HORIZON TOP 10
The best new tech heading your way
This month, meet the first folding tablet, LG’s 48-inch OLED TV, and the watch that could save your life
1 LENOVO THINKPAD X1 FOLD
From £1,920 (approx), lenovo.com
Lenovo is preparing to launch what it’s touting as “the world’s first foldable PC”. The result of a four-year collaboration with LG Display, and first unveiled as a prototype last summer, the ThinkPad X1 Fold is a (literally) flexible device that marries advanced multimedia capability with smartphone portability.
Built with lightweight alloys/carbon fibre and sheathed in a smart leather cover, it can be folded out flat into tablet form, its vivid 13.3inch OLED display and Dolby Audio technology making it a dream for watching movies or box sets on the go. Or, if you need to do some work, you can fold it into a right angle, flip down the optional Fold Stand and use it like a laptop, Lenovo’s mode-switching software automatically adapting to your changing needs.
You can split the display between apps for multi-tasking – for example, you could take a video call on one side and type a Word document on the other. And for added convenience, there’s even a wirelessly charged Bluetooth keyboard built in, so you can still type easily even when you have it opened flat, to use the full 13-inch space for documents.
As yet, Lenovo hasn’t shared the full spec, but we do know that the ThinkPad X1 Fold is powered by Intel Core processors, always connected (hopefully with 5G), and offers around 11 hours of battery life. Will it be a success? It’s no open and shut case, but we’ll be able to judge for ourselves when it releases later in the spring.
“The ThinkPad X1 Fold will hopefully be the best of both tablet and laptop in one very cool body”
Matt Bolton, Editor
2 LG OLED48CX £TBC, lg.com
We’re constantly being told that bigger is better when it comes to TVs – but that’s not necessarily the case for people with smaller living rooms. LG has seemingly taken this into consideration by including a 48-inch model in its new CX range of 4K OLED panels (55, 65 and 77-inch versions are also available). It may be relatively humble in size, but the OLED48CX packs some cool features, including LG’s very latest Alpha 9 processor for smooth navigation, Dolby Vision IQ (which automatically adjusts the picture settings depending on the amount of light in the room), and a Filmmaker Mode that strips away motion smoothing, etc, so that you can watch a movie exactly as the director intended. The OLED48CX is being launched later this year – get your lounge ready.
T3 SAYS: If your living room is on the smaller side, this 48-inch OLED panel is a top choice.
3 Q ACOUSTICS 3030i £329, qacoustics.co.uk
Many audio manufacturers seem to want to disguise their tech these days, blending it into everything from picture frames to table lamps. Not so, Q Acoustics – speakers in the British firm’s award-winning 3000i range look and sound like proper speakers. New to the line-up is the 3030i, a sleek and compact unit that contains some heavyweight audio smarts. Point-to-point bracing – introduced in Q Acoustics’ flagship Concept 500 speaker – minimises cabinet resonance for a sound that’s both clean and accurate. The woofer design is borrowed from 2018’s powerful 3050i floorstander. And a super-low 46kHz response will deliver deep, punchy bass wherever the 3030i is sat. Available in four natty finishes, it could be just what your home needs.
T3 SAYS: The latest speaker in Q Acoustics’ 3000i range delivers great looks and sound.
4 RING INDOOR CAM £49, en-uk.ring.com
Setting up a home security system doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Ring’s latest launch is a simple plug-and-play indoor camera that offers a raft of useful features for less than 50 quid. Working either on its own or in combination with other Ring cameras or doorbells, this palm-sized device will discreetly monitor what’s happening inside your home, broadcasting clear HD footage to an app on your smartphone so that you can get peace of mind while you’re at work or on holiday. It’ll send you a notification if it detects any motion – even in the dark, thanks to an effective night-vision mode. And in the unfortunate event that you are being burgled, a two-way talking function will enable you to reason with or threaten your intruder as you see fit.
T3 SAYS: A better-than-average home security system for the price of a meal out.
5 BANG & OLUFSEN BEOPLAY E8 (3RD GEN) £300, bang-olufsen.com
Some audio companies still haven’t managed to launch their first pair of true wireless earphones, and yet Bang & Olufsen is already on to the third iteration of its Beoplay E8s. The Danish company has made some notable tweaks to its acclaimed buds, making them better for listeners on the move. For a start, their size has been reduced by 17%, making them a better fit in the earhole (well, they were in ours, anyway). The battery life has doubled, with the earphones now providing around seven hours of play and the leather case offering a further four charges. And there’s also support for the latest Bluetooth 5.1 technology. Those other companies have some catching up to do.
T3 SAYS: Big on battery, compact in size, these true wireless wonders are an enticing alternative to Apple’s AirPods.
6 HP ENVY 32
From £1,400 (approx.), hp.com
It’s nice to have a powerful computer that can do anything, but that doesn’t take up half your room – hence the long success of Apple’s iMacs. HP’s new all-in-one desktop machine is a big (31.5-inch) and brilliant beast that delivers vibrant 4K visuals at a contrast ratio of 6,000:1. The first all-in-one to offer HDR at 600 nits of brightness, the Envy 32 promises an immersive experience, helped by a built-in, fabric-covered soundbar that contains powerful Bang & Olufsen speakers. With each of these machines packing one of Intel’s latest 9th Gen processors (up to the eight-core i7-9700), an Nvidia GeForce graphics card (up to the RTX 2060) and a generous amount of RAM (up to 32GB), everything runs smoother than an otter’s back.
T3 SAYS: With stunning visuals and a wealth of features, it’s hard not to be impressed by this multimedia powerhouse.
7 CHARGEASAP FLASH £230, chargeasap.com
We love the great outdoors, but it’s not so much fun when you run out of phone battery in the middle of nowhere, with no access to a mains socket. Happily, Sydney-based tech company Chargeasap is crowdfunding what it describes as “the world’s most versatile power bank”, a 20,000mAh/ 150W block that draws upon Tesla’s revolutionary graphene composite battery technology to deliver highly effective charging capabilities. Weighing just 470g, the Flash can replenish up to four devices at the same time, and at speeds up to 10 times faster than traditional power banks. It’s safer, too, as it charges at low temperatures, meaning there’s no chance of it catching fire while you’re asleep in your tent. That has to be a bonus, right?
T3 SAYS: Able to charge all your devices simultaneously and in super-quick time, this is an absolute must for people on the move.
8 NIKON D780 £2,199 (body only), nikon.co.uk
Rugged and versatile, Nikon’s full-frame D750 DSLR – launched in 2014 – has been a massive hit with photographers. And its successor promises to be just as popular, upgrading many of the former camera’s features and throwing in a few new ones for good measure. While the 24MP CMOS sensor and 51-point AF system are much the same as before, the processor has been brought up to date with Nikon’s latest EXPEED 6, the 3.2-inch display is now touchscreen, video can be captured in 4K (at 30fps) rather than plain old Full HD, and the battery is
now good for 2,260 shots instead of 1,230. Elsewhere, the D780 boasts an impressive ISO range (extendable to a whopping 204,800), dual UHS-II SD slots and the same Advanced Scene Recognition feature as Nikon’s flagship D850.
T3 SAYS: It’s time for Nikon’s trusty D750 to move over.
9 WITHINGS SCANWATCH
From £188 (approx), withings.com
Withings is describing its new ScanWatch as “the most advanced health wearable ever designed”, and it’s hard to argue with that. Not only does it offer your standard fitness features such as GPS, altimeter (for step climbing), automatic activity tracking and waterproofing (to 50 metres), it’s also the first watch to offer an ECG and sleep-apnea detection. The ScanWatch will monitor your heart 24/7 and notify you if it spots any irregularities, which you can then properly check with the ECG, giving you data you can pass on to your GP. And throughout the
night, the watch’s SpO2 sensor will monitor your oxygen saturation to ascertain whether you’ve had any stirs during your slumber. Available in 38mm and 42mm, the ScanWatch offers 30 days of use off one charge.
T3 SAYS: Nip those health problems in the bud with the help of this groundbreaking fitness watch.
10 FLO BY MOEN SMART WATER DETECTOR £50 (approx), moen.com
Water damage in your home can cost a fortune to repair. To help you avoid this, US company Moen recently launched the Smart Home Water Security System, whereby a sensor is hooked up to your main pipe to monitor the flow, pressure and temperature of all the water that enters your property, pre-empting leakage. Well, there’s now a Smart Water Detector that can either be used in conjunction with that system or on its own. Measuring just 3.5 inches, this standalone device can be placed anywhere in your home that might be susceptible to water damage or is in danger of leaking. And if it senses the presence of water, freezing temperatures or high levels of humidity, it’ll notify you via your phone so that you can get the plumber in, pronto.
T3 SAYS: This tiny monitor will help you keep leaks and damp at bay, saving you time and money.