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100 June 2016

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Google's singing
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Welcome
A symbol of stoic resistance, the grand old daddy of
the civilised society hasnt changed much in over half
a century. Sure, like every modern technological
commodity, it has become bigger and thinner, but the rules
of engagement remain the same. A bunch of channels to
choose from and tinny, tiny sound. But ladies and gentlemen, its time to
wake up to 2016 and embrace the Future of TV. Page 39 onwards, we
show you how you can regain control of the idiot box and make it
smarter, sweeter and in tune with our online times.
As predicted, the attack of the Chinese phones is real and visceral.
Even Apple is facing the heat in the lower end of the spectrum, thanks
to brands like Xiaomi, Oppo and Creo, all of which are laid bare on our
testing table in this issue for you to inspect, on p73, p75 and p77
respectively. The gadget scene is hotting up just like the summer wave
and it promises to have the temperatures soaring even further in the
upcoming quarter. We cant wait for the big guns to show off their
arsenal, but until then, get a big bite of this action-packed edition.
Nishant Padhiar, Editor / nishant@haymarketsac.com / twitter.com/nishantpadhiar

OUR LOGOS
EXPLAINED...
The bearer of this
accolade has gone up
against its peer(s) and
emerged victorious.

T
TES ER
NN
I
W

A gadget sporting
this badge is a five-star
product, and the one we
would buy, if we were us.

T
HO
Y
BU

...and a word about prices

Generally, we show the
manufacturers recommended
price. Two exceptions:
Asterisk marked prices (*)
are indicative prices and
subject to change depending
on geographic location.
All prices in the Top 10s are
the best we could find at the
time of printing.
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P Vijayakumar (South)
Asst. Manager
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Sr. Executive Circulation
Ashok More
Executive Circulation
Yogesh Sanap,
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Circulation Coordinator
Rajesh Salian
Manager Subscription
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Accounts
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Contact
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3

I DROVE UP
A MOUNTAIN

The Jeep Grand Cherokee (p76)

spares no efforts in making you
keenly aware of the fact that it's a
supremely capable SUV. Driving to a
mountain top was almost effortless, with enough
space in the boot to fit in the butler, an icebox and a
BBQ unit (not that we have a butler, but if we did,
he'd fit right in). But before that, I happened to have
a riot onboard the Aprilia Tuono V4R 1100 Factory
superbike (p74). It's one of those rare machines that
scream in your ears to push harder as you bank on a
long, sweeping corner clocking 220kmph!
Yatish Suvarna, Deputy Editor

I STREAMED MY
HEART OUT

I must admit, my retinas have

been scorched more by YouTube
than cable lately. The selection of
content and the number of ads
I'm bombarded with are far easier to live with.
But the focus has shifted from the tiny screens
around me to my large flatscreen. You'll see why
in our Google Chromecast test (p62). Not that
my telly was silly, but the new streamer has
made it a certified smartie. My speakers have
also been webified thanks to Chromecast Audio.
Everything's so in sync, I'm going to cry.
Farhan Kapadia, Editor, stuff.tv/in

OUR MONTH

Bikes, watches and too much telly: how we spent May

MY MUM SCOLDED
ME FOR WATCHING
TOO MUCH TELLY

Having worked on the Cover

Feature this month, I can now
truly be called the master of all
things television. Want to become a master like
me, but without all the toil? Turn to p39. But
that's not all. I still had time to get other work
done on what happens to be my first product
from the current Make in India movement
the Smartron t.book (p70). Patriotic as that
may be, there's no escaping the Chinese
invasion and the extra-slippery Xiaomi Mi5
(p73) made my hands feel like butter. Flip
through and have fun reading all about 'em.
Kaizad Billimoria, Senior Correspondent

I SIMPLY COULDN'T
GET USED TO
CHARGING A WATCH

Im not surprised that

smartwatches are stuck on the
fringes of gadget stardom. You
pay as much as for a real watch, and are stuck
with something thatll be outdated in a year or
two. And has to be plugged in every couple of
days. But Ill concede that an affordable
smartwatch might make sense. Thats where
the Asus Zenwatch 2 comes in (p28). But if
youd rather spend your cash on a smartphone,
I also tested a couple of desi, as-Indian-astandoori-chicken options for you: the Micromax
Canvas 6 (p30) and the Creo Mark 1 (p77).
Vaibhav Sharma, Editor-Special Projects

Making Stuff up
Deputy Editor
Yatish Suvarna
Features Editor
Nisha Khot
Senior Correspondent
Kaizad Billimoria
Editor, Stuff.tv/in
Farhan Kapadia
Staff Writer
Shanth Swaroop
Editor Special Projects
Vaibhav Sharma
Content Editor
Steve D'Souza
Colouring Stuff in
Deputy Art Editor
Kritika Dayal
Senior Designer
Sahaya Johnson,
Sukhdeep Singh
Marketing
Sr. Manager
Kunal Marjadi
Executive
Jayson Lobo
Advertising
Group Head
Harvinder Pal Singh
Chief Manager
Amjad Khan
Regional Head
Amit Ahlawat (North)
Managers
Kanika Sood (Delhi),
Nackeeran (Chennai),
Ashok Kumar (Bengaluru)
Asst. Managers
Ratan Deb (Mumbai)
Advertising Coordinator
Sonal Jain
Keeping Stuff in order
Global Editor-In-Chief
Guy Cocker
International Director
Alastair Lewis
Head of Partner Development,
Europe & ROW
David Ryan
david.ryan@haymarket.com
Head of Partner
Development, Asia
Lisa Vernall
lisa.vernall@haymarket.com
Partner Account Manager
Luc Higham
luc.higham@hotmail.com
Partner Account Manager
Giuseppe Messina
giuseppe.messina@
haymarket.com
Managing Director
David Prasher
Chief Operating Officer
Brian Freeman
Chief Executive Kevin Costello
Chairman Rupert Heseltine
Email us
stuff@haymarketsac.com
Call
022-2378 7500, 2378 7400
Raheja Xion, 4th/5th Floor,
Opp Nirmal Park,
Dr B Ambedkar Marg,
Byculla (East),
Mumbai 400 027

Haymarket is certified by BSI to environmental

standard ISO14001 and energy management
standard ISO50001.

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BenQs home cinema projectors

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CinemaMaster takes your viewing experience up a notch

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Stay home on the weekend!

Yeah, with BenQs CinemaMaster
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CONTEntS
P13

ON THE
COVER

p76
Cheeky
Cherokee

HOT STUFF
10 The Hot Four
MV Agusta
Apple iPhone SE
LG Signature G6
HTC 10
17 Best of Munich High End Show 2016
Coverage of one of the Meccas of hi-fi
22 Gigapixel Yamaha 04GEN
A scooter that also appears to be a fly
32 Icon Breitling Cockpit B50
The ultimate tech toy for the pilot within you
34 Apps
Because theres always an app for it. Always
36 Games
The first fight of many in Gears Of War 4

TESTS
p73
Asian
invasion

p62
Wires, be
gone!

P70

59 First test Apple iPhone SE

Apple doesnt do affordable, but if it did
62 First test Chromecast Audio
Googles dongle sets your hi-fi wire-free
64 First test Fitbit Blaze
We work out (with) this chunky sports watch
66 First test DJI Phantom 4
We tried and failed to crash this mini-copter
69 Tested Amazon Kindle Oasis Smartron
t.book Ford Endeavour 3.2 4x4 AT
Titanium Xiaomi Mi5 Aprilia Tuono V4
1100 Factory Oppo F1 Plus Jeep Grand
Cherokee Summit Creo Mark 1
Nextbit Robin Pebble Time Steel
80 Group test Wireless speaker systems
Four multiroom music systems do battle
84 Tested Games
Quantum Break Dark Souls III

06.16

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P39

FEATURES
39 Cover feature The future of TV
Weve come a long way from the whole street
crowding around one chunky teak cabinet for
the cricket match. Stuff guides you through
the world of viewing without schedules

TOP
10
OF

106 Next big thing? Screening Room

Coming soon, film premieres in
your house

EVERYTHING

Looking to buy
something but
need a bit of
advice? Turn to
the Stuff Top Tens:
our expert listings
of all gadgetry,
from p91

T
HO
Y
BU
Fujifilm X-T10

Great value DSLR

p100

SEASON OF SPEED INCOMING

10

F3 800

Brutale 1090

from 16.7 lacs*

If you have your eyes
on the F4 but are
falling short of 10
lacs, this is the next
best thing. The
800cc 3-cylinder
engine with its 148hp
of peak power should
whistle you through
in a hurry, without
breaking a sweat.

from 20.1 lacs*

Whoever has ridden
this one swears that
it more than lives up
to its name on the
performance front.
Add that naked
styling and the
aggressive traffictearing stance and
you have a potent
thrill machine to ride.

4orge
ahead...

The F4 is crammed with

tech to help you ride faster
and safer. That means you
get a lean angle sensor, full
Ride-By-Wire system
and eight levels of
traction control.

HOT
FOUR
#1
ME GUSTA

MV AGUSTA F4
Well, that depends on whether youre
looking at one or riding one. If its the latter,
we think barking-mad furiousity is the
feeling that will engulf you completely for all
the good reasons. For one, the F4 is the
absolute cream of super-sport level bikes
out there, one that will scorch around a
track, tearing through at hyperspeeds.
Second the fact that it looks abso-bleeplutely sumptuous from any darn angle.
Looking this good ought to be illegal. While
the standard version will be offered with
the engine punching out 195hp, there will be
an RR variant that will cross the 200hp
mark. Finally, there will also be a soulripping, bank account-annihilating RC
version that will clock the hp charts at 212
and cost over half a crore. Only 250 of these
will be made available worldwide and they
are probably already sold out. And thats not
all thats new from MV Agusta theyve
also announced the F3 800 and the Brutale
1090. Both promise skin-peeling
acceleration and we cannot wait to try the
trio. There wont be any sleep till we get our
hands on one.
As hot as your face melting as you move
past the third gear
26.8 lacs* / mvagusta.com

*ex-showroom, Pune

25 PAGES
OF THE BIGGEST
STORIES FROM
PLANET TECH

11

HOT
FOUR
#2

READ OUR
iPHONE SE
REVIEW
ON P61

SE, AS IN SO
EMOTIONAL
APPLE iPHONE SE

As ever, we come out of an Apple phone

launch feeling like weve done mental
pugilism with Hulk Hogan. Ach, its just
a 5s no, wait oh thats cool huh?
pink! stupid 16GB ow. Now that the
swelling has gone down, we can report that
the iPhone SE is by far the best nonflagship iPhone weve ever seen. Its a lot of
the ability of the iPhone 6s squeezed into a
smaller form which a lot of people would
prefer and its available at a decent price.
Some might miss 3D Touch, and we would
prefer a 128GB option, but we do like the
decent battery life brought by the smaller
screen. On the whole, we think the iPhone
SE is going to be small, in a big way.
As hot as consigning the plastic
iPhone 5C to Room 101
39,000 (16GB), 49,000 (64GB) /
apple.com

Talkin bout
a resolution

The iPhone SE has a 4in

screen. But its pixel count is still
a crispy 326ppi (pixels per inch),
which is the same as the 4.7in
iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6s.
Magic! Your finger size,
however, is a
constant.

ALSO FILED UNDER NEW AND SMALL

Its a smaller iPad Pro, but were no
less emotionally engaged with it.
With a 9.7in screen, its more
transportable than the dramatic
but dumpy 12.9in Pro, and still has
the same Apple Pencil and Smart
Keyboard support. The size and

light weight make it an ideal

replacement for paper, especially
for those who like to draw
professionally or just to kill time. All
you need to decide is whether that
and a power hike is worth the
extra cash over the iPad Air 2.

13

HOT
FOUR
#3
Dolby Vision

The LG G6 supports High

Dynamic Range (HDR), which
immensely helps picture quality
thanks to an increased gamut of
colours and a brightness spec of 5000
nits. Dolby Vision builds on that and
takes it a step further by supporting
twice that amount of brightness and
crams more visual goodness to
thrill audiences watching
movies on 4K.

14

THE 4K YEAR
OLED VIRGIN

LG G6 SIGNATURE
While thin has always been in, these days,
size is not enough. Which is why Keira
Knightley wouldnt dazzle on screen if she
werent also such a good actor. That is true
even when it comes to the tech toys that
make us go dreamy eyed. Like this G6
Signature 4K OLED TV. Its depth is a mere
2.5mm, so thin that it makes the iPhone 6s
seem ridiculously fat at 7.3mm. Then
theres that 77in OLED display, on which
colours pop. Makes you gawk at the
incredible detail in a visually rich scene or
get stunned by the deepest blacks in a
movie like Interstellar. Add Dolby Vision into
the mix and youre all set to enjoy upcoming
4K Blu-rays. Thats not all though, because
the G6 has another gorgeously sonorous
weapon in its arsenal a soundbar
courtesy Harman Kardon, which is
beautifully integrated into the base.
As hot as Watching Daenerys Targaryens
dragons burn Kings Landing down to ash
15 lacs (approx) / lg.com/in

HOT
FOUR
#4
TOP 10 AT THE
BOX OFFICE?
HTC 10

Boom
gone bust?

No more, the distinctive

drilled grilles of an HTCs stereo
speakers. But the BoomSound
ethos is intact: separate midrange and tweeter drivers
will be able to handle your
back-of-the-bus
bangers.

Tom Hiddleston. Thats what the HTC 10

is. Its not a high-kicking Jackie Chan, nor
a Cockney-bruising Jason Statham, nor
a wise-cracking Chris Rock. It doesnt
have one identifiable quirk that it trades
itself on. Rather, like Hiddleston, its rangy,
capable and likeable, excelling in many roles.
The Snapdragon 820 processor, the 5.2in
QHD screen, the 12MP UltraPixel camera,
the USB-C all guaranteed entertainment.
Maybe you crave crazy-ass features.
Us, though, wed be strongly drawn to the
repeat pleaser of the Tom Hiddlesphone.
As hot as an almost unadorned Android UI
tba / htc.com

MEANWHILE, A CRAZIER CASTING

Here you are, see? The Huawei P9 (from 600, huawei.com)
is distinctive, with its world-first dual camera setup. With
the help of Leica, the P9s photos are generated using a
12MP colour image from one lens and a 12MP monochrome
image from the other. The result? Principally, something
for shop salespeople to demonstrate, to try to get you to
choose a P9 over all the other smartphone stars.

15

LUXE

LOUDSPEAKERS

Music need not be a strictly aural pleasure, as our selection of the finest examples proves. The mecca of
high-end audio, The High-End show in Munich just shut its doors until next year, but not before we could
bring you a peek at some of the most extravagant new temptations from the show floor...

Whats inside?

It wasnt a case of
stumbling upon a heavy metal.
Anodic Supply has developed a
process for making enclosures
from aluminium and anodised
surfaces and eventually struck
gold. Theres also a sterling
silver version in the making,
so hold on to that Tanishq
purchase just yet.

The Holy dip of gold

RIVERS TONE AURUM

A certain Mr. Sakamoto san is
responsible for this. Not (insert
appropriate Bappi da reference) who
you think. Hes been at the helm of
many iconic Sony audio projects but
this is what fuses the human and
engineering gene together, as per the
claims. Each speaker grille is crafted
individually and is optional. Not for us
(insert appropriate Sindhi reference)
since we dont reside in the Far East or
the Middle East. Its sonic credentials are
suspect, but really, do you care?

17

Whats inside?

Cleverly putting the tweeter in

the middle of the midrange driver
has many benefits, but Elac takes it a
step further with the VX-JET design.
The user then controls the suspension
of the tweeter, basically moving it
further in or forward, thereby
changing the acoustic character
to match the room and
personal preferences.

A concert waiting to happen

ELAC CONCENTRO

Living up to its German DNA for more

than 90 years, the only thing Elac was
missing was some of the cowboy
swagger and gun-slinging ways of the
Wild West. And this is the loudspeaker
that aims to change the perception
once and for all. Designed to be loud, in
more ways than one, it will be available
in either wood, carbon fibre or leather
lashings that will help it stand out, if you
happen to miss the striking oval shape.
All of Elacs greatest hits are present
here and a few new ones to boot.
Aluminium sandwich membranes,
VX-JET tweeters and more voodoo
than your ears can thank you for.

Turn, turn, turn

ELAC MIRACORD 90

Excuse us for using the most boring colour option to depict this German marque's 90th
birthday present to old-school audiophiles. It is available in green, pink and red, besides the
more conventional material hues. But really, you would buy this for its ruby bearings, +/7% speed variation, belt drive with custom cartridge from Audio Technica and a hefty
6.5kg platter to hold it all.

18

Whats inside?

Inspired by a ship's hull, the

Matrix cabinet construction
ensures extreme rigidity and almost
zero flexing of the cabinet with all the
internal bass pressure. The cabinet itself
is curved from the front, held together by
an aluminium spine at the back to
reduce joints and focus all the
speakers energy forward, into the
room. Time to bring out
James Blake!

Supersonic listening

BOWERS AND
WILKINS 800 D3
If you appreciate any sort of sound
besides the incoherence of an 18in
woofer mounted in the hatch of an
Alto, chances are you have heard of
Bowers & Wilkins. But the spankingnew 800 D3 isnt something you
might have heard of yet. B&W took
seven years to develop the 800 series
with its all new cabinet and drivers but
its really down to this, the 800 D3,
which will serve on active duty inside
some of the worlds finest recording
studios and those who want to bring
that studio sound home. Twin 10in
Aerofoil bass drivers, a continuum
cone midrange driver and a diamonddomed tweeter headline the specs,
but its also what you dont see that
makes this a must-have for
sonic geeks.

End of analog

CLASS SIGMA 2200I

Even the best loudspeakers in the world will need solid and quality power to drive
them. Classe has been making the best of the breed for some time, but with the
Sigma 2200i, they have breached a major barrier. Using clever circuitry and some
help from Gandalf, it eliminates the conversion of the music signal from digital to
analog and thus, preserves more of Himesh's nasal hypnosis.

19

Whats inside?

Of course, the cabinet

should draw your attention. After
all, it comes in Enzo red carbon fibre
and the driver units are made from the
elusive material too. But its a mix of
everything from the design of the
cabinet, stand and the drivers
themselves that makes this such a
stunning achievement. Comes
close to having an F1 car in
your living room.

Formula for success

WILSON BENESCH
A.C.T P1
Normally reserved for race-bred
automobiles and watches for the
pure-bred racers, carbon fibre isnt an
inexpensive material, but then, Wilson
Benesch isnt your average
loudspeaker too. The A.C.T P1 is
exactly like its name, business like.
Advanced Composite Technology is
the essence of the brand and the P1
wears the worlds first coloured
carbon fibre on its sleeves, thanks to
Hypetex, a company that hires
Formula One engineers on a regular
basis. The resulting sound may not
induce the wearing of ear plugs like in
an F1 race but rather you may listen to
missing details in Bailamos.

Power to the people

TRINNOV AMETHYST / MERGING+NADAC

To quote a cliche, "power is nothing without control" makes perfect sense for the new
breed of high-performance music servers and controllers that do everything from
collate your music, stream it over Wi-Fi through your whole house, ensure no matter
what speakers you use, it still makes your friends go wow and mollycoddle you while
the lady is off to Goa with the girls.

20

Whats inside?

Laser-engineered woofers,
room-correction software and
dual 500-watt amplifiers are just
some of the words you can drop while
persuading whoever you have to for
buying these beauts. Using 24-bit
DSP to keep the woofers in check
for multiple parameters, the
Martin Logan is a tour-de-force
of tech, designed to bring
your music to life.

The Renaissance reborn

MARTIN LOGAN
RENAISSANCE ESL 15A
You dont always have to be an art
collector to appreciate an artists
creation. The Martin Logan Renaissance
ESL 15A is a speaker that will start as
many conversations over wine as a
'Vinci masterpiece. But its best
experienced in solitude, with only your
favourite music for company. The
Renaissance is the culmination of over
thirty years of knowledge Martin Logan
has amassed making electrostatic
speakers. Their transparency extends
beyond the visual, into the sonic realm
too. The panels are gently curved and
emit sound from both front and back to
widen the perceived soundstage,
meanwhile eliminating any side
wall reflections that would confuse
your baby ears.

Return of the king

MARK LEVINSON No. 526 / No. 519

A true-blue American legend when it comes to high-end audio products, Mark Levinson
makes your ordinary stereo feel like it came out of a Barbie dollhouse project. The new No.
526 preamplifier and No. 519 DAC/Streamer are no different. Built in the USA from solid
blocks of aluminium and more tech than we could fit in this magazine. It will also make your
MP3s sound more refined and elegant. Just like Anne Hathaway.

21

The bigger picture in tech

OH, FOR THE WINGS

OF A SCOOTER
Theres some accompanying
marketing toot for this Yamaha
winged concept that hasnt
translated well. Designed in the
image of women is an ominous
beginning to anything, even
before going on to explain that the
scooter wonderfully showcases
the beautifully-engineered
interior structure through its
delicate exterior parts. Brushing
that hastily aside, the 04GEN
(the previous three concepts in
the line have all led to production
bikes) is very neat. The sculpted
chassis, translucent panels and
smartphone controls are all things
wed happily see on the road.
22

NEWS FEED

BRING YOUR
GAMES TO LIFE

Have an idea for a game but

dont know how to bring it
to life? Well, head to
brightlocker.com and pitch
your idea. If your idea (s)
survives an extensive,
multi-level voting affair, it
gets funded and
developed. You just sit
back, relax and enjoy the
spoils of war, genius.

RENT-O-RAMA!

From adventure gear,

cars, bikes, apparel, home
appliances, furniture,
cameras and others,
rentokart.com is a rentheaven incarnate. Theres
even games involving
reward points and pick up
and drop options to boot.
Just make sure whatever
you rent goes back in the
condition it came in.

ONE TWO KA FOUR

Anil Kapoor-endorsed
Indi.com is a platform where
you can participate in
various contests and also
showcase your talents;
publicity-wise, this is huge.
Win-win situation, with
possible collaborations with
Mr. India himself is on the
cards too, only if hes khush
hua with you buddy.
23

Get the basics right

ASICS TIGER GEL-LYTE V

Shoes are a dead giveaway of what maketh a fella. If youre
going to try and pass off as a serious fitness junkie, might
as well get the basics right. It's easy. Equip yourself with
the Tiger Gel-Lyte V, which not only look cool with that
suede finish, but have class as well as functionality built in.
The first variant, introduced in 1993, featured 'Monosock'
construction a sock-like fit courtesy of a highly elastic
tongue and leather upper and things have only gotten
better since. Get it on and get moving already.
12,499 / jabong.com

A bazooka in a gunfight

SONY RX 10 III

Were firm believers in overkill. Especially when it

comes to gadgets. Which is partly why were drooling
over the RX 10 III compact camera. Its 20.1MP sensor
and Bionz X processor should give images that send
your 500px followers into a frenzy, the autofocus can
get a lock in just 0.09 seconds, theres 4K and 1000fps
slo-mo to make TV crews envious and wait for it, its got
a 24-600mm (you heard that right) Zeiss lens. Okay,
its perhaps time for a hushed moment of silence.
1,145,990 / sony.co.in

Urban warfare gear

SKYBAGS CREW 05
One's daily commute is no less than a battlefield
where you are only as good as your gear. Enter
Skybags Crew 05 Black laptop bag a solidly
built, rugged performer whose padded straps
are rumoured to hang on to you, no matter what.
You get multiple compartments for knickknacks and can fit in a 17in laptop along with a
raincover. There's overall padding too, but try not
to fall flat on it. We all have our limits, genius.
3250 / skybags.co.in

25

Unidentified Audio Object

ZEBRONICS UFO

This does resemble something a bunch of careless aliens

may have left behind on one of their many exploration trips
to Earth. Essentially, its a Bluetooth-compatible speaker
with call handling capabilities. That handle-looking thing is
actually a wireless handset, should you wish to add a dash of
nostalgia to good ol telephonic conversations. With digital
controls on board, you can even put the con in conferences
and use it at one. And remember the satisfaction in
slamming down that phone handle? Do it at your own risk.
2999 / zebronics.com

Young achiever

MEIZU M3 NOTE
It's easy to get annoyed with some Android skins,
but when it comes to Meizus OS, we must admit theyre on
to something. The fresh, clean design of the Flyme OS 5.1,
with that cool, mBack single-button for navigation, does
make the M3 Note stand out. And the rest of the specs dont
hurt either a 5.5in FHD display, a Helio P10 processor,
3GB RAM, 32GB storage and a 4100mAh battery
(dont miss a single Twitter flame war) go on to make it
quite the dishy device for 10K.
9999 / meizu.com/in

Thinnest, lightest, roundest

PEBBLE TIME ROUND

Yes, it's a Pebble and it's round. That bit is obvious. What
isn't is that at 7.5mm and 28 grams, it can very well claim
to be the thinnest, lightest smartwatch in the world. It
tracks your steps and sleep, helps gain personalised
insights, looks good and offers hugs. Well, wrist hugs at
least, with two band sizes (14mm / 20mm) to ensure a
snug fit. Choose from black, silver or rose gold finish and
leather or stainless-steel bands. A quick-release
mechanism lets you swap bands in seconds, while
charging it for 15 minutes is enough to achieve a day
of battery life. And it's splash-resistant.
13,599 / amazon.in

Cyanogen-ius indeed!

LENOVO ZUK Z1

Its name might make it sound like a piece of Soviet

weaponry left over from the Cold War, but the 5.5in
ZUK Z1 is rather forward-thinking. For starters, you
get the delicious customisability of Cyanogen OS,
and then theres a USB Type-C port. Other stuff to
whet your gadget appetite includes the not-sonew (but still awesomely speedy) Snapdragon
801, 64GB storage, 3GB RAM, 4100mAh
battery and a fingerprint reader. Wait,
comrade, I think we were wrong the
Z1 is definitely a lil' nuke of a phone!
13,499 / lenovo.com/in

Bada-boom, bada-bing

ULTIMATE EARS BOOM 2

Nothing beats a party like a party in the middle of nowhere.
Isnt that pretty much the entire reason why anyone goes
camping? (Dont tell your folks that, though!) Want to
ratchet up the party-in-the-hills experience all the way
to 11? Next time, take the Boom 2 along. Its IPX7 waterproof
and shockproof, has a 100ft wireless range, 360 sound,
can be paired with any other UE speaker and with
15 hours of battery life, youre guaranteed to not
have a reason to go back inside your tent.
15,995 / ultimateears.com

27

People's Champion: Version 2.0+

MOTO G4 PLUS

The latest avatar of the long-standing people's

champion now has a 'Plus' edition yay. The Moto G4
Plus is the thinnest Moto G ever and comes with a Full HD
screen. Fingerprint scanner? Of course. There's also a
16MP camera on board with two rapid focus technologies,
laser focus and phase detect autofocus useful if
you, like us, enjoy taking candid shots of friends
goofing up. To further aid this hobby is the inclusion
of OmniVision's PureCel Plus image sensors that
claim to capture detailed images even in
challenging lighting conditions. Full review
with said candid shots coming soon...
from 13,499 / amazon.in

QUICKTEST
Asus Zenwatch 2
14,999 / asus.com/in

Smartwatches were supposed to be the next

big thing in tech, but after an initial burst of
enthusiasm, they seem to have fallen off the
buyer's radar. But even if you'd rather save the
big bucks for a 'proper' watch, an 'affordable'
smartwatch might just make sense...

Google's OS for wearables might not be very

powerful but usability trumps everything else
when it comes to a dinky little display on your
wrist. You can check out your messages and
emails, navigate, see what's around you, track
your steps, check out news, play music and
much more with Wear-supporting apps. Asus
also has a few of its own apps, including a fitness
tracker, a watchface designer (for your phone)
and a remote camera control (bit of a novelty but
cool to play with for a bit).

Plug it in

A smart looker

The biggest drawback of smartwatches is the

need to tank up frequently and the Zenwatch 2 is
no different. Asus claims 2-day endurance and
that's exactly what you get. Still, that's pretty
good compared to many other smartwatches.

The leather strap, crown button and wellfinished stainless steel case all make the
Zenwatch 2 a goodlooker. In fact, even if you
fall in the 'watches oughta be round' camp, this
might just win you over. The only fly in the
ointment is the massive amount of space
around the display. With everyone going in
for slim bezels, this seems like a step back.

Makes for a good first smartwatch

Hardware hungama

The 1.63in, 320x320 AMOLED screen up front

is pretty standard for a smartwatch. We just
wish it got brighter you'll soon get tired of
squinting when checking notifications under
direct summer sunlight. Apart from this, the

Wear next?

lack of a heartbeat sensor means the Zenwatch 2

won't replace your fitness band. The IP67 dust and
water resistance (along with Gorilla Glass 3) means
you don't have to treat your watch like a rare Ming
vase when out and about town, though.

The Zenwatch 2's price, looks and build quality

make it worth your consideration. It's also quite
light and super-comfy to boot. We just wish the
bezels were narrower and the display didn't wilt
under the summer sun.

Stuff says

Battery life, looks and pricing make this a good

choice as a first smartwatch

A spring in your step

NIKE AIR PRESTO ULTRA FLYKNIT

Do the words "stretch in the collar", "ventilation in the toe
and tongue" and "support in the heel and underneath the
toecap" make you smile? Then the new Nike Air Presto
Ultra Flyknit shoes will make you leap with joy and not
twist an ankle when you land (literally). The pair features a
mid-cut collar that looks rather smart. The re-engineered
TPU cage fits the Flyknit upper, while ultra tooling with
rubber in high-contact wear areas improves comfort and
durability. If all this sounds like Greek to you, it's time
you got running with a song in your heart, spring in
your step and sweat on your upper lip.
13,999 / nike.com/sportswear

Supertainment ahoy!

LEECO 1S ECO

Alright, the name's a bit of a head-scratcher. But

everything else about the LeEco 1S Eco (sing it!) is in
place. Features-wise, it's got the goods. Were
talking 5.5in FHD display, 1.8GHz Octa Core chipset,
3GB RAM, the works. What makes it unique is the
one-year membership to LeEcos OTA content
platform as part of the package. Watch movies,
news (in English and regional languages), listen to
songs and even live concerts theres enough to
keep you glued and boredom-free. All this for
around 10k. Kiss your life goodbye.
10,899 / flipkart.com

DIY security

GODREJ EAGLE I LITE

"What if the keysmith himself is a burglar?" We're sure you've
asked yourself that at least once? But if you're extra
paranoid and wouldn't trust the local electrician to set up
your home security system, give the Godrej Eagle I Lite a
look. Simply plug it into a power socket, install the Wireless
Door/Window Contact on all the objects that open and
close and you are secured in a moment. It can be paired with
over 40 sensors, including smoke detectors. The remote
control, which enables you to switch the system on or off,
is designed to fit on a keychain. In a nutshell, it's like a
mosquito repellant, but for unwanted humans.
from 4000 / godrejsecure.com

29

Air Wolf grows up

LEGO TECHNIC HEAVY LIFT

HELICOPTER
Summers no fun when youre a responsible adult (that was the
sound of our editor choking on his coffee). Thats why we
recommend you spend this weekend regaining your mojo doing
something fun. Like building this Technic helicopter. Over a
thousand pieces make it the perfect excuse to skip going to a
crowded mall. Even better, theres enough motorised kit to make
your inner child weep with joy contra-rotating rotors, a winch,
cargo bay doors and even a loading ramp. And when the next
weekend rolls around, you know what time it is! Time to get
started on making the B-model a Tandem Rotor chopper.
12,990 / funskoolindia.com/lego

QUICKTEST
Micromax Canvas 6
13,999 / micromaxinfo.com

Micromax's latest Canvas flagship seems to

be headed in an all-new direction. Out go the
plastic bodies used by its predecessors, and in
comes an all-metal casing. And before you can
ask, yes, it has a fingerprint scanner. But is this
(long overdue) spec-and-design bump enough
to make the Micromax Canvas 6 a lot more
appealing to the power user?

Pretty much the only place the Canvas 6 really

falters. Considering how devices with similar price
tags give you great cameras, it's a complete
letdown. Expect grainy, washed-out photos in
anything less than daylight conditions. Even
photos shot in bright sunlight tend to lack detail.

A fresh look, indeed

Previous Canvas phones have never really

given users much reason to complain. At the
same time, no one would ever call them 'sexy'.
Don't make the mistake of assuming that's the
case here. With its all-metal body and curved
back, the Canvas 6 is a looker. Even better, it
stands out by not falling for the 'lets copy an
iPhone' design trend.
A Full HD display that's usable even under the
harsh summer sun, a fingerprint scanner that
works well, 32GB storage, microSD expansion,

Call us nitpicky, but what we really like about

the Canvas 6 is its OS. Not that far removed from
stock Android, with some added features (like
Micromax's local discovery service, Around), it's
clean and quick. Too bad it's still running Android
Lollipop, although an update to Marshmalllow
should come through eventually.

Not quite picture perfect

A clean slate

Solidly specced

Spring cleaning

3GB RAM and a MediaTek processor that handles

multitasking with aplomb... the Canvas 6 isn't just
well-specced on paper, it's also a performer in real
life. Yet its battery life isn't compromised and you
won't have to endure the 5pm recharge blues.

Micromax's flagships have generally been solid

devices, but have never managed to make you
lust after them. This all-new update, with its
striking metal body and fingerprint scanner,
changes things for the better. As a bonus, you
also get a frill-free, functional version of Android.
It's just too bad the mediocre camera takes the
shine off what's a pretty good device.

Stuff says

Specs and design make it compelling, but the

camera isn't up to scratch

Merlins fitness mantra!

MERLIN DIGITAL ACTIFIT GO

Put down that juicy burger with extra cheese and
spare a thought about your health. Did you know
that you can monitor, control and better your health
by simply monitoring your daily activities? Just strap
on the ActiFit Go, sync it with your phone and read
the stats that let you know how much of a bum you
are. From calories burnt, a heartbeat sensor, to
even smartphone notifications; the ActiFit Go
does it all. With a battery that lasts way longer
than your whining capacity, let this fitness
tracker be your guardian angel of health.
6399 / mymerlin.in

No more tears

BENQ EYECARE EW2750ZL MONITOR

Our back-of-the-envelope calculations reveal that we spend over
half the day in front of a screen. Which is why were keenly
checking out BenQs 27in EyeCare monitor. Ultra-slim bezels,
MHL and dual HDMI inputs, built-in speakers, Full HD resolutions,
wide viewing angles and high contrast rates might make
us smile, but what seems even better to our worn-out
eyes is the flicker-free backlight and the Low Blue
Light Modes, said to reduce eye strain.
17,500 / benq.co.in

High VoLTE-ge

PANASONIC ELUGA I3
Where did the term 'Phablet' come from? Was it really a lazy
amalgamation of the words 'fabulous' and 'tablet'? Why does phablet
begin with a 'ph' then? We call this nitpicking. The Eluga I3, however,
is a 5.5in HD display-sporting phablet that couldn't care less. A 1.3GHz
Quad Core processor gives it enough smarts to outsmart most
college graduates, let alone fifth graders. The 2GB RAM with a 16GB
memory is sharper and more vivid at recalling your past errors than
a pissed off girlfriend. Fabulous, smart, good-looking and cheap
and frankly, the only curves worth having on you.
9290 / mobile.panasonic.co.in

31

I C O N

BREITLING COCKPIT B50

5,28,170 / breitling.com
That looks incredible. Does it
come in blue?
Of course, but first tell us, as a kid
did you have the urge to pilot
military airplanes? We did for sure.
However, the closest we got to
flying one, even as adults, was on a
video game with a VR headset on.
If theres one thing as enticing as
flying a supersonic aircraft, it
would be owning a fighter pilots
watch. And when it comes to that,
Breitling sure knows a thing or two.

Do I have to be a fighter pilot to

own one of these?
The Cockpit B50 is the ultimate
tech toy for a pilot, but enthusiasts
such as yourself can order one for
the above price. The watch comes
wrapped in a tough yet light
titanium case. Its a multifunction
electronic chronograph featuring
the exclusive Breitling Caliber B50.
Whats that? It is an analog- and
digital-display SuperQuartz
movement specially developed for

aviation usage. This makes it

highly readable even when the sun
is beating directly down on you
while youre up at 30,000 feet. Tilt
your wrist at a 450 angle and the
backlight turns on magically. We
expect the watch to consume
quite a bit of power, but you
neednt worry too much about it.
Via a magnetic connector that can
be attached to the left side of the
case, you can charge the Cockpit
B50 with either a USB cable or an

AC adapter. While the watch may

look like a NASA command center,
it is surprisingly user-friendly.
But what if I want a blue strap
instead of a steel one?
Still stuck on blue, arent you? Yes,
Breitling lets you customise the
case, dial, strap and even the
buckle. Wed go for the black
Titanium case + Volcano Black dial
+ Diver Pro III strap combo. Yes, it
looks fulfillingly sinful.

THE COCKPIT B50 IS A

PILOTS DELIGHT AND AN
ENTHUSIASTS DREAM

32

Out goes old, in comes Navi

HONDA NAVI

Love bikes but cant deal with gears and you wont be
caught dead riding a scooterette? Dont give up hope just
yet. Hondas latest and the most bemusing creation in the
two-wheeler segment is the Navi. At heart beats the same
gearless 4-stroke, 110cc engine found in an Activa, but the
design, whoo boy! It is a hoot. Bike-shaped with a unique
space for carrying stuff, this a throwback to mopeds
(mopeds on steroids, that is). Theres even customisable
kit options includes an off-road version.
42,824 (ex-showroom, Mumbai) /
honda2wheelersindiacom

QUICKTEST
Asus P3B

60,000 / asus.com/in

It is true size doesnt matter and

big things come in small packages
or in this case, lunchboxes. But its
also true that small things cost a lot
diamonds, for example. Asuss
tiny new offering, packed in a
lunchbox, comes for a whopping
60K. Lets see if it paints a pretty
enough picture.

Fats and solids

The Asus P3B is lightweight and fits in the

palm of your hand unless you have really
tiny hands, of course. It feels pretty solid and
the build quality shouts Asus from every
angle. The looks divide opinion in our Stuff HQ
some liked it, some absolutely hated it.

The Asus connection

The previous offering from Asus the S1

didnt offer as much as the spanking new P3B
does. The P3B ultra-short-throw batterypowered projector provides WXGA-resolution

hard-wiring your stuff, you can use

the HDMI/MHL and VGA ports. Theres
also a microSD slot available for direct
play for when you slot one in. A USB
port is also provided, along with 2GBs of
internal storage on the P3B itself. It
covers just about all the connections
you can think of.

The project X

(1280x800) images with a maximum brightness

of 800 lumens. Didn't know what "ultra-shortthrow lens" means, did you? Well, it means the Asus
P3B projects images measuring 25in (0.45m) to
200in (3.4m) at close range. The unit weighs just
750g, measures only 153.5x43x131.2mm and works
on a built-in 12,000mAh rechargeable battery that
provides up to 3 hours of cable-free projection time.
You can also use it as a power bank in case your
phone runs out of juice thanks to the USB output
available at the back of the unit.
The Asus P3B has an optional Wi-Fi adapter for
wireless connections or, if youre old school and like

The projected image, although not Full

HD, is seriously impressive for
something coming out of a unit that
small. Of course, you do wish it was
1080p, but soon get used to it. We play a few
videos over YouTube and local content, and the
result is worth the money. The first thing that
strikes you is the amazing contrast thats coupled
with reasonably balanced colours and a sharp
image. Move on to a presentation and the result is
equally impressive. Even the menus are intuitive,
making this a solid package for the money.

Stuff says

If its a pocket projector you want with lots of

connectivity and great image, this is the one

A P P S

This months mobile must-downloads

APP

SPOTLIGHT
NOW BIKE TAXI
AND DELIVERY
from free
Android

1 Cabto - Cheapest Cabs

free / Android
Living in Delhi is a curse. And thats
without considering the odd-even
traffic rule. Consider that, and its
even worse, but that bits taken care
of by Cabto, which promptly connects
you to Ola, Uber, Meru and their ilk.

2 Dhobilite Cleaning
Solution

3 Hallwaze

free / Android
Dhobhi on an app, period. The dhobi
might be burly instead of light, but
hell handle your regular laundry
and dry cleaning, along with shoe
dry-cleaning and car wash too.

free / Android
Cant decide what to have for lunch?
Have to consult your colleagues? Do
it on Hallwaze. Made specially for
corporate communication (LOL), it
allows for self-destructing messages.
Pizza? Yes. Destructed. Boom.

4 eKincare

5 MintMesh

6 Saffronart

7 Q+ Hearing Aid

8 nexGTv Kids

9 Evoschool

free / iOS, Android

No, this doesnt take care of your
next of kin, but it actually is a place
where you can store all your medical
records and history. It also converts
data from medical records into easy to
understand colour-coded summaries.

free / iOS, Android

Heard of hearing? We hear you. Fret
not, Quadios app uses your
smartphone and headphone
combo to function as a hearing aid.
Quadios app will make sure you
never miss out on a conversation.
34

free / iOS, Android

Have a lot of contacts? Know
everyone who can do every job?
Download this app and whenever
someone needs a reference, just
provide it and get cash and rewards
for the same.

free / Android
If your toddler is more like a funny
monkey on steroids, probably this
app may help. It has a channel
specially designed for kids and
features cartoons and stories that
theyll find amusing. We do too.

free / iOS, Android

Your dream car is on auction but
youre too lazy to go? Well, this app
brings auctions to your lazy self. You
can stream them live and bid in realtime along with other active bidders
present. 1, 2, 3, sold...

free / Android
NexGTv not working for your
minion? Try sending the little human
to school and get this app. It serves
as a platform between the school,
teachers, students and parents. Its
like a Whatsapp group for school.

Ever laughed
and cried at
yourself at the
same time while
sitting in your
car all thanks to
traffic? Or do
you intentionally
open your door
on bikers going
past you out of
jealousy? Thats
exactly why
NOW exists. It
plans to be your
Private Biker on
Demand. So you
tap a button and
a zooming biker
will appear to
swish swash you
to your
destination
without the
traffic affecting
you a tiny bit.
Scared of bikes?
Sit in your car
and cry then.

Rosy-cheeked genius

APPLE MACBOOK
Dont pull the trigger on that laptop purchase till
you hear us out. Thats right, there are some
new MacBooks in town, and were certain youll
like what you see. For starters, not only do
fashion-conscious Mac-heads get to choose
between four finishes (gold, silver, grey and the
all-new rose gold), but also, this new MacBook
is the thinnest and lightest Mac ever. Still not
convinced? Then perhaps the other specs will
do the trick: a 12in Retina display, Force Touch
trackpad, USB-C port, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and
Intels latest processors. Gimme!
from 1,06,900 / apple.com/in

Any colour you like

SYSKA WHITE 7W SMARTLIGHT

RAINBOW LED BULB
If youve heard Pink Floyds Any Colour You Like and
always wanted mood lighting as diverse and flowing as
the song itself, then your search ends here. Using the
Syska Rainbow LED app, you can choose from a colour
palette of over 3 million shades for the Syska bulb to
glow in. You can even use the general overtone of an
image as a colour option, dim or increase brightness,
sync with games and music, to set the mood. The
options are virtually endless. Trippy, eh?
1999 / syskaledlights.com

Toasted marshmallow

INTEX CLOUD FAME

If your smartphone still runs on lollipops, are
you even truly an Androidian? Especially when
there's a 3999 smartphone that boasts of
Marshmallow? That's right. The 4G-enabled,
dual-SIM Cloud Fame from Intex has a 4.5in
WVGA display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3,
weighs only 120g, looks sleek and runs on
Android OS 6.0. The 1GB RAM, 1GHz Quad Core
Mediatek processor and 1800mAh battery
enable multi-tasking. There's a 5MP rear
camera with LED Flash and a 2MP front
camera, as expected. And navigation features
such as gesture control, flip to mute, smart
wake and emergency rescue too. For which
that price is simply toasty.
3999 / intex.in

35

G A M E S

DUE
OCT

FIRST PLAY GEARS OF WAR 4 Xbox One, PC

Gears Of War. A series about
guiding a disproportionately
muscular soldier from cover
to cover, occasionally stopping
to use your gun-mounted
chainsaw to carve a grunts face
in half. Its business as usual in
Gears Of War 4, except this time
the multiplayer modes have had
a major upgrade.
While the fourth instalment
will have the usual campaign,
it also wants to stick a knife
into the world of multiplayer
shooters and twist it to show
Call Of Duty and co it means
business. That means two new
36

additions to your close-quarters

arsenal: the yank and shank,
a melee-style attack that
involves pulling an enemy over
from one side of a covering wall
to another; and a vault move
that can be used to stun them
before delivering a similarly
brutal punishment.
The new eSports-focused
Escalation mode requires
downed opponents to be
finished off up close and
personal, while Dodgeball
is essentially a heavily armed
version of the US high-school
bloodsport. Kill an opponent and

theyre out, with one of your

fallen teammates revived just
to rub it in.
Multiplayer DLC will be
released every month, mostly
in the form of maps and game
modes. All new maps will be free,
as long as youre happy playing
them online in matches open
to all. Want to set up a private
fight? Youll need to fork out for
the privilege.
Whether it can prise fraggers
away from their usual online
battlegrounds remains to be
seen, but you can bet therell be
plenty of blood spilled finding out.

RETURN OF A LEGEND

DOOM

PS4, Xbox One, PC

Forget cautiously peeping around
corners, customising an arsenal of
assault rifles to your exacting specs
or performing stealthy takedowns.
Doom takes all those modern FPS
tropes, gives them a swift kick in
the nadgers and then blasts them
to smithereens.
Its been 12 years since Doom 3
did the same on the original Xbox,
and once again your nameless marine
is dropped into a hellish version of
Mars with nothing but a shotgun and
some angry demons for company.
This is classic, no-nonsense run
and gun shooting.
Theres a hectic solo campaign
to tackle, but weve played the
multiplayer mode and it really ups
the bloodshed. Each arena is filled
with weapons, jump pads and wide
open spaces that are just begging for
epic mid-air rocket shots. And thats
before you pick up the Quad Damage
power-ups, which turn unlucky souls
into a shower of mincemeat.
But the real prize is the Pentagram,
which turns you into a jetpack-toting,
rocket-spewing Revenant raining
down fire on any unsuspecting
opponents caught below.

OUT
NOW

WORTH THE WAIT? WE HOPE WELL SOON FIND OUT

THE LAST GUARDIAN PS4

The Last Guardian feels like a spiritual

successor to the brilliant Ico and Shadow
Of The Colossus, sharing the fantastical
art style, penchant for giant animals and
head-scratching puzzle-based gameplay.
Its been in development since 2007. Will it
ever see the light of day? Were starting to
think we might be playing it on PS7.

KINGDOM HEARTS III

PS4, XBOX ONE

Disney and Final Fantasy: put em together

and youve got Kingdom Hearts. This is
the 10th year since Kingdom Hearts IIs
European release, and fans have been
begging for a third instalment ever since.
Unfortunately, Disney isnt in the business
of making release date dreams come true.

CARMAGEDDON: MAX DAMAGE

XBOX ONE, PS4

Having made its return to PC last year,

Carmageddon hits consoles in June. It
hasnt changed much since 1997: cause
death and destruction in Mad Max-style
vehicles, taking out pedestrians and
livestock for bonus points, and maybe
vaguely aim to not come last in the race.

INCOMING
OUT NOW
HOMEFRONT: THE REVOLUTION
JUNE
ASSETTO CORSA
AUGUST
ATTACK ON TITAN
OCTOBER
RIGS
TUMBLE VR
UNTIL DAWN: RUSH OF BLOOD
37

Motivation is your
best accessory.
One tracker. Every occasion.
The new Fitbit Alta features interchangeable bands
so you can switch your tracker to fit your style.
With auto-exercise recognition, all-day activity tracking,
call and text alerts and reminders to move, finding
your fit has never looked better.

The TV
is dead
Long live
the TV
FUTURE OF TV

The situation Theres no such thing as a schedule, the biggest

shows are online and HDR is making 4K look like an old CRT. TV as
you know it has bitten the dust, but its death marks the start of an
exciting new era for television, with more pixels, more programmes
and more ways to watch than ever before. Its time to get square eyes.

Best for
STB

Best for
Netflix

Best
Streaming
alternatives

Best for
Big screens

Predicted
Future TV

39

FUTURE OF TV

The situation You dont structure your life around the days of the
week you use the cricket fixtures. Every day is filled with whatever obscure
league you can find on the telly (although youll probably stick on a movie if
the only option is Ranji Trophy). And when the seasons over? Theres football,
kabaddi, F1, you name it. If its not competitive, youll make it so.

The screen

Samsung
UE48JS8500*

1,78,900 / samsung.com/in

HD-ahhh

Itll also
support
HDR (after
a firmware
update) so
you can
make the
most of
the built-in
apps like
Netflix and
others.

NOW
ADD
THIS
40

The sound

Philips Fidelio B5

54,900 / philips.co.in

Tata Sky now offers UHD-ready

boxes but without many channels
ready to actually show it. Still, that
means having a TV thats equally
eager to show 4K should be top of
the your wishlist. Samsung has
plenty to choose from but we like
the curved UE48JS8500 (we like
the 55in version even more),
which is part of its SUHD range,
meaning colours are a little more
colourful thanks to a thin layer
of crystals that emit light. And it
works: all-round picture quality is
up there with the best, whether
its from TV, Blu-ray or one of the
built-in streaming apps, such as
Netflix or YouTube.
Importantly, though, this telly
also performs really well with
less-than-4K sources, so even
the few remaining standard-def
channels wont look like an
expressionist painting viewed
through a Vaseline-smeared
window. Perhaps theres life in
that old DVD collection yet.

Todays TVs sound is good only if

you have dog ears or are an alien
with elephant ears. However for
humans, what looks (and works)
like a standard soundbar can be
turned into a 4.1 surround sound
system by detaching the two ends
and repositioning them as separate
wireless speakers handy if
you want to go from old episodes
of Blockbusters to a Hollywood
blockbuster and the sound needs
a bit of a boost.
On top of that, each end can
be used as an individual Bluetooth
speaker, so if youre kicked out of
the lounge and need to take your
tablet into another room to watch
the end of the football, you can
pimp its sound by taking a bit of
the B5 with you, while someone
else continues to use the main bar
attached to the telly. Genius, eh?
You can also switch it to Music
mode and listen to all your favourite
tunes. It also comes with a few
built-in apps recommended by
Philips, which are worth exploring.

Tech 48in 3840x2160 display

689x1083x308.4mm, 19kg
(with stand) HMDI x4, USB x3

Tech 210W 70x1035x156mm,

4.2kg HDMI x3, Bluetooth,
wireless subwoofer

Stuff says

Stuff says

iPad Air 2

CID

Probably the longest

running show in Indian television
history, CID is quite a chuckle. With
ACP Pradyuman and his team of
Inspectors tracking down low-life
criminals, the show portrays the
brilliance of simplicity and stupidity.
You will laugh more than you will
be serious but it will be
entertaining nonetheless.

e science
Th

4K
4K specifically
refers to the
number of pixels
capable of being
displayed on the
screen actually
3840x2160, since
you asked but
thats only half the
story. UHD (or Ultra
High Definition)
isnt just about
how many pixels
are packed in; it
also refers to how
theyre shown. This
Samsung doesnt
have it, but newer
models are also
capable of HDR ,
which will soon
become standard
on any top-end
telly worth
its remote.

The Philips Fidelio has Bluetooth and you can use it to stream tablets elsewhere in the
house. If youre going to do that, you might as well use the best tablet on the market, which
is Apples iPad Air 2. Its thinner and lighter, so your wrists wont ache from holding it for
a whole episode of Baywatch. Oh for the days of those baggy 90s shorts.
from 31,900 / apple.com/in

*Price for closest Indian equivalent model Samsung UAJU7500

BEST FOR
STB

show
The

FUTURE OF TV

Pro
zapper

A standard remote
wouldnt really do for a TV of
this talent, so it comes with a
fancy one. An on-screen pointer
activates when your thumb is
rested on the right button,
while holding down the
Extra key brings up
the EPG.

Grab and go

The two ends of the

Fidelio B5s soundbar
automatically switch to
wireless mode when detached,
so theres no need to fiddle
around with confusing menus,
and you can switch to
surround sound in
moments.

41

FUTURE OF TV

Adjust
your set

A bit of fine-tuning is
needed (we toned down
brightness and turned on
smooth processing) to get the
LG to its best, but needless to
say its worth it. Youll need a
sharp pencil to follow the
pristine lines on 4K
video.

Changing
rooms

The Kubik One is available

with three standard outfits: red,
white or black. But if your room
looks like Bappi Lahiri has been
at it, more extravagant colours
are available: purple or
lime green, perhaps?

42

FUTURE OF TV

The show

BEST FOR
Netflix

S1 S
2

Daredevil

Give the 4K and HDR a

workout with series two of
Daredevil the blind lawyer by day
and blind superhero by night. While
Marvels Technicolor creations often
have all the depth of a page in the
comic book they come from, the
juxtaposition of Daredevils job
and vigilantism makes for
a more intriguing tale.

e science
Th

HDR

Tired of your
telly?

Download
Bookmyshow
(free / iOS,
Android), tap in
what youre
looking for and itll
tell you what
theatre your can
watch it in. It also
has a list of plays
and others if youre
tired of movies.

HDR stands for

High Dynamic
Range. Youve
probably seen
a button for it
on your phones
camera. It ensures
exposure is even
throughout a
frame, so you dont
get bits that are
completely overexposed while
leaving others
gloomier than a
goths birthday
party. When used
incorrectly it can
make things look
artificial, but in the
right hands youll
see detail in the
darkness that
just wasnt
possible before.

The situation You have no respect for scheduling and you wont wait
seven days for another episode of whatever show youre hooked on this week.
You want 4K and HDR but youre not fussed about football and youre not
willing to wait for the big brands to turn on their ultra HD channels. Youre an
apostle of streaming, youve got a decent connection and youre not afraid to
use it. Heres what you need to make the most of it.
The screen

LG 55EG960T
3,09,900 / lg.com/in

While it might seem like overkill

to drop that much on something
to watch your 300-a-month,
all-you-can-eat TV shows on,
LGs 65EF950V is just about the
most cutting-edge TV you can
get right now and doesnt
that seem fitting for the future
of television?
Everybody knows that 4K and
OLED are the televisual equivalent
of burgers and fries great on
their own but so much better when
working as a team and LGs latest
65-incher improves the dish even
further by adding a generous dollop
of HDR ketchup.
Netflix reckons HDR (see left)
is going to be an even bigger deal
than 4K, and youll start seeing
it pop up in its shows this year
(Amazon Prime Video already
started abroad back in July with
orchestral comedy Mozart In The
Jungle), so this telly will ensure
youre ready when the revolution
arrives. Turns out it will be
televised after all.

The sound

Dali Kubik One

1,05,000 / audio-one.in

The Kubik One is the Lionel Messi

of soundbars. Or, because Dali
is Danish, maybe that should be
the Christian Eriksen. Soundbars
tend to be anonymous-looking
black boxes that sit under your
telly and (hopefully) go unnoticed,
but the Kubik One is keen to take
the plaudits it deserves.
Behind its scarlet/green/purple
facade (choose whichever of
the nine available finishes is the
best match for your curtains)
youll find 100W of audio muscle
thatll ping sound around your
room like Eriksen pings passes:
with purpose, accuracy and
spot-on timing.
Dalis hi-fi heritage means the
Kubik One is just as comfortable
with music as it is with sound
effects, so you could even use
it as a stereo when theres nothing
on telly. So its just as well it
handles hi-res audio files up to
24-bit/96kHz and has Bluetooth
built in for streaming from your
phone, isnt it?

Tech 55in 3840x2160 OLED

1450x883x236mm, 24.5kg
(with stand) USB x3, HDMI x3

Tech 100W 162x980x102mm,

9.6kg Bluetooth, USB, optical
digital, microUSB

Stuff says

Stuff says

Apple Watch

Netflixs habit of autoplaying the next episode makes it dangerously easy to wallow in
front of the telly for hours, potentially days. To prevent you becoming at one with your
sofa, your Apple Watch will remind you when youve been sedentary for too long
and remind you to stand up for a bit, even if it is to just restock the popcorn.
from 30,900 / apple.com

Amp
fiddler

The Kubik
Ones amp
is split into
four 25W
channels
and
controls
the sub
separately
to the
tweeters.

NOW
ADD
THIS
43

10 THINGS
TO WATCH
on Netflix
FUTURE OF TV

S1
S

The situation Its not all Breaking Bad and House Of

Cards on Netflix (although if you havent seen them where
have you been?). Lurking beyond the algo-recommendations
and the headline shows are some of the most mindblowing
documentaries, addictive TV programmes and must-watch
films available.

S3

House Of Cards S1 S2 S3 S4
The show that proved Netflix could compete with the established TV companies
when it came to must-see exclusives returns and Frank Underwood doesnt
appear to have mellowed. His rise to power is still on track in Season 4, and if the
teaser is anything to go by it shows him posing for photos over whats clearly
supposed to look like a shallow grave hes still not afraid to take drastic action to
get what he wants. As usual the whole series will hit Netflix at once, so you can
binge yourself silly and have nothing else to talk about for the next few weeks.
44

FUTURE OF TV

Love
Love is a story of two useless,
directionless, loveless people at
opposite ends of the loser
spectrum, who bumble into each
others lives and begin a
relationship that at many times
isnt particularly good for either
of them. This isnt laugh-aminute stuff, but spending time
with the substance-abusing
Mickey (Communitys Gillian
Jacobs) and pathetic pushover
Gus is a pleasure.

Jessica Jones

Better Call Saul

Picking up where Daredevil (keep

reading) left off, Jessica Jones is
Marvels dangerously bingeable
new series. After a short stint as
a superhero, private detective
Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter)
moves to NYC and opens up Alias
Investigations out of her own
apartment. Strong performances
from a brilliant cast make this a
dark thriller for comic book
fans and the uninitiated alike.
Are you still reading?

The show itself may not be new,

but the second series certainly is,
and it goes as far as to improve
and already brilliantly enjoyable
show. Everyones favourite
sleazy-yet-likeable lawyer Saul
Goodman (well, Jimmy McGill)
features in this Breaking Bad
prequel, with Bob Odenkirk
slipping into his cheap suit with
remarkable ease. His superb
performance will keep you
watching and wanting for more.

Call Me Lucky
For years Barry Crimmins was an
unusually politically aware standup in the same vein as Bill Hicks
or Lenny Bruce fearless, angry
and bloody hilarious. But after
an on-stage revelation he leads
a campaign against online child
pornography that ends up with
Crimmins addressing the Senate
on what hes unearthed in the
darkest corners of AOL chatrooms. Call Me Lucky is his
distressingly personal story.

PEAKY BLINDERS

A week into this youll start talking like an English gangster from Birmingham. Peaky Blinders
is an excellent crime drama set in Her Majestys kingdom in the 1920s. It features an insanely
great cast- Cilian Murphy, Sam Neill and Tom Mad Max Hardy among others. Mr. Murphy
plays Tommy Shelby, the ambitious leader of the Peaky Blinders gang. Odd name? Some
historians say it comes from the blades they used to hide in their caps, just in case.
@stuff_india

Unbreakable
Kimmy Schmidt

Possibly the quirkiest and the

funniest thing on this list,
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is
very weird. And hilarious. It
follows 29 year old Kimmy after
her rescue from a cult that kept
her holed up in a bunker for 15
years. It has already been
renewed for a third season so
start emotionally investing in
little Kimmy now.

Cartel Land
If you thought Ross Kemp on Gangs
was hardcore, wait til youve seen
Cartel Land. Embedded with anticartel vigilante groups on both
sides of the Mexican border,
director Matthew Haineman carries
his camera into the midst of
firefights on the gang-controlled
streets of Michoacn, and goes on
patrol with a self-appointed
protection force across the border
in the United States.

The Wolfpack
In 2010, a New Yorks School of
Visual Arts student saw a
peculiar group of boys. They all
wore Ray Bans and were dressed
like they were in Reservoir Dogs.
She started talking to them and
turns out, the siblings had been
confined in their Manhattan
apartment all their lives and
everything they knew about
the world came from movies.
Haunting and strange.

WE CANT
STOP
WATCHING

Making a Murderer
While the filming of this 10-part
documentary clearly started a
long, long time ago (its been 10
years in development), one
suspects that the success of the
Serial podcast is what got Netflix
to buy and promote it as much as
it has. However, Its a long, often
slow series, but its also
fascinating, deeply troubling, and
will send shivers down your spine
for sure.

45

FUTURE OF TV

Scrubbed
up hub

Despite the price, the J6300

doesnt scrimp on features. Its
got Samsungs redesigned Smart
Hub, which pops up a row of
icons. Its quick and simple, and
doesnt get in the way of
what youre watching.

Carry
the cans

The Media 4 might lack

HDMI but it does have NFC for
easily pairing suitably equipped
phones. You wont have to mess
around for hours with different
sound modes either it
doesnt have any.
Simple!
46

FUTURE OF TV

BEST FOR
Budget

The show

Planet Earth II

10 years after the first series,

Sir David Attenborough returns to
his home planet to examine our
world in his trademark hushed tones,
using drones, remote recording and
4K cameras (time to launch a UHD
channel to show it on, eh, Auntie?).
However you watch it, expect
plenty of awe-inspiring
animal action.

e science
Th

The situation You dont really watch enough TV to warrant a monthly

subscription, but when you do actually tune in you want it to look good
although it doesnt need to be 4K-good. That also goes for the TV itself.
It needs to be as eyecatching when its turned off as when its on. But the
main consideration is cost. The whole lot should come in under 1,50,000,
ideally with enough left over for the odd film rental.
The screen

Curved
Some people
dismiss curved
screens as a
marketing gimmick
designed to make
you upgrade your
TV before time;
others like the
way it provides a
more uniform focal
distance across
the whole screen
because the edges
curve inwards,
claiming it offers
a more immersive
watch. The truth?
Its probably
somewhere
in between,
depending on
whos watching.
Budge over a bit,
youre hogging
the sweet spot.

Samsung
UA48J6300

1,04,900 / samsung.com/in

The sound

Q Acoustics Media 4
45,000 / babblergroup.com

Spending less than 1,50,000 on a

telly used to get you a fat plasticky
surround, lack of screen real estate
and a dearth of HDMI ports but
times have changed. In 2016, for
just under 1.10 lacs you can get
this snazzy Samsung.
Its not OLED or 4K but it
is curved, so it looks like it cost
nearly double that. At 48in its just
big enough to be totally immersive
with the lights off and a movie on,
plus it means the pixels dont get
spread too thinly. Picture quality
cant compete with a 4K set,
obviously, but you cant beat
it for a Full HD TV, with excellent
detail, sharpness and contrast
across the board.
The curve narrows viewing
angles a little, but if that really
puts you off, Panasonics
nearly-as-good and much
flatter TX-50CS520 can be
had for a similar price. Oh, and
if youre counting HDMI ports, the
Samsungs got four (plus 3 USBs).

Despite its relatively bargain price,

wed recommend the Q Acoustics
M4 to someone on almost any
budget. In terms of value for
money, its a stonker. What you
dont get in bells and whistles
(theres an optical input, AptX
Bluetooth, analogue connections
and thats about it), it makes up for
in talent. The Quality Street shape
is to accommodate a trapezoid
driver in between the two regular
ones, which does the job of
subwoofer, so you dont need
a separate box sitting on the
floor odd but effective.
The M4 is powerful yet precise,
the bass handled with authority
and without stepping on the
dialogues toes. Sure, it wont
surround you as well as a more
expensive soundbar or proper
5.1 package, but it still sounds
exciting and engrossing without
taking up anywhere near as much
space. For a room thats a lounge
first and a cinema second, an M4
is an ideal solution.

Tech 48in 1920x1080 display

628x1082x310mm, 12.3kg (with
stand) HDMI x4, USB x3

Tech 100W 1000x90x142mm,

4.6kg (height including feet
105mm) Bluetooth

Stuff says

Stuff says

Roku 2

If youd rather pick and choose your sources than take out a long-term subscription,
a Roku 2 is the number one box. Itll let you access Netflix and all the terrestrial
catch-up services with ease and comfort. Its almost like having your very own Alfred
Pennyworth just for your telly. How cool is that.
7999 / amazon.in

Wide for
sound

The M4s
drivers are
designed
to disperse
the sound
over a wider
area, so the
sweet spot
isnt the
size of a
grapefruit.

NOW
ADD
THIS
47

FUTURE OF TV

BEST FOR
Streaming
alternatives

Its got a
great (Chrome)cast

If you use Googles nifty 3k

dongle to send movies to your TV
then an in-app Cast button as
found in the Netflix and Mubi apps
is very convenient.
If the service doesnt have one,
install the Google Cast
extension in Chrome.

The situation Sure, you could spend the next decade systematically
watching everything on Netflix, but with TVs becoming smarter, its easier than
ever to broaden what you watch. From classic TV shows to art-house films
to popcorn-crunching blockbusters, a monthly subscription is the new way to
make sure youre never anything less than fully entertained.
One

Mubi

Three

Hungama

If Netflix is the flag

bearer for movies
and shows from the
West, Hotstar is
responsible for
everything Indian.
Thats not to say it
shouts Go Back
Simon, it also has a
host of shows like
Modern Family,
Game of Thrones,
Silicon Valley and
many more. The
Hindi collection
includes all oldmom-favourites
like Savdhaan India,
The Story Of Lord
Ganesha and many
others. The best
part is that its all
free and the
streaming quality
goes all the way to
HD. Thats not bad
for free content
outside YouTube.

Cult, Classic &

Independent are
three words that
describe Muvizz.
With a carefully
curated list of
movies and
documentaries
along with a whole
bunch of short
films, Muvizz offers
something a tad
different from the
rest on the list here.
Theres options to
pay per view
(75 - 165) for
movies and
documentaries
require you to
subscribe and
should cost you
around the same
price as the movies.
If its something
different youre
after, Muvizz is the
place to be.

Another alternative
to sitting on your
sofa watching an
endless supply
of entertainment
is the cinema. But
we are too lazy and
so are you. So, we
will stay in our
seats and switch
to Hungama.
Champions of
overdoing, the
website offers
internet radio, a
host of movies,
videos, short clips,
trending trailers and
music. It also has a
host of dedicated
apps. But Hungama
is best known
to offer movies
in regional
languages like
Tamil, Kannada,
Bhojpuri and many
more goodies.

from free/
hotstar.com

Stuff says

Stuff says

What to watch
Clerks

What to watch
Bail Out

This sums up the

kind of film you get
on Mubi: its black
and white and critics
like it but youll find
its easy to get into.

Rotten Tomatoes
reviews include the
phrase garbage,
but the good kind
of garbage in this
Hasselhoff flick.

Five

Muvizz

US$5/month
/ indieflix.com

Indieflix sells itself

as a selection of
independent films,
especially short
films, but beyond
the artful two-to20-minute pieces
its a nostalgic
VHS bargain bin
full of low-budget
grindhouse films
like Laser Mission
and Midnight Cop.
So you might find
it a little niche, but
you could always
just use the free
one-month trial
to enjoy some
Hasselhoff
(below). Indieflix
has an iOS app that
doesnt support
Chromecast or
offline viewing, but
you can easily bigscreen it via Roku
or an Xbox 360.

Four

Hotstar

370/month
/ mubi.com

If Netflix is a
500-screen
multiplex, Mubi is
a cool indie cinema
with a nice bar and
gourmet nachos.
Netflix has over
30,000 titles in its
media library; Mubi
has just 30. The list
remains that size
but a new film is
swapped in each
day. The quality
is high: everythings
worth watching, and
major blockbusters
sit among the more
artful selections.
The app works with
Chromecast, Apple
TV, consoles and
smart TVs, and
theres even an
Apple Watch app
for picking films
(not for watching
on your wrist).

48

Two

Indieflix

from free
/ muvizz.com

from free/
hungama.com

Stuff says

Stuff says

Stuff says

What to watch
Bahu Humari
Rajni_Kant

What to watch
Citizen Four

What to watch
Prem Ratan Dhan
Payo

Sit to watch this with

an open mind and nill
expectations and you
will laugh a lot harder
than expected.

A reporter and a
documentarian travel a
long way to meet with
Edward Snowden.
They dont have just
one meeting.

If lack of a story and

bad acting tingle
your tastebuds, this
one is a must?
Watch it for giggles.

FUTURE OF TV
1

49

FUTURE OF TV

BEST FOR
Big screens
The situation As far as youre concerned, walls arent for hanging
pictures and paintings on; theyre not even for holding ceilings up. No, walls
are for beaming flickering images onto as big as you possibly can. Youre not
messing around with small screens and weak sound. In fact, youre so serious
about movies you might as well have someone collecting tickets at the front
door and have hideously overpriced popcorn for sale in the kitchen.
The screen

Sony VPL-VW520ES

10,58,300 / pro.sony.co.in

Wide load

Tipping the
scales at a
hefty 14kg,
the Sony is a
true cinema
heavyweight,
with an eyeimpressing
300,000:1
contrast ratio
to boot.

NOW
ADD
THIS
50

OK, its not a screen as such, but

if you want to go really big theres
no substitute for a projector
and Sonys snappily named
VPL-VW520ES is the daddy.
It literally sets the standard for
a living room multiplex as the only
projector you can buy that backs
both 4K and HDR. In other words,
its more futureproofed than a
career in time-machine repair,
which is probably just as well
considering the price. Feed it
some 4K footage and everything
just jumps off the screen, with
detail and depth in even the most
insignificant parts of each scene.
Take HDR out of the picture and
edges are pin-sharp, colours bask
in realism and contrast is dramatic
yet nuanced. Its as good as any 4K
TV performance weve seen, and
the size of the projected picture
(100 inches in our case, although
anything up to 300 is possible)
makes it all the more impressive.
At this point its as cutting-edge
as projectors come.

The sound

Monitor Audio
Bronze B5 AV

2,42,500 / theaudiopeople.net
If youve got space for a projector
and 100in+ screen, youve probably
got space for more than a soundbar
when it comes to the audio side of
your setup. Monitor Audios Bronze
B5 AV is a 5.1 system thats almost
groaning under the weight of What
Hi-Fi? Awards that its won and
thats no surprise. The B5 package
has been the lucky recipient of tech
from higher up Monitor Audios
range, which only makes it more
appealing. While the design is
pretty traditional, its beautifully
finished and not too imposing.
Sit down in front of a film and the
B5 will swallow you up in sound,
but doesnt bludgeon you with it.
Everything sounds expressive and
well organised but its also powerful
and rhythmic when necessary a
terrifically accomplished all-rounder.
With this system plugged in and
a movie on, you could almost get
away with sticking a homemade
PVR sign on the front door.

Tech 4096x2160px (up to 300in)

19.5x49.6x46.4cm, 14kg
HDMI x2 3D

Tech Various sizes, from

5.6kg central speaker to 12.9kg
subwoofer 5.1 surround sound

Stuff says

Stuff says

A screen

show
The

Mad Max:
Fury Road

George Millers multiple

Oscar-winning sequel is one of
the first films to be released on Ultra
HD Blu-ray (see below) and what a
stonker it is. The dystopian desert
world that Max barrels through is
brilliantly realised and will look all
the better with those extra pixels
to play with, particularly
blown up big.

e science
Th

Ultra HD
Blu-ray
In a hopeful bid to
extend the life of
physical formats,
Ultra HD Blu-ray
players are due to
go on sale soon
from the likes of
Samsung and
Panasonic, with
films such as
Kingsman and
Sicario available
to play on them.
If your broadband
service struggles
to cope with
streaming 1080p,
this might be a
better option or,
alternatively, a
good excuse to find
a new broadband
supplier, or move
a bit closer to
civilisation.

If youre going to spend the cost of a half-decent car on a projector, youll need
something to beam the picture onto. No, next doors garage wont do. If youve got
a dedicated room for the projector you can go for a permanent one, otherwise a roll-up
probably makes more sense. Also consider the aspect ratio. If you watch mainly films,
go for 21:9, if its for TV too then 16:9 might be a better bet.

Plane
crazy

The drivers
inside
the B5
speakers
are made
of C-CAM,
a material
originally
developed
for jet
engines, so
youve got
no excuse
for not
turning it up
nice and
loud, have
you?

FUTURE OF TV
Glowing
to the movies

The Sony boasts an

impressive 6000-hour lamp
life, which is roughly enough to
support a film-a-day habit for a
decade, or 550 runs of the Lord
Of The Rings trilogy, if you
really want to put yourself
through that.

Shift
of power

A powered lens means

measuring up your picture
doesnt require turning dials to
your wits end. Just press the
shift, focus and zoom buttons
on the backlit-on-demand
remote and youll be up
and running in
minutes.
51

FUTURE OF TV

LEGAL HIGHS

How The Walk proves

3D TV isnt dead yet

Stuff says...

The Walk isnt just a

showcase for Baillies CGI
skills. In our four-star review we
said it has moments that are as
tense as the wire Petit walks on,
so even if you cant see it in
3D its well worth a watch.
Just dont look down.

52

Lay down
the law

There are movies

out there in 3D
that shouldnt be,
because it doesnt
add anything to the
story, says Baillie.
The Walk had to be
3D, and should be
seen in 3D, because
thats part of the
story that Bob
Zemeckis wanted
to tell. That story
is of Philippe Petit,
a French street
performer who
walked between the
twin towers of New
Yorks World Trade
Center in 1974. The
CGI-assisted scenes
of Petits stunt high
above the Manhattan
streets are thrillingly
vertigo-inducing, so
adding an extra layer
was a no-brainer.

Before Zemeckis
(above) and his team
started shooting The
Walk they laid out a
host of ground rules
for shooting good
3D. Bob and Dariusz
Wolski [The Walks
cinematographer]
figured out what kind
of shots would help
create a sense of
vertigo, says Baillie.
If you just move the
camera out over the
ledge and reveal the
void below, that really
does it. Long shots
help, too. Most
movies have
between 2000 and
2500 cuts but The
Walk only has 826.
The longer the shots
are, the more your
eye gets to explore
the frame.

Choose the
right tale

ore
ef

The situation For many people the idea of sitting down to watch a 3D movie at home
is only marginally more appealing than stringing a steel wire between two 110-storey buildings
and trying to walk across it. But then Robert Zemeckiss The Walk is the rarest of beasts: a great
film thats actually improved by watching it in 3D. So before you chuck your extra-dimensional telly
onto the scrap heap, read this: Stuff spoke to the films visual effects supervisor, Kevin Baillie, to
find out what makes it a movie thats actually worth digging out the 3D specs for.

r
fte

Dont shoot in 3D
When you shoot in native 3D its like youre
force-feeding reality into peoples brains, says
Baillie. We shot in 2D but used very deliberate
3D-filmmaking choices, so the movie conveys
a sense of depth really well in 2D but it also gave
us a great foundation for making amazing 3D,
without having to punch the audience in the face
with it. If our camera movements, lighting and
shot design sell the depth on their own, taking
it into a 3D world is only going to be sweeter and
we can dial in the 3D on a shot-by-shot basis.

Prep properly
Even though we
were shooting in 2D,
everybody knew
what they had to do
to make good 3D,
adds Baillie. As part
of the research I took
a helicopter ride over
Manhattan and shot
photographs out of
the side. I remember
the moment we first
hovered over where
the towers used to
be, exactly where
Philippe did his walk
1400 feet above the
ground, and being
utterly terrified by
the height. It was like
looking at a piece of
art on the wall that
was threatening to
kill me. That setting
alone lends itself to
being amazing in 3D
without having to pull
off any special tricks.

Build a
believable
world
Not only does a large
chunk of The Walk
take place at the top
of two buildings that
no longer exist it
also happens above
a city thats changed
drastically over
the past 40 years.
The solution? Build
a full 3D model
of New York in
a 12-block radius.
We modelled every
rain gutter and every
air-conditioning unit,
Baillie explains. If you
look at the rooftops
you can see the little
spinning fans, and if
you went down to
street level youd see
hotdog sellers and
even period-accurate
papers on the
newsstands.

FUTURE OF TV

Wire you
waiting?

The Walk is
out now on
3D Blu-ray
(and 2D
DVD/VOD).

Use the cloud

For a film that spends
a significant portion
of time in the clouds,
its apt that The Walk
is one of the first to
use cloud computing
to create the visual
effects. Rather than
building an expensive
data centre, Baillie
and his team used
software called
Conductor. It allows
artists to create
a very lightweight
representation of
a scene, with a little
icon for your camera
and a little icon for
your lights, explains
Baillie. Instead of
waiting one or two
days for a local render
farm to show you the
result of moving a
light 10 feet to the
left, you might only
wait two hours.
53

FUTURE OF TV

How TV
will look in
the future

There wont be
any channels

Well, in as much as there wont

be a schedule. Kids already find the
idea of having to wait until a certain
time of day for a programme to be
on baffling, so Netflix will become
channels. Live events aside,
when you watch stuff will
be entirely up to you.

The situation Most people buy a new television every seven years or
so, although this number seems to be dropping thanks to falling TV prices and
houses having multiple sets. So if youve just got a shiny 4K one for your living
room, what can you look forward to sitting down in front of in 2023?

Itll get high

More pixels is just one part

of your screens future. By 2023
expect HDR to be the norm, like
HD is now. It makes dark bits look
darker, bright bits look brighter, and
generally offers better contrast and
detail across the whole screen.
Combined with higher frame
rates itll offer a more
lifelike picture.

ITLL MAKE 4K
LOOK BLURRY

ITLL CONTROL
YOUR HEATING

ITLL BE
BARELY THERE

Whats the point

in buying a 4K TV
now if theres 8K
just around the
corner? you might
well ask. Its a valid
point. But 8K is still
a long way off, and
will only really be
worth it on screens
over 65in. By the
time it catches on,
8K cameras could
be used to film live
events and, with
the sheer number
of pixels being
captured, viewers
could zoom and
crop without losing
quality, like a sofabound director.

While the
Apple-made TV
is a rumour that
refuses to die,
Apples actual TV
is already showing
the way forward
by allowing apps
to run on its tvOS,
meaning before
long it could
also be used
as a mainframe
for HomeKitconnected devices.
Your TV set will still
be the centrepiece
of the room,
making it the ideal
place to control
your heating and
other appliances.

LGs latest OLEDs

are as thin as four
credit cards. For
something you
hang on the wall (or
stick in the corner),
how thin it is makes
little difference, but
when has that ever
stopped us before?
OLED already
offers better
brightness and
contrast than LCD
can but its very
expensive right
now. As with
all areas of tech,
expect the price
to come down as
time goes by and it
becomes the norm.

ITLL BEND TO
YOUR WILL
Its unlikely well
ever see truly
floppy telly screens,
but the Human
Media Lab has
developed ReFlex
a properly
flexible phone
with a UI that can
be manipulated by
bending it. A TV
that curves for
films and flattens
again for Newsnight
wouldnt be
completely mad.

ITLL BE
WEARABLE
OK, not literally, but
with Oculus, Vive
and PlayStation VR
all launching this
year, virtual reality
will become a tool
for reporting major
events, using 360
spherical camera
rigs (such as those
made by Jaunt)
to shoot footage
that viewers will
be able to stick
their heads inside
and look around.

55

Add a dash
of Hi-Fi
to your telly

FUTURE OF TV

Box on roids

The iBox hooks up to your TV

and will play back ALL of your
movies, TV shows, videos, music,
photos & more! Watch live TV, download
movies, music and TV shows, stream or
download your favourite YouTube videos,
sing karaoke the possibilities are
endless! It plays all popular audio and
video file formats and supports
high resolution audio, all
surround sound
formats.

The situation Youre a loyal servant of Stuff India

and buy everything we suggest. Youve got yourself a
spanking new telly, but whats missing is a dash of hi-fi.
Heres all you need to satiate your inner hi-fi monster.

IBOX MEDIA
CENTER
Theres a reason,
apart from showing
off, of course, why
What Hi Fi India hosts
one of the biggest AV
shows in the country.
At each What Hi Fi
Show, we see new
innovations and new
speakers with tech
that is derived from
Aliens. The iBox is just
that. It is a one stop
shop for all your
entertainment needs.
It even has comic
books and you can
also stream torrents
on the damn thing!
28,500/
iboxmediacenter.
com

ZAPPITI MEDIA
CENTRE
Zappity has come
up with a new
player called the
Zappiti Player Muse
Edition, which is the
worlds first media
player combining a
24/bit 192kHz DAC
with a digital AEX/
EBU XLR output. It
comes with 3D
capabilities and can
be controlled
wirelessly with your
tablet. Yes, its a bit
more expensive
but worth it.
30,500/
keihifi.com

POPCORN HOUR
No this isnt a
popcorn machine. In
fact what it does, is
plays your Blu Rays
and DVDs for you. It
supports 3D and has
a Sigma processor,
the same found in
Zappiti. The Popcorn
Hour makes browsing
and selecting movies
fun thanks to its
Networked Media
Jukebox Navigator
which is Flash-based.
There are Android
and iOS apps
available for it too.
27,000/
ekka.in

AMKETTE
EVOTV 2

KALIEDESCAPE
STRATO

We know how much

it hurts when
someone spoils it for
you, revealing gory
details about the new
Game of Thrones
episode. Well the
Amkette EvoTV2
could solve that
problem by allowing
to watch it on Hotstar
minutes after the US
telecast. The device
is home to many
more apps to fulfil
your entertainment
needs.
6999/
snapdeal.com

Youve probably not

heard of the brand
before, but the
Kaleidescape Strato
is the worlds first
and only 4K Ultra HD
high-dynamic-range
movie player. Strato
plays movies in true
4K Ultra HD at up to
60 frames per
second, without
startup delays,
buffering messages,
or quality drops that
are common with
streaming services.
from 4,75,000/
thesoundsmiths.com
57

FIRST TEST APPLE iPHONE SE

SE you baby,
shakin that iOS
Remember the iPhone 5c? Apples first cheap handset
was as close as its ever come to a dud so heres the SE,
Apples second crack at the affordable smartphone whip
from 39,000 / apple.com/in
The iPhone SE is an apology
in the shape of a smartphone.
And do you know what? Its an
absolute banger.
The cheapest iPhone ever made,
packs pretty much all the power of
the iPhone 6s into the 4in aluminium
shell of the iPhone 5s. Get hold of
it and it feels like good value for
money, rather than a step
backwards for 5s owners who
just wanted to stick with
a smaller handset. For a phone
of such slight stature, the SE is
uncompromisingly current.
Were afflicted by small hands
syndrome. This means the 4in
iPhone 5s has always been the
perfect size for us. Moving up
to the new 4.7in iPhone 6s meant
learning to stretch our thumb in
new directions.
As for the 5.5in 6s Plus? We cant
even hold it one-handed without
suffering from a near-constant
anxiety attack. We might not
be tall, but its still a long way
to travel from our digits to
the pavement.
Having become accustomed to
the more portly iPhone 6s,
we kind of expected using the SE
to feel like a step backwards
that using it would force our
muscle memory to take a time warp
into the past. Thankfully,
it felt very natural.
Getting used to the power button
being at the top took a little bit of
mental recalibration, but weve
actually always preferred that
placement: it makes your phone
that little bit more secure
to grasp on to.
At just 113g in weight, the iPhone
SE barely registers in
the hand either. We can nimbly flip
the phone into landscape mode to
take a photo, then revert back to
answering a message without
missing a beat, all with one hand.
Thats something weve really
missed since Apple joined the
phablet race. Welcome back, 4in
iPhone, youve been missed.

59

FIRST TEST APPLE iPHONE SE

1 SE no evil
Thankfully, dropping a size
down to the iPhone SE doesnt
condemn you to a loss in screen
quality. Having a bigger iPhone
to hand makes viewing films and
TV significantly more immersive,
but the SE retains the 326ppi
of the iPhone 6ss Retina display,
so reading emails and text is no
trouble at all.

2 Natural selection
Apples displays have always
offered magnificent amounts
of detail and contrast, and thats
certainly the case here. Compared
to the glossy, saturated tones you
get on many Androids, the iPhone
SE offers a more natural take on
screen tech. Personally, we prefer
that, but theres still a place for
brash Samsung and LG displays.

3 Invisible touch
What weve missed most about
swapping from the 6s to the SE
is pressure-sensitive 3D Touch.
Apple has clearly deemed it to
be a premium only feature, but
were not convinced thats a great
strategy. For its keyboard skills
alone, 3D Touch would sit right at
home on a smaller iPhone and get
more people interacting with it.

4 Chaaaarge!
For all that its lacking in wow
factor, this tiny iPhone has one
huge ace up its sleeve: its battery
life. Compared to the iPhone 6s,
the SE has the stamina of a
modern-day Nokia. On a tougher
than average day, it was still on
an impressive 29% at 10pm. This
is about the same amount of
drain youll get from the LG G5.

1
2

Good
Meh
Evil

H
be ey,
fo ha
re ve
so n
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ew e
he se
Oh
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? th
el es
is
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An
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.

48 hours with the

Apple iPhone SE

1min
60

2mins

5mins

10mins 12mins 15mins

2hrs

5hrs

6hrs

8hrs

FIRST TEST APPLE iPHONE SE

Tech specs
5 Slick pic tricks
If fantastic battery life is the
iPhone SEs greatest revelation,
then its camera is a close second
if only because its far better
than you might have expected.
It lacks the 6s Pluss optical image
stabilisation, but the SE offers
4K video recording, 12MP photos
courtesy of the rear camera, and
the ability to record Live Photos.

Screen 4in, 1136x640 (326ppi)

Processor Apple A9 RAM 2GB
OS iOS 9.3 Storage 16/64GB
Cameras 12MP f/2.2 rear ,
1.2MP f/2.4 front Extras Touch ID
Dimensions 124x59x7.6mm, 113g

Is it your bag?
Like liquorice, caviar or Michael Bay, the iPhone SE
is an acquired taste so bear these points in mind

n Bigger giga?

n Feeling flat?

n Fast tracks

n Finishing Touch

There is one thing the

SE sorely lacks: storage.
In stark contrast to most
Androids, this iPhone only
comes with 16GB and
64GB storage options,
and thats tough to
swallow these days.

If you find yourself in need

of a quick top-up having
been sucked into a Clash
Royale-shaped hole, then
be warned: unlike the
Galaxy S7 and LG G5,
Apples phones still dont
support fast charging.

2
ba 4 h
tte ou
ry rs i
life n w
is ith
st th
ill e
Hm
ho S
w m
ld E a
ou .
ing n
ld A f
up d its
n a
t g st
.N
o ch
ice
am a
!
rg
i
ss in
St
,t go
ea ill,
ho p
sil its
ug tio
y g
h. n
sli re
ps at
int to
o a ha
ny ve
po a p
ck ho
et ne
.
th
at

The combination of iOS 9

and its innards ensures
the SE is plenty slick and
zippy, even when playing
high-octane games. This
is because it packs the
same A9 chip and 2GB
RAM as the 6s and 6s Plus.

24hrs

25hrs 47hrs

Apple Pay has elevated

Touch ID fingerprint
scanners from a pleasant
extra into an essential.
Until Android Pay launches
in India, the SE is one
of the few phones thatll
save you using your card.

The iPhone SE doesnt feel small, just

compact. Given most makers save their best
specs for their biggest handsets, the fact
that Apple has crammed all that tech into
such a tiny package is a feat in itself. Theres
now a virtually no-compromise option for iOS
lovers, no matter their hand span it should
tempt lots of newbies into Apples world.
@stuff_india

HELP ME OUT:
WHICH iPHONE
SHOULD I BUY?
Thanks to the new SE,
Apples iPhone line-up
of flagship phones with
the fastest internals
has swelled to three
handsets. And dont
forget you can still buy
2014s iPhone 6 and 6
Plus. Confused about
which one you should
upgrade to? We dont
blame you.
First off, dont buy
an iPhone without the
latest A9 processor.
Sure, we loved the 6
and 6 Plus when they
first launched, but
theyll be positively
ancient come the
September arrival
of the iPhone 7.
Now think about
your budget. The SE,
with its 4in screen, is
Apples cheapest ever
handset and genuinely
good value.
At the other end of the
spectrum, the 5.5in
iPhone 6s Plus starts
at 72,000.
Unless youre really
going to make the most
of that phablet-sized
screen with oodles of
Netflix and the latest
games, get the 6s. Its
the best-rated iPhone
in our Top Ten and has
the perfect balance of
svelte form and highpowered function.

STUFF SAYS HHHHH

A form factor favourite returns
rejuvenated: Apples iPhone SE is
the best small phone you can buy
61

FIRST TEST CHROMECAST AUDIO

Disc o tech
Googles new vinyl-styled Chromecast
Audio lets you play Spotify and other
services on any old hi-fi
3399 / snapdeal.com
In case youre one of the four
people who didnt buy Googles
original Chromecast last year,
well explain: it looks like a USB
stick, but you plug it into the
HDMI port in the back of your
TV. Then you open Netflix or
Hooq (or a lot of other apps)
on your phone/tablet, press
the little Cast button that
magically appears, and boink
the thing you want to watch
appears on your TV.
The really clever thing about
Chromecast is that it only looks
like youre streaming TV from
your phone; in fact, the device
is playing it directly from the
internet, which saves your
phones data and battery and
makes everything faster and
smoother. Its cheap, easy to
use and cleared the field of other
streaming methods last year,
selling over 20 million units.
And now, Chromecast Audio
has arrived to do the same to
your hi-fi. Plug one of these into
any audio setup, open up TuneIn
and you have a connected stereo
for 3k. Yes sir, but can it boogie?

Good
Meh
Evil

It
th s a
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of des
tw ig
o n, a
gi n
It
ng d
th s g
er sm
at ro
nu all
s ov
tb
be y
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36 hours with the

Chromecast Audio

1min
62

2mins

5mins 10mins

15mins 20mins

1hr

2hrs

6hrs

10hrs

FIRST TEST CHROMECAST AUDIO

The other new Chromecast

Googles TV streamer has also been updated,
so do you need to rush out and buy a new one?
1 Start me up
Setup requires the Chromecast
app (free, iOS/Android), and
the whole process only takes
a minute or so. For any remotely
decent speakers, go into settings
and check the High Dynamic
Range box, which dramatically
increases the sound quality.

2 Simply the guest

Guest mode means people can
play music on your Chromecast
Audio without joining your Wi-Fi
network. Thankfully, its easy to
turn this off once you decide that
your guests have heard enough
Kylie and they need to hear Tools
Lateralus all the way through again.
3 Caster of applets
In most apps, a Devices Available
tab appears. You tap it, select the
Audio, and youre away. In Google
Play Music its easier still, with a
proper Cast button. You can also
stream audio from a Chrome tab,
which is great for SoundCloud,
Last.fm or YouTube.

4 Wi-Fi wins in the stream

This is much better than
streaming via Bluetooth. Theres
no interruption from calls, almost
no battery drain, and your phone
doesnt have to stay near the
speaker. And unlike streaming
via DLNA, you dont have to give
up your phones Wi-Fi connection.

T
dif he
fe Au
re di
nt o p
sp lu
ea gs
ke in
rs to
...a
w ab
in nd
ith u
ev it
no nch
er s W
y i
pr of
sin -F
ob
gl i re
lem
er c
It
s..
oo ep
po wo
.
m tio
rt nt
,t r
w ni
ho un
eu se
ug o
se xc
h no
it elle
in n
m ur h
. t
ain iYo
th u c
s p fis
at a
5
o
ll n s
w V
er US
ru tr
n t ea
on B
he m
ly
.
Ch to
ro it f
...w
m ro
eb m
on h
ro an
yo ich
w yt
ur m
se hi
hi ea
r.. ng
-f ns
.
i. u
nl
im
ite
dS
ou
nd
Cl
ou
d

5 Sweet phone audio-charmer

Sound quality is great: the Audio
streams at the highest bitrate
the app will allow. Using a browser,
the quality varies with the source,
but its still very capable indeed.

24hrs

26hrs 28hrs

32hrs

36hrs

1 It looks nicer

2 Its faster

Its a fancy design, but this

wont make any difference
to you because youll only
see it when you take it out
of the box. It could have
a picture of a naked
clown on it for all we
care once in use it
disappears behind the TV.

Loading a Netflix show

took less than 10 seconds
on the old Chromecast,
so while loading times
have improved, youd
have to be an incredibly
impatient person for this
to matter. Still, theres
almost no wait.

3 Its got good Wi-Fi

4 Games and photos

This is the real reason

to consider upgrading:
the new Chromecast has
noticeably better Wi-Fi
reception, which means
itll work much better
for a second/bedroom
TV thats further from
your homes router.

Two other neat additions:

Google Photos support
means you can cast your
snaps to your telly, and
your phone becomes
a controller for Android
games. If youre a fan of
the new Google Photos,
its worth a go.

STUFF SAYS HHHHH

If you already own a Chromecast theres no need to upgrade,
but games and photos add new reasons to try one

It doesnt matter how dumb / smart

your TV is. With a little over three
grand in your pocket, you can turn it
into a genius with the Chromecast.
Sure, it isnt a massive upgrade over the
previous model, but if this is your first
Chromecast, you wont be disappointed. Add
to that its quirky styling and you have a
media whiz par excellence. @kapadiafarhan

STUFF SAYS HHHHH

Its simple, works with a huge
variety of apps, costs as much as
a couple of CDs and sounds great
63

FIRST TEST FITBIT BLAZE

All about that Blaze

Its not the smartest of smartwatches
but can Fitbits new multi-sport ticker
set the fitness tracking world alight?
19,999 / fitbit.com/in

Like a tech-toting member of

the Kardashian clan, Fitbit knows
its best assets and exactly how
to work them.
With its wrist-based products
already ranging from the Flex and
the Charge to the sleek new Alta,
Fitbit is synonymous with tech
that forgoes unnecessary frills
in its pursuit of activity-tracking
glory and the Blaze is certainly
no exception.
Announced at CES in January,
this is a smart sports ticker
designed to scythe through
the quagmire of smartwatch
mediocrity; Fitbit has delivered
in the Blaze a hardy chunk of
wristwear that feels like it could
take a serious bump or two.
Harbouring heaps of motionmonitoring kit inside its angular
shell, its all about pared-back
brilliance, with a very light
sprinkling of smarts for the
connected gym-goer.
But can its fitness first focus
tempt stat-lovers away from
the do-it-all watches of Apple,
Samsung and the rest? Its time
to find out.

1 A design that divides

The heavily bevelled hexagonal
shape is hardly Gear S2 sleek.
The gaps above and below the
removable central module act as
dust magnets, detracting from
the otherwise solid feel. Still, my
silicone-strapped model is subtle
and comfortable to wear all day.

2 All-day companion
Whats it like to use? In short,
dreamy: the Blaze has one
of the best fitness watch
interfaces going. What seems
at first to be a small display is
actually a beautifully vibrant,
clear screen thats a corker
both indoors and out.

3 Tracking on tap
Fitbit has banished clutter in
favour of a neon-on-black OS
thats incredibly intuitive. The
interplay of button pushes versus
touch inputs can at first seem
baffling; once youre accustomed
to the buttons, though, they make
a lot more sense.

Good
Meh
Evil

O
un ut
iq of
ue th
in e b
th ox
el ,a
oo nd
Ch
ks th
m ar
de e B
od g
pa la
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ul ng
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ice uc
s. h

Five days with the

Fitbit Blaze

1min
64

5mins

1hr

2hrs

3hrs

24hrs

25hrs

48hrs

60hrs

65hrs

FIRST TEST FITBIT BLAZE

Tech specs
Screen 1.25in 240x180 colour touch LCD
Sensors 3-axis accelerometer, optical
heart-rate monitor, altimeter, ambient light
Connectivity Bluetooth 4.0 Water resistance Splashproof
Strap sizes Small (140-170mm), Large (170-206mm),
Extra Large (206-236mm) Weight 43g

How smart is the Blaze?

3

It might look like a standard smartwatch, but

the Blazes intelligence is dedicated to fitness

4
n I like to move it

n Telephone line

n My heart will go on

n We can work it out

You get calendar, text and

call alerts but thats it.
No half-baked attempts
to make the Blaze smarter
here: just a watch thats
sporty to the core, tracking
just about anything that
involves movement.

5 Always ready to rumble

The Blaze will last five days per
charge. This feat might be due
in part to how quickly the display
goes to sleep: after around 10
seconds. Sound inconvenient?
The Blaze is easy to wake: with
QuickView enabled, simply raising
your wrist will bring it back to life.

T
su hre
rp e d
ris ay
ing s
ly in a
st nd
ill t
ha he
Th
lf f b
w e
ak Bl
ul att
l. e
ing aze
ry
th s Q
is
es u
i
c
c
...b
re kV
dr ut
en ie
ea th
as w f
m e
w un
w sile
e s ct
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t c la
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rm
o
ps
m
M
w
e
fo us
o
s
to rk
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w s li
as co
ak ke
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m o
ing a
id ls
us
-w ar
.
e
or li
ko mi
Bo
ut ted
th dy
so , b
ro m
ug e
ng ut
h a tri
sk ma
ip ke
s w cs
pi
a
e p re
ng
ac
.
o
un in
Fiv
d t ch
six e
he to
pa day
tre cy
ck s l
ad cle
ate
m
bu r,
ill.
t l we
ov r
ing e s
th till l
e B ac
laz kin
e. g a

4 Logging how youre jogging

Ready to get sweaty? Choose a
discipline or let the Blaze detect it
with the SmartTrack feature. Data
is displayed clearly, while swiping
up or down changes which metric
is shown from distance to heart
rate. The Blaze also measures
steps, calories burned and sleep.

72hrs

87hrs 93hrs

107hrs

108hrs

120hrs

The PurePulse feature

is where the Blaze really
gets pumping. An optical
sensor continuously
measures your heart
rate, as well as offering
zonal data for highintensity workouts.

Using your phones GPS

delivers accurate route
tracking but does mean
you need to bring it with
you. Still, because the
Blaze only uses Bluetooth
to gather the info, this does
preserve battery life.

The Blaze has three builtin FitStar workouts that

add real value. Syncing
with the app is quick, and
data is easy to delve into:
exercise totals, weight
logging and more are just
a tap away.

The Fitbit Blaze is well and truly a sports

watch and a darned good one at that. Sure,
off-device GPS isnt ideal, but surprisingly
accurate heart-rate tracking, multi-sports
modes and a lovely interface make it a truly
appealing activity companion. Fitness first,
smart second: the Blaze is built to be a brilliant
workout buddy.
@stuff_india

STUFF SAYS HHHH

A sports-first fitness watch with a
dash of smarts, the Blaze is a joy
to use with a brill battery to boot
65

FIRST TEST DJI PHANTOM 4

Crash me if you can

By taking some control away from the
pilot, DJIs Phantom 4 promises fewer
smashes. But is it still fun to fly?
1,21,000 / flycams.in
Just a while ago, we said DJIs
Phantom 3 was pretty much the
perfect first flying camera. That
was true then, but the Phantom 4
simply blows it out of the sky.
The latest of DJIs camera-toting
quadcopters takes everything
weve come to expect from the
line and adds features that mean
pretty much anyone can fly one.
Itll dodge obstacles, line up your
camera shots for you and create
some truly breathtaking 4K
video in the process. This drone
is so smart that it can pretty
much fly itself.
Everything about the 4 feels
more user-friendly, and this
follows all the way through to its
packaging. Lift the drone out of
the box and its easy to spot DJIs
visual tweaks: the glossy white
plastic frame looks thinner and
more aerodynamic, the quickrelease propellers make setup
much faster than older Phantoms,
while exposed motors and
smooth curves make it a match
for the Apple Stores where it first
launched. Yep, the Phantom 4 is
a super-slick flying machine.

1 The artful dodger

While other drones rely on GPS
and dont know if theyre about
to fly into a tree, DJI has given this
drone eyes and a brain to keep it
safe. It works a bit like the parking
sensors on a car get within a
couple of metres and it will simply
refuse to go any further.

2 Fly this way

You dont need to be an expert on
the sticks to use the Phantom 4:
with TapFly, pressing anywhere
on the live view will send the drone
in that direction. Youll want the
controller to hand for backup
manual control, but its a great
way for novice fliers to start.

3 Three-speed fear box

The last Phantom was no slouch,
but DJI has turned things up a notch
for the 4. Youve got three top
speeds now: with Obstacle
Avoidance on youll reach 35kmph;
in normal flight that jumps up to
56kmph, and in Sport mode youll
top out at a terrifying 72kmph.

Good
Meh
Evil

O
se oo
rio h! T
us hi
ly s s
st ui
yl tca
ish s
. ep
ac
An
ka
gi
dt
ng
he
is
dr
on
ei
ts
el
f is
Se
ar
ta tu
ea
ke p
l lo
th did
is nt
ok
th t
er
ing ak
.
ou e lo
ts ng
i
de at
G
bu ulp
fo all.
r a Ti
tt !W
ha e
fly me
s
tw h
. to
o
all ul
loo d t
e
ks st
a b Ob
A
it s sta
fa ma
m cle
ce zi
as A
d w ng
hy vo
ith . It s
id
an
a s top
ce
ol s i
id n
ob its
W
j
ec tra
is e m
t. ck
it? ig
sw
Ah ht
he
. A ge
n
ny t o
on ne
e f of
an th
T
cy es
to apF
go e. H
te ly
ing ow
st is
ha m
th bri
is llia
lve uc
DJ n
s? h
I a t, a
tt n
op d s
sp o s
W
ee im
ac ow
d ple
ro . T
ss h
.T
im
th e P
e s ha
e
ky nt
at om
ov 4
R
er ab
w etu
50 so
he rn
km lute
n i To
tr H
ph ly
ea o
. zip
ch me
s
ed m
3. od
5k e
m kic
aw ke
ay d in
.N
ice
.

5 hours with the

DJI Phantom 4

1min
66

3mins

5mins

15mins

17mins

20mins

21mins

24mins

31mins

FIRST TEST DJI PHANTOM 4

Tech specs

Max video resolution 4096x2160 Max frame rate 120fps

(1080p) Stills 12MP (JPEG, RAW DNG) Lens 20mm
(35mm equiv) f/2.8 Storage MicroSD card Obstacle
sensory range 0.7-15 metres Top speed 72kph Max flight
time 28mins approx Weight 1380g (with battery)

Eye in the sky

So, its good at flying, but what about the Phantom 4s
video skills? Well, theyre not half bad either

n Steady the eagle

n Grainy night

n RAW talent

n Track star

The camera is largely the

same as the Phantom 3
Pros and that 4K sensor
was already brilliant. The
three-axis gimbal that
steadies your footage is
now attached on both
sides for extra stability.

5 Under the thumb

The controller hasnt changed
much, with the same phone/
tablet cradle, twin sticks and
buttons for camera control. The
drone has a maximum range of
3.5km before it loses contact, but
Return To Home mode kicks in
automatically if you stray too far.

O
ho K, w
m e
e a re
nd ou
ch t o
ec f b
k o at
ut ter
4K
th y. B
an v
is e
i
d A de
fo tt
ot er
ut o is
o a
ag he
Tr s
e. ad
ac im
k w pr
es
o
s
rk iv
S
sw e
th nap
ing s
el as e
l. x
s d loo
pe
of kg
ct
ro oo
ed
m d
,
hig too
hu
Th
a
p
l
all is
ab tho
re dro
ov ug
ch n
e. h m
ar e r
ge ea
os
d a lly
t
nd is
he a lo
An
t
ad o
Av d
ing f f
oi ag
da ai
ou un.
n
nc . Y
t a We
e i ou
ga re
nt k
in.
he no
w
da ,
rk for
. O
bs
ta
cle

4 Fully charged
DJIs estimated 28-minute flight
time is pretty much on the money.
Its a slight increase over the old
model, and might sound like a lot
but if youre hoping to use the
Phantom 4 for professional jobs,
or plan to be out all day, youll want
to pack an extra battery (15k).

43mins

55mins

1hr

2hrs

5hrs

You can snap 12MP photos

while filming, in JPEG or
RAW DNG; quality is on a
par with top smartphones.
As with video, images are
much grainier when it gets
dark, though with RAW
you can tweak them later.

As with the Phantom 3,

the camera is best at
daylight shooting; boosting
the sensitivity in dark
conditions makes footage
a lot grainier something
to keep in mind if youre
planning to film at night.

Auto Track uses computer

vision to follow a subject
with the camera. It would
sometimes take a few
tries, either because the
subject was too small or
too far away, but it worked
brilliantly about 5m away.

The Phantom 4 costs more than last years

model, but the autonomous modes make it
the clear choice for anyone making their first
flight as a drone pilot. That doesnt mean its
just for beginners: pros will appreciate the tech
and speed upgrades that make it a match for
the bigger DJI Inspire 1. Expect to see a lot more
of these in the sky soon.
@stuff_india

STUFF SAYS HHHHH

This is a massive leap forward
for drones that should open the
doors even to novice pilots
67

A MA ZO N KINDL E OAS IS TEST

Oasis: Whats the story?

A jaw-droppingly expensive e-reader thats the ultimate
bookworms status symbol
from 23,999 / amazon.in
Sasquatch, Godzilla, zombies
theyre all about as terrifying as the
Kindle Oasiss price tag. Get
the Wi-Fi/3G version and itll
set you back a monstrous 27,999.
The Wi-Fi-only version isnt much
cheaper at 23,999, which is still a
lot for something that shows your
ebooks and graphic novels in black
and white. Especially given the
Kindle Paperwhite costs 11k less.
But lets assume that you love
to read. We dont mean you roll deep
with Tolstoy and Dostoevsky,
just that you devour a tome a week.
Then the Oasis is the best e-reader
you can buy.

The
Oasis has
pleasantly tactile
buttons to turn
pages, not pressuresensitive
tabs.

Its superiority revolves almost

exclusively around its design.
For something made of plastic
polymer, the Oasis feels deluxe in
the hand. The slight ridge on its back
is easy to grip, even when you feel a
7pm nap coming on.
Every Oasis comes with a
complimentary leather cover
thats available only in black in India,
but also in walnut and merlot
elsewhere. The cover boosts the
battery life from two weeks to nine
the longest of any Kindle.
However, the 6in touchscreen
display isnt quite as fully featured as
the one on the cheaper Voyage,
which adapts to background
conditions. Amazon argues that the
Oasiss backlight is superior
as it allows for stronger lighting
and reduces the distance the light
travels from edge to edge.

Tech specs
Screen 6in 1440x1080 (300ppi)
Touchscreen Yes Backlight Yes
Storage 4GB Battery life 9 weeks
with cover, 2 weeks without
Dimensions 143x122x3.4-8.5mm,
131g without cover

Walking library

If your reading pace is akin

to the spitfire flow of 2 Chainz,
Amazons Kindle Unlimited
service should suffice. It offers
you the choice of 700,000 books
to peruse for 199/month.

Slim shady

At its thinnest point, the Kindle

Oasis is an astonishing 3.4mm
slim, while its 131g weight
(without a cover) means its
around a third less heavy
than the 188g Paperwhite.

STUFF SAYS If youve got the cash to spare, this e-reader is the best you can buy HHHHH
Buying one is the
decadent option,
but it never hurts
to show your class
stuff_india

Let us be clear about this: if youre looking for an e-reader, then the Paperwhite will do just
fine. It has a great screen and backlighting like the Oasis, and it costs less than half the price of
this new Kindle. But dont come crying to us if Diana on the opposite sunlounger turns you as
green as the mint in your mojito. Why? Shell be reading the latest trashy thriller on her Oasis,
instead of the peasantrys e-reader of choice.
69

S M ART R ON T. B OOK

A dose of this tronic...

Smartrons got Make In India as its hashtag
and Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador.
But is the T.book a master blaster or a duck?
from 39,999 / smartron.com
Therere going to be a lot of cricket
puns try and excuse us for once. (No,
dont worry, this rhyming wasnt
intentional). So, right off the bat, its
worth mentioning that the Smartron
T.book comes in tamper-proof
housing, which should provide some
comfort to those obsessed with
quality. Well done on that, Smartron. We
dont think its necessary, to be honest,
but protection is always welcome.
Unbox it (watch us do the honours on
stuff.tv/in or simply scan this page on the
Blippar app) and youre greeted with a
really nice orange-white package. Its a
welcome change from the boring black
ones were used to from mainstream
brands. It gives the sense that Smartron
is not afraid to think out of the box, and
we like that defiant mood it sets for you.
The unit itself is a sharp grey slab and
looks industrial we really liked it. But its
likely to divide opinion were not sure if
people used to black, white or rose gold
slabs will warm up (cricket pun, in case
you missed it) to it. Setting up Windows 10
is a doddle. Takes just a few minutes and
works like a charm. The most attractive
bit is the WQXGA display, and thats all
thanks to the 2560x1600 resolution.
The let-down? The paltry 4GB RAM and
Intel Core M processor. It lags a bit and you
can feel the T.book struggle with a few
regular tasks. It even takes its sweet time
to come to life when you wake it from its
slumber. Lets just say it takes a strategic
time out costs it a star in our test.

Tech specs
Screen 12.2in IPS WQXGA, 2560x1600
Processor Intel Core M 64-bit 2Ghz
OS Windows 10 64-bit HDD 128GB SSD
RAM 4GB LPDDR3 1600MHz
Connections Wi-Fi 802.11ac, 2x USB3,
3.5mm, Micro HDMI, MicroSD, USB Type C
Dimensions 308.5x9.5x206.5mm, 766gm

Extra cover

The keyboard that comes with the

T.book is wrapped in leather but
feels cheap. However, typing on it
is decent and theres enough key
travel for it to satisfy your fingers.
Once done typing, it wraps around
the screen like a protective cover.

Long off

The Smartron T.book comes with

a 128GB SSD that is expandable by
another 128GBs via an SD card. That
seems to be plenty of storage for a
tablet, but not if you look at it as a
notebook. But theres unlimited
storage online thanks to tcloud.

STUFF SAYS The T.book puts on a great show, but falls short of a century HHHH
Is this just another
cheap tablet that
demands a
premium price?
@kaizzzad

70

No, this isnt a cheap tablet that wants to eat up your hard-earned money. In fact,
it is pretty solid and has enough weight. It might appear too heavy for some too.
That said, its really well built and a rather worthy representative of the Make In
India movement. It easily competes with some of the best tablets out there, like
the Asus Transformers, and even undercuts them in the price department.

T E S T F O R D E N D E AV O U R 4 X 4 T I TA N I U M

Into the big, blue SUV

Built tough is now also built in India.
Ford's all-new Endeavour wants to
eat mud and potholes for breakfast
29.2lacs (ex-showroom) / india.ford.com
n Not many car drivers claim to see
eye-to-eye with a bus driver, but
thats the first thing you'll notice
when you get into the gigantic
Ford Endeavour. There is no hiding
the fact that this is a vehicle that is
borderline consumer and more
business-like. If your business is
doing rounds of a coal mine.
n The powerful 3.2-litre diesel
engine is tuned for torque more
than outright acceleration. With
197bhp and 470Nm of torque on
tap, it makes the most of its Hill
Launch Assist and Descent
controls, making mincemeat out
of treacherous slopes. Mash your
foot down and it takes a couple of
seconds for the big Endeavour to
get its bearings and then it lunges
forward with all the pulling power
of a locomotive.
n Ford's Sync 2 voice control
system works once you get used
to the preordained language used
for the commands since it isnt
very natural. Climate control and
music works well, but getting to
dial the right contact from your
phone book is a challenge, unless their
name starts with Jon and ends with
Snow. Compounded by a slightly
sluggish touchscreen interface, it takes
a couple of seconds to load up the next
screen, let's just say we're looking
forward to Sync 3.

Tech specs
Engine 5-cyl Turbo-diesel Power 197bhp,
470Nm Drivetrain 4WD, 6-speed auto
transmission Seating 7 seats, electrically
operated third row Construction Ladder
Frame Tyres 265/60 R18 Acceleration
0-100, 11.22secs Turning circle 11.7mts
Economy City, 7kpl/ Highway, 10.3kpl
Tank Size 80-litres Wading Depth 800mm
Weight 2394kgs

n Upmarket accommodation n Ready for action

Leather upholstered top, Ford Sync
2 Voice Control, sunroof, powered
third row of seats and active noise
cancellation are some of the
goodies that qualify this as a Stuff
co-worker.

The Terrain Management System

can be controlled on the fly with
Rock, Sand and Snow drive modes.
With lockable differentials and lowrange mode, this is the worlds
largest mountain goat!

STUFF SAYS Unapologetically American in size, but go-anywhere in nature! HHHHH

Is it really worth its
hefty asking price
in top-end trim?
@nishantpadhiar

Intimidating it may be to other cars around you, but perched atop its comfortable
front row, this is a cabin that looks modern and even plush. Some parts may reek
of its American roots, but overall, it's nothing worth complaining. And if your
interests do take you outdoors, its 4x4 report is even more accomplished than the
pricier Land Rover Discover Sport. Possibly with more "butch" value!
71

TEST XIAOMI MI5

Xiaomi the meaning...

Yes, we know it sounds like something Bruce
Lee would say before delivering a fatal
punch. But the Mi5 is capable of doing
just that all by itself
from 24,999 / mi.com/in
Read up on the Mi5s spec sheet and
you will be impressed faster than that
Bruce Lee punch. Its got flagship-level
specs which include a Snapdragon 820
chip paired with 3GB RAM and 32GBs of
internal memory. Sounds dandy? It is. But
if decisions were made just by looking at
portfolios, we would not have interviews.
When you first shake hands with the
Mi5, it is apparent that a good physique
isnt its strong suit. Build quality is average
and theres little sense of sturdiness. The
3D Glass that is wrapped around the
metal frame feels plasticky and doesnt
inspire confidence. The curved edges
provide nice grip, but the extra smooth
back means the Mi5 falls off even when
rested on the roughest of jeans.
Were lucky it hasnt cracked yet,
because it keeps falling off from any- and
everywhere. However, the Snapdragon
820 chip is blazingly fast and apps open
and close in a jiffy. Multitasking is also a
breeze with 3GBs of RAM to spare, but
the 32GB storage, without any option to
expand, can get full pretty fast.
The display is a 1080p star and makes
for proper eye candy. Colours are
accurate, and while other phones may be
vampires, the Mi5 remains unaffected by
the rays of the sun. It is a happy snapper
too and packs in a 4-axis, 16MP back
camera made by Sony, which is not bad
for a phone that costs this much. Even the
self-obsessed would like the 4MP front
effort with 36 beauty modes.

Tech specs
Screen 5.15in ultra-bright 1080p
display, 600-nit brightness, 95% NTSC
colour gamut Processor 1.8GHz
Snapdragon 820 Quad-core Kryo
OS MIUI 7 Memory 32GB RAM 3GB
LPDDR4 dual-channel RAM Battery
3000mAh Cameras 16MP rear, 4MP front
Dimensions 144x69x7mm, 129gm

Sore thumbs

The fingerprint scanner on the

Mi5 is similar to the one on the HTC
A9. Well, at least its positioned in
the same place, but it doesnt work
that well. You have to physically
press the button for it to activate
and it can be a bit of a hit and miss.

Eating heat

While this one has a solid 3000mAh

battery that charges super-quick
thanks to Xiaomis Quick Charge 3.0
tech (USB-C), it gets hotter than
a sizzling fried egg dished out by
Gordon Ramsay. The egg may be
tasty, but the temperature isnt.

STUFF SAYS The Mi5 is a serious contender if you dont mind the flimsy build HHHHH
Is the build quality
and general feel of
the phone really
that important?
@kaizzzad

Owning a smartphone is like having a slightly prolonged one-night stand,

especially with so many of them coming out every month. And you wouldnt want
to spend your time with something that doesnt look or feel that great now, would
you? Emergencies are a different thing obviously in really bad times, anything
goes. Of course, we are still talking about smartphones. Get the drift?
73

A P R I L I A T U O N O V 4 1 1 0 0 FA C T O R Y

Thunderbolt and lightning

The god of thunder on two wheels has us on our knees,

with one literally scraping the apex...
19.9 lac* / aprilia.com/in_EN
n Without wasting any time, let us
tell you that the Aprilia Tuono is an
extremely special bike, the kind that
comes once in a generation. In the flesh,
the new Tuono grabs the eyeballs with
its naked, sporty design that is
gorgeously similar to the RSV4. Oh, and
that paintjob is absolutely spot on it
gets you into race mode without any ado.
As beautiful as it is to look at on the
outside, the real sorcery lies underneath,
with a motor that is as flexible as an
award-winning contortionist.
n Simply put, you can get onboard the
bike to pick up groceries and it wont kill
you as you weave your way through
narrow lanes. However, when the mood
hits, you can conjure every last blast of
the 175hp to shoot off at warp speeds.
Acceleration is brutal and it just keeps on
piling without losing any breath. While
0-100kmph comes up in just over 3
seconds, you'll go way past 200kmph in
no time on a good stretch of road. No, do
not attempt this at the sabzi mandi.
n What makes the entire ride thrilling is
the way this thing handles. It doesn't
matter if you are scraping your knee or
blasting off in a straight line the
handling is simply heavenly. You can
fiddle with eight levels of traction control
that can be switched on the fly via the
buttons mounted on the handlebar. You
also get three levels of Race ABS,
wheelie control (which we absolutely
love) and launch control, each.

Tech specs
Engine Longitudinal 65deg V4 cylinder,
4-stroke, liquid-cooled, 1077cc
Max power 175hp (129kW) at 11,000rpm
Max torque 121 Nm at 9,000rpm
Transmission 6-speed Tyres Front: 120/70
ZR 17, Rear: 190/55 ZR 17 Fuel tank 18.5L
(including 4L reserve) Brakes Front: dual
320mm floating discs, Rear: 220mm disc;
Brembo floating calliper Weight 212kg

n Tech tonic

There's so much tech in here

that you almost mistake the
bike for a gadget. Electronics
are inspired by the RSV4 RF and
you get the current-gen APRC
(Aprilia Performance and Ride
Control) system as standard.

n Braking on point

The brakes on this bike are simply

phenomenal. They complement the
onboard ABS and traction control to
bring you to a safe stop in the
trickiest of conditions and enable you
to brake late in corners without
hurting yourself or anyone else.

*ex-showroom, Pune

STUFF SAYS Hands down, this is the best bike we have ridden yet! HHHHH

74

Can it also cook

me some dinner?
@yatish_suvarna

That probably is the only negative about this magnificent superbike it can't
cook. But if you can overlook that slight bit of inconvenience, what you have here
is a razor-sharp track scorcher that you can aimlessly ride within the city or take
on your next trip to Goa. With a motor built in racing heaven and that focussed
handling, the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory is the bike we would pick without ado.

TEST OPPO F1 PLUS

Oppo-tunity strikes?
It might look a lot like an iPhone, but the Oppo F1 Plus Selfie
Expert isnt just a pretty face. We take a closer look...
26,990 / oppo.com/in
The F1 Plus looks a lot like the
iPhone 6S Plus. The colour, the
lines, the screen size and curves
are all rather familiar. But even
then, theres little to dislike about
its design unless you truly crave
originality. It looks great, feels
fantastic and isnt actually too
big, considering the screen size.
The 5.5in, Full HD AMOLED
screen is bold and sharp. The
colours lean towards a more
saturated style reds look quite
deep and are in fact very similar
to the Samsung Galaxy S7s
Adaptive mode.
The MediaTek P10 CPU isnt
a benchmark king, but does it
matter? With fast storage and
4GB RAM, the F1 Plus feels
speedy and its GPU lets you max
out graphics in games without
any major effects on frame rate.
The 13MP rear camera shoots
generally good pictures, getting
exposure and white balance
more-or-less right. Its also fast,
and theres a manual mode as
well. However, detail and noise
levels arent quite as good as
that of the latest 12MP phones.
The F1 Pluss 2850mAh
battery might not sound like
much, but laidback usage sees
nearly half a tank left by the end
of the day. Meanwhile, Oppos
VOOC-fast charging can get it
to near-full in just half an hour.

Tech specs
OS Color OS 3.0 (Android 5.1) RAM
4GB Storage 64GB (expandable up to
128GB) Screen 1920x1080, 5.5in
AMOLED Battery 2850mAh
Connectivity 4G, VoLTE, Hybrid Dual SIM,
802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
Camera 13MP (rear), 16MP (front)

Say cheese!

The F1 Pluss front camera is

higher-resolution than the rear
one. Yes, really. Its got a 16MP
sensor! In good light, itll bring out
every flaw with unforgiving clarity.
A fast f/2 lens helps here too.

Quirky colours

ColorOS feels right in an important

sense: its fast. But youll have to
accept the quirks too - a comically
bad default lockscreen that cycles
through random images, no app
drawer, and yes, its still on Lollipop.

STUFF SAYS A premium handset that costs half the price of the phone demigods
Can this iPhone
look-alike really
challenge phones
twice the price?
@stuff_india

The F1 Plus feels more expensive than it is, with more storage and a nicer design than youd get on
a comparable mid- to high-range phone such as the Samsung Galaxy A7. The processor itself is
mid-range but isnt a major turn-off, and from its speakers to its battery life, it has plenty of things
going for it. Of course, as youd expect at this price, its not entirely without compromise. Its
camera is good rather than mind-blowing, and its software, while simple, has a few quirks.
75

TEST JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE SUMMIT

Towards the mountains

After a long, long wait, the Jeep's finally arriving to our

shores. And so we take one and head for the hills...
70 lacs (Approx) / jeep-india.com
n That intimidatingly wicked sevenslat grille is the first thing you'll notice
about this car. It will also be the first of
many things you will absolutely love
about it. The Jeep Grand Cherokee has
immense road presence whichever
angle you look at it from, thanks to
that gladiator-like styling and overall
don't-mess-with-me stance.
n The 3-litre turbocharged V6 diesel
engine develops 240hp, and though
it may not be as quick as its German
rivals off the line, once you get into the
thick of things, power delivery is silky
smooth and the V6 is a delight to work
with. What helps the overall
experience is the brilliant 8-speed
transmission that feels effortless in
the city, out on the highway and on
tricky terrain. Handling
is excellent. The car does make its
weight felt just that little bit but
you won't hear us complaining.
n The other bit we love about the Jeep
Grand Cherokee Summit is the
massive party pad boot that can fit in
more than your tent and other
camping essentials. The driving
assists truly help when you need to
drive out of a demanding stretch of
terrain or when you are stuck in uphill
traffic. Parking cameras and sensors
make it incredibly simple to park this
behemoth in seconds. Then there's
that luxury feel you get inside out. And
the dual panoramic sunroof is perfect
for a night of conversations and stargazing. The Germans finally have a bit
of competition, no?

Tech specs
Engine 3.0L V6 turbo diesel
Max power 240hp Max torque 550Nm
Transmission 8-speed auto
Suspension Quadra-Trac II 4x4 system,
Selec-TerrainTM & Hill Descent Control Hill
Start Assist Infotainment 8.4in
touchscreen navigation, Blu-ray player,
Alpine 506w Amp 9 speaker + subwoofer

n Trac-attack

Using the Selec-Terrain traction

control system, you can choose
between five modes to punch
through the toughest weather
conditions. The Quadra-Trac II
4WD system does its bit to
ensure better traction too.

n To the hills we go

When you are out driving through

slush and rocks, Hill Ascent and
Descent Control comes as a saviour
more often than not, keeping the brakes
applied even after youve removed
your foot from the pedal to help you
accelerate without rolling back.

STUFF SAYS Big, bold and thoroughly fun to drive on the road and off it HHHHH
Is the Jeep Grand
Cherokee worth
the wait?
@yatish_suvarna

76

If you've been looking for a heady mix of luxury, road presence, drivability and
refinement, the Grand Cherokee will impress. It may not have the best top speed or the
quickest acceleration, but it does have enough positives to paint a rather pretty picture.
Add maximum cabin comfort, a large boot and Blu-ray entertainment into the mix and all
that remains for this to fly when it launches here (soon!).

TEST CREO MARK 1

All fuelled up

Can the Mark 1 and its Fuel OS live up to the claim of being
perfect for anyone sick of bloated, gimmicky Android skins?
19,999 / creosense.com
Heres a good-looking device
that, for a change, looks quite
distinct and will stand out in the
sea of clones. We just wish it
was a bit slimmer, lighter, easier
to hold and didnt have a back
made of really slippery glass.
The 2K screen gets bright
enough, but it doesnt seem as
sharp as youd expect. Black
levels are middling and colour
vibrancy is on the muted side.
Frankly, a quality Full HD display
would be a better choice.
The Helio X10 might be a
proven chip, but its out of its
depth when working with a 2K
display. The jerky scrolling in
something as basic as the
Settings menu makes us feel
Fuel OS is not yet ready to be
an alternative to Cyanogen.
The 21MP camera has speedy
(and accurate) focus and will
keep you happy in bright
sunlight. However, low light
results in insipid photos with lots
of noise. The front camera is also
perfectly fine, but when pushed,
results in dull, grainy shots.
Even with 3100mAh on tap,
the Mark 1 has a strictly average
battery life perhaps due to the
2K screen. Expect to top up
during the day. And yes, even we
couldnt believe our ears when
we heard the Creo Mark 1 misses
out on a fingerprint scanner!

Tech specs
OS Fuel OS (Android 5.1.1) RAM 3GB
Storage 32GB (expandable up to 128GB)
Screen 2560 x 1440 , 5.5in IPS
Battery 3100mAh
Connectivity 4G, Hybrid Dual SIM, 802.11
b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
Camera 21MP (rear), 8MP (front)

Nuclear fuel

Customisable capacitive buttons,

an anti-theft app which can
survive factory resets, an
on-device answering machine,
OTP auto-copy, smart SMS filters
Fuel OS has the smarts, all right!

Fresh paint

Creos made it clear theyre

focusing on the overall experience,
and not just the specs. And part
of that means monthly updates
with new features. Not bad; now
just hurry up with Marshmallow.

STUFF SAYS Steeply priced, but Fuel OS is definitely a step in the right direction
Can the Mark 1 and
its Fuel OS scratch
the Nexus itch?
Vaibhav Sharma
@taoofdudeism

The specs are great (barring the lack of a fingerprint sensor) and Fuel OS is a rare
gem where usability doesnt lose out to design bling. Youre also promised frequent
updates, a rather novel thing in the Android world. But in practice, its not a Nexus or
One Plus slayer. The display is lacklustre, the OS needs polish, and its on the pricey
side. Still, a pretty good start that portends well for this home-grown device maker.
77

TEST NEXTBIT ROBIN

Cloudy with a chance of pain

Its billed as a cloud-based phone to solve your
storage woes, but will this Robin ever fly?
US$400 / nextbit.com
Crowdfunding hype plus great
features plus a good price is a tasty
combo. Nextbit is all about the cloud,
which basically means the Robin
backs up all your data to 100GB of
Nextbits own servers.
However, it also parks
apps it thinks you dont
need: it monitors use, and
after a while the unused
ones end up greyed out. This
sounds like a great idea, but
you can end up with pages of
non-working icons; its like returning
home to find your mum has tidied
away everything in your room.
The Robin feels expensive with its
soft-touch polycarbonate and
Gorilla Glass. This is a 5.2in screen
phone but seems larger due to its
boxy shape and speaker outcrops
above and below the screen. The
trade-off is worth it, because
they are some of the best phone
speakers going loud with lots
of mid-range muscle.
It also has hardware that some
phones at this price lack such as
a good fingerprint scanner. Plus it
has 32GB of memory on board.
The screen has an IPS LCD panel
and is Full HD, not QHD. But its still
sharp, bright and bold. Colours are
punchy without looking toxic and
contrast is very good for an LCD.
The 13MP camera has terrible
shutter lag. In good lighting it can get
you great shots, though.

Tech specs
Display 5.2in IPS LCD 1920x1080
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon
808 RAM 3GB OS Nextbit (based
on Android 6.0) Cameras 13MP
rear, 5MP front Battery 2680mAh
Storage 32GB (plus 100GB online)
Dimensions 149x72x7mm, 150g

The last of OS

Nextbit also clearly wants to

be different with the look of its
OS. Its not bad, and shares a lot
of basic design elements with
Android 6.0, but its buggy and
cant resist messing with things.

Hard facts

Weve no complaints about the

hardware, which includes the
same Snapdragon 808 CPU used
by the LG G4 and 3GB of RAM.
Theres plenty of power, just not
enough software optimisation.

STUFF SAYS This buggy phones archiving habit is more annoying than useful HHH
Nice phone, but We buy into the idea of a cloud phone. The issue is that the cloud elements we really want are
theres a cloud already served well by other Android phones and the bits Nextbit has added get on our
on the horizon nerves. What happens when the Robin parks that offline map app, but you only notice when
@stuff_india

78

youre lost up a hill surrounded by sheep and zero data signal? Yes, you can pin apps to stop
them being whisked away, but we dont want to have to.

TEST PEBBLE TIME STEEL

Travel with Time Steel

If you're not sure which phone you'll
be rocking next month but still want
a smartwatch, this is the answer...
15,999 / pebble.com
n Enough has been said about the
worthlessness of smartwatches when
untethered from their smartphone
motherships. The Pebble Time is
unapologetically a "simple" smartwatch
that doesn't promise to do your dishes,
but it will let you do them yourself
while wearing it. It's water-resistant
to 30 metres, you sea.
n The Steel version is a mild
update with better battery life,
full metal body and an unreserved
deep red leather strap that doesn't
mingle well with water. Or sweat.
Our wrists were smothered in
the colour within an hour's worth
of work-out. Third-party step
counting isn't the most accurate
too, the Misfit app even
miscalculating hand movements
as steps!
n The plethora of retrograde watch
faces makes this a nerd's delight. It
doesn't have an OLED or LCD screen,
so battery life extends well beyond
a week, and the E-paper display is
always-on, consuming negligible power.
Actually, it's the simplicity of this
Pebble's functions which is more
appealing than its narrow breadth of
abilities. Think of it as a timepiece with
extended functionality and you'll be
happy with its buzzing notifications, an
occasional voice-dictated note and the
classy design that is likely to spark
interesting conversations.

Tech specs
Display 1.25in E-paper with 64 colours
Platforms iOS 8.0+ and Android 4.0+
Sensors Accelerometer, Ambient light
sensor, Gyrometer, Magnetometer,
Compass, Microphone
Water resistance 30 metres Band 22mm,
interchangeable Battery life up to 10 days
Dimensions (HWD) 47 x 37.5 x 10.5mm
Weight 62.3gm

n Back in fashion

The gently curved back sits

supremely on the wrist and is
one of the few smartwatches
you could sleep with. Don't lose
the charging cable though... it's
magnetic and proprietary.

n Pushing the right buttons

Since this isn't a touchscreen, all

the up/down scrolling happens
with the side-mounted buttons.
They have a nice, tactile feel but it
also means you'll be pressing a lot
of buttons to dismiss notifications.

STUFF SAYS A standout smartwatch that has a limited but very loyal appeal HHHHH
Is it worth the
sticker price for its
geek appeal?
@nishantpadhiar

The original Pebble smartwatch is what started the revolution. Sadly, they haven't
moved much beyond the original template and in the wake of super-swanky Watch
OS and Android Wear graphics, the Steel does fall achingly short. But where it scores
big is on battery life, incoming smart straps (thanks to magnetic ports at the back)
and the convenience of the 'always-on' display, which cannot be stressed enough.
79

GROUP TEST WIRELESS SPEAKER SYSTEMS

Speakers of the house

THE PICK

BEST FOR...
CONNECTIVITY

Naim
Naim is well known for making luxurious
British hi-fi systems, and accordingly the
Mu-so and the smaller Mu-so Qb are some
of the most premium-looking wireless
speakers weve ever clapped eyes on. They
come with premium price tags to match,
at 1,35,000 and 89,785 respectively.
Rather than a dedicated multiroom range,
theyre more like two standalone speakers
with multiroom functionality thrown in, which
means theyve got other connectivity as well,
including Bluetooth, AirPlay, DLNA and a whole
host of physical connections.
This helps give the Mu-so range flexibility:
you can connect them to yourTV, and you have
multiple options to keep streaming without
Wi-Fi which some competitors cant offer.
You will need to be on your home network
for the multiroom function to work, though,
as its controlled via the app.
TECH Price range 70,000-90,000
Music services Spotify, Tidal

THE SYSTEM

THE PICK

Naim Mu-so Qb

THE APP
Offering multiroom playback
options, it allows
you to skip
between many
sources, select
and edit internet
radio presets,
and access
menus for
setting the
alarm clock
and controlling
illumination.

While both undoubtedly

deserve a place in your
home, we have to plump
for the Mu-so Qb as our
pick of the pair.
Not only is its design
about as gorgeous as
wireless speakers get,
but its cubic form makes
it more flexible when it
comes to finding space
for it in your home. And
its lower price makes it
slightly easier on the
pocket, while still giving
you plenty of Mu-so
marvellousness.
Specifically, it gives you
a huge 300W of sound from
a custom-designed speaker
setup, plus the connectivity
and high-res music support

89,785 / iitav.com
of the larger model. As
for how it sounds, its a
mammoth performance
from something so small,
belting out songs with
power that you just would
not expect from such a
compact speaker.
Theres lashings of
bass to give solidity and
authority to its character,
but this doesnt affect its
ability to stay light on its
feet, delivering the kind of
driving rhythm that gets the
endorphins going.
It might lack just a hint
of the refinement of the
larger Mu-so, but for the
money and compact size,
the Mu-so Qb is exceptional
in its own right.

STUFF SAYS The premium way to do multiroom if you can afford it

80

GROUP TEST WIRELESS SPEAKER SYSTEMS

Why confine your latest playlist to the kitchen, when you

could be rockin all over the house with a multiroom system?

BEST FOR...
SOUND

Bluesound
Bluesound may not be a household name, but
that hasnt stopped it from ruffling feathers in
the multiroom realm in recent years. It helps
that its built on some solid tech foundations,
set up by many of the same audio bods as
respected British hi-fi brand NAD. Now on its
second generation of products, its playing
catch-up with the competition.
Its wireless speaker range now consists
of three speakers the Pulse, Pulse Mini and
portable Pulse Flex (plus three speakerless
units) in varying shapes and sizes.
With serious hi-fi knowhow behind it,
Bluesounds big selling point has been the
focus on sound quality, with support for highresolution music up to 24-bit/192kHz. Thats
better than CD quality, and if youve got files
like these, Bluesound is one of the only
multiroom systems to support them.
TECH Price range 40,000-60,000
Music services Spotify, Tidal, Deezer,

TuneIn, Qobuz and more

THE PICK

THE SYSTEM

THE PICK

Pulse Mini

THE APP
In its monotone
colour palette,
the Bluesound
app allows you
to browse your
connected NAS
drives and
streaming
services. The
setup process is
separate, though
building it in
wouldve made
things easier.

55,000 / lakozystore.com

The Mini is the Goldilocks

speaker in the range, with
a balance between price,
features and quality that
feels just right. A smaller
version of the pricier Pulse,
itll do the job for all but
the very largest rooms,
and at a 10k saving on
the biggest model.
At 55k, this puts it on
a par with the Sonos Play:5,
and while it cant match that
speaker for out-and-out
power and scale, it does
have high-res music
support and built-in
Bluetooth, not to mention
physical connections.
The Pulse Minis 32-bit
DAC tackles everything
from humble MP3s to

24-bit/192kHz FLAC
and WAV files. All the
biggest streaming services
are present and correct,
including Spotify, Tidal,
Deezer and Qobuz.
Play something and it
shows off the same rich
and full-bodied yet agile
character of its big brother,
but with a touch more
refinement and an overall
better tonal balance. Its
a detailed, dynamic listen,
especially when used with
high-res tracks, which are
allowed a wider, more open
soundstage.
For proper audio nerds
who demand high-res
support, this is where
hi-fi meets multiroom.

STUFF SAYS Pricey, but worth it if youre planning to listen in HD

81

GROUP TEST WIRELESS SPEAKER SYSTEMS

Bose

THE SYSTEM

Bose has deep roots in the wireless speaker

market, with more than 10 years earning it a
name that people trust. Its perhaps surprising,
then, that Bose only dipped its toes into the
multiroom pond two years ago, with the now
three-strong SoundTouch speaker lineup
(plus a number of home cinema packages)
to sit alongside its regular SoundLink
Bluetooth range.
Its fair to say that the SoundTouch 10,
20 and 30 the latter two now in their third
iteration play it rather safe on the design
front, but theyre solidly built, with OLED
displays on the two bigger models. The
addition of the SoundTouch 10 to the range
last year gave the range a more wallet-friendly
entry price of 19k, not to mention a muchneeded smaller speaker.
All three offer Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, plus
a 3.5mm input for wired connections.
TECH Price range 15,000-30,000
Music services Spotify, Deezer

THE PICK

SoundTouch 10

THE APP
A well-designed
app that works
well for playback
and sniffing
out networked
music, plus
six presets for
artists, albums
or playlists.
Firmware
updates are
prompted in the
app, but failed
to work for us.

While the SoundTouch 30

is certainly the one to go for
if you want the power and
volume to fill a big room,
were most taken by the
SoundTouch 10 a more
affordable route into the
Bose family.
Unfortunately, its not
going to win any awards for
its design. The SoundTouch
10 is pretty unadventurous,
and is left behind by the
likes of the Sonos Play:1.
However, its profile
will allow it to sit on the
slimmest of bookshelves,
mantelpieces or bedside
tables. Plus it squeezes
more into its slender frame
than Sonoss smallest,
with Bluetooth support

19,0130 / boseindia.com
and an aux input for more
flexibility with sources.
Put it to work and itll
belt out decent-sized
sound from its compact
dimensions. Bose has
tipped the tonal scales
just slightly to favour the
bass, and this works to give
the speaker a good sense
of solidity that keeps the
overall balance from ever
sounding thin which can
be a worry at this size.
The 10 and the rest of
the range for that matter
could be a touch more
detailed and dramatic in
delivery; but if you need
the added flexibility of
Bluetooth in your setup,
its one to consider.

STUFF SAYS A solid range with many features but the sound is a bit flat

BEST FOR...
BLUETOOTH

THE PICK

82

GROUP TEST WIRELESS SPEAKER SYSTEMS

Sonos
Since the brand was set up in 2002, Sonos has
almost single-handedly shaped the multiroom
market to such an extent that its hard to
really know if one even existed before it.
And although its now faced with a bit more
competition than it was a few years ago, the
extra time its had in the market has allowed
Sonos not only to hone its range, from sound
quality to design, but also to get the user
experience nailed.
This means a speaker to suit every room
of the house, including a soundbar and sub,
and one of the easiest setups going, not to
mention the long list of streaming services
its got on side.
While it used to be considered the pricey
option, its now one of the most reasonable.
Unlike some systems, though, itll only work
over Wi-Fi, so youll need a stable network.
TECH Price range 60k-70k Music
services Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Google
Play, TuneIn, Amazon, Rdio, Qobuz and more

THE SYSTEM

THE PICK

Sonos Play:5

THE APP
Sonos works
entirely through
its app, so it
makes sense
that times been
spent on getting
it right. From
setting up your
speakers to
controlling tunes
and tweaking
your sound,
the app is easy
to navigate.

67,990 / amazon.in

While we love the Play:1

for its put-me-anywhere
design, the Sonos Play:5 is
where the real wow factor
lies in the lineup. Much
chunkier than the model
it replaced, its now capable
of sitting both vertically
and horizontally in case
you want to use two as
a stereo pair.
Not that youd need
to, for most rooms this
speakers scale on its own
is jaw-dropping, and youd
need a real grudge against
your neighbours to want
more. This is down to a
combination of the Play:5s
larger speaker cabinet and
a complete overhaul of its
drive units. The bass goes

astonishingly low, much

lower than before, and its
more refined now, keeping
distortion at arms length
even at volume.
Theres a great level
of clarity through the
midrange as well, which
means really clear and
detailed vocals and guitars,
and the dynamics are very
good: it will happily leap
from quiet to loud and back
again in an instant.
It might not be the most
flexible option going, but if
youre looking for a powerful
and articulate multiroom
speaker with a spot-on
user experience, the Sonos
Play:5 makes its point loud
and clear.

STUFF SAYS The original is still the best for the price, no-one can beat it

T
TES R
E
NN
I
W

THE PICK

BEST FOR...
CHOICE

83

TEST GAMES

Xbox One, Win 10 / quantumbreak.com

Quantum Break

Remedys ridiculously ambitious techno-thriller blends classic sci-fi gameplay with immersive
interludes of motion-captured animation. It promises, in theory, futuristic thrills aplenty

rom the Finnish studio

that made its name with
hard-boiled detective noir
Max Payne, time-travelling
Quantum Break has arrived
five years after its announcement
as an Xbox One and Windows
10 exclusive.
Events kick off with everyman
Jack Joyce, played by Shawn
Ashmore of X-Men fame, visiting
his friend Paul Serene (Aidan Gillen,
aka Game Of Thrones Littlefinger).
Serene is the CEO of a tech corp
named Monarch, and hes made

a time machine. He ropes Jack into

testing it (obviously). Something
goes wrong (inevitably). Jack
is exposed (predictably) to the
resultant timesplosion and gains
superpowers (thankfully).
As far-fetched as this all sounds,
Quantum Break does a brilliant
job of making the characters feel
three-dimensional and charismatic.
Jacks chronon powers also offer
time-manipulating abilities that
turn would-be standard firefights
into graceful dances of destruction.
The most destructive is Time

Blast, which lets you shoot a ball

of messed-up time at enemies,
causing them to explode.
One section has a rapid day/
night cycle, the crumbling skeleton
of a huge ship glitching around you,
and hallucinatory flashbacks. Such
moments might not be hugely
interactive but they look great
while adding to the story.
Sadly, for all its innovation,
Quantum Break cant shake
the trappings of other recent
mainstream games. There are
collectibles, a perfunctory upgrade

system, and the worst offender,

cheat vision, which blanks out
the gorgeous scenery into a giant
orange arrow, highlighting the
games rather linear plot. Despite
these setbacks, the game at least
dares to push the boundaries of
interactive storytelling.
Its the characters and the
messed up real world they inhabit
that stand out, even if that world
could be a lot bigger. Quantum
Break isnt perfect, but thats the
price you pay for being ahead of
your time. Trust me, Ive been there.

STUFF SAYS Inspired yet formulaic, Quantum Break is an imperfect, essential exclusive
84

TEST GAMES

Up the Junction

There are more little reveals

and twists than you can
shake a slow-mo stick at.

The action is full of dense

particle effects, complex
lighting and no hiccups.

From the opening shots of

protagonist Jack Joyce, its
clear Remedys cinematic
vision has been realised.
The glossy TV aesthetic and
performance-based motion
capture is instantly immersive.
These performances blur a
line, but Quantum Break goes a
step further and could redefine
what we come to expect from
story-led games.
After an acts worth of
gameplay, control shifts
to villain Paul Serene for a
Junction sequence. As Paul
youll face a dilemma, and the
choice you make will affect the
20-minute live action episode,
filling in gaps and driving the
narrative, all from the bad
guys perspective.
Its a bold move, and although
these segments are skippable,
Quantum Break essentially
asks you to pop your controller
down, put your feet up, and
watch the equivalent of a
short TV series throughout
the course of the game. The
episodes are highly polished
and surprisingly amusing; and
its refreshing to feel that the
gameplay is taking place in
a real world.
The differences made by
Junction choices wont warrant
a full second playthrough for
most, but they still have a big
enough impact to make this
a worthwhile innovation.

85

TEST GAMES

PC, PS4, Xbox One / darksouls3.com

Dark Souls III

Life is harsh and so is Dark Souls III: just like its predecessor, this fiendishly hard action
RPG is ready to assail you with cruelty upon cruelty. But is it worth the aggravation?

he nights are dark and

full of terrors. When it
hits you with nigh-on
insurmountable brutality, Dark
Souls III will dare you to put down
your controller. But if you persist,
theres plenty of twisted enjoyment
to be found here.
When surrounded by seemingly
unstoppable enemies, you can
experiment by luring them towards
an even more intimidating group,
resulting in some heavy collateral
damage. Drawing the undead into
the clutches of a metacrab or a

sub-zero geckosaur (these arent

official names) soon becomes
a go-to strategy.
Spells and ranged combat
are not quite so successful,
mostly riffing on the same magic
projectile. Its a case of fire, roll,
fire, roll when fighting bosses,
until their health bars have been
whittled down.
Hidetaka Miyazakis games are
infamous for their twisted visual
designs. From pustule-ridden
trees to towering chimeras, the
game possesses a beauty thats

both breathtaking and hellish. The

world is vast, with views of distant
valleys. Each of the dozen domains
is a maze that can be traversed
in several ways, and unlike The
Witcher 3, there are no maps.
Alas, the multiplayer mode
isnt so enthralling. The mechanics
here are almost identical to
Bloodbornes, with certain items
enabling a player to transition into
anothers game as an allied or
enemy phantom.
Ultimately, the Dark Souls
series is about repetition. Cycles

of death, revival and constant

strategic tweaks form a loop in
which some thrive and others
toil. However, few games are so
revered for their mechanics, and
Dark Souls III offers just enough
carrot and stick to keep you
coming back. After mastering
a class, the temptation to start
all over again and begin learning
the intricacies of another is
impossible to resist.
So theres no gold star for
ingenuity here, but top marks
for improvement.

STUFF SAYS Food for the soul, punishment for the body and mind: a worthy successor
86

TEST GAMES

Are you ready

for class war?

You can go in any direction

until you stumble upon
something nasty.

The modest tweaks and

next-gen updates have
left the games core intact.

There are 10 starting classes

in Dark Souls III, including
the Wandering Knight
(tank), Northern Warrior
(damage brawler), Sorcerer
(spellcaster) and Pyromancer
(ranged/melee hybrid). These
work differently to the classes
in traditional RPGs.
Class sets attributes such
as strength and vigour, and
your initial item set at the
games outset, but nothing
more. Its perfectly possible
for your warrior to learn
pyromancy halfway through
the game.
The difference between
each class comes down to
your characters stats and
their weapon of choice.
FromSoftware has done
a superb job of making each
weapon handle uniquely,
each requiring its own unique
rhythm to be learned.
More than ever before, a
players weapon defines their
fighting style and you can
now engage special abilities
known as weapon arts. For
example, axe-bearers can
increase their damage with
a primal scream.
Melee combat is a triumph,
requiring a mix of dexterity
and careful planning. The
inevitable influence of
Bloodborne has ensured
faster-paced encounters,
but not at the cost of depth.

87

TOP
TEN
OF EVERYTHING
(Brought to you by)

Smartphones
Tablets
Hi-fi streaming
Headphones
Home cinema
TVs
Home Computers
& Consoles
Cameras
Laptops
Games
Wearables
Geek Accessories
Smarthome

92
93
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105

92
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SMARTPHONES

Samsung Galaxy S7

Welcome to the age of sensible Samsung, a smartphone maker of dependable

excellence. The Galaxy S7 is straight up brilliant, setting a high bar for all of
Samsungs competitors. It looks almost identical to last years Galaxy S6 (except
the camera bump has been trimmed), but it has a better camera, and has
brought back the S5s water-resistance and microSD card slot. Plus its got
an always-on display and a whopping 4GB of RAM. Were smitten.

(Brought to you by)

STUFF SAYS

An imperious update of
our favourite phone from
last year: this is the best
smartphone you can buy

48,900

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

Compared to the brilliant S7, the S7 Edge has a bigger 5.5in display, a higher-capacity
battery and, of course, that curved touchscreen with its swipeable row of widgets. If
you can afford it, then paying 8k more seems reasonable for a better-looking phone.

56,900

Apple iPhone 6s

from
62,000

LG G4

The leather-clad LG G4 is a treat for those who want something that looks and feels
a bit different. Its camera is incredibly powerful, giving you almost as much control as
a DSLR, and the large screen is brilliant but the battery life holds it back from the top.

46,500

Google Nexus 6P

from
39,999

OnePlus 2

HTC One M9+

Sony Xperia Z5 Dual

Do a higher-megapixel camera and neat fingerprint scanner revitalise this Sony? Nearly
but not quite. This is a very good and attractive phone, but its price seems steep when it
has no killer feature to offer over other Android kings.

47,990

Apple iPhone SE

from
39,000

10

BlackBerry Priv

Everythings changed is pushing it, but within the 6ss familiar body lies a surprising
amount of innovation. Youll really notice the A9 processors added speed, the 12MP
cameras scope and quality, and of course, the time-saving delight that is 3D Touch.

The 6P gets the Nexus series back on the rails. Camera? Design? Performance?
Software? All get a serious thumbs-up. Standouts include the finger scanner and
the front camera, which are among the very best available at any price.
The OnePlus 2 massively undercuts the big-name competition while offering a phone
experience pretty similar to them. Good software, good performance and a great
battery life make this one of the easiest top-tier phones. OnePlus has done it again.
Having been beaten by the S6, the M9+ is the step forward that perhaps the M9 should
have been. With a bigger, more pixel-packed screen and a fingerprint scanner, its
welcome at the next-gen superphone party, and its dressed just as smartly as before.

The cheapest iPhone ever made packs pretty much all the power of the iPhone 6s into
the 4in aluminium shell of the iPhone 5s. Its compact, no-compromise concept should
tempt plenty of newbies into Apples world. The SE is the best small phone you can buy.
BlackBerrys first Android handset stands out from every other current smartphone
thanks to its unique design and physical keyboard. Its a capable powerhouse, and the
shortcut functionality alone should be enough to tempt avid multitaskers.

24,999

52,990

57,490
I

BEST FOR
CUTTING-EDGE
GADGETEERS

BEST FOR
VALUE FOR
MONEY

(Brought to you by)

T
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TE
DA
UP

TABLETS 93
Apple iPad Pro 9.7
The iPad Pro 9.7 takes everything we loved about Apples original 12.9in Pro tablet,
makes it a lot more portable, and even adds in a few extras of its own. The True
Tone display, which changes automatically based on ambient conditions, is a
marvel, while the 12MP shooter is frankly overkill for those brave enough to
use it in public. Its expensive, but perfection usually comes at a price.

STUFF SAYS

Incredible power, superb

features and near-flawless
design: the iPad Pro 9.7 is
pure tablet perfection

from 49,900

Apple iPad Air 2

from
28,900

Apple iPad Mini 4

from
28,900

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7

Slimmer and faster with a brilliant screen and serious stamina, the Galaxy Tab S2 sees
Samsung back in the running for the Android throne. Tablets that come bundled with
a keyboard offer an edge, but the S2s a versatile, big-screen tab first and foremost.

38,500

BEST FOR
MAGAZINES
AND MOVIES

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

from
58,990

BEST FOR
USING
ANYWHERE

Apple iPad Mini 2 With Retina Display

from
21,900

Google Nexus 9

from
28,900

Google Nexus 7

So impressive and popular was the original Nexus 7 that it's believed to be the gadget
that finally persuaded Apple to build a smaller iPad. Google had really raised the bar
with this one back in 2013. So what if three odd years on, this beauty still entices.

15,999

Apple iPad Pro

from
67,900
I

10

The iPad Air didnt really need to be thinner, but that doesnt mean 6.1mm isnt mighty
impressive. This combines with reassuring weight and impeccable build quality to make
this the most desirable tab on the planet.
This is the mini tab weve been waiting for. Its 1.4mm thinner and 32g lighter, just the
right size for a great portable entertainment hub, and subtle display tweaks will do
justice to games and graphic novels alike. Plus it will easily last three days on a charge.

At last, Microsoft has delivered on the promise of the tablet-cum-laptop hybrid.

It proves theres space in the world for a design thats more productive than an
iPad or Galaxy Note, but easier to hump around than a traditional laptop.
The iPad Mini 3 is completely out of contention, but the good news is that the Mini 2 is
now down to 21,900, which is frankly bargain-tastic. Thats why the old model makes
it to our Top 10 if youre after a mini-tablet of quality, your choice has just got easier.
The design isnt as pristine, but this is a real Android contender to rival the iPads. You get
the new Android 5.0 Lollipop software, bags of power and a super-sharp display. With
12 hours of video play and two front-facing speakers, itll be a great film buddy.

The iPad Pro is not for everyone. If you dont see the value of owning such a large
tablet, then its generous curves wont be enough to persuade you to buy one. As for
the rest, make sure you pick up a Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil with your iPad Pro.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 3 Pro

A genuinely different tablet with great media skills and decent stamina, The Lenovo
Yoga Tab 3 Pro is a tablet that doesnt play by the conventional rules of the game. Its
quite heavy, pretty chunky and has a projector built into its hinge. No complaints here.

39,990
I

A big step for small.

EZONE PRICE

16 GB - `39,000 | 64 GB - `49,000
Get Additional cashback of `2500. Oer is valid till 8th July, 2016.

GET SOCIAL WITH US!

(Brought to you by)

T
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HI-FI & MUSIC STREAMING 95

Bose SoundTouch 20

All this time, if you wanted a true multi-room system, you had no choice but to
go the Sonos way. It took long enough, but we finally have an option, and one
that you can buy at your friendly neighbourhood mall with zero effort. The Bose
SoundTouch system wirelessly connects with your computer or NAS device
and streams directly using your homes Wi-Fi network. Multiple SoundTouch
devices mean you can control what you want playing in which room. We love it.

Naim Mu-so

KEF Muo

Naim Mu-so Qb

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless

Bowers & Wilkins T7

Monitor Audio Airstream S200

Cambridge Audio Go

Cambridge Audio Minx Xi

10

Over 1 lac for a wireless speaker?! Well yes, but what a wireless speaker it is. Naim
has ploughed all of its high-end hi-fi experience into delivering a beautifully made,
great-sounding device with AirPlay, streaming and aptX Bluetooth all on-board.
The KEF Muo sounds as good as it looks, which is very nice indeed. It may be the size of
a beer can, but it creates a room-filling sound, brilliantly balanced and packed with vim
and vigour. The Muo has the audio solidity of the B&W T7, but with even greater detail.
This can-do cube complements its big brothers more refined character with a confident
presentation that pays no attention to its physical size. And its features list makes it more
flexible than Madonnas yoga teacher. A stunning addition to the Mu-so family.
Wireless speakers and quality dont always go hand in hand. But this is a desirable
product through and through and in terms of sound and design, not a paisa is left
unaccounted for. Its the ultimate wireless speaker for the streaming-savvy audiophile.
The T7 is B&Ws first attempt at a portable Bluetooth speaker, and its good looks and
real hi-fi sound combine to make it a real winner. Its solid and easy to use, and has an
attractive honeycomb structure that helps reduce cabinet vibrations.
It may look a bit like a floppy skyscraper, but the Monitor Audios Bluetooth-plus-AirPlay
speaker makes a lot of sense, mostly because it takes up very little shelf/desk/table
space but makes loads of lovely noise. Its a bit of a steal at this price.
There are loads of very cheap Bluetooth speakers out there, but we reckon its worth
spending that little bit more to get something thats really good and thats the Go.
It sounds awesome, its really nicely built and its battery lasts a massive 18 hours.
It might not look all that fancy, but the Minx Xi is like that micro system you had at uni,
only it gobbles internet music rather than Rage Against The Machine CDs. Just add
a pair of quality speakers (try Wharfedale Diamond 220s) and youve got a great hi-fi.

Q Acoustics BT3

These ultra-versatile Bluetooth speakers have an optical input for waking up the
audio of your flatscreen TV. The styling is simple and so is the sound brilliantly
so, with perfect hi-fi balance and an impressive focus to the stereo image.

STUFF SAYS

Infinite music in every

room without the need
for custom installers?
Sign us up now, please

33,638
1,39,875

BEST FOR
ONE-BOX
WI-FI HI-FI

35,000

99,000

58,000

BEST FOR
WIRELESS
TUNES

29,900

42,200

BEST FOR
PICNIC PARTIES

12,500

BEST FOR
PICNIC PARTIES

51,300

43,000

96
T
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(Brought to you by)

HEADPHONES

AKG K451

Theyve actually been around a little while now, but whats put the K451 on-ears
back on to our radar is a real world price of about 4999. For that money, theyre
unbeatable awesomely agile and punchy sound wrapped up in a subtly stylish
and foldable design. Add both standard and three-button control cables for
maximising compatibility and theres practically no excuse for not getting
brilliant sound from your phone.

AKG Y50BT

Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless

SoundMagic E10S

Bose QuietComfort 25

Jaybird X2

Sennheiser Momentum 2.0

JBL Everest 100

Jabra Pulse

10

Proof that good wireless sound doesnt have to cost the earth: with none of the
horrid hiss, whine, crack and pop thats often a glitch of Bluetooth headphones,
these serve up truckloads of detail, with a full charge promising 20 hours of juice.
The brands first foray into wireless brings luxury for your ears inside and out: these
are the Aston Martin DB10s of wire-free cans. If you like your sound authoritative,
dynamic and subtle (and who doesnt?), youll feel right at home with these P5s.
This is actually the third version of SoundMagics awesome, affordable in-ears not
that youd tell by looking. They sound even better, though: a little smoother and more
refined, with tight, weighty bass. Plus theres now a mic and button for smartphone use.
The best kind of silence is the kind you then fill with sweet, sweet music, and thats
what the QuietComfort 25s give you. The active noise-cancelling quells office
hubbub, air-conditioning and aeroplane hum, and delivers cracking sound in its place.
Still searching for an audio companion on your fitness sojourns? Well, look no further
as the Jaybird X2 is pretty much it. Comfy with specially designed Comply ear-tips
and wireless connectivity, it is a winner even in the audio quality department.
The original Sennheiser Momentums were an almost perfect pair of on-ears, and
were pleasantly surprised that the sequel is even more thrilling. Theyre pricey, but
dapper looks soften the blow, as does the lively, hugely transparent sound.
The size of a pear drop, JBLs wireless buds are all about fuss-free fit. Their eight-hour
battery life will help get you through the daily grind and their sound is one you could
easily listen to for that long if you dont mind your music on the meaty side.
A tech-packed but easy to use pair of wireless buds with good enough sound. The big
draw here is connection to the Jabra Sport app, delivering heart-rate monitoring and
pretty much any other stat you might want. Theres also an inline remote and mic.

Monster iSport Wireless Superslim

These fairly chunky wireless units come with a choice of mini-hooks (and buds) that
squeeze inside your outer ear. Theyre expensive and sonically a little edgy, but these
sporty buds have plenty of detail and the bass is agile.

STUFF SAYS

Fantastic sound and great

portability at an almost
unbeatable price. The
perfect PMP upgrade

4999
7,990

BEST FOR
GREAT SOUND
WITH NO WIRES

28,950

2349

25,200

15,999

24,990

14,990

11,499

10,750

BEST FOR
SHUTTING OUT
THE WORLD

(Brought to you by)

T
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HOME CINEMA 97
Tata Sky+ Transfer HD

The new Tata Sky boxes come with built-in Wi-Fi, to make it easier to access
on-demand programming, of which theres now more than ever, including prerelease blockbuster films. Theres also a 500GB drive available that, with more
than 45 channels of HD, might well be worth the outlay. One of the most interesting
parts about the Transfer HD is that it allows streaming/transferring recorded content
directly to Android/iOS devices anywhere, anytime. It has a slick app to boot.

Q Acoustics Media 4

Onkyo HTS5805

Oppo BDP-103

Dali Kubik One

BenQ W1070T

Marantz UD7007

Philips Fidelio B5

B&W Panorama 2

10

Sure, it doesnt look like much. And yet, this soundbar has won awards two years in a
row from our friends at What Hi-Fi? The Media 4 combines subtle detail with precise
surround effects to be the best-sounding and best-value soundbar you can buy.
The Atmos bandwagon beckons but youre afraid to hurt the piggy? Fret not. This model
from Onkyos HTIB (Home Theatre In a Box) series offers all the joys of an immersive
audio experience with some smart pricing. Not at all a bad option for going surround.
The Oppo impresses, as its feature set is virtually impossible to beat at the price range
and this alone should be reason enough to buy it. Sonically, the Oppo favours a hefty,
powerful sound and wont hold back anything for a fun movie session, big bangs et all.
Dali knows a thing or two about making great-looking, great-sounding loudspeakers,
and the Kubik One is a riveting listen. It can handle high-res files and offers a gorgeous
high-end sound. If youve got the cash, this is a talented system worth investing in.
If youre looking for big-screen entertainment on a budget, then this BenQ should be
your first port of call. A Full HD 3D projector that delivers an astonishingly good
performance, its an absolute bargain for its price tag. A must for your first home theatre.

STUFF SAYS

The only choice for serious

TV, movie or sport addicts

from 9300
+ Subscription

45,000

BEST FOR
TRUE-TO-LIFE
SOUND

75,000

BEST FOR
ATMOS AT A
SMALL COST

69,999

1,05,000

1,10,000

69,900

BEST FOR
THE ULTIMATE
IN QUALITY

54,990

BEST FOR
SMART BAR
SURROUND

Lets put aside the gimmicks for a second and consider whats most important: the
sound. Thats where the Panorama 2 wins. You get a direct and focused sound, clear
dialogue and beautiful design and build, although this is all very expensive.

2,11,500

BEST FOR
PREMIUM
SOUND

REL S/5

from
1,95,000

BEST FOR
LOW
FREQUENCY
MAGIC

Pricey like an Aston Martin is pricey and about as satisfying to own, this Marantz can
play any disc you like, streams music at high-def resolutions and can withstand an
earthquake. If you really, really take movies and music seriously, this is your player.
Just a year after cracking a brilliant idea, the Philips Fidelio sound lab launches a better
soundbar that promises to adhere to the brands strict norms when it comes to sonic
perfection. It may not be the audiophiles choice but it would be dense to dismiss it.

Its not often that a single component makes such a significant difference to the
overall signature of a system and the REL S/5 is one of those rare components. This
isnt your run-of-the-mill sub and what it delivers isnt ordinary boom. Period.

98
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TVs

LG 55EG960T

We knew that one day OLED and 4K would be joined in holy matrimony, and
that the results would be rather special. That day is now upon us and special
doesnt quite do it justice. This 55in LG is the new pinnacle of TV tech and
performance, combining the unbelievable colours, contrast and brightness
of OLED with the super-sharp, ultra-detailed images of 4K to create a picture
thats more real and enticing than looking out of the window.

Samsung UA48J6300AK

LG 55EC930T

Samsung UA48JU6670U

Samsung UA65JU6470U

Sony KD-75X9400C

Samsung UA55JS9000K

LG 55UF950T

LG 65UF850T

10

A 48in screen seems to be the ideal size for most living rooms, and a prominent curve
makes this Samsung eye-catching in every respect. The performance is stunning and
the colours have the right balance of vividness and subtlety. This is a smart TV bargain.
Not everyones got 3 lacs to blow on a flatscreen, and if you have to choose between
OLED and 4K, its OLED wed take right now. The awesome colours, super-deep blacks
and amazing contrast will make everything you already watch look extra-amazing.
This 48in display is a crowd-pleaser, with great performance, good looks, web-based
smarts and plenty of connections. Picture quality is stunning super-sharp and clear
in 4K, and brilliantly upscaled in 1080p. Theres also a slick multitasking interface.
Finally, a 4K TV that can be recommended without hesitation, plus its just as good
as a Full HD TV when playing 1080p stuff. Chuck in all of Samsungs usual smart TV
whizzbang, remove the silly motion-sensing controls and youve got a real star.
This is 75 inches of holy cow: the sort of thrilling picture that lets you see exactly how
much hair gel SRK uses, although the default setting is so bright youll squint like Clint
Eastwood. And those proper speakers at the sides make a real difference.
Each of its 8.3million pixels is put to good use, filling the screens handsome real estate
with pin-sharp outlines, potent contrast and eye-popping colours. Sound-wise, its
way more powerful than bog-standard flatscreens. Worth the pretty paise ? Oh yes.
This telly comes to life in a flash, and menus dont waste time loading its a glossy
double-page advert for pixel-packing 4K technology. The punchy palette revels in
dazzling hues, deep blacks and Colgate-smile whites, and the sound is solid.
Want a huge TV that could still just about fit under the roof and wont require you to
get a second bank loan? This 65-incher fits the bill. It doesnt have tip-top specs but
does have LGs superb WebOS 2.0 channel-to-app bouncing interface.

Sony KDL-55W800C

If youre not bothered about 4K but fancy a large, vibrant screen, this sleek 55-incher
might be for you. The colour balance could be more natural, but it features Googles
new platform so you can download films, shows, games and music straight to the TV.

STUFF SAYS

Its mighty pricey, but

if youre after the finest
flatscreen known to man,
this is currently it

3,09,900
1,04,900

BEST FOR
VIEWING
VALUE

2,69,900

1,52,900

3,14,900

6,04,900

BEST FOR
THE WOW
FACTOR

3,14,900

2,09,900

3,19,900

1,24,900

BEST FOR
AFFORDABLE
BRILLIANCE

(Brought to you by)

TOP FIVE HOME COMPUTERS & CONSOLES 99

HOME COMPUTERS

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Apple iMac with Retina 5K display (2015)

from
1,72,990

BEST FOR
RETINAL
PAMPERING

Raspberry Pi 3 B

from
3468

BEST FOR
DIY PROJECTS

MSI Vortex

from
2,10,000

Apple Mac Mini

from
40,990

Asus Republic of Gamers GT51

from
3,25,900

The 5K 27in iMac is the most desirable home computer in the world. It doesnt try any
funny stuff or any revolutionary gimmicks. However, fantastic hardware design, great
software and a terrific screen make it a joy to use day to day.
It just keeps getting tastier by the year 50% faster, 100% more Wi-Fi, same price. No
other circuit board computer touches what the Pi offers as a package: the amazing value
hardware, the mountains of online support and the sheer wealth of projects you can try.
Potent yet small, like a mini tech-laden dustbin, the 65L-capacity Vortex houses dual
Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 SLI graphics cards and a 360 Silent Storm Cooling design with
a fan on top, and supports multiple 4K video outputs simultaneously! The future is here.
This tiny PC is still one of the most capable devices in the size group, and is intelligently
priced as well. You are going to need to plug in the keyboard, mouse and monitor, but its a
convenient little device that you could slip into your backpack if you need to.
This 2016 CES Innovation Award winner has a monstrous 6th-generation Intel Core
i7-6700K processor and can be specd up with Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan graphic cards
to power upto three 4K displays if youre feeling fancy. Beauty and a beast, in one.

BEST FOR
COMPACT
POWER

GAMES CONSOLES

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Sony PlayStation 4

from
32,990

Microsoft Xbox One

from
34,990

Microsoft Xbox 360

from
12,990

Sony PlayStation 3

from
16,990

Sony PS Vita Slim

It may not quite be the finished article, but this is the best games machine on the planet.
It has whisper-quiet operation, a sleek form and bags of power, with full 1080p on all
titles and not a whiff of lag. When proper media streaming arrives, itll be unstoppable.
This is very different to the Xbox One of 2013. Most significantly, the unpopular Kinect
feature is now out of the deal, allowing Microsoft to drop the price and releasing enough
extra power for developers to make their games look and play better.
Yes, its been succeeded by the One, but the years have been kind to the 360. With an
amazing catalogue of recent games that use its full potential, brilliant media streaming
skills and a low, low price its impossible not to recommend it to cash-strapped gamers.
The PS3 has been around a while but, like the Xbox 360, that just means it has plenty
of great games. Online gaming via PlayStation Network is still brilliant and still free,
and its worth buying for its Blu-ray and media streaming alone.
If youre serious about gaming on the go, the Vita is way better than a smartphone,
and when you get home you can play your PS4 games in bed thanks to Remote Play.
Thats gaming decadence, right there.

16,990

BEST FOR
BUDGET
GAMING

BEST FOR
GAMING ON
THE MOVE

100

TOP FIVES CAMERAS

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Y
Fujifilm X-T10
BU
For rich landscapes, detailed macro shots, stunningly sharp portraits and everyday

photos, the X-T10 beats most other choices at any price. It also handles beautifully
and can be paired with some of the most consistently superb lenses youll ever find.

Sony A7R II

Canon EOS 5DS

Olympus PEN-F

Sony A6000

Yes, its expensive, but the A7R II combines impeccable build quality with a class-leading
full-frame sensor, 5-axis image stabilisation, huge ISO range, super-fast autofocus, an
excellent viewfinder and 4K video recording. Simply the finest Sony camera ever made.
A fantastic piece of kit that any pixel-peeping SLR fan will get heaps of enjoyment out
of. The astounding 50MP sensor puts an incredible amount of pictorial detail at your
fingertips, and the 5DS is very much pitched as Canons ultimate stills camera.
The first with an electronic viewfinder and 5-axis stabilisation, this is the best PEN
by some margin. Its similar spec-wise to the OM-D E-M5 II, but this is a hugely
desirable piece of design and an immensely capable camera for all-round shooting.
Sonys new system camera may be tiny but it packs a big photographic punch. There
may be no optical image stabilisation but the incredible speed and accuracy of the
A6000s autofocus is a real highlight, as is its large, clear electronic viewfinder.

TCOMPACT CAMERAS
HO
Sony Cyber-shot HX60V
Y
BU
The HX60V is a top-class all-rounder, the Ian Botham of snappers. Few cameras offer

(Brought to you by)

this level of versatility in such a lightweight package: a 30x optical zoom lens, 1080p
video, manual controls and GPS for tagging plus NFC and Wi-Fi for cable-free sharing.

Sony DSC-RX100 IV

Fujifilm FinePix X100S

Nikon Coolpix S7000

Sony RX10 II

The RX100 IV is a superb premium point-and-shoot that offers all the versatility,
flexibility and dependable all-round performance you could need. And while you
may hesitate at the price, no other current pocket-sized camera can best it.
Fujifilms souped up its fixed-lens retro shooter, with faster focusing and a big APS-C
sensor. Its not all new, though, keeping the 35mm-equivalent f/2 lens and hybrid
viewfinder from the X100. A less retro version with black finish is now available too.
If small and light is the way you need to go, you can jam the affordable S7000 in your
jeans and you wont even know its there. Yet it still packs a 20x optical zoom and
back-illuminated 16MP sensor, as well as 4-axis image stabilisation and Wi-Fi.
Sporting a memory-attached sensor, this camera has the ability to record video at
1000fps or stills at 1/32,000 of a second speeds usually reserved for pro kit. As an
all-rounder with a non-interchangeable lens, theres no other model that can touch it.

74,999

(body only)

BEST FOR
ALL-ROUND
VALUE

2,39,990
(body only)

2,52,995

(body only)

81,990

(body only)

40,990
(body only)

22,990

BEST FOR
TAKING ON
HOLIDAY

69,990

BEST FOR
POCKETABLE
POWER

83,999

9950

94,990

(Brought to you by)

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LAPTOPS 101
Apple MacBook Pro 13in (2015)

Apple hasnt changed too many parts of the MacBook Pro for 2015. Theres
a fancy new trackpad and the latest generation of Intel CPUs, which deliver
better stamina as well as a chunk more power. This is an incremental upgrade,
but given how good the Pro already was, thats more than enough to keep it
right at the top of the laptop honours list. If you need power as well as stamina
and portability, this is one of the best laptops money can buy.

Dell XPS 13

This nippy ultrabook packs mucho screen into not much space, without compromising
on usability. With a backlit keyboard, decent battery and Full HD screen, only its lack
of gaming power holds it back. Its also thinner and lighter than the average 13-incher.

STUFF SAYS

If it aint broke it hasnt

radically changed, but the
Pros performance and
trackpad are top of its class

from 89,900
76,990

MSI GT80 Titan SLI

With specs that can kill some of the more ambitious PCs, this behemoth seems to be
the ultimate gaming laptop. Yes, at that price, it does seem to be made for the most
intense (read rich) gamers and enthusiasts, but it surely is worth the asking price.

2,95,000

Asus ZenBook UX305

from
54,999

Acer Aspire Nitro V15 - Black Edition

from
1,10,000

Asus ROG G751

Apple MacBook (2015)

This is no Air, nor Pro: a clear sign that this is what Apple sees as the future of the
ultraportable laptop. And its certainly very desirable: a 12in lean machine with a superb
screen and haptic touchpad. However, the lack of ports can be frustrating.

1,06,900

Acer Predator 15

from
1,76,690

Apple MacBook Air 13in (2015)

from
80,900

10

Asus knows what its doing. It knows that the Apple MacBook Air laptops are treading
water and the ZenBook UX305 is pretty much everything the 2015 Air should have
been, with its fetching aluminium design and as good a display as any 1 lac laptop.
A no-nonsense, affordable gaming laptop that gets all the basics right while packing
enough grunt to shame pricier rivals. The Hitman of gaming laptops is here and it
shoots big. Go on a gaming rampage , in 4K resolution. Kiss your normal life goodbye!
The G751 is for the loud and proud PC gamer. While its design is rather brash, the
awesome performance, good screen and highly effective fans that keep it pretty
quiet under pressure make this one of the best gaming laptops around.

Put the silly name games aside and what you have here is a serious contender. With
Benchmark scores of over 6000 in PC the 3.6kg you carry on your back is totally
worth it once you know how good the system performance is.
Apple is scraping by with pretty much the same Air design as before. You get a new
processor, new connectors and slightly improved battery life, but still no Retina screen.
However, if a portable road warrior is what youre after, this is still a great choice.

Lenovo Yoga 900

This is a new take on the Yoga 3 Pro. Its slim, bendy, portable, and now more powerful.
Spec up a Surface Pro 4 to this level and the price gets terrifying. The Yoga 900 wont
prove quite such a drain on your finances, and its a better all-round device.

1,33,999

1,23,690

BEST FOR
GAMING
SHOCK AND
AWE

BEST FOR
AFFORDABLE
4K GAMING

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GAMES

Uncharted 4: A Thief`s End PS4

Lets put multiplayer to one side; we want characters oozing charm and funny oneliners, an intriguing, treasure-hunting story and breathtaking set pieces, all wrapped
up in the highest fidelity package imaginable. In short, Uncharted 4 delivers. This
could well be the most beautiful game ever created, and as Nathan Drakes story
finally comes to a close youll be sad to say goodbye to this seminal gaming series,
but also satisfied with its conclusion. Farewell, Drake. Heres to all the good times.

STUFF SAYS

A fittingly epic send off

for one of gamings most
thrilling series. A killer
swansong for Nathan Drake

The Division PC/ PS3/ Xbox One

A beautiful, exceptionally detailed vision of a disaster-struck New York, deep RPG
elements with visceral, gritty action and a Dark Zone that is awesomely tense The
Division ticks all the boxes to be thoroughly addictive and action-packed package.

Quantum Break Xbox One

A ridiculously ambitious techno-thriller that blends classic sci-fi gameplay with
immersive interludes of motion-captured animation, this game promises futuristic
thrills a plenty. Inspired yet formulaic, this is an imperfect, essential exclusive.

XCOM 2 PC

Fallout 4 PS4
Its not just the sheer scale and quality that makes this a must-have RPG. The
complex systems Bethesda has created all overlap in a mesmerising fashion, creating
an experience that is both huge and beautifully tailored at the same time.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD Wii U

Zeldas darkest incarnation is back and better than ever. Nintendos oft-forgotten
gem gets a deserved reboot that reminds us why its one of the best in the illustrious
series with brilliant characters engage you throughout the game. The legends back!

Life Is Strange PS4

When was the last time a video game made you cry? If youre a serial blubber, then it
shouldnt have been long ago. In theory at least. Prepare to fall hard for a unique
approach to storytelling. This game is a fantastic advert for the butterfly effect.

Dark Souls III PS4

Far Cry Primal PC/ PS4/ Xbox One

The series takes a trip back in time - and its one you shouldnt miss. Taming and
hunting beasts is great fun and ordering them to kill enemy soliders never gets old.
Yes, its just Far Cry 4 in prehistoric times - but thats still a massive amount of fun.

10

Aliens have taken over the world. Its your job to save humanity in this thrilling turnbased strategy sequel. Theres a greater variety of missions and maps, superb
tactical combat and highly involved strategic layer. Tip: Just be prepared to die. A lot.

Whats likely to be the final Dark Souls is a fittingly brutal end to the series. Food for
the soul, punishment for the body and mind. A worthy sequel indeed with loads of
gloriously nightmarish beasties to slay and vast wastes that just beg exploration.

Hitman PC/PS4/ Xbox One

Gamings favourite assassin has gone episodic, and with great results. Like Agent 47s
trademark, impeccably pressed suit, the new Hitman game simply fits. A pure,
rewarding assassination sim with loads of replay value and a brave release method.

(Brought to you by)

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WEARABLES 103
Apple Watch

Apples Watch is by no means the first smartwatch, but it is the most desirable.
It is more luxurious (and yes, more expensive) than its rivals, its software is
better thought out, and in the coming months youll see an explosion of new
apps for it. Its hard to pin down a specific thing that makes the Apple Watch
special; in some ways its the ultimate gadget. Simply put, the right now of the
Apple Watch is pretty great. But the future of Apple Watch is really amazing.

Jawbone UP3

Garmin Fenix 3

Pebble Time Steel

Motorola Moto 360 (2015)

Heaps of data, cleverly presented: the UP3 could be the answer to your motionmotivating dreams. The UP, like your puppy, will integrate into your life, urge you to move
and help you sleep. You'll soon realise that its an incredible package; not the puppy.
This is a serious sports watch. Its especially geared for triathlon, with a dedicated race
mode, but its also a great training tool for each discipline and other sports besides.
It doesnt do heart monitoring, but a 10-day battery life is your compensation.
Its very similar to the Pebble Time, but the extra Gorilla Glass 3 on the front makes it
a bit less damage-prone and the bonus battery life means itll last for a solid week of
proper use. These tweaks ensure that the Time Steel is the best Pebble you can buy.
Look and feel were never big issues with the Moto 360, but Motorola has done its
best to make them even better in this second-generation smartwatch. This watch is a
stunner, and its default leather strap feels great too.

STUFF SAYS

The Apple Watch is the

classiest and cleverest
smartwatch, with a platform
teeming with possibility

from 30,800
14,999

37,000

15,999

19,999

Fitbit Flex

The Flex delivers all of Fitbits activity-tracking smarts but in a form factor thats less
fiddly than its belt-clip counterparts. Its packed with Bluetooth, NFC, vibratamotor and
an LED display. See also the new Fitbit Charge, with a full display.

6990

GOQii Band

from
3999

Moov Now

Sony SmartWatch3

10

A fitness band, its propriety app and a fitness and habit expert who coaches you to
achieve your ideal lifestyle is what you'll be signing onto with GOQii. Get a hands-on
idea of your progress via collected physical data, complete with statistical analysis.
It might look like just another wrist or ankle-mounted movement tracker;its anything
but. It's real forte? Its not a tracker, but a trainer. The focus is on active minutes, in
whatever form they take. Moov wants the Now to become your new workout guru.
The Sony SmartWatch 3 has the brains of a Google watch, coupled with GPS skills for
fitness fans, with plenty of power and decent battery life. A waterproof build and GPS
powers make this the best fitness smartwatch around.

Misfit Shine

The Shines minimalist exterior redefines fitness trackers. Former Apple CEO and
Misfit co-founder John Sculley may have something to do with that. Plus, its fitness
and sleep monitoring skills are solid, and a button cell means no recharging. Perfect.

BEST FOR
BATTERY LIFE

3999

14,990

9990

BEST FOR
TRACKING
YOUR LIFE

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(Brought to you by)

SMARTHOME

iRobot Roomba

Scampering around Jesses place in Breaking Bad or blasting music for Tommy in
Parks & Rec, the iRobot Roomba has long been the stuff of TV and movies. No
more. No more will you have to sit there wistfully and wonder what it would be
like to have a little robot vacuum cleaner. The Wi-Fi-enabled range of delightfullooking, disc-shaped vacuum cleaning robots that are as smart as theyre cute,
are now officially here. Thats right, maids, be afraid... be very, very afraid!

STUFF SAYS

Plug, power and relax and let

the Roomba show your maid
what cleanings all about

from 29,900

Synology DS214se with DSM 5.0

Google Chromecast Audio

Blueair Sense+

QNAP TS-212P NAS

A refreshingly straightforward entry in the complex business of NAS drives, we love its
ease of use and its array of useful available apps. A NAS drive with everything youll
ever need for a supercharged home network - and its really easy to use.

15,540

Videocon Aryabot

from
34,000

Nest Cam

Withings Home

The Withings Home is slick, stylish and blends effortlessly into the modern home. Team
it with a reliable Wi-Fi signal and youll be treated to continuous HD monitoring besides
air-pollution alerts, wherever you are. The wide-angle night vision lens is a nice touch.

25,200

Nexo Knight wireless charging table

from
10,799

10

Weve been Synology fans for a while, thanks to its affordable and flexible approach to
network attached storage (NAS). Within this entry-level hardware beats the best
NAS software yet, sporting the latest version of its DiskStation Manager software.
The original Chromecast was a very bright idea: a device to stream TV directly from the
internet. Chromecast Audio has arrived to do the same to your hi-fi. Its smart and highly
affordable, and makes a huge variety of apps such as Saavn more fun to use.
Wi-Fi compatible, this airpurifier is ultra fast and can be controlled by its Blueair Friend
app to set everything from air flow speeds, timers, enable night mode and also switch
it on/off from anywhere. Pair it with Blueair Aware air monitor for best results.

This Wi-Fi enabled, app-controlled, IoT-capable wunderkind from Videocon is every

techies dream AC, with voice prompts, automatic settings based on outside
temperature, including an option to connect a webcam to stream directly to the app!
Exceptional with superb picture quality, the wide-angle lens captures all the action
effectively and the ability to zoom in and record is a nice touch, but the Nest stands
out thanks to the brilliance of the magnetic mounting and multi-directional head.

Heres an end-of-day scenario for you: You hit the bed after you fumble around with a
charger to charge your phone overnight, versus you just plonk your phone on a
good-looking wireless charger-cum-table. Pepperfry, you get us. Yes you do.

Google Chromecast

This USB memory-stick-sized cord-cutter is compatible with YouTube, Google Play

movies and more: a cheap, simple way of getting web-sourced movies and shows
onto your living-room TV.

21,624

3399

45,000

25,599

2999

(Brought to you by)

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GEEK ACCESSORIES 105

Raspberry Pi 3

There are a lot of circuit board computers around these days. Some are only really
meant for IoT devs. Others are Raspberry Pi copies, to put it bluntly. But no other
circuit board computer touches what the Pi offers as a package. The amazingvalue hardware, the mountains of online support and the sheer wealth of other
peoples projects you can try without having to think too hard mean it has red-hot
appeal. We love how the Raspberry Pi just keeps getting tastier by the year.

STUFF SAYS

Pi 3s performance increase
is pretty massive. More
power, more convenience

3549

DJI Phantom 3 Standard

Kindle Paperwhite

DJI Osmo

3Doodler

Like Hulk, the 3Doodler stepped into the laboratory a normal pen, but emerged many
times the size and countless times more awesome, as a shining tool of the future, roaring
and squirting out fat 3D ink. The 3Doodler is our new favourite tech toy!

13,365

DJI Phantom 2 Vision quadcopter drone

from
95,000

Impossible Instant Lab Universal

Sony Smart Tennis Sensor

Sphero BB-8 Droid

10

Each of the three variants of the Phantom 3 drone is brilliant, but this most affordable
version does more than enough for most quadcopter pilots. The budget Phantom
camera drone jettisons some functionality, but its core greatness remains.
Quite simply the best ereader available, and therefore a must-have gadget for anyone
with even a passing interest in the written word. A great screen, smooth design and that
Amazon Kindle system weve known and loved for years make this the ereader to own.
A game-changing camera for amateur filmmakers requiring smooth, stable footage, the
Osmos really in a category of its own at the moment. Theres no comparable stabilised
camera on the market. Youd end up spending far more money for the same output.

We could drone on about the Phantom 2 Vision forever - this is the hottest cameratoting quadcopter on the block. This powerful, easy to fly quadcopter sports not only a
built-in anti-vibration camera, but also smartphone compatibility; an absolute blast!
A camera that turns your smartphone shots into actual Polaroids? Yep! Pointless
hipster throwback or ingenious device that evokes a time when photography felt
more authentic? Who cares, were loving the nostalgic throwback to bits.
Warning: Using this doesnt mean that youll suddenly start playing like the Swiss
maestro Roger Federer. The Smart Tennis sensor, with its proprietary app, lets you in on
everything that is going with your racquet swing, with stats, no less! Game. Set. Match.
The new R2-D2; this is a Star Wars toy thats as fun as it is futuristic, The Sphero BB-8
Droid captures your imagination with an array of futuristic thrills with a simple set up
and easy controls. Try one for yourself and youll see. If theyre not all sold out already.

Korg Volca Beats

A diddy drum machine with a huge sound, this is an instant techno classic. With the
Volca Beats, Korg has made a Roland TR-808 alternative for a fraction of the price.
This tiny drum machine is the biggest thing to happen in electronic music for 30 years.

45,000

8999

55,000

28,290

20,100

17,401

15,843

NEXT BIG THING?

screening room
oh, fancy. Looks like Tony Starks
living room.
It sure does, although we wouldnt
really know weve never been
invited round for a brew. But, tell you what,
do you think a fancy billionaire like Mr Stark
would ever trek it to a sticky-floored cinema
full of snotty-nosed brats and people coughing
to catch the latest Avengers flick? Of course
not. The non-gourmet popcorn has a 1000%
markup, and hell have to deal with other
humans something thats almost always
regarded as a bad idea. No sir, hed watch it

on release day from the convenience of his

own mansion. And you could too.

You know hes not a real person, right?

OK, the point, which you seem to have missed,
is that were talking about the ability to see the
latest blockbusters while lounging in your own
sofa crease. Just think parents with young
children, social outcasts and lazy people can all
enjoy the newest films without having to wait
months for their Blu-ray release. And itll all be
thanks to a service called Screening Room, the
brainchild of Napster founder Sean Parker.

Napster, eh? Hollywood will never sign up.

Think of the pirates!
Yes, the file-sharing site did spark a boom
in music piracy. But it also led to streaming
services like Spotify. You cant fight evolution,
and big name directors like Peter Jackson have
shown their support. With a proposed $150
for the set-top box and $50 to rent each film
for 48 hours, it sounds pricey, but grab a few
mates to chip in and youll be enjoying the latest
flicks with a beer and Daves homemade salsa.
That is if it ever comes to fruition, of course.
Theres no official agreement as of yet

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