Whether your New Year’s resolution was to save a few pounds or buy only the best, Mark Prigg knows the gadgets for you
Technology changes at such an incredible pace that it can be tough to keep up with the latest and greatest you should be buying – and how much you need to spend to cover your needs.
In the past year alone we’ve seen netbooks become smaller and more powerful, giving you far more bang for your buck. At the high end of the market there have been even bigger changes, with laptops approaching desktop machines in terms of speed. And, of course, we’ve seen Apple change the game completely with the iPad, prompting every computer firm to try to create their own tablet – something we are going to see a lot more of this year.
With all that in mind, we bring you the best smartphones, laptops, cameras, MP3 players and laptop bags at both the budget and luxury ends of the spectrum.
Smartphone
BUDGET
HTC Wildfire
Pay as you go from £220, from free on contract | htc.com/uk
The rise of the Android handset (Android is the generic name of Google’s mobile phone software) has been astonishing in the smartphone market, and the Wildfire brings those capabilities to a really great little budget handset.
The 3.2-inch screen is relatively low resolution compared with the latest high-end models, but it’s perfectly acceptable. It feels very responsive, even more so than some bigger handsets, and the touchscreen works excellently, as does the optical trackball, which you can also use to navigate with.
However, the key here is the size of the handset itself – at 107mm x 60mm x 12mm, this is a lovely small phone perfect for taking everywhere. It’s simple to use, the camera is reasonable and has a five-megapixel sensor, and it is also able to download apps from Google’s Marketplace, which is getting better every day – although it still falls behind Apple’s in terms of quality and quantity.
The Wildfire is a handset that doesn’t really excel in any one area but does everything pretty well. For those on a budget, it’s a superb choice.
LUXURY
Apple iPhone 4
From £510, from free on contract | apple.com/uk
The iPhone 4 is still, by some margin, the ultimate smartphone. Recent software updates have added multitasking and the ability to play back music and films on your TV via a £99 Apple TV box – you can even play games with other people online. The interface has kept its familiar icons and is fast and responsive, with some great animations such as apps appearing and disappearing as you switch between them. Despite Google’s best efforts, this is still the most user-friendly phone interface.
That’s not to say Apple has things entirely its own way. Google’s Android software is catching up fast, and the surprise contender, Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, is hot on its heels too. Apple was also hit by antenna problems with the iPhone 4, which uses a metal band on the outside of the phone. You can solve the sporadic problem entirely by using a case, but for many users reception was never an issue anyway – those in low-signal areas may need one.
For now, the combination of the stunning high-resolution screen, vast number of apps and unmistakable good looks make this the top smartphone – at any price.
Camera
BUDGET
Canon Powershot A3100 IS
£129 | canon.co.uk
Digital cameras have got cheaper and better almost by the month, and Canon’s Powershot is a great example of how good a budget camera can be.
The 12.1-megapixel sensor gives excellent results, it is extremely easy to use, and it feels solid and well built. There is a 4x optical zoom and an impressive flash that will illuminate even the darkest of bars.
The colours are vibrant, making it a good bet for summer holidays, and the pre-programmed modes also work well, giving you the best settings for a variety of pictures, from sunset to fireworks. Plus, the screen is very good, so you do get an idea of how good (or bad) your pictures really are. Overall, the Powershot is simple to use and gives great results – a true bargain.
LUXURY
Sony NEX-5K
£448 | sony.co.uk
Sony’s NEX-5K is undoubtedly at the top of the compact camera tree, managing to blend professional quality with a design you can (just about) carry with you everywhere, depending on what lens you are using. The 11.1cm x 5.9cm x 3.8cm main body takes full-size camera lenses but operates and feels like the high-end compact camera it is.
There are some clever presets, but the key to the NEX series is that you can use it like a professional SLR (single lens reflex) camera, and get similar results. The pictures are stunning, and will put almost every other small camera on the market to shame. There are also some neat touches such as a panoramic mode and 3D picture-taking capabilities, as well as a very good high-definition video mode.
Overall, this is a camera that truly blurs the line between amateur and professional snapping. For anyone who wants to extend their photography beyond taking the odd holiday snap, this is a great investment that will give you astonishingly good results.
MP3/Videoplayer
BUDGET
Sony NWZ-E453 Walkman Video MP3
£69 | sony.co.uk
While Apple has ruled the roost in the music player market for a long time, Sony’s latest Walkman is a real contender and, at the budget end of the market at least, manages to outdo the iPod in many respects. It’s small and stylish with a simple control system and clean, easy-to-see icons to navigate around with.
Although there’s only 4GB of memory, this will be enough for all but the longest commute, and the sound quality is great. The noise-cancelling headphones Sony supplies are also worth keeping, a rare feat among MP3 players. Battery life is excellent, at more than 40 hours.
You can watch video, although on a two-inch screen it’s not the greatest experience. That said, the Walkman will play pretty much every file format, so it’s certainly possible to watch the odd clip or TV show.
LUXURY
iPod Touch
From £193 | apple.com/uk
Despite wracking our brains for a non-Apple alternative, there isn’t anything that can come close to the iPod Touch as a music and video player. It’s just received a welcome upgrade, giving it the same superb high-definition screen as the iPhone, along with multitasking and virtually everything the iPhone has, apart from the ability to make calls.
It’s amazingly thin, at 7mm, and with more than 300,000 apps available, is expandable to be pretty much everything you want, from a calculator to a great little email client.
The new HD screen, called a “retina” display, is by far the best on any mobile device and makes the Touch an excellent e-reader. Video looks superb so it offers a perfectly reasonable viewing experience, particularly on a flight.
It may have started life as a music player, but the iPod has now morphed into something so much more – and something that no other manufacturer can come even close to touching.
Laptop bag
BUDGET
Incase Compact Backpack
£50 | store.apple.com/uk
The Compact’s understated looks are a welcome relief from most laptop bags, which seem to scream “steal me”. This is subtle, but also big enough to pack a surprising amount of kit into, along with a laptop with a screen of up to 15 inches.
It’s comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and external pockets and a padded laptop sleeve means it can also double as an everyday bag while protecting your machine on the move.
There is also a smaller interior pocket for an iPad. The Compact is available in black or grey.
LUXURY
Paul Smith Parachute laptop bag
£145 | paulsmith.co.uk
There are an awful lot of designer laptop bags now on the market, but Paul Smith’s Parachute design is our favourite. It looks fantastic with its seatbelt-styled straps, which also give it a strong and incredibly well-built feel – carrying your laptop and cables about certainly isn’t going to break this bag. Another bonus is that it doesn’t look like a laptop bag, so is unlikely to attract any unwelcome attention.
Available in black only and measuring 44.5cm x 33.5cm x 9cm, the Parachute is full of useful features, with handy outside pockets and some lovely Paul Smith design touches such as purple stitching and khaki lining.
It isn’t cheap, but this is a strong, good-looking bag that will last for years – a great investment for the fashion-conscious traveller.
Laptop
BUDGET
Samsung N220
From £340 | samsung.com/uk
The arrival of the netbook has revolutionised the budget laptop market, meaning that for £200-£300 you can get a decent machine capable of doing everything with the exception of playing the latest games.
While this has quickly become a crowded marketplace, Samsung’s N220 is the clear leader. With its glossy casing, it looks great, and the matte-finish 10.1-inch screen is excellent. Despite the small size (26cm x 19cm x 3.5cm), it also crams in a reasonably good keyboard. However, it’s the often forgotten trackpad that really excels, and makes this machine a joy to use – it’s incredibly fast and responsive. Battery life is impressive, and you should be able to get just over 5.5 hours of use, all from a machine weighing only 1.3kg. There’s also a useful instant “on” feature that allows you to get online and browse the web straight away – handy for that emergency Google search.
For its price, the N220 is tough to fault – and netbooks are also prone to price cuts, so it’s worth shopping around online for the best deal.
LUXURY
Sony Vaio X Series
£1,429 | sony.co.uk
Sony’s X Series laptop is without doubt the most impressive ultra-portable Windows machine you’ll find. It’s extremely light, weighing 78g, but manages to pack in a superb 11.1-inch screen and a wonderfully responsive keyboard. Build quality is excellent, although being so thin (14mm) there is a worrying amount of flex in the screen – it’s not a machine you’d want to throw around too much. Supplied with Windows 7, the X series flies through most tasks, although be aware that this definitely isn’t for gaming.
For virtually everything else, it will do the job perfectly. In effect, you’re getting a fully featured laptop in a machine the size of a netbook. Admittedly, you’re paying heavily for the privilege, but the X Series goes to show that it’s not just Apple that can produce laptops worth lusting after.
Mark Prigg is science and technology editor at London’s Evening Standard
