-swappable batteries offering 22 hours a piece, your high-end audio is assured, but please remember to eat/sleep too.
Buy now £299.99, SteelSeries
Sonos Move 2
Sonos has made creating a surround sound experience a seamless process, from the way that its speakers pair up to the foolproof app controls. Adding to its collection of sought-after audio is the Move 2, the next generation of its best-selling portable gadgets that boasts a more advanced listening experience.
It is the first of the brand’s speakers to include wide, spacious stereo sound, which is set alongside a 24-hour battery life, a durable construction and water resistance.
Buy now £449.00, Sonos
Garmin Venu 3
Best for: casual fitness
The Venu 3 is a distinctly less hardcore Apple watch alternative than others on the brand’s roster. Geared a little more towards daily life and casual fitness than the Forerunner series, the Venu 3 is a great smartwatch for keeping on top of yourself as well as your inbox.
The Venu 3 is a smart-looking thing, with a swanky case body and an easy-to-read AMOLED screen. It’s got everything you could want for day-to-day dealings, with WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC connections for receiving notifications, controlling your devices and paying contactless-ly for bits and bobs; it’s also got all the fitness stuff you’d hope for in something that can track your steps, heart rate, pulse ox and more. Plus, it’s got that industry-topping Garmin GPS capability, so you can track your routes with precision and ease.
Was: £449
Buy now £358.00, Currys
ASUS ZenBeam L2 Smart Portable LED Projector
A projector opens a world of cinematic possibilities. Whether you’re looking to stream on the move, or don’t want your TV to take over your bedroom or living room, you can still enjoy the last binge-worthy show with the ASUS ZenBeam L2 Smart Portable LED Projector.
This portable device packs a punch for its compact size - and you can transport it around with the durable leather carrying handle. At home or away, it displays content in full HD resolution, 4K connectivity and a 960 LED lumen output to give crystal clear images so there’s no missing out on the action. It comes preloaded with Netflix, as well as with access to Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and more, but you can also use it to create ambience by projecting atmospheric light or a roaring fire, creating a virtual window to wherever your heart desires.
Buy now £699.99, ASUS
Backbone One PlayStation Edition
Best for: PS iPhone fun
Yes, officially licenced by the Sony PlayStation itself, the Backbone One in this special PS Edition ignores Android for iOS and takes the original Backbone One and gives it a nice new PS5-aping black and white skin. There’s DualSense labelled action buttons, a similar directional button pad, standard R1/2 and L1/2 triggers, and oddly asymmetrical joysticks as utterly opposed to those of the DualSense. This is a minor detail in the grand scheme of things, as the PS Backbone looks good, feels solid and well-weighted and offers a lot to the phone player.
Snapping in your iPhone using the spring-loaded mechanism (watch your fingers, it’s strong), the Lightning connector slots in neatly. Next, launch the Backbone app as your gaming hub using the dedicated button and a galaxy of games awaits.
Now, despite the PS branding, the hub allows you access to games from any online service that supports controllers, including Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, Google Play, Apple App and Arcade, and Steam Link, so not just PS titles. And the flexibility doesn’t end there as, with both PS and Xbox Remote Play included, you can stream games from your home consoles too.
Featuring a 3.5mm headphone jack, you can add privacy and a microphone to the action too, plus the Lightning port pass-through means you can charge your phone as you play, if near a plug socket, obviously.
With the capability to capture screenshots and clips to show off with later, the Backbone One PlayStation Edition is the ultimate next-gen gaming enabler for the iPhone owner.
Buy now £99.99, Argos
GameSir X2 Pro Mobile Gaming Controller for Android Type-C
Best for: Xbox on the move
Want to take your Xbox experience on the go but don’t want to lump it around searching for public power outlets? Then expand your gamiverse with the GameSir X2 Pro controller for Android phones. Officially licenced by Xbox, this marvellous bit of kit pulls open to accept your phone via USB port, then clamps firmly around it, converting said smartphone into an Xbox-quality mobile gaming controller on the go!
Coming with 1-month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, after a bit of initial set-up, you’re away, accessing all your favourite titles on the bus, at the dentist, or, well, literally anywhere you darn well fancy.
Dual thumb sticks and ABXY buttons give the real Xbox experience, while buttons can be customised to suit your style on each and every game.
Supporting pretty much all when it comes to cloud gaming services, such as Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), Stadia, NVIDIA GeForce Now and Amazon Luna, you’re not going to be short of options while out and about, plus, of course, you can remotely play your own Xbox at home too.
A modern marvel of the mobile gaming world, why restrict play to private?
Buy now £79.99, Amazon
Nintendo Switch
Best for: All-round epic enjoyment
Launched way back in the carefree days of 2016, the only portable games console to have (so far) outsold the Nintendo Switch are Nintendo’s earlier DS and, earlier still, Game Boy and Game Boy Colour, which pretty much tells you all you need to know about the Big N’s untouchable reputation in this arena. And why is the Switch such a long-term love of gaming obsessives?
Simply because Nintendo called upon all its years of expertise when engineering it, ensuring it delivered on every demand portable players could ever ask straight out of the box and, basically, it has never been bettered.
So, what do you get in the box? Well, there’s the Switch Dock that allows you to hook the console up to your TV via HDMI (included) when not on the move, two Joy-Con controllers for ergonomic one-person play or Nintendo for two in TV or Tabletop mode, a Joy-Con grip, wrist straps, and an AC adapter. Then there’s the console itself: an NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor CPU-driven gaming powerhouse with stereo speakers, hidden behind a gloriously vibrant 6.2-inch LCD touchscreen display with a 1280 x 720-pixel resolution.
Games are accessed via the insertion of a Switch game card or over the ether using your Wi-Fi and a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online where, depending on the membership option, you can buy and play games both brand-new and timelessly classic. And when armed with enough entertainment to see out the Switch’s 4.5- to 9-hours of battery life (game demand dependent), you can roam free, relishing the epically immersive gameplay and instantly responsive controls as time ticks by almost utterly unnoticed.
Sound-wise, the stereo speakers are fine for home use, but a better audio experience can be achieved through Dock connection to the TV and – I can’t stress this enough – if playing publicly, I absolutely insist you use the 3.5mm jack port and stick on some noise-confining cans!
The uncontested king of portable consoles for all the reasons named above, even with rumours now circulating about the imminent arrival of a Nintendo Switch 2, thanks to the UK government’s Competition and Markets Authority playing fast and loose with info on Nintendo and Activision mid-February, until we see it, the original Switch’s crown remains secure.
Buy now £292.50, Amazon
VEGER Portable Charger
Weight: 92g
Mini but mighty, this dinky style of charger is becoming more common. No wonder; it’s tiny and slots compactly into the bottom of your device with no wires to get tangled in. It means you can continue to use your device with it easily held in your hand.
Battery capacity is on the lower end of the scale at 5000mAh, which means you’re unlikely to get a full charge. But it will stop your phone from dying completely, with a 60 per cent charge from full for an iPhone 14. Available in a choice of fun colours.
Buy now £10.11, Amazon
Blink Video Doorbell
Best for: bargain-priced security
Going for just £60 at the time of writing, this is one of the cheapest ways to beef up your front-door security. It offers a 1080p picture, with IR night vision, plus two-way audio. There’s a cloud service, but you don’t need to use it, Pair the doorbell with a Blink Sync Module 2 (an extra expense, but it will work with Blink security cameras too) and use a USB stick to store video clips.
There’s Alexa compatibility built-in, meaning you can use Echo devices with screens to monitor who’s at the door, and it takes AA batteries, meaning you’ll never be offline waiting for the batteries to charge up.
Buy now £32.99, Amazon
Canon Zoemini S2
Best for: selfie-obsessed outdoor creative types
While the idea of physically printing photos started falling out of fashion around about the time George Michael crashed his 4x4 into the Hampstead branch of Snappy Snaps, the recent resurgence is seeing all manner of exciting new printer options appear and the pocket-sized Zoemini S2 from prodigious photo and printer producer Canon is quite the contender for your cash.
Small enough to slip in a pocket at 121 x 80.3 x 22.4mm (W x H x D) and weighing a piffling 188g, the S2 is actually a 2-in-1 wot not which lets owners shoot photos, customise them on the spot and then print them out wherever they darn well please.
Hook it up to your Apple or Android smartphone over Bluetooth (5.0), download the Canon Instant Camera Printer and the Canon Mini Print App and edit away on your phone using the built-in vivid and vintage colour filters to adjust your images depending on your photographic fancy. Effects and frames can also be added before flinging your photos back to the S2 for instant printing on sticky-backed photo paper to then slap on your possessions. Or, should the paper run out or your phone not be available, you can store your snaps on a MicroSD card to be toyed with later.
Definitely designed to service the selfie-spirited, the Zoemini S2 lens is surrounded by an in-built mirror and ring light so you can align your duckface perfectly and ensure the best possible picture, while a top-mounted button lets you segue between portrait, outdoor and selfie modes as you see fit.
With battery life good for, what I would say was an ample, 25 prints, the Zoemini S2 comes in a Gen Z-pleasing Rose Gold, Pearl White or Dark Teal colour options.
Buy now £144.95, Amazon
Belkin BOOST CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 Wireless Charger
Best for: fast wireless charging
Beyond being a chic answer to your wireless charging needs thanks to slick, stainless steel accents, those in possession of an Apple device for every technological need can benefit from faster wireless charging thanks to Belkin’s rapid 15-watt charging stations. Handling three devices at once – the Belkin BOOST CHARGE PRO is primed for docking iPhones in portrait or landscape, as well as Apple Watches and Airpods.
While LED lights that differentiate between white and amber ensure there’s no questioning whether your gadgets are charging or not, it’s worth noting that if you protect your devices with cases (always advisable), then they’ll need to be MagSafe compatible to make seamless use of magnetic docking.
Buy now £139.99, John Lewis
Not-Another-Bill Clear iPhone Cases
Phone models available: iPhones X-14
If you’ve splashed out on one of the purple, green, red or yellow iterations of iPhone, you may prefer a clear case to show this off. That’s where this accessory comes in. It lets your phone do the talking and feels less bulky, all while still offering the protection that you need if you’re prone to dropping.
The case can be personalised with the wording of your choosing and in an array of colours and fonts and then you just need to purchase the rope (£6) to go alongside it in which there are nine different colour and pattern varieties.
Buy now £20.00, Not-Another-Bill
Kawai CN301 Digital Piano, Satin Black
Best: digital features
The Kawai brand is extremely well-renowned in the low-to-mid range of the piano market, both with regard to its acoustic instruments and its electric ones. It has cornered the market on affordable alternatives to usually-expensive instruments, and provides surprising levels of quality for its price points.
The CN301 is an excellent example of this in action, being a well-built and well-sized digital piano with a host of secret features under the hood. The responsiveness of the keys is remarkable, with weighted and graduated feel that matches the responsiveness of true upright hammer mechanisms.
The real star of the show here, though, is the CN301’s digital engine. There are 45 voices from which to choose, which can be affected by a number of reverb and effect options. Kawai’s digital pianos also benefit from Bluetooth connectivity, which enables unprecedented expansion of features and tweakability through the PianoRemote app.
As well as allowing you to switch voices and change tempo via smartphone, the app gives you access to the Virtual Technician – a set of voice customisations that can change a wide range of specific features – from the quality and volume of artificial hammer noise to the character of the string resonance responses. This is an excellent and near-unbeatable at-home piano, with an astonishing level of customisability and unending options for recording, connectivity and practice.
Buy now £1449.00, Gear4Music
AnkerMake M5C
Best for: In the beginning…
So fresh out from AnkerMake that it probably needs to sit on the side a little to cool down, the latest addition to the range sees a 3D printer that’s been designed with utter ease of operation in mind.
Featuring a 49-point automatic bed levelling system, the M5C can be customised to function exactly how you want it to. It operates at the touch of a single button (the whole printing, re-printing, levelling, homing, pausing, or stopping caboodle is all controlled via the same button), while the magnetic plate provides a thoroughly flexible and stable platform onto which you can see your 3D creations come to rapid life. How rapid? Thanks to AnkerMake’s PowerBoost 2.0 tech being tucked away inside, speeds of up to 500mm/s can be reached, with acceleration up to 5000 mm/s², up to a print size of 220 x 220 x 250 mm³, that’s how ruddy rapid.
Controllable over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth from multiple devices, you can transfer their models directly from a smartphone or laptop and then sit back and monitor the whole printing process remotely. There’s also complete flexibility as to what filament you use, be it PETG/PET, ABS, TPU, PA, PLA-CF, PETG-CF or PA-CF, all creative bases are covered.
A one-piece design, built from sturdy aluminium alloy, the AnkerMake M5C is simplicity itself to set up and, as such, is the absolute ideal choice for those taking their initial steps into the oddly thrilling world of 3D printing. Pricier than many of the other models I’ve looked at here, sure, but for full filament print and user-friendly fun, this is an option worth every 3D printing penny.
Buy now £299.00, AnkerMake
Ailun Glass Screen Protector
With over 50,000 positive reviews from Amazon users across the globe, it’s fair to say that purchasing the Ailun Glass Screen Protector is a safe bet for smartphone owners looking to protect their tech.
What sets the Ailun screen protector aside is its hydrophobic and oleophobic finish, which ensures water and oil residues simply roll off the surface. Not only does this protect your precious phone from splashes and splutters, but it also prevents pesky fingerprint marks.
This screen protector has also been precision cut with the help of a laser to fit slightly smaller than the entirety of your smartphone screen to ensure compatibility with your favourite protective phone case. This pack contains three screen protectors.
Buy now £5.09, Amazon
Eufy Security SoloCam E40
Best for: solo security
Another camera with IP65 weather resistance, but this one is completely standalone, and doesn’t need a hub to store its videos thanks to 8GB of onboard storage, which is encrypted so only you can access it.
You get night vision and motion detection too, and the 2K video resolution means you’ll see plenty of detail in the video files when you play them back. An onboard AI system provides person detection, filtering out false alarms, there’s integration with Alexa and Google Assistant, and as this is a slightly older model, it’s often available for a bargain price.
Buy now £77.63, Amazon
Logitech POP KEYS
Best for: Social media movers and shakers
Very much a massive mash-up of yesteryear and the modern day, whoever at Logitech came up with the idea for the wireless POP KEYS is a chrono-colliding magician of marketing, fusing together – as they have – a money-making ménage à trois made up of cyberpunks, emoji obsessives and traditionalist alike.
Available in five colourways to suits all tastes, the distinctly retro, typewriter-inspired design of the raised, round keys comes backed with low energy Bluetooth 5.1 to keep the on-board twin AAA batteries running for longer as you flick seamlessly between up to three separate devices (computers, tablets, smartphones) at the tap of a key. There’s also utterly up-to-date FN shortcut keys that let you mute your mic, activate Voice-to Text, and snip screen, making it properly 2023-proof.
And then, suddenly, it gets even more media-savvy. How? Look at the far righthand side; those are swappable, dedicated emoji keys. Yep. There are eight in total supplied, but you can re-assign them to any emoji you use most and/or enter the emoji menu via the bottom key to pick and choose as you go.
A mechanical option with a beautifully responsive action that offers all the clicky, clacky, tappy happiness of real switches doing real work, the Logitech POP KEYS comes compatible with all OS comers (iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS, and iPadOS), is compact enough to comfortably cart around anywhere and, from my assessment, only features one flaw: whenever you whip it out, you’ll lose vital work/social media-ing time to an endless array of people coming over to ask you all about it.
Buy now £100.00, Logitech
Universal Airplane in Flight Phone Mount
Upgrade your Ryanair or easyJet flight with this phone mount that attaches to the tray table so you can stream your (previously downloaded) latest binge-watch handsfree and in ultimate comfort.
Buy now £11.49, Amazon
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6
Samsung’s other foldable is the Flip. This fun compact clamshell bears more of a resemblance to the flip phones of old, but with miles more polish.
For your money, you can expect superior power in the palm of your hand with many of the AI features and durability that you will find in the Fold.
The cover display gives you 8.6cm, while opened you’ll get 17cm of beautifully rich viewing space for your eyeballs. You can also take hands-free pics and use the cover display as your main screen, all without having to open your phone to full tilt. The battery has been given an upgrade, going from 3700mAh in the Fold5 to 4000mAh in the latest version.
It boasts durability with an IP48 rating (which means it can block out water but isn’t great at doing the same with dust), plus Gorilla Glass over the main and cover screens. Like its sister the Fold, this flip phone also benefits from an improved Flex Hinge, fitting nicely in your bag or pocket as well as your hands.
The cameras include a 10MP Selfie Camera on the front and 12MP Ultra Wide Camera and 50MP Wide-angle Camera on the rear with a 10x zoom as the cherry on top.
Now the good stuff: the AI features. The Flip boasts many of the same technologies housed in its bigger sister, the Fold6. We’re talking things like Live Translate which decodes foreign languages on screen and an interpreter feature for having real-time conversations with everyone from tour guides to waiting staff on the front and main screen via written text as well as audio (sparing you the shame of mispronunciation). There are 16 languages available right now, with plans to take it to 20 before the end of 2024.
There's also Circle to Search, transcribing, note taking and photo editing with sorcery-like AI extras.
The Flip also comes in a spectrum of colours, giving it appeal amongst the fashion-conscious crowd. Get it in - deep breath now - light grey, mint, blue, yellow, or black, white or orange exclusively at Samsung.
Also available at Amazon.
Buy now £1049.00, John Lewis
Nokia 2660 Flip
Bubblegum pink and oh-so Barbie-core, the Nokia 2660 Flip is the perfect modern flip phone. Despite the fact that this phone looks as though it’s been plucked straight from a high school time capsule buried somewhere on the West Coast of the USA, the Nokia 2660 Flip is a relatively new addition to the brand’s roster. It comes equipped with an extra long-lasting battery, as well as a miniature display screen which shows the time and date while closed. Plus, for every purchase, you can plant a tree thanks to Nokia’s partnership with Ecologi.
Buy now £64.99, Nokia
Amazon Fire TV 4-Series
Best for: Home cinema for under £500
Okay, when I say: ‘best for home cinema under £500’, I may be stretching it a bit as the three models in the 4-Series are priced at £430 for the 43-inch, £500 for the 50-inch and £550 for the 55-inch. However, that’s two under 500 quid (the 50-inch is actually £499.99), and that’s a pretty attractive set of prices for whopping great TVs that deliver full-on 4K Ultra High Definition images with support for HDR10 and HLG.
Aesthetically identical to its 2-Series siblings and with matching build quality, again we’ll skip the shallow skin-deep stuff and concentrate on what goes on beneath because, again, for the asking price, there’s an awful lot.
As you might imagine the set-up scenario is the same as the 2-Series, so a few button presses, an addition of apps and an entry of your details are all that’s required to gain success in a world of TV over your Wi-Fi, and for everything else, there are no fewer than three HDMI 2.0, plus 1x HDMI 2.1 with eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) for piping high-quality audio from the TV to an AV Receiver or soundbar. So, add into that heady mix a USB and an Ethernet port and connectivity is, as you can see, excellent.
Once you’ve got that all sorted, you have unfettered access to all manner of AV entertainment and the glorious 4K images that may come with it; and those images are glorious, gloriously vivid, crisp and sharp enough to take your eye out. Rich in detail, the Amazon 4-Series has a reasonable brightness of 300 nits, but I would say that it’s best viewed in darker rooms to enjoy the full benefits of what it can offer on-screen.
A refresh rate of 60Hz keeps things flowing smoothly and lets Xbox and Playstation fans find freedom from lag. Okay, it may not be the 120Hz that next-gen gamers seek, but that price!
Audio here comes in the form of 2x 8W speakers which deliver surprisingly decent sound, but you should probably take advantage of that aforementioned eARC and set yourself up with a sound system on par with the images.
The remote remains the same, meaning you too can head straight to the four favoured apps of Prime, Netflix, Freeview and Disney+ and, yes, you too can use the dulcet tones of your own voice to command Alexa to do your bidding by pressing on the blue button.
Big, bold and brilliant in its flexibility and simplicity to set up and operate, the Amazon Fire 4-Series is a veritable bargain for anyone looking for a big UHD centrepiece for their home cinema but without the big price.
Buy now £229.99, Amazon
Hatch Restore
Best for: App-controlled alarm clock ingenuity
A far cry from the ultra-affordable smart Lumie Sunrise Alarm, the Restore from California-based company Hatch may demand more of your moolah for, what at first, appears to be much the same soothing to and from-sleep experience. But, this Wi-Fi-connected, app-controlled smart alarm clock soon shows why it is worth every penny from the moment you download the free Hatch Sleep app (Apple and Android).
Firstly, to the aesthetics, because sometimes it’s not just what’s on the inside that counts. A very compact and stylish unit, the Restore combines tough ABS plastic with the currently hugely on-trend fabric wrap to the lower third of the front and completely covers the rear. Also, with a reasonable weight to it, you’re not going to easily send it sailing to an early demise with an errant elbow during a particularly fevered dream. Far from festooned with buttons, the Restore features a top-centre soft-touch button that initiates your pre-set sleep routine, while similar buttons on one side allow you to adjust the volume and the intensity of the light. However, all this can also be done directly on the app, so if you have to position your Restore out of arm’s reach, there’s never any need to disturb your duvet in order to get it going.
The app is incredibly intuitive to use, meaning you can set up your perfect passing-out pattern within seconds, selecting timings, and duration of reading light (40 Winks Fact: reading comes recommended by ‘sleep science’ experts as one of the best ways to prepare your brain for rest. Just probably not anything by E. L. James) alongside your choice of the 22 light colour options that are available, your selection of any of the 31 Sleep Sounds included, or if a little more is required to send you to the Land of Nod, you can pick one of a whopping 49 Sleep Meditation pieces. Options galore, indeed.
What’s more, despite the relatively diminutive dimensions of the Restore, the audio quality of both its soothing sounds and spoken meditations is excellently clean and clear, even at low volumes. So, if you end up dreaming you’re stuck in a snowstorm (Sleep Sound No. 8), don’t say you weren’t warned.
The following morning, the Restore can be set to launch an in-house sunrise into life over 30 minutes and culminating with our opted audio alarm to bring you slowly and gently back to consciousness and ready to face the fresh horrors of a brand-new day.
No Google or Alexa to bother with random questions about chipmunks that pop into your head when the lights go out, but then that’s the point, the Hatch Restore is all about using technology to help you slide seamlessly into a sound sleep each and every night; and at that, it’s a smart clock, Sandman.
Buy now £138.99, Amazon
ROBOSEN K1 PRO Interstellar Scout
Best for: Bipedal personal robot perfection
Taking a meander down (failing) Memory Lane now for myself and some of our more antiquated readers, back to the 80s when robots were undeniably fun. We had the likes of Johnny 5 from the film Short Circuit, Metal Mickey from the eponymous and lovingly low-budget British TV show, and even the sass-talking space robot of the future in the shape of Twiki from the epic US series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Then the 90s suddenly arrived and all on-screen robots went from being dancing, sarcastic, plastic pal funbots to remorseless human-genocide-seekin’ killbots seemingly overnight.
Well, the good news is that I’ve spent the best part of three months with the Robosen K1 PRO Interstellar Scout in my home and at no point has it attempted to murder either myself or my family, despite looking quite capable of giving it a good go. Instead, what K1 has done over those past months is prove to be an astonishing bit of kit. Described in some online quarters as a ‘toy’ robot, this is nothing of the kind. Easily one of (if not THE) most advanced personal robots on the market, the K1 PRO can be operated via voice commands (some 80+, in fact) or over its highly intuitive iOS/Android app.
But the operation of what? Let me break it down with some Robosen revelations: Underneath the K1 PRO’s slick, matt Aluminium-alloy frame and ABS+PC shell sits some 40 separate Robosen-self-developed microchips and no fewer than 17 servos that allow this almost-automaton to not only free-walk, balance and move like the humanoid is so longs to be, it can also perform complicated physical set-pieces, such as dancing, fighting, flipping, forwards and backwards rolls, handstands and other such complex, high-brow pre-programmed performance pieces. But then the K1 PRO can also ‘pretend to fart’ (with sound effect), ‘take a pee’, ‘take a poop’, ‘play dead’, bark like a dog, meow like a cat and bust other such, erm, lower-brow but massively amusing moves. Yes, I am immature; but you know that.
The K1 PRO can also be operated via remote control, to terrorise your pets as much as you please and, vitally, is also programmable, allowing all levels of expertise from beginners to programming pros to play with the K1 PRO, learn from its block-based programming system and, for those who have to justify such things to a significant other, use the Robosen to teach vital new STEM-style (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills to the next generation.
And there you have him: the Robosen K1 PRO Interstellar Scout – probably the most advanced, ingenious personal robot currently not planning to conquer the planet.
Buy now £309.00, Amazon
JBL Go 3
Best for: shower tunes on a budget
With its IP67 rating, you’ll have no problem getting the JBL Go 3 wet or covered in sand. It’s small and light, and though it only offers five hours of playback from a full charge, it’s cheap enough for that not to matter too much.
It looks good too, available in six colours and with a woven texture that makes it stand out from the largely plastic and silicone competition.
Being so small, its sound quality can’t keep up with larger, more expensive rivals, and it doesn’t have features like pairing up with another speaker, or support for multiple Bluetooth connections, but the trade-off is in price and convenience, and the Go 3 has a lot to offer there.
Buy now £39.99, Amazon
InstaX Pal + InstaX Link
Designed to be used in tandem with the already cult-favourite product from Fujifilm - the InstaX Link polaroid printer - the InstaX Pal is an adorable miniature digital camera for capturing moments on the go.
Brilliant for remote shooting, the InstaX Pal comes equipped with a wide-angle lens and a detachable multi-use ring which can be used as a miniature tripod for self-timed shots. Your Pal can store up to 50 images at a time on a Micro SD card, and can also drop your favourite picks via Bluetooth to your smartphone.
Purchase the InstaX Link separately if you don’t already have it for instantly printing your spontaneous snaps onto InstaX mini, square or wide polaroid film depending on which model you go for.
The Mike Wazowski-esque camera is offered in five different colours: pistachio green, milky white, lavender blue, powder pink and a shin gem black.
Buy now £84.00, InstaX
Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8.
Tech nerds and music buffs assemble! Bang & Olufsen has just announced the release of the Beolab. 8, a speaker that provides the ultimate sound system for the home. It may be small, but the exterior is aesthetically pleasing and sure to ignite questions from intrigued house guests. The compact casing shields the powerful stereo and an intense bass inside that provides an elevated musical experience.
Not only does it boast a sleek Scandi design, but there are features such as beam width control that allows users to switch between two listening experiences or narrow down with precise audio as well as the choice to change modes to diffuse sound across the room. Regardless of what mode you opt for, crystal-clear audio is always guaranteed.
Buy now £5798.00, Bang & Olufsen
