The best gadgets of the year
The gadgets that stood out for their functionality and design
Kindle Voyage
Amazon’s best e-reader yet, the Kindle Voyage sports a new 300ppi e-paper display, which allows for fonts to look just like the printed word. The micro-etched glass display diffuses light to eliminate glare and matches the feel of paper. An adaptive front light automatically adjusts brightness, and the new PagePress reacts to a subtle increase of pressure, triggers a page-turn, and provides a haptic response only your thumb can perceive. With 4GB of storage, it can hold more books than you can imagine, and at just 7.6mm, the Voyage is the thinnest Kindle ever. Price: Rs 5999
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
If you wanted a top-notch smartphone that fits a normal hand, the iPhone was the only option for a long time. Most Android phone-makers don’t offer top-tier specifications in smaller sizes. The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is the only exception. Built with the understated elegance that Sony is known for, thr Xperia Z3 Compact features a 4.6-inch display, a 2.5GHz quad-core processor (the same one you’ll find in a Samsung Galaxy S5), a 20.7-megapixel camera, a waterproof body, the ability to stream games from your PlayStation 4 consoles and a battery life that will get you through the day even on heavy use. Price: Rs 39,790
PlayStation 4
The long-awaited successor to Sony’s PlayStation 3, a console launched way back in 2006, the PlayStation 4 finally arrived in 2014 and outsold its rivals across the world with record-breaking figures. Featuring an 8-core 64-bit x86 “Jaguar” CPU built by AMD, a Radeon GPU comprised 18 “compute units” with 8GB of GDDR5 RAM, the PlayStation 4 is all about rich and immersive game-play with powerful graphics and speed, intelligent personalisation, deeply integrated social capabilities and innovative second-screen features. Price: Rs 39,990
Apple iPhone 6
Another year, another iPhone and yet, it finds a spot on our list of best gadgets. It has a bigger screen, more power and a more capable OS and is the easiest phone to use. It features a speedier A8 processor, a new M8 motion co-processor, a 5-element lens with an updated 8-megapixel iSight camera, slimmer bodies, 128GB storage options and support for faster LTE and NFC, allowing these phones to run ApplePay, the mobile payment service. Price: Rs 58,000
LG G3
LG has shaken things up with the G3, making it our favourite Android phone right now. Featuring a gorgeous bezel-less 5.5-inch 2K screen, a 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation and laser-guided auto-focus, the G3 is a powerhouse, with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor running at 2.5GHz, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 3,000mAh removable battery, wireless charging and NFC. Price: Rs 39,999
Philips Hue
If a connected home is on your wish list, a good place to start is the Philips Hue, a wireless LED light bulb system that lets you turn iOS devices into a remote control for your lampshades. You may think it’s gimmicky to change the shade and intensity of light, turn the bulbs on and off remotely and set them to come on at scheduled times. But, there are real energy savings to be made, and you don’t have to enter a dark home anymore. Price: $199 for starter pack (three bulbs and a wireless bridge)
Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 III
2014 could be called the year of high-end compact, as we saw a move away from bulky DSLRs and system cameras. The simplicity of point-and-shoot without compromising image quality was the theme with most camera makers, but Sony takes the top spot with its RX100 III. Featuring a back-illuminated, 20.1-million-pixel, 1-inch CMOS sensor that’s larger than you’ll find in most compacts, the camera also includes a fast F1.8 ZEISSVario-Sonnar T* lens (24-70mm), a new and improved BIONZ X image processor, a retractable OLED electronic viewfinder, a 3-inch multi-angled LCD display, connectivity to smartphones via Wi-Fi w/NFC and a built-in pop-up flash. Price: Rs 54,990
Moto 360
There’s been an onslaught of smartwatches this year and while many are waiting for the iWatch to go on sale, the Moto 360 has quietly made it to the top of the smartwatch list by looking like, well, a watch. Its classic round face and premium build quality looks good on the wrist. It works like any other Android watch, with notifications, voice control, alarms, app alerts and activity tracking. It also includes a heart rate sensor, a pedometer, wireless charging and an ambient light sensor. Price: Rs 17,999
Google Chromecast
Although it was launched in late 2013, Google Chromecast is the breakout hit of 2014, having sold close to 500 million units. It’s remarkably cheap and the easiest way to stream internet video to your TV from almost any source. All you do is plug this thumb-sized device into the HDMI port of any HDTV and control it with your existing smartphone, tablet or laptop. Price: Rs 3228
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
Microsoft is back in the market with the latest Surface device, and it’s better than ever. The Surface 3 could replace both your tablet and laptop. With a stunning 12-inch display in a sleek magnesium frame, the Surface Pro 3 offers i3, i5 or i7 innards, up to 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD, an adjustable kickstand that lets you choose your own angle, an optional keyboard that attaches magnetically and a touch-sensitive stylus for drawing or taking notes. Price: Starts $799
