SMALL JOYS

It’s easy to mistake the all-new Apple iPhone SE (2022) for the iPhone 8, but it’s a whole new beast on the inside. The big change is the A15 Bionic processor that is at the heart of the new SE; it’s the same chipset that powers the iPhone 13 quartet. The 16-core Neural Engine is capable of 15.8 trillion operations per second, enabling faster machine learning computations for third-party applications.

This makes an impact on battery life, and this SE performed better than its predecessor in our tests. The iPhone SE is kitted with a 12MP rear cam that comes with camera enhancements like Smart HDR 4 and Photographic Styles. But most of all, it’s the joy of one-handed navigation that makes this small screen iPhone still relevant in 2022. Priced starting at Rs 43,900.

KEEP RUNNING

The new Garmin Epix is the brand’s newest premium wearable to land in India. It’s geared for the most gruelling outdoor pursuits; the top-end Sapphire-Black Titanium version features a fibre-reinforced polymer finish with a titanium rear cover protected with a sapphire crystal lens. It’s rugged, yet stylish enough for a night on the town or a board meeting. A vivid 1.3-inch AMOLED display (416 x 416 pixels) is one of the talking points of the Epix.

The smartwatch is loaded with wellness tracking options like Body Battery that uses a blend of heart rate variability (HRV), stress and activity to estimate your energy reserves (on a score of 1 to 100). You get a six-day battery life on the Epix. Priced from Rs 89,900.

CABIN CLASS

Yahama’s new YH-L700A premium over-the-ear headphones are the perfect travel accessory. The build is refined, a unique forward-tilted headband ensures these headphones sit right at the centre of your head.

Yamaha opts for a squarish oval design for these cans that are finished with a blend of premium materials that include leather, an embossed aluminium logo, and soft urethane. There are three physical buttons on the ear cups that allow you to control the ANC (active noise cancellation) settings as well as access the seven audio presets that set this audio experience apart. The YH-L700A is priced at Rs 43,300.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

The Samsung Galaxy S22+ is the middle child in the new Galaxy S22 flagship line-up and offers the best of both worlds — a large display without the extra heft. It is propelled by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and comes in two hardware variants: 8GB/128GB or 8GB/256GB. The S22+ weighs under 200 gm and feels really good in your hand despite its robust 4500 mAh battery. Our favourite feature is the 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate that peaks at 1750 nits.

The biggest leap for the S22+ (over its predecessor) is rear camera performance. The 12MP primary cam on the S21+ makes way for a more formidable 50MP (f/1.8 aperture) lens. A 10MP telephoto lens and a 12MP ultra-wide cam complete the setup. Available from Rs 84,999.

PARTY PROOF

The Sonos Five is the most expensive speaker in the brand’s India line-up, and has been tuned by renowned music producer Giles Martin. This oblong speaker boasts of a premium build; you can place the Five either vertically or horizontally and access the physical buttons either ways.

The sound set-up includes three tweeters, three mid-woofers, six class-D amplifiers. It’s a formidable set up in a speaker that weighs about 6.3 kg. Just like those massive hi-fi systems, the Sonos Five delivers great details even at low volumes. You can pair it with other Sonos speakers for a wider soundstage. This one’s for audiophiles or anyone who takes their music seriously. Rs 59,999.

YOUR PERSONAL TV

The ASUS Vivobook 13 Slate OLED is the perfect screen for your binge-watch sessions. We dig the 13.3-inch, 16:9 OLED HDR display, (1920 x 1080 resolution/550 nits of peak brightness). Colors are quite punchy, blacks are deep, and the Dolby Atmos Quad speakers add to its entertainment creds.

ASUS calls it the world’s first 13.3-inch OLED Windows detachable laptop. Your personal movie screen quickly morphs into a Windows laptop with the bundled keyboard. Battery life was quite solid in our tests — about 8-9 hours of video playback; the in-box charger powers this device in quick time. Rs 45,990 onwards.