GADGETS / GAMES / GEAR

Make
fairer
calls

Fix
broken
cans

Awesome eco-tech to
help you save the planet
TRUSTY Grow

LAPTOPS
your own
way

Ace notebooks for

keyboard-bashers
Turn
TESTED! trash to
tech
Best noise-cancellers
Samsung’s Mini LED stunner
Amazon’s spinning screen Cut
ocean
& an indoor pizza oven plastic

KELSEYmedia Spec
up your
KELSEYmedia
deck
£4.99 April 2021 www.stuff.tv

Compost
that
case

April cover.indd 1 04/03/2021 17:44

 GP_ReCyko_green_Stuff_UK_20210303_output.pdf 1 3/3/2021 9:43 AM

The typical
environmentalist.
Join the recharging revolution.

Care more Being an environmentalist just became a lot easier

Replaces thousands with GP ReCyko rechargeable batteries. You’ll put a lot
of single-use batteries. less stress on the environment. And on your wallet.
Rethink. Recharge. ReCyko.
Save more
Lasts for up to
500 charges.

Do more
7x more power.*

*vs GP Super Alkaline batteries in digital cameras

Stuff_2021_04_Apr_GP Batteries_FP.indd 1 05/03/2021 11:24

 Welcome
Advertising
Head of Commercial
Neil Tillott
(01959 543719, x7003)
[email protected]
Account Manager
Nick Davis
(01959 543611, x7004)
There is absolutely no way to avoid the fact that most [email protected]

of the stuff in Stuff is made from, well, stuff. And some Production
Ad Operations Manager

of that stuff is in some way detrimental to the planet. Martin Williams

martin.williams@

What can we say? Humans are bad.

kelsey.co.uk
Ad Production Manager
Andy Welch
Steps can be taken now. We must stop throwing (01233 220245) stuff@
tandemmedia.co.uk
everything away if we’re going to keep Earth on Management
the straight and narrow, and so a circular economy with reusable, Chief Executive
Steve Wright
recyclable and renewable products seems the only plausible way Chief Operating Officer
Phil Weeden

forward – welcome to our latest eco-tech special. Managing Director

Kevin McCormick
Publisher
The idea is to give you a greater idea of where your stuff comes Liz Reid
Head of Digital
from, what your stuff is made from, how long your stuff will last, and Steve Jones
Retail Director
what to do with your stuff when you’re finished with it. We’ve even Steve Brown
Subscription
picked out the best new EVs to get you from A to B when you need Marketing Director
Gill Lambert
to pick stuff up. Subscription
Marketing Manager
A certain national newspaper has started scoring its gadget reviews Rochelle Gyer-Smith
Print Production
on the sustainability of the product; but without travelling the globe Manager
Georgina Harris
(hello, carbon footprint) to check on every single supply chain, we’re • Volume 25 issue 4
• ISSN: 1364-963
not sure how this can even be accurate. • On sale 18 Mar 2021

Still, we salute the idea, and hopefully this sparks a collective push
in the right direction, where we eventually see great white sharks in
the River Thames and actual stags on the streets of Middlesbrough,
as opposed to those dripping in Jacamo.
James Day, Editor-in-Chief / @James_A_Day
Distribution in Great Britain
Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor,
161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP
Tel: 020 3787 9001
Distribution in Northern Ireland
and the Republic Of Ireland
Newspread
Tel: +353 23 886 3850
Printing
William Gibbons & Sons Ltd

Kelsey Media 2021 © All rights reserved.

Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey
Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole
or in part is forbidden except with
permission in writing from the
publishers. Note to contributors: articles
submitted for consideration by the
editor must be the original work of the
author and not previously published.

SUBSCRIBE NOW
Where photographs are included, which
are not the property of the contributor,
permission to reproduce them must

AND GET STUFF have been obtained from the owner

of the copyright. The Editor cannot

DELIVERED!
guarantee a personal response to all
letters and emails received. The views
expressed in the magazine are not
necessarily those of the Editor or the
Discovered the joys of staying Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts
no liability for products and services
in? Turn to p26 for this month’s offered by third parties.
subscription offer and get Stuff Kelsey Media takes your personal data
to come to you. This mag is also very seriously. For more information
on our privacy policy, please visit
available in digital form – go to www.kelsey.co.uk/privacy-policy/
If at any point you have any queries
shop.kelsey.co.uk/stuff, Readly regarding Kelsey’s data policy you can
email our Data Protection Officer at
or Pocketmags, or download the [email protected]
Stuff iOS app.

www.stuff.tv facebook.com/joinstuff twitter.com/stufftv instagram.com/stuffmag

A1_Ed Letter.indd 3 05/03/2021 10:03

 CONTEntS 04.21
P29

P12
WIN!
p25

P48

HOT STUFF TESTS FEATURES MAKING STUFF UP

06 The Hot Four 29 First test Samsung Neo QLED 33 Mini meme Editor-in-Chief
Huawei Mate X2 Can the QE65QN95A make even Apps for weather wisdom James Day
Head of News
Could this be a folding phone so the hairs in Piers Morgan’s nostrils Of course there’ll be a massive Matt Tate
un-gimmicky that people might look appetising? hailstorm along soon, there Head of Stuff Digital
actually consider using it? 45 Tested Nanoleaf Essentials A19 always is; but for deeper data… Natalya Paul
Marshall Mode II Money doesn’t glow on trees 34 Upvoted Contributors
Cutting the cord at last… but not 46 Group test Noise-cancellers Germ killers Craig Grannell,
the big curly one that Hendrix Let’s find out just how overpriced For some reason people seem to Tom Wiggins,
Sam Kieldsen,
used to plug into his Marshall those new AirPods are be worrying a lot about infection Leon Poultney,
DJI FPV 57 Tested Audio Pro G10 these days Chris Haslam,
Drone plus headset equals your A nice Googlified music box 36 Cover feature Simon Lucas,
Jack Parsons,
chance to be walking in the air, 58 Tested Xiaomi Mi 11 Greener gadgets Tom Morgan,
floating in the moonlit skyyyyy A cheap flagship phone? Mi likey! Our pick of the latest guilt-free Mike Jennings,
Xbox Wireless Headset 61 Group test Laptops gadgetry – and a look at how Matthew Griffin,
Alan Wen,
Kit up to prove your next-gen Better-than-OK computers far the big tech brands are going Richard Purvis,
console nerd credentials 66 Tested Amazon Echo Show 10 to clean up their acts Ross Presly
The Mona Lisa of smart speakers 48 Next-gen electric cars Contact us
14 Vital stats Canon M50 Mark II 69 Tested Bold Smart Lock Speaking of cleaning up, here are [email protected]
It’s as easy as falling off a vlog Keep on lockin’ in the free world the finest EVs preparing to put UK subscription and back issue
16 Stream 72 Tested Sage Pizzaiolo the ‘fossil’ into ‘fossil fuels’ orderline: 01959 543747
Overseas subscription orderline:
It’s time to watch telly again All our Giuseppes are sloppy 70 Beta yourself 0044 (0)1959 543747
Toll-free USA subscription
18 Icon Hublot Premier League 75 Tested Iris Flow Viewing habits orderline: 1-888-777-0275
It’s a smartwatch for fitba fanatics Sounds like music, but… better? You probably thought you didn’t UK customer service team:
01959 543747
20 Games 76 Long-term test Lego Vidiyo need anyone’s advice on how to Customer service email address:
[email protected]
It’s a (Balan) wonderful life Manufactured pop stars (by you) watch telly, but… Customer service and
22 Wheels McLaren Artura 78 Games 98 Random access memories subscription postal address:
Stuff Customer Service Team,
It’s a hi-tech, high-speed hybrid Super Mario 3D World Nokia N90 (2005) Kelsey Publishing Ltd,
The Granary, Downs Court,
26 The Futurist + Bowser’s Fury, A phone with a camera so good Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone,
It’s all gone a bit strange out there Little Nightmares II you could use it to take pictures! Kent ME18 6AL

THE LEGENDARY STUFF TOP TENS P82

B1 Contents.indd 4 04/03/2021 17:12

Stuff_2021_04_Apr_Yamaha Music Europe GmbH (UK)_FP.indd 1 26/02/2021 11:05
 H O T S T
Fold it,
don’t drop it
The Mate X2 can be
described (and is by its maker)
as wedge-shaped, which
means it gets gradually
thinner as you move along
its edge. At its thinnest,
it’s 4.4mm.

HOT
FOUR
#1
FOLD ON,
I’M COMIN’
Huawei Mate X2
Seeing a foldable phone in the wild remains
about as commonplace as being shouted
at by a duck, but that isn’t putting off
companies making them. If anything, it
appears to be making them even more
enthusiastic about the concept. Enter
Huawei’s Mate X2, the Chinese giant’s
second-gen foldable handset.
This phone has two distinct shapes, flitting
between folded (showcasing its ‘normal’
6.45in OLED outer screen) and unfolded
(where the 8in inner screen comes to the
fore). While the screen sizes might not
seem too far apart, the aspect ratios – 21:9
for the outer, 8:7.1 for the inner – make
them wildly different prospects. Huawei
claims to have spent five years perfecting
the hinge mechanism so it folds with barely
any perceptible gap, while the rear camera
setup includes a 50MP main module, 10x
zoom and 16MP ultra-wide.
A Kirin 9000 chip means 5G is supported,
but don’t get too excited because China
gets it first – where prices start at a little
under £2k. That’s a lot of the folding stuff.
As hot as… an enraged mallard
£1980 (est) / huawei.com

C1-7 hot five.indd 6 05/03/2021 15:32

 U F F
ALL THE
BIGGEST
STORIES FROM
PLANET TECH

Folding out
for a hero
Both inner and outer
displays support up to a
buttery-smooth 90Hz refresh
rate. Samsung’s Z Fold2 has a
120Hz foldable display, but
its front panel is limited
to 60Hz.

C1-7 hot five.indd 7 05/03/2021 15:32

 Fold me
closer, tiny dancer
The 16MP ultra-wide
camera also has a macro
mode, which allows you to
focus in on close-up objects
as near as 2.5cm away
from the lens. Hello,
insect friends!

Folding
up the sky
As well as black and white,
the handset comes in ‘crystal
pink’ and ‘crystal blue’. The
latter is more of a ‘Man City
blue’, but we can see why
Huawei went with a
different name.

I won’t
fold you back
Huawei’s smart antenna
system dynamically selects
the one that will deliver the
best connection speeds
depending what position
the phone is being
held in.

C1-7 hot five.indd 8 05/03/2021 15:33

 H O T S

If we fold
on together
The ‘smart multi-window’
feature is all about increasing
productivity. It allows you to
have multiple windows open
at the same time, much like
a workhorse laptop
or tablet.

Fold me ’til the

morning comes
The battery is rated at
4500mAh – a little bigger
than the ones in the P40 Pro
and Mate 40 Pro, which is
probably just as well with
Folding all that extra screen
back the ears acreage to run.
The Mate X2’s got a bit of
work to do if it wants to topple
Apple’s iPad as the gaming
slab of choice, but you do get
‘large-amplitude’ stereo
speakers to pair with
that display.

C1-7 hot five.indd 9 05/03/2021 15:33

 I’m a
flyer starter
The excellent DJI Fly app has
been updated in line with the
FPV’s arrival, and now features
various tutorials for pilots. You
can also try a simulation in
the free DJI Virtual
Flight app.

HOT HOT
FOUR FOUR
#2 #3
BUD AND SIGHT FOR
THUNDER SOAR EYES
Marshall Mode II DJI FPV
At this point it’s becoming easier to point It’s been a few years since DJI sent an
out companies that haven’t introduced entirely new category of drone soaring
a pair of true wireless earbuds. In fact, into the wild blue heavens, but the DJI FPV
where are yours, reader? And after seems to be just that: it’s the first flyer to
impressing us with a series of Bluetooth combine the company’s aerial camera
speakers and headphones, Marshall is now knowhow with a true, race-worthy
getting in on the act too. first-person flight experience.
As its debut cord-free buds, the Mode IIs Strap on the included headset to put your
have to be good, and Marshall promises peepers in the pilot’s seat as the FPV
the custom-tuned 6mm drivers will slices through the skies at up to 87mph
deliver big bass, natural mids and crisp (0-62mph in just two seconds), powered
treble. There are lots of ticks on the by the third generation of DJI’s OcuSync
checklist, including touch controls, IPX4 low-latency transmission tech, which has
water-resistance, Bluetooth 5.1 and a range of up to 10km. As well as beaming
voice assistant support. But as is usually a live feed to your eyes, the camera also
the way with Marshall gear, the standout records stabilised 4K video at up to 60fps
feature is design. or 120fps slo-mo clips at 1080p, all on a
Looking a bit like they were forged from a six-axis gimbal to keep your footage nice
classic Marshall amp with their rubberised and stable, while an optional one-handed
finish and ‘M’ logo, they’re among the controller lets you steer the drone with
best-looking buds we’ve seen – and that only hand movements.
extends to the charging case, which If it all sounds a bit scary, remember that
affords you a total of 25 hours of listening DJI’s obstacle avoidance and emergency
time. And best of all? No noise complaints brake make this one of the safest-looking
when you crank them up loud for a good racing drones we’ve come across. And also
old-fashioned headbang. that you’re not actually flying.
As hot as… tickets to an actual gig As hot as… looking down into a volcano
£159 / marshallheadphones.com from £1249 / dji.com

10

C1-7 hot five.indd 10 05/03/2021 15:33

 Relight
my flyer
Like previous DJI drones,
the FPV has ‘Return to Home’
built in, summoning it back to
you with a press of a button,
or automatically when
transmission is
abruptly lost.

Let me stand
next to your flyer
For those who are more
spectators than pilots, there’s
Audience mode. This connects
up to eight additional goggle
sets to the pilot’s view
so you can watch as
they fly.

11

C1-7 hot five.indd 11 05/03/2021 15:33

 Call
of mutey
There’s nothing worse
than a heavy breather when
gaming, so an auto-mute
feature silences your mic
when you’re not speaking.
An LED lets you know
when you’re live.

HOT
FOUR
#4
MICROSOFT FRIGHT STIMULATOR
Xbox Wireless Headset
We’re surprised Microsoft didn’t launch its should result in perfectly audible swearing
latest gaming headset alongside the new when you get shot in the back.
Xboxes at the end of last year; but if it does Design-wise it’s unmistakably an Xbox
indeed turn out to be ‘the future of gaming’, headset, black and green with big earcups
it’ll be worth the short wait. that Microsoft says are ultra-soft and
Designed to be used with those new evenly distribute pressure over your ears.
consoles and the latest Windows PCs, as There’s more to enjoy, like simultaneous
well as mobile devices presumably running pairing with your Xbox and phone, plus a
the Game Pass app, the Xbox Wireless customisable EQ in the Xbox Accessories
Headset promises low latency, lossless app. Maxed out battery life is up to 15 hours,
audio and great sound. There’s support with a 30-minute top-up returning roughly
for various spatial sound standards, which four hours of juice.
should help you hear those oncoming As hot as… the rage of teen gamers
enemy footsteps, while dual beamforming dwindling below you on the leaderboard
microphones and voice-isolation tuning £90 / xbox.com

12

C1-7 hot five.indd 12 05/03/2021 15:33

Stuff_2021_04_Apr_Micro-Star International Co Ltd_FP.indd 1 24/02/2021 16:06
 V I T A L S T A T S

DIAMOND VLOGS
Canon EOS M50 Mark II There are just
£590 (body only) / canon.co.uk eight Canon EF-M
lenses available,
but the EF-EOS M
adapter fits EF and
EF-S types.

Whether your preferred EOS M50 Mark II is a 24.1MP APS-C streamers, while compatibility with
form of expression is
TikTok, Twitch, Instagram
mirrorless camera chasing after
the trendiest demographic of all:
Canon’s EOS Webcam Utility gives
you the means to add extra gloss to IT’LL EVEN
or YouTube, Canon’s latest
mirrorless camera is here
aspiring content creators. It’s so
eager to please that it’ll even record
your Zoom chat or Twitch stream.
RECORD
to be your creative partner. vertical videos, all the better to toss ● A vlog with two ticks VERTICAL
● I wanna be your vlog
straight into your TikTok account. The EOS M50 Mark II also comes
with a 3.5mm port for hooking up VIDEOS
Canon hasn’t always been the
most enthusiastic of camera
● Who let the vlogs out?
With eye and face-detection AF on
an external mic to record pristine
audio, as well as Bluetooth and
TO TOSS
makers when it comes to boarding board, snapping portraits or filming Wi-Fi for transferring your fresh STRAIGHT
bandwagons. The company
dragged its feet for years before
to-camera pieces should be a
breeze, while flipping the vari-angle
content to a phone or laptop right
away. If you’re thinking a lot of INTO TIKTOK
releasing a decent mirrorless touchscreen to face the front will mirrorless cameras have all the
model, losing ground to Sony ensure your fizzog is in the frame above, you’re right, but few do so
and Panasonic in the process. for those delicious 4K and 1080p at such an accessible price: at under
Thankfully, that timid approach videos (the latter at up to 60fps). £600, this is a cheap way to move
appears to have gone out of the A clean HDMI output should suit into mirrorless. Now all you need is
window, because the new Canon the most demanding YouTube live some surefire viral content…

14

C8-9 Vital stats Canon EOS M50 MKII.indd 14 04/03/2021 15:55

 Cheap chills
SKULLCANDY HESH ANC
THE VLOG
CHORUS
Spending the past year stuck at home means you might appreciate
an escape from the orchestra of child shrieks and daytime TV. So
Skullcandy’s affordable Hesh ANC headphones could be almost as
welcome as your first dose of the Covid vaccine, pairing 40mm drivers
● Sony ZV-1 with noise-killing tech for a very competitive £120. You get up to 22
Pitched at vloggers (there’s no hours of battery life with ANC on, while rapid charging gives you three
viewfinder and no built-in flash, hours of juice from a 10-minute pitstop. There’s both Bluetooth 5.0
which limits its photo potential), support and a 3.5mm jack port should you need it, and they even have
Sony’s pocketable compact a built-in Tile tracker – so you shouldn’t have to worry about losing
offers superb image quality and them when you do pluck up the courage to leave the house again.
laser-accurate face-tracking AF. £120 / skullcandy.co.uk
£699 / sony.co.uk

● Panasonic Lumix G100

At exactly the same price as the
new Canon, this vlogger-baiting
camera comes with directional
mics and a Video Selfie mode
that auto-engages when you
flip the screen frontwards.
£590 / panasonic.co.uk

● DJI Pocket 2
The perfect walk-and-vlog tool,
this tiny gimbal-mounted cam
levels itself automatically. It
supports live streaming, 8x
slo-mo and face-tracking, and
can record 4K at 60fps.
£340 / dji.com

Fool for your oven

MCINTOSH MCD85
Longing to prove to your CDs that you still love them? Shove them into
a McIntosh MCD85. Designed to work alongside the matching MC830
solid-state amplifier and C8 valve preamp, the MCD85 has a mirrored
metal finish and chunky knobs that make it look like a fancy cooker. But
we want one anyway. This SACD/CD player has a 2x read speed and
buffer memory for error correction and tracking; a twin-laser optical
pickup promises optimum playback regardless of disc type, and round
the back are optical, coaxial and USB inputs. The internal DAC makes
light work of converting hi-res audio into high-fidelity music – and if
your CDs don’t appreciate that, they don’t deserve you.
£4995 / finesounds.uk

15

C8-9 Vital stats Canon EOS M50 MKII.indd 15 04/03/2021 15:55

 16

C10-11 Stream.indd 16 04/03/2021 15:57

 S T R E A M

Not all heroes wear capes – some of them

have jet-powered mechanical wings, which is
much more practical. Anyway, new TV stuff…

Zack Snyder’s Six Minutes to Midnight DOTA: Dragon’s Blood

Justice League Judi Dench and Eddie Izzard star If you’re one of the millions of
This fabled ‘director’s cut’ of in this historical thriller, set in an gamers obsessed with the DOTA
the 2017 superhero movie has Anglo-German finishing school on franchise, this Netflix Originals
a storied past, but suffice to say the south coast of England. In 1939, anime series should help you pass
diehard fans of Batman, Superman as war looms, a new teacher finds the time between online sessions.
et al have been anticipating it for himself in charge of 20 girls who Ticking off all the essential fantasy
years. With original writer-director happen to be the daughters of Nazi tropes – dragons, princesses,
Zack Snyder in full control, it High Command. So where do the elves – it’s unlikely to surprise,
promises to be wildly different school’s loyalties lie: with England, but fans will doubtless adore the
in tone to the Hollywood flop. or the monorchid monster? way it fleshes out the lore.
Film / service tbc, 18 March Film / Sky/Now, 26 March S1 / Netflix, 25 March

The Irregulars Invincible F1 2021

Sherlock Holmes’ neighbours The Walking Dead creator Robert The 72nd World Championship
are a group of wily street kids Kirkman brings another of his kicks off on Sunday 28 March
who do a lot of the legwork when comic books to the screen with with the Bahrain GP, and Now TV
it comes to solving the famous this new animated series about subscribers will be able to watch
detective’s cases. Sounds a bit like a 17-year-old superhero coming it via the Sky Sports Pass. The man
child slavery… but when London to terms with his powers… and to watch, as usual, is Lewis. Should
is threatened by a crime wave of the fact that his dad is the most he win again this year he’ll be up to
a disturbingly occult nature, they famous masked crusader on the eight titles in total, making him the
use their resources to save the planet. The all-star voice cast most successful driver ever. Yeah,
city… and the world! Smart arses. includes a certain Mark Hamill. but what’s his parallel parking like?
S1 / Netflix, 26 March S1 / Amazon Prime Video, 26 March Sport / Sky/Now, 28 March

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier S1 / Disney+, 19 March

TH ISS ’T

Captain America’s best mates – the one who flies and the one with a metal arm – get
M N

their own spin-off series on Disney+. We don’t know a huge amount about the plot yet,
DO

other than that it involves the two erstwhile Avengers butting up against Daniel Bruhl’s
IS

Baron Zemo (last seen in the Captain America: Civil War movie) in a globetrotting
adventure. We’ll also get to see Anthony Mackie’s Falcon reckoning with his newfound
responsibility as Captain America’s replacement. No pressure, pal.

17

C10-11 Stream.indd 17 04/03/2021 15:57

 I C O N

HUBLOT
BIG BANG
E PREMIER
LEAGUE
£4300 / hublot.com
Mike Dean called – he wants his
watch back.
Tell that peacocking prat in black
he can whistle for it. Geddit?
Look, we know nobody grows
up wanting to be Michael Oliver
rather than Mo Salah; but if you’ve
come to terms with the fact that
you’re not likely to get signed by
Liverpool any time soon (even if
recent form suggests they need
all the help they can get), wearing
one of Hublot’s limited-edition
Big Bang e Premier League
smartwatches might just be
the closest you’ll ever get to
living the top-flight dream. It’s
certainly a lot cheaper than buying
a Lamborghini and painting it gold.

So how’s it different from a normal

Hublot Big Bang?
This Wear OS watch comes with
a special Match Mode that alerts
you to everything from goals and
substitutions to VAR decisions and
time added on – making it much
more practical than carrying yellow
cards around to show to people
who jump the self-checkout
queue. Powered by a Snapdragon
Wear 3100 processor, with a 1.2in
327ppi AMOLED display and 1GB
of RAM, its 300mAh battery will
only last a Super Sunday, but the
titanium case and purple strap will
make sure you’re always on brand.

With the Premier League or Prince?

We don’t remember the Purple
One ever turning out for Burnley,
do you? He wouldn’t have stood
a chance against your average
no-nonsense centre-half, not
even in those shoes. Actually,
with over 500 players in the Prem
and only 200 watches being made,
there won’t be enough of them
to go round; but considering the
average top-flight player makes
enough in a day to buy two of
these, they’re probably not quite
fancy enough for the likes of
Aguero, Aubameyang and, er,
Phil Jones anyway. IN MATCH MODE IT
ALERTS YOU TO GOALS,
SUBSTITUTIONS AND
18 VAR DECISIONS

C12-13 Icon.indd 18 04/03/2021 15:58

 The tracks of my fleers
NEWS FEED
RING VIDEO DOORBELL PRO 2
Amazon’s Ring brand immediately springs to mind when discussing
YES, PLAYSTATION VR 2 IS
smart doorbells, but the competition has got hotter recently. Might the
COMING… AT SOME POINT
If you’re one of the lucky few who’ve
new Video Doorbell Pro 2 re-assert its dominance? Coolest of its new
already got hold of a PS5, you might be
tricks is a new 3D motion-detection feature, using depth data to track
wondering what Sony’s plans are for
movement – which you can then inspect on a bird’s-eye-view map.
its VR platform. Well, PSVR 2 is officially
Unlike the widescreen view of previous models, it opts for a square
happening, with its maker promising
image to give you a fuller picture of what’s outside your door – ideal
“dramatic leaps in performance” and
for packages plonked on the doorstep. On top of that, a crisper 1536p
a single-cable connection to the PS5.
image delivers greater detail than before, while colour night vision
Don’t expect it this year, though.
provides a clearer view of those 3am cat territory battles.
£219 / ring.com
DISNEY GOES A LITTLE BIT
LESS ‘DISNEY’
Do you find Disney+ too wholesome?
Are you craving bad language, scary
stuff and sexy times? Check out Star,
a new grown-up hub added to the
streaming service. Classics like Atlanta,
The X-Files and 24 sit alongside original
content such as the animated adult
sitcom Solar Opposites.

LEGO SONIC IMMORTALISES

THE SPIKY HEDGEHOG
No one’s really made it until they have
their own Lego minifig, and Sonic is
having his day. Having amassed 10,000
votes on the Lego Ideas site, Sonic Mania
Green Hill Zone is bound for production.
Whatever the final product looks like,
Sega kids will be pleased Mario is no
longer hogging all of Lego’s attention.
Trails of brave Ulysses
GARMIN ENDURO SAMSUNG’S SPINNING SERO
PLAYS NICE WITH APPLE
With a battery lasting up to 80 hours in GPS mode, we know how When we reviewed the Sero TV, we
Garmin’s Enduro gets its name. Like a lot of other sports watches it liked its rotating display but bemoaned
measures VO2 Max, but the Enduro also takes altitude and terrain into its Samsung-only compatibility. Well,
account to give trail runners accurate readings, while the enhanced Samsung has now confirmed that
ClimbPro mode helps you to pace yourself through all the ups and portrait-orientation streaming is
downs. The 1.4in display is covered in light-harvesting Power Glass, so heading to Apple AirPlay 2 devices.
you can turn off GPS and switch to smartwatch mode to bump up the TikTok is also coming to Samsung TVs,
battery life to 65 days, or even eke out an entire year in basic watch and the Sero is surely its natural home.
mode… although that would mean missing out on heart-rate tracking,
Pulse Ox and sleep monitoring. Making it, well, just a watch.
from £700 / garmin.com

19

C12-13 Icon.indd 19 04/03/2021 15:58

 G A M E S

OUT
26 MAR

FIRST PLAY BALAN WONDERWORLD all platforms

If you’re feeling down and need these people’s hearts, you might incentivise you to revisit levels:
a colourful pick-me-up, taking just save Leo and Emma from in one we found a webbed path
a trip into the Balan Wonderworld their own worries. that was inaccessible but surely
could be your answer. Getting around the levels hinted that a spider costume
This 3D action platformer from means collecting costumes (of wasn’t far away…
Sonic the Hedgehog creators which there are over 80), each Under all this weirdness is
Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima granting our heroes new powers. the familiar DNA of the creators.
sees you play as Leo and Emma, Though some of them are Balan’s big eyes coming out of
led into a dreamlike realm by the nothing new, the costumes their top hat will surely make
mysterious clown Balan. Each do give a novel twist – notably you think of Sonic as well as the
chapter is made up of stages a sheep that puffs up to glide in jester-like figure from Nights
formed from other characters’ the air, and a wolf that spins like into Dreams, a game that also
[ Words Alan Wen ]

stories, such as a farmer afraid the cartoon Tasmanian Devil to revolved around two children
of a storm ruining his crops or smash through obstacles. facing their inner struggles. With
a diver whose love of the sea is It feels a bit simple compared two-player co-op also available,
undone by a traumatic accident. to other 3D platformers, but Balan Wonderworld looks like
As well as restoring balance to finding new costumes does quite the family adventure.

20

C14_15 games.indd 20 04/03/2021 15:59

 FIRST LOOK EVERY PIKACHU TELLS A STORY

OUT
30 APR

NEW POKEMON mainline game’s deep RPG desert, New Pokemon Snap direction and various other
SNAP battling; but in this Instagram
generation where just about
takes you on a beast-spotting
safari while investigating the
criteria, giving each one its
own ‘Photodex’ to encourage
Switch every game has a photo local ‘Illumina’ phenomenon. you to snap ’em all. Whether
The Pokemon franchise has mode, not to mention the You’ll do this from the safety there will be different filters or
had countless spin-offs over Switch’s satisfying capture of your pod – which does gyro support so you can swing
the years, but one that never button, it looks like the kind of remind us of the ones your Switch in handheld mode
gets old is Pokemon Snap, perfect candidate for a in Jurassic World, though we like a proper camera is still
released for the N64 over new instalment. don’t expect you to have the to be confirmed, but the
two decades ago. Set in the Lental region, same perilous fate. wait won’t be long as New
Yes, it’s short and rather an archipelago of islands that Your photos will be scored Pokemon Snap arrives on
simplistic compared to the range from lush jungle to vast on the Pokemon’s pose, size, the console in April.

MOST WANTED LICENSED TO THRILL?

BOND IS BACK! AND SO IS INDY! AND SO IS MANDO! (POSSIBLY…)

Untitled James Bond project Untitled Indiana Jones project Untitled open-world Star Wars project
The great superspy returns to gaming Given all their experience of dispatching The Mandalorian is already a video game
in an origin story as you earn Bond’s 00 occult-dabbling Nazis, who better than waiting to happen, and this new Star Wars
licence. It couldn’t be in better hands than Wolfenstein’s MachineGames to helm project from Ubisoft could be it. Details
those of IO Interactive, who have already a new Indiana Jones game? With parent are still thin on the ground in terms of the
taken us globetrotting in glamorous company Bethesda now officially part premise or the timeline, but it promises to
sandboxes in the Hitman trilogy. Throw of the Microsoft family, it seems Xbox be a groundbreaking open-world title from
in Q’s gadgets and we’re onto a winner. is finally going to get its own Uncharted. the team behind The Division.

INCOMING
APRIL
● OUTRIDERS
● RETURNAL
● GUILTY GEAR STRIVE
● MLB THE SHOW 21
MAY
● RESIDENT EVIL VILLAGE
● DEATHLOOP
● HOOD: OUTLAWS & LEGENDS
● MASS EFFECT: LEGENDARY EDITION

21

C14_15 games.indd 21 04/03/2021 15:59

 W H E E L S

McLaren Artura
LEARNING RUBBER
EV
SPECIAL
p48

McLaren’s new
hybrid can silently
cruise around town
on electricity alone
for roughly
18 miles.

£185,500 / cars.mclaren.com NEWS DASHBOARD

Another new McLaren? Do these 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine with an

people ever get any sleep? electric motor. The engineers had
The Woking elves have pumped to create a new McLaren Carbon
out a new model or variant every Lightweight Architecture (MCLA)
year since the MP4-12C went for this, so turned to the experts
on sale in 2011… but unlike its in the McLaren Composites
predecessors, the Artura hybrid Technology Centre (MCTC).
really is box-fresh: new platform,
new powertrain, new infotainment I’m not feeling scorched yet… PORSCHE PORN QASH BACK LO SLUNG
system, new everything. Even the Agreed, McLaren has a knack for The long-awaited It’s the SUV that Lotus has been
tyres are smart! taking extreme performance and Porsche 911 GT3 kickstarted it all, imagining what
making it sound like ‘the science has arrived… and so a new Qashqai an endurance racer
Yeah, they look nice enough… bit’ from a shampoo commercial. it comes packing is an important will look like in the
No, we’re talking about Pirelli Cyber All you need to know is that this serious power and launch for Nissan. year 2030, and the
Tyre tech: a chip embedded in the sinewy animal weighs just 1498kg, race-bred tech. Interestingly, the E-R9 is the resulting
rubber means real-time data can chucks out a combined 671bhp On the inside, that Japanese marque concept. A madcap
be fed to the car’s stability control and can hit 124mph in 8.3 seconds. means a 4.0-litre will only offer this mix of jet fighter
systems to optimise performance. flat six engine; larger and sharper and race car, it has
It’s all a bit ‘mad professor’ – but You mentioned infotainment? on the outside, model as either a surfaces that can
as this is a McLaren, you can let Oh yes, and that part’s also new. an adjustable 1.3-litre mild hybrid actively ‘morph’
the tech do the hard work and just There’s an 8in HD touchscreen rear wing, giant or an innovative at the press of
enjoy the scorching ride. for navigation and entertainment, rear diffuser and ePower model, a button or via
as well as clever cruise control and cavernous front with a 1.5-litre sensor inputs to
How scorching, exactly? all the other gubbins you’d find in vents. It’s sure to petrol engine used improve airflow.
Well, the Artura is McLaren’s first an executive saloon. There won’t be fast, focused and solely to charge It’s fully electric,
production high-performance be many sales managers driving fun. And £123,100. the batteries. obviously.
hybrid, combining a twin-turbo this thing, though.

22

C16-17 Wheels.indd 22 04/03/2021 16:00

 DROP
EVERYTHING
Wear is a light that never goes out
POC OMNE ETERNAL
Like childhood pets, the problem with batteries is they die. If only there
were some sort of natural energy source in the sky that we could
& DOWNLOAD
harness! Well, rather than strapping a solar panel to your bonce, POC’s
Omne Eternal skid-lid uses a material called Powerfoyle that works the
Carrot Weather 5
same way plants turn light into energy; but rather than growing flowers,
£free (IAP) / Android, iOS
it powers the helmet’s rear light. The good news is, it works with both Carrot Weather is both stick and, er, carrot.
artificial and natural light. The bad news is, the death part still applies, The stick is a new pricing structure – more
because POC recommends replacing the helmet after a maximum of on that later – and its sassy attitude. The
five years – at which point you should send it to live on a farm in the carrot is everything else.
countryside where it’ll be happy. You know, like Snuffles did. It provides forecasts, but will say clouds
£230 / pocsports.com “contain trace amounts of your own poop”
or that “it sucks to be you” when it’s raining.
The snark levels can be tailored, but more
importantly, so can everything else thanks
to a powerful interface editor, letting you
quickly get at useful details.
The catch is that new pricing structure.
A (very) basic version is free, but lacks the
interface designer, home-screen widgets,
maps and a bunch of other stuff. If you
want those things, it’s now a fiver a month
or £19.49 per year.

Say vélo, wave goodbye

ANGELL
Forget French people riding bikes in a beret and stripy top, because
things have come a long way since that stereotypical image was
painted – and this French e-bike is so crammed with tech it should
probably be ridden by the next Daft Punk. With a 250W motor and 36V
battery, it’ll hit 15mph and keep going for up to 56 miles before it needs
recharging; then there’s the 2.4in screen, vibrating alert handlebars and
built-in GPS. With location tracking, automatic locking and various other
security features, Angell reckons it’s pretty much theft-proof, plus
there’s an integrated SIM card for updating it with new features. You can
even ride it in a beret if you like, though a helmet might be more practical.
from £2690 / angell.bike

23

C16-17 Wheels.indd 23 04/03/2021 16:00

 have made a working prototype
of the board from Back to the
Future Part II that uses spinning
magnets to hover. The only
downside here is that it can
only levitate above a conductor
such as steel; but hey, we’re
getting closer.

A hoverboard we can get behind…

or indeed on. Next?
Many of us will have been in some
form of lockdown for coming on
18 months by the time we’re truly
liberated. In that time the world
has undeniably changed: the air
is cleaner, the views go further,
and technology has advanced.
Weakened by months of being
sofa-bound, some people could
find comfort in the latest soft
exosuits (effectively wearable
robots) to help them power up
hills like an Olympian… and then,
THE FUTURIST when they get there, gasp in
terror at the wildlife – including
the Siberian tiger, resurrected

BABY IT’S PRETTY

through the modern miracle
of de-extinction and genetic
engineering, and now beginning

COOL OUTSIDE
to come into regular contact
with people owing to notable
environmental improvements URBAN
in built-up areas. WHIMS
Yay, we’re allowed outdoors again… but Heartening news for Joe Exotic. If there’s one thing
things might not be quite as they were, Whereabouts might we meet likely to survive
says Stuff future-gazer Matthew Griffin one of these adorable cats?
We’re talking north-east China,
a pandemic-led
‘death of retail’ it’s
where it’s proper brass monkeys Swedish flatpack
Ah yes, the great You mean those two-inch-long for most of the year. So if you furniture – so who
outdoors, which super rats? do decide to go tiger-spotting better to explore
we’ve been largely Let’s hope not… but our cities I suggest you pack one of the the future of urban
experiencing from could feel different this summer. latest aerogel-lined survival living than Ikea
the great indoors for For a start, with laws set to be suits, which will gear you up and its research
the best part of a year. relaxed on the kind of electric to withstand temperatures lab, Space10.
Whether it’s watching the scooters and skateboards being as low as 1° Kelvin (that’s about Their new book,
Countryfile team visit deepest offered by the likes of Xiaomi and -272°C), plus any incoming liquid The Ideal City:
Buckinghamshire, gasping at Segway-Ninebot, you might find nitrogen storms, while you remain Exploring Urban
wildlife documentaries narrated those empty pop-up cycle lanes nice and toasty. And should you Futures, seeks
by Sir David Attenborough (or suddenly populated by loads of run into trouble 100 miles into out projects across
Snoop Dogg for that matter) or mini leccy vehicles. Then we’ve your marathon trek by getting the world that are
taking a VR tour of the Okavango got hoverboards to consider. stranded halfway up an ice wall, striving to create a
Delta, nothing can quite beat the Lexus made one, you know – for that guy from Gravity Industries sustainable utopia.
magical experience of watching a marketing stunt – but it actually wearing a jet-propelled Iron Man Naturally it’s
the sun set over the African worked… even though it needed suit might just come to rescue all sickeningly
[ Read more from Matthew at 311institute.com ]

plains, the Swiss Alps and Milton to be cooled to -197°C with liquid you… at which point you’ll positive, but it does
Keynes on a giant 8K telly while nitrogen while levitating, which probably figure it’s time to cover cool topics
munching on a drone-delivered is not exactly practical. Well, now go back to your sofa and that such as urban
pizza and necking a genetically a group of engineers from the VR Okavango Delta experience. farms, closed-loop
engineered beer. University of Waterloo in Canada Ah, the great indoors… energy systems
One day, though – and quite and self-sufficient
soon if BJ, Chris Whitty and co prisons. It’s out
are to be believed – all this will be now on hardback,
over, and we’ll be venturing back THE LATEST SOFT EXOSUITS, EFFECTIVELY RRP £30.
out into the big bad world to fend
off all the wildlife that’s now taken
WEARABLE ROBOTS, COULD HELP YOU
over our towns and cities. POWER UP HILLS LIKE AN OLYMPIAN
24

C18 Futurist.indd 24 04/03/2021 16:01

 TOTAL
PRIZE
VALUE
£1848

STANDS
INCLUDED!
RRP £349

WIN A PAIR OF Q ACOUSTICS

Q ACTIVE 200 SPEAKERS!
There used to be a massive gulf in class between
Bluetooth speakers and proper hi-fi kit – the kind HOW TO ENTER
requiring an amp the size of a picnic hamper and Fancy owning a set of speakers with stands
enough cabling to run Glastonbury. Fortunately, straight out of The War of the Worlds? Go
technology has had its way and high-resolution to stuff.tv/win and answer this question:
wireless systems like the Q Active 200 now sound
spiffing with all the electronics self-contained. WHO PRODUCED THE
The distinctive styling is there for a reason too:
they’re packing ‘dynamic widescreen sound’ so
FAMOUS MUSICAL
your tunes will sound mustard wherever you are VERSION OF THE WAR HURRY!
in the room. Connectivity includes Apple AirPlay 2, OF THE WORLDS? COMPETITION
Google Chromecast, HDMI ARC for your tellybox, A… Jeff Wayne CLOSES
the ability to hook up a turntable, and support for B… Bruce Wayne 22 APRIL
2021
the major streaming services. C… Wayne Rooney
They’re good, these speakers – we gave them
five stars – but we also said it would be a crime not Terms & conditions: 1 Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.
2 Entries close 11.59pm, 22 April 2021. 3 Prizes are as stated.
to put them on those striking Tensegrity stands. 4 Prizes are non-transferable. 5 Only one entry per person.
So we’re giving away the full package, worth over Full Ts & Cs: kelsey.co.uk/competition-terms-conditions/
Promoter: Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court,
£1800, with a choice of black or white finishes. See Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent ME18 6AL.
qacoustics.co.uk for more info.

25

comp.indd 25 04/03/2021 16:03

 SPECIAL SUBSCRIP TION OFFER

Pay just £9.99 by quarterly Direct Debit

Save 38% off the cover price
Have each issue delivered directly to your door
Never miss an issue of the world’s greatest gadget mag

SUB S C RIB E T OD AY !
ONL INE shop.kelsey.co.uk/STU421
C A L L U S 01959 543747
Please quote STU421
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm (calls charged at your standard network rate)
Offer ends 30 April 2021

JUST WANT DIGITAL?

Pay just £9.50 on quarterly Direct
Debit – simply select the ‘digital only’
option at checkout.

Terms and conditions: Offer available for UK Direct Debit customers only. You will pay £9.99 on quarterly Direct Debit for our print package, £14.99 for both print and digital access, or £9.50 for digital only.
For overseas rates please visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/stuff. Offer closes 30 April 2021. Full UK subscription rate for 13 issues is £64.87, USA & EU £78, ROW £85.
Here at Kelsey Publishing we take your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information to administer your account and to provide the products and services you have requested from us.
We will only contact you about our special offers via the preferences you have indicated, and you can update these at any time by emailing us at [email protected] or by calling us on 01959 543747.

SUBSapr.indd 26 05/03/2021 10:03

 SUBSCRIBE TO STUFF
FOR JUST £9.99!
OR UPGRADE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND GET DIGITAL
ACCESS AS WELL AS PRINT FOR JUST £5 MORE!

Save
38%

lu s enjoy
P
FREE
delivery

SUBSapr.indd 27 05/03/2021 10:03

 M asters
of reativity
C
Try the range of FUJIFILM X Series cameras and lenses
with free 48-hour kit loans to unleash your creativity

"X-S10 makes a “If you own an APS-C DSLR and want to "The X-S10 is an easy
lot of sense for switch to a smaller, lighter mirrorless system, camera to recommend for
a lot of people" quite simply this is the camera for you.” photographers of all kinds"
-Photography Blog -Amateur Photographer -DP Review

FUJIFILM-LOAN.COM

00_MSTRS_CREATIVITY_X-S10_STUFF 210x284.indd
Stuff_2021_03_March_Fujifilm UK Ltd_FP.indd 1 1 01/02/2021
02/02/2021 11:33
09:37
 FIRST TEST SAMSUNG QE65QN95A

Q win again Samsung’s quantum-dot TV tech has impressed us more every year,
and now it’s thrown Mini LED – aka Neo QLED – into the backlit mix

£2999 / stuff.tv/QN95A

N
ot every television first of Samsung’s ‘Neo QLED’ replaced by many thousands conventional one, and nearly 800
technology lives TVs, which is how it’s decided of much smaller ones. The discrete dimming zones.
up to the hype. to describe its implementation theoretical advantages to more There’s also an extra slice of
Remember curved of Mini LED tech, is here… and and smaller LEDs in more and engineering that dispenses with
screens? Or 3D TV? No, us it’s a belter. It’s also expensive, smaller dimming zones is a the bulky lens that regular LEDs
neither, and if you happen to but has the specs, looks and greater control of backlighting require: a vanishingly brief layer
[ Words Simon Lucas ]

have a curved 3D TV we can performance to make the £3k and deeper blacks than LCD over each Mini LED guides its
only sympathise. price feel almost fair. panels have been capable light through the quantum-dot
Mini LED, on the other hand, The principle is the same as of before. The QE65QN95A pixels. Basically, Mini LED brings
might just be deserving of the any Mini LED display: hundreds has thousands of Mini LEDs, LCD performance closer than
‘new!’ and ‘improved!’ tags. The of regular-sized LEDs are each a 40th of the size of a ever to OLED.

29

D1_3 First test Samsung.indd 29 05/03/2021 15:37

 FIRST TEST SAMSUNG QE65QN95A

1 How deep is yours, love?

The QE65QN95A is a consistent
26mm deep all over – none of
your OLED-style ‘incredibly slim
marred by a muffin-top bulge’
stuff here. With the teeny bezel
and cable-tidying One Connect
box, this is a TV for wall-mounting
if ever there was one.

2 Fight fever 3 You should be glancing

As a 4K Neo QLED TV with a There’s still no Dolby Vision HDR,
variable-refresh-rate 120Hz but HDR10+ compensates for
panel, it’s primed for gaming. that. Picture quality is run by the
All four HDMI inputs have Auto latest Neo Quantum Processor
Low Latency Mode and are 4K and ‘Ultra Precision Light
new-console-ready 2.1 40Gbps Driving’ to exploit the dimming
types, with HGiG tone-mapping zones. Samsung’s latest AI
and FreeSync Premium Pro. upscaling is also included.

4 Stayin’ aligned 5 More than a hummin’

For our verdict on picture quality Samsung has done well to fit any
verdict see the panel opposite, audio system in such a thin set,
but audio-wise it’s a 70W system and up to a point it’s successful.
with mid/bass drivers along the There’s appreciable width, a hint
bottom and tweeters up the sides. of height and a mild-but-definite
It uses AI-aided motion-tracking suggestion of the sound tracking
to analyse on-screen action and the action. But pictures like this 2
give the sound some movement. deserve a separate system.

24 hours with
e
u
ce d

s. ns
o

yo
rfa ue

the Samsung
. te

’t. p
et
.

cle se
nt .
I’m

ed
ou es

sn ar
.
te in

py o

as
re a

. ur
.

ira non
co rem

ni h
rs
-m go

in nt
ffe s
–

io s s
rs s

g
su ain

QE65QN95A
er co

. on
he d is
in

all it

ot er i

k m ge
to ed
D m
it. s th

w nd

us ely

f it as l
as ar

or ta
OC x re

se r

f m ay
be ta

el we
o

ed is
ap g i

t w in
h o r,

n i iPl
n- b
ld al s

as y w
fo bo

uc le

n’ 4 v
ne po
sn in

to he

Good
m ca

ve ia
ht th

ou st

yo r-
ar ct

ca V
-b er
ut s t

,e tv
o ps
r
sh e
ig is

ip IT
a
st e

en s v

Meh
s
it ed

er ol

ed n
y nn
m , th

to t u
e b ro

ch n to
ail te
ev s s
Tiz ha
p

tid Co

th ac

sk ep
d I ve

n
e – fty

Evil
ct thi

et co

he w
its ng

ta d
rie bo

se 2.1
e- e

d t do
n’ n a
bl On
am he

dd D
ith su

pe ng
or a

ea I

an ull H
pl M

an ep
do s a
w ord

w m
Sh a

Ex vi
ca he

HD
On

Lo

St
Sa

It’
T
L

1min 8mins 13mins 24mins 47mins 1hr 2hrs 4hrs 7hrs

30

D1_3 First test Samsung.indd 30 05/03/2021 15:37

 FIRST TEST SAMSUNG QE65QN95A

Tech specs
Screen 65in 3840x2160
120Hz Mini LED OS Tizen 6.0
Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
AirPlay 2, 4x HDMI 2.1
HDR formats HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Dimensions 1450x830x25.9mm, 26kg

I’ve gotta get immersive to view

We gorged on modern films, classic films, live sport and
gaming until the lights went out on massive tuned sets

n Blade stunner n Shining right

Blade Runner 2049 on An HDR10+ 4K Blu-ray of
Amazon Prime Video is The Shining fares equally
wholly impressive. The well. There’s a little more
opening titles let you picture noise evident
know Mini LED means in this vintage content,
business: blacks are deep but in every other
and text is bright, with no respect the news is
hint of backlight bleed. unambiguously good.

n Sports and prayers n Demon’s scrolls

Live football on BT Sport As a gaming monitor
prompts the Samsung to it’s everything you could
set itself to ‘searing’: white realistically hope for, with
tones are piercing and extremely rapid response
colours wildly overdriven. times, a good grip of
A dive into the menus and motion and an excellent
order is restored, with ace colour palette. Lighting
detail and secure motion. effects look superb.

This is Samsung’s single most

4 expensive 4K TV for 2021 (unless
you buy a bigger version), but
the pictures justify the outlay.
The Korean giant’s implementation
of Mini LED is, on this evidence, something
,

g. es
. re

ua me
ed g

y.
cin n
ht tu

fin in

to be reckoned with. It’s difficult to imagine

in to

lit
e q co
.
ig ic

de orn
nv kin
hl p

ur ’t
ig ic

.
nd m

ict esn

at
fix ies

how any of the other sets that are incoming

co ; s
l h . Ep

p a the

th
ly h

on er
ep o
g
ea nt

th it d

so -s
i
ea -h

this year could be better. @OnlySimonLucas

ee in
a r te

ld s Q
e d od
e r ky

ing ut
es on

ch , b
ar go

ou g’
s
on R c

sa e

n
at ad
re ar

es as

s w su
kt D

m tb
r
ac H

tu els

ar m
ag t s

to n’
bl , 4K

db Sa
. Im ju

STUFF SAYS HHHHH

ex v

s
e

se d i
ht ks

un of
d t il l
ith st

clo un
an ta

lig loo
w t la

so e

This Mini LED TV is a fearsomely

On
De

So
A

It

accomplished set and – for

now at least – the one to beat
9hrs 10hrs 19hrs 22hrs 24hrs

31

D1_3 First test Samsung.indd 31 05/03/2021 15:37

 OLED+ 935

Breathtaking picture.
Cinematic sound.
Give your movies the TV they deserve. This stunning Philips OLED+
TV boasts up-firing Bowers & Wilkins speakers, and the latest P5
picture processing with AI. You get a lifelike picture and thrilling sound
with crystal-clear dialogue.

philips.com/oled+

Stuff_2021_01_January_TP Vision Europe BV_FP.indd 1 08/12/2020 11:36

 APPS

Mini meme

COMING
● Weather on the Way
Knowing it’s raining outside your
IN THE AIR ● Air Matters
Although Air Matters offers

TONIGHT?
flat isn’t much use when you’re a basic overview of conditions
going on a road trip – hence this for any location, it’s more
app, which combines forecasts concerned with whether you
and route maps. You can peruse should be outside in the first
temperatures and weather place. Using a network of air
symbols that sit atop a map monitors it provides data about
showing the line of your journey, Not your standard weather forecasters, local air quality, colour-coding
or use a timeline view that these six apps offer detailed, tailored everything to help you stay safe.
states how far you’ll get before As warmer weather approaches,
having to close the sunroof. Go
data on just how merciless nature is the app helps you track allergens
‘Pro’ to set departure times and planning to be from one day to the next as well, so you won’t sneeze
choose alternative routes. yourself into oblivion.
£free or £2.99/m / iOS £free / Android, iOS

● Good to Stargaze ● Weather Assistant ● SolarWatch ● Tides Near Me

Astronomy apps might provide In isolation, weather forecasts For some people (photographers, This final app offers a different
guidance on whether you’ll spot are just data. But when aligned sporty types, vampires) it’s more kind of forecast, focusing on
exciting things in the night sky with activities, they help you important to track daylight than what the water in the sea is
or gloomily spend your time plan – which this app enables rainfall, temperatures or wind doing rather than the water
peering at clouds, but Good to with panels for pursuits like speeds. Although SolarWatch falling onto your head. Open
Stargaze takes things further. Its outdoor sports. Bar charts then details upcoming conditions, the map, select a location
various tabs provide at-a-glance sit alongside traditional views, its interface is dominated by and you get a no-nonsense
views of important stats and so you can decide whether a dial for tracking sunrises and overview of tides and currents.
how they’re likely to change as to venture forth or stay in and sunsets. Go pro and you gain Ideal if you’re into surfing or
the night progresses. You can watch TV… which is also one of access to all-important ‘golden boating – or enjoy discovering
also make the app your own by the panels. (Although how bad hour’ details for securing top what’s lurking on a secluded
adjusting threshold settings for would the weather be for that snaps – and can follow the solar beach but don’t fancy ending
sky cover and wind. activity to become sub-optimal?) path across the sky in AR. the day in a lifeboat.
from £free / Android, iOS from £free / Android, iOS £free or £5.99/yr / iOS £free / Android, iOS

33

F1 Mini meme.indd 33 04/03/2021 16:13

 UPVOTED
MUST-HAVE MASKS

The portable purifier The colourful cover The facial Fitbit

LG PuriCare Casetify Reusable Cloth Mask AirPop Active+ Halo
LG’s mask might make you look like Bane With a sculpted design and a range of Every breath you take, every move you
the Batman villain, but you’ll sound less colours, these masks are as good-looking make, this sensor-laden smart mask will
bunged-up given it’s designed to help you as Casetify’s usual phone cases. They’re be watching you. And unlike Sting, it has
breathe easily. With HEPA filters blocking fitted with air-purifying PM2.5 filters, a good reason to, as its companion app
even the finest particles, built-in fans then and for every purchase you make the tracks your breathing habits and notifies
push clean air in and reduce resistance manufacturer donates a medical-grade you when the mask’s machine-washable
when you’re exhaling. mask to health workers. filter needs changing.
£110 / lg.com £12 / casetify.com £150 / airpophealth.com
BLUE-LIGHT BLITZERS

GERM
The gadget gargler KILLERS The keyboard curer
UVC Phone Sanitiser Box Targus UVC LED Disinfection Light
Hygiene has gone hi-tech:
Forget about your not-so-magic sponge: Keyboards are foul – especially now that
this clever little case offers a chemical-free
Jack Parsons finds the best we work, play and even socialise using our
way of cleaning, thanks to a built-in masks, light-blasters and own computers. This lamp won’t get rid of
UVC light that bathes anything you put gloves for fending breadcrumbs wedged between keys, but
in it – from your keys to your phone – in off infections it will sterilise them with a UVC blitz once
a germicidal glare. You could also use it to every hour. As a safety precaution, it’ll pause
scoop up dog poo (but please don’t). if it detects that you’re still typing.
£50 / oliverbonas.com $299 / targus.com
GRIPPING GLOVES

The metallic marvels The compostable cuddlers The hygienic handshakes

Copper Compression Gloves PlantVibes Organic Disposable Gloves Casall ViralOff
Yes, copper can ward off disease. Plenty of What PlantVibes lack in style, they make up While gloves put a barrier between you and
research shows the metal’s ions can create for in sustainability. Most disposable gloves possible infection, the absorbent material
holes in bacterial cells and disrupt viral take decades to break down, but these can also more easily pass germs to other
coating, destroying the DNA and RNA inside. green gauntlets are made from corn starch surfaces – the sartorial equivalent of a
Plus the moisture-wicking design of these so they can go in your food waste bin. And super-spreader event. But these training
copper-infused mitts helps keep your hands they come in packs of 100 – saving your gloves come with ViralOff, a chemical
cool and dry all year round. Handy. bank balance and the planet. coating that claims to kill 99% of viruses.
£23 / copperclothing.com €8 for 100 / plantvibes.com £40 / casall.com

1 Know your nose 2 Filter your filters

Masks should always cover your nose and Be careful when buying a mask with a valve,
HOW TO mouth and fit snugly, without leaving any
gaps. Added fabric layers – and filter inserts
as cheaper models often only filter air coming
in and not what you blow out – which goes
DECIDE especially – offer extra protection. against the whole not-spreading-bugs point.

34

G1_2 Upvoted.indd 34 04/03/2021 16:16

 UPVOTED

The spotless spotlight

LIFX Clean
This smart bulb doesn’t just
change colour; it can also blast
your room with HEV (high energy
visible) light, neutralising 90% of
E.Coli and other microscopic
nasties, so you can disinfect every
surface and object in the room
without having to rush around
spraying things like you’re being
attacked by microscopic zombies.
Currently only available in the US,
it’s awaiting approval over here.
$70 / lifx.com

3 Splat your flats 4 Love your gloves

Think about what you’re going to use your UVC If you’re thinking of buying disposal gloves but
sanitizer on. They work best with flat surfaces the PlantVibes don’t appeal, the best options
like phones and kitchen worktops. Germs will are made from latex or rubber. They should be
continue to lurk anywhere that has crannies. thick and stretchy so they won’t rip easily.

35

G1_2 Upvoted.indd 35 04/03/2021 16:16

 ECO TECH

GREEN
AGE RIOT
Back in the ’90s, a kids’ TV show called Bitsa showed us we
could create cool things from household waste and Sellotape.
And now? Maybe the world of tech is finally ready to give us
eco-friendly gadgets that aren’t just worthy, but worth having…

HP Elite Dragonfly G2
HP has been ahead of the curve with the keyboard. HP uses ocean-bound between HP’s Spectre and EliteBook
recycled materials: the computer plastic – which, for clarity, isn’t plastic ranges. The chassis is actually made
giant used waste plastic picked by pulled from the sea, but irresponsibly from magnesium, so it’s lighter than
the people of Haiti in its ink cartridges discarded waste that was heading 1kg; and aside from the 30%-faster
as early as 2016. But it’s the undeniably there. It’s committed to using 30% CPU, an Iris Xe GPU gives the graphics
handsome Dragonfly series of hybrids recycled materials in all its personal an 80% boost.
and laptops that are now stealing the and printing products by 2025, Also new for 2021 is a ‘Max’ edition
sustainable show. leading it to be named America’s aimed at remote workers (hello,
Sure, it’s latest-generation 13.3in most responsible company of 2021 everyone?) with a 5MP webcam,
Dragonfly G2 gets new 11th-gen Intel by Newsweek – followed, interestingly, extra mics, HP Elite Earbuds included
chips and 5G; but more importantly by four other computer firms. and a privacy screen as standard
than that, it’s made from 80% recycled The Elite Dragonfly G2 is a premium to hide OnlyFans from your mum.
materials, including the speakers and do-it-all convertible laptop sitting from £1699 (est) / hp.com

36

E1-8 Eco.indd 36 05/03/2021 11:33

 ECO TECH

Gangnam stylus
The Elite Dragonfly G2
can be specced with a 4K
touchscreen display and
HP’s rechargeable Active
Pen G3 for fancy creative
scribbling during
meetings.

I want your specs

As well as Wi-Fi 6 and
better battery life than
before, the G2 has the
option of an SSD up to
2TB and up to 32GB of
RAM, making it a bit
of a monster.

37

E1-8 Eco.indd 37 05/03/2021 11:33

 ECO TECH

Zone machine
Sony’s Cognitive
Processor XR uses AI
to detect and analyse
colour, contrast and
other individual details Ports of morrow
by dividing the screen Next-gen gamers
into hundreds of zones. rejoice: as well as a 120Hz
variable refresh rate,
the X90J gets two
HDMI 2.1 ports for your
PlayStation and Xbox
Series X.

Sony XR X90J
Sony has been steadily increasing the most noticeable… or not, if you watch additions include a switch from
use of its own trademarked recycled television the right way round. Sony Android TV to the new Google TV
plastic, called Sorplas, since 2010. says Sorplas has reduced the amount platform – but before you scoff about
Going a giant leap further on a number of virgin plastic by half compared with the big G getting all its own way, the
of its 2021 TVs, the company claims previous models. It uses ‘external air X90J is also compatible with AirPlay 2
an industry-leading recycle rate of injection’ to keep things structurally and HomeKit. Dolby Vision and Dolby
89% in its components too. sound, but also extra-light to help with Atmos are both present, and it’s Netflix
Sorplas is used inside and out on shipping (and your back). Calibrated – ensuring Sir David’s eco
the X90J, a 4K LED TV replacing last The X90J sits near the top of Sony’s documentaries look and sound more
year’s lauded XH90, but it’s the largest new LED line-up and is available in harrowing than ever.
surface area of the back cover that’s four sizes, from 50in to 75in. Notable £tbc / sony.co.uk

38

E1-8 Eco.indd 38 05/03/2021 11:33

 ECO TECH

FANTASTIC
PLASTICS
From specially engineered reusable plastic to compostable cases and sustainably
sourced precious materials, desirable gadgets don’t have to be planet-killers

HEAVIN’
CHEMISTRY
Remember British
Rail’s problems with
Apple MacBook Samsung S21+ the ‘wrong type of
Air (M1) Kvadrat Cover snow’? The wrong
We’ve written loads Like charging leads, type of plastic is
about the performance phone cases present more worrying…
merits of our 2020 a potential mass
Gadget of the Year, of discarded plastic.
but Apple’s latest Air Compostable covers Plastic waste makes
is also its greenest yet, are a real step forward, up 85% of the pollution
with a 100% recycled so it’s great to see on beaches around the
aluminium enclosure, Samsung’s Kvadrat world, and every year
100% recycled tin in the textile case is not only the UK alone throws
solder of the main board, made from recycled away 300 million kilos
and components free plastic bottles but also of flexible plastics.
from nasty chemicals. 100% compostable. That means things like
from £999 / apple.com £29 / samsung.com supermarket shopping
bags, bubblewrap, food
packaging and pallet
wrapping that are not
accepted by councils
for recycling.
We recycle just 50%
of plastic packaging,
so what makes brands
like Gomi (see left) so
important is that they
stop flexible plastics
See Sense Icon2 Bureo Ahi Gomi Speaker being incinerated and
releasing poisonous
See Sense reckons Enjoy the sweet smell gases into the air. The
you’ll be visible from of your own farts safe company has even
up to 3km away with in the knowledge your Brighton-based Gomi has already made wireless gone a step further
its reactive 300 and hipster getabout is a chargers and powerbanks from local waste, but by making its products
400-lumen LED lights, 27in-long ‘performance now it’s launched a crowdfunder campaign for repairable and recyclable
where automatic pulses cruiser’ skateboard the ‘world’s first portable speaker made from all over again.
at junctions ensure made from recycled non-recyclable waste’. The marble effect comes Fortunately more
you’re a right flashy fishing nets. Made in from the equivalent of 100 plastic bags, meaning and more product
git. Trade in old lights California, the Ahi is each example looks unique, while the 25W designers are starting
regardless of brand for a collaboration with speaker is built with modular components and to take this route, but
money off, while See Carver Skateboards gets 20hr battery life from reborn e-bike cells. it needs big business
Sense will plant a tree and built for a lifetime from £99 / gomi.design to take note.
for each purchase. of pestering motorists.
£80 / seesense.cc $195 / bureo.co

39

E1-8 Eco.indd 39 05/03/2021 11:33

 ECO TECH

SWEETER
KEEPERS
Repairable and upgradable kit is helping to create a closed-loop circular economy
where one day we might continually reuse things rather than throw them away

LOOPS, I DID
IT AGAIN
Growing the circular
economy could
cause a paradigm Adidas Small Transparent
shift in the way Futurecraft.loop Speaker
products are Nike’s Space Hippie Like the B&O opposite
designed and sold series might be made but on a smaller scale,
from masses of waste the Small Transparent
materials, but its arch Speaker is all about DIY
Think of the current rival’s forthcoming upgrades as technology
industrial economy Futurecraft.loop evolves. This 30W
as a straight line that trainers go one step Bluetooth boomer
starts by dragging further by being fully is upgradable with
precious materials out recyclable. The glueless AirPlay, Sonos, Amazon
of the ground, turning design is set for a Echo and Chromecast,
them into something wider release this and has recently had
valuable we buy, and spring/summer. a £75 price drop.
ends with us throwing £tbc / adidas.co.uk £375 / transpa.rent
it away. The circular
economy bends that
line into a continuous
loop where products
or materials are given
a new lease of life.
The thing is, building
in sustainability from
the start of a gadget’s
life is really the only
way. That forms part
of a campaign being AIAIAI TMA-2 Linn LP12 Miele Triflex HX1 Pro
led by the Circular
Design Guide and House of Marley’s This cordless vacuum
the Ellen MacArthur Stir It Up turntable sucks for two hours
Foundation. At the risk of turning into Trigger’s broom from wins on affordability between charges, but
As it stands, globally Only Fools and Horses, the TMA-2 headphones and sustainability, but is built to last far longer.
discarded e-waste has are designed so the speaker units, earpads, Linn’s LP12 range for Miele claims to be the
a potential annual value headband and cables can be continually audiophiles is fully only company to test its
of $62.5 billion from swapped out to suit your style and sound modular so you can vacuums for 20 years,
its precious materials preference. There’s an online configurator for configure a deck from and keeps spare parts
alone, including gold, building your perfect cans from scratch, or you the ground up with your in stock for 15 years. It
silver, copper, platinum, can choose an ‘off the shelf’ pair including those choice of wooden finish also recycles metal from
tungsten and indium. tuned for DJs or hi-res home listening. and components. Linn old machines into new
Madness, isn’t it? from £130 / aiaiai.audio will even monogram ones to create a circular
your turntable for you. dust-slurping economy.
£2930 / linn.co.uk £679 / miele.co.uk

40

E1-8 Eco.indd 40 05/03/2021 11:33

 ECO TECH

Take my breath array

Behind the cover is
a five-driver speaker
setup: two 4in woofers,
one 2in full-range driver,
two 0.8in tweeters
and low-distortion
amplifiers.

Loud busting
The Level can pump out
105W of adaptive music
power with a 79dB bass
capability and 96dB in
mid-range loudness. If
you’re minted you can
stereo-pair two.

Beosound Level
Danish stylemeisters Bang & Olufsen pace with the competition. For now, on with Spotify Connect, Chromecast
don’t want the new Beosound Level B&O says there’s enough capacity to and AirPlay 2, with the option of Google
portable speaker to end up on the cope with over-the-air updates for Assistant voice control.
technological scrapheap in a few years, many years to come, while perhaps B&O is renowned for its considered
so they made it modular. just as significantly the battery approach to style and sound quality;
To that end, the Level comes with compartment is also removable and while the Level is a luxury buy, at
a replaceable streaming component and upgradable. least the company has recognised the
that can be easily swapped out for a This splash-proof speaker can be importance of the circular economy.
more powerful one in the future, thus wall-mounted, stood upright or laid Hopefully that philosophy will filter
ensuring the speaker’s connectivity, flat on a table, automatically adjusting down to its more affordable kit…
processing power and features keep its output to suit its orientation. It gets from £1099 / bang-olufsen.com

41

E1-8 Eco.indd 41 05/03/2021 11:33

 ECO TECH

Hangin’ puff Salad haze

Among the more An optional aluminium
colourful varieties of seed cover reduces glare on
pods are edible flowers the outside and reflects
and cannabis, which our light back inside to
spoilsport lawyers have increase humidity. It’s
asked us to point out is magnetic, so no plastic
not legal in the UK. attachments are needed.

Rotofarm
Among the many problems with that mimics sunlight every 46 to grow everything from wheatgrass
Tom and Barbara’s dream of suburban minutes. Why? Because crops to kale, plus things normal people eat,
self-sufficiency in ’70s British sitcom hanging upside-down do away like spinach and lettuce.
The Good Life was the fact that they with gravity that can restrict growth. Its Tardis-like design means you’re
had to quit their day jobs… yet still be Sorry, incels, it’s unlikely to work for getting your own 5.2ft farmbed that
able to afford a house with a massive male organ enhancement, but the takes up just 15in on the kitchen
garden, and buy a pig. Millennials, makers do believe vegetables living worktop – and it’s all housed in an
there is another way, and it starts in net zero gravity grow faster and anodised aluminium chassis that
with an indoor garden. more plentifully. looks way less messy than anywhere
Inspired by NASA, the Rotofarm The system uses biodegradable you could keep a pig.
rotates 360° around an LED light tube seed pods made from coconut fibre £370 / bace.co

42

E1-8 Eco.indd 42 05/03/2021 11:33

 ECO TECH

ATTAINABLE
SUSTAINABLES
Here are some of our favourite innovations doing more with less to balance global
environmental sustainability and self-sufficiency – with help from Mother Nature

JOLLY GREEN
GIANTS?
Are huge gadget
firms with huge
Korvaa Fjallraven Samlaren profits doing
OK, so it’s just a science Samlaren is Swedish for
enough to prevent
experiment for now, but ‘the Gatherer’, and so the depletion of
there are plans to turn Fjallraven has launched natural resources?
these headphones a new capsule collection
made from mushrooms made from leftover
into a real product. We fabric. The colourful Apple has disassembly
say mushrooms, we caps, totes, backpacks robots called Daisy and
mean fungal mycelium and jackets are made Dave (somehow it’s
replacing leather, from the company’s always Dave) working
but they’re also densely woven G-1000 in a lab in Texas to
made with sustainable material, in a test run for remove components,
foaming proteins and its sustainable future. rare-earth elements
biosynthetic spider silk. from £34 / and other materials
£tba / korvaa.com fjallraven.com from old gadgets that
it can reuse in new
devices. Nice, but is
this just an expensive
marketing ploy?
Well, we told you on
p36 that America’s top
five most responsible
companies were all tech
firms – step forward
HP, Nvidia, Microsoft,
Cisco Systems and
Marjan van Aubel WakeCup Bottle Fairphone 3+ Qualcomm. Apple
Current Table 2.0 comes 44th on that
We’re about to embark list, which is a big leap
Tables that charge your on beers in the park, so from last year’s score
phone are nothing new, keeping the cold ones Mobile phones require raw natural minerals, but of 259th; but order that
but designer Marjan van cold (and the hot tea Fairphone monitors its supply chains so they’re list by environmental
Aubel has made one hot when the reality of at least responsibly mined and conflict-free, score and it shoots up
that’s self-sustaining Britain’s climate kicks in) reducing pollution and dangerous working to seventh.
with solar power. She will be easier with this conditions. Its latest is a 5.65in Android with With Samsung now
wants all surfaces in thermometer-packing a 48MP rear camera, 64GB of storage, 4GB of sticking solar panels
the home to feature bottle. It’s sustainable RAM, NFC and Bluetooth 5. Join carbon-negative on its TV remotes (see
solar panels; see her bamboo, and 10% of network Honest Mobile and you’ll get unlimited p29), it does start to
latest crowdfunder for profits go to the Marine smugness to go with your data plan. feel like the movement
a solar light, Sunne. Conservation Society. £399 / fairphone.com has finally begun.
£poa / £25 /
marjanvanaubel.com globalwakecup.com

43

E1-8 Eco.indd 43 05/03/2021 11:33

 NOT JUST A
SMART LOCK
IT’S A
BOLD
SMART
LOCK
With the Bold Smart Lock you take back control of your home.
Simply walk up to the door and the magic happens. No need
for backup keys as we completely redesigned the cylinder.
Without a keyhole. That alone makes the Bold one of the safest
smart locks out there.

But there’s more. Locked yourself out? No problem. Phone has

no power? No problem. Need to grant access to your house
while you sip on a G&T on a Mediterranean beach? No. Problem.
Bold is easy to install yourself
on every Euro Cylinder door lock. WWW.BOLDSMARTLOCK.COM
Check which size fits your door
on our website. Also available at our selected retailers

Stuff_2021_03_March_Thames Distribution Ltd_FP.indd 1 03/02/2021 09:58

 TESTED NANOLEAF ESSENTIALS A19

Can’t stand losing hue? Roxanne, you don’t have to put on the red
light: with Nanoleaf’s new bulbs, Siri or
Google Assistant can do it for you
from £18 / stuff.tv/NanoleafA19

■ Aside from Philips Hue, Nanoleaf

is the only lighting brand that
currently offers compatibility
with Apple’s privacy-centric
HomeKit platform. It has two
distinct advantages over its
Dutch rival: there’s no need for
a separate hub, and the bulbs are
way, way cheaper.

■ A budget price doesn’t mean

a budget build. The A19 bulbs have
an attractive geometric design,
they’re well made, and they feel
far more reassuring in the hand
than an off-the-shelf LED from
the DIY store. Packaging has been
kept to a minimum too. After all, it’s
The thread’s
just a lightbulb.
too big without you
Depending on your
■ Setup couldn’t be easier either.
light fittings, the bulbs
Pop a bulb in its fitting, hit the
come in E27 screw-in or
light switch, scan a QR code
B22 bayonet format,
via the HomeKit, Google Home
with more sizes
or Nanoleaf app, and watch
coming soon.
the two marry up. You can even
name your bulbs for a bit of light
entertainment.

■ Because Nanoleaf’s Essentials

are Thread-enabled smart lights,
this gives them a step up from
basic Bluetooth tech on iOS. That
means reduced dropouts and a
speedier, steady connection. They
work best with a HomePod Mini
as a bridge.

■ For speed of use, HomeKit and

Google Home are better than the
Nanoleaf app. Summoning Siri
or Google Assistant to do your
bidding is even faster… but after
a while you’ll tire or become
self-conscious of saying “Hey
■ King of stain ■ String on the night Siri” every time you want to turn
HomeKit may be quicker, but Unlike Nanoleaf’s LED tiles, the on a light.
the Nanoleaf app is way more Essentials range is mainly about
comprehensive when it comes basic bulbs; but there are also Tech specs
to playing around with colours, 1m and 2m lightstrips, great
customised schedules, circadian for sticking under shelves and Colours 16 million
lighting and the occasional pesky cabinets or on the back of your Connectivity Thread, Bluetooth
firmware update. TV for Ambilight-style effects. Voice support Siri, Google Assistant

STUFF SAYS Simple, affordable, effective: a must for any Apple smart home HHHH✩

Every little thing The beauty of Nanoleaf Essentials is in its simplicity. This isn’t an entertainment product,
it does is magic… like the brand’s all-singing and all-dancing light panels, but a basic multicolour upgrade
as long as you’re to your existing boring lightbulbs, and at a price that makes total sense. But you’ll want
using iOS to be on iOS to get the best use, because Android bods or those without a HomePod
James Day Mini will be relying on Bluetooth only.

45

H1 Tested nanoleaf essentials.indd 45 04/03/2021 16:17

 GROUP TEST ANC HEADPHONES

Cancel cultured
There are plenty of refined performers in the active noise-cancelling
over-ears market. So can Apple tempt you to pulverise your budget?

Apple AirPods Max

£549 / stuff.tv/AirPodsMax

Apple’s first over-ears noise-cancel as well as

are a lavish affair with pretty anything out there
generous 40mm drivers, and are wonderfully easy
but come with a comically to pick up and use.
bizarre carry-case that’s But they’re not going
close to useless. to pull in the proper
While it’s impossible to audiophile chin-strokers… WANDERING BRA TWIRLED IN MOTION SPACE FOR THE PRIZE
remove the price tag from and they’re not close to Aluminium earcups, Instead of touch Using the same H1
the conversation (a PS5 being worth £200 more memory-foam controls, Apple has chip as the AirPods
costs less!), the AirPods than the rest of the pack. cushions, a stainless opted for a giant Pro in-ears, these cans
Max are unsurprisingly steel headband and Watch-esque digital deliver spectacular
excellent, particularly if STUFF SAYS ★★★★✩ an open-knit mesh crown. Despite the spatial audio for
you’re an iThing devotee. Big, heavy, often brilliant, canopy: they look and slightly awkward cinematic content;
They sound brilliant, and far too expensive feel premium – but placement it works but battery life falls
look at the case! well enough. short at 20 hours.

46

J1_2 Group test headphones.indd 46 05/03/2021 13:46

 GROUP TEST ANC HEADPHONES

HITCH ’EM UP
TO HI-RES

B&W PX7 Carbon Edition Marshall Monitor II ANC

Spotify HiFi £349 / stuff.tv/PX7Carbon £269 / stuff.tv/Monitor2
Arriving later
this year, Now available with a synchronicity and hi-res Marshall’s amp-inspired cheap compared to the
Spotify’s new custom carbon-fibre audio, and it becomes design is the big sell here, competition too – and as
tier is promising composite shell for clear Bowers & Wilkins and for many of us it’s Marshall’s most advanced
CD-quality lightness and reduced is onto a winner. as close as we’ll ever get headphones yet, they’re
audio at last… resonance, the PX7s are Other brands might to a backstage pass. But giving you substantial bang
and at a price as much about comfort offer a few more hi-tech there’s a lot more at work for your buck.
that should for long listening sessions features (touch-sensitive here than styling. If you like the look, the
undercut Tidal as they are about sonic controls, for example), but A sturdy folding design, Monitor IIs should be very
HiFi in a big way. splendour. judged on sonics alone excellent controls, a comfy close to the top of your
£14/m (est) / Noise-cancellation is these are a superb choice. fit, customisable ANC most-wanted list.
spotify.com as effective as you’ll find and great all-round sonic
anywhere; but throw STUFF SAYS ★★★★★ performance make these STUFF SAYS ★★★★★
in the inclusion of aptX Up there with the best for cans a big hit with Stuff Marshall’s best yet, and a
Adaptive for low-latency sound quality staffers. They’re pretty great money-saving option

Amazon
Music HD
Amazon goes TES
cheaper than WI T
its rivals? NN
Quelle surprise, ER
although it’s
£2 more if
you’re not
already a
Prime member.
from £12.99/m
/ amazon.co.uk

Korg NC-Q1 Sony WH-1000XM4

£279 / stuff.tv/NCQ1 £349 / stuff.tv/XM4

Designed to protect DJs’ Google Assistant, can No noise-cancellers list is wear detection are hard to
Tidal HiFi hearing when playing live, handle hi-res audio and complete without them… relinquish once you have
Tidal uses and with smart monitoring feature an attenuation and as they’re a full £200 them; they’re probably
Master Quality for more effective mixing, function for extra-noisy less than Apple’s upstarts, not, however, enough to
Authenticated Korg’s NC-Q1s are sort environments. if anything their position justify another £300+.
(MQA) for its of ‘specialist’. And all of this works. at the top is now even But we do love the new
top tier, which But peel back those The design is subtle, the stronger. It’s simple: the Speak-to-Chat feature,
compresses specifics (sister brand controls intuitive, and XM4s improve on their which pauses the music
files to stream Vox has a similar pair for precise sound is provided already ace predecessors and lets ambient noise in
then unfolds bands) and you’re left by 41mm custom drivers. in numerous ways. when you start talking.
them again with high-spec ANC cans What’s trickier to tackle
at your end. supporting all the major STUFF SAYS ★★★★★ is whether XM3 owners STUFF SAYS ★★★★★
£19.99/m / codecs including aptX HD. Designed for DJ types, good should upgrade. It’s true Simply the best all-round
tidal.com They’re good with Siri and for just about anyone features like automatic ANC cans you can buy

47

J1_2 Group test headphones.indd 47 05/03/2021 13:46

 NEXT-GEN ELECTRIC CARS

THE
ROAD Plug me in

TO CELL
The charging port is
located where the
radiator grille was
placed on the original
boy racer, so the sleek
lines of the sides
aren’t ruined.

Once a fringe buy for early adopters

and Elon Musk fanboys, EVs are rapidly
becoming a sales success for many
of the big car makers. Here’s a peek at
the coolest upcoming battery-packers
pointing the way to a petrol-free world…

RENAULT 5 PROTOTYPE
A
lthough the electric 5 is just a an eye-catching full-width light bar and
concept for now, Renault CEO integrated ‘5’ logo. The front foglamps
Luca de Meo claims this delectable are also brilliantly retro, although they
throwback will go into production, possibly do feature a floating light treatment
to replace the ageing Zoe. that sits either side of a massive
Well, what better way to wave farewell illuminated Renault badge for an
to one of the most successful EVs so added Tron touch.
far than with a car that pinches all the There hasn’t been any word on the
brilliant bits of one of the most popular electric powertrain that will underpin
hatchbacks of the 1970s? Fiat, Mini, Honda the revitalised Renault 5, but the squat
and even Hyundai (see p53) are all playing stance (particularly at the rear) and
[ Words Leon Poultney, James Day ]

with nostalgia when it comes to electrifying cheeky red stripe hint at the livery found
their ranges, and they don’t get much on old Renault 5 Turbos, meaning we
more bedroom-wall-poster than the could be treated to a high-performance
original Renault 5 Turbo – a car from variant when this electric model goes on
which this electric concept draws heavily sale in 2023.
with its boxy wheel arches, low ride height
and aggressive headlights. PRICE £18,000 (est) / renault.co.uk
Swing around the rear and you’ll find ● 200 miles approx ● 220hp approx
a glorious slab-sided hatch boot with ● 0-62mph N/A ● Top speed N/A

48

K1-8 Electric cars.indd 48 05/03/2021 15:29

 NEXT-GEN ELECTRIC CARS
Let me in
The five-door electric
supermini has rear
doors integrated into
the design with hidden
handles in the C-pillar.
They’re there, you just
can’t see ’em. Honest.

Quids in
Renault is using the
same CMF-B platform
that underpins the
outgoing Zoe – but
it’s compromises like
this that keep down
the costs of EVs.

49

K1-8 Electric cars.indd 49 05/03/2021 15:29

 NEXT-GEN ELECTRIC CARS

CUPRA BORN
F
irst unveiled at the 2019 Geneva a 77kWh battery drives those massive
Motor Show, the car then badged 20in rear wheels for up to 310 miles on
as the Seat el-Born Concept a single charge. Fast-charging capabilities
hinted at what an all-electric sporty also mean it can take on an additional 160
hatchback from the Spanish brand might miles of range in under half an hour with
look like. But unlike so many concepts the correct outlet.
made real, the finished product remains Although the rest of the official stats
largely unchanged, packing the same are under wraps for now, it’s essentially
sharp creases and pumped-up dimensions a sportier ID.3 with some slick exterior
as its prototype. styling and unique interior design touches,
Hot hatch
Based on the same underpinning as all geared towards a more youthful market.
The heat-pump
the Volkswagen ID.3, it majors on interior Given we’re not expecting to see an ID.3
system is designed
space – but the Cupra badge signifies with sportier styling for a while yet, the
not to draw energy
spicier performance compared to its Born may have a handy niche to itself
from the battery pack
Germanic sibling. Scour the marketing when it arrives later this year.
when warming the
bumph and you’ll see it can accelerate
cabin, so it won’t
to 31mph in 2.9 seconds. PRICE £35,000 (est) / cupraofficial.co.uk
affect the range.
That’s pretty quick, but then most ● 310 miles approx ● 210hp approx
electric vehicles do feel brisk from a ● 0-62mph in 6secs approx
standstill. Perhaps more importantly, ● Top speed 100mph approx

50

K1-8 Electric cars.indd 50 05/03/2021 15:29

 NEXT-GEN ELECTRIC CARS

SENSIBLE STEEDS

Hot and not bothered

Cupra has confirmed
the car will get an AR
head-up display with
phone connectivity
so you won’t need
to take your eyes
off the road.

CITROEN E-C4
The latest C4 has opted for a bold new style. Gone are
the cute curvy lines and protective air bumps (remember
the old C4 Cactus?) as we welcome in a razor-sharp front
end and a hybrid silhouette that sits somewhere between
an SUV and a hatchback. The electric versions feature a
50kWh lithium-ion battery pack and 100kW motor.
£33,395 / citroen.co.uk

Hot metal
Launch editions come
with plenty of copper
highlights – the
on-trend hue adorns
the alloy wheels as
well as the bumpers
and interior trim.
VA U X H A L L S K O D A E N YA Q
MOKKA-E IV
Hot off the success of Among the array of EVs
Vauxhall’s electric Corsa hitting Britain’s roads this
comes the larger, slightly summer is Skoda’s midsize
more family-friendly SUV. The Czech marque
Mokka-E. Just over 200 is rapidly becoming one
miles of range comes of the most stylish brands
courtesy of a 50kWh in the VW Group, and the
battery pack, which can Enyaq IV – smart, sturdy
be charged up to 80% in and boasting the latest
half an hour from a 100kW infotainment tech – offers
outlet. An affordable EV around 260 miles of fully
for average Joes? emissions-free range.
£30,840 / vauxhall.co.uk £31,085 / skoda.co.uk

F I AT 5 0 0 E M A Z D A M X- 3 0
The cutest car of all time Mazda’s first all-electric
gets its electric makeover, vehicle plays it safe with
alongside some futuristic a generic SUV shape, but
design touches that dig a little and there’s more
make it look as though to discover. Some of the
it’s taken fashion tips from interior, for example, is
a Transformer. The base finished in a sustainable
price feels steep for a 500, cork material and the rear
but owners get flashy tech doors open backwards
such as one-button door for easier entry. A range
opening and strafing LED of around 124 miles falls
indicators. The range is a little short of its rivals,
also a mightily impressive though, and the speed
194 miles. stats are unthrilling.
£26,995 / fiat.co.uk £25,545 / mazda.co.uk

51

K1-8 Electric cars.indd 51 05/03/2021 15:29

 NEXT-GEN ELECTRIC CARS

MID-RANGE MULES

Jungle is massive
Tunes are taken care
of by a Bose Premium
Sound System with
voice control, wireless
phone charging, Apple
CarPlay and Android
V O L KS WAG E N I D. 4 Auto all included.
With enough room inside for a large family, the follow-up
to VW’s ID.3 sets out to blur the line between a conventional
jacked-up SUV and a sleek saloon, and represents an
understated alternative to Tesla’s Model Y. The top-spec
models pack a range of 310 miles and a 10in touchscreen
with fully digital instrumentation.
£40,800 / volkswagen.co.uk

MERCEDES- TESLA
BENZ EQA MODEL Y
Merc is busy expanding its Tesla’s sales success
EQ range… and following during a pandemic has
on from the EQC comes been miraculous… and
the smaller but equally keen to continue its hot
handsome EQA, a more streak, the tech giant
‘entry level’ SUV with a will launch a seven-seat
range of 263 miles. It can version of the Model 3
be specced with a rose gold in 2022. The Y will come
interior to go with your in either Performance or
phone case and chocolate Long Range AWD guise,
diamond earrings. where 314 miles on a
£40,495 / charge is possible.
mercedes-benz.co.uk £35,000 (est) / tesla.com

FORD N I S S A N A R I YA
M U S TA N G Consider the upcoming
MACH-E Ariya the new face of
Nissan: gone are fussy
It’s a Mustang, but not metallic grilles in favour
as we know it. Meet the of a single hi-tech slab
newest pony in the Ford that packs more lights
stable: a pseudo muscle than a Christmas tree. Wheely massive
car with a hi-tech interior LED lamps majestically Other fancy touches
including huge portrait- disappear when the sun on the Ioniq 5 include
orientated tablet and shines, while a light-up parametric pixel lights
secondary widescreen. Nissan badge takes pride at the front and rear,
It has an electric range of of place when it sets. and those fetching
379 miles and a 0-62mph Range is up to 310 miles. 20in diamond
time of just 3.7 seconds. £40,000 (est) / silhouette alloys.
£40,350 / ford.co.uk nissan.co.uk

52

K1-8 Electric cars.indd 52 05/03/2021 15:29

 NEXT-GEN ELECTRIC CARS

Massive floater
This will be the first
Hyundai to feature
the company’s AR
head-up display,
which essentially turns
the windscreen into a
huge floating screen.

HYUNDAI IONIQ 5
T
o many, Hyundai is a marque that for these days. Expect a 12.25in full-touch
has only been on the European infotainment screen, sliding rear seats
scene for a few years, but its and front seats that fully recline, allowing
history in cars goes way back. The Pony, occupants to catch some zeds while the
for example, was South Korea’s first car charges.
mass-produced and exported car of Perhaps the coolest feature of all is
the mid-’70s, and Hyundai celebrated the solar panel roof, which will help add
this in 2019 with its 45 concept – a rather a little charge to the batteries, especially
dashing retro-inspired EV. when parked up – something owners will
Thankfully, the head honchos saw enjoy doing, seeing as the Ioniq 5 also has
fit to put this concept into production… Vehicle to Load (V2L) capabilities, allowing
and it remains largely unchanged in the its battery to power things like fridges,
soon-to-be-available Ioniq 5. Retro-tastic lights and camping stoves. You can even
exterior styling meets cutting-edge tech charge a mate’s EV, should they run out
in the form of 800-volt charging, allowing of juice on the way to your favourite patch
drivers to add 62 miles of range in just five of wilderness.
minutes via Ionity’s network of 350kW
fast chargers. PRICE £35,000 (est) / hyundai.co.uk
The interior’s smart too, with the ‘lounge’ ● 300 miles approx ● Up to 550hp
feel that so many EV makers are gunning ● 0-62mph in 5.3secs ● Top speed 115mph

53

K1-8 Electric cars.indd 53 05/03/2021 15:29

 NEXT-GEN ELECTRIC CARS

AUDI RS E-TRON GT
A
udi has already fulfilled its ‘big so long as you have access to one of the
electric SUV’ brief in the almighty rocking-horse-poop 270kW chargers.
E-Tron, and now it feels the time Inside, a new 10.1in central touchscreen
is right to spice things up a little with the sits alongside the existing 12.3in Virtual
launch of its RS E-Tron GT – a performance Cockpit cluster, meaning owners won’t
saloon that packs a staggering 646hp, be wanting for displays. On top of this,
allowing it to rocket from 0-62mph in there’s a ‘signature sound’, designed to
just 3.3 seconds. bring the electric motors to life with some
Keen followers of the automotive news aural presence.
feed will already know that this vehicle Some have bemoaned the styling but
Humming through
shares a bunch of its parts with Porsche, we think it looks phenomenal, neatly
The RS E-Tron GT can
and specifically the Taycan, but don’t think blending the aggressive haunches of the
access its overboost
they’ve merely re-badged it (you fool). R8 with the more practical body style of
mode under hard
The RS E-Tron GT will be built alongside an A6 or A7 – all wrapped up in enough
acceleration rather
the R8 but actually boasts a lower centre futuristic touches to have passers-by
than just launch
of gravity than its supercar sibling, and is gawping when it arrives in May.
control, allowing for
the most powerful RS model to date.
rapid overtakes.
An impressive range of 283 miles is also PRICE £111,900 / audi.co.uk
offered, as well as the ability to charge from ● 283 miles ● 646hp ● 0-62mph
flat to around 80% capacity in 23 minutes, in 3.3secs ● 155mph (limited)

54

K1-8 Electric cars.indd 54 05/03/2021 15:29

 NEXT-GEN ELECTRIC CARS

SWANKY STALLIONS

Brake on through
To cope with the
added power, Audi
has fitted a range of
improvements over
the E-Tron GT, such
as brake discs coated
with tungsten carbide.

RIVIAN R1T
Deliveries of Rivian’s awesome electric pickup are due to
start in the USA later this year, with rumours suggesting
it might come to the UK by 2022 – but that’s just an
estimate. What makes this truck special? Well, it’s tipped
to boast Land Rover-esque off-road prowess and over
300 miles of useable range.
£55,000 (est) / rivian.com

She moved
through the air
At speed, the dampers
automatically lower
the car by as much
as 22mm to further
reduce air resistance
and improve stability.
V O LV O X C 4 0 TESLA
RECHARGE P8 ROADSTER
Despite sister company It’s not likely to arrive until
Polestar making waves next year, but that hasn’t
in the EV game with its stopped the Musk hype
luscious ‘2’ fastback, the machine being cranked up
job of electrifying SUVs over Tesla’s new Roadster.
has been left to Volvo Designed to fill a sportscar
itself. Its range-topping hole that the original
XC40 Recharge P8 is Lotus-based Roadster
packed with class-leading left, the latest two-seater
tech, while 150kW fast- is said to have a 250mph+
charge capabilities mean top speed, a 0-60mph
an 80% slurp-up takes just time of 1.9 seconds and
40 minutes. a range of 620 miles.
£60,005 / volvocars.com £189,000 / tesla.com

BMW IX SONY
Like many of the premium VISION-S
brands, BMW is on a After its unveiling at last
mission to electrify its year’s CES, we finally
range, with a plug-in got an update on Sony’s
hybrid variant already on surprising concept car at
offer pretty much across this year’s virtual show…
the board. But the iX is to confirm they’re actually
set to become the brand’s testing the thing for real.
‘technological flagship’, Oooh! Originally designed
offering not only ace stats to showcase the brand’s
(like 373-mile range) but a future in-car infotainment
new interior complete with and autonomous driving
a curved digital display. kit, it’s now been seen on
£100,000 (est) / public roads in Austria.
bmw.co.uk £tba / sony.net

55

K1-8 Electric cars.indd 55 05/03/2021 15:30

 CHAT TO US LIKE US
/joinstuff @stuffmag

SEE US RETWEET US
/stuffmagazine @stuffTV

Everywhere you are

Read it, like it, share it

Pub2 Stuff social.indd 58 04/03/2021 17:05

 TESTED AUDIO PRO G10

Take a chance on G Swedish brand Audio Pro’s first boomer with

Google Assistant is going up against smart
speakers packing real hi-fi chops
£226 / stuff.tv/G10

■ The size of a loaf of bread and

attractive in a very Scandi way, the
G10 won’t go stale anywhere near
as quickly as sliced Hovis. In fact,
it looks almost incomplete without
some sort of trendy cold-brew
coffee apparatus next to it.

■ A full suite of small, shiny metal

buttons on the brushed aluminium
top allows you to skip and pause
tracks, adjust the volume, switch
I have a gleam sources, mute the mic and summon
Four lights above Google Assistant using your hands
the buttons indicate instead of your voice – which is,
volume level and pulse after all, more convenient if you’re
when the G10 is thinking, standing next to it.
while three beneath
show the audio ■ There’s still a distinction to be
source. made between smart speakers
and wireless speakers with voice
control… and this is the latter. With
a 3in long-throw woofer, 1.25in
Balanced Mode Radiator tweeter,
dual 4.5in passive radiators and a
52-Watt Class D amp, the priority
here is audio, not smarts.

■ The G10 sounds good no matter

where you place it. The barrel shape
disperses sound in almost every
direction and everything feels in
proportion. If we’re being picky, the
mid-range lacks a little meat and
bass is limited, but given its physical
dimensions that’s nothing major to
complain about.

■ Pump up the volume and it

maintains its composure admirably,
although the responsiveness
of the voice control suffers when
you crank it too far above normal
speaking volume – which is hardly
surprising or unique to the G10.
■ ‘Hey’ all your love on me ■ Super grouper
Having Google Assistant on board Audio Pro has its own multiroom Tech specs
means it can do everything a less system… but this speaker isn’t
hi-fi-centric smart speaker can: compatible with it, so you can’t Power 52W Drivers 1.25in tweeter,
controlling your heating, making add it to a dedicated Audio Pro 3in woofer, 2x 4.5in radiators
a shopping list, or teaching you network. But there is Chromecast Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4,
how to say ‘mongoose’ in Swedish built-in and Apple AirPlay 2 for 3.5mm aux Dimensions
(it’s ‘mungo’, by the way). multiroom with mixed brands. 193x140x140mm, 1.43kg

STUFF SAYS An impressive all-rounder, but do you really need the voice control? HHHH✩

Thank you for Audio Pro has its work cut out convincing you to buy this over a Sonos One, an
the music, but Amazon Echo Studio or even an Apple HomePod… but perhaps its biggest rival lies
there are options closer to home. Audio Pro’s own A10 has almost identical specs and can be found
for under £200 for up to £100 less; you just lose the voice control and flexible multiroom capabilities.
Tom Wiggins Still, if those things are crucial, you’ll be very happy with the G10.

57

L1 Tested audio pro fire.indd 57 04/03/2021 16:46

 TESTED XIAOMI MI 11

Xiaomi what you got

Now the world’s third-largest smartphone maker,
Xiaomi wants to fast-track its way to the front of
the flagship queue… but is the Mi 11 good enough?

€749 / stuff.tv/Mi11
There’s nothing like a bit of
political turmoil to help you get
ahead. With Huawei still shut out
from Google services and the Play
Store, another Chinese maker is
eyeing up its vacant seat.
The Mi 11 might be the way
to make that happen. Not only
is it the first out of the gate with
Qualcomm’s latest silicon, but Beam Mi up
it promises whip-crack wired Blazing-fast
and wireless charging speeds, internals slurp up
premium design and a truly power, so Xiaomi has
flagship-grade display. Oh, and From Mi to you fitted a 4600mAh
a very reasonable price. Curved glass spilling over all battery with 55W fast
You get butch Gorilla Glass four sides (1) hints at something and 50W wireless
Victus up front and a giant camera special, but the 6.81in OLED panel charging.
module dominating the back. beneath is the real treat here. At a
Everything is curved and blends whopping 3200x1440 resolution
seamlessly into an aluminium it’s among the sharpest, most
frame, with a punch-hole camera detailed around – and it has an
and under-display fingerprint ultra-smooth (adaptive) 120Hz
sensor completing the look. refresh rate.
There are a few places where
Xiaomi has skimped, like the lack Bring Mi sunshine Look what you made Mi do
[ Words Tom Morgan ]

of waterproofing; but with this Colours are punchy and max Xiaomi’s MIUI interface looks
combination of specs, build brightness is retina-searing at like pure Android, but dig deeper
quality and affordability, the night. With that in mind, HDR10+ and you’ll discover it borrows
Mi 11 is certainly a contender. support is a given, and compatible liberally from iOS. That includes
videos look stunning – even if a control centre full of quick
contrast isn’t handled as deftly as access buttons and smart home
on the very best. Stereo speakers shortcuts, transparency effects…
with Harman Kardon processing and icons that wouldn’t look out
offer real punch too (2). of place on an iPhone.

Don’t bring Mi down Killing Mi softly

A Snapdragon 888 chip with Graphics performance is equally
built-in 5G delivers more than top-notch, with the Mi 11 able to
enough power to run anything handle just about any Play Store
Android-based, and run it well. game at its highest settings. The
Every app performs flawlessly, 120Hz display (3) really comes into
and 8GB of RAM makes its own here, elevating fast-paced
multitasking a breeze. It’s an shooters with fluid frame rates,
absolute speed demon, and although the phone does run hot
should stay snappy for years. with the most demanding titles.

Premium Main cam A flagship

looks and takes great at a sensible
quality build photos… price
GOOD Software not
MEH as refined
EVIL …but other
as rivals
Lacking
snappers in extra
are average features

58

M1_2 Tested Mi 11.indd 58 05/03/2021 15:27

 TESTED XIAOMI MI 11

Tech specs
Screen 6.81in 3200x1440 120Hz AMOLED
Processor Snapdragon 888 RAM 8GB
Storage 128GB OS Android 11 Cameras 108MP
+ 13MP + 5MP rear, 20MP front Battery
4600mAh Dimensions 164x75x8.1mm, 196g

Pictures of Mi
Rather than following the crowd, Xiaomi has tried
something different with the Mi 11’s camera setup

n Take on Mi n Count on Mi
The massive 108MP main In just about all conditions,
snapper is the star of the main camera takes
the show, complete with detailed and balanced
optical image stabilisation photos, with pixel-binning
for blur-free photos, but reducing the 108MP
3 it isn’t paired with optical raw data down to 27MP
zoom. The resolution images. Video wise, you
makes 30x digital zoom can shoot 8K video at up
viable, but don’t push it. to 30fps.

n More of Mi n Close to Mi
You get a 13MP ultra-wide The telemacro lens has
secondary sensor and autofocus, so what it lacks
a 5MP telemacro for in resolution it makes up
close-ups. Wide-angle for in ease of use. There’s
results are respectable, an impressive level of
but exposure and colour bokeh blur for a phone,
balance aren’t so well though it’s clear the
controlled, creating slightly 5MP sensor is the limiting
washed-out images. factor for quality.

2
It’s not the first Xiaomi to punch above its weight, STUFF SAYS HHHH✩
but the Mi 11 gets closer than ever to bettering There are missteps with
more mainstream rivals. By blending impressive
power, a gorgeous screen and slick styling, it feels
the camera and software,
truly premium. Perhaps the price isn’t low enough but with its cutting-edge
to make it a game-changing bargain… but if Xiaomi wasn’t performance the Mi 11 still
on your radar before, it should be now. @TomMorgan3 trades blows with the best

59

M1_2 Tested Mi 11.indd 59 05/03/2021 15:27

 DIGITAL EDITION

Available from shop.kelsey.co.uk/stuff

plus Readly and Pocketmags

Pub1 Stuff digital.indd 65 04/03/2021 19:17

 G R O U P T E S T L AT E S T L A P T O P S

Everybody’s
lappy nowadays
Say hello to the class of 2021 for work, play, more work, and
everything in between… but which one is your next laptop?

MAJOR CORED MINOR SCALE

Razer’s machines The 17.3in display has
cram Nvidia’s latest a max refresh rate of
graphics cores inside 360Hz – and with the
slim, imposing chassis 25% smaller
enclosures – and than its predecessor,
they’re packed with the screen stands
quality elsewhere. out even more.

Razer Blade Pro 17

What’s the story? Is it any good? lower resolutions better for ports, a super-fast SD card
Few laptops make a first This Blade uses Nvidia’s new gaming and 4K touchscreens reader, Wi-Fi 6, 2.5Gbps
impression like Razer’s RTX 3060, 3070 and 3080 better for work. Quality is mint Ethernet, a snappy keyboard,
brooding Blades, but these graphics cores, and they’re across the board. a solid touchpad and punchy,
lifestyle and gaming machines fantastic for games and work. The Pro 17 compares well to powerful speakers.
back up their bluster with They’re joined by decent Intel the MacBook Pro 16 – you’re
lashings of performance for Core i7 CPUs and masses of getting more speed for less Price from £2199 /
content creators. The Pro 17 memory. There’s not much cash. The only other place to stuff.tv/BladePro17
is large, fast, expensive, and these laptops can’t do, even find more CPU ability is in an ● 17.3in 3840x2160 IPS
overkill for plenty of people; if battery life could be better. AMD-powered machine, and touchscreen or 1920x1080 IPS
but with rock-solid build Blades are available with that’ll often be at the expense ● Up to 2.3GHz 8-core Intel
[ Words Mike Jennings ]

quality and sub-2cm thickness 1080p, 1440p or 4K screens of screen quality and design. Core i7, up to 32GB RAM
it’s a tempting high-end PC. at varying refresh rates, with The Razer has plenty of USB ● 395x250x19.9mm, 2.75kg

Stuff says Incredible power and quality make for a working and gaming beast ★★★★★

61

P1-5 laptops.indd 61 04/03/2021 18:45

 G R O U P T E S T L AT E S T L A P T O P S

TAP RANKING
Opto-mechanical
Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 G533 keyboards use lasers
to register presses,
so games respond to
What’s the story? for comfort. The display has a
your button-mashing
At £2699, our specced-up 3ms response time, so it feels
with more speed than
Asus review sample is not fast and smooth. The in-built
normal boards.
cheap, but this powerful speakers are excellent, with
gaming machine is available plenty of depth, and you get
in more affordable guises USB-C connectivity, great
packing RTX 3070 graphics build quality and a design
and Ryzen 7 5800H CPUs strewn with RGB LEDs.
that are still slick performers. Downsides? There’s no
A surprising bonus is the card reader, fingerprint reader,
opto-mechanical keyboard, Thunderbolt or webcam, and
for better speed and stability. the body is a chunky 27mm
thick. And unsurprisingly,
Is it any good? the battery only lasts around
With Nvidia’s 16GB RTX 3080 an hour for intense gaming,
GPU and an eight-core AMD although you’ll get up to eight
Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, hours for browsing. But the
this laptop scythes through Asus is more satisfying to
gaming duties at a smooth type on than almost every
60fps in single-players and other laptop on the market.
triple figures in esports.
It’s a fine workhorse too, Price from £1899 /
because the CPU tackles stuff.tv/Scar15
video-editing and other daily ● 15.6in 2560x1440 IPS
tasks with aplomb. There is or 1920x1080 IPS
heat and fan noise, just like ● Up to 3.1GHz 8-core AMD
any gaming machine, but the Ryzen 9, up to 32GB RAM
Scar is never too loud or hot ● 354x259x27mm, 2.3kg

Stuff says Benchmark-breaking speeds, a superb display and

a mechanical keyboard mean gaming greatness ★★★★✩

GRAMMY AWARD
The 16in Gram holds
LG Gram 16 BEST
the Guinness World
Record for the lightest
FOR laptop of its size…
What’s the story? power for everyday use, even OVER A
LG’s latest Gram weighs just if AMD chips do still just about although admittedly
GRAND there’s not much
1.19kg, which is absurdly light pip them. The battery is
for a laptop of this size. That spectacular, lasting 20 hours competition.
makes it a porta-powerhouse for low-end tasks if you’re
for carting around the house careful, and still eclipsing the
or slipping into a backpack. 15-hour mark when handling
Yet the magnesium alloy tougher tasks.
body means it’s sturdy: The keyboard is quiet,
there’s movement in the with a great balance between
metal, but the Gram promises comfort and crispness, and
to be a reassuringly robust the specs are rounded off
remote worker. by a power button doubling
as a fingerprint reader,
Is it any good? Thunderbolt 4 and built-in
Looking smart in black, with Alexa. Overall the Gram is a
a hidden hinge and tiny bezels, superbly designed performer,
the Gram has a 16:10 display with a top-notch keyboard
delivering more vertical and insanely good battery life
screen space than a 16:9 for a price most people will be
panel. The screen oozes able to stomach.
quality: with an outstanding
contrast ratio of 1483:1, it nails Price from £1449 /
the sRGB and super-wide P3 stuff.tv/Gram16
gamuts, and overall colours are ● 16in 2560x1600 IPS
undeniably vibrant. ● 2.8GHz 4-core Intel Core i7,
Intel 11th-gen CPUs on 16GB RAM
its Evo platform offer ample ● 356x243x16.8mm, 1.19kg

Stuff says LG’s latest lightweight machine is slick, light and

well made – an impressive, versatile option ★★★★★

62

P1-5 laptops.indd 62 04/03/2021 18:45

 G R O U P T E S T L AT E S T L A P T O P S

YOU SEXY THIN

The ZenBook 14 is
the thinnest laptop
to feature a full suite
Asus ZenBook 14 UX425J
of ports (like proper
What’s the story? while Apple’s M1 chip also
USB). It’s a sturdy
The ZenBook 14 is a mid-price offers greater speed on the
chassis too, with a
workhorse that looks and MacBook Air. Despite some
top 1080p display.
feels classier than its price slight silicone shortcomings,
suggests. Its aluminium alloy though, there’s still plenty to
body is luxurious, it’s robustly like in this Asus.
built and it weighs just 1.12kg. A crisp keyboard delivers
Promising epic battery life speedy typing, the trackpad is
with a perfectly adequate wide, and it’s future-proofed
screen and keyboard, this with Wi-Fi 6. You get a couple
should be a fine performer. of USB-C ports plus USB-A,
a microSD card slot and a
Is it any good? webcam doubling up for facial
Our £900 machine’s 11th-gen recognition. The 14in IPS
Core i5 processor with Intel display is bright enough for
Evo zips between browser indoor and outdoor use, and
tabs and work applications has superb contrast of 1624:1.
while remaining cool and Colours are accurate and
quiet, and the battery lasts overall this is a punchy,
between 12 and 18 hours vibrant panel good enough
depending – a true all-day for the daily slog.
PC. If you need more grunt,
Core i7 CPUs are available. Price from £800 /
Intel chips are the point of stuff.tv/ZenBook14
discussion here. AMD-based ● 14in 1920x1080 IPS
laptops are often heavier and ● Up to 2.8GHz 4-core Intel
thicker but faster, so some Core i7, up to 16GB RAM
may prefer that compromise, ● 304x203x13.9mm, 1.12kg

Stuff says A laptop of evident quality in virtually every

department at a surprisingly low price ★★★★✩

PORT AND SPARK

The Envy x360 is
packed with ports, HP Envy x360
including a microSD
card reader and What’s the story? lasts between 9 and 11 hours,
SuperSpeed variants HP’s Envy x360 is a flippable and speakers good enough
for the USB-A and hybrid aiming to deliver quality for YouTube and background
USB-C connections. and versatility in equal doses. music. The £700 13.3in model
The sturdy aluminium body we reviewed is available in a
has a smooth 360° hinge, 15.6in guise for £850, while
it’s barely bigger than a pricier versions use beefier
conventional laptop, and Ryzen 7 processors. It’s got
coming in black or white it USB-A ports and a USB-C
does away with any dishwater supporting DisplayPort; a
grey finishes. stylus is included, the keys
are fast and comfy, and the
Is it any good? touchpad is accurate.
Ergonomically, the Envy is There’s a good chance the
excellent. The display has Envy may get updated AMD
decent contrast and colours, processors before the end of
and then there’s the AMD the year, so it could be worth
Ryzen 5 4500U, which hanging on for that; but HP’s
outpaces Intel’s equivalents machine is already likeably
in plenty of benchmarks and versatile and well built.
is pacey enough to tackle
everyday tasks, including Price from £700 /
light photo-editing. Radeon stuff.tv/x360
graphics handle casual and ● 13.3in/15.6in 1920x1080 IPS
esports titles at low-quality ● Up to 2GHz 8-core AMD
settings too. Ryzen 7 or 2.8GHz 4-core
The x360’s performance is Intel i7, up to 16GB RAM
rounded out by a battery that ● 306x194x16.4mm, 1.32kg

Stuff says A versatile, high-quality machine with huge power

considering its affordability ★★★★✩

63

P1-5 laptops.indd 63 04/03/2021 18:45

 G R O U P T E S T L AT E S T L A P T O P S

CARRY ME CHROME
BEST A 12-hour battery isn’t
Google Pixelbook Go FOR
UNDER A
headline-grabbing,
but the Pixelbook Go
GRAND can turn a 20-minute
What’s the story? processor, 8GB of memory
fast charge into two
Chromebooks have become and a 128GB SSD is amply
hours of use if you’re
increasingly expensive as fast for running dozens of
desperate.
makers marry the lightweight browser tabs, plus casual
Chrome OS with high-end games and all but the most
materials, but Google’s demanding Chrome OS
magnesium Pixelbook Go software. The battery lasts
remains a top option if you around 12 hours.
want a little luxury with your If you don’t need the Core
browser-based computing. i5 CPU, the £629 model gets
by with a Core m3, and there
Is it any good? are further options with Core
It looks fantastic thanks to i7 chips and 4K displays if you
a corrugated chassis with need your Chromebook to
curved edges, and the minimal inch closer to becoming a
design is paired with clean, creative powerhouse. The
effective ergonomics: the Pixelbook Go is simple and
keyboard is quiet and smooth stylish, and its balance of
and the trackpad offers good value and quality makes this
feedback. This laptop doubles the Chromebook to get.
up on USB-C ports and has an
excellent webcam too. Price from £629 /
The 1080p display shows stuff.tv/PixelbookGo
off natural, vibrant colours ● 13.3in 1920x1080 LCD
ideal for everyday use, and touchscreen
the speakers are fine, if a ● Up to Intel 8th-gen Core i7,
smidge tinny. Our review up to 16GB RAM
model deploying a Core i5 ● 311x206x13.4mm, 1.06kg

Stuff says Great quality, design and performance in every

area make this a top-notch Chromebook choice ★★★★✩

SUMMERTIME HUES
A decent option for
Acer Swift 3 students, the Swift 3
is available in assorted
What’s the story? then things suddenly turn finishes; it has a
The Acer Swift 3 has solid pretty ordinary. The battery fingerprint reader and
components and a sleek lasts just eight hours, the Windows Hello so you
design at a good price – and screen could be brighter, can ditch passwords.
when you’re looking for a build quality is middling, the
laptop around the £600 mark, speakers are only OK and
those are the basics to get there’s no card reader.
right. Powered by a modest So the Swift 3 is far from
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U, it does perfect – but that’s always
at least have four cores and to be expected at this kind
Radeon graphics to handle of price. Instead of trying to
everyday computing, media get everything right, the Acer
duties and casual gaming. impresses on the key points,
and that makes it an excellent
Is it any good? budget option.
The aluminium alloy chassis If you want more power,
uses a simple tapered design, faster Intel CPUs are available,
and its 1.2kg body makes it a and as with the HP, machines
good option for people who with new AMD chips are likely
never sit still for long. The to emerge later this year.
keyboard has speed and
consistency, the trackpad Price from £600 /
is large, and the 14in 1080p stuff.tv/Swift3
panel has enough quality for ● 14in 1920x1080 IPS
work and social use. ● Up to 2GHz 8-core AMD
Acer has included Wi-Fi 6, Ryzen 7 or 2.8GHz 4-core
USB-C and USB-A ports, and Intel i7, up to 8GB RAM
a reasonable webcam… but ● 323x219x18mm, 1.2kg

Stuff says A little rough around the bezels, but the Swift’s got
it where it counts with quality in important areas ★★★✩✩

64

P1-5 laptops.indd 64 04/03/2021 18:45

 G R O U P T E S T L AT E S T L A P T O P S

FUEL’S OVERTURE
Dell’s ExpressCharge
feature will give the
Inspiron an 80% juice
Dell Inspiron 14 5000
boost in around an
What’s the story? Thunderbolt and no Windows
hour, in case you’re
The Inspiron is a familiar sight Hello support (which is quickly
ever not working
in consumer computing, and becoming a standard addition
from home.
with good reason: Dell always at this price). Despite that, it’s
turns out reliable, well-built a quick and effective laptop,
and affordable machines. and Dell has another strength:
The 5000 series especially the sheer breadth of the
punches above its weight. Inspiron 5000 range.
The £549 14in model we’re Our 14in model is a hybrid
reviewing here is slim and with plenty of chip choice. Go
has a smart drop-hinge for smaller with a 13in, go larger
a better typing angle. with 15in, or explore further
hybrid options – you really
Is it any good? are spoilt for choice, and it’s
Skinny screen bezels aid the likely extra AMD-chipped
Inspiron’s appearance, and it’s variants will arrive in a few
got USB-C, HDMI and microSD months. For everyday use,
slots. The Ryzen 5 4500U the Inspiron is impressively
CPU can handle the basics quick, sturdy and slim at
plus light photo-editing and a low price.
esports gaming. The battery
lasts around nine hours, and Price from £549 /
the display has a contrast stuff.tv/Inspiron14
ratio that sits beyond 1000:1 ● 14in 1920x1080 IPS
with acceptable colours. ● Up to 2GHz 8-core AMD
There are some negatives. Ryzen 7 or 2.8GHz 4-core
The display could be brighter Intel i7, up to 8GB RAM
and punchier, there’s no ● 321x216x17.9mm, 1.4kg

Stuff says Dell’s latest impressive Inspiron comes in

a multitude of flavours at attractive prices ★★★★✩

THUMB MIGHT SAY

The 714’s optional
embedded fingerprint Acer Chromebook 714
reader is a first for any
Chromebook, with What’s the story? OS is a perfectly efficient
your biometrics being Acer’s budget credentials browser-based system. You
stored locally on the don’t stop with the Swift 3, score a couple of USB-C ports
laptop itself. because its Chromebook 714 plus USB-A and a microSD
is also a tempting bit of kit. card slot. The Bluetooth
It looks tip-top in gunmetal connectivity, fingerprint
aluminium, and the solid build reader, webcam, keyboard
quality is bolstered by a 180° and trackpad are all excellent
hinge that means it can be for the price.
laid flat for co-working and There are some limitations.
student tasks. At 1.6kg it’s a little heavier
than most 14in machines, the
Is it any good? display could render a wider
The 714 gets a 14in 1080p range of colours, and the
display with a solid contrast speakers are weak. But for
ratio and colour accuracy. cloud-based computing at
Our review model is powered a good price, the Chromebook
by a Core i3 processor; it’s 714 passes the test due to
not groundbreaking hardware solid all-round performance,
but it is capable of handling a capable keyboard and
browser-based tasks with generous features.
efficiency. And should you
require more speed, a Core Price from £500 /
i5 version is available. stuff.tv/Acer714
Battery life is fair, with the ● 14in 1920x1080 IPS
machine chugging along for ● Up to 1.6GHz 4-core Intel
nearly 12 hours in everyday Core i5, up to 8GB RAM
use, and of course Chrome ● 323x239x18mm, 1.6kg

Stuff says Smart design, ergonomics and features make this

an adept and affordable Chrome OS companion ★★★★✩

65

P1-5 laptops.indd 65 04/03/2021 18:46

 TESTED AMAZON ECHO SHOW 10

Highly revolved
Amazon’s latest Echo Show puts a rotating tablet
on top of a smart speaker to follow you around the
room… but don’t worry, only when you want it to

£240 / stuff.tv/Show10 1
It’s not even been around for four
years yet, but it feels like Amazon’s
Echo Show has already had as
many iterations as Batman.
The Echo Show 10 is here to
expand the Alexa-powered smart Pivot away
display’s capabilities even further. The Echo Show’s brushless
Like the old 2nd-gen Show, it has motor allows it to spin 175° in
a 10.1in touchscreen and a front either direction, so it can always
camera, but this time it’s mounted face you when you address it.
to what looks like a squashed Echo It’s a tablet with a pretty sizeable
Studio… and can follow you around bezel (1), plus a front mic and a
the room using a silent motor. 13MP front-facing camera – with
So, unlike anything before it multiple ways to disable it if you
bearing the Show name, this is want to.
two devices in one. First you’ve
got the fabric-wrapped speaker, You’re a big twirl now
which houses a pair of 1in tweeters It’s worth noting this is quite
and a 3in woofer. Attached to that a bit taller than the 2018 Echo
is the tablet, which can tilt back or Show 10. We know this because
forward, but not so far back that we can no longer open the
it’s facing the ceiling. That would kitchen cupboard, plus it requires
be ridiculous, unless you’ve got extra space for rotating. But in
some really great cornicing. either charcoal or white (2), we
Given that all of this pushes the like its (whisper it) Apple-like
[ Words Matt Tate ]

price up a bit, is the Show 10 worth appearance.

taking over its various still-on-sale
predecessors, or are you better off Let’s twist again
sticking rather than twisting? If you’re into your eco-friendly
gadgets (see p36 for more of
those), the Echo Show 10 is
built using 30% post-consumer
recycled plastics (3), and entirely
recycled fabric and aluminium.
Low-power mode will turn the
screen off intelligently during 2
periods of inactivity.

You reely got me Pirouette dream

Setup requires Device Mapping Using computer vision and
to determine the range of motion, echolocation to track where
then works like this: say the wake you are, the processing is done
word and the screen swivels to locally and deleted after each
face you and will then follow your interaction. It works really well
movements whether you’re on most of the time: smooth, silent
a video call (4), following a recipe and rarely unable to locate you.
or watching Netflix or Amazon It also works as a smart security
Prime Video. camera (5).

Swivelling Alexa’s Doubles as

functionality still a great a solid smart
works well assistant speaker
GOOD Still lacking
MEH some app
EVIL support
Hefty old Demands
display more room
bezels than ever

66

Q1_2 Tested Echoshow 10.indd 66 05/03/2021 15:26

 Turning love
Streaming services TESTED AMAZON ECHO SHOW 10
including Apple Music
and Netflix are on board,
but not BBC iPlayer or
Disney+. YouTube is
possible but only
via a browser.
5

Tech specs
Display 10.1in 1280x800 touchscreen
Audio 2x 1in tweeters, 3in woofer
Connectivity Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth
Camera 13MP
Dimensions 251x230x172mm, 2.56kg
3

Gyrate you so much right now

The Echo Show 10 puts in a capable performance as
4 two smart devices in one: a camera and a speaker

n Turn it up n Turn heads

With what is essentially Sound isn’t 360° like the
a standalone speaker for standard Echo, but the
the first time in this line, speaker rotates with the
the Echo Show 10 is a screen so the front-firing
decent purveyor of music tweeters can be pointed at
for the kitchen or living wherever you are for the
room. The sound’s not best results. Want a bit
quite up there with the more bass? You can tweak
Echo Studio, though. the EQ in the Alexa app.

n Turn a blind eye n Turn it off

This 10.1in 1280x800 You might want to
display certainly isn’t switch off the Adaptive
going to replace your Brightness feature for
telly, or probably even entertainment, though.
your regular tablet for While it’s gentler on the
streaming films, but we eyes in regular use, it dulls
found it adequate for colour reproduction in TV
watching a bit of Song shows. And the big bezel
Exploder while cooking. can be an annoyance.

This is the best Echo Show to date, and that’s STUFF SAYS HHHH✩
down to its genuinely useful rotating ability. It The revolving trick makes
makes apps that require you to look at the screen
instantly more appealing, as they’re always in
this an undoubtedly handy
front of you when you look up. The speaker is also but far from essential
pretty good, making this is an impressively versatile device… upgrade on the previous
but £240 is a lot if you already have a Show. @MattWTate Echo Show

67

Q1_2 Tested Echoshow 10.indd 67 05/03/2021 15:26

 GET THE BEST GADGET
DEALS WITH STUFF

In the mag Online

We pick out the Choose from
best price for our roster of
every featured great-value
product retailers

Ever wondered what’s up with the links in Stuff? We’ve got a team of retail pros who
scour the web to find you the best gadget deals – visit any stuff.tv link in this issue and
you’ll be taken to the best deal for that product. If you make a purchase, we may get
a small commission. It’s that simple, and has no impact on how much you pay.

Pub3 Stuff retail.indd 74 04/03/2021 19:18

 T E S T E D B O L D S M A R T LO C K

For those about to lock Dutch firm Bold wants you to ditch your
door keys and place all your trust in an
app… but is it just a lockin’ role fantasy?
from £180 / stuff.tv/BoldLock

■ There’s something amiss with

the Bold Smart Lock – it’s arrived
without keys. Rivals like the
Brisant-Secure Ultion Smart
and August Smart Lock include
key-entry options, but not here.
Lock of ages It’s either your phone or enter
The battery covers a PIN by rotating the knob.
20,000 activations.
This could deplete ■ Before installing the cylinder
quickly on some lock you have to connect it to
premises, so the app Bold’s app. The company has so
warns you months far refrained from joining any of
in advance. the main smart home platforms,
instead opting to use its own
getaway, although integration
is planned for later this year.

■ Swapping cylinders is pretty

easy and doesn’t necessitate
a locksmith. From there the lock
senses when you’re approaching
and activates itself. This is an
unnerving if smooth process,
and perhaps the absence of
recognised smart home platforms
helps to speed up the process.

■ Giving guests time-limited

access is one of Bold’s strongest
features and it’s simple – you
just send them an invite by text
message. In fact the hassle is
all theirs because they’ll need to
download the app, so you’d better
hope they’re smartphone-savvy.

■ Bold primarily works via

Bluetooth, but bundle it with
the optional Bold Connect hub
and it becomes internet-connected
for remote management, and
with multiple locks if required.
This worked a treat for keeping
tabs on the gaff while out walking
■ Lock and a hard place ■ Lock-blockin’ beats and meant we could even let the
A cylinder lock is the weakest On the digital security side there’s cleaner in.
part of a door, so Bold redesigned two-factor authentication and
this one from the ground up. It’s AES128 end-to-end encryption. Tech specs
Dutch SKG three-star-rated, the That’s good, but not great. The
highest score possible, meaning it Brisant smart lock has AES256, Connectivity Bluetooth
should delay burglars with heavy so four extra rounds of encryption Compatibility Android, iOS
tools for at least five minutes. for hackers to get through. Battery life Up to 2 years

STUFF SAYS A smart lock with much to give, let down by some rough edges HHH✩✩

It’ll lock around The first job of a smart lock is to instil confidence in the customer before they’ve even
the clock, but it bought one, and we’re not sure Bold’s overreliance on its app, the completely keyless
falls short in key entry and the AES128 encryption do that. The product itself is well designed, simple to
areas (literally) install and easy to operate, and we can even overlook the lack of smart home platform
James Day support; but when the specs leave lingering doubts, it becomes a tough sell.

69

R1 Tested bold smart lock.indd 69 04/03/2021 17:09

 BETA YOURSELF

VIEWING HABITS
Want to get more from your telly? Then have tech make it
better, from tracking shows to streamlining subscriptions.
Craig Grannell makes his eyes suitably square to reveal all…

THE BASICS ■ Take your time

You might grumble when a
series is drip-fed on a weekly
■ Give your box a box basis, but sometimes it can
Modern tellies have apps, but be good to watch one episode
don’t buy one on that basis. and then get the chance to
If you’re not happy with the think and chat about it (yes,
smart features your TV has, like in the olden days). So don’t
a better bet is to plug in a always blaze through every
streaming box. You can revel show at breakneck speed:
in its feature set… and in the recognise when limiting intake
fact that you’ll later be able to of a series might increase
switch or upgrade affordably. your enjoyment.
See the sidebar opposite for
our top picks. ■ Dip into streams
■ Track habits We’re now at a point where
■ Set up profiles Streaming and on-demand streaming services are the
Living with someone who services don’t make it easy to only way to watch certain
has different tastes? In a figure out what you want to series or films – some of
house with kids who probably watch and what you’ve already which are cultural events.
shouldn’t be watching The End seen – and managing that can Unless you’ve deep pockets,
of the F**king World just yet? be tricky if you use a bunch of subscribing to everything
Set up profiles for services them. So instead use an app won’t be viable. So dip into
you subscribe to, so one to create a watchlist and track some services for a month
person’s viewing habits don’t where you’ve got to in any or two, burning through
impact on others’. Consider given series. Freebie JustWatch their best bits – and set
additional ‘adults’ and ‘family’ is a good bet and adds basic up calendar alerts that’ll
profiles for viewing together. thumbs-up/down ratings too. remind you to cancel.

GO OLD-SCHOOL

■ Enjoy the ’view

Got a hankering to watch
some live TV? Grab Freeview
and relevant other apps to
Infuse yourself gawp at what’s on right now…
Got an Apple TV and and then, five minutes into Mrs
cloud storage or a NAS? Brown’s Boys, remember why
Upload DRM-free video you switched to on-demand
to your storage and use the in the first place.
Infuse app to fling it at the
Apple TV – no fancy ■ Plex your muscles
server required. Plex lets you stream from
a Plex Media Server (a PC
or NAS device with support),
but the app also adds access
to live shows and loads of films
you’ve never heard of. It’s like
someone tipped a DVD bargain
bin into your phone – and can
be quite entertaining.

70

S1_2 Beta yourself TV.indd 70 04/03/2021 17:13

 GOGGLE
BOXES

AMAZON
FIRE TV CUBE
You could shove a Fire
TV Stick 4K into the back
of your telly for half the
price and get most of the
same features; but the
premium choice is more
powerful and lets you
bellow across the room
to start playing your
favourite show.
£110 / amazon.co.uk

CHROMECAST
WITH GOOGLE TV
A solid ‘plug it in and
forget about it’ option,
DON’T JUST Google’s dongle is a
WATCH… great buy. Chromecast
combines all your
streaming apps on
■ Account for yourself a single screen, and
You don’t have to create an you can control it all
account to use JustWatch, via a dinky remote with
but you’ll get more out of the voice capabilities.
service if you do. So sign up, £60 / store.google.com
BECOME A FILM BUFF tell it what country you live DO IT TOGETHER
in, and outline the streaming
and on-demand services you
■ Flick through flicks care about. ■ Be a Disney rascal
Letterboxd gives you several Want to watch the MCU’s
entry points into finding films ■ Serve up services latest with distant friends?
to watch: a news feed, a grid Know you absolutely have to Assuming you’ve all got
of popular items, reviews, and watch something, but don’t Disney+, you can kick off
a search function for browsing know which streaming service a stream together. Prod the
by various criteria. Pick a film it’s on? Search for it and GroupWatch icon and invite
and the app will tell you which JustWatch will – based on others to join. Then use ROKU STREAMBAR
services are streaming it. your account – list where WhatsApp to gripe about Clever Roku: sticking its
you can stream, rent or buy the risible plots. streaming smarts in a
■ Avoid repeats it, in SD, HD or 4K. soundbar means you’ve
You can go full-on Mark ■ Be a social animal got one less box to worry
Kermode if you want, ■ Get on the list If you fancy fully mashing about. HD, 4K and HDR
smashing out full-length Earlier we mentioned using social networking into your content with pleasingly
reviews and a film-watching JustWatch to track viewing streaming, try the Rave app beefy sound is simply
diary. Alternatively, ensure habits. The service integrates (rave.io). The top bit of the sensational at this
you don’t watch a duffer for a watchlist, to which you add screen plays videos and the price, and it doubles
a second time by tracking TV series and movies. There rest becomes a chat thread. as a Bluetooth speaker.
what you’ve viewed and are settings to filter lists that Just don’t drop spoilers if you £130 / roku.com
giving each flick a rating. have raged out of control. want to keep your friends.

71

S1_2 Beta yourself TV.indd 71 04/03/2021 17:13

 T E S T E D S A G E S M A R T O V E N P I Z Z A I O LO

A matter of crust
Outdoor pizza ovens are great, but Britain is cold
and wet… so Sage has designed an indoor cooker
that promises stone-baked sizzlers in two minutes

£700 / stuff.tv/Pizzaiolo 1
You can argue over crust
thickness, fruit-based toppings
and the merits of semolina flour
all you want, but the fact is, pizza
is great. Making your own can be
fun too, so it’s little wonder Google
searches for ‘pizza ovens’ have
quadrupled in the last year.
But not everyone wants to go
outside to stone-bake flatbread
every time they hear the call of
the wild (rocket); so while the
likes of Ooni and Gozney make
awesome al-fresco cookers (see
panel opposite), what we really
want is to make a passable ‘real’
pizza in the kitchen.
Enter the Sage Smart Oven 2
Pizzaiolo, a powerful indoor pizza
oven promising restaurant-quality
thin and crispy, wood-fired-style
and even deep-pan deliciousness
without any danger of burning
the house down.
[ Words Chris Haslam ]

It’s a serious-looking device,

with robust controls and a solid
double-glazed door. But it’s the
taste that really matters – time
to get a slice of the action.

Uptown grill And so it glows New York state of rind

Sage’s stainless steel cooker Capable of 400°C, it delivers Not all pizzas need searing
comes with a traditional pizza wood-fired heat minus the wood temperatures, so things can
stone and a clever non-stick in under two minutes. That’s be adjusted to cook deep-pan,
deep-pan dish with a removable terrifyingly hot. A combination New York-style, thin and crispy,
handle. There’s also a nicely of conductive, convective and wood-fired, and even frozen (3).
designed all-metal pizza peel. radiant tech crisps bases and A clever magnetic chart fits over
It’s a great-looking appliance bubbles mozzarella, with a top the controls to help guide your
with retro vibes that can be kept halo ring producing the classic style, including how dark you’d
at hand on a kitchen worktop (1). leopard-spotted crust (2). like your base.

Gorgeous Simple, Yep, Authentic

retro idiot-proof 400°C… pizza in two
design controls indoors minutes
GOOD Chef skills
MEH still needed,
EVIL though
Costs
more than
your oven

72

T1_2 Tested SAGE pizzaiolo.indd 72 05/03/2021 15:24

 T E S T E D S A G E S M A R T O V E N P I Z Z A I O LO
It’s still hot
and cold to me
Seven preset modes
take temperatures from
175 to 400°C, but the
oven’s exterior stays
safely warm to
the touch.

Tech specs
Power 2250W
Max temperature 400°C
Capacity 30cm pizza
Settings 7 presets, manual mode
Dimensions 470x461x270mm, 15kg

We did start the fire

If you have enough space out back, embrace garden
cooking with one of these patio-friendly pizza ovens
4

Ooni Koda 16 Gozney Roccbox

Ooni revolutionised how Promising a Neapolitan
good home-cooked pizza pizza in 60 seconds, the
could taste, and with the Roccbox can hit 500°C and
5 gas-powered Koda 16 it’s lets you switch between
produced its biggest oven gas-powered laziness and
yet, capable of reaching authentic wood-burning
500°C and producing 16in with a removable burner
pizzas in no time at all. box (£100).
£499 / ooni.com £399 / gozney.com

Gozney Dome DeliVita

Steams from an Italian restaurant Mozzarella about it This pro-grade outdoor Made in Yorkshire but
The oven heats up in 20 minutes, Controlling cooking at 400°C still oven also has wood or gas the closest thing to an
but baking a margarita really does requires skill – dough thickness, options, with the flexibility authentic wood-fired brick
take under two minutes (4). Our choice of cheese and toppings to roast, smoke, steam oven for your garden, this
base was evenly cooked, the are all factors to juggle. Switching and bake as well as bash 30kg tabletop job has a
cheese properly melted… and to thin and crispy meant longer out countless pizzas. The clay-lined interior. Master
the kitchen smelt heavenly. cooking times (5), but the pizzas 30mm-thick stone floor it and you’ll have perfect
Sliding the pizza out is easy and were consistent. Deep-pan took heats fast and stays hot. pizzas in 90 seconds.
it only takes a couple of minutes 18 minutes… with deliciously £999 / gozney.com £1195 / delivita.co.uk
to heat up again for round two. indulgent results.

If you’re serious about pizza, the Smart Oven STUFF SAYS HHHHH
Pizzaiolo is a giver of dreams. It’s stylish, easy For proper pizza with
to use and impressively consistent. The various
settings really do work, and being able to tweak
kitchen convenience,
them to your taste means you’re unlikely to you knead to find the
grow out of using it – a problem with so many kitchen dough for this excellent
gadgets. @chrishaslam indoor oven

73

T1_2 Tested SAGE pizzaiolo.indd 73 05/03/2021 15:24

 ORDER OUR NEXT ISSUE NOW
AND GET FREE DELIVERY*

DON’T
MISS OUT!
PAY THE NORMAL SHOP
PRICE* AND GET THE NEXT
ISSUE DELIVERED DIRECT
TO YOUR DOOR

ORDER ONLINE AT SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/STUMAY21

CALL NOW ON 01959 543747** & QUOTE STUMAY21
Terms and conditions apply. You should receive your copy around 15 April. Front cover is for illustration purposes only and is subject to change.
*Delivery is included in the cover price for UK customers only. An additional £1 will be added to any overseas addresses.
**Lines are open Mon-Fri 8:30am–5:30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate.

Pub4 Next issue.indd 68 04/03/2021 17:48

 T E S T E D I R I S F LO W

Algorithm is gonna get you

You’re not short of options for £350-ish
cans, but only these have software
to make all your songs sound ‘live’
£379 / stuff.tv/IrisFlow

■ Backed to the tune of £340,000

on Indiegogo, the Iris Flow cans
have an algorithm that “splits
Green sleeve out and increases the phase
Props to Iris for the information sent to the brain”,
minimal packaging. In which Iris says stimulates “active
the recyclable box you’ll listening”. Sounds like rampant
find just a carry case plus marketing guff, but it’s backed
the necessary cables. by a Goldsmiths scientific study.
The dolphins will
be happy. ■ The tech is claimed to give music
a “heightened live dimension” so
it sounds like it’s being performed
rather than just played. They
certainly feel luxurious enough,
with synthetic leather earcups
that are soft and thick, a bit like
a golden retriever.

■ Iris has opted for physical

volume and play/pause buttons
rather than touch controls. Less
easy to find is the Iris button, which
activates the unique algorithm.
Press it and a white glow appears
beneath the cups.

■ Without the algorithm the Iris

Flow are solid performers, their
40mm beryllium drivers giving
good balance, natural-sounding
vocals and a keen grasp of bass.
Turning the magic on gives a
volume bump and things certainly
sound fuller, adding some oomph.

■ The stereo effect becomes

less pronounced too, although
things aren’t necessarily mashed
together. You can still pick out
individual instruments – they’re
just less artificially separated.
Does it make songs sound better,
though? That entirely depends
what’s playing, but it does give
■ All shook app ■ Noise, don’t cry tracks a bit more room to breathe.
The algorithm works with any With most pairs of headphones
source, whether over Bluetooth in this price range you’d expect Tech specs
or via the mini-jack cable. You active noise-cancelling and
can use the Iris Listen Well app maybe automatic pausing when Connectivity Bluetooth 5 aptX
to tweak its intensity; the app you take them off. You get neither HD, 3.5mm, USB-C, USB-A
also works as an introduction here; Iris says ANC would be Battery life Up to 37hrs
to Iris’s technology. detrimental to the sound. Weight 315g

STUFF SAYS Forward-thinking and often entertaining, but not right for everyone HHHH✩

A smart idea It’s going up against the Nuraphone in the ‘better than just hi-fi’ headphones market,
locked up in a but this is not a product for audio purists. Even so, if you’re less bothered about what’s
pricey pair of ‘correct’ and just want your music to sound good, there’s a lot to like here. While the tech
headphones feels better suited to a feature in a streaming app rather than a pair of headphones, that
Tom Wiggins doesn’t stop the Iris Flow from providing an interesting and impressive showcase.

75

V1 Tested IrisFlow.indd 75 04/03/2021 17:18

 TWO WEEKS WITH LEGO VIDIYO

Craft punk
Will Lego get lucky one more time with its latest mix of AR and plastic?
Craig Grannell and child (plus iPhone) spend a fortnight trying to find out…
from £3.99 / stuff.tv/Vidiyo

DAY 01
I love Lego, yet I approach Vidiyo with a boring shooting game. This with Lego Dots-like designs at least three BeatBits) and
with trepidation. This isn’t the time you shoot video, directing on the rear and storage for project the result in AR. The
toy brand’s first foray into AR, music promos for bands whose BeatBits tiles. BeatBits become in-app buttons
as it seeks to remain ‘down with members are based on real-world The figures look great, but to trigger effects, like turning
the kids’ in an increasingly digital sets – think collectable minifigs the app is clunky. It needs a huge the band into pandas (and having
world; but previous Lego AR apps crossed with TikTok. data download, and too often more pandas rain on them – sorry,
have lacked the spark and fun of The child gleefully agrees to throws up a ‘please wait’ screen. WWF) or having a Lego cat blaze
real-world brick-building. again be my co-reviewer and We’re asked to scan in our figures, across the screen, leaving a
Recent effort Hidden Side tried frees the four supplied kits but one repeatedly fails. Sorry, rainbow trail in its wake. It’s all
harder than most, ambitiously from their boxes. We have two ice-cream saxophonist – you a bit psychedelic, man.
striving to marry the real and Bandmates (£3.99 blind buys) don’t have the L-factor. Oh well, However, this is pure Lego:
virtual, but ended up combining and two BeatBoxes, larger £17.99 with three figures scanned we’re your kids can’t be ‘in’ the band.
imaginative horror-infused kits sets that add a stage, a carry case able to create a band (The Sincere Lego says this is because the
Unicorns), shoot cover art and Vidiyo service is designed to
You direct music videos for bands who kick off a performance. be anonymised – videos with
We select a track (Universal recognisable people will be
are based on real-world sets – think has supplied a bunch), scan a rejected if uploaded to the social
collectable minifigs crossed with TikTok minifig on a stand/stage (with feed, to keep kids safe.

76

W1_2 LTT lego vydiyo.indd 76 05/03/2021 15:23

 LO N G -T E R M T E S T

01 06
Donut of Truth™
01 Varied and imaginative 04 Minifigs and BeatBits work
02 05 minifig character designs within broader Lego setups
02 App is usable with loads 05 App can be sluggish, with
of customisation options awkward AR stage placement
03 Social feed moderation 06 Bandmates being blind
03 04 keeps young kids safe buys feels consumer-hostile

BeatBits tiles
are key, acting as
triggers for effects
and character
moments during
recording.

a shot – but then becomes

DAY 02 enraptured by the social feed.
Lego offers three fixed-size AR As a parent, I’m less enamoured
stages. Having tried ‘human’, we’re by that. You can only download
keen to try the ‘kaiju’ one, inspired moderated feed submissions,
by a Lego PR shot of a giant minifig which is again to protect kids but
above a lake… but we can’t get the feels very ‘walled garden’.
Lego band in frame. The child grabs
the iPhone to start customising
her band. That bit, at least, is DAY 11
working well. The remaining BeatBoxes arrive.
The child is shaking with glee.
A flurry of building later, she says
DAY 03 Party Llama (a sort of hairy Bez on
We go minifig-scale to integrate rollerskates) is the best because
the band with the nipper’s existing he’s “cool and funny”, but she
Lego town. The stage starts out loves Unicorn DJ and the posable
microscopic, but it works better HipHop Robot too. We’ve by now
when I shift focus to the floor and unlocked plenty of extra costumes,
back. Lego explains the inflexible layouts and choreography.
UI reduces complexity, but avoiding
tap-to-place/pinch-to-resize
controls has made things awkward DAY 14
and finicky. When it works, though, Two weeks in, Vidiyo’s premise
the child beams and the BeatBits remains fun and the child says the
tiles provide varied and imaginative
effects and actions.
app is “cool because AR makes
real things that aren’t really there”. STUFF SAYS
I have concerns about longevity,
though, and the app remains laggy. Flawed but fun,
DAY 08 Customisation is solid, but stage Vidiyo is Lego’s
Another BeatBox, Candy Mermaid,
arrives. Immediately the child
placement is limited.
Still, the broader experience
best crack yet
wants to create a new band, her is focused, breezy and in vogue, at merging
broader interest in the app having
waned over the week. She delves
given society’s obsession with
pop stars and social feeds. And
digital and
into band layouts and shoots even when the app aspect of plastic play
videos, utilising its sole editing Vidiyo fades, the minifigs will HHHH✩
function of pausing to reframe enliven any Lego town.

77

W1_2 LTT lego vydiyo.indd 77 05/03/2021 15:23

 TESTED GAMES

Switch / stuff.tv/MarioFury

Super Mario 3D World

+ Bowser’s Fury
The wildly entertaining Wii U game that brought us multiplayer three-dimensional
Mario for the first time gets a Switch port – and a bonus Bowser adventure

uper Mario 3D World as you pursue Bowser and his royal happening on screen… but that’s audition for a proper open-world
S was the first title where
Nintendo’s plumber could
prisoner. But don’t mistake the
traditional structure for a lack
kind of the point.
We were a bit disappointed with
Mario game in the future, we can
safely say it’s passed.
pretend to be a cat, so a straight-up of imagination, because this is last year’s Super Mario 3D All-Stars. If you didn’t get to play 3D World
port for the Switch would have been Nintendo at its most relentlessly As fantastic as two of the three the first time around, consider this
fine by us; but with Bowser’s Fury creative. You haven’t played a games in that collection still are, another must-have title for what
added you’re getting two separate Mario game until you’re controlling it just felt like a lazy remaster. But is fast becoming the ultimate Mario
games in one package. a quartet of Cat Marios (or Luigis, you simply can’t make the same machine. As for players wondering
Those yet to play Super Mario Toads or Peaches) in unison. argument against this latest Mario if Bowser’s Fury makes it worth
3D World are in for a treat in the Up to four people can play at re-release. While Super Mario 3D the double dip, well, see the panel
mould of the 2D platformers where once (oh, and there’s also an online World is largely the same brilliant opposite. We think it’s as good
the mascot made his name: you’re multiplayer mode), turning each game as it was back in 2013 on the as bonus content gets – although
running, hopping and stomping course into a manic race to the Wii U, the bolted-on Bowser’s Fury we wouldn’t risk making him even
your way through abundantly goal pole. It’s nigh-on impossible plays with the Mario formula in angrier by saying otherwise.
colourful, mostly linear courses to keep track of what the hell is really exciting ways. If this is an Matt Tate

STUFF SAYS A sleeper classic + an experimental 3D offshoot = one hell of a package ★★★★★
78

X1_2 Games Mario.indd 78 05/03/2021 15:22

 TESTED GAMES

You will like me

when I’m angry
Bowser’s Fury is a standalone
Mario adventure that takes
3D World’s assets and remixes
them into an open-world
environment.
On a rare day off from
princess-kidnapping, Bowser’s
been possessed by a sinister
black goop, turning him
Godzilla-big and even angrier
than usual. Persuaded by
Bowser Jr to help put an end
to his dad’s rampage, Mario
heads to the islands of Lake
Lapcat, hunting down Cat
Shines with the de-gooping
properties to gradually reduce
big Bowser’s power.
In contrast to 3D World’s
Actually, having a plumber But if we caught him doing get-to-the-goal simplicity,
small enough to fit inside this we’d want him struck Bowser’s Fury is a Mario game
pipes could be useful. off the Gas Safe Register. more like Odyssey or even
the controversial Sunshine.
But those games still have
individual levels that you enter
and leave; this is the first truly
open-world Mario title, with no
loading times and a real sense
of freedom, while the heavily
feline-themed Lake Lapcat is
great fun to explore.
The game showcases what
happens when Nintendo allows
its developers to get weird,
and it really makes the most
of its 6hr-ish runtime. The
platforming doesn’t quite feel
like Mario at his peak but it’s
always enjoyable, and ramps
up the challenge with time
trials and trickier enemies.

79

X1_2 Games Mario.indd 79 05/03/2021 15:22

 TESTED GAMES

all platforms / stuff.tv/Nightmares2

Little Nightmares II
The follow-up to Tarsier Studios’ terrifying horror puzzle-platformer feels
like a bigger game with even more nasty moments to give you goosebumps

f the grotesque imagery adventure alone, as you’ll quickly

I of twisted bodies and
cannibalism in Little
meet a girl trapped in a house who
turns out to be Six from the first
Nightmares left you wondering game… and events subsequently
what the heck is going on in unfold that may even indicate Tsk, the real
its wider world, you’re about you’re playing a prequel. nightmare here
to find out. Instead of being Each chapter is distinct in its is what that
mostly underwater, you begin mechanics and keeps things fresh, posture must
Little Nightmares II in the woods, even if the game holds onto the
be doing for
approaching what’s left of formula of suspense during chase
civilisation in a place apparently sequences where you’re always her spine.
controlled by some mysterious just a few frames away from
transmission. being caught. It’s these moments,
There are derelict homes, however, that highlight Little
oppressive classrooms, and Nightmares II’s shortcomings:
structures defying logic that it looks like a 2D platformer but
continue the idea of presenting you’re usually moving in 3D space,
a horrible adult world from a and the mostly side-on camera
child’s perspective. The implied makes simple movements more
cannibalism of the original is less fussy than they should be.
prevalent, but you’ll still have nasty Still, that doesn’t outweigh the “I’m sure
depraved people after you. haunting atmosphere that powers there’s a copy
The other shift is that you play you through to the delightfully of Fly Fishing
as new character Mono, a boy who WTF conclusion. Beautifully horrid by JR Hartley
wears a paper bag over his head. with even more twisted set-pieces in here
He’s even able to put up a bit of to keep you up at night, Little
somewhere…”
a fight, as this game introduces Nightmares II succeeds in shining
light combat to the hide-and-seek a flickering light over its grotesque
stealth and platforming. But even world while still keeping much of it
though he’s called Mono, you enveloped in mystery.
won’t be going through this Alan Wen

STUFF SAYS Still a tense, frightening experience even if you’ve got company ★★★★✩
80

X3 Games Nightmares.indd 80 04/03/2021 17:22

 DELVE DEEPER INTO THE WORLD OF
PROPER CAMERAS AND UP YOUR
PHOTOGRAPHIC GAME
Subscribe today The essential bible
and SAVE 25% for camera lovers
NEW! FROM THE
PUBLISHER OF

Get the following

every 4 weeks:
How to improve your
photo technique
Advice on the best
kit for you

New monthly edition from the

Amateur Photographer team

3 Great reasons to subscribe

just 1 Free home delivery
£23.99 2 Never miss an issue
3 Save over £16

ORDER Visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/APPADS

NOW Call 01959 543 747 and quote APPADS
*UK Direct Debit offer only pay just £23.99 for 6 issues

AP Coast ad_002.indd 4
Stuff_2021_04_Apr_Kelsey House Advert_Amateur Photographer_FP.indd 1 29/01/2021 14:28
05/03/2021 11:59
 TOP
NEW

HOT
BUY
TEN
This gadget has
leapt straight
outta testing
and into our
rankings.

BARGAIN
OF EVERYTHING
Time changes
everything,
including Stuff
Top Ten entries.

BUY
UPDATE
Searing with
techy genius,
a product that’s A solid gold
set our hearts bargain.
aflame. Worth owning,
regardless of
cashflow.

HOW
TO USE
Smartphones 83 Tablets, consoles 90
Headphones 84 Games 91
Smartwatches, 85 E-bikes etc, electric cars 92

THEM
fitness tech Smart home 93
Laptops 86 VR headsets & games 94
Speakers 87 Drones & action cams, 95
TVs 88 tech toys
Soundbars, 89 Cameras 96
streamers Budget buys 97

Y1 Top 10 opener.indd 79 04/03/2021 17:24

 83 SMARTPHONES TOP TENS

1 HOT
BUY UPDATE

Samsung Galaxy
S20 5G
£895 / stuff.tv/S205G

This looks like a last hurrah for the Goldilocks

TIPS & of 2020 flagship phones: the Galaxy S20 5G
TRICKS is becoming hard to find since the arrival of
the S21 5G, a phone we haven’t finished with
Slide your thumb in just yet but which seems unlikely to replace
from the edge and it in the No1 slot. Anyway, while it’s still here,

● Prices quoted are for handset only unless otherwise stated

back for one-handed the ‘old’ S20 still delivers excellent battery life,
mode, which adjusts a phenomenal display, blistering performance
the screen layout. and superb photos.

Screen recording is Stuff says ★★★★★

great for capturing All the features you’d want in a flagship
Instagram live smartphone, plus a few more
sessions. You’ll find
it in system settings.
● NOW ADD THIS
Single-take mode SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive 128GB
uses all the lenses This USB-C drive will double your
to snap various stills S20’s 128GB storage to 256GB for
and video clips to a lot less than you might expect.
cherrypick from. £18 / amazon.co.uk

Apple iPhone 12 Pro

2 3 4 ★★★★★ from £999 / stuff.tv/12Pro
An iPhone for the few and not the many, the 12 Pro
is suited to serious photo fiddlers and AR explorers.

Realme X50 Pro 5G

5 ★★★★★ £450 / stuff.tv/X50Pro
Realme’s high-spec, mid-price marvel makes for
a compelling alternative to a OnePlus.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

6 ★★★★★ from £1099 / stuff.tv/12ProMax
The only choice if you want to fully Max your iPhone
experience… but not a big upgrade over the 12 Pro.

OnePlus 8
7 ★★★★★ from £549 / stuff.tv/OnePlus8
The mid-range Android king glides stylishly over the
5G hump. See also the plainer but zippier 8T model.

Apple iPhone 12 Mini

8
Apple iPhone 12 OnePlus Nord ★★★★★ from £699 / stuff.tv/12Mini
from £799 / stuff.tv/iPhone12 from £379 / stuff.tv/Nord
A 5.4in-screened cutie packing Apple’s lauded A14
Bionic chip and the same cameras as the iPhone 12.
We loved the iPhone 11, and its OnePlus wanted to get back to its
successor carries a whole host bargain roots with the Nord, and
Sony Xperia 5 II
9
of improvements. If you can live it’s mostly pulled it off. You may
without the telephoto camera of not get a top-end CPU, but the ★★★★★ £799 / stuff.tv/Xperia5ii
the flagship 12 Pro (and most can), rest is here: reliable performance, Everything we loved about the Xperia 1 II, made a lot
you should save yourself some a solid camera, a strong OLED more affordable with minimal compromise.
cash and get the 12 instead. In screen and plenty of storage…
many ways it’s the same phone. and it’s still classier than a Moto.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
10
NEW
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★ ★★★★✩ from £1149 / stuff.tv/S21Ultra
A top display and all the power you’ll This is one of the best-value 5G Earns its ‘Ultra’ name owing to an incredible camera
ever need in an iPhone smartphones you can buy array capturing moments other phones will miss.

FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW PHONES, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SMARTPHONES

Y2 Phones.indd 83 04/03/2021 17:27

 TOP TENS IN-EARS 84 ON/OVER-EARS TOP TENS

1 HOT
BUY
1 HOT
BUY

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

£250 / stuff.tv/QCE
Sony WH-1000XM4
£349 / stuff.tv/XM4

They’re bulkier than the average in-ears and come with With their perfect balance of wearability, active noise-cancelling
a ridiculously large case, but otherwise the QC Earbuds are prowess and audio performance, there just hasn’t been a better
difficult to knock. The noise-cancelling doesn’t do a disservice package than the Sony XM3s… until now. The XM4s look and
to the esteemed QC name, it’s hugely customisable, and the sound almost identical, but a range of new features – including
buds themselves sound great: bassier than you might expect, Speak-to-Chat, which stops the music when you start talking
but in a nicely rounded way that retains lots of detail. They’re at – aims to lure you away from your current ’phones. If those are
the upper end where price is concerned – but if silence is what the XM3s, it’s tough to justify the upgrade; but it’s going to take
you seek, you currently won’t find better. something extraordinary to knock Sony off its perch now.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★

A fun listen with excellent noise-cancelling skills, these Not surprisingly given their heritage, these are the best
are the best buds to stick in your ears all-round noise-cancelling headphones you can buy

Sony WF-1000XM3 Sony WH-1000XM3

2 £165 / stuff.tv/WFXM3
The way Sony’s XM3 buds serve up such
spectacular sound quality while being
2 £239 / stuff.tv/XM3
Only just outshone by the new XM4s, Sony’s
previous flagship over-ears still offer reliable
truly wireless, while effectively cancelling Bluetooth, great active noise-cancellation
background noise and while remaining and fantastic sound quality – and they’re now
comfortable in the ears, is quite something. available at a bargain price.
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★
Great design and stunning performance Sony’s last-gen ANC cans remain a class act

Technics EAH-AZ70W Bowers & Wilkins PX7

3 £160 / stuff.tv/AZ70W
Technics has shrunk down its hi-fi skills to
deliver affordable personal audio. While the
3 £339 / stuff.tv/PX7
B&W’s second ANC headphones place
greater emphasis on comfort and are all
charging case lacks a little juice, the AZ70s the better for it, while the noise-killing is
score highly for noise-cancelling and even as effective as you’ll find anywhere. Oh, and
higher when it comes to sound quality. they sound flipping good too.
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★
Technics’ true wireless debut is a sonic triumph B&W takes on the best with top-class cans

Campfire Audio Ara Bose NCH 700

4 ★★★★★ £1299 / stuff.tv/Ara
These exquisite in-ear monitors offer
a neutral tone with astonishing clarity.
4 ★★★★★ £350 / stuff.tv/BoseNCH700
Great ANC, and you won’t find a better voice
pickup system than Bose’s.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 Philips Fidelio X3

5 ★★★★★ £279 / stuff.tv/MTW2
A pleasure to listen to, no matter what sort
of music you want to hear.
5 ★★★★★ £249 / stuff.tv/FidelioX3
These bonkers-big cans are one of the best
ways we can think of to enjoy some ‘me time’.

TO READ THE FULL REVIEWS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/IN-EAR-HEADPHONES & STUFF.TV/TOP-10/HEADPHONES

Y4 Headphones.indd 84 05/03/2021 11:03

 TOP TENS SMARTWATCHES 85 FITNESS TECH TOP TENS

1 HOT
BUY
1 HOT
BUY
BARGAIN
BUY

Samsung Galaxy Watch3

from £299 / stuff.tv/GW3
Mi Smart Band 5
£26 / stuff.tv/MiBand5

Sneaking into the top berth courtesy of a slightly underwhelming With no installable apps, Xiaomi’s dinky wearable can’t stack up
Apple Watch update, Samsung’s gorgeous Watch3 is an easy to smartwatches or reply to notifications, but it can relay alerts
wearable to love. It’s superbly made and very attractive, and and track everything from sleep to workouts. It’s better than the
the spinning bezel makes it a joy to use. Samsung’s Tizen OS Mi Smart Band 4, thanks to a bigger and brighter screen, smarter
is slick too, with lots of customisation and shortcut options to software and a charger that’s much less annoying. The slightly
keep things feeling fresh – made all the better by a class-leading reduced battery life really isn’t an issue – and with the addition
screen. It also has all the fitness skills you’re ever likely to need, of activity, stress and menstrual cycle tracking, this is a sub-£30
with handy auto-tracking features. gift that keeps giving.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★

A beautiful and powerful piece of kit that you’ll be Fantastic value and decent features make this an easy
proud to have on your wrist fitness tracker to recommend

Garmin Fenix 6 Peloton Bike+

2 £414 / stuff.tv/Fenix6
Anyone who’s truly into their fitness will
appreciate the Fenix 6’s endless feature
2 £2295 + £39/m / stuff.tv/PelPlus
A fitness phenomenon based around a
connected bike with a Full HD touchscreen
list. This is the finest fitness watch money that streams live and on-demand training
can buy – if you’re getting more serious sessions 24/7. The ‘+’ version brings some
about shaping up, you can’t go wrong here. useful upgrades, including a bigger screen.
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★
The best fitness-orientated smartwatch Peloton owners look smug for a reason

Apple Watch Series 6 Wattbike Atom (Next Generation)

3 from £379 / stuff.tv/WatchS6
The Series 6 is a superb smartwatch with
ambitions to be a total wellness deity; but
3 £1899 / stuff.tv/WBAtom
The latest upgrade to the already exceptional
Wattbike Atom indoor cycling trainer brings
while the new sensors are useful, they’re electromagnetic resistance, enhanced
not vital for most. This is a fine statement sensors that check your data 1000 times
gadget, but there are better deals to be had. every second, plus improved power output.
Stuff says ★★★★✩ Stuff says ★★★★★
A great all-rounder, especially for iPhone users The benchmark for serious indoor cyclists

Apple Watch SE Slinger

4 ★★★★✩ from £269 / stuff.tv/WatchSE
The most obvious alternative to the Watch
Series 6 – and it looks identical.
4 ★★★★★ £780 / stuff.tv/Slinger
Finally, a tennis practice partner that genuinely
wants you to get better.

Oppo Watch Hyperice Hypervolt with Bluetooth

5 ★★★★✩ from £230 / stuff.tv/OW
This Apple Watch lookalike streamlines
Wear OS to put it ahead of many rivals.
5 ★★★★★ £348 / stuff.tv/Hyperice
A sadistic wellness coach that will pummel
you into a new personal best.

FOR THE FULL REVIEWS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SMARTWATCHES & STUFF.TV/TOP-10/FITNESS-TRACKERS

Y5 Wearables.indd 85 04/03/2021 17:29

 TOP TENS LAPTOPS 86

TIPS &
TRICKS
The Sidecar feature
on macOS Big Sur
lets you use an iPad
Apple charges a
hefty premium for
extra storage, so
1 HOT
BUY

as a second display
for your MacBook.
consider a cheaper
external SSD. Apple MacBook
Air (M1)
from £999 / stuff.tv/AirM1

The early-2020 version was already the best

MacBook Air ever – and this one brings a real
step up in power. Apple’s amazing new M1
processor means that, for once, we aren’t
hankering after a Pro for video editing and
graphics-heavy gaming. It’s a pity about the
rubbish camera, but this is a stunning laptop
in every other respect.
Stuff says ★★★★★
Our go-to MacBook just keeps getting
even go-to-er

● NOW ADD THIS

Anker PowerExpand
Turn the Air’s twin USB-C ports into
a media hub with a mix of HDMI, USB,
microSD and SD card connections.
£40 / uk.anker.com

Apple MacBook Pro 16in

2 3 4 ★★★★★ from £2399 / stuff.tv/MacBookPro16
Not just a bump up in screen size, but a serious
upgrade to the already top-class 15in Pro.

Dell XPS 13
5 ★★★★★ from £1399 / stuff.tv/XPS13
Style, portability, performance… there’s nothing
else out there that’s quite so well rounded.

Huawei MateBook X Pro

6 ★★★★★ from £790 / stuff.tv/MateBookXPro
Not massively better than the 2018 model, but
this is a real powerhouse of a Windows laptop.

Google Pixelbook Go
7 ★★★★✩ from £629 / stuff.tv/PixelbookGo
A light and stylish touchscreen laptop built for
those who like to live and work in the cloud.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go

8
Apple MacBook Pro 13in (M1) Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 ★★★★✩ from £549 / stuff.tv/LaptopGo
from £1299 / stuff.tv/Pro13M1 from £999 / stuff.tv/SurfaceLap3
A well-built ultraportable that does the basics
well, but others offer more power for less cash.
The new M1 chip has given this The Surface Laptop 3 seems plain
business-class performer an on paper – no second screen, no
MSI GS66 Stealth
9
injection of jet fuel. The 13in Pro graphics card, no hybrid hinge, no
remains a sturdy notebook, but fingerprint scanner – but Microsoft ★★★★✩ from £1349 / stuff.tv/GS66
its processing power is incredible. has put supreme attention to detail Gets hot and bothered at times, but a great fit
Our review unit, with just 8GB of into every bit that matters. The for gaming/work jugglers.
RAM, left a higher-specced 2020 keyboard, the speakers and the
Intel MacBook Pro in the dust. overall build quality are all superb.
Razer Blade 15 Advanced
10
UPDATE

Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★ ★★★★✩ from £2200 / stuff.tv/BladeAdvanced
Believe the hype: the Pro with an Forget frills and gimmicks: this A fine gaming laptop… but look out for the 2021
M1 chip inside kicks big, big bottom is everything a laptop should be models, including the Pro reviewed on p61.

FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW LAPTOPS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/LAPTOPS

Y6 Laptops.indd 86 04/03/2021 17:30

 87 SPEAKERS TOP TENS

TIPS &
TRICKS
You can control your
Move with the touch
controls on top, the
Auto Trueplay adapts
the Move’s sound
to different rooms,
1 HOT
BUY

Sonos app, Google

Assistant or Alexa.
while the app offers
additional EQ tweaks. Sonos Move
£399 / stuff.tv/SonosMove

The Sonos range of wireless speakers had been

crying out for a battery-powered portable model
for ages – and finally our favourite multiroom
audio specialist caved in. Luckily, the Move was
worth the wait. Its adaptability and sound quality
mean it’s fine value for money, and a no-brainer
for anyone who’s already a fan of the brand.
Not only is this the speaker Sonos should
have launched years ago – it’s one of the best
products of its type and price that we’ve heard.
Stuff says ★★★★★
Sonos finally gets up to speed with the
portable speaker craze, and in style

● NOW ADD THIS Primephonic

Bringing sexy Bach, this is streaming
for classical music. Niche, yes, but its
not-on-Spotify film and game scores
offer a great way into the genre.
from £9.99/month / primephonic.com

Audio Pro Drumfire

2 3 4
NEW
★★★★★ £650 / stuff.tv/Drumfire
Large, loud and lots of fun, this is one of the most
absurd and grin-inducing wireless speakers ever.

B&W Formation Wedge

5 ★★★★★ £900 / stuff.tv/BWWedge
Pricey, weird-looking… and a brilliant illustration
of what a wireless speaker is capable of.

Marshall Emberton
6 ★★★★★ £130 / stuff.tv/Emberton
A tiny speaker that packs an unexpected punch
without scrimping on refinement.

JBL Flip 5 Eco

7 ★★★★★ £120 / stuff.tv/Flip5Eco
A portable party speaker that does its bit for the
green cause while sounding fantastic.

Q Acoustics Q Active 200

8
NEW
Sonos One Naim Mu-so 2nd Generation ★★★★★ £1499 (pair) / stuff.tv/Q200
£179 / stuff.tv/SonosOne £1290 / stuff.tv/Mu-so2
The Q Active 200s marry serious audiophile
qualities with oodles of connectivity options.
The Sonos One is now a more The second Mu-so is a fuller,
well-rounded device than it was richer, more detailed and louder
Small Transparent Speaker
9
at launch, supporting Spotify with listen than the model it replaces,
voice control as well as Amazon with lots of added functionality, ★★★★★ £375 / stuff.tv/Transparent
Music and TuneIn Radio, while the and is every bit as handsome and Stylish, portable, loud enough for any bedside
early Alexa hiccups seem to have decorative. It’s more than capable table… and also available in matt black.
been fixed. It’s a class apart from of maintaining Naim’s position at
the competition. the front of the hi-fi pack.
KEF LSX
Stuff says ★★★★★
A great balance of sound and smarts
for forward-thinking audio nerds
Stuff says ★★★★★
Naim’s luxury wireless speaker
sequel is an improvement all round
10 ★★★★★ £999 (pair) / stuff.tv/KEFLSX
Fine stereo hi-fi sound without cables… see also
the LS50 Wireless II and passive LS50 Meta.

FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW HI-FI, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/HI-FI-STREAMING

Y7 Speakers.indd 87 04/03/2021 17:31

 TOP TENS TVs 88

TIPS &
TRICKS
Filmmaker Mode
switches off the
picture-processing so
Hit the remote’s
Ambilight button for
a selection of lighting
The soundbar can
be used as part of
a multiroom system
1 HOT
BUY

you see films the way

the director intended.
effects based on
motion or music.
with compatible DTS
Play-Fi speakers. Philips 48OLED+935
£1499 / stuff.tv/OLED935

A grand and a half for a 48in TV is no one’s

idea of a bargain. But when you consider
the level of audio-visual fidelity this money
buys, not to mention the convenience of
the integrated soundbar, it’s hard to suggest
the 48OLED+935 isn’t worth every penny.
Next-gen gamers may lament the lack of
HDMI 2.1, but for anyone other than the most
ardent button-bashers the lovely picture (with
Ambilight) is quite immersive enough.
Stuff says ★★★★★
Expensive for its size, but the wonderful
picture and sound justify the price

● NOW ADD THIS Philips TAW6205

This wireless DTS Play-Fi speaker
offers 40W of power, is wrapped in
Kvadrat acoustic fabric and includes
built-in Ambilight LEDs.
£179 / ao.com

LG OLED 65GX
2 3 4 ★★★★★ £2299 / stuff.tv/OLEDGX
Expensive, yes, but once you see it on your wall
you’ll forget all that.

LG OLED 55CX
5 ★★★★★ £1299 / stuff.tv/OLEDCX
LG knows exactly what it’s doing with OLED
and the results here are mighty impressive.

Sony KD65A8
6 ★★★★★ £1999 / stuff.tv/SonyA8
What’s a few gaps in specification when
performance is as barnstorming as this?

Philips 55OLED805
7
Philips 65OLED+984 Samsung 75Q950TS ★★★★★ £1499 / stuff.tv/OLED805
£2877 / stuff.tv/OLED984 £5999 / stuff.tv/Q950TS All the things we love about OLED without the
flagship price tag.
Only surpassed by the even It’s not like every home has even
better OLED+935 above, our taken up 4K yet, so who needs
Samsung QE65Q65T
8
second-favourite Philips TV an 8K telly? And yet, despite
offers outstanding picture everything – the price, the lack ★★★★★ £1099 / stuff.tv/Q65T
performance with universal of 8K content to actually watch, Overlook the humdrum sound and this is one of
HDR support, and goes above the price again – the Samsung the best pound-for-pound goggleboxes around.
and beyond what we expect 75Q950TS is an absolute stormer
from television sound thanks in the picture stakes. Upscaling
Sony KD-49XG9005
9
BARGAIN
to a custom-made speaker from lower resolutions is stunningly BUY
system from British hi-fi brand impressive; and if you positively ★★★★★ £849 / stuff.tv/XG9005
Bowers & Wilkins. Plus it looks must have the best images you Other Sony TVs are bigger and slimmer, but
gorgeous in any living room, can buy, along with as much none can match this one for value.
particularly with that four-sided future-proofing as possible, then
Ambilight in full effect. this is currently the TV for you.
Panasonic TX-58GX800
Stuff says ★★★★★
A television that goes big on design,
performance and sound
Stuff says ★★★★★
Ridiculously extravagant… but no
other 75in TV looks quite so elegant
10 ★★★★★ £889 / stuff.tv/58GX800
Not the last word in picture excellence, but this
is a lot of TV for the money.

FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW TELEVISIONS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/TVs

Y8 TVs.indd 88 04/03/2021 17:32

 TOP TENS SOUNDBARS 89 STREAMERS TOP TENS

1 HOT
BUY
1 HOT
BUY

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar

£2199 / stuff.tv/AmbeoSoundbar
Sky TV
from £25/month + setup / stuff.tv/SkyTV

Utterly convincing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D sound, ample Already home to the biggest selection of 4K content, from
power and lots of inputs mean no other soundbar currently blockbuster films and original dramas to top-flight sport, Sky
available can perform feats with the solidity and confidence has adopted a can’t-beat-’em-join-’em approach to streaming
of this Sennheiser. The sheer room-filling scale of this device’s by incorporating the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video,
sound is remarkable, and it’s hard to think of any content Disney+ and BT Sport in its user-friendly interface. It’s also
that wouldn’t benefit from being Ambeo’d. That’s why, as restructured its packages to make them more affordable, while
well as being the biggest and the most expensive, it’s the multiroom and mobile options round off the most comprehensive
best you can buy. content system money can buy.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★

The Ambeo Soundbar is a big unit but the sound it Sky has come out fighting to move with the times and
makes is bigger still its selection of shows is unrivalled

Sonos Arc Amazon Fire TV Cube

2 £799 / stuff.tv/SonosArc
Don’t expect this soundbar to do everything
a multi-speaker Dolby Atmos setup can do,
2 £110 / stuff.tv/FireTVCube
The Fire TV interface is easy to use and all
the big catch-up services are available via
but its up-firing and side-firing drivers give this tidy box – and best of all, Alexa voice
a real sense of scale for an immersively control works brilliantly. You’ll never have
cinematic TV-watching experience. to worry about losing the remote again!
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★
Big-screen sound for your big-screen binges A marvel of voice control for your telly

Roku Streambar Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

3 3
BARGAIN
BUY
£130 / stuff.tv/Streambar £50 / stuff.tv/FireStick4K
It’s a compact soundbar and a versatile This streaming stick offers 4K plus a faster
streaming stick in the same box – and both processor than the original Fire TV Stick,
parts of the deal work brilliantly well. This is and comes with an Alexa Voice Remote…
the simplest and cheapest way to upgrade but look out also for the cheaper non-4K
your TV’s sound and smarts in one go. version below, and the bargain Lite model.
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★
A punchy little bar with built-in streaming skills Simply a great 4K streaming stick

Sonos Beam Chromecast with Google TV

4 ★★★★★ £399 / stuff.tv/SonosBeam
Sonos’s great-value Alexa soundbar is
affordable and packed with smarts.
4 ★★★★★ £60 / stuff.tv/ChromecastTV
A solid buy if you like Google’s casting tricks
but also want all your TV apps in one place.

Yamaha SR-C20A Amazon Fire TV Stick

5 5
NEW
★★★★★ £229 / stuff.tv/SRC20A ★★★★★ £40 / stuff.tv/FireStick
At 60cm wide, this is a little bit of a soundbar A solid little HD streamer for all the best bits
that can do a little bit of everything. of Amazon and more.

FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE PRODUCTS IN OUR TOP TEN LISTINGS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10

Y9 Soundbars and streamers.indd 89 04/03/2021 17:33

 TOP TENS TABLETS 90 CONSOLES TOP TENS

1 HOT
BUY
1 HOT
BUY

Apple iPad Air (2020)

from £579 / stuff.tv/iPadAir
Sony PlayStation 5
£450 / stuff.tv/PS5

The 4th-generation iPad Air ushers in big changes. It looks the The PS5 is not a modest upgrade. Its hulking design means it’ll
spit of an 11in iPad Pro (at least from the front), and supports make a bad first impression on some, but spend time playing it
Apple’s snazzy Magic Keyboard and second-gen Pencil… and and it’ll soon win you over – and then some. This is essentially a
the A14 chip makes it blazingly fast, leaving its predecessor in high-spec gaming PC for the living room: stupendously powerful,
the dust. Sure, there are compromises, but none are critical. So with greatly reduced loading times compared to the PS4. Most
if you were considering an iPad Pro but don’t care about audio last-gen titles will run fine, many with a boost, and the line-up of
apps in portrait, a 12.9in display or more advanced cameras, save new games is strong; we just hope developers make use of that
yourself a couple of hundred quid and buy the new Air instead. fascinating DualSense pad and its haptic feedback trickery.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★

Pointing to the iPad’s future rather than its past, this is Huge power, clever hardware and a guarantee of great
a meaningful, impressive, powerful Air update games to come make the PS5 hard to resist

Apple iPad Pro Nintendo Switch

2 from £769 / stuff.tv/iPadPro
With its huge and super-slick 120Hz Liquid
Retina screen, ludicrously speedy internals
2 £280 / stuff.tv/NintendoSwitch
Nintendo’s console earned a promotion in
our list after it impressed us with a growing
and double-lens camera, this is one working list of fantastic games. Plus, no other device
device to rule them all – and the best tablet here offers the joy of portable gaming. Train
to replace your laptop. journeys will never be boring again.
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★
Apple’s mega-tablet is a performance beast This 2-in-1 console is the real deal

Microsoft Surface Go 2 Microsoft Xbox Series X

3 from £399 / stuff.tv/SurfaceGo2
The Surface Go 2 feels less user-friendly
and slick than an iPad, but pair it with the
3 £450 / stuff.tv/XSX
A fully future-proofed machine that doesn’t
scrimp on specs or speed, the Series X just
optional Type Cover and it turns into a neat wants more exclusive titles to make it sing.
mini-laptop. It’s also a surprisingly good way Xbox Game Pass remains pretty much the
to play games. best streamed offering in gaming.
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★I
Just enough power to be a genuine iPad rival A beast of a console that needs more games

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ Microsoft Xbox Series S

4 ★★★★I from £799 / stuff.tv/TabS7Plus
A true iPad Pro alternative that brilliantly
balances productivity and entertainment.
4 ★★★★I £250 / stuff.tv/XSS
Delivers affordability without sacrificing key
features, but still falls short on new titles.

Apple iPad (2020) Evercade

5 ★★★★I from £329 / stuff.tv/iPad2020
The A12 Bionic chip turns Apple’s cheapest
tab into an absolute powerhouse.
5 ★★★★I £60 / stuff.tv/Evercade
Scratches the retro itch in all sorts of ways,
and for a price that won’t blast your budget.

FOR FULL REVIEWS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/HOME-CINEMA & STUFF.TV/TOP-10/GAMES-MACHINES

Y10 Tablets and consoles.indd 90 04/03/2021 17:34

 91 GAMES TOP TENS

1 HOT
BUY

The Last of Us Part II

£29 / PS4

Just as The Last of Us proved to be the perfect

swansong for the PS3 era, The Last of Us Part II
is a masterful triumph to see off the PS4 in style:
TIPS & a rare superior sequel that can be mentioned
TRICKS in the same breath as The Godfather Part II.
An unparalleled masterclass in everything it
Take your time does, with an extensive suite of accessibility
exploring – you’ll options that every game should adopt as
find key resources, the standard, it’s a game with a story that
notes, even some challenges us – and one we’ll be discussing
fun Easter eggs. long into the new console generation.

Not keen on all the Stuff says ★★★★★

violence? A lot of Naughty Dog has done it again with
confrontations can this brutal, bleak and beautiful game
be avoided. Just look
out for sniffer dogs!
● OR PLAY THIS
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
A leaner and somewhat less
grim action adventure from
Naughty Dog, starring a pair
of kick-ass women.
£13 / PS4

2 3 4
Doom Eternal
★★★★★ from £15 / all platforms
A ferocious shooter that marries incredible
production values with cathartic ultraviolence.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

5 ★★★★★ £45 / PS5, PS4
A visually stunning superhero romp, ideal for
showing off the power of your new PS5.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2

6 ★★★★★ from £29 / PS4, XB1, PC
A superb remake of two of the best sports
games ever committed to disc.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

7 ★★★★★ £24 / PS4
The greatest remake of one of the all-time
greatest video games.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

8
Hades Demon’s Souls ★★★★✩ from £25 / Switch, XSX, XB1, PC
from £18 / PC, Switch £61 / PS5
A sequel to get well and truly lost in, plucking
your heartstrings as it tests your gaming mettle.
Just when you think you’ve seen This is a lovingly attentive remake
all this hellish roguelite has to offer, that transforms an old game into

9
a new tweak yanks you out of a next-gen must-play. It’s going Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
your comfort zone. It quickly to make you work for it, as beneath ★★★★✩ from £40 / all platforms
becomes very addictive… and that shiny new coat it remains a A brilliant instalment with meaty combat and
even if you’ll have to face numerous uniquely foreboding challenge, but a world ripe for pillaging.
setbacks, few games make you overcoming Demon’s Souls is its
feel so godly. own reward.
Hitman 3
10
NEW
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★ ★★★★✩ from £47 / all platforms
Great even if you don’t like roguelites A gorgeous and faithful remake of A poignant end to the Hitman trilogy that
…and if you do, it’s the best there is a hugely influential cult classic doesn’t mess with the recipe.

FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW GAMES, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/GAMES

Y11 Games.indd 91 04/03/2021 17:37

 TOP TENS E-BIKES ETC 92 ELECTRIC CARS TOP TENS

1 HOT
BUY
1 HOT
BUY

VanMoof S3 Porsche Taycan

● Electric car prices include government plug-in car grant (PiCG)

£1798 / stuff.tv/VanMoofS3 from £70,690 / stuff.tv/Taycan

VanMoof’s second-gen S3 (or X3 if you’re under 5ft 8in) looks like It was about time someone took the fight to Tesla, and boy has
a normal bike, rides like a normal bike and, crucially, doesn’t cost Porsche delivered with the Taycan. This electric four-door saloon
a ridiculous amount of cash. The chunky 50mm tyres, slightly is the EV that petrolheads have been waiting for. In full-fat Turbo S
swooped bars and upright riding position all combine to make flavour, the Taycan hits 62mph in 2.8 seconds – and adding more
it super-comfy, and 30 miles with the power assistance set to drama to proceedings is how it shifts up through its two-speed
level three (out of four) left us completely sweat-free with 20% gearbox. The Taycan has a dynamism that can’t be matched
still in the tank. Plus, for such a looker, the S3 has a lot of tech by other electric cars, with a surefootedness that encourages
hidden away to make it a less than ideal target for thieves. you to press on.
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★
This smart-looking e-bike offers a great ride, great Big power, sports-car handling and lots of clever tech
features and some genuinely useful security smarts make the Taycan the most exciting EV yet

Cowboy 3 Honda E
2 £1990 / stuff.tv/Cowboy3
The 43-mile range, app-controlled lights,
smart tracking and anti-theft tech make
2 from £27,160 / stuff.tv/HondaE
Born to be a city commuter (its maximum
range is just 137 miles), the E is light, nimble
this bike a true commuter contender. It’s and planted, but also delivers a completely
a handsome steed, and a close match for comfortable and saloon-like refined ride for
the VanMoof on performance. longer journeys.
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★
A light e-bike that’s ideal for commuting Pricier than the equivalent Mini… but more fun

Specialized Turbo Vado SL 5.0 EQ Polestar 2

3 £4000 / stuff.tv/VadoSL
With the electrics hidden away in the frame,
this hybrid bike looks pretty discreet – but
3 from £46,900 / stuff.tv/Polestar2
From Volvo’s EV subsidiary, this five-door
all-electric fastback blends elements of
it has a mass of added extras, including an a futuristic saloon with bits of an SUV and
extra boost of assistance for daunting hills totally gets away with it… thanks in part to
and a kickstand for statement propping. a staggering 660Nm of torque.
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★
Pricey, but well built and a real easy rider A speedy five-door EV that’s a joy to drive

GoCycle GX Volkswagen ID.3

4 ★★★★★ £2899 / stuff.tv/GoCycleGX
A foldaway e-bike that’s awesome and
expensive in equal measure.
4 ★★★★★ from £31,670 / stuff.tv/ID3
A solid hatchback that looks ice-cold but is
equally good at the mundane stuff.

Ribble Hybrid AL e Nissan Leaf

5 ★★★★★ £2199 / stuff.tv/RibbleHybrid
A secret e-bike that proves you don’t need
fancy extras for an excellent ride.
5 ★★★★★ from £26,845 / stuff.tv/NissanLeaf
An accomplished family car that packs some
serious range, performance and gadgetry.

FOR UP-TO-DATE LISTINGS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL KINDS OF GADGETS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10

Y12 Ebikes and cars.indd 92 04/03/2021 17:38

 93 SMART HOME TOP TENS

1 HOT
BUY

Amazon Echo
(4th Gen)
£90 / stuff.tv/Echo

Having morphed from a cylinder to a sphere,

TIPS & the latest Echo is an excellent newsreader,
TRICKS weather forecaster, personal assistant and
intercom straight out of the box; but it’s now
The Echo’s built-in also a capable speaker and a very accessible
Zigbee hub can hook smart home hub. It doesn’t sound as good as
up hundreds of the Sonos One or Apple HomePod for listening
smart home devices to music, but it’s significantly smarter than both
without a bridge. and considerably cheaper too.

Pair a compatible Stuff says ★★★★★

thermostat and the An all-round upgrade that makes the
Echo’s temperature Echo a smarter speaker than ever
sensor can activate
the heating.
● NOW ADD THIS
Alexa Flash Briefings Honeywell T6R
deliver bursts of This Zigbee-enabled thermostat
news or trivia; is wireless so you can place it
choose from 5000 where it’s most convenient.
sources in the app. £136 / amazon.co.uk

Google Nest Mini

2 3 4 ★★★★★ £49 / stuff.tv/NestMini
Louder and cleverer than ever… and it’ll only
improve over time with updates.

Tado Smart Thermostat

5 ★★★★★ from £120 / stuff.tv/TadoV3Plus
This heating system roasts the competition
with its blend of simplicity and smarts.

Ring Indoor Cam

6 ★★★★★ £49 / stuff.tv/RingIndoor
This cute little spy-cam is a bona fide bargain for
anyone with security worries.

Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd Gen)

7 ★★★★★ £189 / stuff.tv/Nest3
A simple and mess-free smart thermostat with
Alexa compatibility.

Philips Hue Starter Kit

8
Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) Amazon Echo Show 8 ★★★★★ from £70 (white) / stuff.tv/Hue
from £50 / stuff.tv/Dot £80 / stuff.tv/EchoShow8
Become an indoor god with the smartest way
of lighting up your home remotely.
It can’t match a full-size smart This is a bargain smart display
speaker for audio, but as a radio that’s big enough for easy video
Brisant-Secure Ultion Smart
9
and Alexa assistant for the bedside chatting and loud enough to fill
or kitchen, this cutey gets the job most rooms. Its 8in touchscreen ★★★★★ from £259 / stuff.tv/UltionSmart
done. It’s worth paying £10 more may not be the most refined, and Tradition and tech partner up in a smart lock to
for the ‘with Clock’ version, which the sound won’t worry Sonos, please everyone.
adds extra functionality beyond but you can’t really complain at
telling the time. this price.
Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free
Stuff says ★★★★★
With the optional clock, this is our
favourite bedside wondergadget
Stuff says ★★★★★
The Alexa home invasion continues
apace with this superb smart display
10 ★★★★✩ £180 / stuff.tv/ArloWireFree
Like having an eagle-eyed bouncer at your
front door 24/7 – as long as you subscribe.

FOR FULL REVIEWS OF THE BEST SMART HOME DEVICES, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SMART-HOME-DEVICES

Y13 Smart home.indd 93 04/03/2021 17:39

 TOP TENS VR HEADSETS 94 VR GAMES TOP TENS

1 HOT
BUY
1 HOT
BUY

Oculus Quest 2
from £299 / stuff.tv/Quest2
Half-Life: Alyx
from £41 / Oculus, Vive, Valve Index

The original Quest felt almost too good to be true. Its successor Announcing Alyx as not only a ‘midquel’ but a VR exclusive got
lacks the same wow factor, but you can’t argue with a better some Half-Life diehards riled up… but in classic Valve fashion,
display and processor – not to mention a lighter, more the end result is utterly brilliant. Alyx succeeds because its
comfortable build – for less money. Are there more powerful universe just happens to be a perfect fit for the format. It’s also
headsets? Is motion sickness still an issue? Yes to both, but larger and much more robust than most VR games, at a meaty
superb tracking and a total absence of wires make this the VR 12-15 hours. And though it unfolds at a different kind of cadence
package to get… that is, unless you’re boycotting Facebook, to past Half-Life games, it feels like a fully fledged solo campaign
because you have to be logged in to use it. and a key part of the franchise narrative.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★

Not a complete reinvention, but our favourite VR Valve’s beloved series returns… and offers one of the
headset is now even better… and cheaper! strongest arguments to date for VR gaming

Valve Index Beat Saber

2 £919 / stuff.tv/ValveIndex
While not revolutionary, the Index carries
enough subtle upgrades to put it atop the
2 from £23 / Oculus, Vive, PSVR
Gleefully swing your twin lightsabers to
chop blocks that are flung your way to the
PC-based headset pack. Everything looks thumping beat of a song. This game has
fabulous and the controllers deliver the most reinvented the rhythm genre for VR and it’s
fluid-feeling VR interactions to date. glorious, especially on the cable-free Quest.
Stuff says ★★★★✩ Stuff says ★★★★★
The best of the performance-PC VR options A mesmerising musical melee

HTC Vive Pro Star Wars: Squadrons

3 3
NEW
£599 (headset only) / stuff.tv/HTCVivePro from £16 / Oculus, Vive, PSVR
No longer the top dog for high-end VR Suit up and enter the cockpit in this dazzling
using a PC, the Vive Pro remains a strong dogfighter, a robust Star Wars sim that
headset thanks to its crisp screens and you can play fully in VR across the entire
comfy fit. But the Valve Index beats it for experience – campaign missions and online
sheer immersiveness. shootouts alike.
Stuff says ★★★★✩ Stuff says ★★★★✩
Impressive, but not the best around in 2021 Spacey fun… and even better with a joystick

HTC Vive Cosmos Pistol Whip

4 4
NEW
★★★✩✩ £699 / stuff.tv/Cosmos ★★★★✩ from £24 / Oculus, Vive, PSVR
A simple setup with potential for upgrades, Like John Wick meets EDM, this rhythmic
but tough to recommend at this price. blaster makes you feel like a master assassin.

PlayStation VR Population: One

5 5
NEW
★★★✩✩ from £260 / stuff.tv/PSVR ★★★★✩ from £22 / Oculus, Vive
Held back by niggling issues… let’s hope the Not as polished as Fortnite, but still a ripping
upcoming second-gen PSVR will fix those. battle-royale shooter with chaotic action.

FOR FULL REVIEWS, AND TO EXPLORE MORE OF THE STUFF TOP TEN LISTS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10

Y14 VR.indd 94 04/03/2021 17:40

 TOP TENS DRONES & ACTION CAMS 95 TECH TOYS TOP TENS

1 HOT
BUY
1 HOT
BUY

DJI Mini 2 Lego Mindstorms

£419 / stuff.tv/DJIMini2
Robot Inventor
£330 / stuff.tv/Mindstorms
Just light enough to avoid having to be registered with the CAA,
DJI’s latest pocket drone is a little beast that grabs stellar aerial
video. It’s also categorically the most intuitive drone Stuff has It’s clear Lego has prioritised immediacy and fun with its latest
ever used, with a controller that’s a multi-function marvel: the build-your-own-bots kit, which lets you and/or your little ones
basic stick controls are all you really need to get started, with create five different coding-controlled mecha-beings. Yes, the
everything the camera sees displayed in real time on your phone set lacks a proper screen and relies on a separate device for
using the DJI Fly app. Best of all, unlike the old Mavic Mini, it’s programming; but it offers great clarity and scope, plus an attitude
capable of shooting in 4K. that encourages tinkering… whatever your age.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★

Fly, shoot, repeat: DJI’s latest dinky drone soars above A fun, versatile set for Lego electronics newcomers
the competition and old hands alike

DJI Mavic Air 2 Sphero RVR

2 £769 / stuff.tv/MavicAir2
DJI has built on the platform of a simple
entry-level drone and thrown in a heap
2 £250 / stuff.tv/SpheroRVR
The RVR pulls off the balance between
serious coding and knockabout fun perfectly:
of pro features, so those dipping a toe into it’s an all-terrain vehicle that you can throw
aerial photography or videography no longer around without worrying about it breaking,
have to put up with mediocre content. but also has serious programming chops.
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★
This is DJI’s finest sub-£1K flyer yet Enough fun to convert any coding-phobe

GoPro Hero9 Black Lego Boost Creative Toolbox

3 £330 / stuff.tv/H9B
It’s bulkier than the Hero8 Black and needs
an add-on to match its ultra-wide video… but
3 £150 / stuff.tv/LegoCreativeToolbox
Building Lego is already ridiculously good
fun, and when this model’s complete it turns
better image detail, battery life and features into a functioning robot. Simpler than the
make this one of the most versatile bits of Mindstorms kit, it can still be programmed
filming and photography kit we’ve used. to move, fire projectiles and play games.
Stuff says ★★★★★ Stuff says ★★★★★
The pinnacle of action-cam excellence A programmable Lego kit for younger kids

GoPro Hero8 Black Sphero Bolt

4 ★★★★★ £280 / stuff.tv/H8B
Overtaken by the Hero9 Black… but this is still
arguably a better option if you don’t need 5K.
4 ★★★★★ £150 / stuff.tv/SpheroBolt
This little rolling ball of tech is great fun, and
educational to boot.

Nextbase 622GW BARGAIN

Kano Harry Potter Coding Kit
5 5
BUY

★★★★★ £219 / stuff.tv/622GW ★★★★★ £40 / stuff.tv/KanoHarryPotter

Much more than just a dash cam – and A magical way to make coding accessible
bordering on a bargain. and fun to learn.

FOR FULL REVIEWS, AND TO EXPLORE MORE OF THE STUFF TOP TEN LISTS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10

Y15 Drones and toys.indd 95 04/03/2021 17:41

 TOP TENS CAMERAS 96

1 HOT
BUY

Fujifilm X-T4
£1549 / stuff.tv/XT4

The Fuji X-T4 might be the high-end mirrorless

camera of your dreams. Relatively affordable for
TIPS & a flagship, it excels at stills and video thanks to
TRICKS in-body image stabilisation, high-speed shooting

● System camera prices quoted are for body only unless otherwise stated
and 4K recording at up to 60fps. Rapid shooting
It’s easy to set up the is backed up by fancy AF tricks that feel equally
X-T4’s customisable fast and reliable, and even the battery life goes
Q button: just hold it above and beyond the usual standards. There’s
down for a couple of no doubting this is a worthy successor to the
seconds for options. already fabulous X-T3.

Avoid those wonky Stuff says ★★★★★

horizons by turning A superbly capable mirrorless camera for
on the built-in shooting pretty much anything in style
on-screen level
in screen settings.
● NOW ADD THIS
Fujifilm X Acquire is a Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f/4
clever bit of PC/Mac This versatile lens covers a bigger
software that backs zoom range than most and adapts
up all your X-T4’s to pretty much any requirements.
custom settings. £699 / wexphotovideo.com

Nikon D780
2 3 4 ★★★★★ £2199 / stuff.tv/D780
An all-round DSLR that’s built like a tank and
borrows the best tricks of its mirrorless siblings.

Fujifilm X-T30
5 ★★★★★ £799 / stuff.tv/XT30
Does a brilliant job of distilling the X-T3’s appeal
into a cheaper, more compact body.

Canon EOS RP
6 ★★★★★ £1399 / stuff.tv/EOSRP
A full-frame mirrorless marvel that’s light enough
to not be a burden and offers top picture quality.

Fujifilm GFX 50R

Sony A7C Sony A7 III 7 ★★★★★ £3199 / stuff.tv/GFX50R

The ultimate image quality in a medium-format
camera that’s not too ridiculously huge to carry.
£1709 / stuff.tv/A7C £1699 / stuff.tv/SonyA7iii

Nikon Z6
8
Putting full-frame sensors in small The A7 III manages to pack in a lot
bodies is one of Sony’s greatest of technology and desirability for ★★★★★ £1549 / stuff.tv/Z6
strengths, and the A7C minimises less than £2000. It’s a fantastic A top-notch and reasonably sized mirrorless
things even further – but this is all-rounder that’s well suited to camera from the optical experts.
a compact package with a lot of a bunch of shooting scenarios,
imaging power. For photographers coping well with landscapes,
Sony ZV-1
9
and video makers who want portraits, and even a little bit
to carry everything with them of high-speed sport shooting. ★★★★★ £699 / stuff.tv/ZV1
in a modest bag (or hanging As a camera design it’s admittedly With ace video and a flippable screen, Sony’s
around their neck), the A7C not the prettiest thing we’ve ever clever compact is a vlogger’s dream.
fits the bill better than any other seen, but it handles well for its
interchangeable-lens camera. compact size.
Nikon Z50
Stuff says ★★★★★
Superb quality and full-frame
goodness from a half-pint camera
Stuff says ★★★★★
An excellent all-rounder that thrives
in low-light conditions
10 ★★★★★ £929 / stuff.tv/Z50
One of the best APS-C cameras out there,
offering a multitude of pro-level features.

FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW CAMERAS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SYSTEM-CAMERAS

Y16 Cameras.indd 96 04/03/2021 17:42

 97 BUDGET BUYS TOP TENS

1 HOT
BUY

Amazon Echo Dot

TIPS &
TRICKS
(4th Gen)
from £50 / stuff.tv/Dot

Fed up of yelling? This fabric-covered take on Marvin the paranoid

Alexa’s voice can android in disguise as a Magic 8-Ball feels
work like an intercom playful yet classical. It can’t match a full-size
with connected smart speaker for audio, but as a little radio
Echo devices. and an Alexa assistant for the bedside table
or kitchen worktop, this cutey gets the job
Alexa Voice done. It’s worth paying £10 more for the ‘with
Shopping lets you Clock’ version, which adds extra functionality
order from Amazon; beyond telling the time.
add a ‘voice code’ to
keep the kids off. Stuff says ★★★★★
With the optional clock, this is our
Dot at your bedside? favourite bedside wondergadget
Saying “Alexa, turn on
whisper mode” will
stop it waking up ● NOW ADD THIS
sleepyheads. Sportlink Wall Mount
This minimalist acrylic mount for
the Dot will keep it clear from wet
surfaces in the bathroom or kitchen.
£14 / amazon.co.uk

Moto G8 Plus
2 3 4 ★★★★★ £240 / stuff.tv/G8Plus
This is classic Moto: a smart, well-equipped
smartphone for around £200.

SoundMagic TWS50
5 ★★★★★ £79 / stuff.tv/TWS50
Expertly judged wireless in-ear performance at
an eye-catching price.

Mi Smart Band 5
6 ★★★★★ £26 / stuff.tv/MiBand5
Fantastic value and decent features make this
an easy fitness tracker to recommend.

Ring Indoor Cam

7 ★★★★★ £49 / stuff.tv/RingIndoor
This cute little spy-cam is a bona fide bargain for
anyone with security worries.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2

8
Sega Mega Drive Mini Raspberry Pi 400 ★★★★★ £90 / stuff.tv/Wonderboom2
£70 / stuff.tv/MegaDriveMini £94 / stuff.tv/Pi400
A rugged little wonder that’ll bring a sonic boost
to any occasion.
There’ll always be rows over This DIY computer kit isn’t about
whether Nintendo’s or Sega’s the work (or homework) it can
Chromecast with Google TV
9
games are better, but the Mega do, but what you can turn it into.
Drive Mini wins the miniature retro It’s an affordable standalone ★★★★★ £60 / stuff.tv/ChromecastTV
console war in terms of the faithful programming rig, a hub for A solid buy if you like Google’s casting tricks but
recreation of both hardware and electronics and a stashable also want all your TV apps in one place.
software – especially as there are device that can become any
42 titles included. classic home computer in seconds.
Apple HomePod Mini
Stuff says ★★★★★
Sega’s back – and this really is the
ultimate mini gaming machine
Stuff says ★★★★★
A superb gadget for hacking around
and exploring computing’s past
10 ★★★★I £99 / stuff.tv/HomePodMini
This smart speaker is a sonic success… but only
worth getting if you’re an Apple Music subscriber.

FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THESE GADGETS, AND TO EXPLORE MORE TOP TEN LISTS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10

Y17 Budget buys.indd 97 04/03/2021 17:43

 Carl
me maybe
The N90 was the first
mobile to have a Carl Zeiss
lens, a feature now seen on
the pricier phones in Nokia’s
Android range and more
recently on Sony’s
confusingly-named
Xperia 1 II.

RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES 2005

Nokia n90
had no idea Nokia used to make It was bendy too? Watch out, Christopher Nolan…

I camcorders…
Toilet paper, tyres and gas masks,
yes. Camcorders, no. Way back
Not like that – flexible phones are very much
a new-fangled thing – but all those moving
parts meant you could just twist the lens
Look, you were watching Cash Cab and Deal
or No Deal in standard def in 2005, so how
about a bit of perspective? The ability to add
before every phone was just a variation on segment and it’d immediately launch the clipart to your pics was something even the
a flat rectangular theme, features had much camera, with the nifty second screen on Banker wouldn’t have been able to refuse
more influence on their design. Nokia’s N90 the outside allowing you to frame your back then. Besides, the N90 was far from
looked like a Transformer because the Finns shot without having to open the thing a one-trick pony: it ran Symbian’s Series 60
needed to find space for its Carl Zeiss lens right up. Adjustments could be made using operating system, which meant you could
and big-for-the-time 2MP sensor, which the shutter button and joystick on the side. install apps when they were still called
[ Words Tom Wiggins ]

were built into the chunky hinge at the top of Sure, it might only have been capable of applications, check your email, browse the
the clamshell chassis. That made it a bit of a shooting 2MP stills and 352x288 MP4 internet, play music, and open spreadsheets
whopper, even by 2005’s standards, but it’s videos, but it’d still let you alter the white and PDFs. Oh, and it had Snake as well. Not
also what allowed it to be so flexible. balance and exposure. bad for a camcorder.

DON’T MISS THE NEXT ISSUE! ON SALE 15 APR

Z1 RAM.indd 98 04/03/2021 17:50

 Movies, music and gaming like you’ve never heard them before.
Take your home entertainment to the next level with the award-winning
DALI KATCH ONE soundbar.

www.dali-speakers.com/uk

Stuff_2020_10October_Dali Audio UK Ltd_FP.indd 1 11/08/2020 16:46

Stuff_2021_04_Apr_BT Ltd_FP.indd 1 03/03/2021 16:39