Huawei Watch 3 Series and new MatePad Pro Launched with HarmonyOS 2

Huawei has launched a range of smartwatches and tablets powered by its new HarmonyOS 2 operating system, including the Huawei Watch 3 Series and the Huawei MatePad Pro.

Harmony OS has been in the pipeline for a while, but now it’s hitting the ground running in its 2.0 flavour as it is powering a raft of new products.

Huawei is pinning its hopes on HarmonyOS as becoming the Android slayer where BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Phone, Firefox OS, et al failed. Naturally, the company has had its hand somewhat forced thanks to the ongoing political situation between the USA and China.

Harmony OS first appeared on some IoT devices and the much publicised Smart TVs. Now 2.0 boasts apps that will appear on the brand’s Huawei smartphones, such as the P40 and Mate 40, as well as tablets and watches.

HUAWEI Watch 3 Series

Huawei’s brand-new flagship smartwatch, the Huawei Watch 3 Series, features a curved glass 1.43-inch circular AMOLED display that totes a 326ppi pixel density and 316L stainless steel case. There is also a brand-new 3D rotating crown that senses different pressure levels and provides haptic feedback in response to user input.

Naturally, there are stacks of health and fitness tracking baked in, too. The Huawei Watch 3 Series supports more than 100 workout modes. In addition to a broad range of healthcare support options, the watch can now monitor skin temperature with a new, high-precision temperature sensor. It also supports fall detection and SOS functions so that you can monitor and manage another user’s health in real-time.

The Huawei Watch 3 Pro has a quoted battery life of 21 days in ultra-long battery life mode or five in smart mode, whereas the Huawei Watch 3 can last three days in smart mode and 14 days in ultra-long battery life mode.

Connectivity comes through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, and eSIM, enabling you to make and receive phone calls and listen to music using the same phone number and data plan as your smartphone.

Pre-orders run from June 2nd to 17th in the UK, with the Watch 3 going on sale on June 18th priced at £349.99. As for the Pro model, that costs £499.99, and pre-orders are active between June 2nd and 27th, with the watch becoming available on June 27th.

Those who place a pre-order with a deposit – £20 for the Watch 3, £50 for the Watch 3 Pro – will get that money off their watch of choice at purchase and will be able to redeem a pair of the company’s FreeBuds Pro true-wireless earphones at the same time.

HUAWEI MatePad Pro

We’re told that the new Huawei MatePad Pro features a 12.6-inch OLED FullView Display and has bragging rights to a 90% screen-to-body ratio, the highest among all tablets currently available on the market, they say. 

Every display comes with a Delta-E colour difference of less than 0.5 for incredibly high colour accuracy. It promises to deliver a crisp, colour-accurate picture that is on par with professional monitors. The Huawei MatePad Pro also has an ultra-high contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 and supports a DCI-P3 colour gamut.

Loaded with Kirin 9000 series chipsets, the MatePad Pro should deliver the goods as it is also supported by the distributed data management and task scheduling capabilities of HarmonyOS. This means that the tablet can work together seamlessly with smartphones and PCs to double your productivity and creativity in different scenarios, “whether you’re in the office or at the drawing board”.

The nifty MatePad Pro also supports multi-screen collaboration with PCs and supports cross-device file dragging and dropping, delivering a more efficient and collaborative multi-device experience.

The second-generation M-Pencil was also unveiled together with the MatePad Pro. The new smartpen features a new platinum-coated nib for high-precision handwriting and ultra-low latency, accurately differentiating between 4,096 levels of force. 

The MatePad Pro is available for £499.99 and comes with a free keyboard cover and mini speaker when purchased directly from the Huawei website.

The post Huawei Launches HarmonyOS 2 with Watch 3 Series and MatePad Pro appeared first on GadgetyNews.

You may know TCL from the reappearance of BlackBerry phones. A major player in the global consumer electronics market, TCL is now revolutionising the television world through its numerous innovations that are now available to UK consumers.

The TCL range supports everything you would expect the latest 4K TV would do. They have access to all the usual catch-up, on-demand services and live television. Furthermore, with no monthly costs, you get programming from BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, Demand 5 and UKTV Play alongside 70 TV channels and 15HD channels.

In February 2018, TCL announced a deal with Paris Saint Germain and Brazil football superstar Neymar Jr. He’s now the brand’s global ambassador. 

At the time of the UK launch, this is how the TCL range of televisions squares up.

DP608 43-inch and 55-inch 4K Smart TV

• UHD HDR (HDR10+HLG)
• Slim Design
• Freeview Play and YouTube/Netflix 4K
• RRP £499 (55-inch)

DP648 4K Smart TV

• Available as 43-, 50-, 55-, and 65-inch models
• UHD HDR (HDR10+HLG)
• Wide Colour Gamut
• Ultra-Thin Metal design (9.9mm)
• Freeview Play and YouTube/Netflix 4K
• RRP £599 (55-inch)

The DP6 range will shortly be joined by the stunning DC748 with integrated JBL sound bar delivering an incredible audio experience:

DC748 55-inch and 65-inch 4K Smart TV

• UHD HDR (HDR10+HLG)
• Wide Colour Gamut
• JBL Sound Bar
• Wide Viewing Angle
• Freeview Play and YouTube/Netflix 4K
• RRP £TBA

Availability

The TCL product range is available now from Amazon – www.amazon.co.uk/tcl. 

All products are fully supported locally with a two-year guarantee and units 43-inches+ will be eligible for engineer call-out to repair.

The post TCL brings sub £400 4K TVs to UK appeared first on GadgetyNews.

BlackBerry Mobile has announced the availability of their latest button-boasting KEY2 smartphone.

Following on from the success of the KEYone last year, TCL (holders of the BlackBerry license) have unleashed a new and improved version.

It seems that lots of people love buttons. Is it purely memories of previous handsets or are we fed up with designers whipping away mechanical switches and ports to only end up with a smooth, featureless oblong?

Well, with the KEY2, BlackBerry brings another button-fest! The button-mashing-bonus is that it offers myriad ways of doing things.

BlackBerry KEY2 refinements

Looking over the spec list, the KEY2 refines almost every aspect of last year’s KEYone, which was already pretty good.

The new BB is lighter whilst also retaining its predecessor’s robust construction. I am happy to see that the now familiar grippy, rubberised coating on the rear has been retained. It also keeps a 3.5mm audio port.

Furthermore, it also boasts the stamina of last year’s model so we can expect around two days of use.

The KEY2 also boasts a flagship-class chunk of RAM. The 6GB should keep app switching and multi-tasking sweet, smooth and speedy.

Armed with a 4.5-inch display, and improved, larger keyboard I am looking forward to trying it out.

The phone runs on Android Oreo 8.1 and offers microSD support for expandable storage.

Camera

One of the biggest updates compared to the BlackBerry KEYone is the introduction of the first ever dual-rear camera on a BlackBerry smartphone.

The dual 12MP cameras promise an improvement in auto white balance, faster auto focus, improved image stabilisation and new photo capture experiences. The BlackBerry KEY2 also introduces new capture modes such as Portrait Mode and Optical Superzoom.

Official launch

I am off the the BlackBerry KEY2 official UK launch party tonight so I hope to get some quality time with the new BB. Naturally, I shall share my thoughts with you.

Price and availability

The BlackBerry KEY2 is available now in Selfridges Manchester, Birmingham and Oxford Street London stores.

BlackBerry KEY2 in Black and Silver has an RRP of £579 GBP, and will also be available carrier-unlocked from June 29, at Unlocked Mobiles, BuyItDirect, Mobile Phones Direct, and Clove Technologies.

The post BlackBerry KEY2 returns to type appeared first on GadgetyNews.

We were impressed by the KEYone last year. Now, TCL Communication, the BlackBerry-brand licensing partner, has announced the KEY2. They say the KEY2 is “the most advanced BlackBerry smartphone yet”.

There is still plenty of love for the BlackBerry physical keyboard. Furthermore, there is still plenty of reasons to take advantage of BlackBerry Limited’s security and privacy enhancements.

The great news is that this all-new BlackBerry smartphone packs a number of features that are firsts for any BlackBerry smartphone too.

BlackBerry Key2

The KEY2 comes loaded with latest Android 8.1 Oreo operating system. Additionally, this will be BlackBerry’s first ever dual-rear camera smartphone.

Following on from the handy shortcut features on the previous phones, the new device includes the introduction of Speed Key. This is a universal shortcut key that hands you instant access to the apps, contacts and functions you use most from anywhere on your device at any time.

Design and quality

It is great to see that the KEY2 retains the build quality of its predecessor. You get a Series 7 aluminium frame and updated soft touch back that features a new diamond pattern. This gives the phone a premium look and feel. Moreover, it makes it comfortable to use as well as a giving it more grip.

The 4.5-inch touch display is protected by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass and creates a more seamless design and edge to edge look.

Keyboard

Arguably the biggest USP of the KEY-series phones is their QWERTY board. This has been given special attention and we are told that the evolved keyboard has been improved to make on the go typing more immediate and effortless. Firstly, key height on the BlackBerry KEY2 has been increased by 20% for more accurate typing. The keys have also been treated to a new matte finish and fret design for optimised key spacing.

You also get an in-keyboard fingerprint scanner with updated mechanics.

Speed Key

The new Speed Key enables shortcut access to a number of functions at any time. No longer do you have to return to the home screen or search in an app folder to access your most used apps, contacts and functions. Just press Speed Key along with any of your customisable 52 shortcuts to instantly access your favourite features or call your top contacts. Naturally, flick typing for faster messaging is still present. You can also still use the keyboard as a trackpad to quickly scroll through emails, web pages and more.

Under the hood

Starting off with the BlackBerry’s great stamina, the KEY2 offers up to two days battery life.

Also on offer is 6GB of memory as well as a choice of 64GB and 128GB storage variants. Both can be expanded via MicroSD support.

This is all powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor. This bundles in Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 (via its USB-C port) as well as a new Smart Battery Experience. This learns from your daily charging habits and recommends when to charge up.

Cameras

Around the rear of the phone you’ll find a pair of 12MP cameras. Software takes care of auto white balance, faster auto focus, improved image stabilisation and new photo capture experiences such as Portrait Mode and Optical Superzoom.

With Portrait Mode, you can now capture beautiful portrait photos creating more dramatic and professional looking images.

In addition, Optical Superzoom makes it possible to capture better photos with greater details from further away. The Superzoom uses multi-frame capture to reduce noise on zoomed photos. Finally, BlackBerry KEY2 also integrates Google Lens. This enables you to quickly and easily search and get more information on things such as book reviews simply by capturing a picture of the book’s cover. This also includes details of landmarks, and such.

Security

It wouldn’t be a BlackBerry without a raft of enhanced security and privacy features.

The company are confident that the BlackBerry KEY2 is the most secure Android smartphone.

It comes preloaded with DTEK by BlackBerry that provides an ‘at a glance’ security meter. This shows the overall security rating of your device and provides a simple way to view how apps may be accessing your data and manage app permissions. The app also now includes a Proactive Health check feature, which enables you to scan your device and receive instant feedback on potential vulnerabilities and security optimisations.

Locker has also been improved to offer even greater personal privacy and control over your content.

The BlackBerry KEY2 is also part of the Google-led Android Enterprise Recommended program. This means that business users can buy with confidence knowing they’re getting the most secure Android smartphone experience possible.

Words

Alain Lejeune, Senior Vice President, TCL Communication and President, BlackBerry Mobile stated

Although there are many different smartphones for consumers to choose from today, most tend to offer very similar experiences without much distinction from one to the next. With the introduction of BlackBerry KEY2, we’ve created a distinct smartphone that captures all the traits that have made BlackBerry smartphones iconic, while introducing new innovations and experiences that not only make this one of the best devices for security and privacy, but also the most advanced BlackBerry smartphone ever.”

Alex Thurber, SVP and GM of Mobility Solutions at BlackBerry, added

BlackBerry phones are the world’s most secure Android smartphones. We design them for security from the inside out and we’re proud to partner with TCL Communication on the launch of their all-new BlackBerry KEY2. BlackBerry has been iterating and perfecting our approach to mobile security for decades, and we’re excited to have this new genuine, modern BlackBerry smartphone available for our fans around the world to enjoy.”

Price and availability

The BlackBerry KEY2 will begin shipping globally this month with the suggested retail price starting at £579 / €649.

For more information about the all-new BlackBerry KEY2 and to register for pre-order updates, please visit www.BlackBerryMobile.com.

The post BlackBerry KEY2 QWERTY smartphone official appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Yes, you read that headline correctly. But why on earth would Huawei attempt to take on the giant operating system?

Well, it turns out the reason could have its basis on the trouble it’s having with America.

The latest bit of bad news occurred last week when the Department of Justice reportedly began investigating the Chinese telecom and hardware giant for allegedly having violated the country’s sanctions against Iran. Not an ideal situation for Huawei.

Furthermore, this could end up with the company being barred from using American technology and services. This would include Qualcomm chipsets and Google’s suite of services and the Android platform. Yup, it would be a major blow.

However, the South China Morning Post noted that Huawei has a plan B in the works: its own OS.

Huawei OS

Huawei is said to have been working on a alternative to Android and iOS since 2012. THis was triggered when rival phone maker, ZTE, was hit with an export ban. That was for illegally selling devices and telecom equipment to Iran and North Korea.

The OS is reportedly designed to work on phones, tablet, and also PCs. Presently it is still on the test bench as it still isn’t as capable as Android. Additionally, there is a lack of third-party apps and we know how critical that is.

Recalling the roll-call of previous operating systems that have been resigned to the ‘Where Are They Now?’ files it does seem crazy to build another. Microsoft’s Windows Phone couldn’t keep up, BlackBerry OS died out in 2016, and Samsung’s Tizen OS has failed to catch on. What is Huawei thinking?

Well, with the troubles Huawei has faced in bringing its products to the US in 2018 alone, it seems like having a backup plan does make sense. It’s still a huge ask, but makes sense.

US problems

As well as the Department of Justice investigation, the company lost out on a major carrier deal in January owing to pressure from Congress. This dampened the touchpaper of a deal that would have seen AT&T sell its phones nationwide. The following month, the heads of six American intelligence agencies warned consumers not to buy the company’s handsets. Their reasoning was that Huawei may steal users’ information, spy on them to benefit China, and gain a position of power in the country’s communications infrastructure. Naturally, they don’t mind Facebook and others grabbing your details

Still hopeful

The thing is, none of this has put Huawei off of the United States yet. Granted, it is a huge market so must be worth pursuing.

Earlier this month, in response to questions regarding moves in the US to restrict access to China-made smartphones and telecoms infrastructure due to security concerns, Erix Xu declined to comment. But he did say that its positioning in the US market has not changed, stating that 

We’re focused on what we can do and providing better services to our customers.”

I am not sure if the best reason to float out a new operating system is because you might get barred from a particular market. However, as always in business, it is prudent to have a contingency plan.

The post Huawei working on Android operating system rival appeared first on GadgetyNews.

BlackBerry smartphone fans are among the most loyal and passionate in the world, and BlackBerry Mobile from TCL Communication is launching its BlackBerry Smartphone Fan League just for them.

The mission of the Fan League is to find new and creative ways to engage with BlackBerry smartphone fans. They also want to improve awareness of new Android-powered BlackBerry smartphones like the BlackBerry KEYone and the Motion.

BlackBerry Fan League

As part of the Fan League, you will have a chance to win prizes each week, as well as monthly opportunities. Prizes will, of course, include new BlackBerry Mobile smartphones.

Additionally, you’ll have opportunities to participate in special user surveys and beta testing programs. This gives you a direct voice and input to the BlackBerry Mobile team.

The BlackBerry Smartphone Fan League is a points-based social engagement platform that allows BlackBerry smartphone fans to earn points by re-sharing BlackBerry Mobile social media content. You are also rewarded by you generating your own content your BlackBerry smartphone, participating in surveys and recruiting new Fan League members. Those points will earn you chances to win prizes.

Fan League members also have access to exclusive user surveys which will play an important role in user feedback for future product development. In time, BlackBerry Mobile’s closed beta smartphone testing and user feedback programs will also be made available to Fan League members.

Initially, the Fan League is only available to BlackBerry Mobile customers in Canada, the U.S. and U.K.

Words

Alain Lejeune, Global General Manager for TCL Communication’s BlackBerry Mobile Division, said

Launching the BlackBerry Smartphone Fan League is our way of better engaging with our customers, rewarding their loyalty and passion for BlackBerry smartphones, but also giving them a voice that will shape the future of BlackBerry smartphones from TCL Communication,”

Find out more

To join the BlackBerry Fan League, head on over to this page.

For more information about BlackBerry Mobile smartphones from TCL Communication, please visit www.BlackBerryMobile.com.

The post BlackBerry Fan League launched appeared first on GadgetyNews.

You may have noticed my pledge in the article about YouTube’s attack on small channels. Basically, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and win a BlackBerry KEYone!

So, just in case you missed it, here it is again.

We want to keep our site free, but we rely on the little income we get from the likes of YouTube adverts. Well, as of February 20th, that might end for us.

What is happening?

Thanks to YouTube’s new rules, any channel with under 1,000 subscribers and less than 4,000 hours of watch time over the past 12 months with be booted off the monetisation scheme.

I think it is a rather clumsy way of YouTube pleasing their advertisers who, naturally, don’t want their products popping up on hate speeches and extremist videos.

However, my thoughts and those of tens-of-thousands of smaller YouTube channels are not worth a jot to the giant video sharing site and their bean counters.

Subscribe and win

I really want to keep things going here so I am prepared to send one lucky subscriber a BlackBerry KEYone. It comes with all the original packaging and accessories and is unlocked.

So, what do you have to do to win this QWERTY-packing smartphone? Simply subscribe to the GadgetyNews YouTube channel.

If we get past the 1,000 subscribers mark by February 20th, I will message one of you through YouTube for your address details. It’s as simple as that.

Don’t worry, if you have already subscribed you will still go into the prize draw

Just click the image below and hit that Subscribe button Good luck, and thanks!

The post Win a BlackBerry KEYone – GadgetyNews YouTube appeared first on GadgetyNews.

I am still reeling from the news I received yesterday morning from YouTube. The email sent out from the video-sharing giant threatens many YouTubers very hard.

YouTube informed tens-of-thousands of smaller channels that they are removing monetisation.

Basically, any channel with less than 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time will be bumped off from receiving any revenue from advertising.

GadgetyNews currently has 216 subscribers and therefore will lose the monetisation. We might not get much but it is crucial to the running of this blog. Furthermore, it enables us to cover shows and press events around the country.

We wish to continue to keep everything free to watch and read, however, YouTube is now making us beg you to hit that subscribe button.

Win a BlackBerry KEYone! – here are the details!

The reason

I am not totally unaware of why YouTube is doing this, of course. It does have a good reason, although I think they have simply chosen the easiest option for them.

In the simplest terms, this is a sweeping change that YouTube has implemented so that brands won’t be advertising on videos which are created for hate speech, terrorism, and such. These generally have a small amount of subscribers (why subscribe and make it easier for people to track you?) and also small audiences.

Unfortunately, channels such as GadgetyNews and our friends, work hard to create content but also don’t aggressively push our channels. Getting just 1,000 subscribers is hard!

The real kick in the teeth is that YouTube said that, as channels such as ours receive little revenue from our videos, that we won’t miss it when it is pulled from us. It is quite the opposite. Many like me want to avoid plastering our sites with loads of advertising, annoying pop-ups, etc. Furthermore, we definitely want to avoid paywalls and other more ‘businesslike’ methods of getting help with our costs.

YouTube statement

Today we are announcing changes to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). While our goal remains to keep the YPP open to as many channels as possible, we recognise that we need more safeguards in place to protect creator revenue across the YouTube ecosystem.

Under the new eligibility requirements announced today, your YouTube channel, Jay Garrett, is no longer eligible for monetisation because it does not meet the new threshold of 4,000 hours of watch time within the past 12 months and 1,000 subscribers. As a result, your channel will lose access to all monetisation tools and features associated with the YouTube Partner Program on 20 February 2018 unless you surpass this threshold in the next 30 days. Accordingly, this email serves as 30 days notice that your YouTube Partner Program terms are terminated.

One of YouTube’s core values is to provide anyone the opportunity to earn money from a thriving channel. Creators who haven’t yet reached this new threshold can continue to benefit from our Creator Academy, our Help Centre and all the resources on the Creator Site to grow their channels. Once your channel reaches the new threshold, it will be reviewed to make sure it adheres to our policies and guidelines, and if so, monetisation will be re-enabled.

Please subscribe

You would be doing me a huge favour by subscribing to the GadgetyNews channel on YouTube.

In fact, it means so much to me that, should we break the 1,000 subscriber barrier before February 20th – one lucky subscriber will be sent a fantastic BlackBerry KEYone as seen on YouTube! This is just one of the events I attended and was able to bring you the news before many of the larger channels. #JustSayin

[youtube id=”voKcU9KAS5g”]

Win a BlackBerry KEYone! – here are the details!

The post YouTube war on terror threatens GadgetyNews appeared first on GadgetyNews.

We loved the BlackBerry KEYone and, judging by the awards, so did many others. TCL is looking to expand the BlackBerry portfolio in 2018 and has started by adding an all-new colour variant and dual SIM version of BlackBerry KEYone – Bronze Edition.

The BlackBerry KEYone Bronze Edition will be released in the UK and other select markets across Europe, Asia and the Middle East in Q1.

BlackBerry KEYone Bronze Edition

Following on from the original and Black Edition varients, the Bronze Edition looks pretty sweet. I’m not one for gold finishes but I am digging this.

This limited edition model features a matte bronze finish and adds dual-SIM compatibility for select global markets. This makes it ideal for corporate users or frequent travelers.

The BlackBerry KEYone Bronze Edition has 4GB of memory and 64GB of internal storage. Additionally, it comes packed with all the security, productivity and reliability features that have made BlackBerry KEYone such a distinctly different and popular smartphone.

Check out our BlackBerry KEYone review

Words

Alain Lejeune, Global General Manager for BlackBerry Mobile, said:

It has been less than one year since we formally introduced the world to our all-new BlackBerry smartphones and we’ve seen very strong renewed interest thanks to devices like BlackBerry KEYone and BlackBerry Motion. With new BlackBerry smartphones from TCL Communication now available in over 50 countries around the world, we have a solid foundation to continue building upon our portfolio in the new year. This means customers can expect to see at least two new BlackBerry smartphones from us later this year.”

Alex Thurber, SVP and GM of Mobility Solutions, BlackBerry, added:

BlackBerry phones are the world’s most secure Android smartphones because we’ve designed security into every possible piece of software. We are excited that TCL Communication has decided to bring the BlackBerry Motion with its outstanding battery life and its touchscreen interface to the United States, in addition to introducing a dual-SIM variant of the highly regarded BlackBerry KEYone for global markets. In 2018 we will be working closely with TCL Communication to roll out Android 8.0 Oreo, including additional security and other features, to continue to expand the overall BlackBerry smartphone user experience.”

Price and availability

For more information about the BlackBerry Mobile smartphones from TCL Communication, please visit www.BlackBerryMobile.com

The post BlackBerry KEYone grabs the bronzer appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Looking for last-minute Christmas presents for the gadgety faithful in your life? Read on and let us inspire you.

Amazon Prime has saved my skin more than once, but don’t forget there’s also bricks and motar stores out there that need your patronage.

Gadgety gifts Christmas 2017

Every year tech is becoming the norm. Most of us don’t leave the house without a small computer, video and stills camera, music player, communication device and GPS. Granted, we call these phones these days but practically everything we use now is ‘smart’. There’s artificial intelligence (AI) to be found in toys, kettles, lights, and more.

You can have a fridge networked that will order food when you are getting low on something. Lights can be controlled by voice commands, as can your plug sockets.

So, the range of tech you can wrap as a gift can be overwhelming. So, here’s some of our top choices from this year.

Phones

BlackBerry

BlackBerry made a come-back this year and both devices have plenty to be happy about.

The Motion is the one that will feel most familiar to Android users. It’s a regular 5.5-inch touchscreen phone with added BlackBerry-ness such as security, business applications and shortcuts. Many shortcuts. However, not as many shortcuts as you can create with their other phone, the KEYone. The KEYone is more reminiscent of the BlackBerrys before complete with a great QWERTY keyboard. Each one of these type keys can be assigned a shortcut too! Bonkers but handier than you think.

KEYone – £499

Motion – £399

Honor 7X

I am actually using this new mid-ranger from Honor and it has already garnered praise from my colleagues. The Honor 7X looks and feels a lot more expensive than it is. The dual camera lenses (6-megapixel sensor accompanied by a 2-megapixel sensor) helps but also the great fit and finish of the device. The 5.93-inch HD+ screen is vibrant and bright and everything moves along smoothly thanks to its Kirin 659 paired with 4GB of RAM.

Review to come soon.

£269.99

Motorola Z2 Play

Looking to go modular? The Z2 Play is another mid-range 5.5-inch screen mobile but it strength comes from its easy-to-add modules, or Mods. Powering the Z2 Play is a Snapdragon 626 mated with 4GB RAM, so it’s no slouch. However, the option of fitting a 360 camera, a Hasselblad camera, or JBL speakers, just to mention a few, Mods gives the Z2 Play special powers.

£28 p/m from Vodafone

Robots

Anki Cozmo

This is by far one of the most endearing droids we have had the pleasure of looking after. Cozmo is packed so full of kit it’s difficult to see how Anki fitted it all in to this little bot.

Anki is now known for its AI toys and Cozmo is no exception. He learns to recognise people’s faces, he learns from his mistakes and even plays with you intelligently.

The best thing is, Cozmo is sure to keep people interested as he can teach coding and will receive regular updates. I want one!

£160

Sphero R2-Q5

Do you love R2-D2 but looking for a droid with a bit more edge? R2-Q5 will interact with other Sphero droids from the Star Wars universe and will even react to scenes in the Star Wars movies. It’s app controlled, of course, and that app also includes augmented reality features that place this R2 droid in to settings, including the Death Star.

R2-Q5 – £199.99 from John Lewis

R2-D2 – £120

BB-8 – £100

BB-9E – £100

Neato Botvac D3 Connected

Not all droids are there for our amusement. Some are actually useful!

The Neato Botvac range are pretty great and cleaning up after its humans. We’ve had the D7 do our bidding and, more recently, the D3.

These clever domestic droids will happily vacuum your room or rooms (as long as all on the same floor – they can’t do stairs yet). Their intelligent mapping means the more they work, the better they become. Also, they will spot when they get to the top of the stairs and stop themselves from hurtling down them. If it should run out of charge midway through a clean, it will scuttle back to its charging station. Once full of juice again, it will pick up from where it left off.

£450

Drones

JJRC H47 Elfie Plus

This neat little drone only costs £35 and you can even get it discounted using the code below. The Elfie Plus folds up to be stored in its own carrying case. You can either use its G-sensor controller or a smartphone app. The 720p camera is decent enough too. It is also equipped with features generally only seen on more expensive models, such as one key takeoff/land, altitude hold and real time image transmission.

Currently on Flash Sale – £26.34

Plus use code: JJRCH47UK for a discount (limited numbers).

Propel Star Wars drones

These are a must for any Star Wars fan. Choose between the Speeder Bike, X-Wing Fighter or X1 TIE Fighter. The detail on these drones is amazing. Furthermore, they are so easy to control.

The experience starts right at the unboxing with audio clips from the movies triggered as soon as the lid comes off. More sound effects during fitting the battery and actually flying the drone keep you immersed.

They were £199 each but now they’re even better value!

X-Wing – £149

TIE Fighter Advanced – £149

Speeder Bike – £149

Smart home

Amazon Echo and Echo Dot

Let’s kick off with Amazon’s Echo family. I use an Echo Dot every day and Alexa not only reads me the news and tells me how gnarly the London transport system is each morning, but it also controls my living room lights and smart plugs.

Voice commands become second-nature in no time and the Dot is easily hidden away should you want to.

The Echo is larger but does pack a decent speaker. The all-new Echo smart speaker has had a recent design refresh, boasts improved audio and a lower price point.

Alexa has added ‘Routines’, ‘Groups’, as wells as Alexa calling and messaging.

Amazon Echo – £69.99

Amazon Echo Dot – £34.99

Wiz lights

I have had the Wiz light bulbs plugged in to my living room and a review shall follow soon.

Smart bulbs are all very well but most require a hub of some sort. Not the ones from Wiz though.

Simply screw them in to your regular ceiling fitting (they offer bayonet or threaded options) and through the app, hook them up to your Wi-Fi.

Once that’s done you can even add in their Alexa Skill which means you can control your lights by voice. State “Alexa, living room on” and there is light. “Alexa, Living room off”, and the lights switch off. You can also control dimming without the need for fitting a dimming switch. “Alexa, living room 27.5% (or whatever level you fancy)” and the LED lights dim together to that setting. OK, so I have to take Alexa’s word that they are actually dimmed by that gradient, but it seems close enough to me.

Furthermore, there are settings on the app such as Daylight, Cozy, Relax, Sunset, Forest, Fireplace and much more. Each one of these changes the colour scheme with the ‘Dynamic’ ones, such as Fireplace and Ocean, adding flickering and/or colour cycles in to the mix.

£46.79 per bulb

LightwaveRF hub and smart plugs

Over-doing it on the Christmas feast can make reaching plugs an issue. Why not tell your plugs to switch on and off? Thanks to the LightwaveRF smart plugs, mine do just that.

The kit comes with a neat little hub and allows the use of a multi-buttoned remote, but that’s old school. Hook it up with the Alexa skill and you have voice-controlled… well, whatever you plug in to the smart plug. Personally, I use it for a desklamp and some other spot lighting.

No more bending down to turn of the Christmas lights. Bliss.

£46.99 for the On/Off switches (smart plugs)

Wrap up

Well, we hope that little lot has helped you out.

Naturally, we have reviewed plenty more than that this year – we’ve not even mentioned Hi-Fi, TVs and Monitors, Wearables or Laptops – we just felt that the list above were more likely to be within the gifting zone. We could be wrong though, of course.

Anyho-ho-ho-ho, have a very merry Christmas, a cool Yule and an awesome holiday!

The post Last minute Christmas Gadgety gifts 2017 appeared first on GadgetyNews.