According to a survey by Idealo price comparison portal, smartwatches were the most searched outdoor electronic devices online in the last 12 months. Predictable, all in all: but going to analyze the other results in detail, some curiosities can be found. For example, it emerges that the interest of Italians in portable radios has grown by 45% in the last month compared to the same period a year ago. Among the trends of this summer, portable consoles (+27% searches compared to last summer), power banks, +22%, a sign that the batteries of our smartphones can no longer keep up with the rhythms to which we subject them. E-book readers (+13% compared to last year) and smartwatches (+11%) are also on the rise, while everything relating to photography is declining: interest in reflex cameras has decreased by 30%, but the data does not they are positive for either photographic lenses (-19%)instant cameras (-16%), compact cameras and mirrorless digital cameras (-8%).
Below we highlight ten gadgets and appliances curious, funny, useful, for these months and also for those to come. And the eleventh? It’s a radio, of course.
To face the urban jungle
Lo smartwatch Garmin Instinct 2X Solar born to face hostile environments and extreme conditions but it is also perfect for the city. Its large solar-charged lens helps extend battery life, while the rugged 50mm polymer case is waterproof to 10 ATM and tested to US Military Standard 810 for thermal, shock, and water resistance. Of a smartwatch it has all the most important functions, including notifications and the possibility of using different contactless payment platforms but the new Garmin also integrates advanced training functions, multi-band GNSS technology, health/wellness monitoring sensors and much more. It has fall detection, trackback to get you back to your starting point by retracing your journey, and there’s even a built-in LED flashlight. Available in different colors, it is compatible with iPhone and Android and costs 449 euros. (BR)
Tablet
Also on sale in Italy from June, this tablet uses TCL’s NXTPaper technology that we have already appreciated on other company products: Consists of 10 layers of optical coatings that reduce glare, act as a blue light filter, and reduce eye strain. And they also allow the display to simulate the look of paper, while not being e-ink. For the rest, the TCL NXTPaper 11 it is a (good) tablet: 11” 2K screen, 4GB of Ram and 128 of memory and a price of 249.90 euros. Which unfortunately excludes the nib, which was included in last year’s version. (EC)
The charm of the middle class
Unveiled last spring, the brand’s newest flagship smartphone Xiaomi it focuses heavily on the photographic component, with an optically stabilized 200 MP main lens. In our tests, the results were more than satisfactory, even in difficult lighting conditions such as those that can be encountered on the beach. With Mediatek Dimensity 1080 processor 8 GB of Ram and 256 of storage space, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus it costs 499.90 euros. (EC)
A ninja gelato
The ice cream maker Ninja Creami it is able to transform everything (or almost) into ice cream. In fact, thanks to the 6 pre-set programs (Gelato, Artisanal Gelato, Sorbet, Smoothie, Light Gelato and Milkshake) it is possible to prepare not only ice cream, but also drinks, desserts and sorbets. Simply fill the jar with your chosen ingredients, freeze for 24 hours, pop it into your ice cream maker and start creaming. In few minutes the ice cream will be ready. Easy to use and clean, it guarantees excellent results, even if it is a bit noisy. It costs 229.99 euros. (BR)
Always loaded
Battery Anker Prime 737 it’s perfect for travel: small and not too heavy, it offers 27,000 mAh and up to 250 Watts of power. It can recharge an average smartphone up to 5 times, but it’s also good for laptops, consoles and all USB-equipped portable devices. Combined with the Anker app, it optimizes charging, monitors its progress via a screen and allows you to find your device if it is lost (but only in the home or office, since the system relies on Bluetooth). Additionally, Anker Prime 737 is compatible with a wireless charging pad for compatible devices. Also available in 200W (Anker 735) and 130W (Anker 723) versions. Price: 189.99 euros for the 250W model. (BR)
Connected in all places, in all lakes
Nighthawk M6 Pro Netgear is a portable router that supports 5G internet up to 4Gbps and WiFi speed up to 3.6Gbps. Provides a WiFi connection to up to 32 devices for video streaming, Zoom calls, online gaming, social media updates and large file upload/download, all without risk of intrusion thanks to the built-in firewall. It has a 2.4-inch touch display to adjust parameters and settings, one port Gigabit Ethernet and one USB-C. The battery lasts up to 13 hours on a single charge. Also ideal for use at home or on vacation, the M6 Pro can boost WiFi coverage up to 185 square meters with In-Home Performance mode, using the power adapter. Excellent, but expensive: 849.99 euros. (BR)
A drone that flies far
Equipped with a wide-angle camera and a 3x telephoto lens, DJI Air 3 allows you to take 48 MP photos and record HDR videos in 4K / 60fps. Among its other strengths, the noise reduction algorithms that allow you to capture sharp footage in 4K / 30fps in low light environments, the autonomy of 46 minutes and the O4 HD video transmission system up to 20km. It is the first drone in the Air series to include omnidirectional obstacle sensing thanks to a pair of fisheye lenses that enable forward, backward, left, right and upward sensing, while the bottom features binocular loupes and a 3D ToF. The ActiveTrack function free the pilot’s hands and works together with the advanced RTH function to achieve fully automatic flight and a worry-free return to take-off point. It is also possible to plan flight routes and shooting actions in advance and save them in memory to repeat the same mission at a later time or date. For enthusiasts and professionals, price starting from 1099 euros. (BR)
Top of the range
Lo smartphone X90 Pro, born from the partnership between Vivo and Zeiss Global Imaging, has a new triple main camera configuration, which increases light sensitivity, natural color processing and image stabilization. The photographic sector revolves around the 1-inch and 50 megapixel sensor, f/1.75 aperture and 3.2 μm large pixels in a 4-in-1 configuration. The V2 imaging chip, equipped with Vivo proprietary AI algorithms, and the Zeiss optics with T* Coating, they also enhance night photography and astrophotography capabilities. The main chip is a MediaTek Dimensity 9200, with 12GB memory and 256GB storage, while the 6.78-inch screen is made of a new blue light-reducing material. It is capable of reproducing 1.07 billion colors and 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut, ensuring crisp, natural colors and has a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, ideal for gaming. X90 Pro can be charged to 50% in 8 minutes 10 seconds. As with any self-respecting top of the range, the price is not low: 1,299 euros. (BR)
Instant photos
The new Instax Square SQ40 is an instant camera with a classic look. Unlike Instax Minis, the SQ40 prints photos in a larger, square format that recalls the historic Polaroid snapshots. It is the revised and stylish version of the SQ1, which instead has a more playful look (but costs less). The camera is very easy to use and to reload and it is almost impossible to “wrong” a photo: exposure, focus and flash are fully automatic. And to take a selfie, just place the faces in the front mirror and click the button. Perfect for taking vacation photos that won’t end up forgotten in your phone along with all the others. Price: 149.00 euros. (AN)
The flea in the ear
Oppo’s latest TWS earphones, launched together with the Oppo Reno 10 and 10 Pro smartphones, are an excellent compromise between price and audio quality. The headphones, with an elegant design, are equipped with a module for Digital Signal Processing (DSP) which guarantees better sound quality than previous models of the Enco series, as well as enabling audio processing through the Oppo Alive function, for an experience of more immersive spatial listening. Excellent battery life and the ability to manage up to two Bluetooth connections simultaneously, not obvious on headphones in this range. Price: 69.90 euros. (AN)
A smart radio
With built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming, Ruark R1S it’s a complete, easily adaptable, great sounding music system. SmartRadio tuner gives you access to stations from around the world and includes a dedicated podcast source. all smartphone functions. R1S directly supports Spotify Connect, Amazon Music and Deezer and, with its Bluetooth 5 receiver, practically every other streaming service available. Another important feature of R1S is the color display with brightness sensor, it shows time, alarm and program information, as well as Wi-Fi sources, albums and covers. There’s a USB-C port for charging and MP3 playback, a headphone output, and a switchable line input; optional a battery pack that makes the Ruark radio portable. The audio is entrusted to a dynamic linear amplifier that uses adaptive equalization to provide perfect performance at all volume levels, with a proprietary driver that guarantees a uniform and extended frequency response. Price: 399 euros. (BR)
* Emanuele Capone and Andrea Nepori collaborated