Portable and pocketable travel tech: four take-away gadgets with which to stay connected
Work and play remotely with these travel tech devices: TicWatch Pro 5; a stylish new Samsung battery pack; Urbanears’ latest earbuds; and the evergreen Tula microphone
![Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5, among our the latest travel tech](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Dp3tNDtYkqhHETBRtsh5FJ-415-80.jpg)
We assemble four things that'll help your mobile life run smoothly, from the latest smartwatch to a foldable microphone for podcasting on the go, as well as the best everyday earbuds and a battery pack to keep all your portable and travel tech charged on the move.
Portable travel tech to keep you connected
1. Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5
Mobvoi isn’t quite up there with Apple, Samsung or Garmin in the pantheon of fitness-focused smartwatches, but it still makes a stylish and powerful wearable. Incorporating the new Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 Wearable Platform, which uses Google’s Wear OS 3, the TicWatch Pro 5 is strong and robust, albeit a little large on the wrist.
Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5
Mobvoi has incorporated its own software suite into the device for fitness tracking, including blood oxygen levels, heart rate and all the usual motion metrics, but you can also use Google’s Fit suite. There’s a rotating crown to navigate apps, as well as a quick charge function that gives around 65 per cent of battery life in just half an hour. The stock watch faces range between info-dense overload and stylish classic dials, and there’s also a faint LCD-style permanent display that gives you all the basic data at a glance without your having to turn the watch on. Used sparingly, you’ll get over three days of use from the Pro 5.
Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5, £329.99, Mobvoi.com, Amazon.co.uk
2. Urbanears Juno earbuds
Urbanears Juno earbuds
Juno are the new noise-cancelling earphones from Swedish audio brand Urbanears. As well as having the usual feature set – Automatic Noise Cancelling and a useful Transparency Mode – Juno’s plastic componentry is 91 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic waste. A brand-new app enables listeners to customise the touch controls (including the ability to amplify your surroundings with a single tap), and the case also offers wireless charging.
A charge will give eight hours of listening, and the earbuds can stay connected to two devices at any one time. Three colourways are available, Dirty Tangerine, Charcoal Black and Raw. A supremely comfortable fit, engaging sound and a keen price point make these a fine choice for casual listeners who can't trust themselves with more ostentatious alternatives.
Urbanears Juno, €99, Urbanears.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
3. Tula Mic
Tula Mic
If Teenage Engineering’s meticulous new TP-7 is overkill, consider the Tula Mic, a beautifully crafted compact recording device that draws inspiration from both Dieter Rams and the Swedish audio specialist (two of the Tula team behind the design, mechanical engineer Steven Nersesian and electronic and firmware engineer Stefan Burstrom, have worked with Teenage Engineering). Under the creative guidance of David Brown, Tula’s pocketable Mic is all set for 12 hours of high-quality WAV recording, either as a standalone device or hooked up to a phone or PC. The company even offers bundles of twin Mics for podcasters on the go, available in black, cream, red and seafoam.
Tula Mic Podcast bundle, £435, TulaMics.com
4. Samsung Battery Pack by Layer
Samsung Battery Pack by Layer Design
Not all battery packs are the same. Layer’s new 25W 10,000 mAh battery pack for smartphone giant Samsung is a case in point. Wrapped in a smooth organic case made from speckled plastic, this is as close as the humble power bank gets to being a tactile object. The inset ’10’ identifies the capacity, and twin ports allow for the fast charging of two devices at once, making this battery pack an essential part of every outfit.
Samsung 25W 10,000 mAh Battery Pack by Layer Design, layerdesign.com, £37 from Samsung.com
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
The new HMD Skyline is a repairable smartphone that won’t rule your life
Human Mobile Devices has pulled out all the stops to ensure its flagship HMD Skyline can not only be easily repaired, but helps divert you from doom-scrolling
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Analogue Pocket Aluminum Editions: the cult video gaming console shows its new metal
The strictly limited-edition Analogue Pocket Aluminum Editions bring high-quality materials to Analogue’s elegant combination of hardware and software design
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Moog’s mood-altering Labyrinth and five more new synthesizers and sound tools
Explore soundscapes and ambient realms with these new synthesizers and other desktop composition tools for shaping all forms of audio
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Radio alarm clocks round-up: wake up to these clever bedside companions
Our selection of the best new radio alarm clocks, from smart speakers to compact DAB boxes and more
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
CMF by Nothing launches its first phone, and an update of its talented smartwatch
The new CMF Phone 1 is joined by next-generation versions of its CMF Buds Pro 2 and the excellent CMF Watch Pro 2
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The latest portable tech for boosting productivity out on the road
Nine new gadgets for agile workers to get out and about with, from pocket projectors to slimline keyboards, charge blocks and more
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
New Light Phone III is all retro-simplicity to soothe your over-laden mind
The Light Phone III – a smart device for those disaffected by data collection and endless diversions – is designed to let you get back to real life
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Honor Magic6 RSR is a bold new entrant into the premium smartphone market
After a couple of weeks with the Porsche Design Honor Magic6 RSR in hand, we report back on the ins and outs of this new high-end device
By Jonathan Bell Published