CES 2018 BLOWOUT SPECIAL

GADGETS / GAMES / GEAR

PLUS TESTED
Parrot
Panasonic GH5S Mambo FPV
HTC Vive Pro Whirpool
Level up your FitBit SupremeClean
Honor 7X

COMPUTER
OF THE YEAR
Microsoft
Surface Pro

SKINT
GAMING February 2018
Middle East Edition
The best PC and A Motivate Publication

console games
AED20 KD1.70 OR2.10 SR20 BD2.10

on a budget
Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone
 It’s no game - I can almost feel it !

Play with incredible presence

From above your head, from every side, even from behind you —
sound that envelopes you, sound you can immerse yourself in. The
world’s first soundbar to feature DTS Virtual:X®, the YAS-207 takes
your gaming experience to
YAS-207
Front Surround System
new levels of enjoyment
and power. And isn’t that • Virtual 3D surround sound by DTS Virtual:X®
• Total 200 W total power: 100 W + 100W subwoofer
what it’s all about?
• HDMI (1 in / 1 out) terminals with HDR Video, 4K / 60p (4:4:4) pass-through
and HDCP2.2

HOME THEATRE
CONTROLLER HDCP2.2

for details, see http://m ea. yam aha. com

 Welcome
Editorial
Editor-in-Chief
Obaid Humaid Al Tayer
Managing Partner
& Group Editor
Ian Fairservice
Editorial Director
Gina Johnson
Group Editor
Mark Evans
Editor So here it is, dear reader, our annual Gadget Awards issue. The
Mike Priest
Senior Art Director culmination of 12 months of rigorous tech testing combined with an
Olga Petroff
Art Director
Clarkwin Cruz
untold number of shouting matches, all in an effort to justify what should
Advertising be placed where in the list of the best gadgets of the last year. Team Stuff are an
argumentative bunch at the best of times, so you can probably imagine how,
Chief Commercial Officer
Anthony Milne
Publisher
David Burke
Senior Sales Manager
ahem, stressful the lead up to this issue’s release was. For your reference, conflicts
Omran Naseem
this time around included everything from whether a car is actually a gadget to
Production
General Manager - Production how exactly does one define the term ‘hi-fi’? Pretty heady stuff, I assure you. What
S. Sunil Kumar
Production Manager
R.Murali Krishnan
I’m pleased to report, however, is that we’ve emerge out the other side triumphant,
Assistant Production Manager
Binu Purandaran and with a comprehensive list that we are extremely proud of - and with only the
Haymarket Publishing bare minimum of F-bombs dropped in the process.
Global Editor-In-Chief
Guy Cocker
International Director
Better yet, you don’t have to endure any of that trauma to enjoy the results.
Alastair Lewis
Head of Partner Development, Just feast your eager eyes on a smorgasbord of gadget excellence spread across
Europe & ROW
Ian Porter 19 categories. That’s nearly 100 gadgets ranked and rated, plus this year we
Head of Partner Development,
Asia
Lisa Vernall
opened a couple of key categories up to your fine selves to vote on, of which you’ll
Partner Account Manager
Giuseppe Messina find the results on p45. Let’s just say that you didn’t necessarily agree with us,
which is fine, everyone’s entitled to their own opinions about Call of Duty.
Aside from putting together the Oscars of gadget-town we also somehow
found the time to squeeze in a roundup of the best video games you can buy on
Head Office
Media One Tower,
a budget as well as comprehensive reviews of the excellent Honor 7X smartphone
PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE
Tel +971 4 427 3000
Fax +971 4 428 2270
(spoiler: it walked away with an award this month) and Whirlpool’s dirt-destroying
Dubai Media City
Office 508, 5th Floor
Building 8, Dubai, UAE
dishwasher. Don’t ever say we don’t spoil you. Enjoy the mag.
Tel +971 4 390 3550

Mike Priest, Editor / mike@motivate.ae / @MikePriest

Fax +971 4 390 4845
Abu Dhabi
PO Box 43072, UAE
Tel +971 2 677 2005
Fax +971 2 677 0124
London
Acre House, 11/15 William Road
London NW1 3ER, UK
E-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae

THIS MONTH WHAT’S

© All rights reserved. This publication IN STUFF’S HAPPENING
may not be reproduced or transmitted
in any form in whole or in part without
the written permission of the
DIGITAL EDITION ONLINE?
publishers. Liability: while every care
has been taken in the preparation of
this magazine, the publishers cannot
■ Expert digital reviews ■ Up to the minute news
be held responsible for the accuracy on all of the reviews inside and views on everything
of the information herein, or any
consequence arising from it. In the case this magazine from Apple to Adidas
of all product reviews, judgements
have been made in the context of the ■ All-new features and ■ Exclusive video reviews,
equipment available to Stuff at the
time of review, and value-for-money
tests designed just for iPad previews, trailers and
comments are based on US$ prices
at the time of review, which are
■ Stunning hi-res photos gadget challenges
subject to fluctuation. of the hottest tech ■ More games! The latest
Printed by
■ Spiritual fulfilment titles reviewed in full, with
Emirates Printing Press, Dubai in-game galleries and more

www.stuff.tv/me facebook.com/stuffmideast twitter.com/stuffmideast instagram.com/stuffmideast

3
The most
versatile laptop.
• More speed and performance
than Surface Pro 4.
• Create, study, work, and play
virtually anywhere.
• Express yourself with
next-generation creative tools.

Starting at

AED 3199
SAR 4199
Terms and Conditions Apply. Prices not inclusive of VAT
 02.18

ON THE
COVER

P54
P08

p16
4K
fantastic
06 The Hot Ten: CES special 48 App:roved
● HTC Vive Pro Our favourite esoteric iOS game returns
● Sony AF8 49 Tested Whirpool SupremeClean
● Sony HT-Z9F It’s time to banish your dirty dishes
● Sgnl wristband 50 Tested Parrot Mambo FPV
● Ryze Tello Can this cheap drone be a high achiever?
● JBL Link View 54 Tested Honor 7X
● Acer Swift 7 You don’t need to spend big to go big
● Garmin Forerunner 645 Music
● DJI Osmo Mobile 2
● Merge 6DoF Blaster
16 Vital stats Panasonic Lumix GH5S
Film an Oscar-worthy 4K stunner P71
18 Gigapixel McLaren Senna
The latest supercar you can’t afford
20 Apps
One of PC’s best games comes to iPad p26
22 Start menu Oscar-
Sell out stadiums as a one-man band worthy
24 Icon Foreo Luna 2 + Luna 2 for men
Clean your face with sonic pulses

26 Stuff Gadget Awards

It’s awards season! So watch as we bestow
the year’s best gadgets with the honour of
being Stuff’s favourite things to play with
52 Beta yourself Fitbit
Get on track with these tips and tricks
56 Best cheap games
Our favourite pixelly picks for $30 or less
74 Next big thing Modular TV
Plaster your wall with Samsung’s whopper
62 The Stuff Top Ten of everything
Your essential gadget-buying guide:
Smartphones, tablets, headphones, TVs,
p50 smartwatches, fitness trackers, laptops,
Discount consoles, games, hi-fi, DSLRs, smart home
drone 65 The big question
What’s the best podcast app?
71 5-minute hacks
Create your very own gifs on Mac or PC

5
 H O T S T

6
U F F
18 PAGES
OF THE BIGGEST
STORIES FROM
PLANET TECH

Kill the lights

The Vive Pro features a
redesigned face-cushion
and nose-pad that combine
to better block out the
brightness of your living
room, allowing you to stay
focused on wasting
mutants.

HOT
TEN
#1
VIRTUAL
SIGNALLING
HTC VIVE PRO
2880x1600. That’s a whole lot of pixels.
If you added up the total number of baked
beans you’ve consumed in your lifetime and
multiplied it by the number of times you’ve
sworn at your alarm clock, the outcome –
even if you really like fry-ups – wouldn’t
come close. But that’s exactly how many
you’ll get on the Vive Pro, 78% more than
you’ll find on HTC’s first headset. They add
up to create dramatically improved
definition, for more realistic VR
experiences than you’ll find anywhere
else. The updated headset also gets a pair
of built-in headphones (so you don’t have
to bring your own along any more), a more
comfortable strap, a second microphone
for clearer voice control, and twin forward-
facing cameras that’ll come in handy for
augmented reality. The whole thing is
somehow lighter too, so as long as you
don’t have a peculiar hatred of the colour
Cut the cord blue, there’s little to find fault with… aside
The Vive Pro will work with from the price, of course, but there’s no
the official Vive wireless word on that just yet. HTC expects the
adaptor, announced alongside Vive Pro to arrive in Q1 this year, and it’ll be
the headset. You’ll have offered as a headset-only upgrade for
to stump up extra for that existing Vive owners. VR fans, you don’t
freedom, though – the Pro have long to start saving.
comes wired out of As hot as… your rushing blood after taking
the box. down a dragon in Skyrim VR
US$tba / vive.com

7
 H O T S T U F F

HOT
TEN
#2
2018’S NEW TVs: BEST OF THE REST
OLED
YOURSELF GO PANASONIC FZ950 LG AI OLEDs NVIDIA BFGD
SONY AF8 Hollywood-approved colour Keeping the impossibly thin The specs of Nvidia’s
correction is Panasonic’s designs from last year, LG’s 65in BFGD sets read like
Last year’s Bravia A1 was one of the latest gambit in the war for new OLED TVs come with a a gamer’s wishlist. 4K?
best-looking TVs you could spend your the OLED crown. The FZ950 version of webOS that has Naturally. 120Hz refresh
hard-earned cash on – even if it did have has image processing that voice control, AI learning and rate? Yup. HDR support?
a funky flip-out stand that not everyone can change colour profiles the ability to talk to other Sure. There’s even G-Sync
was a fan of. Sony’s reined it in a bit this on the fly, instead of just smart devices – so you can tech for tear-free graphics
year, turning its attention to image quality when you first hit play on kick on the microwave to plus a built-in Nvidia Shield.
and HDR instead. The AF8 gets Dolby a Blu-ray disc. have your popcorn ready. What more could you want?
Vision support, Google Assistant US$tba / panasonic.com US$tba / lg.com US$tba / nvidia.com
voice commands built in, and improved
picture-processing tech that could make
it the best-performing OLED TV you’ll see
all year. Oh, and it has a subtle stand that
isn’t quite as bonkers as last year’s A1.
Sometimes playing it safe pays dividends.
Sony’s Acoustic Surface sound trickery
still turns the whole screen into one giant
speaker, though – a much cooler
alternative to the puny offerings that sit
at the bottom of most tellies. At the time
of writing there’s no word on price or
release date, but we have all our fingers
crossed that it’ll make it onto shelves in
time for the World Cup this summer.
Whether it’s a Messi masterclass or
Gareth’s boys bowing out in the first
knockout round, you’ll want to experience
it on a screen as fabulous as this.
As hot as… a BBQ on Venus
US$tba / sony.com

Bez off
The AF8 features a virtually
bezel-free design, meaning
there’s little to distract you from
what’s happening on screen.
And because it’s an OLED,
you can expect it to
look great from
any angle.

8
 H O T S T U F F

Speak easy
The addition of Google
Assistant compatibility will
please those with a smart home,
but don’t forget that Alexa’s
along for the ride too. If you
like talking to your tech,
this is the telly
for you.

Hear hear!
The HT-Z9F has different
modes for movies, games,
music, sports and news. You’ll
be able to hear the cacophony
of guffaws at PMQs as if
you were sat in the House
of Commons
yourself.

HOT
TEN
#3
BOUNCING OFF
THE WALLS
SONY HT-Z9F
Dolby Atmos is the ultimate in surround
sound right now – but unless you’ve got
some serious space for all the speakers,
you’re only able to experience it at your
local multiplex. That won’t be true for
much longer, however, as Sony has
worked some virtual magic and managed
to squeeze Atmos effects into a single
soundbar, saving you from investing in a
load of extra speakers. The 3.1-channel
HT-Z9F has three drivers digitally
recreating a full surround sound setup, and
a separate subwoofer handling the bass.
A ‘Vertical S’ button then delivers virtual
3D sound whether you’re watching Atmos
content or not. And if you suddenly find a
bit more space behind the sofa, you can
add a set of dedicated rear speakers to
turn the system into a true 5.1 setup. It
should feel just like you’re in the cinema,
but without the tacky floors, while the
added height will improve immersion
for those lengthy PUBG sessions. If this
is what a little fakery can achieve,
then we’re all for it.
As hot as… a giant fireball ricocheting
off the ceiling
US$900 / sony.com

9
 H O
Guest wrist
The Sgnl isn’t just for phone
calls – it can also do regular
notifications and fitness
tracking, and will attach to
watch faces (including the
Apple Watch) to save
overloading your arm
with tech.
HOT
TEN
#4
FINGER SINGER
SGNL WRISTBAND
Sticking your fingers in your ears serves
two purposes: emergency wax removal,
and blocking out the football scores before
Match of the Day comes on. Invest in a
Sgnl wristband, though, and you’re going
to be jabbing a digit in your lughole a lot
more often. Why? To take phone calls, of
course. The band’s Body Conduction Unit
tech sends vibrations through your hand,
allowing you to hear your mum’s nagging
from the tip of your finger. A mic allows for
conversations, while you can store up to
five contacts on the Sgnl itself for speedy
dialling. Does the world need this?
Absolutely not, but then people said
the same about spiralisers.
As hot as… fluffy earmuffs
US$249 / sgnl.com
10
T S T U F F
Flying colours
Capable as this diminutive
drone might be, it’s very much
pitched as a toy. And that means
it’s customisable, with
different-coloured top
shells that you can swap
in and out as you
please.
HOT
TEN
#5
SAY TELLO TO MY
LITTLE FRIEND
RYZE TELLO
With the DJI Spark costing over $400, it’s
only really an impulse buy for those who
intend on using it for their weekly bank
heists. Still, aside from being the most
entertaining and accessible flying drone
out there, the gesture-controlled ’copter
was one of our very favourite new gadgets
of last year. Good news, then, that Ryze’s
new Tello – a palm-sized drone made
using DJI and Intel tech – will be available
for $99. It’ll only shoot at 720p, it flies for
just 13 minutes, and it looks a lot less
durable than the Spark, but the 80g Tello
is fully controllable with an app, offers
automated flying functions, and is
programmable to boot. It’s clearly trying
to appeal to a younger audience…
although, with a feature set comparable
to much more expensive machines,
there’s no need for kids to have all the
fun. Bank robbers take note, though: it’s
probably too small to carry bags of cash.
As hot as… the Joker’s criminal record
US$99 / ryze.com
H O T S T U F F

Virtua flighter
Once you’ve mastered the
manual controls, the Tello’s
support for some VR headsets
means you can go full pilot by
switching to FPV. It’s never
been so easy for a rookie
to get into drone
racing.

11

Display mates
Rather than make its own
screen-equipped speakers,
Google is calling in its mates to
get the job done. Lenovo, LG and
Sony are all apparently on the
case while the big G
concentrates on
the smarts.
HOT
TEN
#6
DOWN IN THE ’TUBE STATION
JBL LINK VIEW
Ah, Google, you rapscallions.
Stripping YouTube away from
Amazon’s Echo Show makes a
lot more sense now we’ve seen
the JBL Link View. Like the Show,
this speaker combines Google’s
voice-assistant smarts with
a display – for video calls, recipe
instructions and, you guessed
it, YouTube. Now you can follow
the pros as they cook spag bol
and avoid yours looking like a
regurgitated kebab.
The Link View is splashproof
too, so it’ll only be your dinner
guests who suffer if you make
a mess. Thinking takeaway is
12
H O T S T U F F
Link sync
The JBL Link View can
display pics and vids on Google
Photos, dictate your commute
via Google Maps and hook up
to your Google Calendar to
point out you forgot your
mum’s birthday
again.
MORE SMART HOME STARS FROM CES 2018
a better call? With two 10-Watt
drivers sitting on either side of
its 8in HD touchscreen – plus
a rear-facing passive radiator
for deeper bass and 24-bit
HD audio streaming – the Link SONY AIBO ECO VACS NOKIA SLEEP
VIew can bring the party in A decade after Sony WINBOT X This new pad could
barnstorming fashion. put its robo-puppies Who wouldn’t be be the smartest
It’ll even hook up to other out to pasture in the impressed with a way to analyse your
Chromecast-enabled devices cyberfarm in the sky, device that clings slumber habits yet.
for multiroom listening, the Aibo is back – but to your patio doors A Wi-Fi-equipped
and act as a hub for Google with AI. The plan is and sluices off all number that slips
Assistant-controlled smart that you train it up to the grime? And the under your mattress,
home kit such as Nest cams ‘good dog’ status so Winbot X can run an it’ll even keep tabs
and Philips Hue lights. it’ll respond to your entire cleaning cycle on your foghorn
As hot as… our arrabbiata recipe every command. totally cable-free. snoring habits.
US$tba / jbl.com $2000 / sony.com $449 / ecovacs.com $100 / nokia.com
 H O T S T U F F

Roamin’ numerals
Just like the latest Apple
Watch, Acer’s Swift 7 features
a built-in eSIM for on-the-fly
internet connectivity. You get
1GB of free data with the
laptop, but need to sign up
to a plan afterwards.

HOT
TEN
#7
SLIM CLICKINGS
ACER SWIFT 7
Ever since Stevie J first pulled the
MacBook Air out of an envelope, other
makers have fallen over themselves to
make the world’s thinnest laptop. Now Punishing diet
that Acer’s newly updated Swift 7 has One consequence of those
attained an ultra-slim 8.98mm profile, it’s svelte dimensions is merely
probably time for them to concentrate average specs. Think last year’s
on something else, like built-in 4G LTE 7th-gen Intel CPU, up to 16GB
internet anywhere you go. Wait… it’s got of RAM and 256GB of
that too! What about a Coke-proof SSD storage, and only
keyboard? Well, there’s always room for a 1080p screen.
improvement – so long as that doesn’t
mean flattening the thing out any further.
Otherwise, we’ll lose it amidst the depths
of our rucksacks, alongside a driving
licence and a half-eaten pack of Rolos.
As hot as… a stroopwafel stacked
upon a cuppa
US$1699 / acer.com

13
 H O T S T U F F

THE WINNER
HOT TAKES GIMBAL
TEN DJI OSMO MOBILE 2
#9 Some people spend their lives trying to
cure cancer or engineer space travel to
Mars. The folks at DJI are equally serious
about making wobbly smartphone videos
a thing of the past. The second-gen Osmo
Mobile is half the price of the original, lasts
around 15 hours between top-ups and can
swivel between portrait and landscape
shooting for all you Instagram addicts.
As hot as… a volcanic panorama
US$129/ dji.com

HOT
TEN
#8
BANDS ON
THE RUN
GARMIN FORERUNNER
645 MUSIC
Like a triathlete who can do everything but
sprint finish, Garmin’s sports watches
have always had one big weakness: a lack
of built-in music playback. As its name
suggests, the Forerunner 645 Music HOT PEW-PEW, GOT YOU
changes that, giving you the option of TEN MERGE 6DOF BLASTER
storing 500 songs on its internal storage
or offlining Deezer songs. Connect it to a #10 While we still have a soft spot for Laser
pair of Bluetooth headphones, and you’ll Quest, visiting a dilapidated bowling alley
be able to run without the weighty phablet in Croydon can’t compete with Call of Duty.
you’ve always claimed is the reason for Luckily, we can now enjoy its forgotten
your woeful 5km times. With GPS, Garmin thrills thanks to the 6DoF Blaster. This toy
Pay and seven-day battery life, it’s gun has a slot for your smartphone and
shaping up to be a fine sporty alternative some nifty positional tracking tech so you
to the Apple Watch and Garmin’s can swing your crosshairs around its virtual
own Vivoactive 3. worlds without strapping on a VR headset.
As hot as… your post-run armpits As hot as… Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner
US$400 / garmin.com US$tba / mergevr.com

14
V I T A L S T A T S
VIDEO KILLS THE
GRAINY OLD STAR
Panasonic Lumix GH5S
US$2695 (body only) / panasonic.com
Itching to unleash your
inner Martin Scorsese?
Panasonic’s GH5S is built
for serious auteurs and
has the Ultra HD internals
to match your vision…
● It’s totally 4K, man
There are 4K cameras and there
are 4K cameras, but believe us
when we say the Panasonic
Lumix GH5S is a properly 4K
camera. The successor to last
year’s GH5, this mirrorless system
camera has refined its ambitions
to focus heavily on Ultra HD
footage with a high-sensitivity
10.2MP sensor.
16
● It’s got big-screen dreams
New to the shooting game? Video
formats are probably a mystery
to you. Rest assured the GH5S
can handle all of them, including
‘cinema 4K’ (that’s 4096x2160)
at 60fps. HDR and 10-bit colour
are also supported.
● It can see in the dark
Well, kind of. As one of the first
consumer cameras to support
dual-native ISO – a whizzy new
technology that helps eliminate
noise – the GH5S has a maximum
ISO of 51,200, which will help
when you’re looking to carry off
a night shoot. Or if your rom-com
is set in an abandoned abattoir.
Being as this is
a camera, it also
takes pictures… and
can shoot in RAW
at up to 12fps.
● It’s built to last
To be more specific, it looks almost
identical to the old GH5, with a THE GH5S
magnesium alloy body that’s
proof against splashes, dust and FOCUSES
freezing, and the combo of an
electronic viewfinder and 3.2in
HEAVILY ON 4K
touchscreen. The one cosmetic VIDEO WITH A
difference? The natty red trim
that wraps around its control dial. 10.2MP SENSOR
But, good news for tantric video
makers, there’s no time limit on this
camera’s video recording. Phwoar!
● It’s out now
And it ain’t exactly cheap, at over
two grand without a lens. We need
to start hitting that YouTube gravy
train, hard.
 H O T S T U F F

Storage made sexy

SYNOLOGY DISKSTATION DS218J
Network Attached Storage is by no means sexy, but then it really
doesn’t have be. Its primary job is to keep your files safe, secure and
easily accesible to all the machines on (and beyond) your network.
Kudos to Synology, then, for making the DS218J look as attractive as it
does. This sleek two-bay NAS is an entry-level device (meaning it
won’t transcode video and the like) running Synology’s excellent DSM
operating system that’s filled with apps that let you remotely manage
everything from photos to your own email server if you’re so inclined. If
Apple were to design a NAS, this is what it would probably look like.
US$tba / synology.com

BEST 4K CAMS
● Sony Alpha A7S II
Even though Panasonic’s new
GH5S has stolen a march on the
rest of the 4K video field, the
A7S II remains a handy tool for
UHD recording – especially in
dim conditions. Still, we expect
a successor later this year.
sony.com

● Canon XC15
More of a camcorder than a
camera, the XC15 is probably
still your best bet if you
absolutely have to stick with
Canon. However, despite being
considerably more expensive
than the GH5S, it falls short in
the 4K specs war.
canon.com Give your wrist a hygge
SKAGEN FALSTER
● Nikon D850 OK, it’s not quite the same as snuggling up to a roaring fire with a cup of
An absolute blockbuster of a hot cocoa, but if you can’t get enough of the Danish concept of cosiness,
DSLR that’s also a dab hand at strapping a Skagen Falster on your wrist will let you carry a little bit
Ultra HD video, the D850 is a of hygge around with you every day. It’s the company’s first fully
tremendous all-rounder that touchscreen smartwatch, with a round display filling the face with all
does well to justify its asking the at-a-glance info you need. It doesn’t do GPS or NFC, but there’s still
price. It’ll even record Full HD enough smartwatch wizardry here to satisfy most of us as all the usual
footage at 120fps for awesome Android Wear 2.0 features are accounted for, wrapped up in a minimal
slow-mo. design and your choice of mesh straps. Sandi Toksvig would be proud.
nikon.com from US$300 / skagen.com

17
 The bigger picture in tech
SPOILER ALERT
If you’re going to name a car after
the best driver ever to sit inside a
Formula 1 car, it had better live up to
the hype. On looks alone, we think
the McLaren Senna has that in the
bag: it’s a track-focused monster
that’s overflowing with aerodynamic
tweaks, from the colossal spoiler at
the back to the angry air inlets that
18
scythe through the carbon fibre
chassis. It weighs next to nothing
(for a hypercar), and with a twin-
turbocharged V8 engine, you can
expect a power-to-weight ratio
of 660bhp per tonne. No word on
frivolities such as top speed or
0-60mph times just yet, but expect
them to be equally ludicrous.
 H O T S T U F F

NEWS FEED

ONEPLUS 5T’S
TRUE GRIT
The grippy, granular texture
of this limited-edition
‘sandstone white’ version
of the 5T wasn’t actually
chiselled out of a block of
the hard stuff. Each phone
requires 75 minutes of
priming, masking and
sandblasting to create
that unique feel.

MARIO PARTY
How’s this for a comeback
story? The confusing,
underwhelming Wii U
had some people writing
Nintendo off, but the
Switch has become the
fastest-selling console
ever in the US, with 4.8m
units sold in its first 10
months. To quote the
plumber… yahoooo!

POSITIVELY BUZZING
Ask Alexa a question and
she’s likely to have the
right answer. Handy for
homework, sure, but
couldn’t general knowledge
be a little more… exciting?
That’s where the Amazon
Echo Buttons come in.
These Bluetooth buzzers
hook up to an Echo and turn
a Q&A into a gameshow.

19
 A P P S
This month’s mobile must-downloads
1 2 3
VINTAGE
PORT

CIVILIZATION
VI
iPad

Last issue,
we wore our
‘shocked’
expression on
seeing Grid
4 5 6 Autosport
unleashed for
iOS. Here was
proof AAA hits
could cut it on
mobile. But now,
Aspyr has taken
things a step
further, by
squeezing
Civilization VI
into the iPad.
Again, this isn’t
cut-back
freemium tosh,
but a full
7 8 9 premium port
of a year-old PC
hit. You have to
wonder whether
we’ll soon see
simultaneous
PC/mobile
releases of
such titles.
That said, Civ
fans should treat
this one with a
little caution:
there’s no DLC
1 SnapCalc 2 Selfissimo! 3 Vignettes on iPad, the
US$free (IAPs) / iOS US$free / Android, iOS US$2.99 / Android, iOS game runs the
We’ve seen iPhone calculators that A Google ‘appsperiment’, this A touchscreen art toy, Vignettes hardware to the
convert snapped scribbles to text, is perfect for the self-obsessed has you spin lurid objects that absolute limit,
but SnapCalc provides answers smartphone owner. It shoots a transform in the blink of an eye. and the price
too, including step-by-step selfie whenever you stop moving, Loads of secrets lurk, from the is – by mobile
solutions. Unlimited homework occasionally telling you how Moon landing to a suitcase into gaming
cheating requires IAPs, though. fabulous you are. Smile! Or else. which you can lob infinite socks. standards –
ambitious.
US$60 (free
4 Cinegraph 5 Files Go 6 Smash Tanks! demo) / iPad
US$1.99 / iOS US$free / Android US$1.99 / iOS
“Moving pictures?” they scoffed in It’s much a command as an app We do love a descriptive app name
1895… and again they’ll scoff in 2018. name – just imagine it intoning: (see left), and this game really is all
But this is a simple way to create “Files… go!” It’ll recommend apps about smashing tanks. But it’s all
‘cinemagraph’ effects – just paint to delete and massive files to trash, done in AR, like a frenzied mash-up
the bits of Live Photos you want to resulting in your Android feeling of a board game and Angry Birds,
animate. See also Plotagraph+, p42. less bloated. with you pinging tiny tanks about.

7 First Strike: Final Hour 8 Sonic Runners 9 Gesture Control

US$1.99 / Android, iOS
Now worryingly topical, this one’s
essentially Risk with nukes. Grow
your territory, power up your
arsenal, form pacts and let rip.
Blow everyone else away and the
game asks drily: “You win?”
Adventure
US$2.99 / Android, iOS
Sega’s blue hedgehog gets the
Super Mario Run treatment. He
auto-runs through vibrant levels,
and you tap to jump. Simple fare,
but you know it’ll be fun.
US$free / Android
There are now dozens of Android
apps aping iPhone X gestures. This
one wisely avoids a lawyer-baiting
name and design, but keeps the
‘swipe up to go home’ move and
adds plenty of others.

20
 H O T S T U F F

WTF IS
Socket science
ONEADAPTR EVRI MAGIC
If you travel as much as we do then you’ll undoubtedly be faced with the
ever-present frustration of being in a hotel room with not nearly
enough sockets to charge all your gadgets. We’re talking a laptop, a
LEAP ONE?
phone, a smartwatch, a Bluetooth speaker... the list goes on. This handy
little device from OneAdaptr is the answer. Not only does it give you Nice cyberpunk goggles you’ve got
four Quick Charge USB 3.0 ports for your smaller gadgets, but it has a there. Do you by any chance live
dedicated USB-C port specifically for plugging in a modern laptop. It in a rain-soaked, neon-lit fictional
supports fast charging with up to 45W of power and will even work in metropolis and spend a lot of time
your car as an on-the-go option. riding a motorbike?
US$80 / oneadaptr.com Only in daydreams, sadly. What you’re
actually looking at is the long-awaited
mixed reality headset from Magic Leap,
the enigmatic startup that has received
over a billion dollars in investment. That
we’ve finally seen a product with our own
eyes is, it’s fair to say, quite a big deal.

Cool. So, er, what (or WTF) is it?

Rather than messing around with VR,
the Magic Leap One ‘Creator Edition’ aims
to revolutionise the way we think about
augmented reality. It’s not about removing
you from the real world, but instead using
the company’s ‘digital lightfield’ tech to
seamlessly project images onto a replica
of the world around you, à la HoloLens and
the like. These images remain in place when
you’re not looking at them – so if you leave
the room while a monster plays chess, he’ll
still be there when you return.

My house needs more chess-playing

Secret speaker
YAMAHA ISX-18
Yamaha has done a sneaky thing with the ISX-18, they’ve taken one of
their powerful multiroom MusicCast speakers and hidden it in a shell
that could pass off as a very fancy picture frame in your uber minimalist
apartment. Prominently displayed on its front screen is a digital clock
and the whole thing can be either wall mounted or placed upright on a
surface to blend in with its surroundings. Of course, this thing is not just a
humble photo carrier. It packs in a bunch of features including support
for Airplay, Spotify and DLNA letting you stream music to it wirelessly
from your phone or any other Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connected device.
Who said that speakers had to be ugly, boxy things that cheapen the
look of your gaff? Not Yamaha, that’s for sure.
US$320 / mea.yamaha.com
monsters. So how does it work?
Spec-wise, we’re still in the dark, but it
does seem like a minor miracle that Magic
Leap has managed to cram so much
into what is essentially a pair of compact
goggles. Available in two sizes, it somehow
packs in four microphones and at least six
external cameras for precision tracking.
The speakers are also part of the headset
itself, providing spatial audio as you interact
with the environment. The heavy work is
handled by a dinky but powerful external
computer called the Lightpack, which
you clip to your waist, and you also get
a controller imaginatively named Control.
Impressive. When can I get one of
these on my face?
Sadly, Magic Leap is keeping schtum
on pricing and release date, but we have
been promised a first version some
time this year.

21
 S T A R T M E N U
The latest startups, crowdfunded projects and plain crazy ideas

TE -
R
AR K
ST KIC

Axe murderer
OMB
All guitarists are secretly
desperate to dump the rest of
the band; but for those who
want to take it a step further
than practising with a DigiTech
Trio pedal, there’s the OMB
(OneManBand) kit. Looking like
a metal parasite has latched
onto your axe, whatever you
play is sent to an app as digital
data. Then the magic happens:
pitch-perfect dynamic backing
tracks; the ability to unleash
monstrous synth sounds, even
from an acoustic; and – most
importantly – a one-handed
mode, so you can hold strings to
play while your other hand gets
on with important stuff like
signing autographs.
from US$149 / ombguitars.com

BACK IT

STACK IT

SACK IT
TE -

TE -
TE -

TE -

R
R

AR K

AR K
AR K

AR K

ST KIC

ST KIC
ST KIC

ST KIC

In-flight entertainment
PITTA
One minute Pitta is a 4K
camera that can be mounted
on your bike, a stick, or a
paranoid person’s hat. The
next, attach the propellers
and it will transform into
a dinky drone that swoops
about performing slow-mo,
auto-follow, panorama and
live-streaming trickery. Just
hope it’s not a Decepticon.
from $289 / eyedea.co.kr
Voices in your head
SKULL_001
Picture a synth and you think
of taciturn musicians behind
a bank of lights and knobs. But
Skull_001 strips the concept
to the bone: the design echoes
something from Mexico’s Day
of the Dead, but you can usher
forth all kinds of noise from
the joysticks in the skull’s eyes
and the row of buttons atop its
toothy grin.
€49 / kickstarter.com
Fuel if you think it’s over
ZENDURE X6
Yes, we know, another portable
USB charger. Zzzzzz… but this
one does the business. The
X6 is fully recharged in three
hours, whereafter you can
connect up to five devices.
With a capacity of 20,000mAh,
it has a low-power mode for
wearables plus an old-school
digital readout that displays
how much juice is left.
from £39 / zendure.com
You can only take it sofa
ATOS
This clever arm-rest table is
constructed from wood strips
on a felt mat. There’s a slot for
your smartphone, and a spot
for your coffee mug – which is
a smart way to stop either of
them making a trip to the floor.
It’s a good conversation piece
too, even if said conversation
begins with: “Have you not
heard of a table?”
€39 / kickstarter.com

22
 H O T S T U F F

FUTURE STUFF
ROLLABLE
OLED TV
We have seen the future of the
living room, as LG boggles the mind
with the most flexible telly ever

If you’ve ever moved house, you’ll be all

too familiar with that feeling of dread
when the time comes to box up the TV.
Impossibly slender and increasingly
monstrous in size, the modern set is
Role of the dice anything but a rough and ready traveller.
NANOLEAF REMOTE Wouldn’t it be great if you could just roll
it up like a poster? With this LG you can
Nanoleaf’s Aurora light panels provide a dazzling show wherever you pretty much do just that.
mount them, but the company isn’t done thinking up inventive new The 65in set is just a prototype for
ways to jazz up your smart home just yet. Here’s another: the Nanoleaf now, but it wowed the crowds at CES.
Remote. It looks like a huge 12-sided die, but this one’s not meant to be It’s an evolution of the bendy 18in screen
rolled. Instead, you’ll create smart home scenes in Nanoleaf’s app – shown off by the same company a few
using Aurora lights, but also Apple HomeKit-compatible things like years ago, which had a similar party
blinds, thermostats, and speakers – and then choose between them trick. But as well as being an OLED, this
by having your chosen side of the Remote facing up. You can even bigger brother also happens to be 4K,
rotate it to adjust a light’s brightness. With this in one hand and a TV and we’re expecting it to carry all the
zapper in the other, you’re essentially a human control panel. modern features of its less flexible
US$50 / nanoleaf.me contemporaries.
Even as a mock-up, we have a decent
idea of how the TV will work. When fully
unravelled, it looks near enough
indistinguishable from the rest of

PRESS A BUTTON AND

THIS LG WILL TUCK AWAY
INTO ITS BASE LIKE A
MAGICIAN’S ASSISTANT
LG’s OLED arsenal, but press a button
and it will tuck away into its base like a
magician’s assistant.
But there’s more. You can squash the
screen’s height when watching a movie
so the black bars associated with the
21:9 aspect ratio vanish, while rolling
up just its lower section turns it into
a stylish notification bar. Don’t expect
to be sliding one into your car boot this
year, but by the time 2019 rolls around,
who knows? Ultra-flexible tellies could
Linda helping hand go mainstream.

RAZER PROJECT LINDA

There aren’t many famous Lindas, are there? After Linda McCartney
there’s a bit of a drop off to Linda Hamilton (Sarah Connor in The
Terminator) and Linda Blair (the foul-mouthed devil child in The
Exorcist). But Razer’s new contraption hopes to give the name a boost.
Project Linda is essentially the chassis of a laptop with a 13.3in Quad HD
touchscreen, 200GB of storage and a space where the touchpad
should be for a Razer Phone, which provides the power. The phone’s
5.7in screen can be used like a traditional touchpad, or, if you have a
mouse attached, a second screen for launching apps and tools. Even
Linda Hamilton couldn’t do that.
US$tba / razerzone.com

23
 I C O N

The Luna 2 has a

waterproof
charging port and
a battery that
lasts up to seven
months

FOREO LUNA 2 + LUNA 2 FOR MEN

US$260 / foreo.com

Am I meant to put that to my face?
Too right. The Luna 2 is a facial
cleansing gadget purposely
designed to be rubbed all over
your visage. It stands apart from
other similar products because it’s
made from medical-grade silicone
which is uber hygienic and doesn’t
get all gunked up after a good
scrub. You simply splash water on
your face, apply your preferred
moisturiser and rub around your
face in 15-second intervals.
So, it’s basically just massaging
the dirt out.
It’s a bit more tech-y than that.
The Luna 2 emits 8000 sonic
pulses to unclog pores and remove
dead skin cells, all so you end up
with baby-smooth skin. The
procedure only lasts for a minute
so you’re not whiling away precious
time staring at the mirror. When
you’re done, flip it over and lower-
frequency pulses will reduce fine
lines and wrinkles as well.
Judging by that hot pink colour,
this isn’t designed for my manly
morning routine.
Look a little harder there, Conan.
The black version in the back is for
blokes just like you - built for the
modern man who actually cares
about his appearance. Use the
Luna 2 edition for men before you
shave and it’ll help raise up your
beard for a smoother shave,
preventing the dreaded razor burn
in the process.
Now we’re talking, I hate razor burn.
Indeed. You wouldn’t want to come
across looking like a slob now,
would you? Foreo also reckon that
thanks to their T-Sonic face brush
your razor blades will retain their
sharpness and resist damage,
resulting in blades that last up to
twice as long. Save money and
walk away with a super-smooth
mug - how can you go wrong?

24
 THE WHAT’S ON NIGHTLIFE
AND MUSIC AWARDS
CELEBRATE THE VERY BEST
OF THE REGION’S MUSIC
AND NIGHTLIFE INDUSTRY.

APRIL 2018
B A R A S T I , L E M E R I D I E N M I N A S E YA H I B E A C H R E S O R T

www.whatson.ae
 It’s our favourite time of year again. We host the
gadget equivalent of the Oscars, dishing out
prizes for 2017’s finest phones, most
creative computers, flashiest
cameras and much more. Time
to put your tux on...

Words Mike Priest, Rob Leedham

Photography Mustufa Abidi, Matt Beedle
Art Direction Clarkwin Cruz
Model Mariana Masnaveeva
Make-up Artist & Hairstylist Mashaal Arshad Khan
Wardrobe namshi.com

26
STUFF GADGET AWARDS

27
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS

SMARTPHONE
OF THE YEAR

AP P L E
IPHO N E X
US$1000 / apple.com

If we had held the Gadget Awards a couple of month

earlier we would’ve had a much tougher time picking
a winner in this hotly-contested category. The
Samsung Galaxy S8 stamped its mark on the way a
phone should look in 2017 and the Huawei Mate 10
Pro gave us the best of everything in one tidy
package. Heck, even HTC’s U11 taught us that
it was still ok to love bezels late into the year. But
then along came the iPhone X, redefining everything
that Apple had built over the last decade, and blew
everyone else out of the water. From its gorgeous,
bezel-free AMOLED screen to its Face ID wizardry,
the tenth iPhone is clearly the company’s bold
stab at what the future of smartphones will
bring, and it has got us very excited.

28
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS

RUNNER-UP

HUAWEI MATE 10 PRO

The clear king of the Android pack in our
book, the Mate 10 Pro combined 2017’s
best flagship features - an edge-to-edge
screen, top notch camera and a positively
massive battery - with a price tag that
easily undercut the competition.

NOMINEES

SAMSUNG HTC SONY XPERIA

GALAXY NOTE 8 U11 XZ1

29
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS

SMARTPHONE
(UNDER US$400)
OF THE YEAR
RUNNER-UP

HON O R 7 X
SONY XPERIA XA1 ULTRA
The XA1 Ultra is an unapologetically big
phone and that’s why we love it. It
boasts a massive 6in screen with bezels
to match and makes a hard play for big-
screen fans who don’t want to pay
flagship prices.
US$270 / hihonor.com

2017 was all about banishing bezels and doubling up

on cameras, but with those advances came a pretty
drastic compromise - price. Apple famously veered NOMINEES
off into uncharted territory, slapping a $1000 price
tag on the iPhone X. And while Samsung’s Note 8
didn’t get that high, it was pretty close. Even
Huawei’s Mate 10 Pro eked in at just over $800,
which for many people is just too much to stomach.
Enter the Honor 7X - a smartphone with 5.93in
screen (complete with a du jour 18:9 aspect ratio)
and a 16MP+2MP depth-sensing camera all housed
in a sleek blue aluminium frame. The price? A paltry
$270, unequivocally making the Honor 7X the most LENOVO MOTO NOKIA OPPO
bang for your buck smartphone out there. GS5 PLUS 3 F5

30

STREAMING
SERVICE
OF THE YEAR
N E T FL IX
from US$7.99/month / netflix.com
Compared to last year, when both Tidal and Apple Music flung
out exclusive after exclusive, 2017 was not the most revelatory
time for streaming services. Still, if you’re wondering which
subscription gives you the most entertainment for your money,
the answer is unquestionably Netflix. Apple Music arguably
does a smarter job with recommendations, but it’s Netflix’s
roster of exclusive shows and movies such as Okja, Stranger
Things and The Crown that makes it essential. Plus, the way
that almost every TV, phone and console supports its app
means you have absolutely no excuse for missing any of them.
RUNNER-UP
STARZ PLAY
If you don’t care about Netflix’s original
shows and have a hankering for the best
English, Indian and Arabic content then
Starz Play offers up everything from
Homeland to Ae Dil Hai Mushkil as a
worthy alternative.
NOMINEES
● OSN Play ● Amazon Prime Video ● Apple Music
STUFF GADGET AWARDS
TV
OF THE YEAR
LG SIGNATURE
W7 WALLPAPER
from US$14,400 / lg.com
Usually when a product arrives with an incredible gimmick, it’s a
distraction from many other shortcomings. So when we heard
LG’s ‘wallpaper’ OLED was so thin it had to be hung on a wall like
so much, well, wallpaper, we weren’t holding our breath for its
picture quality. You know, the actually important thing about a
telly. And yet… after we tested the W7 it blew us away like
nothing we’d ever seen before. Not only is this the finest 4K
HDR TV you can get your hands on — it also has a load of
awesome tricks up its sleeve to boot. Basically, it’s a
gadget wizard, and that’s more than alright by us.
RUNNER-UP
SONY KD-55A1 OLED
This year’s TV race was close, solely
because Sony’s first OLED outing was a
true redesign of what a telly should be. A
gorgeous A-frame design and speakers
built right into the panel, too bad that the
‘other guy’ put out a wallpaper TV.
NOMINEES
● Samsung Frame TV ● Samsung QA65Q7F ● LG OLED 65B7V
31
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS

32

GAMING CONSOLE
OF THE YEAR
NIN T E N D O
SW I TCH
US$400 / nintendo.com
In hindsight, it’s easy to see how the Switch was going
to be an all-conquering success, but we’re not about to
claim we saw this one coming. After the Wii U proved
about as good an idea as a sticking your finger in a
toaster the omens were particularly foreboding for this
hybrid console. Then came Zelda: Breath of the Wild
and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and soon enough you couldn’t
find the blasted thing in stores for love nor money. It
was almost as if Nintendo knew what it was doing all
along. With Super Mario Odyssey and Wolfenstein II
adding to the pack and Metroid Prime 4 set to appear
on in the not too distant future, who cares whether this
console became a smash hit by design, accident, or a
little bit of both?
RUNNER-UP
MICROSOFT XBOX ONE X
There’s no doubting the credentials of the
world’s most powerful console. It’s a
behemoth of a machine, and with a few
more games to really take advantage of its
power it could have snatched the title.
NOMINEES
PLAYSTATION HTC SNES CLASSIC
4 PRO VIVE MINI
STUFF GADGET AWARDS
GAME
OF THE YEAR
BRE ATH O F
TH E W I LD
Switch, Wii U
There was no squabbling over the Game of the Year award - the
Stuff team unanimously agreed that Zelda: Breath of the Wild
deserved top honours. Scrapping the traditional linear adventure,
Nintendo created a massive open-world Hyrule for us to play
within. With majestic sights to see, piggish grunts to slat and an
incredible quest that would raise goosebumps under our armour.,
2017 was definitely best spent playing Breath of the Wild rather
than fretting over Trump and Kim Jong-un’s apocalyptic
squabbles. But it’s the subtle things that have made this game
such a success, including the transcendent soundtrack and Link’s
amusing humming as he cooks up a tasty treat.
RUNNER-UP
FORZA MOTORSPORT 7
With a garage filled with the most iconic cars
ever driven, this year’s Forza was a technical
marvel. Plus, it looks more beautiful than the
Mona Lisa in motion running in 4K on an
Xbox One X.
NOMINEES
● Horizon Zero Dawn ● Destiny 2 ● PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
33
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS

COMPUTER from US$1000 / microsoft.com

OF THE YEAR
Microsoft’s game-changing hybrid underwent some
under-the-hood tinkering in 2017 to deliver a
superior 13.5 hours of battery life, 4G wireless
capabilities and a natty new 165-degree hinge. Sure,

MICRO SO FT
if you put it side-by-side with a Surface Pro 4 you’d
struggle to spot the difference, but then again
there’s little point in changing perfection. The best

SUR FACE
bit? Microsoft managed to keep it all at under
0.80kg, making it the lightest Surface Pro ever. We
also love that it comes with a faster Surface Pen, a
refreshed processor for a significant speed bump

PRO
and a lovely big 12.3in PixelSense display. No wonder
then, that it nabbed the honour as our favourite
computer of the year.

34
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS

RUNNER-UP

DELL XPS 13 2-IN-1

Dell’s taken its XPS 13 ultrabook and bent
it in half - but don’t worry, it was all part
of the plan. Scooping up the best bits of
the old XPS 13 and then proceeding to
cram them into a hybrid shell that rotates
was an inspired move on their part.

NOMINEES
GAMING LAPTOP
OF THE YEAR

AS U S R O G
Z E P H Y RU S
APPLE ASUS LENOVO YOGA
IPAD PRO ZENBOOK BOOK
10.5 3 (ANDROID)

US$2700 / asus.com

Gaming laptops have evolved over the years from the bulky
behemoths of yesteryear, slimming down to resemble the
shape and size of other (albeit less powerful) notebooks on the
market. None more so has achieved this amazing
transformation than Asus’ Zephyrus. At a mere 16.9mm thick, it
still manages to cram in an uber-powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX
1080 graphics card and an 7th Gen Intel Core processor running
2.8Ghz. All this lets you play the latest triple-A games with the
sliders all the way up, and thanks to the ROG-exclusive Active
Aerodynamic System keeping it icy cool, it doesn’t even begin
to break a sweat, no matter how much PUBG you throw at it.

RUNNER-UP

MSI GS63VR STEALTH PRO

We’re a sucker for a slim gaming laptop,
and this beauty from MSI is no slouch. It
weighs just 1.9kg, which is bonkers
considering it boasts a 15in HDR display
with 120Hz refresh rate and an Nvidia
GeForce GTX 1070 to boot.

NOMINEES
● HP Omen X ● Alienware 13 ● Acer Predator 15

35
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS
FITNESS TRACKER
OF THE YEAR
FITBIT
ALTA HR
US$150 / fitbit.com
Let’s face it, most people who buy a fitness band do so with
the intention of taking it off as soon as humanly possible.
Partly because chips and burgers are delicious; mainly
because they were never that into exercising in the first place.
But with heart-rate tracking alongside week-long battery life
and the ability to discern what kind of exercise you’re doing,
Fitbit’s Alta HR is the perfect motivator for layabouts with an
inferiority complex. Knowing this, Fitbit’s app is attuned to
make you feel good about being healthy, with easy-to-grasp
achievements and reminders to ensure you get back to it
after a day or so of slacking. However long the Alta HR stays
on your wrist, it’ll make for a welcome companion.
RUNNER-UP
JABRA ELITE SPORT
Why bother with a wrist-hugging
fitness tracker when you can kill two
birds with one stone and pump your
preferred workout playlist and monitor
your heart rate all via one device? Well
played, Jabra, well played.
NOMINEES
● Garmin Vivosmart 3 ● Samsung Gear Fit2 ● Misfit Shine 2
36
SMARTWATCH
OF THE YEAR
APPLE WATCH
SERIES 3
US$370 / apple.com
The GPS version of the latest Apple Watch has yet to make it
to our shores, but honestly, you probably don’t need a
smartwatch that’s capable of such a thing anyway. In all
likelihood, the standard-issue Watch Series 3 will do you just
fine - and that’s an understatement. With Apple’s new S3
chip powering it, plus the GPS and waterproofing skills of its
predecessor, this Watch does pretty much everything you’d
want it to do without asking you to sign up to a brand new
‘phone’ contract. Most importantly, it’s a truly great fitness
buddy that provides accurate workout stats however you
prefer to exercise. Add to this near-seamless integration with
your iPhone and you’ve got the best smartwatch going by far.
RUNNER-UP
FITBIT IONIC
Fitbit’s first go at a smartwatch left us
suitably impressed. The Ionic is light and
packed with fitness tracking goodness,
and while it doesn’t do the ’watch’ bit as
well as Apple, it’s the perfect choice for
the health conscious gadgeteer.
NOMINEES
● Huawei Watch 2 ● Samsung Gear S3 Classic
● Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45
STUFF GADGET AWARDS

37
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS

38

TECH TOY
OF THE YEAR
L EGO
CRE AT I V E
B O O ST
US$270 / lego.com
Usually, presenting your sprog with an educational toy at
Christmas is a surefire way to let them know Santa isn’t real. No
rosy-cheeked giant would be so cruel. And yet, the LEGO
Creative Boost Toolbox stands as an example that miracles do
happen. Reindeer can have bright red noses, and a kit of bricks
designed to teach kids coding can be a right old hoot. Given its
makers, we probably shouldn’t be taken too aback by the
Creative Toolbox’s genius - LEGO’s been making brick-based
masterpieces for decades now. Plus, anything that can
transform into a robot, a car, a guitar, a cat and a robot-maker is
fine by us. Even when it is trying to make us learn some.
RUNNER-UP
LENOVO STAR WARS
JEDI CHALLENGES
Lenovo’s AR headset and lightsabre
accessory combo went a long way to
helping feed our Star Wars addiction.
Plus, a couple rounds of Holochess to cool
down really helped too.
NOMINEES
● Anki Overdrive ● Sphero R2-D2 ● Littlebits Cloud Bit Starter Kit
STUFF GADGET AWARDS
CAR
OF THE YEAR
TE S L A
MO D E L X
from US$73,000 / tesla.com
Before they were co-opted for the middle-class school
run and their planet-bothering emissions became
troublesome, 4x4’s used to be cool. They were the cars
you could drive anywhere. Then Ahmed and Dana from
the Springs 2 got one, and their mystique was eradicated.
That is, until Tesla’s Model X came along. Aside from doing
wonders for your sense of moral superiority, this all-
electric 4x4 has the je ne sais quoi its petrol-powered
brethren have been missing for years - be that through its
gorgeous glassy build, its assorted autopilot skills or those
gurn-inducing gullwing doors.
RUNNER-UP
JAGUAR XE
A compact sports saloon by any other
name, when you stick a Jaguar badge its
elevated to the next level. The XE comes
complete with in-car Wi-Fi, dedicated
car-specific apps and a massive 10.2in
touchscreen. Vroom, vroom.
NOMINEES
● Renault Zoe ● Audi A8 ● Volkswagen Golf GTE
39
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS

HI-FI KIT
OF THE YEAR

YAM A H A
RUNNER-UP

RX-A3 0 7 0
ASTELL&KERN AK70
The iPod may be dead but its legacy
lives on in the likes of this fantastic
hi-res audio player from Astell & Kern. It
sounds leagues better than Apple’s old
music brick, stores up to 256GB of
songs and has a 3.3in LCD touchscreen.
US$2060 / mea.yamaha.com
On the high-end of Yamaha’s home cinema
offerings you can expect a big, powerful sound,
and this flagship receiver delivers that in spades.
NOMINEES
It’s equally at home powering the low-end rumble
of war drums in Mad Max: Fury Road, as it is with
more subtle wildlife documentaries such as BBC’s
Planet Earth II. That’s thanks, in part, to the
bonkers number of specs the RX-A3070 boasts -
including eight HDMI inputs, all of which can handle
not only UHD 4K and HDR content, but also
support Dolby Vision HDR and Hybrid Log formats.
Combine that with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio
chops and you have enough grunt under the hood PRO-JECT SONOS B&O BEOSOUND
to rival any megaplex. ESSENTIAL III ONE SHAPE

40

HEADPHONES
OF THE YEAR
SO N Y
WF- 1 0 0 0 X
US$245 / sony.com
Look, we saw that Apple AirPods advert too, and it was slick
enough to make us forget quite how ridiculous they look on
anyone who isn’t astoundingly handsome. Thankfully, Sony’s
wireless WF-1000X earbuds are a perfect fit for us normal-
looking folk as well. In essence, this means they plug straight
into your lugs, don’t have any weird dangly bits and actually
sound the business. A huge step up from Apple’s AirPods -
largely thanks to slick noise-cancelling tech - the
WF-1000Xs are the best of their kind that we’ve tried, and
the first such pair to deliver on their wireless promise without
making any obvious compromises.
RUNNER-UP
B&O PLAY E8
Taking the superb design aesthetics that
B&O are known for and distilling them
down to a tiny form factor is no easy feat.
The E8’s not only look and feel great, but
sound exceptional for their size.
NOMINEES
● Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear Wireless ● Sol Republic Amps Air
● MetersMusic OV-01
STUFF GADGET AWARDS
AUDIO GADGET
OF THE YEAR
UE
WONDERBOOM
US$100 / ultimateears.com
There’s a lot of audio kit out there in the wilds of tech-land,
which is why we’ve split the category in two: one focusing on
the aspirational, money-no-object stuff that you save up to
afford and this category, which is for the more sensible lovers of
sound. You probably wouldn’t expect that we’d hand the prize to
a Bluetooth speaker that’s seemingly made to resemble a
grenade, but Ultimate Ears’ Wonderboom delivers ‘shock and
awe’ in a brilliant and mercifully non-violent manner. The
Wonderboom gives you plenty of power while retaining clarity
and detail for when you’re not in an ‘80s rock anthems kind of
mood. And it’s waterproof so you use it wherever you please.
RUNNER-UP
BOSE SOUNDLINK REVOLVE+
The plus-sized Soundlink Revolve
delivers uniform, 360-degree sound with
a minimum of fuss and distortion. It’s also
built for going places thanks to a handy
handle, massive battery and weather-
proofing skills.
NOMINEES
● LG PJ9 ● Yamaha Relit LSX-170 ● B&O Play Beolit 17
41
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS
COMPACT CAMERA
OF THE YEAR
SO N Y
RX1 0 0 V
US$950 / sony.com
If you’re going to get a compact camera, then you shouldn’t
settle for anything besides the absolute best. In truth, Sony’s
fifth RX100 isn’t all that different to last year’s model, but that
just goes to show how far ahead of the competition this
consummate all-rounder is. Its combination of a Zeiss lens, wide
aperture and 1in sensor in a lightweight, pocket-sized body is
perfectly judged for even the most demanding point-and-
shoot scenarios. Now with added Fast Hybrid tech for improved
autofocus and 960fps Full HD video recording at high frame-
rates, the RX100 V bundles in a whole lot of tech to justify its
lofty price tag. Hey, we didn’t day the best came cheap.
RUNNER-UP
CANON POWERSHOT G7 X MARK II
We love the G7 X Mark II’s chunky feel,
but what nabbed it the number two spot
has to be its superb picture quality. You
can leave the thing in ‘auto’ mode and,
thanks to super sharp focusing, still be
served up superb shots, even in low-light.
NOMINEES
● Fujifilm FinePix ● Canon EOS M100 ● Lomo’Instant Automat
42
SYSTEM CAMERA
OF THE YEAR
FUJIFILM
X-T20
US$980 (body only) / fujifilm.com
Honestly, we did consider not picking a Fuji camera for this prize
- even though they’ve been hogging the No 1 spot in our Top Ten
for what feels like an age. But then we thought about things and
decided to give the X-T20 the gong anyway. Why? Dollar for
dollar you can’t get a better system camera right now, and that
seemed like a good enough reason. With the same 24.3MP
APS-C sensor and processor as the much pricier X-T2, plus a
touchscreen, you just feel Fuji has gone all out here to make a
great camera. With well laid-out controls, a huge viewfinder,
excellent autofocus, a top-class sensor and access to some
superb lenses, the X-T20’s many charms cannot be denied.
RUNNER-UP
NIKON D850
This powerful snapper combined
intuitive button placement and a
brilliant weather-sealed body with a
whopping 45.7MP sensor to nab our
second place award. And rightfully so.
NOMINEES
● Sony A6500 ● Fujifilm GFX 50S ● Panasonic GH5
STUFF GADGET AWARDS

43
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS

ACTION CAMERA /
DRONE
OF THE YEAR RUNNER-UP

GOPRO HERO6 BLACK

GoPro’s had a rocky start to 2018, but

D J I SPA R K
there’s no denying that their action cam
game is still on point. The Hero6 Black
bumped everything up to 4K thanks a
new GoPro-built processor and was all
the better for it.

US$450 / dji.com

We need to make this very clear: a drone is not a

NOMINEES
toy. That’s despite it being your very own personal
flying machine, that will magically stop if you try to
speed it into a brick wall, and that dogs love change
around the park like some kind of autonomous
tennis ball. No, drones are for serious filmic sorts
with cash to burn and no pups to entertain… unless
you’re talking about the DJI Spark, of course. Sure,
it’s masquerading as an affordable auteur’s delight
with HD recording and 50km/h top speed, but it
can also snap an aerial selfie by spotting your hand
gesture. Try doing that and not cracking a Cheshire SNAPCHAT DJI MAVIC GOPRO
Cat smile afterwards. SPECTACLES PRO KARMA

44
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS

READER’S CHOICE

READER’S
SMARTPHONE
OF THE YEAR

READER’S GAME H UAW E I M AT E

OF THE YEAR 10 PRO

CALL OF DUTY: Watch out Apple and Samsung, it looks

WORLD WAR II like Huawei pulled enough new tricks
out of the bag this year to impress
Stuff’s savvy readers. The Mate 10 Pro
is an elegant powerhouse of a
Activision’s long-awaited return to smartphone with its all-glass design,
form since it strayed its tentpole FPS AI snapper and workhorse battery, and
series towards more sci-fi tinged clearly you all agree.
affairs was always a bit of a gamble.
But clearly it lived up to the hype as
you crowned its boots-on-the-ground
action the top way to spend your
downtime of the last 12 months.

READER’S GADGET
OF THE YEAR

TESLA MODEL X

Is a car even a gadget? Well, according

to you, dear readers, it definitely is, and
we’re not going to argue. The Model X
with its gullwing doors silently zoomed
onto the streets of the UAE last year
and clearly stole your hearts just as
much as it did ours, and with good
reason - it’s brilliant.

45
 STUFF GADGET AWARDS

GADGET
OF THE YEAR

LG
SIG NAT U R E
W7
WALLPA P ER
US$14,400 / lg.com

This one was a close call. In a year filled with superb

smartphones, game-changing games consoles and an
electric car plucked straight out of the future there were any
number of worthy candidates poised to nab top honours as
our Gadget of the Year. But, of course, there can only be one
and we are pleased to triumphantly bestow that title upon
LG’s mind-blowing Signature W7 Wallpaper television. I
mean look at the thing - its gorgeous 77in OLED panel is a
mere 2.57mm thin (that’s barely thicker than an After Eight
mint!) and it uses freaking magnets to cling to your wall. If
that’s not like looking into the future then we’ll happily eat
our Magic Remote. Add to the fact that LG backed up this 4K
HDR-ready screen with a sleek cable box that doubles as a
Dolby Atmos soundbar and you’ve got a bonafide Gadget
Awards winner. Sure, its price tag puts it out of reach of us
mere mortals, but there’s not one other gadget in 2017 that
we lusted after more and for that, if nothing else, it deserves
the title of Gadget of the Year above all others.

NOMINEES
● Apple iPhone X ● DJI Spark ● LEGO Boost Creative
Toolbox ● Nintendo Switch ● Tesla Model X

46
STUFF GADGET AWARDS

47
 TEST APPS
App:roved
FOR
SPACE
ACES
● Steredenn
Although Steredenn’s chunky
pixel-art style recalls classic
side-scrolling shooters, this is
a thoroughly modern take on
blasting evil space types. Levels
are algorithmically generated, so
you get a different game every
time; but only by mastering how
weapon pick-ups affect each
type of enemy can you hope to
get seriously high scores. Said
weapons are often bonkers too.
Our favourite: a massive set of
gnashing jaws bolted to the front
of your ship. CHOMP!
Stuff says ★★★★★
US$3.99 / iOS
48
FOR
SPACED
FACES
● Face Swap
This app finds Microsoft throwing
its hat into the face-swapping
ring. Shoot a selfie and slap your
virtual mug on any figure Face
Swap can find in Bing. Not feeling
photogenic? Swap other people’s
faces instead. Microsoft says
the app includes ‘intelligent face
morph tech’ – in practice it does
smart things with skin tone,
and can be clever with faux 3D
mapping, but often lurches into
‘terrifying results’ territory. Fun,
then, but Hollywood CGI masters
have nothing to fear.
Stuff says ★★★✩✩
US$free / Android
FOR
PICTURE
FIDDLES
● Affinity Photo
Jaw-on-the-floor time as Serif
shoves its Photoshop rival onto
the iPad. This is no cut-down
app for the fat-fingered: Affinity
Photo offers full-on, pro-level,
desktop-quality photo editing,
just with an interface designed
for touch. It’s packed with features,
from subtle adjustments through
to deranged distortions, and has
a tactile feel that often beats
editing on a Mac or PC. For the
‘slap a filter on a photo’ brigade,
it’s overkill; for serious editors
armed with an iPad, it’s amazing.
Stuff says ★★★★★
US$38.99 / iPad
FOR
RICHER
RIDDLES
● Monument Valley 2
Impossible landscapes return to
mobile as you guide a mother and
daughter through puzzle-strewn
miniature Escher scenes. This
sequel is ‘rubbing rainbows
into your eyes’ gorgeous – and
inventive too. One dazzling scene
has blocky trees explode from
pots when subjected to sunlight;
another has you pick your way
through a side-on level that
resembles abstract art hanging
on a gallery wall. The challenge is
slight, and the journey’s brief, but
it’s well worth taking.
Stuff says ★★★★✩
US$4.99 / iOS

Dirty dish destroyer
■ Jet-powered
One of the killer features of the
Whirlpool is its PowerClean function.
This mode activates four jets at the
back of the dishwasher that blast
out high pressure water for
especially dirty pots and pans. It
works equally well for plates caked in
yesterday’s poached eggs, trust us.
STUFF SAYS You’ll wonder why you ever hand-washed dishes in the first place ✭✭✭✭✭
Even for those that consider a dishwasher a luxury the SupremeClean is still an attractive
Packed full of proposition. Not only will it make quick work of anything you throw at it, but it’s far more
options and energy efficient (and thorough) than doing the washing up by hand. The host of available
whisper programmes are a tinkerer’s delight and we love how whisper quiet it is. Colour us impressed...
quiet to boot so yes, we’re giving this dishwasher top marks.
TESTED WHIRLPOOL SUPREMECLEAN
Can Whirlpool’s squeaky-clean
cannon spare you from ever having
to do the washing up again?
■ Rack ‘em up
The middle rack can be raised or
lowered by 3.5cm on either side
for loading larger plates. While the
shallow cutlery tray at the top is
adjustable to allow for tall glasses.
It’s a clever design feature that
lets you fit in the maximum
number of items possible.
US$1000 / whirlpool.com
■ Washing dishes is the pits.
Thankfully, Whirlpool’s
Thankfully
SupremeClean dishwasher is here
to free you from such arduous
tasks. With an A+++ energy rating,
and a host of clever cleaning
programmes, there’s plenty to get
excited about here.
■ On the outside, the
SupremeClean errs on the side of
conventional (albeit with a slick
stainless steel finish) but it’s really
what’s inside that counts. There
are three adjustable racks that in
total can hold up to a whopping 167
items split between plates and
pans, glassware and cutlery.
■ With 10 programmes on offer
you can make easy work of even
the dirtiest loads. We ended up
using the ‘6th Sense’ mode the
most - it detects the level of grime
on your dishes and adjusts itself
accordingly. This is super eco-
friendly and was bang-on every
time we ran it. There are plenty of
other options too, such as a pre-
wash function or one for more
delicate glassware.
■ And ran it we did. We threw
everything from lipstick-stained
glassware to charred crockery at it
and the SupremeClean passed
with flying colours. A full load
normally clocked in at around two
and half to three hours - that’s
washing and drying thanks to
automatic PowerDry functionality
- and it was so whisper quiet you
barely noticed it was happening.
Tech specs
Construction Free-standing
Place settings 14
Programmes 10
Energy class A+++
Dimensions 600x600x850cm, 47kg
49
 T E S T E D PA R R O T M A M B O F P V

Capturin’ bird’s-eye
If you really want to know what the pigeons think of
us, Parrot’s Mambo first-person-view mini-drone is
a cheap way to get an avian perspective on the world
2
US$180 / parrot.com
First-person-view flying is
nothing new in the world of
drones. Enthusiasts have been
sending live feeds from their
quadcopters’ cameras to
dedicated headsets for years,
and more recently, companies
like DJI have released FPV goggle
accessories that beam crisp
‘cockpit’ images from drone to
eyeball in a split second.
Even so, Parrot has pulled off
something noteworthy with this
evolution of the Mambo: it’s made
FPV drones affordable. For $180, 4
you get everything you need for
first-person flight, bar an iOS
or Android smartphone – and
if you’re reading Stuff, let’s face 1
it, you’ve almost certainly got one
of those already.
This high-flying device isn’t
without turbulence, though.
Unreliable flight skills and a short
battery life prevent the Mambo
FPV from reaching the heights of
most major drones out there. But
what do you expect for such a
low price? For getting a bird’s-eye
view of the world on the cheap,
there’s no better alternative.

1 A bird in the hand 2 Watch the birdie 3 Free as a bird?

Parrot describes the Mambo
as a mini-drone, and it’s easy
to see why: small enough to land
on your palm and so lightweight
you’ll barely feel it on there, it’s
a plasticky, spindly thing when
compared to the likes of the
(much pricier) DJI Spark.
Bundled in you get a clip-on
video camera, twin-stick remote,
USB-chargeable battery and
pair of FPV goggles. It’s into this
headset that your smartphone
(running Parrot’s companion app)
slips for FPV viewing, with its
screen providing the live feed.
The Mambo is pitched as a nippy,
agile drone that can be accurately
piloted around enclosed spaces
thanks to its simple controls,
self-stabilisation and FPV setup.
In reality, we often found ourselves
frantically trying to rein it in from
crashing into walls and ceilings.

24 hours with the

… ith
s. it
em a b
ain in

Parrot Mambo FPV

ns y w

ift ing
m t.
h.
en gle

ct he

oo ou

bl ly
uc
rg et

dr er
it . I’m

ive

tto dl
ca eal
im o
!

lig e
pe d t

y.
ba u g

s t ed
t.

e.

r f th
pl f Go

is ve

.
bu ien

ht
rs un

SB is r
e i nk
le o
t a yo

se

oo . In
ing e
gi to

w fr
pe ro
om o

th p m
tim zo

d U up
ha ch

fe ce-

td ay

Good
fra ng

a c me

air dy
W u

ne ng

de ing

ou od
is o
i

d a vi
0. m

th

t
t’s nd

Meh
of lrea
ro lyi

Th t s

ry r t
an no
clu g
s
18 ow

ho le

ha i

in ar
’
f

ll t fo
m

s. n’
y litt

ks r is
es a
a d rre
w

h
r$ h

Evil
all s
. T re

e’ h
ut ’s

he , c

w doe
fo ieve

w ug
tic lle
db a

ith iza

in , he
am les

a t ly
ne ’s

ys ro

ng o
vi ate
ew yb
er ne

ds t
re g
ox el

ni en
t m lla

jo t

ar ha
yd og

o con
e b ’t b

nc dro

us ul

gh fe

sy un

or ’s
w t
g

to ut

m hat
th can

Ei or
ho s t

ea rt
Da e

tw e
co e

…b
Th

Th
Fo
Po
Th

It’

T
I

1min 2mins 4mins 20mins 28mins 30mins 1hr 2hrs 5hrs

50
 T E S T E D PA R R O T M A M B O F P V

Tech specs
5
Max range 100m with Flypad, 30m with smartphone
Camera 720p @ 30fps, 120º field of view
Battery 660mAh
Accessories included FPV camera, Cockpitglasses 2,
Flypad, 4x hulls, USB cable
Dimensions 180x180x41mm, 63g

Baggage allowance
3
The value of the Mambo FPV isn’t found in the drone
itself, but with what comes bundled inside the box…

■ Flypad ■ FPV Camera

This simple two-stick It’s tiny, but this clip-on
controller allows you to camera can record HD
concentrate on the meat footage. A microSD card
and potatoes of flying. It (not included) can be used
has a range of 100 metres, to store and transport
while the joystick and your recordings, although
button controls can be video quality really isn’t
customised. much cop.

■ Cockpitglasses 2 ■ FreeFlight Mini app

4 This bird has flown
You’ll only get about eight
minutes of air time with the
camera and prop guards attached,
and 10 minutes without them.
The drone can be recharged
by standard miniUSB, however,
which means it’s easier to top
up than some models.
5 Nothing to crow about
Video and photo quality is grainy,
distorted and plagued by colour
noise. In our honest opinion the
camera is best reserved as a tool
for FPV flying, and not for aerial
photography. Still, this Mambo
proves to be a lot of fun when
flown in FPV mode.
ith
With adjustable lenses Of course you’ll need your
and straps, the Mambo own phone, but Mambo’s
FPV’s headset should app is free. You can control
accommodate most your drone with the app’s
sizes of head. We had no virtual joysticks. Don’t
trouble getting a snug fit fancy putting the goggles
on our domes and a clear on? Use your phone screen
view of the screen. for standard livestreaming.
The Mambo FPV is far from perfect, but it’s
worth remembering that it only costs £160.
For an FPV drone bundle with everything you
need except a smartphone, it’s currently
unmatched. Just be aware of its limitations,
and realise that kickstarting your international

ut
nt o
hi g

a’s

,b
w
o.
as we

drone-racing career will require an investment

n. s
y

er
es

fu flaw
em
cr ff

g. m
. gl
to o

tin ca
nd ug

us

in much pricier hardware.

ff so

zy y
ra an
ilo his
w str

. o
tu er,

nt

dc m
rp T
of it
s s th

ro tio

fo or.

an as
i
st ht
es a

h
nt op
sl e

od po
ig

e
e’ d w

ap V
l
tg ol

l
co he

he FP
go is
es s
er o

y y
sa gt
ht is
th Go

d c bo
all lit
e

e a vin

re ua

ea am

STUFF SAYS ★★★✩✩

lig on
re g!

ly o q
on ha
he in

e s dr

sd M
w orn

on e
ph ke
th is

it’ he
d

FPV flight on the cheap is great,

Th
M

Vi
I li

but Parrot’s package is a little

scruffy around the edges
12hrs 15hrs 17hrs 20hrs 24hrs

51
 BETA YOURSELF
So you’ve got yourself a lovely wearable, but so far all it’s
really doing is giving you step counts and making your wrist
look pretty? Allow us to get you on the right track…
THE BASICS
■ Ditch the dull bits
You don’t have to accept the
Fitbit app as it is. Scroll down
the homescreen and hit the
Edit button to start giving it
a 60-second makeover. You
can hide just about any stat
box you don’t like.
■ Beat your buddies
Fitbit is fun on its own, but the
180bpm beating heart of it is
walk-’til-you-drop competition.
Use the Friends part of the app
to see which of your contacts
and Facebook friends already
have a Fitbit account.
■ Get in the skinny groove
Out to lose a coupla kilos? The
Fitbit app lets you set a weight
goal, and then tells you the
rough calorie deficit you’ll need
each day to get there by a
certain date. Warning: cutting
Going no-wear
The Fitbit app works best
with a Fitbit, obvs… but
some phones can get by
without, using MobileTrack.
When setting up, you’ll
need to pick the ‘No Fitbit
yet?’ option.
52
1000 calories a day is no fun
and may leave you so crabby
you’ll have no friends left.
■ Trounce the ounce
Americans like some funny old
units. You measure your rice
in ‘cups’ and your lemonade
in fluid ounces? Fitbit’s stats
start off imperial but you
can switch over to the metric
standards in the Advanced
Settings part of the app.
■ Phone your food
Logging everything you eat
in an app all year long sounds
like a food disorder in itself, but
food tracking is an important
part of Fitbit. Try it for a week,
and use the barcode scanner
feature to make this much,
much less boring.
■ See the virtual sights
If you don’t have a bunch of
friends to form a giant Fitbit
tournament, try out a ‘solo
adventure’. These are virtual
hikes that use your real-world
steps to map a journey across
New York or Yosemite, even if
you’re actually in Hartlepool.
■ Get your HR racing
If you’re lucky enough to have
a Fitbit with a heart sensor,
such as the Alta HR, the key
to getting a good reading is a
tight strap – and this matters
more when you’re moving
about quickly.
TUNING UP
■ Stay in step
Fitbits usually have a good
stab at getting walking
distances right… but things
can go badly awry when you
start running, because of
stride length. If you run on
a treadmill, you can tune your
tracker so it matches the
machine in Advanced Settings.
■ Have a Showdown
The best way to get you into
the Fitbit competitive spirit is
the Daily Showdown challenge.
It pits you against 1-9 friends
in a Hunger Games-style step
clash. Too intense? Workweek
Hustle spreads the effort over
five days.

FOR THE FOODIES
■ Buy British
Fitbit has separate food
databases for different
countries. So unless you’re
living on imported Cap’n
Crunch, you’ll want to switch
to the UK one. You’ll find this in
Advanced Settings. It even
recognises Aldi’s own-brand
Lilt rip-off. Not bad.
■ Embrace the ‘+’
If you want to get deep into the
Fitbit lifestyle, logging food and
even the water you drink, the
‘+’ button is what makes this
bearable. It’s at the bottom of
the homescreen and lets you
log new food and activities in
about two seconds.
BEYOND
FITBIT
■ Track down your tracker
You lost your Fitbit… again!?
These bands do have a habit
of finding the cracks in a sofa.
Third-party apps such as Find
My Fitbit and Finder For Fitbit
will look at Bluetooth signal
strength to help you zone in.
■ Get IFTTT
Using ‘If This Then That’, you
can make your Fitbit control
some surprising events. Want
your Philips Hue lights to turn
on when you wake up? Or
how about setting a calendar
reminder if you’ve managed
fewer than 1000 steps at 5pm?
■ Go cross-platform
If you have friends with other
brands of tracker, there’s a
way to challenge them too.
Stridekick brings together
Garmin, Fitbit, Jawbone and
Misfit fans as part of a big
step-counting battle royale.
Bring it on.
TRAINING DAYS
■ Get on the free coach
Fitbit Coach is a digital personal
trainer that costs a yearly fee.
However, dig around in the
Fitbit Coach app and you’ll find
10 workouts you can
try for nothing, including
the daily favourite 7-Minute
Workout. Score.
■ Hook up Strava
If you already use an app like
Strava or Runkeeper, you can
make them and Fitbit friends
by linking the two. This means
your Strava-tracked rides
will show up in Fitbit and your
tracker steps will end up in
Strava too. You can just use
the app you like most. Perfect.
NOW GET
THESE
FITBIT ARIA 2
This smart scale doesn’t
just weigh you – it uses
electrical impulses to
monitor your body fat
levels, one of the more
interesting stats Fitbit
can track. Oh, and it also
uploads your readings
over Wi-Fi so you can’t
cheat by claiming your
jeans weigh at least 2kg.
fitbit.com
FITBIT FLYER
You might expect Fitbit’s
earphones to track your
heart rate and steps,
but they don’t. They’re
a companion to a tracker
like the Ionic, not a
replacement for them.
However, they do
have Bluetooth and
an exercise mode that
bumps up the bass.
fitbit.com
ADIDAS
ULTRABOOST
LACELESS
These look like a
next-gen take on the
trainer. Their cushioning
is split into 3000 capsules
to spread the pressure
of your stride more
effectively, and they’re
dead comfortable.
adidas.com
53
 TESTED HONOR 7X

Livin’ Honor
prayer
Take my handset, we’ll make it I swear… but 4
can the 7X really squeeze proper mid-range
specs into a sub-US$300 smartphone?

US$270 / hihonor.com
Honor already has one of the
best-value phones you can buy
in its line-up... so why not go for
the double?
The Honor 9 might be a real
bargain if you’ve got the cash to
splash, but there are plenty
of people who haven’t – which
is where the 7X comes in. It
replaces the already impressive
6X, which was only released in
January 2017 but has already lost
ground in the ongoing arms race
of mobile specs. A year really is
a long time in smartphones.
The 7X shouldn’t show its age
for a long time to come, however,
thanks to an ultra-modern
18:9-aspect screen and a pair
of cameras on the back.
Like the 8 Pro, one of Honor’s
most expensive models, it has
an all-metal body with sculpted
corners and edges that sit
comfortably in your hand, and
that signature blue hue. Even the
antenna bands on the back look
the same. So the 7X feels pretty 3 1
premium; but given the price,
we’d best be prepared for a 1 Honor mission
compromise or two... It’s the 5.93in LCD screen that’s
the real attention-grabber – few
phones in this price bracket can
match it for size. Colours are
vibrant without going overboard,
and the extra pixels from that
18:9 aspect ratio mean an
impressive 2160x1080 resolution.

24 hours with the

l

. ou
oo

. d

bo e
ls. nt

gh o

he er
ap s y

Honor 7X
x.
ch
ck

p
hi go
ze fro

C. p

n t th
. su
…
3 d,
-s

a t let
NF u
ui

ts
r- ok

o ve
be he

r i ut
o ng
.. ld

se en
-q

st e

ni
pe lo
e. n o

to , b
n t ro
m lt

ju od
s n ki
r. er

r u rp
sli al

w p

ap -C
su all

e’ ic
ric t a

ith m
so up

oo ha
do im

Good
er p
t

es eo

ad SB
sy os

w en
s p ec

td s
en ’s s

th ow

ay een

e
go vid
las lm

ng U
hi xp

lay re

Meh
ou od
t s or

ity y n

gi ot
c
.C a

ew sb
e

ss d

ny M
rin on

isp t-s
p
at I’d

a p Pa

ar , n
ne an

Evil
ne u

th ha

un e
rp H

ch B
e d pli
lay –

m
ho kes

’s id
t

ht es

t- US
ge ets

all de
sp en

th d s

r s ti
, it ro
rig ag

fo ay
e p ta

ing o

as ro
m nd
fin g

di re

de e

M
d b im

xt D
ar 7X

vi ov

a f ic
th it
:9 sc

ea A

pp t

is ’s m
of nd

te nd
,

di pr

di gh
st th
an xt
16 ce
re he

...a

...a
Im
i
Te

Ni
W
Ni

It
T

2mins 5mins 30mins 35mins 50mins 1hr 3hrs 5hrs 6hrs

54
 TESTED HONOR 7X

Tech specs
Display 5.93in 2160x1080 LCD
Processor Kirin 659 RAM 4GB
Cameras 16MP+2MP rear, 8MP front
Storage 64GB, expandable via microSD
OS Android 7.0 with EMUI 5.1 Battery 3340mAh
Dimensions 157x75x7.6mm, 165g

Honor roll
The 7X doesn’t mix up the dual-sensor formula too
much when it comes to the rear camera…

■ Heightened sensors ■ Plain with the grain

You get one main sensor
on the back – with a
second, lower-res one
that’s there purely to
capture depth information.
The main snapper gets
boosted to 16MP, up from
2 12MP on the old 6X.
With all but the most
brightly lit subjects,
results are only average.
As soon as the light gets
low, pictures turn grainy.
There’s no optical image
stabilisation either, so
you’ll need a steady hand.

2 Honor need-to-know basis 3 Honor hiding to nothing

The 7X arrives running Android 7
with EMUI 5.1 on top, with an Oreo
update due to appear very soon.
There have been a few software
tweaks, including a one-button
split-screen mode that kicks in
automatically whenever you get
an SMS or WhatsApp message.
4 Honor level playing field
This is not a powerhouse by any
means, but the Kirin 659 CPU
is more than capable of running
Android smoothly – and 4GB
of RAM really helps when it
comes to multitasking. Usually
this is where budget phones
cut some corners.
s. o
nd l to
Important extras like the
headphone jack haven’t gone
walkabout just yet, which is
good to see, but the microUSB
charging point is a bit of a
bummer – surely USB-C
wouldn’t have pushed the
price up too dramatically?
5 Honor road to nowhere
Battery life is a little disappointing
given the mid-range CPU and
screen resolution. We found the
7X would regularly be in the red
by evening, so you might have to
cut back on power-hungry apps
on your commute home. Still, 10
hours of video playback is decent.
t. be
■ Beyond the pale ■ Sharp practice
Colours are surprisingly It only uses phase-detect
lacking in punch, even in autofocus, so it isn’t as
broad daylight. And while nippy as more expensive
there’s a new portrait phones with multiple
mode for both rear and AF types – you have to
front cameras, results wait a while for it to focus
from the selfie-cam can at night, and it’s often
look weak. quicker to focus manually.
The 7X arrives at virtually the same price
as the old 6X – not bad seeing as you’re
getting a bigger, better screen and (slightly)
improved camera. In fact there’s not much
that matches this phone for the price. We
were frustrated by some limitations, but on

slo d
e

the whole you’re getting a lot of handset for

os

D oul
ud

ha al

e. t

U. lly p
cr

ric l bu

oS sh
ur it’s

your money here.

tle

icr e
e p cia

CP a
yo l –

m rag
is re
. lit

e
ith ea
ud a

th n’t

s a to
rt p
lo is

fo g s
t w id

e’ s
or do
ly er

h
t

er rd
gh in
’
fle isn
ng ak

sf s

th oa
h

m e
ou ot
isi pe

le am

nd -b
uf t
i
m en

en e n
pr s

, a on
ob g
to m
ur gle

nt ar

STUFF SAYS ★★★★✩

pr nd

ty of
e

ce os
t s sin

sy lac

y a

en B
an ps
de ot

pl 4G
ea s p
bu he

Despite a few niggles, you can’t

Ap
Ph
It

6
T

really complain at a big-screen

phone with a small-screen price
16hrs 19hrs 21hrs 22hrs 24hrs

55
 SKINT?
CONSOLE
YOURSELF
Stuff’s guide to the
best gaming bargains
for $30 or less
 BEST CHEAP GAMES

PLATFORM

Ori and the Sonic Mania Rayman

Blind Forest Legends
Before Sonic Mania
If you go down to hit stores, it’d been Thought Mario,
these woods today so long since Sega’s Donkey Kong, Yoshi
you’re in for a big iconic blue hedgehog and co had the whole
surprise: an Xbox starred in a decent platforming genre on
exclusive that’s game that we were lock? A little ol’ fella
properly essential. beginning to think his called Rayman might
A world removed Mega Drive outings have something
from your average were nothing but a to say about that.
Super Metroid / shared fever dream Legends is so good
Castlevania tribute between ’90s kids. that it’s been ported
acts, Ori and the Mercifully, Mania to every console
Blind Forest blends came along to restore imaginable since
button-mashing our collective sanity debuting in 2013.
exploration with with a rush of retro From a rhythm-
its own innovative 2D platforming that based boss battle
mechanics and a recalled the days that’s set to the tune
gorgeous orchestral when Mario had a of Black Betty to
aesthetic that’s worthy competitor. an addictive football
as inviting as it is This dizzying delight mini-game, this 2D
punishing. No wonder is great fun on every affair crams enough
Microsoft has already console, especially ideas into its frame
pulled the trigger the portable to rival the hairy
on a sequel for later Nintendo Switch. plumber’s Odyssey.
this year.
■ PS4, Xbox, ■ PS4, Xbox,
■ Xbox, PC Switch, PC Switch, PC

57
 ADVENTURE
REMASTERED

Batman:
Return to Arkham
This pair of sterling superhero sims
promised we could “be the Batman”
– minus the millionaire inheritance,
chiselled good looks and butler. Take
all those things away and it turns out
donning Bruce Wayne’s cowl is still
one hell of a good time. Since neither
Arkham Asylum nor City was released
for the current generation of consoles,
both benefit from the added graphical
gloss. Lighting, textures and resolution
all get a bump, so you’ve no excuse to
refuse one last Joker fight.
■ PS4, Xbox
Uncharted:
The Lost Legacy
Few video game franchises
can rival Uncharted for sheer
explosive spectacle, and The
Lost Legacy is no exception.
Although it’s a spin-off
starring Chloe Frazer and
Nadine Ross, it more than
stands up in its own right.
Better still, it introduces
some welcome open-world
exploration into the usual
rollercoaster of run-and-gun
action. Maybe all we really
need to say about The Lost
Legacy is that Nathan Drake’s
absence isn’t an issue.

■ PS4

Firewatch Dishonored 2 Sunset Bloodborne

Overdrive
When life’s myriad Admit it – you’ve Brutally hard,
woes get you down always wanted to Insomniac Games’ endlessly engrossing:
there’s only one be a master assassin Xbox One debut is Bloodborne plunges
solution: head to the but lack the hand-eye a little rough around you into a cruel land
Shoshone National coordination to get the edges, but almost and challenges you
Forest to become a the job done. Enter everything else to keep your head
fire lookout on your Dishonored 2, between them above water. The
lonesome. Granted, a masterclass of is uproarious fun. more you immerse
Crash Bandicoot there are other ways ingenious stealth and Sunset Overdrive yourself in this task,
N. Sane Trilogy to handle a midlife bloody executions plays like a wild hybrid the more you’ll learn
crisis, but few offer with a compelling of Crackdown, Dead to slowly bend both
Once upon a time Sony’s most such stunning vistas story of deceit and Rising and even Tony the world and its
illustrious development team, of rural Wyoming. regicide at its heart. Hawk as you glide populace to your will.
Naughty Dog, wasn’t famous for It’s this sense of As with this series’ along wires and It’s a simple learning
its laugh-a-minute post-apocalypse isolation, combined first instalment, the vault over buildings, curve that has
romp The Last Of Us or the Uncharted with a gripping manner in which you all while firing no qualms about
series’ blockbuster globetrotting. mystery played out slay your victims is ridiculous weapons at crushing you the
Nope, its crowning achievement was over walkie-talkie, up to you, but the energy-drink-fuelled moment you think
the creation of a hyperactive marsupial that marks Firewatch scale of ambition is on zombies. The OTT you’ve got a hang
with an admirable disregard for his out as one of the best another level entirely. shenanigans make of things. But with
own health and safety. Never one to narrative-focused A clockwork mansion! Sunset Overdrive every defeat you
remain buried for long, last year saw games yet. That’s just genius. feel like nothing else come closer to
Crash Bandicoot return in a fine 4K out there. exhilarating triumph.
repackaging of his first three outings. ■ PS4, Xbox, PC ■ PS4, Xbox, PC
■ Xbox ■ PS4
■ PS4

58
 BEST CHEAP GAMES
Staff picks

PYRE

Mike Priest,
Editor

Whether it’s
Rocket League
or Ashes Cricket,
I will play any
sports game for Keep Talking Farpoint Superhot VR
hours. Rather and Nobody
than succumbing PlayStation VR’s One of the most
to idle repetition, Explodes biggest exclusive innovative shooters
Pyre marries to date first came in years on console is
a fantastical Bomb disarming bundled with Sony’s even better in VR, as
take on doesn’t seem like a Aim controller, but you physically dodge
basketball with job we’d fancy doing you can now get it bullets in slow motion
Final Fantasy alone. Mercifully, on the cheap if you’re and fight back with
role-playing the creators of Keep not all that bothered your own hail of
action. It’s such Talking and Nobody about owning another gunfire. Since time
an engrossing Explodes seem to Thumper peripheral that’ll likely only changes when
concept I can’t agree with us as it get used twice in its you move in Superhot,
believe no one demands to be played Whether it’s Rock Band or Rez, there’s lifetime. Either way, what could prove
had thought of with a group. The something about rhythm games that’s Farpoint is a flight of an explosive mess
it before. player wearing the perfect for VR. And if we had to pick a favourite alien-slaying fancy is a total breeze to
headset has to such title to bop along to in hyper-trippy where grotesque acclimatise to. Within
describe the package surroundings, Thumper would top the list. life-forms lunge a matter of minutes
in front of them Artfully blending horror-inspired imagery with towards your jugular. you’ll be tossing
and it’s up to an a industrial-tinged cavalcade of kaleidoscopic In essence, it’s Doom ninja stars and arcing
accomplice to tell rhythms, this thrilling rollercoaster of light and only everywhere you punches at your foes
them how to survive sound is exceptional with a headset strapped turn there’s another Matrix-style.
the scenario with to your face. That said, it’s not half bad on ghastly face-sucker
sternum intact. standard home consoles either. There’s even with horrible ideas ■ PSVR,
a tidy little port for the Switch. in mind. Oculus, Vive
■ PSVR, Oculus, Vive
■ PSVR, Oculus, Vive ■ PSVR

Sure, it’s fun

slicing and dicing
AI goons, but
that’s nothing
next to the joy
of impaling your
friend’s avatar… Elite Dangerous
especially when
sat beside them Things can get real lonely in
to witness their VR, so what did the creators
fury. With its of Elite Dangerous decide
frantic action to do? Bundle you into a tiny
and arrow- spaceship so you can zoom
blitzing chaos, around the endless expanse
TowerFall is by of space all by yourself for
a long way my the rest of eternity – well,
all-time favourite until you happen to bump
couch-based into a fellow traveller who
multiplayer. takes exception to your being
in their part of the galaxy.
Clarkwin Cruz, If you’re looking for a VR
Art Director game you can truly get
lost in, then nothing beats
this intergalactic epic. Just
TOWERFALL
ASCENSION
remember, we saw that solar
system first.
VIRTUAL REALITY
Staff picks ■ Vive, Oculus

59
 HORROR
Staff picks

MASS
EFFECT
ANDROMEDA
MULTIPLAYER

Omran Naseem,
Senior Sales
Manager
Overcooked Yet again the
internet got in
The kitchen is on fire, your friends a tiddy about
are flailing around in panic and you’re something it
rolling around the floor in hysterics. hasn’t played,
No, this is not the story of taco night shame as it’s
gone horribly wrong but just a taste missing out on a
of three minutes spent in the company pretty good game.
of Overcooked. A co-op game that The combat
challenges you and your besties has improved,
to cook as many meals as humanly there’s loads to
possible before your time is up, it do and plenty of
seems easy enough until you have people to ‘meet’,
to contend with getting your orders and it does sci-fi
out on a pirate ship, space station Alien Isolation landscapes
or tiny iceberg. ‘Chaos’ doesn’t even better than
cover the half of it. From Phil Collins to Jose Mourinho, there are anybody else.
plenty of strange creatures we’d rather not be
■ PS4, Xbox, Switch, PC stuck in a room with. Still, none of them quite
compare to the Alien series’ xenomorph in
the sheer blood-curdling terror stakes. So
guess how you generally spend your time
in Alien Isolation? Yep. It’s a rather horrifying
experience, but at least this space monster
didn’t butcher You Can’t Hurry Love with a
gutless cover version.

■ PS4, Xbox, PC

Prey Resident 5 Fallout 4

Evil 7 Few games
If you’re in the mood have tested my Welcome to the
for something dark, Since Chris Redfield patience like The wasteland, a vast
atmospheric and punched a boulder Last Guardian. and dangerous
surprising, Prey into a volcano in Trico may well playground for you
will do the trick. It Resi Evil 5, this series be the most to adventure through
shares a name with was in dire need of majestic cat- as you chuffing well
a largely forgotten a reboot. Thankfully, dog-bird thing please. While this
2006 shooter, but Resi 7 did away with I’ve ever seen, epic doesn’t quite
Worms W.M.D this game has its such nonsense but he’s also a scale the same
own distinctive feel. with a return to disobedient pain heights as its
After a whopping 20 sequels, you could Trapped on an ageing a claustrophobic in the backside. predecessors,
be forgiven for thinking the Worms space station, you’ll setting inside the Despite many the fourth entry
formula of two teams of heavily interact with other Baker family’s hellish fallouts and largely eliminates
armed invertebrates battling each survivors and use plantation. Add to broken pads, the bugs of old,
other to an explosive death might syringe-sourced this a first-person though, this is looks resplendent
have gone stale. At least, that is, if abilities – but the perspective and an adventure in resolutions of up
you’ve never unleashed a banana aliens can do much sluggish movement, like no other. to 4K and introduces
bomb. Dispensing with such needless the same, and you’ll and you have a game a hugely rewarding
gimmicks as 3D graphics and celebrity often be startled by that’ll keep you on Greg Synnott, new base-building
voice-overs, this is a return to classic a common object that tenterhooks as its Contributor and settlements
form with the addition of vehicles and suddenly transforms hideous mysteries mechanic.
turrets. Name another game where into a horrid beast. slowly unfurl.
you can crush your mates by dropping THE LAST ■ PS4, Xbox, PC
a concrete donkey on them. Exactly. ■ PS4, Xbox, PC ■ PS4, PSVR, GUARDIAN
Xbox, PC
■ PS4, Xbox, Switch, PC Staff picks

60
 BEST CHEAP GAMES

BEST OF
2018?

FAR CRY 5
This Ubisoft
series has a
habit of picking
dangerous
locations for you
to plunder. So
where better
than gun-mad
America?

TOP FIVE
GOD OF WAR
Kratos might be
getting old now,
but he’s still in
prime condition
for smashing up
gods and beasts
in this PS4
exclusive.

3 Cuphead 2 Doom 1 The

Witcher 3: ANTHEM
Cuphead is part boss To some people, EA’s making yet
rush, part run-and- a living hell is an Game of the another online
gun side-scrolling afternoon spent in Year Edition multiplayer?
shooter, a love letter a spin cycling class. Sounds tedious,
to both 16-bit classics To Doomguy it’s When it comes to but this new
and the hand-drawn another day at the The Witcher 3 there Bioware-helmed
animation style of office. This ace are two groups sci-fi title looks
the 1930s – every franchise reboot of people: those a total blast.
creature has wide returns to Mars and who’ve played it, and
eyes and bops along retains everything those who are allergic
to a vaudeville tune. else you loved about to anything involving
4 Stardew Valley The music, art and that ’90s PC classic. dwarves, griffins and
animation create As bloody as it is elves. If you fall into
“So much for the city,” sang The Thrills back something special, breathless, Doom that latter camp then
in 2003; and though their No.17 hit likely played but it’s the way keeps you running consider this your
no part in the inspiration for Stardew Valley, you have to learn headlong into horde umpteenth plea to VAMPYR
let’s just pretend otherwise. This farming sim patterns and adapt after horde of reconsider and delve Life is Strange
sees you move to the countryside to tend a your play style to horrifying demons into one of the most developer
plot of inherited land and romance the hell out progress that ensures while a heavy metal grandiose and chaotic Dontnod wants
of its townsfolk. The whole experience is so a fuzzy feeling every soundtrack chugs worlds ever brought us to find out
charming that it’s easy to get lost in this world time you pick up along to the carnage. to life via the medium what it’s like in
doing nothing much of anything. the controller. of pixels. the average day
■ PS4, Xbox, of a vampire in
■ PS4, Xbox, PC, Switch ■ Xbox, PC PC, Switch ■ PS4, Xbox, PC this action RPG.

61
TOP TENS SMARTPHONES
TIPS &
TRICKS
Holler “Hey Bixby!” at
your S8 and its voice
assistant can dictate
texts, suggest pubs
and much more.
You can customise
the S8’s screen-
edge feeds for the
weather, news and
other notifications.
Hold down the S8’s
‘recents’ key and tap
the multi-window
button to open two
apps at once.
2 3
Apple iPhone X
from US$1100 / apple.com
The greatest iPhone ever made... is
also the most expensive. Apple has
outdone itself here with a gorgeous
edge-to-edge OLED panel and
some pretty clever Face ID tech
that’s designed to replace the
home button. But ouch that
pricetag stings a bit.
Stuff says ★★★★★
An awesome iPhone that goes toe to toe
with the best, but costs twice as much
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW PHONES, VISIT STUFFMIDEAST.COM
62
BARGAIN
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
from US$815 / huawei.com
Huawei has really stepped up in
recent years and the Mate 10 Pro is
proof positive of that. It rocks a
gorgeous 6in OLED display free of
pesky bezels, a clever camera that
uses AI smarts to improve your
snapping, and a 4000 mAh battery
making it an endurance beast.
Stuff says ★★★★★
A monster of a phone with a massive
battery, fantastic power and great cam
1 HOT
BUY
BARGAIN
BUY
Samsung Galaxy S8
US$760 / samsung.com
You don’t need us to tell you that the Galaxy S8
is a bezel-less thing of wonder. Just look at it:
glorious! And beneath that gorgeous facade
lies an equally sumptuous blend of power and
performance. With enough oomph to run any
app you please, and a point-and-shoot camera
to rival both the iPhone 7 Plus and the Google
● Prices quoted are for handset only unless otherwise stated
Pixel, this really is an astoundingly good
comeback after Samsung’s Note 7 woes.
We’d have accepted nothing less.
Stuff says ★★★★★
The OnePlus is still a bargain, but it’s no
match for the Galaxy S8
● NOW ADD THIS DeX Station
Hook up a monitor, keyboard and
mouse to this puck-sized device
for an almost complete computer
experience via your Galaxy S8.
US$140 / samsung.com
HTC U11
4 ★★★★★ US$650 / htc.com
This glass-backed beauty aims to please with a
squeeze - and it takes a mean photo too.
Honor 9
5
BUY
★★★★★ US$490 / hihonor.com
This Honor serves up quality flagship features for
half the price of its wallet-depleting rivals.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
6 ★★★★★ US$925 / oneplus.net
It’s super-massive and super-powered... but super-
pricey compared to the Galaxy S8.
OnePlus 5
7 ★★★★★ from US$570 / oneplus.net
Not as budget-friendly as its predecessors, this is
still a strong option for those who want quality.
Huawei P10 Plus
8
★★★★★ US$760 / huawei.com
A true flagship phone that gives you plenty of power,
a great screen and one of the best cameras going
HOT
Sony Xperia XZ1
9
BUY
★★★★I US$600 / sonymobile.com
The XZ sheds its premium 4K screen but keeps the
HDR and adds some fun 3D-scanning tech.
Apple iPhone 8
10 ★★★★I from US$775 / apple.com
The new entry-level iPhone offers more than you’d
expect, but it’s still pricey and has a dated design.
TOP TENS TABLETS
1 HOT
BUY
Apple iPad Pro 10.5in
from US$680 / apple.com
The 9.7in iPad Pro was already sitting comfortably as our
favourite tablet, but that wasn’t good enough for Apple. Rather
than giving its flagship tablet a few minor tweaks, it introduced a
bigger screen and an immensely potent processor. In fact, this
device is so powerful and flashy that it’s even blurring the lines
between tabled and laptop. If you only want to browse social
media and watch Netflix, the 10.5in iPad Pro is overkill; this is for
those more interested in creation than consumption.
Stuff says ★★★★★
The iPad Pro puts all other tablets to shame - it’s
unbeatable as a multimedia machine or creative tool
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3
2 from US$600 / samsung.com
The Tab S3 is powerful and has a gorgeous
screen, while the bundled stylus is a welcome
extra that you don’t have to be an artist to
appreciate. It doesn’t do half-measures, which
is rare in an Android tablet.
Stuff says ★★★★★
The first genuine rival to Apple’s iPad Pro
Apple iPad
3 3
from US$350 / apple.com
The glare-prone screen feels like a backward
step for Apple, but on the whole it’s hard to
grumble at the new iPad’s marriage of form
factor, power and app ecosystem. You simply
won’t find a better tablet for the price.
Stuff says ★★★★✩
An affordable iPad with plenty of power
Samsung Galaxy Book 10.6in
4 4
HOT
BUY
★★★★✩ from US$720 / samsung.com
A clear improvement on Samsung’s first
attempt at a Windows tablet.
Amazon Fire 7
5 5
BARGAIN
BUY
★★★★✩ US$50 / amazon.com
Flawed, yes, but this is the best ultra-cheap
tablet you can get - and it now has Alexa.
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW TABLETS AND HEADPHONES, VISIT STUFFMIDEAST.COM
63 HEADPHONES TOP TENS
1 HOT
BUY
SoundMagic E10C
US$50 / soundmagicheadphones.com
With the SoundMagic E10Cs you get fantastic sound for
the money, a quality cable and plenty of ear tips – and unlike
the E10Ss, you don’t need to tell these buds whether you’re
plugging into an (old) iPhone or an Android phone. In truth,
there’s still nothing out there that can topple SoundMagic as
the king of cheap headphones, but the E10Cs prove that it is
still possible to improve on something good without hammering
up the price at the same time.
Stuff says ★★★★★
A phenomenally good pair of headphones for the price,
plus the remote now works with every phone
B&O Beoplay H9
2 US$570 / beoplay.com
Slip on these premium-grade cans and you
understand why they’re tops. Memory foam
cups keep your ears comfy, ANC keeps out
the outside world, and Danish audio chops
keep your tunes sounding sweet.
Stuff says ★★★★★
Seriously classy noise-cancelling headphones
BARGAIN
AKG Y50BT
BUY
US$150 / akg.com
Good wireless sound should have to cost the
earth. Thankfully AKG have figured that out
and the Y50BT’s deliver a great audio
experience for a super reasonable price. They
come in a range of funky colours too.
Stuff says ★★★★★
Top wireless cans without the wallet punch
HOT
BUY Sony WF-1000X
★★★★★ US$245 / sony.com
The best-sounding wireless in-ears we’ve
heard, with superb noise-canellation.
Bose QuietComfort 35
★★★★★ US$350 / bose.com
These wireless QCs are high on clarity and
spaciousness: perfect for a long-haul journey.
TOP TENS HI-FI
2 3
Naim Mu-so
US$1400 / naimaudio.com
How much for a wireless speaker?!
Well, yes, but what a wireless
speaker it is. Naim has ploughed all
of its hign-end hi-fi experience
into delivering a beautifully made,
great-sounding device with
AirPlay, Spotify Connect and aptX
Bluetooth all on board. Plus, it also
looks the absolute business -
allowing you to swap out its front
mesh for with more colourful ones.
Stuff says ★★★★★
A wireless speaker that can make
a valid claim to be genuine hi-fi
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW HI-FI, VISIT STUFFMIDEAST.COM
64
1 HOT NEW
BUY
Sonos multiroom
system
from US$199 / sonos.com
If you want to pretend your favourite band are
playing in your living room, there’s no better
option than a Sonos wireless speaker. They
look great, work with your smartphone and,
most importantly, boom out your tunes with
dazzling finesse – from the compact Play:1
($199) to the flagship Play:5 ($499), a speaker
redesigned from the ground up last year.
Stuff says ★★★★★
Infinite music in every room without the
need for custom installers? Sign us up!
● NOW ADD THIS Apple Music
Sick of playing you iTunes
library on repeat? Sign up to
Apple music than you could
ever possibly listen to.
from US$5.44/month / apple.com
Naim Mu-so Qb
4 ★★★★★ US$1000 / naimaudio.com
Complements its big brother’s more refined
character with a confident presentation.
Google Chromecast Audio
5 ★★★★★ US$35 / google.com/chromecast
Stream Spotify to your old hi-fi with this smart
and highly affordable dongle.
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless
6 ★★★★★ US$6999 / bowers-wilkins.com
This is the ultimate wireless speaker for the
streaming-savvy audiophile.
HOT
UE Wonderboom
7
BUY
★★★★★ US$100/ ultimateears.com
This little speaker might look cute, but it’s a
sonic grenade - one you can deploy anywhere.
Riva S
US$149 / rivasudio.com
Jam Heavy Metal
With six drivers pumping out
music with a tonal fidelity
unrivalled by similarly priced
8 ★★★★★ US$60 / jamaudio.com
Classy sound and design at a bargain price - this
is the best affordable Bluetooth speaker.
speakers, this Riva is a must-have
for sound nerds. There’s a party
Sony PS-HX500
9
mode for multi-user control and
take into consideration the ★★★★★ US$600 / sony.com
13-hour battery life and a USB Convery your vinyl to hi-res digital audio with
port on the back to charge other this great-sounding, affordable turntable.
devices, and it’s also a great travel
companion.
Yamaha MusicCast
Stuff says ★★★★★
The top small wireless speaker for
real sound-hounds
10 ★★★★★ from US$199 / ae.yamaha.com
Yamaha’s multiroom system offers a range of
options from soundbars to clock speakers.

THE BIG WHAT’S THE BEST
QUESTION PODCAST APP?
FOR
CASTING
CLEVER
POCKET CASTS
US$2.99 / iOS, Android
Annoying people have been telling
us for at least a year now that
“podcasts are back”. The only
problem is, chances are most
of your friends and family have
varying opinions on which
podcast app is the one you
should download… so we’ve
done your homework.
Pocket Casts tops our list
of recommendations. With a
user-friendly interface, offline
listening and automatic downloads
for subscribed podcasts, this
app covers all the basics adeptly.
But it’s the expansive playback
controls that make it stand out.
The app can cut silences to save
precious seconds, alter the speed
of play so you can blast through
an episode quickly, and even
SPECIAL SKILL
WRIST LISTENING
If you like to listen to podcasts
while you’re on the go, you’ll
probably be tethered to your
smartphone. With Overcast,
though, you can tune into
your favourite episodes on
an Apple Watch.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO BUY ONLY THE BEST GADGETS BY VISITING: STUFFMIDEAST.COM
65 THE BIG QUESTION TOP TENS
TOP
PODS
1 The Polygon
Show
Whether
discussing the
merits of Blizzard’s
new Overwatch
skins, rating
spin-off merch
or mourning the
death of Coke
Zero, this gamers’
podcast is always
on form. Tune in
for new episodes
every Friday.
increase the volume of voices if SPECIAL SKILL
there’s a background buzz. SWITCH PLAY
The magic skills don’t end there
either. The app can link to Google Usually, Android and Apple
Chromecast and Apple AirPlay devices get on like Donald Trump
devices so you can listen to ’casts and Kim Jong-un. With Pocket 2 Found
through a speaker, and you can Casts, however, all of your Davy
even watch video podcasts such podcasts sync across platforms Rothbart is
as TED Talks. Sure, you have to automatically, so you can start obsessed with
pay a one-off fee for the app, but listening with your Android phone solving mysteries
it’s easily worth the price. and continue with your iPad. behind notes,
letters, lists and
doodles that he
finds… so he’s set
FOR up a podcast about
APPLE it. In each episode
he documents a
ADDICTS favourite case as
he tries to track
down the person
behind the note.
OVERCAST
FOR
US$free / iOS LAZY
Are you an iPhone owner who’s LISTENS
not happy to splash out cash on
a podcast app? Then Overcast is SPOTIFY
your best option. It has all the basic
features of Pocket Casts, including US$free / Android, iOS 3 Song
offline listening and notifications Since Spotify isn’t a proper podcast Exploder
that will alert you to any new app, its playback controls are Like a director’s
episodes you’re subscribed to. rather sparse; but it makes up commentary
The Smart Speed feature will also for that with simplicity. for music,
cut out silent gaps. Spotify has its own podcast Song Exploder’s
Overcast’s greatest strength is section, which has been improved 15-minute
its management system. It’s dead over the years – it now has multiple episodes take
easy to make custom playlists or categories to filter down episodes. individual tunes,
discover new podcasts with its Nothing too special, but Spotify’s break them down
smart filters. And this is all free, biggest advantage is having all of to their constituent
although you can become a patron your music and podcasts stored parts and ask the
to support the app financially. in the same location. artists responsible
to tell the stories
behind them.
TOP TENS TVs 66

TIPS &
TRICKS
1 HOT
BUY

Don’t like the

kickstand? Use a
SONY KD-65A1
US$5450 / sony.com
standard VESA
mount to get it on
your wall instead LG has been sitting pretty on top of our TV
charts for yonks now - its decision to go OLED
There are a few proved to be a mighty successful one. But LG’s
mode worth dominence is finally over, as Sony blasts away
tinkering with; use the competition with its very first attempt at
the THX app to an OLED telly. With an outstanding picture and
tweak your settings design, packaged with a clever speaker system
that vibrates the whole screen, the A1 comes
We suggest turning out on top in almost every single category. This
off the Light Sensor, is the TV to beat in 2017.
as it can adversely
affect the contrast Stuff says ★★★★★
performance Sony’s first crack at OLED turns out to
be the greatest TV we’ve ever seen

● NOW ADD THIS Apple TV 4K

Apple’s finally jumped on the 4K
bandwagon, and while its new TV box
isn’t cheap, it does upgrade your iTunes
library to HDR which is pretty great.
from US$199 / apple.com

Samsung QA55Q7F
2 3 4 ★★★★★ US$2000 / samsung.com
The Q7C proves that QLED is more than just
marketing for old telly technology.

LG OLEDW7
5 ★★★★★ US$16,300 / lg.com
The new benchmark in TV design and picture
quality, but ridiculously pricey.

LG OLED55C6V
6 ★★★★★ US$2360 / lg.com
Packed full of tech, with jaw-dropping
performance to send you into TV reverie.

LG OLED55C7V
US$4100 / lg.com
This C7 is our pick of the current
LG range. Why? Because it offers
the exact same picture quality as
its bigger siblings - including the
outrageously priced Wallpaper TV
- but for a fraction of the price.
Sure, the E7 has significantly
better audio, but we’d recommend
you use a soundbar regardless of
your TV pick, so there’s no real
reason to snub the C7.
Stuff says ★★★★★
LG’s best-value 2017 OLED came
close to topping our list
Samsung UA55KS9500
7 ★★★★✩ US$2100 / samsung.com
Stunning performance for the money, proving
there’s plenty of life left in LCD yet.
Sony KD-55X90E
US$1500 / sony.com
Sony KD-55X93D
This Sony might lack the trendy
OLED powers found in most of
2017’s top-end tellies, but it still
8 ★★★★★ US$1630 / sony.com
Sony ticks every box for a thoroughly modern
4K HDR TV.
offers one of the best pictures
around. That’s thanks to 4K HDR
Panasonic TX-65DX900
9
skills that make big movies even
more astounding. Plus, the 20W ★★★★✩ US$3500 / panasonic.com
speakers built into the X90E add A good option if you’re looking for a large-scale
plenty of gravitas to your come 4K telly, but the HDR isn’t as great as others.
cinema experience. For the
money, you won’t find better.
Philips 55PUT6102
Stuff says ★★★★★
It’s no OLED but it still rocks enough
picture quality to be worth your time
10 ★★★★✩ US$1000 / philips.com
A decent performer that’s elevated by that
sweet, sweet Ambilight technology.

FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW TELEVISIONS, VISIT STUFFMIDEAST.COM
 Gadgets. Gear. Apps.
And all that good…

Read it, like it, share it

/StuffMidEast
TOP TENS LAPTOPS 68

TIPS &
TRICKS
Who needs a Touch
Bar? You can log into
your Mac with your
The universal
clipboard lets you
copy text on your
1 HOT
BUY

iPhone’s Touch ID
using the MacID app.
iPhone and paste it
directly to your Mac. Apple MacBook Pro
from US$1500 (13in) / apple.com

The MacBook Pro didn’t really need a big update,

but we’re not moaning that Apple decided to
give it one, especially since it comes at no extra
charge. With the new Kaby Lake processor
giving the Pro a big boost in power, this is a
monster of a laptop – even without the Touch
Bar. When you factor in the gorgeous display,
fantastic keyboard/touchpad combination and
slick design, putting the MacBook Pro at No1
was the easiest decision we’ve ever made.

Stuff says ★★★★★

Performance, portability and a sensible
price make this the king of laptops

● NOW ADD THIS

Satechi Type-C USB 3 Hub
Two ports not enough? This hub adds
loads more and sits snugly against
the MacBook Pro’s side.
US$30 / satechi.net

Asus ROG GX800

2 HOT
BUY 3 4 ★★★★★ from US$6550 / asus.com
4K-ready with an 18in screen to match. A
gaming beast with all the bells and whistles.

Apple MacBook
5 ★★★★★ from US$1400 / apple.com
Aside from an extra hour’s battery life, the current
MacBook isn’t that different to the previous one.

HP Spectre 13
6 ★★★★✩ from US$1250 / hp.com
One of the world’s thinnest laptops - but this
machine still has serious power to spare.

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

7 ★★★★✩ from US$1100 / dell.com
Our favourite Ultrabook gets a hybrid hinge...but
this isn’t as good a deal as the standard laptop.

Apple MacBook Pro 15in with Touch Bar

Dell XPS 13 (2016)
from US$800 / dell.com
The original XPS 13 was already a
great lightweight laptop, but now
Dell has given it a Windows 10
refresh. If the last one was the
thinking person’s Ultrabook, this is
that and a whole lot more. With
improved battery life and
performance, it’s hard to beat.
Stuff says ★★★★★
An excellent Windows 10 Ultrabook,
small in size and great in stature
8
Asus Zenbook UX390UA ★★★★✩ from US$2600 / apple.com
from US$1820 / asus.com A flawed masterpiece, but one that’s packed
with power and is fantastic to use.
Asus has made potential MacBook
Air buyers think twice. The
Microsoft Surface Book
9
Zenbook is a slim, light and
powerful ‘puter that, now it comes ★★★★✩ from US$1600 / microsoft.com
loaded with Windows 10, makes a Shorn of its initial bugs, the Surface Book is
strong case for a move away from a lustrous Windows hybrid with luxe appeal.
MacOS. There’s little out there
that’s better.
Lenovo Yoga Book (Android)
10
BARGAIN
BUY
Stuff says ★★★★★ ★★★★✩ US$570 / lenovo.com
MacBook-like looks and smarts, A gorgeous hybrid packed with ideas, including a
enough to make Apple nervous keyboard that doubles as a drawing pad.

FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW LAPTOPS, VISIT STUFFMIDEAST.COM

TIPS &
TRICKS
Use the gradually
increasing exercise
intensity levels
to keep pushing
yourself harder.
Improve your
swimming times
by monitoring your
stroke rate and
distance per stroke.
The Moov Now’s
motion sensors can
give you feedback
to improve your
running technique.
2 3
Fitbit Alta HR
US$215 / fitbit.com
For casual exercisers, The Alta
HR is one of the best and most
motivational health monitors
around. The heart-rate tracking
adds some genuinely insightful
meat to your stats, and it has an
almost uncanny ability to tune into
the type of exercise you’re doing.
Stuff says ★★★★✩
A fine all-rounder with excellent
autopilot tracking
69
NEW
NEW
NEW
BARGAIN
BARGAIN
Nokia Steel HR
US$180 / nokia.com
Like a watch from a James Bond
film, this analogue device looks
rather normal yet hides a hi-tech
secret… but rather than firing
missiles, it will reveal a hidden
OLED display if you give the crown
a tap, showcasing heart-rate, daily
steps or incoming calls and texts.
Stuff says ★★★★✩
‘Style over substance’ is the motto
of Nokia’s subtle fitness tracker
FOR NEWS AND REVIEWS OF THE BEST TRACKERS, VISIT STUFFMIDEAST.COM
FITNESS TRACKERS TOP TENS
1 HOT
BUY
Moov Now
US$60/ moov.cc
Slow and steady wins the race, and the Now has
gone on to prove that with a marathon-like pace
helping it finally make it to the top of this list.
We’ve long considered this tracker a bargain,
but further reductions have helped it enter the
realm of ‘downright steal’. OK, so it doesn’t have
a screen or smartphone skills, but with guided
voice coaching, a six-month battery and solid
waterproofing, it has everything you’d ever
want in your perfect fitness tracker.
Stuff says ★★★★★
A bargain-tastic fitness band that does
more than just track your steps
● NOW ADD THIS
Moov HR Sweat
This sweatband holds a heart-rate
reader and offers super-intensive
workouts to get you in shape.
US$100 / moov.cc
Garmin Vivosmart 3
4 ★★★★✩ US$140 / garmin.com
It could be more fun and less fiddly, but this is
one of the most useful fitness bands around.
Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro
5
★★★★✩ US$200 / samsung.com
Want to track your swims, analyse your sporting
stats or play Spotify? This Pro has you covered.
Garmin Vivomove HR
6
★★★★✩ US$200 / garmin.com
Another tracker disguised as a basic analogue
watch: double-tap the screen to see your stats.
Fitbit Flex 2
7
BUY
★★★★✩ US$80 / fitbit.com
Fitbit’s cheapest tracker is also one of its few
water-resistant models.
Misfit Shine 2
8
BUY
★★★★✩ US$95 / misfit.com
A waterproof fitness tracker that you can wear
24/7 without recharging.
Timex IQ+ Move
9
★★★★✩ US$150 / timex.com
One of the classiest ways to track your steps.
Just don’t expect full smartwatch features.
Fitbit Charge 2
10 ★★★★✩ US$210 / fitbit.com
A no-nonsense middle ground between
smartwatch and fitness tracker.
 GET YOUR GEEK ON!

tickets.virginmegastore.me

Mall of the Emirates •The Dubai Mall • Deira City Center • Mirdif City Center • Mercato • Marina Mall
Arabian Ranches • Sahara Mall • Yas Mall • Abu Dhabi Mall • Al Wahda Mall • Jimi Mall
 71 CONSOLES, 5-MINUTE HACKS TOP TENS

1 HOT
BUY
CREATE YOUR
OWN GIFS
Forget emoji – animated
gifs are now the best way
to add colour to your online
conversations. But rather
than using pre-made ones,
why not make your own?
● On Windows
There are a couple of
options for those with
a Windows computer.
You could use the website
Giphy for a quick and
easy option that lets
you grab short clips from
freedom by recording the
whole screen or a chosen
area. You do need to pay
to remove watermarks,
but the price is up to you.
● On macOS
Apple fans have fewer
options, but among our
faves is GIFable. Once
downloaded for £1.99
from the Mac App Store,
it’s activated by clicking
on the icon at top right.
Then it will record your

PlayStation 4 Pro
US$400 / playstation.com
YouTube videos; or for
gifs with better image
quality you can try Giffing
screen for gif use.
Oh, and by the way, it’s
pronounced ‘gif’, not ‘gif’.
Tool. This allows you more Glad to settle that one.

As a gaming platform, PlayStation 4 is the best around – which

makes the PS4 Pro the best of the best. Games optimised
for the new console look stunning on a 4K HDR TV, and are
substantially improved by the extra grunt inside this slightly
bigger machine. If you’ve already splashed out for a 4K HDR
screen and you enjoy video games at all, it’s well worth the
upgrade. The missing 4K Blu-ray drive means it isn’t a perfect
entertainment system, but streaming converts won’t care.

Stuff says ★★★★★

The system for console gamers who have a 4K TV
and want the best gaming experience possible

Nintendo Switch
2 from US$300 / playstation.com
Nintendo’s console has earned a promotion
in our list after it impressed us with a
growing list of fantastic games. Plus, no GET A NIGHT MODE
other device here offers the joy of portable
gaming. Commutes will never be the same.
Stuff says ★★★★★
THAT ISN’T ORANGE
This 2-in-1 console is the real deal Apps to filter out blue light,
like Twilight and F.lux, are
great for helping you sleep
Xbox One X
3
better. But what if you’re not
US$500 / xbox.com a fan of that orangey glow?
There’s no doubt the Xbox One X is the
most powerful console here, capable of ● The dark side
producing stunning 4K visuals.... but it simply The Chrome extension
doesn’t have the line-up of games to usurp Midnight Lizard gives
the PS4 Pro from the top spot. you more control over
Stuff says ★★★★★ your display rather than
A 4K monster held back by its game catalogue forcing you to settle for
a fixed golden hue.
Download it for free
PlayStation 4 Slim
4
on the Chrome web store,
★★★★★ US$300 / playstation.com and once it’s activated
Haven’t got a 4K TV? This is the best way to a black background will ● And on mobile…
enjoy PlayStation’s brilliant exclusives. replace the bright whites Want something similar
found on your typical on your Android or iOS
website. Not a fan of phone? There’s a colour
HOT HTC Vive
5
BUY the goth look? You can inversion option under
★★★★✩ US$600 / vive.com customise the colours ‘Accessibility’ in your
Our favourite headset gets a price drop further for backgrounds, Settings. Take note, some
making it even easier dive face-first into VR. text, links and borders. images may look odd.

FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW CONSOLES, VISIT STUFFMIDEAST.COM
TOP TENS DSLRs, COMPACT CAMERAS
1 HOT
BUY
Fujifilm X-T2
US$1599 / fujifilm.com
The X-T2 is an excellent lesson in how to upgrade an already
great gadget. The X-T1 was itself a brilliant camera, so Fuji
gave it superb video and autofocus skills to go with the
already top weatherproof build. Sure, it’s pricey, but it’s also
worth every penny. What you’re getting here is a camera
that approaches high-end DSLRs for speed and rivals
pretty much any camera for image quality, so it’s a truly
superb all-rounder.
Stuff says ★★★★★
A dream of a camera that barely strays from perfection
from start to finish – and has brilliant 4K video skills
Sony A7R II
2 US$3199 / sony.com
The A7R II combines impeccable build
quality with a class-leading full-frame
sensor, 5-axis image stabilisation, a huge
ISO range, super-fast autofocus, an excellent
viewfinder and 4K video recording.
Stuff says ★★★★★
The finest camera Sony has ever made
Canon EOS 80D
3 US$1199 / canon.com
Even a child would get great results with the
80D – it’s the photographic equivalent of
playing FIFA 17 as Barcelona, on full auto
mode, against Burnley. This takes the hard
work out of getting fantastic photos.
Stuff says ★★★★★
If you want simplicity, you won’t get much better
Fujifilm X-T10
4 4
BARGAIN
BUY
★★★★★ US$799 / fujifilm.com
The X-T10 beats most other choices at
any price. It also handles beautifully.
Canon EOS 5DS
5 ★★★★★ US$3699 / canon.com
A fantastic piece of kit that any pixel-peeping
SLR fan will get heaps of enjoyment out of.
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW CAMERAS, VISIT STUFFMIDEAST.COM
72
1 HOT
BUY
Sony DSC-RX100 IV
US$949 / sony.com
Yes, admittedly it’s rather expensive for a compact, but then
the high frame rate, fast burst mode and 4K video recording
aren’t to be sniffed at. You probably won’t be using them every
day, but they’re great options to have at your fingertips. The
RX100 IV is also a premium point-and-shoot that offers all the
flexibility and all-round performance you could ever need. If it’s
a compact camera you’re after, and your budget’s big enough,
then this is the one to go for.
Stuff says ★★★★★
A pocket rocket compact with almost no compromises:
the perfect companion for your system camera
Panasonic Lumix LX100
2 US$799 / panasonic.com
This is one of the most capable premium
compacts on the market. It can capture
4K footage, but its superb stills and HD
video performance are what make the
Panasonic stand out.
Stuff says ★★★★★
A star performer when it comes to the basics
Sony RX10 III
3 ★★★★★ US$1499 / sony.com
One of the best all-rounders we’ve ever
seen, capable of handling everything you
could ask of it with aplomb. If you’re looking
for a high-performance camera without the
hassle of interchangeable lenses, this is it.
Stuff says ★★★★★
The best bridge camera you can get
Panasonic Lumix FZ1000
★★★★★ US$899 / panasonic.com
Incredibly versatile – a fixed-lens camera
capable of shooting fantastic stills and video.
Fujifilm X70
5 ★★★★★ US$699 / fujifilm.com
A very nice little camera with a big sensor
delivering excellent image quality.
 NEXT BIG THING?
Modular TV
t’s a World Cup year and I need a TV
I to properly flaunt my opulence. Sort
us out, Stuff?
If you’re looking to really nail that
‘obnoxiously rich’ vibe, then Samsung has
you covered this summer. Its new modular
TV, named The Wall, is 146 inches from corner
to corner and can be expanded as you please
with extra panels. Samsung hasn’t mentioned
an upper size limit yet, so if you’ve got the
funds you could probably keep expanding it
until the man on the Moon can join you for
England’s inevitable embarrassment.
CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ISSUE? VISIT STUFFMIDEAST.COM
So it’s just a really big telly? I was hoping for
something more extravagant. Maybe with a
diamond-encrusted frame.
You’ll have no such luck here. This is a bezel-less
affair, so you can slot its panels together without
it resembling a glorified chessboard. This is all
achieved via the use of MicroLED tech – which,
like OLED, emits its own light, meaning deep,
dark blacks and brilliant, bright whites. While
both sound like adverts for washing powder,
the pixels in MicroLED screens are much smaller.
Samsung reckons this means they’ll last longer
and use less energy.
Now that’s more like it. When can I get hold
of this thing?
Samsung is saying later this year, but we’ll be
shocked if it isn’t available for the big kick-off
between Russia and Saudi Arabia on 14 June. At
least then you’ll be sure of some entertainment
from that game. Brace yourself, because as
of right now The Wall doesn’t have a price tag,
which can mean only one thing: it’s going to
be ludicrously expensive. Given LG’s floppy
Wallpaper OLED will set you back a lot and
that’s ‘only’ 65in, expect to fork out significantly
more for Samsung’s domestic jumbotron.