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
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
-
Inside the factory where your Birkenstocks are madePart high-tech laboratory, part artisanal workshop, the German factory straddles past and future. For Wallpaper*, Stuart Brumfitt takes a rare tour
-
Nathalie Du Pasquier, Peter Shire and Barbara Stauffacher Solomon create exclusive artworks for Riso ClubGlasgow print studio Risotto celebrates the 100th issue of its monthly Riso Club – a hand-printed, hand-posted subscription that has grown from a small artist exchange into a global community
-
An ocean-facing Montauk house is 'a coming-of-age, a celebration, a lair'A Montauk house on Hither Hills, designed by Hampton architects Oza Sabbeth, is wrapped in timber and connects its residents with the ocean
-
LG rolls out its ThinQ AI into a sleek new crew of connected home helpersThe age of thinking washing machines is well upon us, thanks to companies like LG and its ThinQ AI system, which harnesses artificial intelligence for better appliance integration
-
Swedish tech brand Transparent launches its Aroma Diffuser for the homeThe audio specialist moves into the olfactory zone with its latest product, the elegant Aroma Diffuser
-
Teenage Engineering gets playful with two new devices, Riddim and TingThe new EP–40 Riddim and EP–2350 Ting from Teenage Engineering are infused with authentic dub and reggae sounds and effects
-
Forget the sensor-stuffed smart home and opt for these bots made from warm Danish oak insteadSwift Creatives have debuted their conceptual Wooden Bots, smart notification systems concealed within a trio of sculptural, highly crafted, but still recognisably robotic devices
-
Two new portable projectors from Wanbo and Soundcore showcase extremes of scaleThe ultra-compact Wanbo Dali 1 goes up against Soundcore’s mighty Nebula X1 Pro mobile theatre system
-
Google Home gets a glow-up as Gemini joins the party with its uncanny observational skillsYour smart speaker becomes sentient and you now have your own NSA-grade domestic surveillance set-up. Welcome to the terrifying power of Gemini-enabled Google Home
-
Montblanc’s new Digital Paper and Digital Pen are high-end entries into the e-ink clubFamed for its traditional writing instruments, Montblanc brings its premium approach to the digital realm
-
Back to black: five new coffee machines serve up everything from smooth filter to rich espressoFrom bean to cup, there’s no messing up with these five new coffee machines, offering a fine selection of coffees in a variety of sizes
