Chip upgrade breathes new life into compact slate ready for AI and better accessories while still in a class of its own Apple’s premium tiny tablet gets a speed boost for 2024 with support for new accessories and imminent AI features, while providing the full modern iPad experience in a compact package. The revamped design of the iPad mini in 2021 was excellent so it is no surprise that Apple has kept it mostly the same with internal changes and a tweak to the side to support new accessories. But while it may be small in stature, the new iPad mini remains pricey, costing from £499 (€599/$499/A$799), placing it in between the £329 base-model iPad and the £599 11in iPad Air. Screen: 8.9in 2266x1488 LCD display (326ppi) Processor: Apple A17 Pro RAM: 8GB Storage: 128, 256 or 512GB Operating system: iPadOS 18 Camera: 12MP rear and selfie cameras Connectivity: wifi 6E (5G optional eSim-only), Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C, Touch ID Dimensions: 195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3mm Weight: 293g (4G version: 297g) Continue reading...

Sleek, celeb-favoured gadget tracks sleep, activity and heart health without a smartwatch, but comes at high cost Oura’s stylish smart ring worn by celebrities and athletes alike has slimmed down for its fourth iteration, making it easier to put on, more comfortable to wear and last longer between charges. The Ring 4 swaps the clear plastic insides of its predecessor for shiny titanium to look even less like a cutting-edge piece of tech on your finger. It still weighs practically nothing – 3.3g to 5.2g depending on size – and comes in an expanded choice of 12 sizes and six finishes, including black, silver, gold and rose gold. Continue reading...

A sleep-saving knee pillow, a grater that makes dinners healthier, and a hairdryer that saves time: these products have changed daily routines for the better Have you ever bought something small that changed your everyday life for the better? It could be a product that helped you sleep more soundly, eat more healthily, or save money at the salon? Something that, for a minimal outlay, made a significant difference. We asked our team about the things that improved their lives, no matter how small. From a reading light to a hairdryer, a pair of walking shoes to tweezers, their answers inspired us – and we hope they inspire you, too. Continue reading...

Smart alarm clock ticks most boxes with distraction-free screen and room-filling sound Amazon’s latest attempt to usurp the humble bedside alarm clock is the revamped Echo Spot, equipped with a speaker and small display for a customisable Alexa clock. The new Spot straddles the line between Amazon’s Echo Show smart displays and its basic Echo smart speakers in price and capability. The Spot costs £80 (€95/£80/A$149), though frequently much less in Amazon’s numerous sales. Dimensions: 113 x 103 x 111 mm Weight: 405g Touchscreen: 2.83in Connectivity: wifi 5 (ac), Bluetooth Speaker: 1.73in Continue reading...

Bright OLED screen, voice control and a torch only add to go anywhere, track anything ability, but price increase stings The Fenix 8 is a landmark moment for Garmin. By adding voice control, an OLED screen and other niceties, it has merged its top Fenix and Epix adventure watch lines to better compete with increasingly advanced smartwatches from Apple, Samsung and other major players. The Fenix has always been where Garmin debuts its technology and features first before trickling them down into other products, such as the popular Forerunner series. It certainly feels more modern, but at £870 (€1,000/$1,000/A$1,699) – a £120 or so increase over its already pricy predecessor – these new advances including diving tracking and AI assistant access do not come cheap. Continue reading...

Book-style foldable is just like a regular phone when closed but opens to reveal large and bright tablet screen Google has cracked the foldable formula on its second attempt by creating a slightly chunkier Pixel 9 Pro that opens up for a large 8in tablet screen on the inside, beating Samsung at its own game. Compared with the previous efforts, from the squat and fat passport-shaped Pixel Fold to Samsung’s many long and thin Galaxy Z Folds, the new Pixel’s simple shape seems so familiar and easy to use you wonder why it took so long for anyone to try it. Continue reading...

Comprehensive sleep, recovery and health tracking without a smartwatch appeals, but cost and fit won’t suit everyone Smart rings are having a bit of a moment with the Oura seen adorning the fingers of celebrities and elite sportspeople alike. It promises the health-tracking features of a smartwatch squeezed into a much smaller, less techie device focused on sleep, recovery and resilience. But can it deliver for regular people, too? Now several years into its third iteration, the Oura Gen 3 is the most popular smart ring on the market, available in a range of attractive colours, metals and sizes. It looks and feels like an attractive piece of jewellery, and is priced accordingly, costing from £299 (€329/$299) and requiring a £6-a-month subscription on top. Keeping up with celebrity crazes has never been cheap. Continue reading...

New running headphones combine bone conduction and open-air speakers for more rounded sound So-called bone conduction headphones are a runner’s best friend, allowing you to be fully aware of the outside world while you listen to your motivational tunes. But the technology simply can’t generate decent bass – a problem that the open-ear headphone firm Shokz thinks it has solved with its latest OpenRun Pro 2. The follow-up to the popular OpenRun Pro and OpenSwim lines, the OpenRun Pro 2 cost £169 (€199/$175/A$299) and resemble most competitors, with bone conduction pods held in place in front of the ear by two loops and a band that runs behind your head. Water resistance: IP55 (spray resistant) Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 (SBC) Battery life: 12h Dimensions: 30.9 x 21.7 x 24.3mm Weight: 30.3g Drivers: Air and bone conduction Charging: USB-C Continue reading...

… but impressive, boundary-pushing device is priced so far out of reach for most that it isn’t yet the next big thing On a sweltering summer’s day in London, I sat working in the middle of a snow-covered Yosemite national park surrounded by an array of floating apps and browser windows. Later I stared across a windswept Oregon beach reliving a holiday from years ago, and spent an evening sitting in a speeder on Tatooine watching Rogue One in 3D, before retiring for the night with some guided meditation. These are the sorts of immersive experiences that Apple’s latest, most expensive gadget offers by blending the real and virtual world, all controlled by your eyes and hands. The Vision Pro may resemble virtual reality headsets such as Meta’s Quest series but it is attempting to be so much more. Continue reading...

New Pixel phones, foldable, watch and earbuds feature Gemini Live for free-flowing conversations with AI bot Google is launching four phones, one of them foldable, two smartwatches and a set of earbuds packing its latest AI tech including the new advanced Gemini Live conversational experience, as the Android maker tries to outdo Apple and Samsung. The array of new Pixel products, announced at an event in California, mark the latest evolution of Google’s own-brand Android devices as it attempts to prove its integrated AI and devices work better than rivals. Continue reading...