7 Gadgets to Have on Your Radar This Week

This was a short but jammed-packed week. Apple officially announced its big fall hardware event — where we expect new iPhones (and more) to get revealed — will happen on September 14 (next Tuesday). We got a teaser of Google’s next flagship smartphone, the Pixel 6. And Sony had its big PlayStation Showcase, where it announced (and gave extended looks) a number of upcoming PS5 games.

There was a ton of new gadgets that were announced, too.

Bose Smart Soundbar 900

Bose

This week, Bose introduced its latest flagship soundbar, the Smart Soundbar 900, and it’s exciting because it’s the company’s first ever soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos (finally!). The new soundbar — which replaces the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 in the company’s lineup — has a HDMI eARC connection, supports multiple streaming methods over Wi-Fi (including AirPlay 2) and Bluetooth, and it can be integrated to support Alexa and Google Assistant so you can summon music with your voice. At $900, this is very much a competitor to the Sonos Arc.

The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is available everywhere on September 23, but you can preorder it now.

Price: $900

LG Xboom 360 RP4

LG

The Xboom 360 RP4 is LG’s newest portable party speaker. It’s not a small speaker, weighing nearly 13, but it’s able true 360-degree audio and output a hefty 120-watts of power. It has an integrated handle and, most conspicuously, a lantern that can be customized (via a companion app) to shine whatever color you want the party vibe to be. The speaker will be available this month.

Price: $400

DJI OM 5

DJI

The DJI OM 5 is the company’s newest smartphone gimbal and the successor to the OM 4. (FYI: “OM” is the new name for rebranded Osmo line.”) The new model has basically the same foldable design, but it’s slightly smaller and more compact. It has improved gimbal motors and an upgraded magnetic clamp (so it should be easier to attach and detach your smartphone). And, most significantly, the OM 5 has a telescoping selfie stick that’s built right into the handle — to help make getting the perfect shot a little bit easier.

Price: $119

Sony HT-A5000

Sony

The Sony HT-A5000 is the company’s newest Dolby Atmos soundbar, and it’s essentially a smaller and $400-cheaper version of the company’s HT-A7000 soundbar, which was recently announced in July. The HT-A5000 is a 5.1.2-channel soundbar (instead of a HT-A7000’s 7.1.2) and supports all the same technologies, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and 360 Reality Audio. It has one HDMI 2.1 (eARC) connection (instead of HT-A7000’s two), making it a great option for people with new TVs and next-generation consoles.

Price: $900

Logi Dock

Logitech

The Logi Dock is Logitech’s newest all-in-one hub for your home workstation. It’s decked out with multiple ports — USB-C (3x), USB-A (2x), DisplayPort and HDMI — and it supports up to 100-watts of passthrough power, which allows it to power up to two external monitors and charge your laptop. However, what makes the Logi Dock really unique is its built-in speaker (along with excellent mics) that are designed to elevate your video conferencing experience. It’s compatible with both Macs and Windows PCs, as well as popular video conferencing services like Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. It’s also available in two colors: white or graphite (shown).

Price: $399

Amazon Fire TV Omni Series

Amazon

After years of licensing its Fire TV operating system to TV manufacturers like Toshiba and Insignia, Amazon is finally making its own hardware to pair with its software. That’s right, Amazon is getting into the TV business. The company announced this week that it’s going to make two lines of “Amazon-built” 4K TVs. There will be the higher-end Omni Series, which will range from a 43-inch model ($410) to a 75-inch model ($1,100), and a more budget-friendly 4-Series, which will range from a 43-inch model ($370) to a 55-inch model ($520). The biggest difference between the two lines is that the Omni Series will have Alexa integrated right into the TV, so you’ll be able to summon shows or adjust volume without touching the remote.

Both lines of “Amazon-built” TVs will start shipping in October and are available for preorder now.

Price: $410 — $1,100

Ray-Ban Stories

Ray-Ban

The Ray-Ban Stories is a pair of smart glasses that were developed in tandem with Facebook. They have built-in cameras that allow you to record 30-second videos and take photos (which are intended to be easily shareable on Facebook or Instagram), as well as built-in speakers to listen to music from your smartphone or answer calls. In this way, the Ray-Ban Stories are kind of a mix between Snap’s Spectacles and Bose’s Frames, with the big difference being that they look disarmingly like regular Ray-Ban sunglasses. They are available in three different frames (including Wayfarers) and five different colored lenses.

Price: $299

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