The world, as we know it, has changed. The potential of technology seems limitless at this stage. You can run a bath from your couch, drive to work without touching the steering wheel, and order online by talking to your home assistant. These were possibilities that made-up science fiction stories a decade ago, but now they are part of modern life. There is a concern that our reality is heading the way of James Cameron’s “The Terminator.” Some of the technology in that movie is actually around today, but there is no need to worry just yet.
The closing months of 2019 seem like as good a time as any to take a look at the newest tech gadgets available. Smartwatches, VR headsets, wireless headphones, and even lighting solutions have seen improvements this year. This list features some of the newest tech gadgets available today.
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The Apple iPad
The Apple iPad, and, more specifically, the 7th generation of Apple’s tablet range, is everything its predecessor was and more. It is sleek, powerful, and affordable (with a starting price of $329), and because size does matter, it has a bigger screen. The 10.2-inch retina display, which boasts nearly 3.5 million pixels, can replace your laptop if paired with an optional smart keyboard cover. The powerful A10 fusion processor is great for multitasking and smooth gameplay. That is important, as the Apple app store has the largest selection of apps in the industry, including budgeting apps, if you need some help affording the other tech on this list.
You may feel that the larger size can make the tablet a pain to carry around; however, do not fear as it weighs about a pound. Charging is possible with Apple’s lightning charging cable, meaning your iPhone and tablet cables are interchangeable. All of this, combined with the latest iPad OS, makes for a fluid tablet experience that is yet to be bested by Apple’s competitors.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
The Apple iPhone 11 is an excellent phone, but not as great as the latest offering from Samsung in the form of the Galaxy Note 10+. Let’s take a look at why that is. First, a modern smartphone is judged on its camera more than anything else. The specs of the two offerings from the mobile giants aren’t that different. Samsung’s wide-angle lens provides an extra four megapixels, which isn’t a lot, but with such a competitive market, that’s all it takes.
So the camera is better, but what else does this phone offer? The screen of the Note 10+ is free of bezels, meaning the whole front of the device is usable. That means nothing without a good power offering, and Samsung does not deny its customers that, with an impressive 12 gigabytes of RAM. The phone’s battery life is also not lacking in capacity. Expect to be streaming, playing games, or multi-tasking all day on a single charge. If you do get low on juice, take advantage of fast wireless charging 2.0. As it is Samsung, the phone uses an Android OS, which may or may not appeal to people. As great a package this phone is, it’s not cheap. Expect to shell out $1099.99 for the 256 GB version. You may need to get saving if you want to buy this phone outright.
Nintendo Switch Lite
No technology list is complete without a gaming device. The industry focus on home gaming has been on power and 4K. Xbox currently offers the Xbox One X, which matches the specs of top-of-the-line gaming computers. The Sony Playstation 4 Pro is not far behind. However, Nintendo is going in a different direction with the Nintendo Switch Lite. The original Nintendo offering had a hybrid option. The seamless transition from your TV gaming to portable gaming is what made the first Switch a stand-out gaming console. In addition, the Nintendo Switch Lite cashes in on the portability aspect by removing the actual “Switch” feature. The initial announcement was questionable, but Nintendo knew what it was doing.
Compatibility is vital with this lightweight console. All the flagship Nintendo games, such as Breath of the Wild, are playable on this portable edition. This powerful handheld console comes in yellow, turquoise, and gray at a reasonable $199.99.
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Nanoleaf Light Panels
If you are living in the future, your home may as well look like it. You can do just that with Nanoleaf Light Panels. You can customize your setup with modular light panels that allow you to organize your lighting in a way you like. You can customize further with more than 16 million colors. Control your light panel by connecting directly to your Wi-Fi and then using a dedicated remote control or voice commands via your home assistant. A fun aspect of these light panels is that you can sync them to your music; the lights will dance with your tunes. At the moment, only triangle panels are available, although hexagonal panels are coming. A four-piece starter pack is $99.99.
Jabra Elite 65T Wireless Earbuds
Wireless earbuds are becoming increasingly popular. The Elite 65T earbuds from Jabra stand out on the market by being elegant and comfortable. For the reasonable starting price of $169.99, you get high audio quality, five hours of battery life, and an extra two hours held within the earbuds charging case. There are also four microphones to provide effective wind noise reduction. Jabra’s usual offerings are sporting-related; however, this pair can work in any situation.
Fitbit Alta HR
Keeping on top of your health is a priority. Doing so is now easier with the accessibility offered by the technology of the modern world. As a fitness tracker, the Fitbit Alta HR comes with a lot of features, as well as being affordable with a starting price of $129.95. The Fitbit Alta can track your heart rate, track burned calories, track your sleep, and provide call, text, and calendar alerts. You can take advantage of the whole set of features with a battery that lasts up to seven days. If you decide to change your style, you can swap out the watch band for multiple different color designs. The downside to this Fitbit offering is that it is not waterproof.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
The latest rendition of Amazon’s e-reader is the Kindle Paperwhite. To read, you need light, and the Paperwhite won’t let you down with its built-in backlight and 300ppi screen. You can enjoy your favorite novel in any condition. A further improvement seen with this device that’s not offered with older Amazon e-readers is the flat screen. The storage has also been improved with 8GB and 32GB now available. More storage means more reading, so you need more battery power. Amazon has you covered with a battery that can last a whole week instead of a few hours.
The Paperwhite is waterproof, so you can read by the pool or on the beach without worrying about damage. The 8GB offering can come to you for the price of $129.99.
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Apple Watch Series 5
Do you want a fitness tracker, a phone, and a personal music player in one easy package? If so, then a smartwatch is the way to go. A good start would be the Apple Watch Series 5. The always-on Retina display means you only have to glance at your wrist to see the time, as well as the built-in compass to help guide you on your way. That’s all you need from a watch, but Apple’s smartwatch does more than that. The watch can track your heart rate, work as a phone, and allow you to pay with ease using Apple Pay. Unfortunately, despite the many functions offered, the watch does not have a temperature sensor, though any weather app can replace this function.
The actual watch comes in aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic, and works with any band in the Apple watch store. It also comes with a 296 mah battery, which is more significant than its predecessors. The price of this smartwatch can differ depending on your options, though the average price is $529.
Oculus Quest
VR, or Virtual Reality, headsets are changing the way we play games. However, they are not quite in the mainstream yet. That may be subject to change with the Oculus Quest, which is the second VR headset from Oculus. The first thing holding VR back was the wires, so Oculus made an effort to remove them. To add to the immersion, integrated sensors and computer algorithms allow you to walk around your play space without any worry of running into a wall. Oculus also holds an extensive library of games from various digital publishers for you to enjoy. You can then cast your gameplay to a TV or smartphone to share your experience with friends.
This new headset and the Oculus’s touch controllers are also comfortable and lightweight. If you plan to enjoy VR, then the Oculus option is excellent. For the 64GB version, the price starts at $399, with the 128GB starting at $499.
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Panasonic LUMIX DC-ZS200 Leica Digital Camera
The key to great photos is an excellent camera. The LUMIX DC-ZS200 can be that camera by letting you take the perfect picture, regardless of the distance, with the camera’s built-in 15x zoom Leica lens. A high zoom combined with the 20.1 MP camera means you can capture the most delicate details. The camera also records 4K videos, which you can then view at 30 frames per second. Taking pictures is comfortable with the intuitive touch screen controls. The DC-ZS200 camera can then let you use that same display to modify the RAW-format files. You won’t be let down at the last minute with a battery life that can last up to 370 images. All of this can come to you for $799.99.
Aria Modern Home Smart Gadgets
Smart tech is not usually cheap tech. Aria decided to make more affordable home products to give everyone access to a smart home. A lower price does not mean a lapse in quality with Aria. Its vast offering of smart lights, LED strips, sensors, and more can be brought in sets to kit out your home entirely without breaking your budget. Along with affordability, Aria wanted to ensure its products are simple to use. Those same products are also modern and sophisticated in their design, meaning they will fit in with your style, whether they are in your living room or your kitchen.
To date, Aria products will work seamlessly with both Amazon Echo and Google Home, with Microsoft’s Cortana support coming in the future.
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Nikon Z6
All four of the big camera manufacturers (Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, and Sony) have a full-frame mirrorless camera on the market. Nikon has an advantage with the Nikon Z6. The 24.5 MP camera combined with 4K video comes to the customer in a compact shell. Despite the size, the grips are big enough to give you support for taking professional-quality photos. That is taken even further with five-axis VR image stabilization. The F-mount sold with the camera will provide you with access to a variety of lenses, making this offering from Nikon versatile. These features are not cheap, though they’re still more affordable than some competitors, with a starting price of $1799.95. A downside to this camera, however, is that it only comes with a single slot for your MicroSD cards.
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HyperX Cloud Revolver S Gaming Headset
The HyperX Cloud Revolver S Gaming Headset boasts a fantastic 7.1 channel surround sound that comes to you through Dolby’s digital signal processor. This high-quality sound comes to your ears via a comfy set of headphones. What this means is that these headphones will allow you to single out sounds of your enemies in the chaos of Tilted Towers. Quality does not come cheap with this pair of headphones, setting you back between $80 and $140. The microphone also has an unorthodox placement, but you learn to ignore that when considering the exceptional audio quality.
SteelSeries Apex Pro
Is a keyboard a gaming keyboard if it doesn’t have RGB lighting? It is possible, but gamers like colors, and let’s admit it, RGB is cool. Gamers also like comfort, a high response time, and an OLED smart display. The SteelSeries Apex Pro offers all of this and more. The OLED display lets you swap out key configurations on the fly, and the keyboard itself boasts a response time of 0.7ms. That is eight times faster than a standard mechanical keyboard. The keyboard also interacts with your favorite games and apps. The display can show you how many kills you have, the name of the person who is speaking, and what Spotify is playing. All of this comes with a guaranteed 100 million keypresses. You can expect to splash out $250 for such a keyboard.
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LG Signature OLED TV R9
First, there were smartphones, then smart tablets, and now we have smartwatches and smart TVs. The OLED TV R9 is due to be released soon. The R9 will be fully compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa, which will only enhance your viewing experience on its 65-inch screen. Now 65 inches is a lot, and not everyone has somewhere to store it. Luckily for you, the R9 is part of the LG TV series that rolls down into a compact box for storage. The TV is 4K ready, and because it is a smart TV, you can use it with all of your streaming apps. That means you can cut cable and save. The price is yet to be revealed, so if this TV has caught your interest, it would be a good idea to get saving now.
Jura S8
The best way to enjoy your morning smart TV intake is with a good cup of coffee, and the Jura S8 can provide that to you. Whether you are an espresso fan, a lover of a good latte, or a no-nonsense flat white drinker, you can make use of the Jura S8. As with nearly all tech today, you can use an app to get your morning routine going before you even leave your bed. Alternatively, you can use the built-in touch screen to put in your order. The machine itself is not too bad to look at, with a sleek quality design that is right at home in any modern kitchen. You may be wondering how much a good cup of coffee costs and the answer is $2,899.
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Bose Home Speaker 500
A great sound system is made up of a subwoofer, and then multiple speakers to get that surround sound effect. The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a single, smart speaker unit that can give you a wall-to-wall sound. You can control the way the sound gets delivered with voice commands, which will be picked up by one of the eight microphones built into the speaker. The Home Speaker is easy to connect to the rest of your smart house system, as it comes with built-in Alexa and Google Home compatibility. There is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Apple Airplay 2 connectivity, meaning you can play sound from your phone, TV, or computer. The options are limitless. If it can connect, it can play it. To get your hands on the flexible speaker package, you can expect to pay $399.95.
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Dyson Cyclone V11 Cordless Vacuum
The Dyson Cyclone V11 does everything a standard upright vacuum does, without the worry of plugging in and unplugging the cord every time you move to another room. The lowest setting of this vacuum will give you up to 60 minutes of run time. Its built-in LCD screen will keep you up to date on remaining battery life, as well as providing any necessary maintenance alerts. The power setting will adjust automatically depending on the floor surface. Automatic settings combined with four additional cleaning tools will make this vacuum your go-to solution for floor cleaning. A wireless vacuum that has the same power as a wired vacuum cleaner and doubles that of other cordless competitors does not come cheap. You can expect to pay $499 for the Animal model, which lacks the multiple power settings, or $599 for the Torque Drive model that includes some extra features.
Whistle Go
Dogs (and cats) indeed are “man’s best friend.” For that reason, it is essential to know where they are and how they are. The Whistle Go functions similarly to a fitness tracker. You input your pet’s age, weight, and breed. From there, you can see how many calories your pet has burned, check their sleep patterns, and see where they are at all times. The collars that support the device come in a variety of colors, meaning your pet is always looking fashionable. The device is also waterproof for any pets that like a good swim. Your peace of mind is priceless, though the actual device will cost you $99.95 for the basic option or $129.95 for the explore option, which comes with a few additional features. Each offering also charges a subscription fee.
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Philips Somneo Sleep and Wake-Up Light
To take advantage of all the great tech available to you, you need to wake up. There is no better way to do this than with the wake-up light from Philips. The simulated sunrise will gently wake you in 30 minutes, as opposed to the phone alarm that hits you at full blast. Waking up like this is better for your body and allows you to prepare for the day in a less stressful manner. There is a built-in FM radio, as well as the ability to charge your phone, but not much else. With this product, simplicity is the main selling point. However, for the lack of features, you will pay around $199.99.
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Get Smart with Smart Tech
When the first iPhone was released, some people saw what it would become, while others were a bit more skeptical. Despite the skeptics, smart technology has taken the world by storm, with nearly all new technology taking advantage of it in some way or another. Now everything from coffee machines to lighting and wireless speakers can all be controlled from your phone via touch controls. Virtual Reality is also a focus of modern technology that, though it is still in its early stages, is growing more and more accessible to the average consumer. 4K quality is something that has changed how we use visual entertainment, though 8K is already heading to the mainstream. No matter what, advancement in technology is always happening. This list features the newest tech gadgets of today, but who knows what tomorrow has in store for us?
Do you have a piece of tech you cannot live without? Do you own or plan on owning any of the products on this list? What are the coolest gadgets you have ever seen?