T3 UK 08.2021

Camping holiday

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ALPKIT CLOUD PEAK 200 WEBER Q 1200 PRIMUS CAMPFIRE PREP SET

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£313.95, weber.com £61.99, primus.eu
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£84.99, alpkit.com

AUGUS T 2021 T3 51

35 best travel gadgets

STAYCATION

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BERGHAUS MAITLAND GORE-TEX THINKTANK STREETWALKER PRO V2
WATERPROOF TROUSERS
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£99, berghaus.com £156, thinktankphoto.com

TOLLY McRAE FOX VONHAUS GEO PICNIC

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\RXèUH VWLOO RXWVLGH ZKHQ WKH HYHQLQJ VWHDOV WKH DIWHUQRRQ £31.99, vonhaus.com
£125, tollymcrae.co.uk

52 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Staycation

1

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1 2 3

NIKON PROSTAFF 7S 10X30 EMBER MUG2 SMART STAINLESS SONY CYBERSHOT RX100 VII
STEEL TRAVEL MUG
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OLJKW HQRXJK WR KROG IRU ORQJ SHULRGV £180, ember.com
£179.99, nikon.co.uk £1,200, sony.co.uk

AUGUS T 2021 T3

35 best travel gadgets

ADVENTURE HOLIDAY

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LOOK CYCLE E-765 OPTIMUM LIFESAVER LIBERTY

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£5,250, lookcycle.com £124.99, iconlifesaver.com

SNUGPAK TRAVELITE SLEEPING MAT FULL FJÄLLRÄVEN KEB ECO-SHELL JACKET

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DLUEHG DQG HPEUDFH D VHOI LQćDWLQJ VOHHSLQJ PDW :HLJKLQJ MXVW J UHDG\ IRU D VRDNLQJ $ SURSHUO\ ZDWHUSURRI WKUHH OD\HU WHFKQLFDO VKHOO
WR PLQLPLVH WKH ZHLJKW \RXèOO KDYH WR FDUU\ RQ DQ RYHUQLJKW KLNH DQG IURP 6ZHGHQ EDVHG )M¦OOU¦YHQ WKLV VKHOO KDV D EDFNSDFN DQG ZDLVW EHOW
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£74.95, snugpak.com £450, fjallraven.com

5 4 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Adventure holiday

1

2

3

1 2 3

GOPRO MAX HANWAG FERRATA II GTX GARMIN FENIX 6 PRO SOLAR
WALKING BOOTS
)RU PDNLQJ \RXU RZQ GHJUHH YLUWXDO 'HVLJQHG WR EH GURSSHG VRDNHG DQG WDNHQ
UHDOLW\ VW\OH YLGHRV RI \RXU DGYHQWXUHV WU\ $UH \RXU ERRWV XS WR WDFNOLQJ WRXJK WHUUDLQ" RXW DGYHQWXULQJ WKHUH DUH IHZ PXOWL VSRUW
WKLV ZDWHUSURRI DQG GURS SURRI FDPHUD WKDW 7KHVH VROLG ZDONLQJ ERRWV DUH GHVLJQHG IRU WKH ZDWFKHV DV VPDUW DV WKLV RQH ,WèV JRW *36
FDSWXUHV HYHU\WKLQJ VR \RX GRQèW PLVV D WKLQJ PRVW FKDOOHQJLQJ RI KLNHV DQG VFUDPEOHV ZLWK D GLJLWDO FRPSDVV D KHDUW UDWH VHQVRU DQG
,WV WZR GHJUHH ĆVKH\H FDPHUDV ĆOP LQ D 7XEH7HF 5RFN VROH IRU H[WUD FXVKLRQLQJ ćH[ IHDWXUHV VSHFLĆFDOO\ WR DSSHDO WR UXQQHUV
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£379.98, gopro.com £679.99, garmin.com
£282, hanwag.com

AUGUS T 2021 T3 55

35 best travel gadgets

LUXURY RESORT HOLIDAY

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ANTLER CLIFTON CABIN WITH POCKET BOSE SOUNDLINK MICRO

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ĆWV D WDEOHW DQG D LQFK ODSWRS $ 76$ ORFN VHFXUHV WKH FRQWHQWV DQG OLQNV WR WZR VPDUWSKRQHV XVLQJ %OXHWRRWK DQG NHHSV JRLQJ IRU VL[ KRXUV
IRXU GRXEOH ZKHHOV DOORZ LW WR JOLGH WKURXJK DLUSRUWV ,QVLGH DUH SDFNLQJ 3UHVV D EXWWRQ RQ WKH WRS DQG \RX FDQ VSHDN WR 6LUL RU *RRJOH $VVLVWDQW
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£179, antler.co.uk ZLWKRXW IXPEOLQJ IRU \RXU SKRQH
£99.95, bose.co.uk

ZYGO SOLO EARPHONES FOR SWIMMING DJI OSMO POCKET

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DSS VWXIIHG ZLWK YLUWXDO FRDFKLQJ VZLPPLQJ GULOOV 7KH\ ZRUN LQ LQGRRU UHDO WULFN RI WKLV FXOW KDQGKHOG FDPHUD LV LWV EXLOW LQ WKUHH D[LV JLPEDO WKDW
SRROV \HW DOVR KDYH WKH UDQJH IRU WKH RXWGRRUV VR FDQ EH ZRUQ ZKHQ PDNHV HYHQ WKH PRVW DPELWLRXV YLGHRV ORRN EXWWHU\ VPRRWK )RU VXQVHWV

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£215, shopzygo.com £329, dji.com

56 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Luxury resort holiday

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1 2 3

RAZER ANZU AUDIO SUNGLASSES AMAZON KINDLE OASIS APPLE AIRPODS PRO

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DQG HDUSKRQHV DQG MXVW ZHDU WKHVH WKH EHVW SDJH WXUQHUV :DWHUSURRI DQG ZLWK D VKDUS $SSOHèV LFRQLF DXGLR ZHDUDEOH KDV EHFRPH
ORRNLQJ VOHHNHVW DXGLR VXQJODVVHV \HW $W WKHLU ORRNLQJ 3DSHUZKLWH GLVSOD\ WKDWèV HDV\ WR UHDG V\QRQ\PRXV ZLWK çWUXH ZLUHOHVVè HDUSKRQHV
EHVW ZLWK DXGLRERRNV SRGFDVWV DQG KDQGV LQ GLUHFW VXQOLJKW WKLV VHYHQ LQFK H UHDGHU DOVR 7KLV YHUVLRQ KDV DFWLYH QRLVH FDQFHOOLQJ DV
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£199.99, razer.com £229.99 amazon.co.uk
£249, apple.com

AUGUS T 2021 T3 57

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SALE
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www.magazinesdirect.com/whi

Lightweight laptops under £999

LAPTOPS
UNDER

£999

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students and adults

Words: Matthew Hanson

Buying a new laptop doesn’t have to cost bWedo! rTdhse:yXxalxsxo let you wind down at the
a fortune. Sure, there’s plenty of ultra- end of a hard day, letting you stream your
premium (and expensive) laptops out there favourite shows and movies, or even play
that will happily drain your bank balance, a few games as well.
but there’s also a huge range of excellent
notebooks that can be had for under £999. And, for those of us returning to
schools and offices, even on a part-time
As the global Covid-19 pandemic has basis, laptops can help you get back into
fundamentally changed the way we work the swing of things, and let you take your
and study, investing in a new lightweight apps, documents and more with you
laptop has never been more important. If wherever you go.
you’re working and learning from home,
a new laptop offers you the freedom and We need to be more flexible than ever
flexibility to comfortably work wherever these days, and laptops can help. Best of all,
you need to – be it a desk in a home office, affordable laptops offer thin and light
a chair in your living room or even on your designs and long battery lives, which are
essential considerations these days.

AUGUS T 2021 T3 59

Lightweight laptops under £999

KIDS

1

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3
4

1 2 3 4

ACER CHROMEBOOK GOOGLE PIXELBOOK GO MICROSOFT SURFACE HP STREAM
SPIN 311
Chromebooks are brilliant for GO 2 HP Stream laptops are very
This isn’t super powerful, but it kids, as they are affordable and basic laptops, with not much
doesn’t need to be. Chrome OS easy to use, while also allowing This is technically a tablet, but memory or storage, which
you to set up parental controls if you add on the Type Cover, means they aren’t suited to
runs great, allowing children which magnetically connects to intensive workloads. However,
to write up homework using to keep them safe. They also the screen, it turns into a laptop-
Google Docs and browse the aren’t as susceptible to viruses like device with a keyboard and they are also very cheap,
touchpad. It runs Windows
LQWHUQHW <RX FDQ ćLS WKH VFUHHQ as Windows laptops. The 10 (and will be upgraded to ZKLFKbPDNHV WKHP LGHDO IRU D
backwards, turning it into a Pixelbook Go is the pinnacle of Windows 11 for free), so you can
tablet-like device, which is Chromebook design with a great run any application you want on NLGèV ĆUVW ODSWRS DV WKH\ FDQ
keyboard, fast performance and it, and it’s easy to carry around. handle the basics and they’ll
SHUIHFW IRU ZDWFKLQJ 1HWćL[ RU survive the odd knock and bump
using Android apps. 12 hours of battery life. £399, microsoft.com
£260, acer.com in the playground.
£629, store.google.com £190, hp.com

6 0 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Kids

5 6
7 8

5 6 7 8

ACER SWIFT 1 ASUS X515 ASUS VIVOBOOK 17 LENOVO IDEAPAD DUET

If you want a slim and stylish The Asus X515 is a thin and While many children will want CHROMEBOOK
laptop for kids that is cheap attractive-looking laptop that more compact laptops, if they
enough you won’t worry about is perfect for kids who want a need a large screen for doing If you like the idea of a 2-in-1
them taking it to school, then larger 15.6-inch screen to work their homework on (or, let’s be device like the Surface Go 2, but
the Acer Swift 1 is a fantastic on. It weighs just 1.6kg, so it’s honest, watching videos), then want something even cheaper,
choice. It comes in three colours this 17-inch laptop is a great
– gold, pink and silver – has a easy to carry around, and it choice. It comes with a huge 1TB then the brilliant Lenovo
reasonable 15-hour battery life offers plenty of ports to plug hard drive for storing all their IdeaPad Duet Chromebook
and a decent 1080p 14-inch in extra peripherals. Again it’s is worth considering. Chrome
not the most powerful laptop, ĆOHV RQ DQG WKLV EXQGOH IURP OS runs a treat on this device,
screen for doing that all- but for kids it’ll offer more than Amazon includes a wired mouse while it has a keyboard that’s
important homework on. comfortable to use and detaches
enough performance. and carry bag.
£349, very.co.uk to turn it into a tablet.
£329.99, argos.co.uk £399, amazon.co.uk
£280, lenovo.com

AUGUS T 2021 T3 61

Lightweight laptops under £999

STUDENTS

2

1
3

4

1 2 3 4

APPLE MACBOOK AIR ACER SPIN 5 ACER CHROMEBOOK HP ENVY 13
SPIN 311
The MacBook Air is one of This is another great thin and Be the envy of your classmates
the most iconic thin and light light 2-in-1 laptop that’s ideal Students need versatility with this slick lightweight laptop
laptops, and the latest model, for students. It comes with a with their laptops so that the from HP. Not only is it thin and
stunning touch screen, includes
with Apple’s own M1 chip a stylus (great for jotting down GHYLFHV FDQ ĆW LQ ZLWK WKHLU light enough to carry around
powering it, shows it’s still a notes during lectures) and offers work and social lives, and here’s campus, but it offers plenty of
force to be reckoned with – and brilliant battery life, all while power with 8GB of RAM, a 10th-
you can get it for less than £999, running Windows 10. And it an excellent example of this. gen Intel processor and even
making it great for students who Chromebooks are great for a Nvidia MX350 GPU for light
want a very fast Apple laptop DOVR DOORZV \RX WR ćLS WKH VFUHHQ students, and this one also has a gaming (but it won’t be able to
without spending a fortune. backwards to use it like a tablet. 2-in-1 design that lets it quickly play AAA titles like Cyberpunk).
turn into a tablet-like device.
£898, amazon.co.uk £899, acer.co.uk £649, currys.co.uk
£260, amazon.co.uk

62 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Students

5

6

8

7

5 6 7 8

ASUS TUF DASH F15 MICROSOFT SURFACE ACER CHROMEBOOK 714 LENOVO THINKBOOK

Students need to unwind, and LAPTOP 3 If you need a laptop you can 14S YOGA
playing games is perfect. The sling in your rucksack and
Asus TUF Dash F15 is a great Coming in at nearly £200 less carry around campus without Lenovo’s ThinkBook range
laptop, then, as it disproves two than its recent successor, the worrying about it breaking, then offers up some ideal student
things. First, that gaming laptops Surface 4, this incredibly thin the Acer Chromebook 714 is a laptops, and the 14S Yoga is
have to be big and bulky, or that and light laptop is a great way great choice, thanks to its sturdy one of the best, with a gorgeous
they cost a fortune. This is an to get a beautifully sleek design metal chassis. It’ll withstand the 14-inch full HD touchscreen,
affordable lightweight gaming with excellent build quality and rough and tumble student life, cutting-edge 11th-generation
laptop that can handle modern performance without it costing and its brilliant battery life will Intel processors and up to 24GB
the earth. It’s available in both of RAM, which ensures a very
titles with ease. 13.5-inch and 15-inch sizes. have you all sorted. powerful laptop to work on.

£899, currys.co.uk £795, microsoft.com £499, currys.co.uk £769, lenovo.com

AUGUS T 2021 T3 6 3

Lightweight laptops under £999 2

ADULTS

1

4
3

1 2 34

HP ENVY X360 13 ASUS ZENBOOK 13 ASUS EXPERTBOOK HP CHROMEBOOK 14
Chromebooks aren’t just great
If you’re heading back to the Asus’ ZenBook laptops are B9450
supremely stylish thin and If you’re after a light business devices for kids and students,
RIĆFH VWLOO ZRUNLQJ IURP KRPH light laptops that back some
seriously impressive specs as laptop with incredible battery they are great options for adults
RU ZRUNLQJ ćH[LEO\ WKHQ D well. This model features a new
lightweight laptop is a great 11th generation Intel Core i5 life – for under £999 – then as well. The HP Chromebook 14
choice. This offers top-notch processor, 8GB of RAM and a
512GB SSD. Its 13.3-inch screen the Asus ExpertBook B9450 offers excellent battery life and
performance, a gorgeous makes it ideal for commuting,
1080p touchscreen and a and can be had for well under is the laptop to get. Along with a great 14-inch 1080p screen;
stylish aluminium body that £999 at the moment, so it’s well
can handle knocks and bumps D VWXQQLQJ VFUHHQ ĆQJHUSULQW working on it is a joy. As far
while you commute. It’s a 2-in- worth considering. scanner and IR web cam, its as specs go, the Intel Celeron
1 device, so it can be used as a
tablet-like device as well. £649, hughes.co.uk battery life lasts a whopping 16 N3350 CPU and 4GB of RAM is

£720, johnlewis.co.uk hours on a single charge. You’ll pretty good for a Chromebook,

be able to work unplugged for a and means apps like Google

full work day – and then some. Docs works brilliantly.

£999, amazon.co.uk £240, hp.com

6 4 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Adults

6
5

8

7

5 6 7 8

ASUS CHROMEBOOK LENOVO LEGION 5 MICROSOFT SURFACE MEDION DEPUTY P10
FLIP C436F LAPTOP 4
Lenovo’s Legion range of Medion might not be a
This premium Chromebook laptops are excellent choices for Sneaking in at just under brand name with the kind of
brings a build quality and level of people who want a dependable £1,000, this Surface Laptop 4 reputation and recognition
performance that you just won’t laptop to do their work on, but is Microsoft’s best ever laptop. that Dell, HP and Lenovo have,
Featuring a 13.5-inch screen, but it makes some excellent
ĆQG LQ EXGJHW &KURPHERRNV which can also play the latest AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and 8GB of affordable laptops. The Deputy
and while it’s more expensive spectacular AAA games as RAM, not only is this a premium, P10 isn’t just well under a grand,
it’s thin and light enough to
than many of its Chrome- well. This model comes packed thin and light device that is carry around with you, and it
OS-toting rivals, it’s still a lot with some of the best modern features an Nvidia GTX 1660
cheaper than a Windows 10 components around, including LGHDO IRU JRLQJ EDFN WR WKH RIĆFH Ti GPU, Intel Core i5 processor
laptop offering the same level with, but with a huge 19 hours
of specs. It’s got a 1080p screen an RTX 3060 graphics card, of battery life, it means you can and 8GB of RAM.
and an excellent keyboard. AMD Ryzen 5 5600H CPU, use it on the move extensively.
120Hz screen and 8GB of RAM. £679, ebuyer.com
£699, johnlewis.com £999, currys.co.uk
£899, box.co.uk

AUGUS T 2021 T3 65

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TESTED

Expert reviews and recommendations
WR KHOS \RX EX\ ZLWK FRQĆGHQFH

Edited by Josh Russell

68 72 73 74 76 78

PANASONIC BEATS MICROSOFT ONEPLUS SAMSUNG HUAWEI
JZ2000 STUDIO BUDS SURFACE LAPTOP 4 NORD CE 5G HW-Q950A MATEVIEW

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 Good for the price
exactly why our Tested section exists. As well as our traditional five-star rating Very good all round
system (right), we also give out awards to An exceptional,
In here you’ll find only the latest and particularly exceptional gadgets, using the best-in-class product
hottest tech. Each product has been line-up below - so when you spot one of
handpicked and tested by T3’s experts. these, you’ll know you’re onto a good thing.

OUR AWARDS

This is given to winners of our group Only the very best products – those that
tests, so you can see which is the best
at a glance VFRUH ĆYH VWDUV å UHFHLYH RXU 3ODWLQXP
Award

AUGUS T 2021 T3 67

Tested

From £2,699
panasonic.com

Display 55, 65-inch Panel 3840x2160
120Hz OLED HDR HDR10+, Dolby Vision

Audio Dolby Atmos Smart assistants
Google Assistant, Alexa Connectivity

HDMI 2.1 x4 (eARC x1), USB x3,
Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Dimensions
1227x764x69mm / 1448x888x69mm

Weight 18.5kg / 23kg

SCREEN SUPREME

Panasonic JZ2000

A no-compromise premium 4K OLED TV that thinks it’s a movie theatre

J ust like its predecessor, functionality. This includes neat with HDMI 2.1 variable refresh rate
the much-revered side-firing enclosures to match the (VRR) and high frame rate (HFR) 4K
HZ2000, this flagship up-firing height speaker, Space Tune 120Hz both now supported. The set
TV combines auto calibration, and a whole new comes in 55-inch and 65-inch
Panasonic’s best-in-class Master level of Auto AI processing. versions, and it’s the smaller of the two
HDR OLED Professional Edition we’ve got in our test cave this month.
screen with a fully integrated Dolby Behind the glass, new chips
Atmos sound system. identify the content type you’re So is this the ultimate OLED TV?
The set builds on that, with watching so that they can optimise You know what? It very nearly may
significant improvements in sound and vision accordingly. be… Connectivity is a big step up on
Panasonic has also (finally) got game, previous Panasonic OLEDs. The HDMI

68 T3 AUGUS T 2021

BRIGHT MAGIC Panasonic JZ2000
Measuring up to 950 nits
on certain presets, this is a SMART SET
seriously bright OLED, most Trained on over a million
likely the brightest ever. No pieces of footage and audio,
longer do you have to pick this set is able to identify and
between deep blacks and upgrade different genres
in real time, for example
brilliant whites. boosting greens and crowd
noise for sporting events.

quartet on this screen divvy up 2.1 customise your own image gallery, or The JZ2000 draws textures beautifully realised, noise
functionality. There’s eARC on input 2 chill to pictures and videos from the you in with its low, colour gradations smooth and
(if you really need a soundbar), plus Lumix Club. It feels fully formed, subtle and sumptuous. The JZ2000 features the
VRR and HFR 4K 120fps compliance perhaps for the first time. QXDQFHGbLPDJHV same gloriously over-engineered
on inputs 1 and 2; so that’s where Master HDR OLED Professional
you’ll want to dock your new-gen There’s a wide range of streaming Edition panel as its predecessor, and
games consoles. All four HDMIs have apps – Netflix, Amazon Prime, it’s still stunning. This is fine
Auto Low Latency Mode game modes. Rakuten TV and BritBox among champagne in screen form.
them, but Disney+ remains
There’s also a trio of USB ports, a conspicuous by its absence, which HDR peak brightness and overall
digital optical audio output and is a disappointment. We also get zing are class leading. This OLED
Ethernet. Wireless covers Bluetooth Freeview Play, which brings with it panel doesn’t glare in the same way
and Wi-Fi, and you get Google integrated catch-up players for all Mini LED tends to, its images are
Assistant and Alexa. the mainstream TV services (BBC more subtle and nuanced, but you’re
iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My 5, UKTV drawn in regardless.
The set also offers HDMI Signal Play). The JZ2000 also supports dual
Power Link, which is apparently Bluetooth connections, which means In Normal viewing mode, we
designed to simplify living with the screen can transmit to two measured HDR peak brightness at
non-CEC supported devices such as separate Bluetooth devices more than 900 nits. That’s easily high
old digital TV boxes and disc players. simultaneously. A couple can watch enough to show off fancy HDR
a movie late at night together or have grading effects and specular
The JZ2000 heralds a huge update a co-op gaming session, on cans, highlights. With the Dynamic preset,
to Panasonic’s smart platform. If you without disturbing the kids. using a 5% measurement window, it
thought we were in for just a little hits 950 nits.
tinkering around the edges, prepare Smart zing
for a surprise: Home Screen 6.0 feels Inspired engineering delivers an
very, very different – in a good way. Let’s not beat about the box: the enhanced dynamic range, with
JZ2000 is absolutely gorgeous. Its peerless black level performance and
It builds on what we’ve seen before all-new processor, dubbed HCX Pro superb shadow detail. With this
– those customisable Home buttons AI, can take much of the credit. Final OLED you’ll have no trouble seeing
are still front and centre – but adds detail is stratospherically high, something menacing in the shadows
more layers of refinement, like My – if that’s what the cinematographer
Scenery, which allows you to

AUGUS T 2021 T3 69

Tested

GAME CHANGER
While previous generations have

been a bit lacking in gaming
features, the JZ2000 has more
than made up for this. Two of its
four HDMI 2.1 ports offer VRR
and HFR 120fps, while its input
lag is a none too shabby 14.5ms.

THICK SET
All the drivers included
need to be squeezed in
somewhere, so inevitably

this isn’t the thinnest
panel in the world,
coming in at 69mm.

intended. Fine colour tuning is The set is nice and support for HDR10+ Adaptive, which system adds stadium-like ambiance.
handled by Hollywood colourist slim – even with its dynamically adapts HDR content to Panasonic says the HCX Pro AI
Stefan Sonnenfeld, and there’s an additional speakers the lighting conditions of the viewing processor has been trained with over
authenticity to its hues which is area. Only Philips offers comparable a million pieces of content.
mesmerising. Skin tones retain HDR support.
believable tonality, even when the This smart auto pilot seems to work
rest of the frame is rich with wild The JZ2000’s big party trick is well enough for general viewing, but
visual effects. being able to determine what type of you might want to disengage it for
content is being viewed, analysing it movie night as by default it engages
The JZ2000 supports a refreshingly frame-by-frame in real time, and Intelligent Frame Creation and sets
wide range of HDR formats and comparing it to an on-board library. interpolation at maximum – which
flavours. There’s Dolby Vision IQ, It doesn’t just do this for video; audio for a smart system is pretty dumb.
which adds dynamic adjustment to gets the AI treatment too.
ambient light, Filmmaker Mode with Speaker party
Panasonic’s own Intelligent Sensing It has also been trained to
(a sensor-based auto correction recognise genres. Players in a Which brings us to that built-in
mode) and HLG Photo. There’s even stadium are given grass with a more Atmos theatre system. We’ve listened
authentic hue, while the audio to, and enjoyed, a good number of

PRO ADD-ONS

SAMSUNG HW-Q950T PHILIPS HUE PLAY GRADIENT LIGHTSTRIP XBOX SERIES X
As you’ll see on page 76, the staggering sequel Brightest OLED ever not immersive enough?
to this soundbar has just arrived. So why opt for Strap on one of these and it will bathe your *LYHQ WKHUHèV D 3DQDVRQLF VHW WKDW ĆQDOO\ RIIHUV
2020’s one? In a word: value. Price cuts have rear wall in Ambilight-style colour. The catch? a panoply of gaming features, you’ll want to pair
made this 9.1.4-channel system very affordable, Also required are the HDMI Sync box and Hue it with a latest-gen console. And what’s better
offering great Dolby Atmos for under £1,000. than the sumptuous graphics and high-octane
Bridge, adding nearly £280 to the price.
£999, samsung.com £159.99, philips-hue.com hardware of the most powerful Xbox ever?
£449.99, xbox.com

70 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Panasonic JZ2000

BREAKING NEW SOUND
With a built-in 7.1 Dolby Atmos

system, the audio it offers is
anything but meek. It comes with
additional side-firing drivers next
to the obligatory height speaker,

as well as a sub and forward
facing soundbar-style array.

novel enhancements designed to make a good mid-bass effort, and Watching a match? in the hand. As always, there’s
improve TV audio. certainly doesn’t jettison the low Grass will have a copious menu tinkering available,
frequencies. There are no satellite more authentic hue but you don’t need to deep dive.
Samsung has OTS+, with discreet speakers, nor connections for them, Everyday controls sit in a handy,
drivers peppered around its QLED so you don’t get sound from the rear, graphical bar.
panel, while Sony employs but what you do get is a thoroughly
transducers that vibrate the glass entertaining audio presentation that Panasonic’s partnership of its
itself, as part of its Acoustic Surface goes high and wide. superb Master HDR OLED Pro panel
technology initiative. with an equally accomplished AI
Meanwhile, gaming, long a weak processor produces jaw-dropping
Here, Panasonic has taken a far point for Panasonic, is no longer results. The JZ2000 delivers bright
more literal approach to cinematic treated like an afterthought. The pin-prick HDR and looks (and
sound, refining its onboard Dolby JZ2000 offers a big improvement in sounds) supremely cinematic. The
Atmos audio system with additional input lag, with latency down to only downside is the price, but we
side-firing enclosures, placed 14.5ms in Game mode (1080/60). This were expecting that.
adjacent to the rear-mounted height makes it a decent choice for players,
speaker, and it gives all its rivals a run while VFR and HFR 4K are on hand to VERDICT
for their money. keep the faithful happy.
WE’RE IMPRESSED Sophisticated picture
Providing the front soundstage is a You might think that with a whole performance; Dolby Atmos sound; 4K 120Hz.
forward facing soundbar-style array. Dolby Atmos sound system strapped
The set boasts a seven-channel sound to its back, the JZ2000 might look a WE’D IMPROVE Not every input is HFR
system, plus subwoofer, with a tad bulky. Not a bit of it. The set is ready; Auto AI not always smart; expensive.
combined output of 125W, and the stylishly slim, even with those
whole lot has been tuned by Technics, additional speakers, extending the THE LAST WORD A peerless premium
which Panasonic owns. Panasonic depth to just 69mm. There’s barely a screen. The only downside is its cost.
dubs this configuration 360° bezel to speak of, with the Technics
Soundscape Pro. speaker bar blending seamlessly. It’s Find the best deals on the Panasonic
an elegant, minimalist confection. JZ2000 at: bit.ly/t3panjz2k
When installing the JZ2000,
you’re invited to optimise audio The panel itself sits on a circular
performance using the set’s own pedestal stand, with spin to
Space Tune calibration system. This accommodate different viewing
involves the usual routine of peeps positions, while the supplied remote
and whistles. While the TV doesn’t is a heavyweight premium affair,
really have the wherewithal to with a brushed finish, that feels nice
deliver deep bass, it does at least

AUGUS T 2021 T3 71

Tested
Beats Studio Buds

£129.99
apple.com

NO MEAN BEATS

Beats
Studio
Buds

These wireless earbuds can
do it all, and cost less than
most of the competition

W ireless earbuds has become a very Beats Studio Buds can block all background noise
crowded landscape, with the best in a crowded gym or when going for a walk not
ones rapidly dropping in price while right next to traffic. The transparency mode is a
little less successful. You can certainly hear
more and more of them include ambient noise better than you would without it.
But it’s not like speech or similar important
active noise cancellation. But the Beats Studio elements really stand out – with music playing, it
can be a bit of a din.
Buds have come in aggressively, offering not just
The sound quality is probably the most
a great price and ANC, but also fast-pairing and important aspect of any pair of headphones. And,
the Beats Studio Buds are able to deliver... for the
anti-loss features. most part. The highs and mids are well balanced,
so you’re able to hear everything clearly. The
Compared to most noise-cancelling true highs are detailed without being too bright and
the mids are rich enough that you won’t feel like
wireless buds, they’re impressively small. These anything is missing.

Beats models feature a design that’s both clever However, it seems to struggle with dynamic
range when bass and mid-range are both
and usefully ergonomic. They extend away from pounding. Bass is full, and compared to some of VERDICT
the best-sounding headphones for the price, the
the ears a bit, but taper to a thinner strip – which mids will feel slightly recessed and compressed. WE’RE IMPRESSED Simple to
set up and operate; feature-rich;
is then perfect for grabbing with your fingers. It We were able to get just over five hours of
battery life with ANC on from a single charge of good sound quality and ANC.
makes them super easy to remove from the case, the buds themselves. The charging case gives you WE’D IMPROVE Only pairs
two more full charges for a total of 15 hours of use
and to position or tweak in your ears. with ANC and 24 with it off. This is a bit low, and with one device at a time;
these are the only wireless headphones in a while Transparency Mode could be
Setup is a snap with these, whether you’re on to leave us actively surprised when we couldn’t better; battery life is a bit short.
get any more juice from the case.
iPhone or Android. Instant pairing on both THE LAST WORD Really
The Beats Studio Buds are a really strong set of impressive. They come with
platforms means you just open the lid and follow earbuds. You can find options with better sound, most of the functionality of the
or better battery life and so on – but barely AirPods Pro, but also offer easy
the instructions on-screen. This is a first for Beats anything does it all so well in one package. pairing and Find My support on
$QGURLG 7KHLU ćDZV DUH PLQRU
on Android, though it’s worked this way on
Discover more great true
iPhones for a few years. wireless buds at: bit.ly/t3truwrls

The drawback is that they can only pair with

one device at a time. When paired with the

phone, it will not connect to anything else even

when the phone is off and vice versa. We’ve used

plenty of Bluetooth devices over the last few

years that could pair with multiple devices at

once without issue. It’s a slight annoyance.

One of the major features of these earbuds is

the implementation of ANC and Transparency

modes. While neither mode has blown us away,

they work well enough. When using ANC, the

72 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Tested
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

FANTASTIC 4

Microsoft
Surface Laptop 4

The Surface Laptop 4 looks great, is wonderful £999
to use, and packs plenty of power microsoft.com

T he Surface Laptop 4 covers a lot of 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Other VERDICT
bases – you could argue it’s one of configurations are available, at different price
the best lightweight laptops, best points: you can get up to an i7 Intel processor, for WE’RE IMPRESSED Choice of
example, while AMD options are also available, FRQĆJXUDWLRQV VW\OLVK SUHPLXP
student laptops, and best laptops full and the RAM goes all the way up to 32GB. GHVLJQ H[FHOOHQW /&' ,36 VFUHHQ

stop, and that’s a mark of just how well made this You’ll be pleased to know that the laptop is WE’D IMPROVE Can get
fully Windows 11 compatible too, and in our time H[SHQVLYH FKXQN\ GLVSOD\
Microsoft machine is. with the device it breezed through everything EH]HOV SURSULHWDU\ 6XUIDFH SRUW
that we asked of it: editing documents, working THE LAST WORD Another
It’s certainly hard to fault the Surface Laptop 4 with images, browsing the web (with dozens of superb laptop from Microsoft.
tabs open at a time), and even some light gaming. *LYH WKLV D VHULRXV ORRN LI \RX
in terms of its design and visual appeal – the The 11th-gen Intel chips do come with integrated want a stylish Windows laptop
Iris Xe graphics that can play less demanding that can go just about anywhere
aesthetics here are top-notch. There are only so games at reasonable resolutions and frame rates. and do almost anything.

many ways to design a laptop of course, but that Microsoft reckons you can get about 17 hours Find great prices for the Surface
of battery life out of this laptop with ‘typical /DSWRS DW ELW O\ W VXUćS
said we do like what Microsoft has done here: device usage’, which might be a bit on the
optimistic side. In our tests, two hours of video A U G U S T 2021 T3 73
there’s a premium fit and finish all round, and watching – albeit at maximum display brightness
– drained the battery by 16% on average,
that extends to the display hinge, which feels suggesting around 12-13 hours in total.

solid and reliable. At the time of writing, the base model can be
yours for £999/$999 – and more advanced
Our review unit came with a 13.5-inch, 2,256 models (like our review model) will cost you
significantly more than that. But that’s not a bad
x 1,504 pixel IPS LCD screen, which is sharp, price for what you get: Microsoft has neither
underpriced nor overpriced this device.
bright and vibrant – just about everything you
In our time with the Surface Laptop 4 we were
could want, even if it doesn’t quite reach the deep very impressed with both the performance of the
laptop and how it felt to use. For a well-priced
blacks and contrast levels you get with OLED. We Windows laptop that can do just about everything
well, apart from the most demanding tasks, this
also like the 3:2 aspect ratio, which means you is absolutely one of the best options out there.

can see more of a document or a website at one

time. If we did have a quibble, the bezels are a

little on the thick side for 2021, but it’s fine really.

In terms of ports, there’s not a great selection,

though it’s fairly standard for a laptop of this size

and weight: you get one USB-C port, one USB-A

port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the Surface

Connect port that Microsoft likes to put on its

laptops. That proprietary port does rather limit

you in terms of chargers and other accessories,

but it’s not something that’s a huge drawback.

Our Surface Laptop 4 review unit came with

an 11th-gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, plus

Tested Screen 6.43-inch 2400x1080
90Hz AMOLED OS Android 11
74 T3 AUGUS T 2021 CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G
5G GPU Adreno 619 RAM 8GB/12GB
Storage 128GB/256GB Battery 4500mAh
Cameras 64MP/8MP/2MP rear; 16MP
front Connectivity Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1,
5G, USB-C Dimensions 159.2x73.5x7.9mm

Weight 170g

BUDGET BANGER

OnePlus
Nord CE 5G

Taking on the affordable
phone market, the Nord CE
5G is capable but cuts corners

T he marketplace for cheap
and mid-range phones is
growing. Not everyone is

keen to spend upwards of

£800 on a phone they’ll only keep for a

couple of years, and you don’t need to

spend loads to get a decent handset.

After the success of the OnePlus Nord

last year, the manufacturer is back

with a new version.

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G, or Core

Edition, is a more stripped-back

handset than the original. It has a

plastic casing as opposed to the Gorilla

Glass on the Nord. The CE also only has

three rear camera lenses, down from

four, as well as a single 16MP front

camera. Both have a similar-sized FHD

screen and a similar processor, and the

new model actually has a bigger battery.

From £299 It’s seriously slim and super light,
oneplus.com
weighing just 170g. That makes it easy

to use one-handed, and perfect for

anyone who prefers a smaller phone.

Available in three colours – Blue Void,

Charcoal Ink and Silver Ray – the

plastic casing has a matte finish and

doesn’t seem to pick up fingerprint

marks very easily.

Unlike a lot of phones, you still get

the 3.5mm headphone jack on the

frame, sitting next to a USB-C

charging port. In terms of buttons,

the OnePlus Nord CE 5G keeps things

simple; there’s just the power button

OnePlus Nord CE 5G

and two volume controls. OnePlus they’re slightly better than other This is one slim and quite as nice to use as pure Android,
has removed its trademark slider, handsets at this price. super light phone, but it’s not that far off. You get all the
which is a shame because it was usual Google apps pre-installed, and
something that made its phones just A mid-range chipset, the easy to use happily OnePlus hasn’t filled it up
a little bit different from the rest. Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G, powers one-handed with loads you’ll just delete. For
the Nord CE 5G, and with it comes version 11, OnePlus has improved the
A 6.43-inch edge-to-edge 5G so you’ll get the fastest internet Dark Mode and Zen Mode, while a
AMOLED display stretches across the speeds possible if your area supports new always-on display means the
front of the phone. It has a resolution it. You can choose between 8GB screen wakes when you pick it up.
of 2400 x 1080 and a 90Hz refresh rate RAM/128GB storage and 12GB
– not much has changed from the RAM/256GB storage – there’s no If you’re on a budget, this phone
OnePlus Nord, but it didn’t really MicroSD card slot to expand storage, doesn’t make too many compromises.
need to. It feels sleek and smooth to but you can fit dual SIMs. It takes a bit of a hit in performance,
tap, swipe and scroll on, and HDR10+ but it’s really nothing dramatic and
support means you’ll get a good Day-to-day, the handset coped the phone will be able to cope with
experience streaming video from well with most tasks and even everyday tasks like texting and social
the likes of Amazon Prime Video. handled some mobile gaming. You media. Anyone who wants to spend a
have to expect some shortcomings bit less, needs a reliable battery and
Altered images when it comes to performance; it wants a decent display should
sometimes suffered from a little lag, definitely add this to their shortlist.
A three-lens camera system sits on but most won’t even notice. Falling
the back of the phone, with a 64MP slightly behind the OnePlus Nord in VERDICT
main lens, an 8MP ultrawide lens and its Geekbench 5 scores, the Nord CE
a 2MP mono lens. Photos taken on a 5G got 440 in single-core and 1,775 in WE’RE IMPRESSED Impressive
bright sunny day came out looking multi-core. Hardly super-speedy, battery life; 90Hz refresh rate;
well-balanced, bright and colourful. but that’s about the same as other
Look a little closer and you’ll see they similarly priced phones. Packing a easy to use one-handed.
lack some finer detail, and actually large 4,500 mAh battery means that WE’D IMPROVE Performance
slightly exaggerate colour too. It’s you’ll get loads of juice from each
hardly going to rival the leaders of the charge, easily lasting the whole day. is merely average; no
pack, the OnePlus 9 series, but the ZDWHUSURRĆQJ SODVWLF GHVLJQ
quality of point-and-shoot images is The phone runs OxygenOS 11, THE LAST WORD Not quite
fine for a cheap smartphone. In fact, based on Android 11, so the software the standout phone that the
feels smooth and intuitive. It’s not
original Nord was, but it is
iPHONE SE THE ALTERNATIVES cheaper. Anyone on a budget
ZKR ZDQWVbDbVPDOO OLJKW SKRQH
Simply the best cheap phone SAMSUNG S20 FE with decent battery life and good
in the world. That’s because display will be happy with this.
We’re stretching ‘affordable’
LW GHOLYHUV D QHDU ćDJVKLS here but the S20 FE’s higher Discover more great affordable
iPhone experience but does phones at: bit.ly/t3bgtphn
so for a fraction of the cost. SULFH LV HQWLUHO\ MXVWLĆHG
Indeed, the SE is so cheap whether that’s by its buttery
that it rings up for under half smooth 120Hz display, top
tier chipset and decent
WKDW RI WKH ćDJVKLS L3KRQH camera. All in all, a solid
From £399, apple.com mid-range phone.
From £599, samsung.com

AUGUS T 2021 T3 75

Tested

Drivers 11.1.4 Connectivity HDMI x2,
(eARC x1), Optical In, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Dimensions 1232x69.5x138mm main,
125x203x141mm rear, 210x403x403mm sub
Weight 7.1kg main, 1.8kg rear, 9.8kg sub

£1,599
samsung.com

AUDIO ATTACK

Samsung HW-Q950A

Enjoy the ultimate Dolby Atmos soundbar experience with the
audacious audio of this 11.1.4-channel monster

D o you want a home cinema separates system from a package that 2020’s Samsung HW-Q950T to an
upgrade that is a total also delivers the practical living space unprecedented 11.1.4. Impressive.
beast, and will bring you advantages of a soundbar (ie, it’s
smaller and simpler to set up). How Fresh out of the box the main
the most complete and does it achieve this? By combining a soundbar looks clean, minimalistic
huge 616W of output power with a and serious thanks to its excellent
impactful Dolby Atmos 3D effect we’ve variety of tried and tested wide- build quality, metallic corners and
dispersion speaker technologies and felt-covered main section. It is pretty
heard from anything to date? Then this an exceptional number of real (as much unchanged from that of the
opposed to virtual) audio channels. Q950T. There are still seven main
top of the pile soundbar could be just The Q950A increases the channel drivers (front centre, front left, front
count from the already massive 9.1.4 of right, side left, side right and two
what you need. up-firers for delivering Dolby Atmos/

Samsung’s ambition with its latest

flagship soundbar – as with its

predecessors – is to deliver the sort of

audio performance associated with a

76 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Samsung HW-Q950A

DTS:X height effects) squeezed inside you won’t find on the Q950A’s The main soundbar room from the soundbar’s narrow
an impressively slim and compact box. predecessor: support for Apple Airplay is powerful, physical start point is impressive.
2, and Samsung’s Active Voice detailed and
And as you would expect the Amplifier technology. If the latter is dynamic The subwoofer churns out superb
soundbar supports Bluetooth and active and the soundbar detects a loud amounts of deep, rich bass. The
Wi-Fi, as well as carrying two HDMI ambient noise (such as a vacuum excellent dynamic range of the main
inputs, an HDMI output with eARC cleaner) for more than three seconds, soundbar means the subwoofer
support, and an optical digital audio the soundbar volume is increased and doesn’t sound detached from the rest
output. The HDMI loopthrough the sound profile is adjusted. of the sound mix either.
supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+, as
well as the basic HDR10 system, while Sound of mettle As usual with Samsung soundbars,
the eARC support means it can receive the Q950A is more at home as a movie
lossless Dolby Atmos/DTS:X passed Happily, the extra drivers immediately player than a music player. Regular
through from eARC-compatible TVs. make their presence felt. The stereo plays with plenty of power and
Keeping the slim and compact distinctive Dolby Atmos/DTS:X ‘dome’ detail, and there’s a good sense of scale
soundbar company is a wireless of sound appears strikingly more and between speaker ‘space’. But the
subwoofer that boasts a meaty 8-inch complete. And, given that the rear presentation feels slightly more
side-firing driver despite being slim speakers are the main reason for muscular than musical.
enough to tuck out of the way at the stepping up to a Q950A from
end of a sofa or under a sideboard. Plus, Samsung’s cheaper models, the There is no doubt, though, that the
you get a couple of impressively enhanced rear soundstage actually HW-Q950A is another outstanding
compact wireless rear speakers, which makes the new model feel better value high-end soundbar from Samsung.
accommodate the two extra channels than previous flagship models.
in the form of new side-firing drivers. VERDICT
The main soundbar is
While impressive in many areas, phenomenally powerful, detailed, WE’RE IMPRESSED Hugely
flagship Samsung soundbars have dynamic and aggressive. Effects are powerful sound; uniquely
been criticised for not supporting any well positioned vertically or complete 3D soundstage;
auto-calibration tools. The Q950A, horizontally. Impact sounds hit harder
though, mildly changes this courtesy than they do with any rival soundbar Q-Symphony on Samsung TVs.
of its SoundFit+ system. Still no full we’ve heard to date. Vocals are crystal WE’D IMPROVE Better for
standalone auto-calibration system. clear, realistic and gently lifted. And movies than music; no full
But there are two new features that the way the sound expands to fill your auto-calibration system; very
premium price.
THE ALTERNATIVES THE LAST WORD Combines
the power and precision of a
LG SN11RG B&O BEOSOUND STAGE
high-quality separates system
Only those with a screen over 65 inches can likely Not everybody wants to erect a mini-Stonehenge in with the compact form factor of
handle this bar but with its big size and big price their living room. Fortunately, the Stage gives you
11 drivers sans all the boxes, superb sound and a a soundbar – it’s spectacular.
FRPHV D VLPLODUO\ KXJH VRXQG ,W DOVR RIIHUV ĆQH seriously stylish package.
spatial positioning, twin HDMI inputs and easy setup. £1,349, bang-olufsen.com Find the best deals on the HW-
£999, lg.com Q950A at: bit.ly/t3hwq950a

AUGUS T 2021 T3 7 7

Tested
Huawei MateView

£599.99
huawei.com

DISPLAYMATE

Huawei
MateView

A slim and minimalist 4K
monitor with some really
clever features

W hen you hear the name Huawei, as much as a wired connection will, and you’ll
monitors aren’t the first thing that only be able to project in 2K resolution.
come to mind. Huawei is trying to
The wired connectivity includes a USB-C
change that with its new flagship which supports data transfer and 65W charging
to keep your devices topped up, two USB-A 3.0,
monitor, offering ultra high definition in a an HDMI 2.0, Mini DisplayPort and a 3.5mm
headset and microphone 2-in-1 jack, all of which
modern, minimalist package. are located on the side of the stand, making them
very easily accessible.
A 28.2-inch IPS monitor with a seriously sleek
The Huawei MateView has a resolution of 3840
design, the Huawei MateView will fit in well with x 2560 with 1.07 billion colours and 98% DCI-P3
colour gamut, covering 100% sRGB. That’s really
modern, minimalist decor. A screen-to-body impressive: creators will rejoice over the level of
colour accuracy and depth, although admittedly
ratio of 94% means the display is almost the clarity could be improved on. The 500-nit
peak brightness is plenty to bring out every inch
bezel-free. The aluminium square stand and base of detail and the screen also has a matte coating
so can be seen even in bright light.
are coated in matte silver, giving it a smart and VERDICT
For anyone who will spend hours upon hours
elegant aesthetic. It’s really good looking. looking at the display, it has an Eye Comfort WE’RE IMPRESSED Large
mode with TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light and screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio;
Something that makes it a little bit different is Flicker-Free certification, which adds more of a plenty of ways to connect; Smart
yellow tinge to the screen. Without it, a screen
the 3:2 aspect ratio, which you don’t see too headache could slowly start to creep in. Bar touch controls.
WE’D IMPROVE Doesn’t swivel
often. We like it as it means there’s plenty of Anyone who cares about the aesthetic of their or rotate; can’t wirelessly project
home office will love the Huawei MateView’s
screen space for working on – you can see your minimalist, slim build. There’s detailed image in 4K; limited display settings.
quality with loads of depth and plenty of ways to THE LAST WORD 28.2 inches
entire project or document laid out in front of you connect, even if there is only one USB-C port. It of stunning 4K, packing in clever
is a little on the pricey side, and without a Huawei features like wireless projection.
without everything looking small. smartphone you won’t be able to make the most +XDZHLèV ĆUVW ćDJVKLS PRQLWRU LV
out of all of its features, but despite that this one of the most elegant-looking
You can adjust the height and tilt of the screen; monitor has plenty to offer to professionals.
screens you can buy.
there’s no swivel or rotation, though. On the
Discover more great 4K
bottom of the frame you’ll find the Smart Bar, monitors at: bit.ly/t34kmon

which is used to adjust the display’s settings

using touch controls. Slide your finger along it to

navigate the menus and tap to confirm your

choice. One thing to note is that the display

offers very limited display settings in

comparison to other monitors.

Sitting on the base is an NFC connection point

if you have a compatible Huawei smartphone. It

lets you really easily project your screen onto the

monitor. You can also wirelessly project from a

Windows PC although it won’t deliver on speed

78 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Best of the best

INSIDE

BEST OF Smartphones 80
THE BEST Cheap smartphones 80
Smartwatches 80
The world’s best tech, all in one place Hybrid smartwatches 81
Watches 81
If you’re looking for the very best tech available ULJKW PL[ RI IHDWXUHV DQG EXGJHW IRU ZKDW \RX QHHG Watches under £1,000 81
7KHVH UDQNLQJV FRPH IURP UHDO WHVWLQJ E\ RXU WHDP TVs 82
WRGD\ \RXèYH GHĆQLWHO\ FRPH WR WKH ULJKW SODFH RI H[SHUWV å WKH\èUH WKH SURGXFWV ZHèG FKRRVH IRU TVs under £1,000 82
%HVW RI WKH %HVW LV WKH PRVW XVHIXO JDGJHW RXUVHOYHV DQG ZH FDQèW UHFRPPHQG DQ\ KLJKHU Projectors 82
WKDQ WKDW Gaming TVs 83
EX\LQJ JXLGH \RX ZLOO HYHU HQFRXQWHU 7R FUHDWH LW Games consoles 83
we’ve extensively tested the best tech the world Look for the links above each category Soundbars 83
Turntables 84
KDV WR RIIHU WR EULQJ \RX URFN VROLG WKDW WDNH \RX WR WKH VDPH OLVW SOXV PRUH EH\RQG Streaming DACs 84
UHFRPPHQGDWLRQV IRU \RXU KRPH OLIH GDLO\ WKH WRS IRXU DQG PDQ\ PRUH FDWHJRULHV DW T3.com, Multi-room speakers 84
FRPPXWH DQG WKH WHFK \RX XVH DOO WKH WLPH ZKHUH RXU SULFH FRPSDULVRQ V\VWHP VKRZV \RX WKH Bluetooth speakers 85
FXUUHQW EHVW GHDOV IRU HYHU\ SURGXFW Bluetooth headphones 85
,Q GLIIHUHQW FDWHJRULHV ZHèYH FKRVHQ WKH WRS True wireless headphones 85
IRXU SURGXFWV VR \RX FDQ FKRRVH RQH WKDWèV MXVW WKH 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
Coffee machines 95
Fridges 95
Ovens 95
Electric shavers 96
Electric toothbrushes 96
Beard trimmers 96
Fitness trackers 97
Running watches 97
Running headphones 97

A U G U S T 2021 T3 79

Best of the best

SMARTPHONES CHEAP SMARTWATCHES
SMARTPHONES
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestphone Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestsmartwatch
t3.com/bestcheapphone
APPLE iPHONE 12 APPLE WATCH SERIES 6
iPHONE SE (2020)
From £799, apple.com From £379, apple.com
Apple has outdone From £420, apple.com Series 6 adds a
itself. 5G has been $ QHDU ćDJVKLS SXOVHbR[\JHQ VHQVRU
added, the CPU has iPhone experience to its health systems,
more power than for a fraction of makes its always-on
you’re ever going the cost. The SE is display 2.5 times
to need, and the under half the cost brighter, steps up to
dual-lens rear camera of the iPhone 12, WKH QHZ 6 &38 bDQG
system can take and for that reason throws in all the
spectacular photos in it demands attention QHZbIHDWXUHV RI
any kind of light. IURP DQ\bSURVSHFWLYH watchOS 7.
phone upgrader.

ONEPLUS 9 PRO ONEPLUS NORD SAMSUNG GALAXY

From £829, oneplus.com From £379, oneplus.com WATCH ACTIVE2
Very much an A fantastic mid-
evolution of the ranger, with a From £269, samsung.com
OnePlus 8 Pro, with Snapdragon 765G Sleek and powerful,
a similar design and processor, at least this is the best
iterative specs bump 8GB of RAM and smartwatch for
for this year, the 128GB of storage, Android users. The
OnePlus 9 Pro has and 5G. That’s not to screen and design
doubled down on mention the sharp, are on par with the
the camera. And the bright 6.44-inch Apple Watch, while
results are excellent. AMOLED display. a collection of new
watch faces give it

DbPRGHUQ HGJH

iPHONE SE (2020) SAMSUNG GALAXY S20 FE SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH 3

From £420, apple.com From £699, samsung.com From £399, samsung.com
Apple’s iPhone SE The best core S20 The Galaxy Watch 3
(2020) handset has functionality, along comes in two sizes,
taken this year by with 5G, but at a and with a very good
storm, the hot new more affordable battery life. It’s the
handset winning price point, this is innovative rotating
acclaim worldwide actually nothing like bezel that is the star
with its balance of a budget handset, as here, though, as it is,
features, quality and it is still loaded with without doubt, the
performance for a premium hardware best way to control
very attractive price. and features.
DbVPDUWZDWFK

SAMSUNG GALAXY XIAOMI MI 10T LITE APPLE WATCH SE

S21 ULTRA From £249, xiaomi.com From £269, apple.com
There’s a lot of Despite being
From £1,149, samsung.com handset for your the ‘affordable’
Not only the best money here. smartwatch from
phone Samsung has Decent battery life, Apple, the SE is fast
ever made, but the respectable specs and comfortable
(including 6GB of ZLWKbD FOHDU VFUHHQ
ĆUVW 6 VHULHV KDQGVHW RAM) and a quad- (no always-on
that comes with lens rear camera GLVSOD\bWKRXJK DQG
digital stylus support. excellent health and
From its massive DUHbVWDQGDUG SOXV ĆWQHVV IHDWXUHV
screen to the quad *bFRQQHFWLYLW\
camera, this is a 5-star
beast in every way.

8 0 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Best of the best

HYBRID WATCHES WATCHES
SMARTWATCHES UNDER £1,000
Find the lowest prices at:
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestwatch Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/besthybrid t3.com/bestwatchunder1k
HUBLOT BIG BANG INTEGRAL
WITHINGS STEEL HR SPORT CHRISTOPHER WARD
£17,300, hublot.com C60 SAPPHIRE
£190, withings.com 7KH ĆUVW %LJ %DQJ
Featuring a heart- WRbIHDWXUH DQ £795, christopherward.com
rate monitor and the integrated bracelet Striking, bold designs
ability to track 30 åbWKLV ZDWFK KDV EHHQ UHDOO\ VHW WKLV %ULWLVK
different exercises, GHVLJQHG WR ćRZ brand apart from its
this is ideal for seamlessly from the more conventional
ĆWQHVV IDQDWLFV ,WèV FDVH WR WKH FODVS 6ZLVV ULYDOV 7KH EHVW
water resistant to Available in black example of this is
50 metres, and the ceramic, King Gold the C60 Sapphire,
battery lasts around RUbWLWDQLXP which features a see-
GD\V through dial made
IURP VDSSKLUH FU\VWDO

FOSSIL HYBRID SMARTWATCH HR TUDOR BLACK BAY VICTORINOX I.N.O.X
FIFTY-EIGHT
£129, fossil.com £459, victorinox.com
£2,760, tudorwatch.com +DYLQJ XQGHUJRQH
This timepiece Named after the 130 durability
features activity and year in which Tudor WHVWV bWKLV ZDWFK
sleep tracking, plus ZLOObVWDQG XS WR
app and call alerts, UHOHDVHG LWV ĆUVW anything you throw
time zones, and DW LW 7KH SDUDFRUG
buttons to control GLYHUèV ZDWFK WKLV strap hints at its
comes in a new adventurous heritage,
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WITHINGS MOVE ECG OMEGA SEAMASTER DIVER HAMILTON KHAKI FIELD
300M 007 EDITION
£129, withings.com £375, hamiltonwatch.com
Think a pricey Apple £7,390, omegawatches.com This is a faithful
Watch is needed to This stylish recreation of its
take an ECG reading original 1960s
of your heart? This 6HDPDVWHUbPDGH forebear and is
can do that, plus from Grade 2 WUXHbWR +DPLOWRQèV
activity tracking and Titanium will be PLOLWDU\ KHULWDJH
sleep monitoring, strapped to the wrist 7KHb PP VWDLQOHVV
of 007 in 1Rb7LPH steel case is paired
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WITHINGS SCANWATCH JAEGER-LECOULTRE MASTER TAG HEUER FORMULA 1 QUARTZ
CONTROL DATE
£269, withings.com MENS WATCH
:LWKLQJVè ODWHVW £6,000, jaeger-lecoultre.com
hybrid is also its Featuring a calibre £895, tagheuer.com
smartest, packing with a 70-hour This F1 timepiece
a huge amount of features a steel case
KHDOWKbDQG ĆWQHVV SRZHUbUHVHUYH D with sapphire crystal
tracking tech into a new 40mm double- protecting the legible
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XS WR PHWUHV
DW LWV ĆQHVW

AUGUS T 2021 T3 81

Best of the best

TVs TVs UNDER PROJECTORS
£1,000
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/besttv Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestprojector
t3.com/besttv1000
SAMSUNG 75QN900A
LG OLED55BX ACER V7850
£7,999, samsung.com
A master of SD, 8K £999, lg.com £1,699, acer.com
and everything in
between, this isn’t The best for the Acer really hit the
OLED but has so budget. The LG BX sweet spot here:
many dimming zones gives you everything
you’ll swear it is. This that’s great about VPDOObHQRXJK WR ĆW
is an outstanding TV, OLED TVs, and LG’s on a coffee table,
ready for anything image processing whisper-quiet in
today or tomorrow operation, and yet
can offer. PDNHV . ORRN still produces a
expertly detailed, and
brings HD up to a EULJKW bFULVS +'5 .
picture of 70 to 110
QHDU . VWDQGDUG inches (at 3.5m).

SAMSUNG 65QN95A SONY KD-55XH9005 OPTOMA UHD40

£2,999, samsung.com £899, sony.com £999, optoma.co.uk

7KH ćDJVKLS . PRGHO Some other TVs . UHVROXWLRQ DQG
from Samsung’s 2021 HDR in a projector
PD\bEHDW LW IRU LPDJH for this price is hard
UDQJH LV DOVR WKH ĆUVW quality in certain to beat. It doesn’t
to use the new Neo areas, but nothing quite have the pop
QLED Mini-LED gives you this quality and HDR richness of
display tech, and the of picture at this more expensive sets,
results are utterly size with such great but it’s way beyond
incredible, beating technical features HD projectors at the
even the OLED TVs same price.
we’ve seen so far. WRbPDNH VXUH LWèV
future-proof.

LG OLED65G1 SONY KD-49XH9505 OPTOMA UHZ65
£2,999, lg.com
£999, sony.com £3,499, optoma.co.uk
This is aimed right
7KH ĆUVW 79 ZLWK D 6RQ\èV ćDJVKLS /(' at the proper AV
brighter, next-gen enthusiast, but
version of OLED that . 79 IRU laser projection at
consumes less power. packs in all kinds of this price makes it
That means the G1 is advanced technology worth it for anyone.
around 20% brighter and processing for
than previous OLED supreme picture . +'5bYLGHR LV
TVs, giving broader quality. Somehow, supremely rich, and
and more striking it can hit 120 inches
HDR than ever. WKH LQFK PRGHO
IURP MXVW P
LVbDYDLODEOH IRU OHVV
than a grand.

LG OLED65C1 SAMSUNG QE55Q70T EPSON EH-TW6700W
£2,499, lg.com
£999, samsung.com £999, epson.co.uk
The Q70T sits in
The C1 is LG’s mid- a real sweet-spot If you’re happy with
range OLED, and in Samsung’s TV Full HD resolution,
while it may lack a few range. Pictures from this is the best option,
of the G1’s features, partly thanks to a
it has everything . VRXUFHV DUH super-easy setup
you need. It’s a very outstanding: vivid- process. The image
capable set, especially yet-natural colours, quality is good, you
when paired with the strong contrasts, just don’t get the
new consoles, and the lavish detail levels
picture is top-notch. IXWXUH SURRĆQJ RI
DQGbVPRRWK PRWLRQ
+'5 DQG .

82 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Best of the best

GAMING TVs GAMES SOUNDBARS
CONSOLES
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestgamingtv Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestsoundbar
t3.com/gaming
LG G1 SAMSUNG HW-Q950A
PLAYSTATION 5
£2,999 lg.com £1,599, samsung.com
£449, playstation.com Delivering over
A next-gen screen Look beyond the 600W of power
that’s brighter while big, bold design. from 22 different
keeping OLED’s deep This console offers drivers, this really
black levels. Four powerful next-gen brings the cinema
HDMI 2.1 ports are hardware, backwards experience home, yet
ready for 4K 120Hz, compatibility, an still retains all the
and there’s support excellent DualSense size and convenience
for Nvidia G-Sync controller with haptic advantages of owning
and AMD Freesync feedback and truly a soundbar.
Premium too. stunning graphics.

LG CX MICROSOFT XBOX SERIES X SONY HT-G700
£1,500, lg.com
£449.99, xbox.com £450, sony.com

A gaming dream Microsoft has nailed This soundbar and
that’s packed with it. This is a console wireless subwoofer
features ready for that delivers massive include Sony’s
the PlayStation 5 and amounts of power and
Xbox Series X. LG’s performance. Because IDQFLHVWbSURFHVVLQJ
best OLED panel to of its raw pixel- to make the three
date mixes with low pushing prowess, it’s a drivers seem like
input lag and 120fps superb base for a new they’re giving you
4K, with a variable generation of jaw- sound coming
refresh rate too. dropping experiences.
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SAMSUNG QN95A NINTENDO SWITCH SAMSUNG HW-Q800A

£2,200, samsung.com £279, nintendo.com £800, samsung.com
If price is no object, We love the Switch, Our top mid-range
go for the best. This which brings soundbar right now
TV’s new Mini-LED Nintendo’s great strikes just the right
tech means bright gaming pedigree to balance between
HDR performance, genuinely stylish, being a big audio
premium-grade upgrade, being useful
ZLWK ĆQH FRQWURO RI hardware. Forget with most TVs, and a
local dimming. You good price. It’s a hard
also get a special WKHbVSHFV LWèV DOO target to hit, and the
menu dedicated to its about the sheer Samsung excels.
gaming features.
MR\bRIbJDPLQJ

SONY XH90 MICROSOFT XBOX SERIES S YAMAHA SR-C20A
£800, sony.com
£249.99, xbox.com £229, yamaha.com

This is one of two TVs Stylish, affordable, The audio quality
branded as ‘Ready easy to set up and here is excellent for
for PS5’ by Sony, taps into the very the price, adding so
which means it has a slick Xbox ecosystem much more balance,
fast response time, seamlessly. It does clarity and depth than
and supports 4K at have limited storage a budget TV speaker
120fps over HDMI space out of the box could ever hope to
inputs. It’s also one of though, and can’t play produce, with really
the best-looking TVs current or previous impressive width and
for its price. gen games on disc. stereo positioning.

AUGUS T 2021 T3 83

Best of the best

TURNTABLES STREAMING DACs MULTI-ROOM
SPEAKERS
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestturntable t3.com/bestdac Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestmultiroom
PRO-JECT ESSENTIAL III SONOS PORT
NAIM MU-SO
£250, project-audio.com £399, sonos.com 2ND GENERATION
Really sounds great
for the money, with A great streamer, £1,300, naimaudio.com
an expansive and especially if you 0X 6R FUXVKHV
enjoyable sound already own a Sonos its competition. An
across a range of speaker. It has an awesome, thumping
genres and volume analogue input and wall of sound and
levels. It also looks output, as well as reliable, versatile
very pleasing, in streaming to any software platform
a variety of high Sonos speaker, so DQGbVWUHDPLQJ
JORVVbĆQLVKHV you can plug in support make for the
perfect 21st-century
\RXUbWXUQWDEOH music experience.

TECHNICS SL-1200GR YAMAHA WXAD-10 SONOS ONE

£1,199, technics.com £120, yamaha.co.uk £199, sonos.co.uk
With rock solid build This Yamaha lets you
quality, easy set-up, stream everything Sonos One is
immense bass, and a from Bluetooth compatible with
hugely exciting and to hi-res audio, every music service
involving sound, this with support for ever, multi-room
is much more than AirPlay, most of your connectivity is fab,
just a DJ deck. There favourite streaming and Alexa comes
are few turntables services and, of
that are more course Yamaha’s EXLOWbLQ DV DQ DGGHG
enjoyable to own.
RZQb0XVLF&DVW ERQXV 0DQ\ SULFLHU
Sonos speakers then
await you…

PRO-JECT PRIMARY E IFI XDSD RUARK R5

£179, project-audio.com e LĆ DXGLR FRP £1,000, ruarkaudio.com
Pro-ject’s entry-level This dinky little Like a mini system
player is the record combined Bluetooth for the 21st century,
player stripped down receiver, DAC and Ruark’s R5 chucks in
to its most basic form. headphone amp a CD player, DAB and
Everything comes supports AAC and
pre-adjusted and pre- aptX and sounds )0 UDGLRV DQG WZR
installed, so it’s ready really superb. It has extra inputs, including
to go right out of the a battery, and can be one pre-amped for
box with the perfect used with earphones use with a turntable.
tracking force. as well as speakers. There’s even
Bluetooth too.

ELIPSON CHROMA AUDIOLAB 6000N AUDIO PRO ADDON C10 MKII
CARBON RIAA BT
£449, audiolab.co.uk £359, audiopro.com
£699, elipson.com Probably impractical Audio Pro makes
if you don’t have a speakers that cater to
Elipson’s top-line every type of music
turntable pulls KL Ć VWDFN EXW ZLWK and the Audio Pro
support for audio up
GRZQbDbORW RI IHDWXUHV to 192Khz/24-bit, $GGRQ & 0.,,
from the truly high its sound quality is is no different. It’s
end. You get a noticeably better energetic, loud and
super-stiff carbon than the Sonos and three-dimensional,
Yamaha streamers showing off every
ĆEUH WRQHbDUP DQG further up the list. detail of the track.
new digital belt drive
motor, plus AptX
Bluetooth and USB.

8 4 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Best of the best

BLUETOOTH BLUETOOTH TRUE WIRELESS
SPEAKERS HEADPHONES HEADPHONES

Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestbluetooth t3.com/bestwireless t3.com/besttruewireless

KANTO TUK AUDIO-TECHNICA SONY WF-1000XM4
ATH-M50XBT
£749, kantoaudio.com £225, sony.co.uk
A stereo pair of £179, audio-technica.com
attractive, compact /RQJ EDWWHU\ OLIH DQG The latest version of
bookshelf speakers. sound that’s closer
The left-hand to the more neutral 6RQ\èV KLJK HQG EXGV
one contains the WRQHV RI KL Ć FDQV has slimmed down
connections and WKRXJK VWLOO ZLWK
DACs and Class D VOLJKW H[WUD NLFN LQ VL]H DQG ZHLJKW
'bDPSOLĆHUV DQG RI EDVV SOXV JUHDW but improved on
WKHbULJKW RQH LV D comfort levels, make battery life, boosted
wired slave. WKHVH LGHDO IRU ORVLQJ audio quality and
yourself in music. polished their noise
cancellation. That’s

TXLWH WKH XSJUDGH

SONOS MOVE AKG Y400 BOWERS & WILKINS PI7
£399, sonos.com
£110, uk.akg.com £349, bowerswilkins.com
Some of the very best
A Sonos speaker These AKGs are wireless earbuds.
that’s been 7KH\ KDYH H[FHSWLRQDO
PLQLPDOLVW DQG OLJKW sound, but there are
UXJJHGLVHG DQG KDG D but still feel solidly no compromises here.
battery and Bluetooth built and comfortable. (YHU\WKLQJ DERXW WKH
added, so you can They offer impressive DXGLR LV H[DFWO\ ZKDW
use it anywhere. you want, and you’ll
Clever software VFDOH H[FHOOHQW GHWDLO love to wear them day
automatically and a very naturalistic in, day out.
optimises the sound attitude towards
to its location. the whole of the

IUHTXHQF\ UDQJH

ULTIMATE EARS OPTOMA NUFORCE CAMBRIDGE AUDIO MELOMANIA 1+
MEGABOOM 3 BE SPORT 4
£120, cambridgeaudio.com
£169, ultimateears.com £100, optoma.co.uk +LJK HQG VRXQG IRU
The best waterproof a pretty incredible
speaker – it even 'HVLJQHG IRU WKH price. With drivers
J\P b\RX PLJKW made of miracle
ćRDWV å RIIHUV think these wouldn’t VXEVWDQFH JUDSKHQH
hours of battery life the Melomania 1+ are
and a hefty sound VRXQGbYHU\ JRRG XQLIRUPO\ H[FHOOHQW
that’s perfect for But you would be And their battery life
outdoor parties. incorrect. They’re LV DOVR ULJKW XS WKHUH
very musical with with the very best.
,W ZRUNV JUHDWbIRU
kitchen audio ZHOO ZHLJKWHG
EDVV DQG H[FHOOHQW
GXWLHV bWRR QRLVHbLVRODWLRQ

BLUESOUND PULSE SOUNDMAGIC S20BT MASTER & DYNAMIC MW08

FLEX 2I £40, soundmagicheadphones.com £279, masterdynamic.co.uk
Truly impressive buds. 8VLQJ FXVWRP PP
£299, bluesound.com Connectivity is rock Beryllium drivers,
More than a solid, and Bluetooth the MW08s are very
Bluetooth speaker, 5.0 means that clearly focused on
with Wi-Fi and they’re futureproofed. GHOLYHULQJ KLJK HQG
Ethernet included 25 hours of battery audio performance,
which is precisely
WKLVbLV PRUH OLNH D OLIH LV DOVR JUHDW IRU what these stylish
portable Sonos. It’s the price. A well- buds do for 12 hours
AirPlay 2 compatible, made, effective and RQ D FKDUJH
and works with
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VWUHDPLQJ VHUYLFHV
and internet radio.

AUGUS T 2021 T3 85

Best of the best

NOISE-CANCELLING WIRED IN-EAR WIRED OVER-EAR
HEADPHONES HEADPHONES HEADPHONES

Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestnoisecancelling t3.com/bestinear t3.com/bestoverear

SONY WH-1000XM4 MEZE AUDIO RAI SOLO FOCAL CLEAR MG

£349, sony.co.uk £179, mezeaudio.com £1,399, focal.com
With a single-driver
Nailed it. Light, with design capable of Simply sumptuous,
broad, soft ear cups excellent dynamic
and a remarkably range, these can pull ZLWK VRIW PLFURĆEUH
comfortable from a deep well on the earpads and
headband, these of bass as well as a headband that you
offer best-in-class shimmering treble. can sink into; then
noise cancellation comes the rich, warm
with great sound, $bZHOO SULFHG XQIXVV\ sound to totally
rich bass and a lively and great-sounding lose yourself inside.
approach to music. pair of headphones. They’re just fantastic
in that regard.

BOWERS & WILKINS PX7 KLIPSCH T5M WIRED GRADO SR325E

£275, bowers-wilkins.co.uk £65, klipsch.com £399, gradolabs.com
A bit dull-looking, When you factor
EXWbWKH DXGLR TXDOLW\ 7KH ĆWWLQJ LV XQXVXDO just how good these
and noise cancelling but nonetheless sound, they’re a
are extremely immediately felt bargain. In a quiet
FORVHbWRbWKDW RI WKH comfortable and room, they sound as
Sonys. B&W’s usual good as headphones
exciting, but well VROLG b7KH DXGLR LV
balanced, sound boosted, primped WKDW FRVW ĆYH WLPHV
meets excellent and pop-friendly, more. They’re among
QRLVHbFDQFHOOLQJ with plenty of bass the leakiest we’ve
and a very lively and tried, however.
engaging sound.

SHURE AONIC 50 FLARE AUDIO AUDIO TECHNICA

£359, shure.co.uk FLARES JET 3 ATH-A1000Z

The sound quality e ćDUHDXGLR FRP £439, audiotechnica.com
Maintaining the Forget about MP3s
RIbWKH $RQLF quality of the Flares or EDM: these
should have purists Pro (see Bluetooth headphones don’t
purring. There isn’t headphones),
an excess of bass removing the DAC ćDWWHU RU VDFULĆFH
and it delivers all element and thereby sound quality for
slashing the price, bass. But if you give
WKHbVSDUNOLQJ GHWDLO these audiophile in- them a good amp
and painstaking ear headphones are a
accuracy you tremendous option. DQGbD JRRG VRXQG
source they do
FRXOGbZDQW incredible things.

BOSE NOISE CANCELLING SOUNDMAGIC E11C AKG K52
HEADPHONES 700 £25, akg.com
£49, soundmagicheadphones.com
£299, bose.com Can we really be
recommending a pair
Close rivals to the of headphones for These have absolutely
Sony and B&W XQGHU e " <HV ZH no right to sound
options above, they’re can! The grown-up half as good as they
less exciting, but also sound quality and do. For at-home
very easy to listen exemplary comfort listening they offer a
to for hours on end. RIbWKH F PDNH massive soundstage,
If you are easy like WKHPbWKH VRQLF impressive balance
Sunday morning, bargain of the year. and a frankly
maybe these are ludicrous amount of
detail for the dosh.
\RXUbEDELHV

86 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Best of the best

LAPTOPS 2-IN-1 TABLETS
LAPTOPS
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestlaptop Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/besttablet
t3.com/best2in1
APPLE iPAD AIR (2020)
APPLE MACBOOK AIR (M1, 2020) ASUS ZENBOOK FLIP 13
From £479, apple.com
£999, apple.com £800, asus.com Technically the iPad
$LU EXW PRUH
Apple’s cheapest The Zenbook Flip like the latest iPad
laptop is a revolution. 13 might be the best 3UR ZLWK VRPH RI
Think thin and light laptop Asus has ever the ‘pro’ features
laptops have to released. Tooled up removed. Apple Pencil
VXSSRUW LV KHUH
VDFULĆFH SRZHU" 1RW ZLWK DQ HLJKWK JHQ WKRXJK DQG WKHUHèV D
any more. This is the smart connector for
,QWHO &RUH SURFHVVRU DbNH\ERDUG WRR
EHVW RI DOO ZRUOGV the tablet mode feels

ZLWK DQ HLJKW FRUH 0 JUHDW WR XVH WKDQNV
to a responsive
&38 DV SRZHUIXO DV touchscreen.
those in gaming PCs.

ASUS VIVOBOOK S15 MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 3 APPLE iPAD PRO 12.9 (2021)

£899, asus.com £1,439, microsoft.com From £969, apple.com
3XOO WKH VFUHHQ DZD\ $SSOH VKRZLQJ RII
This slim and super from the keyboard 7KH QHZ PLQL /('
light laptop hits a and it’s a tablet. screen is simply the
Connect them best display in any
ZRQGHUIXO VZHHW for more graphics WDEOHW DQG WKH 0
spot. With an Intel SRZHUbDQG EDWWHU\ processor inside
OLIH $ SUHPLXP is stunningly fast.
&RUH L *% RI IDQWDVWLFDOO\ SRUWDEOH It’s ridiculously
5$0 D *% 66' and supremely RYHUSRZHUHG IRU
and a touchscreen versatile system. most people.

6FUHHQ3DG LW
UHSUHVHQWV ZRQGHUIXO
PLG UDQJH YDOXH

DELL XPS 13 (9310) SAMSUNG GALAXY APPLE iPAD 10.2 (2020)
BOOK PRO 360
£1,194, dell.com From £349, apple.com
£1,199, samsung.com $ ZKROH ORW RI $SSOH
The Dell XPS 13 Unlike some other tablet for not much
LVbWKLQQHU DQG PRUH PRQH\ LW RIIHUV $SSOH
SRZHUIXO WKDQ HYHU LQ V WKLV GRHVQèW Pencil support and
Up to 1TB of SSD IHHO DZNZDUG WR XVH the latest iPadOS
VWRUDJH *% RI LQ WDEOHW PRGH ZKLFK VRIWZDUH 3HUIHFW LI
5$0 D . VFUHHQ is super responsive \RX ZDQW WRS WDEOHW
DQGbIDVW WK and feels lovely to performance and you
generation Intel chips don’t have lots to
KHOS PDNH LW D WRS XVH ZLWK WKH VW\OXV spend on it.
TXDOLW\ DOO URXQGHU IRU TXLFN VNHWFKHV RU
QRWH WDNLQJ ZLWK WKH
LQFOXGHG 6 SHQ

LG GRAM 17 (2021) MICROSOFT SURFACE GO 2 SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S7 PLUS

£1,549, lg.com £519, microsoft.com £699, samsung.com
An Android
/DUJH EXW OLJKW WKH %XLOGV RQ ZKDW PDGH SRZHUKRXVH WKDW QRW
Gram 17 is incredibly the original Surface RQO\ JRHV WRH WR
portable yet has WRH ZLWK WKH L3DG
*R VR JRRG DGGLQJ Pro in terms of
VWURQJ FRUH KDUGZDUH D PRUH SUHPLXP SHUIRUPDQFH EXW
feeling design and a does so in terms of
VSHFV EDFNHG XS ZLWK small specs bump to VW\OH DQG EXLOG TXDOLW\
an impressive battery make sure you can too – this thing is only
5.7mm thick!
OLIH TXDOLW\ NH\ERDUG SRZHU WKURXJK DOO
your computing tasks
DQG IRU D ODSWRS JRRG
audio too. It’s perfect ZLWK QR GLIĆFXOW\
for professionals.

AUGUS T 2021 T3 87

Best of the best

GAMING GAMING 4K
LAPTOPS HEADSETS MONITORS

Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestgaming t3.com/bestheadset t3.com/best4kmonitor

ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS G14 STEELSERIES ARCTIS 7P PHILIPS BRILLIANCE 328P
WIRELESS
£1,099, asus.com £420, philips.co.uk
£160, steelseries.com
A game-changer that This is an impressive A plucky display
delivers buckets of piece of kit, delivering sporting an
performance despite an excellent audio impressive HDR 600
being compact H[SHULHQFH IRU 36
and light. It does DQG 36 $ 86% & UDWLQJ DQG D
this thanks to its dongle makes it quick x 2,160 resolution.
use of AMD’s hot to set up and means it It’s also shockingly
will also work with a affordable, when you
QHZ 5\]HQb&38V 3& 1LQWHQGR 6ZLWFK
and Nvidia’s RTX or Android phone. FRQVLGHU LWèV D

b*38 LQFK GLVSOD\ ZLWK .
and HDR support.

MSI GS66 STEALTH LUCIDSOUND LS50X EIZO COLOREDGE CG319X

£1,500, msi.com £249, lucidsound.com £3,989, eizoglobal.com
A hugely impressive
An astonishingly new entry as we (TXLSSHG ZLWK D UDIW
powerful gaming enter the era of the of high-end features,
laptop with up to a next-gen consoles, this screen is ideal
10th-generation Intel with an all-round for high-end photo
package – style, and video work, as
&RUH L DQG 1YLGLD setup, audio – that’s well as general usage
GeForce RTX 3080 and gaming. Serious
YHU\ GLIĆFXOW WR EHDW hardware commands
*38 7KLV LV QRW D %XLOG TXDOLW\ LV ĆUVW a serious premium
cheap laptop, but it rate too. price, however.
delivers incredible
performance.

ACER NITRO 5 ASUS ROG DELTA S SAMSUNG U28E590D

£750, acer.com £190, asus.com £279, samsung.com
Delivers a super-fast
A lower spec is A very impressive 1ms response time,
headset that will 170-degree viewing
UHćHFWHG LQ WKH angles and a 1000:1
ORZHUbSULFH :LWK ZRUNbZLWK MXVW contrast ratio. You
D &RUH *% RI about any device. don’t get quite as
5$0 *% 190( Audio quality is of much size as other
66' SOXV D 7% KDUG the highest order models, but it cuts
drive and a Nvidia whether you’re very few corners
GeForce GTX 1660 rocking out or hitting its low price.

7L *% LWèV VWLOO D WDNLQJbSDUW LQ LQWHQVH
SRWHQWbSHUIRUPHU gaming sessions.

GIGABYTE AORUS 15G STEELSERIES ARCTIS 7X WIRELESS PHILIPS BRILLIANCE 329P1H

RTX 30 SERIES £90, steelseries.com £816, philips.co.uk
The Xbox version of
£1,799, gigabyte.com our favourite headset $ JUHDW . PRQLWRU
Nvidia GeForce RTX delivers really strong for professionals,
performance, with delivering a 32-inch
VHULHV *38V KDYH nuanced audio
arrived on laptops, reproduction across 8OWUD +' ,36 SDQHO
and this is one of the soundscape, with integrated
a comfortable
WKH ĆUVW WR WDNH design, and a quality ZHEFDP :LQGRZV
advantage: if you Hello integration and
want the very best &OHDU&DVW PLF
graphics capabilities, 86% & FRQQHFWLYLW\
then this is very much but no advanced
worth checking out. gaming features.

8 8 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Best of the best

DRONES ACTION CHEAP ACTION
CAMERAS CAMERAS
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestdrone Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestactioncam t3.com/bestcheapaction

DJI AIR 2S GOPRO HERO9 BLACK GOPRO HERO7 WHITE

£899, dji.com £429, gopro.com £179, gopro.com

A sensational camera A bigger sensor The wallet-friendly
drone. Despite being (23.6MP), means Hero7 White
lightweight and very
portable, this foldable WKLVbFDP FDQ VKRRW ERUURZVbSUHPLXP
drone packs some 5K/30 video and features from the
incredible onboard 20MP stills, and Hero7 Black. Ideal for
tech, including a youget a welcome part-time adrenaline
1-inch CMOS sensor 30% battery boost junkies needing a
that enables you to over the Hero8. simple HD camera
capture 5.4K video. There’s a front that shoots YouTube-
ready footage.
VFUHHQbWRR

DJI MINI 2 GOPRO HERO8 BLACK AKASKO BRAVE 7 LE
£419, dji.com
£279, gopro.com e DNDVRWHFK FRP
The Brave 7 LE
The perfect quality This recent GoPro ĆWVbQLFHO\bLQ WKH
camera-carrying has goodies SDOPbRI \RXUbKDQG
drone for the masses, everywhere. Four While its headline
this titchy bird is so virtual lenses get feature is a front-
small when folded you facing screen, it
can hide it behind an \RX WKH LGHDO ĆHOG DOVRbVSRUWV D QXPEHU
iPhone. The camera of view for what of features only
is 4K spec, and video you’re shooting, usually found on
transmission distance and next-gen video fancier models.
jumps to 10km.
VWDELOLVDWLRQ NHHSVbLW
stable and crisp.

DJI MAVIC 2 PRO GOPRO HERO7 BLACK AKASO BRAVE 7

£1,120, dji.com £250, gopro.com e DNDVRWHFK FRP
Able to record 4K
This pro-spec drone The waterproof at 30fps (the image
is almost impossible Hero7 Black makes stabilisation isn’t up
to crash, and has a capturing pro-looking to much, however).
stunning three-axis shots easier, thanks It’s waterproof to
gimbal-mounted to HyperSmooth 10m, has a 2-inch
Hasselblad camera. electronic rear touchscreen, and
As rock solid and stabilisation. 4K comes with a remote
image quality is as well as supporting
FRQĆGHQFH LQVSLULQJ excellent, and there’s voice controls.
as we’ve come to like slick 60fps recording.
and expect.

DJI MAVIC AIR 2 OCLU ACTION CAMERA OLFI ONE.FIVE BLACK (2ND GEN)

£769, dji.com £215, oclu.com e ROĆFDPHUD FRP
A bulging bag of
Everything about this Bucking tradition, bangs for a relatively
drone shouts BUY this has a top- small number of
ME. The camera is mounted screen and bucks. It can shoot
a cracker capable in 4K, take 15MP
of shooting 4K D ZLGH ORZ SURĆOH photos, is waterproof
footage at 60fps, body perfect for to 30m, can record
while a completely mounting beneath a at 120fps, and has
redesigned controller skateboard. Three- a wealth of other
is another major button operation, an premium features.
improvement. ultrawide lens and 4K
30fps round it out.

AUGUS T 2021 T3 89

Best of the best

DSLR MIRRORLESS COMPACT
CAMERAS CAMERAS CAMERAS

Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestdslr t3.com/bestmirrorless t3.com/bestcompact

NIKON D780 NIKON Z50 SONY RX100 VII

£2,199, nikon.com £849, nikon.co.uk £1,099, sony.co.uk

The D780 is, in many All the best bits For the best image
ways, a Nikon Z6 quality in a pocket-
(mirrorless) camera IURPbWKH = UDQJH friendly body, look
inside a larger DSLR shrunk into a more here. The RX100 VII
body. Thanks to this, affordable package. continues t o build on
we’ve got room for A smaller (APS-C) Sony’s reputation for
dual memory card 20.9MP sensor high-quality premium
slots and a lot more means a smaller compacts, and does
direct control dials overall body, ideal so without breaking
and buttons. the bank.
IRUbWUDYHO DQG
everyday shots.

NIKON D850 FUJIFILM X-T3 FUJIFILM X100V

£3,299, nikon.co.uk e IXMLĆOP FR XN An APS-C sensor e IXMLĆOP FR XN
With a high- means you don’t A beautifully retro
resolution 45.4 have to lug around design mixed with
megapixel sensor, heavy lenses and a host of advanced
4K video capture, accessories but features, this, like
a 153-point AF still leaves you with LWVbSUHGHFHVVRUV
system, and a sturdy cracking image sports a DSLR-sized
body, you’ll never be quality. The X-T3 has (APS-C) sensor,
impressive 4K video ZKLFKbLV SDLUHG ZLWK
GLVDSSRLQWHGbZLWK capabilities too. Db PP I Ć[HG
what the D850 can length lens.
create for you.

CANON EOS 90D NIKON Z5 SONY ZV1
£699, sony.com
£1,249, canon.co.uk £1,719, nikon.co.uk
A mid-range model If you’re looking for Quite possibly
that packs a lot of the ideal vlogging
power for its price. \RXU ĆUVW IXOO IUDPH camera, with 4K video
You get a 32.5 camera, the Z5 recording, a vari-angle
megapixel sensor, 3-inch touchscreen
uncropped 4K video PDNHVbD ORW RI VHQVH and the ability to
recording, and an You get a 24MP use an external
full-frame sensor, microphone. It can
RSWLFDO YLHZĆQGHU WKDW shoot the occasional
offers a 100% view of D QLFHO\bHUJRQRPLF still image too.
the scene. body design and
excellent electronic

YLHZĆQGHU WRR

NIKON D500 CANON EOS RP PANASONIC TZ200

£1,699, nikon.co.uk £1,299, canon.co.uk £629, panasonic.com
This solidly built Excellent full-frame This might be
camera is the image quality, the ideal travel
but with a few companion, with a
SHUIHFWbFKRLFH IRU versatile zoom lens
those who like to GUDZEDFNV bVXFK
shoot a little bit of as a low frame rate XSbWR [ DQG D
everything, thanks to (5fps). There’s also fantastic one-inch
a brilliant autofocus the annoying problem sensor that captures
system and glorious of there still being bright, sharp images.
image quality from its scant native RF It’s also stylish and
20MP sensor. pocket-friendly.
OHQVHVbDYDLODEOH

9 0 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Best of the best

SAT-NAVS DASH CAMS ELECTRIC
BIKES
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestsatnav t3.com/bestdashcam Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestebike
TOMTOM GO DISCOVER NEXTBASE 622GW
CANYON ROADLITE:ON
£279, tomtom.com £250, nextbase.com
The latest dash £2,799, canyon.com
A straightforward FDPbIURP 1H[WEDVH A great example
navigation device boasts much- of how electric
without fancy improved video bicycles have evolved
features. It is quality, improved in recent years.
ultimately about stabilisation and Mainly because it
utility, not fancy the inclusion of feels, handles and
tricks, and there’s some rather clever largely looks like a
no doubt TomTom What3Words normal bike, but with
delivers excellent geolocation services. electrical assistance
usability here. to keep you moving.

TOMTOM GO PREMIUM GARMIN DASH CAM 66W VANMOOF S3

£290, tomtom.com £169, garmin.com £1,789, vanmoof.com
This Dutch hipster
This state-of-the-art This fantastic little brand has taken
sat nav links with cam earns its place the S2, which was
IFTTT, so you can on this list with good excellent, and made it
connect to home image quality, extra better. It’s a sturdily
devices, interact features including built thing, you can
with personal digital GPS and speed get up to 20mph on
assistants, get camera warnings, and
an attractive design. WKH ćDW ZLWK PLQLPDO
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share location and 180° angle.
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GARMIN DRIVESMART THINKWARE F800 PRO GTECH EBIKE CITY
61 LMT-S
£249, thinkware.com £995, gtech.co.uk
£209, garmin.com With an almost
This sleek sat-nav invisible design, Way cheaper and
time-lapse recording simpler than most
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match its style, mode, this is a good RIbWKH ELNHV KHUH
stealthy option DQGbGHVSLWH EHLQJ
ZLWKbDbELJ GLVSOD\ if you’re worried years old now, it’s

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and maps (for or theft than your HELNH \RXbFDQ
Europe) and useful fellow drivers. buy, and ideal for
points of interest beginners or those
information courtesy
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TOMTOM GO 6200 NEXTBASE 522GW BROMPTON ELECTRIC

£299, tomtom.com £149, nextbase.com £2,595, brompton.com
Ebikes aren’t just
Packed with good 7KH ĆUVW GDVK FDP about tech. They
available in the UK should be fun too.
IHDWXUHVbEXW QHYHU with Alexa built- The Brompton
in, this also has is a hoot, and if
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Google and Siri features that will there’s no better:
support, this is a alert the emergency LW PXQFKHVbPLOHV
really good mobile services of a crash. It and then folds to an
companion too. The also crisply masters incredibly tiny size.
price includes lifetime the basics.
updates via Wi-Fi for
most features.

AUGUS T 2021 T3 91

Best of the best

SMART SMART BULBS SMART
SPEAKERS THERMOSTATS
Find the lowest prices at:
Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestbulb Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestsmart t3.com/bestthermostat
PHILIPS HUE
AMAZON ECHO SHOW 10 NEST THERMOSTAT E
From £59, philips-hue.com
£239.99, amazon.co.uk Hue dominates the £180, nest.com/uk
The most smart lighting sector
comprehensive Alexa for good reason: it’s This cheaper
smart speaker to date, a superb system with
capable of doing lots, the widest range of 1HVWbPRGHO
and with a unique bulbs and a simple,
trick: its large screen useful app. Rivals may GRHVQèW ĆWbDV PXFK
rotates to follow you be cheaper but they information on its
around the room, so can’t compete with screen and doesn’t
that you can always Hue’s variety. feel as premium,
see it clearly. but that’s it. Same
algorithm, same Alexa
and Google Home
compatibility.

AMAZON ECHO 4TH GEN LIFX TADO SMART THERMOSTAT

£139, amazon.co.uk From £19, lifx.com £99, tado.com
Bigger than the
previous model, it has If you fancy a Hue Tado is very sociable:
beefed up speakers system but don’t want it works with 95%
and features, while to spend so much,
the Zigbee smart LIFX has a strong RIbWKH V\VWHPV RXW
home functionality product range and
that used to be part integrates with your WKHUH ,WèV ćH[LEOH
of the Echo Plus only favourite personal clever and supports
has been moved into digital assistant. a wide range of
the standard Echo. Philips still wins, accessories too.

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GOOGLE NEST HUB MAX NANOLEAF ESSENTIALS NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT

£219, store.google.com From £18, nanoleaf.me £220, nest.com/uk
Winner of our 2020 A line of bargain-
T3 award as the priced bulbs and Nest made smart
best smart speaker OLJKWbVWULSV WKDW thermostats sexy
for doing absolutely support Thread, and this third-gen
everything. You get DQbXSFRPLQJ SURWRFRO model looks great.
a crisp 10in screen, a a bit like Zigbee. It’s simple to use with
We love the faceted good Google Home
VSHDNHU WKDW FDQ ĆOO look, but they’re only and Amazon Echo
a room, a front available in E27 or integration, but a
camera and of course % ĆWWLQJV tad pricey, especially

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APPLE HOMEPOD MINI IKEA TRÅDFRI HIVE HEATING CONTROL

£99, apple.com From £13, ikea.com £179, hivehome.com
Ikea’s Zigbee- Imagine: British Gas
A quality little speaker compatible system in ‘exciting’ shocker.
with the ability to doesn’t have the Hive is great: it’s
act as a HomeKit range of Hue, but affordable, works
hub to control smart if you prize control well, and is part of a
home devices – and over colour options larger smart home
even support for it’s stellar value for system that includes
money and has some bulbs and security
QHZ VPDUWbSURWRFRO great controllers options. This is an
Thread. The slickest
phone-to-speaker DQGbGLPPHUV LGHDO ZD\ WR MXPS LQ
experience there is.

92 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Best of the best

SMART PLUGS SECURITY ROBOT
CAMERAS VACUUMS
Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestplug Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at:
t3.com/bestsecurity t3.com/bestrobotvac
TP-LINK KASA MINI KP105
ARLO ESSENTIAL ROBOROCK S6 MAXV
£19, kasasmart.com SPOTLIGHT CAMERA
A reliable smart £599, roborock.com
SOXJbWKDW GRHVQèW £130, arlo.com 7KLV URERW YDF KDV
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HIVE ACTIVE PLUG ARLO PRO 3 EUFY BOOSTIQ ROBOVAC 30C

£39, hivehome.com £550 (two cameras), arlo.com £270, eufylife.com
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TP-LINK KASA SMART WI-FI RING STICK UP CAM iROBOT ROOMBA I7+
POWER STRIP KP303
£180, en-uk.ring.com £1,199, irobot.co.uk
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AMAZON EUFYCAM 2C IROBOT ROOMBA S9+
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AUGUS T 2021 T3 93

Best of the best

CORDLESS WASHING DISHWASHERS
VACUUMS MACHINES
Find the lowest prices at:
Find the lowest prices at: Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/bestdishwasher
t3.com/bestcordlessvac t3.com/bestwashing
BOSCH SMS67MW00G
DYSON V15 DETECT ABSOLUTE AEG 9000 SERIES L9FEC966R
£629, bosch-home.co.uk
£599.99, dyson.co.uk £899, aeg.co.uk $ WRS QRWFK
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SAMSUNG JET 90 PRO HISENSE WFQY1014EVJM BOSCH SERIE 2 SMS24AW01G

£600, samsung.com £349, hisense.com £329, bosch-home.co.uk
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VAX ONEPWR BLADE 4 BOSCH SERIE 8 WAX32GH4GB MIELE G7310 SCI

£220, vax.co.uk £849, bosch-home.co.uk £1,019, miele.co.uk
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DYSON V11 ABSOLUTE INDESIT MY TIME EWD81483WUKN BOSCH SERIE 4 SPS4HKW45G

£599, dyson.co.uk £229, indesit.co.uk £439, bosch-home.co.uk
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94 T3 AUGUS T 2021

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/bestfridge t3.com/bestoven

t3.com/bestcoffee MIELE K 28202 D WS NEFF N 70 B57CR22N0B

SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL £875, miele.co.uk £789, neff.co.uk
THE ORACLE TOUCH
If you have the The unique Slide and
£1,999, sageappliances.com spondoolicks and Hide door is brilliant,
The Oracle Touch the touchscreen is
looks like a barista- FP RI VSDFH ZLWK handy and the oven’s
operated machine, no cupboards above, no slouch: it enables
it produces coffee this cooler should be you to cook multiple
like one, yet all the top of your list. Its
clever stuff – dosing, clever cooling keeps GLVKHV ZLWKRXW WKDW
tamping, extraction, foodstuffs fresh unfortunate cross-
milk texturing, is done contamination from
for you. Not cheap – ZLWKRXW KXPLGLW\ DQG
but amazing. it’s cavernous. VWURQJ ćDYRXUV

DELONGHI LA RUSSELL HOBBS RHTTLF1 ZANUSSI ZOD35660XK
SPECIALISTA EC9335.M
£75, russellhobbs.com £399, zanussi.co.uk
£720, delonghi.com This A+ rated, 43-litre
Solidly built using counter-top fridge This electric double
is perfect for studio
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stainless steel ćDWV EHGVLWV VWXGHQW if you’re looking for
and good quality digs and mobile plenty of cooking
homes. For its size, capacity and some
SODVWLFV bWKLV this dinky chiller really useful features
provides surprisingly on top, like even
ORRNV MXVWbOLNH D ample estate for heat distribution,
small version of a
professional café PRVWbVROR QHHGV DXWRPDWLF VZLWFK RII
espresso machine. and a bright display.
Dynamite coffee too.

SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL LIEBHERR TP 1760 PREMIUM MIELE H7164BP
BARISTA TOUCH
£489, home.leibherr.com £1,300, miele.co.uk
£999, sageappliances.com Arguably the only
Cheaper, faster A+++ rated under- Reliable and easy to
counter model on operate, this model
DQG ZLWK EHWWHU the UK market.
frothed milk than Despite its diminutive FRPHV ZLWK SOHQW\
exterior, inside it’s of features that are
WKHb2UDFOH bWKLV PD\ like the Albert Hall, going to appeal – like
be the better buy for its Moisture Plus tech
most unless being D FKLOOHG 7DUGLV ZLWK for getting perfect
unable to make WZR VHSDUDWH VDODG ‘bake off’ results. You
YHJ GUDZHUV can even control it
FRIIHH bDQG VWHDP from your phone.
PLONbDW WKH VDPH WLPH
is a deal breaker.

GAGGIA VELASCA BOSCH SERIE 2 CLASSIXX BOSCH SERIE 8 HBG634BS1B
KSV29NW3PG
£479, gaggiadirect.com £729, bosch-home.co.uk
The espresso and £643, bosch-home.co.uk A great all-rounder,
lungo that the Looking for a mid-
9HODVFDbPDNHV sized larder fridge ZLWK D GHGLFDWHG SL]]D
DUH DVbJRRG DV that doesn’t cost cooking function, this
anything you can the Earth, provides is easy to use, easy
buy in most coffee to clean, and has a
shops. It produces a SOHQW\bRI IRRG simple touch display.
reassuringly old- A fan constantly
fashioned, intense VWRUDJHbVSDFH FRROV circles heat around
ćDYRXU IRU \RXU EUHZ quickly and is cheap the interior for
to run? Consider this
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made Bosch.

AUGUS T 2021 T3 95

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ELECTRIC ELECTRIC BEARD
SHAVERS TOOTHBRUSHES 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
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almost equally pressure, motion and Designed primarily
coverage up to 100
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is slightly better on adapting the intensity scaping, it whips away
whiskers without any
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VQDJV RU SXOOV

PHILIPS SERIES ORAL-B IO9 PHILIPS ONEBLADE PRO
9000 PRESTIGE
£500, oralb.co.uk £50, philips.co.uk
£300, philips.co.uk

The second best 7KH 553 IRU WKH L2 7KH EHVW WULPPHU IRU
shaver has a silly Series 9 is ridiculous, those with sensitive
RRP (£430!) but is skin, this uses
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at actually cleaning
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sensitive skin, mows also very stylish, with
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BRAUN SERIES 7 PHILIPS SONICARE BRAUN BEARD TRIMMER 7
70-N7200CC DIAMONDCLEAN SONIC

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PHILIPS SERIES ORAL-B PRO 2 2500 PANASONIC I-SHAPER
9000 S9211/31 ER-GD60
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96 T3 AUGUS T 2021

Best of the best

FITNESS RUNNING RUNNING
TRACKERS WATCHES HEADPHONES

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t3.com/bestfitness t3.com/bestrunningwatch t3.com/bestrunningphones

FITBIT CHARGE 4 GARMIN FORERUNNER BEATS POWERBEATS PRO
245 MUSIC
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AUGUS T 2021 T3 97

LUXURIES
Exclusive gifts to
seriously spoil yourself

A STON M A RTIN VA L H A L L A

With a limited run of just 150, most of us are unlikely to ever sit
behind the wheel of the Aston Martin Valkyrie, the brand’s

limited-run hypercar promising an F1 experience in a street legal
road car. However, with the Valhalla, the premium automotive
brand has packaged up much of what makes the Valkyrie so

extraordinary in a mid-engine supercar more suitable for everyday
driving. Its innovative gasoline/battery electric powertrain

combines a 4.0-litre Mercedes-AMG M178 LS2 twin-turbocharged
V8 engine with a 150kW/400V battery hybrid system that drives
the front axle in EV mode or both axles in other modes. While not

hitting the absurd 1,160hp of its older sibling, this 1,000hp
powertain can still push it to ridiculous speeds, topping out at

217mph and accelerating from 62mph in just 2.5 seconds.
)DVWbGRHV QRW HYHQ FRYHU LW
£TBC, astonmartin.com

NEXT ISSUE IS ON SALE WEDNESDAY 1 SEPTEMBER

101 gadgets you can’t live without!

98 T3 AUGUS T 2021



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