SMARTEN YOUR WRIST FOR A BIT LESS

As usual, Samsung and Apple seem to be the ones making all the noise about smart watches, but they're only one side of the equation. There are still plenty of Android Wear devices to choose from too. The question is, do they match up?...

The ASUS Zenwatch 2 is a very elegant looking piece of kit.

I think everybody's finally agreed to make their watches actually look like watches which is a tremendous relief. Personally, I found the two-tone scheme of gold and gunmetal on the watch I reviewed super-styley. The blue leather strap made a nice change from your bog-standard black too, and this is relatively easy to swap with any band of the same size assuming you have the right tool. (In my case, a pin)

The casing has it's pros and cons. While it is very slim, especially compared to something like the Huawei Watch, I felt it's wider and longer than really necessary given the screen doesn't go anywhere near the sides, top or bottom. Don't get me wrong, it's not ridiculously large, it just looks slightly oversized on my delicate lady-wrists.

That all means the screen is plenty big enough, and while Samsung, LG and Huawei have all moved towards round faces, ASUS gives you the more familiar aspect when it comes to reading messages and other notifications.

As usual, the OS itself doesn't offer too many differentiating features from any other Android Wear device, although I was immediately impressed with the large selection of classy watch-faces to choose from straight out of the box. Using the ASUS Zenwatch Manager most of these faces are pretty customisable too.

Significantly, the Zenwatch 2 has a speaker as well as a microphone and the latest Android update means you can now conduct phone calls on the watch itself, just like a secret agent. This was a feature on some of the early Samsung smart watches but for some reason it's disappeared from recent models. I love it, because (as horrifically lazy as this sounds) it's way easier to raise your wrist to your face to answer a call than to dig your phone out of your pocket or handbag.

Another unique little perk on the Zenwatch 2 is the ability to silence alarms by covering the watch face with your hand. If you're as uncoordinated as I am when you first wake up, this makes my 3am start fractionally more bearable.

The charging process is well worth discussing. Firstly, I had no problem squeezing two full days out of this device on a single charge; quite impressive compared to most of the other fully-specced smart watches I've tried. It also charges incredibly quickly, with a very user-friendly magnetic charging cable which magically fits itself into place once you put the Zenwatch 2 anywhere near it.

That's about where the differences end and this thing starts working pretty much like any other Android Wear device... which is not to say I was disappointed. Since the last time I tried Android Wear, things seem to have progressed a little. Obviously more apps than ever feature Wear-specific functionality these days, including various media players, email clients and even banking apps. You can receive notifications from anything installed on your handset, but how useful those notifications are depends on whether the developer has done any tinkering with Android Wear in mind. For example, any email client will push notifications of new mail through to the watch, but not so many will enable you to read the whole email or reply, delete or forward.

As always, the best way to control this watch is to talk to it, something I've struggled with a bit in the past, but Google voice recognition seems to have improved exponentially and I think yabbering to my wrist is now may favourite way to text and email.

In terms of a basic media remote, the Zenwatch 2 proved to be incredibly versatile, automatically recognising whatever I was playing on my phone, whether stored locally or streaming. Again, some media apps offer more Wear-functionality than others but as far as Play, Pause, Skip and Volume goes, those controls seem to work on pretty much anything.

What the Zenwatch 2 ISN'T, is a fitness tracker. Sure it'll run apps like Google Fit and Endomondo, but with no heart-rate monitor (and especially with a leather strap) why would you bother? It'll still count your steps, but doesn't everything?

The other big weakness for me was the motion sensors (or lack of them). Supposedly the watch screen should appear automatically when you turn your wrist to look at it. I found this simple function only worked most of the time. Just not good enough when this is the first thing any watch needs to do. You can, of course, turn the display on manually using the faux winder button on the side, but surely something as straightforward as telling the time should be a no-handed operation.

Like every other Android Wear watch I've ever worn, the default vibration for notifications is pathetic and I was inclined to miss them if I was even remotely distracted. Luckily, there is now an app called Feel the Wear which allows you to customise vibrations of different strengths, lengths and repetitions for each app on your phone. It works extremely well and solves the missed vibration issue instantly.

It'd be nice if there was a light sensor to adjust the screen brightness automatically, but when you're paying about $150 less than it's nearest rival, I guess you can't have everything. The point is, The ASUS Zenwatch 2 gives you nearly everything - and more importantly, it looks about four times more expensive than it is. It's slim, it's classy, it has great charging features and (unless you're a fitness freak) all the functionality you'd expect. Perhaps not the best smart watch on the market, but the Zenwatch 2 may be the best value for money.

Click here for more information and pricing on the ASUS Zenwatch 2

A LOT OF DESIGN, NOT SO MUCH LOGIC

Over the last year or so, fitbit has firmly established itself as New Zealand's (and indeed the world's) favourite brand of activity tracker.

Even when you add genuine smart watches like the Samsung Gear S2 and the long awaited Apple Watch into the equation, most people would rather wear a fitbit.

Trouble is, how does fitbit improve on a device that basically works pretty well already?

The fitbit Blaze is obviously much better looking than anything fitbit has produced till now. My previous experiences with fitbit trackers had led me to believe nobody there really cared what these things looked like as long as they were comfortable to wear and most importantly, did what they said they would.

Because they DID do what they said they would, that was absolutely fine by me. I was more than happy to wear a thick black rubber band on my run or to the gym. But would I keep it on to go to the movies or a restaurant? Perhaps not.

Even once available in other colours, the fitbit Surge still looked like what it was; a great big sports tracker. Not a watch.

The Blaze fixes that.

Technically, there isn't a massive difference between last year's Surge and this year's Blaze.  The functionality is almost identical with a couple of minor variations I'll get to shortly.

Physically, the Blaze and the Surge couldn't be more unalike.

While the square, angular appearance of the Blaze may not suit everyone's style, you can't deny this thing is very stylish. Not only is the standard sports band available in 3 colours, you have 3 choices of leather or even an all-stainless steel band with metal links.

The real beauty of all this choice is how easily interchangeable the bands are; the body of the Blaze just pops out of one metal frame into another, allowing you to mix and match your watch to any occasion, sporting or social. (Listen to me, talking about what to wear to social events like I'd have any idea)

The other big advance from any previous model is the colour display. How fitbit got this far in basic black and white is a bit of a mystery, or probably more a testament to how much people love how easy these devices are to use. I can't imagine anybody buying an Apple Watch with a grey scale watch face that only sort of resembles a watch face, yet that's basically what you got with the Surge.

The Blaze's screen is crystal clear colour, and has a light sensor adjusting it's brightness for any conditions inside or out. Frustratingly, there are still only 4 clock styles to choose from and I can't say I love any of them. Despite that, they're all a million billion times better than what we had before. Perhaps we'll get more options in a future firmware update.

As with previous fitbits, you don't so much pair the Blaze with your phone, you pair it to your fitbit account. These days you can have several devices synced to that account should you wish. Although you don't need a phone to run it, like the Surge, you can receive text, call and calendar notifications from your phone, although you still can't reply like you can on many smart watches.

The music controller looks great. You access this with a down-swipe on the main clock screen. However, it usually didn't work if the phone was connected to another bluetooth device, which is how I usually listen to music.

This makes me wonder if fitbit is overextending itself delving into the whole smart watch area to begin with. The thing I have always loved about fitbit devices is they just work. So why introduce features you can't count on?

Another niggle is the move away from an on-board GPS. This means if you want to track your run, you need to take your phone with you as the Blaze will use the handset's GPS instead. This seems a backward step from the Surge which did all its own tracking.

My final frustration is the introduction of automatic exercise detection - this isn't unique to the Blaze; it's a feature added to both the Surge and Charge HR last year. In theory, it's really convenient to have your tracker figure out you're doing exercise and record it without you thinking about it. What I don't understand is why it does it secretly and doesn't display your run or workout on screen once it's realised that's what you're doing. To do that you have to select your exercise and fire it off manually.

The good news is, the new colour display is even more clear and easier to read than the Surge, allowing you to scroll through time, distance, heart-rate etc with a tap of the screen. For runs you can set a secondary stat display (pace, distance, etc) although for some reason, when I chose distance, this smaller number displayed in miles instead of kilometres, a minor bug I'm sure will be remedied in future firmware updates.

Battery life, as usual, is outstanding. I can easily squeeze out 4-5 days with no trouble. And just when you thought fitbit's charging cables couldn't get any weirder, the Blaze comes with its own little clip-shut charging box you have to put the main watch case inside. It's not really a hassle, it's just really, really weird. Charges damn fast though.

I feel like I've made too many complaints about a device I actually like very much. All the usual fitbit stuff works brilliantly - accurate and reliable heart rate monitoring, step counting and sleep tracking all synced directly to your account. It's light, comfortable, looks good and I wear it everywhere, not just to the gym. There's even a series of FitStar workouts built in for a quick, D.I.Y. personal training session.

If they could just get those added extras to work more reliably, I could take the Blaze seriously as a smart watch and not just an experiment.

Click here for more information on the fiftbit Blaze smart fitness watch

WHEN IT WORKS, IT REALLY WORKS

There are some really flash laptops, tablets and 2-in-1's out there these days. They get thinner, lighter and more powerful every day.

But what do you really need to get the job done?



The Lenovo ThinkPad 11e Chromebook has definitely made me think again.

When I opened up the ThinkPad 11e for the first time, I struggled to remember if had actually used a Chromebook before, or if I'd taken one look at the ram and storage specs and lumped them in with some of the grossly under-powered Windows notebooks I've tried and rejected in the past.

If that is what I have done, more fool me. Because it turns out the ThinkPad 11e is a very useful, reliable and surprisingly versatile tool indeed.

Physically there's not much to turn your head; it's dark grey and boring. But boring in a good way. Several notebooks and tablets I've handled recently were akin to balancing slippery pieces of glass on your lap. How long you could own one of those beautifully fragile works of art without cracking, chipping or shattering it is definitely up for debate. On the other hand, the ThinkPad 11e is about as solid as it gets - super heavy-duty hinges and even a rubberised surround on the lid/display half which means I'd confidently let my kids bung it in their school bag. I might even trust myself to carry it under my arm across a tiled floor. (I'm extremely clumsy, so that's a lot riskier than it sounds)

The keyboard is perfectly spaced out and nicely responsive, but this is where I ran into my first conflict with Chromebook philosophy. There's no Home key. No End key. In fact, there isn't even a Caps Lock key. This really had me stumped for a while, but some intensive Googling revealed the trick; ALT+SEARCH TURNS CAPS ON. A BIT MORE LABOUR INTENSIVE, BUT YOU GET USED TO IT. Yes, that's right, there's a Search key where Caps Lock usually is. That's what you have to understand about Chromebooks; they're really just an internet browser in physical form.

This was going to take a bit of getting used to.

(There are many other keyboard shortcuts that are worth training yourself to use. Click here for some of the most important) 

What I found a bit too frustrating was the lack of left and right buttons on the trackpad. One button just isn't enough for me, but that was nothing a wireless mouse couldn't sort out.

As I've mentioned in other reviews, I'm a Windows guy. I like to be able to change settings, personalise home and logon screens, in short, fiddle around under the hood. However, because I've always used Chrome as my preferred browser, it was very difficult to shake my Windows habits while using the ThinkPad 11e.

Not all the differences are negative though, not by a long shot. The ThinkPad 11e comes in both 2GB and 4GB ram configurations. I'm only using the 2GB version and yet not only was it lightning fast to start up, it was also unbelievably easy to SET up.

Remember (and this is as much a note to me as it is to you) a Chromebook is really just Google Chrome with a keyboard attached. This means your settings, bookmarks, passwords and preferences are all right there in front of you from the moment you log in to your Google account.

One of the pitfalls of doing reviews like this is the time I have to spend setting up new devices and phones. With the ThinkPad 11e it all happened automatically and virtually instantly. And that's on 2GB of ram. Meanwhile, a Windows machine running on 2GB of ram would probably still be starting up by the time you finished reading this review.

Onboard storage is the other issue that has always made me shy away from the world of the Chromebook, but again, here I think I may have made a mistake. If nothing else, Google is all about working in The Cloud. After using the ThinkPad 11e for a short time, I realised most of the things I carry around with me on my laptop's hard drive would be a lot more useful to me if I could access them from anywhere and from any device. Old habits really do die hard. The ThinkPad 11e has a mere 16GB of storage space (and once you take off the space used by the O.S. and apps, that's more like 8GB) but who needs it? And if you do need more for large media files or the like, there's a slot for memory cards anyway.

The other steep learning curve for me was dealing with extensions rather than applications or programs. The fact is, there's not really much stuff you can install on a Chromebook. But there are heaps of ways you can use your browser to watch, play, edit and publish. By doing these things online, rather than on your device, you keep storage and processing power free to keep things running smoothly and above all, reliably.

Sure the display is not the sharpest or brightest I've ever seen and obviously the processing power and graphics capabilities would never support high-end gaming. But that's not what the ThinkPad 11e is for. This is a machine with more than enough battery life to get you through the day, that'd probably stay in one piece if you accidentally sat on it on the couch and it syncs effortlessly with your existing Google settings and preferences.

Pretty good price too.

If you need a solid performer to take back to school or uni, I really encourage you to sit down with one of these and have a decent play. Yes I was up and running in under 5 minutes, but the ThinkPad 11e has changed the way I think about mobile computing forever.

Click here for the Lenovo ThinkPad 11e Chromebook's full specs and pricing

glennzb's GADGET GIFT GUIDE (Vol. III)

This week is my last collection of heavenly tech highlights to add to your Christmas wish list.

I'm sure any one of these would be guaranteed to pin a smile on the face of even the most demanding digital devil.

To begin, what could be more appropriate than the answer to all your Christmas calendar printing requirements?...

The Epson Ecotank Printer Range.

Well, it's been almost 6 months since I installed my trusty Epson Ecotank and guess what? It's still printing strong without a single refill.

Okay, maybe I'm still 18 months away from hitting Epson's 2 year promise, but I certainly can't complain so far.

Click here for my full review

This is the printer that is guaranteed to get all those home-made Christmas cards done without a problem. In fact, it's such a breakthrough in home-printing, Epson's Ecotank technology has just won the prestigious CES Innovation Award.

If you've always wanted a tablet, but you've always hated tablets...

The Samsung Tab S2 is for you.

So light and skinny, it's almost like using a phone, except the functionality is more like a real computer.

Lightning fast, super smooth operation and the battery life puts it among the leaders in its class.

Click here for my full review

Over the last 2 weeks I've put a mid-priced phone in this slot, but you can go even cheaper...

The Vodafone Smart Prime.

Just because this phone is priced low, doesn't mean it won't perform.

Sure you'll have to compromise on sheer power and storage space, but if you keep it simple when you're using your handset, there probably isn't more bang for your buck out there... unless you steal one.

Click here for my full review

And it actually looks quite cool too. Nobody has to know what a cheapskate you were.



At the other end of the scale... 

The Galaxy Note 5.

Meet the best phone I have ever used. Full stop.

I keep trying to find something this thing can't do. I've had it a while now. Haven't found anything yet.

Apart from working so well I suspect there's alien technology inside, the battery life is off the charts - not just for a phone with a screen this size, for any phone.

Click here for my full review

I can now die a happy man having used this phone.


Let's finish up with the wearable that finally got it...

The Huawei Watch.

I know; looks exactly like a watch, right?

What a crazy idea.

Easily the most stylish smart watch on the market, although essentially the same Android Wear device as many of its uglier competitors.

Click here for my full review

If looking good matters as much to your geek as being geeky, this is the luxury gift that tells him or her you really love their brain.

Those were this year's most addictive, alluring and downright genius tech treats.

Can't wait to find out what they'll come up with in 2016. Maybe that hover-car will finally be a reality. Hard to wrap though...

glennzb's GADGET GIFT GUIDE (Volume II)

Last week I gave you your first tech-based taste of Christmas, with some pressie suggestions for your favourite geek.

If none of those really stoked your festive fire, or if she/he already has all those toys, try this list. Check it twice if you like...

First up, something that could actually ease the pain of the most stressful time of year...

The Backpod.

Yes, I know it just looks like a weird, green blob, but it's a brilliantly designed weird, green blob.
If you know someone who's constantly complaining about back tension caused by hunching over tablets and keyboards, the Backpod may offer some welcome relief for them and you.

Click here for my full review

I use mine every night before bed. Nothing like a little pre-slumber crackety-crack.

Or how about something you can use in a variety of positions so you can avoid that iHunch altogether?...

The ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi.

Is it a tablet or is it a laptop?
Yes, it is. In fact, I like to call it a laplet.

A very solid, powerful performer with a unique detachable keyboard design that won't let you down.

Click here for my full review



Meanwhile, in the mid-priced phone market...

There's always the Samsung A3 or A5

These two handsets may be missing a few bells and whistles offered by Samsung's flagship phones, but start using one for a while and you'll be hard-pushed to remember what those extra features were.

Click here for my full review

Great cameras and displays, both very slim and both very sexy phones indeed - especially for the price.





However, if you are happy to pay just a little more... 

The Huawei P8 is genuine class.

Yes, that's right. Even though it's not an Apple or a Samsung, this is the phone that can box with the big boys.

Super slim, but with a solid feel. A high performance camera that sits flush with the rear casing and a raft of built-in settings that are genuinely helpful rather than annoying.

A top-end phone that's actually a bit cheaper than those other show-offs.

Click here for my full review



Lastly, the wearable of the year...

May I present the Samsung Gear S2.

This is quite possibly the coolest thing ever in the history of everything.
If somebody wants to wrap mine up and give it to me again on Christmas Day, I'd be perfectly satisfied.

Super comfortable. Unrivaled functionality. Effortless wireless charging. IP68 dust and water resistance. I'm totally in love.

Click here for my full review

What's more, my new red strap just arrived. What could be more Christmassy than that?

If you can't find something to whet your techie's taste-buds in that lot, he/she's a hard man/woman/robot to please.

All is not lost though; I'll back with my final batch of gadgety gifts next week.

JUST ABOUT SO VERY NEARLY PERFECT

I'm biased. There's no denying it. I'm a Samsung guy.

I'd like to think I give credit where credit is due, but come on, everybody has a favourite brand.

But now I've admitted how one-eyed I am, it's really important you believe me when I tell you the world's first faultless wearable has finally arrived. (Oh my god, I think I just basically said, "Next Is Now." I've been brainwashed!)

The Samsung Gear S2 is a truly remarkable thing. But first, some history...

Over the past couple of years I've worn more than my fair share of smart watches, and I've copped my fair share of flack for it too. Admittedly most of them looked pretty ridiculous, like something out of an old movie about the future. What's worse, many of them didn't really do much - certainly not enough to justify making your wrist look like such a nerd.

Battery life has also been a constant niggle, as people resent having to charge their wristwear too often. What's more, the various charging accessories involved have usually been cumbersome to use and in some cases, almost impossible to attach.

And yet, I persisted. So did Samsung.

They were relatively early players in the wearable market. 2013's Galaxy Gear was certainly innovative, perhaps too innovative. The camera embedded in the band was not only over the top and unnecessary, it made a device that already looked clunky and oversized seem even more so.

Meanwhile, Android Wear devices started to appear from various manufacturers - appealing because of their universal compatibility with any Android phone, but offering much less functionality than the Samsung-only devices.

Samsung fired back with the Gear 2 (and Gear 2 Neo) - more streamlined than the Gear... but not much. Still square, still nerdy.

Some round-faced Android Wear options surfaced. The Moto 360 was still too big and had that weird flat-tyre thing going on at the bottom of the screen. Then LG's G Watch R almost nailed it. Finally a smart watch that looked just like a watch. What a great idea.

Still just another Android Wear device though, so on the inside, the same as all the others.

Samsung lost the plot again with the Gear S. This was the first watch with its own sim card so it was effectively a phone on your wrist. Unbelievable functionality. Trouble was, it was the size of a phone on your wrist. Maybe the design team was away that day.

2015 and suddenly the smart watch market has really gathered momentum. Apple finally got their act together and gave their acolytes something to wear. Nifty little magnetic charger, nice interface option using the winder, but still big, square and ugly.

Activity trackers are everywhere, ranging hugely in price, quality and functionality.

Wearables have finally gained main-stream acceptance.

More recently, the Huawei Watch has wrapped up the same old Android Wear operating system in some seriously fashionable design options, with a serious price tag to match - but they do look fabulous.

Then, the one I'd been waiting for.

Samsung's design team came back from their holiday and presented us with perfection.

First up, the Gear S2 actually looks like a watch - a very nice watch too. The standard model comes in dark grey or silver, with a grey or white sports band. (Other band colours are also available) While the Classic is slightly smaller with a leather strap you can change out with any similar sized band.

The casing is a very classy stainless steel with a brushed finish and the first thing you'll notice is how streamlined the whole package is - just like any "normal" watch.

The next thing you'll notice is how comfortable the Gear S2 is to wear. Unlike some wearables with heart-rate monitors that poke into your wrist, this watch has a completely smooth glass back that settles snugly against your skin. I found the sports strap soft yet secure.

One of the many unique features separating the Gear S2 from the rest of the pack is the rotating bezel around the edge of the screen. This, combined with the go-back and home buttons on the right-hand side can be used for easy navigation, if you find dealing with a touch screen this small is a bit fiddly. Everybody who's used this watch loves, loves, LOVES the bezel controller. There seems to be something very intuitive about using a circular interface to operate a round device.

Like Samsung's previous watches, the Gear S2 still relies on the Tizen operating system, which has it's pros and cons. I've found apps designed for Tizen are generally more advanced and more interactive than the way Android Wear merely ports existing phone apps across to your wrist. On the downside, the selection of Tizen-based apps available on the Samsung Gear app store is extremely limited, compared to the ever expanding range you'll find for Android Wear devices on the Play store. In saying that, I wouldn't be put off by the lack of selection - you'll find what is there works very well indeed and from previous experience, it won't be too long before app developers come to the party and jump on the Gear S2 train. (I'm talking to you, Endomondo)

Apps already installed on the Gear S2 include a very stable media controller, which you can open with a double-click of the home button. There's also a shortcut to the media controller when you swipe down the home screen. This gives you quick access to brightness and do-not-disturb controls too, as well as battery level and connection displays.

Another great feature smart watch users have been waiting for is the ambient light sensor. Until now, to read your watch outside you had to manually ramp the brightness up, tricky if you're already outside in the sun and can't read your watch! Now, the Gear S2 does that for you. This means I never have to set my brightness level higher than 2 or 3, a real battery saver.

The heart rate monitor is the most reliable I have used on any watch to date. As I mentioned earlier, it works perfectly without protruding an uncomfortable bump into your wrist. In terms of compatibility with fitness apps other than Samsung's limited S Health, at the moment this is restricted to Nike+ Running, which is even MORE limited. I'm sure this will improve over the next few months. (Right, Endomondo? Hint, hint)

But perhaps the greatest new feature the Gear S2 brings to the table is its wireless charger. It just works. The charger is a small stand which holds the watch magnetically. Simple as that. Doesn't matter which way up. You can basically throw the Gear S2 in the general direction of the charger and it'll snap into place. Coolest thing ever. You'll get pretty good battery life too, around 36 hours on a full charge.

There are just 2 things I miss from my trusty old Gear 2 Neo. The Gear S2 has no IR Blaster, so I can't use it to adjust the volume on my telly or change channels on my Sky decoder. And I can't actually take phone calls on it like a secret agent. The Gear S2 doesn't have a speaker, so phone conversations would be pretty one directional. (There is a 3G option available in other regions that does take calls, but at the time of writing, it isn't on sale in New Zealand)

I don't want to finish on those 2 tiny downers though, because the Gear S2 is easily the best smart watch I have encountered. It's comfortable, reliable, has great functionality, good battery life and easily the best-designed charging setup ever.

The really good news is, you can now pair it to almost any phone running Android 4.4 or above. Welcome to the club, guys.

And I can change the strap to a red one. What more could you ask for?

Click here for more information on the Samsung Gear S2

glennzb's GADGET GIFT GUIDE (Vol. I)

If you have a geek in your life and you're currently racking your brain to come up with the perfect Christmas surprise, over the next few weeks I'll be compiling a review of my reviews to make things a little more straightforward for you.

On the other hand, if you ARE a tech-junkie like me, and you'd like to drop a few heavy hints in someone special's inbox, why don't you forward them the URL of this page and get the ball rolling?...

First, something fun...

The Samsung Gear VR

This is so much more than 3D, it's the visual equivalent of surround sound.

Just whack your phone in and blow your mind with an ever expanding selection of virtual experiences.

Click here for my full review

The latest edition of the Gear VR is compatible with more phones than ever, including the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+, S6 and S6 Edge.

Or how about something really useful?...

The ASUS Transformer Book Flip TP200

This bendy wee beastie gives you genuine flexibility on a budget.

The easy touch of the keyboard, the rounded corners on the casing and the dependability of its long battery life, all add up to a solid, reasonably priced alternative to being stuck with either a tablet or a laptop.

Click here for my full review



If it's a mid-priced phone you're looking for...

There's always the Huawei P8 Lite

If you need a decent phone rather than a spaceship in a tiny box, this might be the one.

An elegant-looking handset with plenty of functionality for the money. It's an option well worth considering if you can't justify the spend on the latest high-end features you might never use.

Click here for my full review



Although, if you are looking for a rocket ship, it's hard to go past... 

The Galaxy S6 Edge+

Stupidly long name and fairly pricey, but something this beautiful is worth every syllable... and every cent.

In fact, this phone was too good for me. I wasn't stylish enough to hang around with the Edge+.

(What's really annoying is it works amazingly too)

Click here for my full review



Finally, how about something to wear?...

Introducing the Fitbit Surge

Just in time for Christmas, Fitbit's flagship device is now available in blue and tangerine, not just black.

The Surge is exactly what it claims to be; a fitness super watch. A self-sufficient, stand alone device that will track your workout completely independently of your phone or computer.

Click here for my full review

While the Surge is not expensive compared to other smart watches, the slightly less functional Fitbit Charge and Charge HR models are even more economical, and also come in a new range of colours.


So that's something to get Santa's little helpers thinking anyway. But if you're still waiting for just the perfect pressie idea, I'll be back with more gadgety gift suggestions next week.