8 New Gadgets to Have on Your Radar This Week

Most of this week’s gadget news centered around Apple rolling out its latest iPhone software update and Spotify increasing the price of its family plan. But there were a lot of new gadget announcements this week, too. From Simplehuman’s first-ever UV smartphone sanitizer to Samsung’s newest Galaxy Books, Bang & Olufsen’s fancy wireless speakers to some new MagSafe chargers, we’ve rounded up the best new gadgets announced this week.

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  The Simple Gadget That Instantly Improves the Sound of Your iPhone, MacBook or Android Device

Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 28

Bang & Olufsen

Bang & Olufsen’s BeoLab 28 is a pair of luxury floorstanding speakers that promise excellent sound and copious connectivity options. Each speaker has three 3” full range drivers, a 1” tweeter on the front, and a down-firing subwoofer, and they’re packed with technologies that allow you to calibrate the sound to your specific room. The speakers support AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect and Bluetooth, as well as wired connections such as Ethernet and line-in/optical. The other cool thing is that the speakers come with a replaceable connectivity module, which the company claims make them essentially future-proof.

Price: $14,750/pair

Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360

Samsung

Samsung announced two new Galaxy Books this week. There’s the Galaxy Book Pro, which is a traditional laptop, and the Galaxy Book Pro 360, which is a convertible laptop with a touchscreen display. Both are Windows-powered machines that are optimized for people with one of Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones (thanks to having support for apps like Samsung SmartThings and Samsung Notes). The biggest upgrade with both is that they are the first Galaxy Books with OLED displays, so they should be brighter with more contrast (aka better for watching movies!).

Both new Galaxy Books are available for preorder right now. They’re expected to ship on May 14.

Price: $1,000 (Pro); 1,200 (Pro 360)

Simplehuman Cleanstation

Simplehuman

Simplehuman is best known for its excellent and well designed (and yes, expensive) trash cans, and the company has taken that same ethos and integrated into its first-ever UV smartphone sanitizer. The Cleanstation works kind of like a toaster; you place your smartphone into the top, it automatically lowers, sanitizers and (30 seconds later) rises up a clean smartphone. Its UV light chamber sanitizes all around the smartphone, so you don’t have to sanitize each side separately. And it’s available in three aluminum finishes: brushed, slate or white.

Price: $200

AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ

AudioQuest

AudioQuest’s latest gadget, the JitterBug FMJ, is a noise filter that plugs into the USB port on your smartphone or computer and significantly reduces the noise that is inherent to all USB ports. It’s designed to act as a liaison between your device and external DAC, and help your music sound cleaner and clearer. It also has a metal exterior (FMJ stands for “full metal jacket”) so it should be a more durable and higher-quality version of the company’s existing JitterBug.

Price: $60

Twelve South Forté

Twelve South

Twelve South announced a new wireless charging stand, the Forté, that fully supports MagSafe. This means that when connected to an iPhone 12, the Forté will be able to fast charge it at 15 watts, which is twice as fast as any wireless charger that doesn’t support MagSafe. The other cool thing is that the magnetic puck can be rotated flat and thus turn into a wireless charger for your AirPods or AirPods Pro.

Price: $40

Nomad Base Station Mini

Nomad

Nomad announced a smaller and more affordable of its Base Station wireless charging pad. The Base Station Mini looks almost identical to the company’s existing wireless chargers — a combination of metal and leather — but it’s only large enough to charge one wireless device at a time. It’s powered by USB-C and as an integrated LED that lights up to let you know when it’s charging. It costs $60, but you’ll need a separate 20-watt USB-C wall adapter to get the most out of it because Nomad doesn’t include one. (Nomad can bundle its own USB-C adapter for an extra $14.)

Price: $60

PopSockets PopGrip Slide Stretch

PopSockets

If you’ve been frustrated by the fact that PopSockets’s grips haven’t worked with the newest iPhones (because of their flat sides), well, you’ve not been alone. Fortunately, the company has announced an updated version of its PopGrip Slide Stretch so that it fits the iPhone 12. They don’t have any kind of adhesive and the new PopGrip Slide Stretch can easily slide down your iPhone 12 so you can wireless charge it via MagSafe.

There are several different designs that you can choose from and they all cost just $15.

Price: $15

Amazon Fire HD 10 and Fire HD 10 Plus

Courtesy

Amazon announced two new and upgraded versions of its Fire HD tablets this week. There’s the Fire HD 10 and the Fire HD 10 Plus, both of which have been updated with brighter screens, slimmer bezels and more RAM, as well as a front-facing camera that’s better positioned for video calls. As per usual, these tablets are designed for people who want a significantly more affordable tablet that an entry-level iPad, which starts at $329.

The Fire HD 10 and Fire HD 10 Plus will cost $150 and $180, respectively. Both are available for preorder right now, with shipping set to start at the end of May.

Price: $150+ (HD 10); $180+ (HD 10 Plus)

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