Did you know that it was ten years ago this week that Steve Jobs announced the first iPad? Time flies! It's also been a crazy week here in the future as a surprising amount of new products were announced this week. From Polk Audio's new Sonos competitor to Ring's really affordable new video doorbell, check out all the new gadgets below.
Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M
The DacMagic 200M is Cambridge Audio's newest high-end DAC/headphone amplifier, and direct successor to the British audio company's DacMagic Plus. The big upgrade with the DacMagic 200M, in addition to having a superior DAC and more powerful amplifier, is that it comes with native support for MQA (Master Quality Authenticated), which is basically really high-res audio streaming.
Price: $499
Powerbeats Pro (Beats x Fragment Design Collab)
Beats by Dre teamed up with Fragment Design (and its legendary designer Hiroshi Fujiwara) to release a limited-edition version of its the Powerbeats Pro. The sport wireless earbuds are all-black and have Fragment’s twin-lightning bolt on one earbud and namesake logo on the other. They're available right now (January 29) and cost $250, which is the same price as the Powerbeats Pro originally went for when they were released about two years ago. (However, you can buy a non-special-edition version of the Powerbeats for around $199 right now. )
Price: $250
Polk Audio React
Polk Audio newest soundbar, the React, is basically a more affordable competitor to the Sonos Beam. It's roughly the same size and has Alexa built right in, so you can do things like adjust volume or change channels using your voice (or use it as a Alexa smart speaker). Additionally, the React supports Dolby Digital and STS 5.1 virtual surround sound — not to be confused with Dolby Atmos — and it can be configured with Polk Audio's surround speakers and subwoofer to get a more immersive system.
Price: $249
HyperJuice GaN 66W USB-C Charger
HyperJuice just announced what it's calling "the world's smallest 66-watt charger." It comes with three quick-charge charging ports, two 65-watt USB-C with PD (Power Deliver) and one 36-watt USB-A; and yes, the two USB-C ports are powerful enough to charge a laptop. It's available in two colors, white or black.
Price: $60
Master & Dynamic x Nike KD13 MW07 Plus
Master & Dynamic have once again teamed up with Kevin Durant to release a special edition version of its products — this time its flagship noise-canceling wireless earbuds (the MW07 Plus). They're available in five new colorways, each of which has been inspired by a pair of Kevin Durant's sneakers, and cost the same price ($299) as the regular MW07 Plus wireless earbuds.
Price: $299
Ring Video Doorbell Wired
Ring announced a new video doorbell this week and its standout feature is, well, its price — the Video Doorbell Wired costs just $60. It comes with a bunch of the expected features that more smart cameras and video doorbells have these days, such as 1080p video, night vision, motion detection and two-way audio. Since ring is now owned by Amazon, this new video doorbell should work really well with existing Amazon Fire TVs, tablets and Echo Show (smart displays) devices. The caveat is that, as its name gives away, it needs a wired connection; this means that you can't place it anywhere you want and installation might be a little more intensive. It's available for preorder now, with shipping expected by late February.
Price: $60
Amazon Echo Show 10
Amazon announced the Echo Show 10 back in September, but it's only just became available for preorder this week. As a refresher, this new Echo Show is unique because it has a 10-inch screen that moves with you. It's motorized swiveling base is smart enough that, when you ask Alexa something, its screen will turn and face you. It also has facial tracking so that if you're doing something while video chatting or following along a video recipe, the screen will follow and face you as you're moving around the room.
Price: $250
Focal Celestee
Focal has released new pair of closed-back headphones, called the Celestee, which are being marketed as a substantially more affordable of the high-end French audio company's $2,990 Stellia headphones. The Celestee have Focal's proprietary full-range "M-shaped" drivers and promise excellent and detailed sound. They also have a really low impedance input (35 ohms) that allows them to pair really well with most smartphones and portable hi-fi players.
Price: $990
And a whole host of top-tier camera gear
This week also brought a big bunch of camera news, with a new Sony flagship, a redux of Fujifilm's medium-format stunner, and a reissue of an eyewateringly expensive Leica lens classic. Read all about those here.
