7 New Gadgets to Have on Your Radar This Week

No, Apple didn’t announce any new hardware this week. But it did confirm that WWDC 2021, its annual developer conference, will start on June 7th, meaning we’ll definitely see some new stuff (mostly software, but maybe some hardware?) then. In other news, Google announced that it will not exhibit at the world’s biggest phone show; Adobe launched a $15 bundle for illustrators; and Spotify launched some new features to discover new music.

As far as new gadgets are concerned, there were a bunch of those announced this week too. There was Bang & Olufsen’s new gaming headset, Casio’s first G-Shock running Google’s Wear OS, and some new MagSafe accessories for your iPhone 12. You can check it all out below.

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HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack

Hyper

This is a 5,000mAh portable battery that magnetically clips to the back of the iPhone 12. It charges via USB-C, however it does not support the super fast 15-watt wireless charging that MagSafe promises; it tops out at 7.5-watts of wireless charging speeds.

Price: $40

Naim Audio Mu-so 2 Wood Edition

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Naim Audio released the Mu-so 2, the second generation model of its all-in-one wireless speaker, back in 2019. Compared to the original Mu-so, it has six new individually amplified drivers, a new processor with 10 times the power, the ability to stream tracks up to 32bit/384kHz. It has support for AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Tidal, Spotify Connect, Roon, and Bluetooth, all topped off with HDMI ARC and optical connections so you can use it as a soundbar. Now Naim has released a special edition version of the Mu-so 2 that has a wood exterior (instead of steel) and a golden hue. It costs $600 more than the standard Mu-so 2.

(Check out our original review of the Mu-so 2, here.)

Price: $2,290

Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold

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Xiaomi announced its first ever foldable smartphone this week. The Mi Mix Fold shares a similar look and feel to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold. It can fold inward and vertically, which allows you can use it like a traditional smartphone, or you can unfold it and use it as bonafide tablet. Additionally, it has a number of the specs you’d expect in a premium smartphone, such as a snappy processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 888), a fancy camera system, a beautiful OLED display and support for wireless charging. The catch? It’s only available in China right now.

Price: TBA

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal

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The Beoplay Portal is a luxury gaming headset (B&O’s first) that’s designed to work perfectly with all Xbox consoles (Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One) thanks to the Xbox Wireless protocol. There’s no boom microphone, either, which means that the Beoplay Portal, with its built-in Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, can be paired with your smartphone or computer when you’re not gaming and used as wireless noise-canceling headphones.

Price: $499

Pioneer DJ VM Series of Active Monitors

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Pioneer DJ announced a new line of active near-field speaker monitors that are designed to emulate the sound of a studio or club, but in your own space. There are three different-sized models: VM-50 ($169), VM-70 ($229) and VM-80 ($289). Each speaker will be decked out with a 4 mm-thick aluminum front baffle, Class D amplifier, Aramid fiber cones and Vortex Bass Accelerator, all of which, according to the company, are designed to “accurately reproduces sounds, including deep low-end frequencies while cutting out unwanted vibrations.” Each model will be available in early April.

Price: $169+

Casio GSW-H1000 Smartwatch

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The Casio GSW-H1000 is the company’s first G-Shock smartwatch that runs on Google’s Wear OS. (It’s also the first G-Shock smartwatch with a color display.) As with Casio’s previous G-Shock smartwatches, the GSW-H1000 is super rugged, with excellent shock- and water-resistance, and comes with all the necessary sensors (GPS, compass, heart-rate, accelerometer, gyrometer and altitude sensor) as well activity-specific tracking features you’d expect from a premium sport smartwatch. It will be available in the middle of May.

Price: $699

Belkin Magnetic Phone Mount with Face Tracking

Belkin

This isn’t a wireless charging stand. Belkin’s new phone mount is designed to work with the latest iPhones, as it uses MagSafe to magnetically hold it in place. What makes it super unique is that uses face tracking (via Belkin’s companion app) and a 360-degree rotating base so that your iPhone’s camera can follow you as you walk around your room; it’s feels similar to what the Amazon’s new Echo Show 10 can do with its own rotating base. It seems like the ideal little gadget for people making videos on TikTok or YouTube, however, it won’t work with certain video calling apps, such as FaceTime or Zoom.

Price: $65

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