By Ashwin Rajagopalan

Your monthly ‘how to spend it’ guide to all the cool new gadgets

PANASONIC LUMIX GH6

This digital mirrorless camera is crafted with a magnesium alloy. The talking point of this rugged and portable pro cam is the new 25.2-megapixel Live MOS Sensor. It boasts high-resolution, high-speed signal readout, and a wide dynamic range running on the Venus Engine that allows faster rendering of high-resolution images. Autofocus gets a boost by utilising the new sensor and image-processing engine. Rs 2,34,990

APPLE IPHONE 14 PRO AND 14 PRO MAX

Apple’s top-end iPhone ditches the Notch for ‘Dynamic Island’ — a new pill-shaped cut-out that houses Face ID components and the front-facing camera. It adds a whole new, intuitive navigation experience that allows you to stay on your primary display as you control multiple apps from the cut-out. The Pro Twins are powered by the new A16 bionic chip and feature a new camera system with the first-ever 48MP main camera on an iPhone featuring a quad-pixel sensor. Rs 1, 29,900 onwards

NOTHING STICK

This proves that there’s still room for design innovation in a gadget category that’s become ubiquitous. They may lack Active Noise cancellation but Nothing’s newest TWS Bluetooth Earbuds score with an innovative design that’s also practical. The unique, cylindrical charging case is a fashion statement of sorts with a unique twist and turn mechanism that keeps the buds secure. They’re kitted with 12.6 mm custom dynamic drivers that deliver a solid acoustic experience even at high volumes. Rs 8,499

JBL FLIP 6

This is one of our favourite portable Bluetooth speakers of the year. The Flip 6 comes with a revamped colour palette and a whole new audio set-up compared to its popular predecessors. It punches above its weight in the acoustics department and includes dual passive radiators, a powerful racetrack-shaped woofer, and a separate tweeter for a better high-frequency extension. It’s outdoor party-proof, thanks to an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. Rs 11,999

BENQ X3000I

Home projectors have seen resurgence in the 2020s. The X3000i first showed up at CES 2022 and grabbed eyeballs with its native 4K (3,840×2, 160 pixels) picture quality with a 60Hz refresh rate and 16ms response time. Gamers will approve the input lag; the X3000i supports a refresh rate of 240Hz at 1080p resolution with a 4ms response time. BenQ has packed the projector with in-built 10W BenQ treVolo speakers with Bongiovi Digital Power Station (DPS) algorithm for real-time sound optimisation. Rs 4,00,000

XIAOMI PAD 5

Makes a pitch as a serious work + play device. You can lean on optional accessories like Xiaomi’s Pad Keyboard and a Smart Pen and then there’s MIUI for Pad, a user interface designed for the tab with multi-tasking capabilities that include split screens and floating windows. The Pad 5 is binge-proof with a 10.95-inch, 120 Hz refresh rate WQHD+ display. Rs 26,999

GOOGLE PIXEL 7 PRO

It’s been a while since the Google Pixel flagship device landed in India. That’s not the only reason we’re excited about the 7 Pro. It’s one of the best mobile shooters out there with excellent zoom photography abilities and a whole bunch of computational photography tricks. The 7 Pro boasts a gorgeous 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate that peaks at 1500 nits. At its heart is Google’s own Tensor G2 – a 4nm chipset. Rs 84,999

ONEPLUS TV 50

Y1S PRO It is elegantly designed with vibrant colours on its 4K UHD display. It also offers HDR10+, HDR10, as well as HLG format support for a superior viewing experience. It’s not just the picture quality; the dual speakers (with a total output of 24W) also keep up. This 50-incher is powered by the Android TV 10.0 platform and allows you to lean on Google Assistant for easy controls. Rs 32,999

APPLE WATCH ULTRA

This is the biggest rejig of the Apple Watch since its debut. It’s more rugged and has been designed for active lifestyles. It comes with a larger 49mm titanium case that’s ready for the elements. There’s also a cool new, customisable ‘Action’ button that allows you to transition more easily between sports modes. It comes with three new bands for different environments and offers 36 hours of battery life on a single charge that can be extended to 60 hours with a new power-saving battery setting. Rs 89,900

SAMSUNG’S GALAXY Z FOLD 4

It is the best foldable smartphone your money can buy. The Fold 4 is a multi-task champ that is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. It’s also one of the first devices to ship with Google’s Android 12L specifically designed for larger screens. It adds to the multi-tasking abilities of the Fold 4. But it’s the primary display that stretches to 7.6-inches (with a 120Hz refresh rate) that is its calling card. Rs 1, 54,999

BLAUPUNKT SBW600

It makes a strong case for a soundbar with a satellite solution. This home entertainment solution packs 360 watts of power. Blaupunkt has positioned it as a 5.1 Dolby Audio Home Theatre Surround Soundbar that includes two satellites plus an 8-inch sub-woofer for an immersive experience. With multiple connectivity options including Bluetooth, HDMI ARC, Coaxial, USB, and Aux-in, it’s easy to pair multiple devices. Rs 19,990

ASUS ZENBOOK 17 FOLD OLED

It’s not just smartphones that are going foldable. ASUS has pitched this as the world’s first 17.3-inch foldable OLED laptop. The ultra-compact and light 12.5” Foldable OLED laptop unfolds into a versatile 17.3 inches device with 6 modes while weighing only 1.5 kg (without a keyboard). It’s propelled by the latest 12th Generation Intel Core i7-1250U processor designed with 10 cores that is complemented by 16GB of RAM. Rs 3, 29,990

Reproduced with permission from Mansworldindia.com

Photo: Pixabay