There’s really no better point of the year to start thinking about gadget shopping than Christmas time. With new releases dropping on an almost daily basis and those incredible January sales just around the corner, there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself – even during the season for giving!
With every year, too, the new technology and gadgets that are hitting the market are just getting better and better, especially at the luxury end of the scale. With all of the major brands in such hot competition, they’re indirectly encouraging each other to release increasingly better products, making it an amazing time to be a consumer.
Here are three of the best gadgets to keep an eye out for heading in to 2019!
1 – Apple AirPods
There was a mixed reaction to these when Apple first debuted them on stage in Cupertino, with many choosing to criticise their design, but since being launched they’ve proven to be an incredible hit – and it’s not hard to see why.
Built with Apple’s new W1 chip, the connectivity and ease of use is simply staggering. While there may be legitimate questions over the design of the hardware – even though we quite like the modern twist they provide the old white iPod earphones – the software is almost unrivalled in the Bluetooth headphone market.
Self-charging, instantly pairing, easy to carry and store, great to take phone calls on and providing an excellent quality of sound given the diminutive size, Apple have truly perfected what it means to have technology conveniently available. With an apparent upgrade imminent in 2018, the AirPod 2 is bound to be one of 2019s must-have gadgets.
2 – Electric Scooter
Already an incredibly popular alternative mode of transport amongst inner-city commuters, the humble scooter has experienced somewhat of a renaissance of late.
No longer just a child’s pastime, the world of extreme stunt scootering has become an entire subculture of its own – but here at the luxury end of the things, the electric adult scooters are what appeals to us most. Sharing a similar form factor to its non-motorised ancestor, modern electric scooters come packed with powerful 350W motors capable of propelling you along at a more than healthy max speed of 13mph.
With a strong range of around 12 miles from a single 2-hour charge, you can adjust the throttle on the handle bars just as you would on a motorcycle, and it folds neatly in to a more than manageable carry-on size, meaning those hopping on and off public transport needn’t look any further.
3 – Amazon Echo Show
Perhaps the only people to not have fallen in love with Amazon’s intelligent assistance are women who also happen to be called Alexa, because at the rate they’re selling, it’s clear that the rest of us are more than taken by them.
Right at the top end of the Echo range is the Show – boasting a 7-inch screen, front facing speaker and 8 omnidirectional microphones – it is the flagship model, bringing a visual component to the Echo universe for the very first time.
Easily synced to your photos and videos, you can also listen to podcasts and audiobooks, or create lists, get help cooking through step-by-step recipes and make hands-free video calls – the list of features really does go on forever! So whether you’re wanting something to watch your Amazon Prime shows from in the kitchen, or a device through which to play Spotify in the bedroom, the Echo Show will have you covered – it’ll even order you an Uber if you ask nicely enough.
