United slates of whatever

Today's tablets can do pretty much anything - whether they're compact and cheap or huge and eye-wateringly expensive. In this group test we're setting our sights on the mid-market: no iPad Pros here, just a broad selection of affordable Android-based machines. So which is the right tab for you?

GRIT'S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP

Polar Grit X2 Pro R17000/polar.​com/za

Must-Have Travel Gear for Staying Powered and Connected

Anker, the World's No. 1 Mobile Charging Brand, offers the perfect solutions to address battery anxiety. With the Anker 735 Charger, Anker 544 USB-C to USB-C Cable, and Anker 323 Power Bank, everyone can enjoy uninterrupted connectivity wherever they may be.

HOT STUFF - ALL THE BIGGEST STORIES FROM PLANET TECH

Some people own a whole forearm's worth of watches and will choose which one to put on based on whether they're wearing a dinner suit, a diving suit or their birthday suit... but Xiaomi's Watch S3 saves you the hassle.

NINTENDO GAME BOY

Oh look, everyone's top retro handheld. As long as they like green. And motion blur.

BETA YOURSELF APPLE MUSIC

Listen up, pop pickers: Stuff is here to help you find songs you like, manage your library, share your playlists with friends and even (if you really must) sing along

INSTANT UPGRADES DJI OSMO POCKET 3

ONE DJI 3 MAGNETIC ND FILTERS SET

STUFF APP AWARDS 2024

Is there anything better than a little home-grown? Many folks will tell you that international is better, but they've never sampled anything from a South African garden.

TOP TECH TRAVEL TIPS

There's travelling and there's travelling. It's all about what you take along and how prepared you are for what transit can throw at you. There's tech for that.

GO YOUR PHONE WAY

In 2024, there's more to the smartphone world than the same few big-name brands. From flashy foldables and killer camera phones to gaming powerhouses, here are the best reasons to take the path less travelled...

Canon EOS R50

Product Review

Fujifilm X-S20

Product review

Sony A7C II

Product review

Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2)

We’ve been wearing this Garmin for four months. It’s a huge, but hugely impressive, all-action premium smartwatch.

THE BEST IS SWEAT TO COME

Getting out and exercising in the opening months of the year can feel bleak, but you're not on your own: we've groaned and grunted on the latest training gear to help you achieve the fitness results you're looking for

SMART SPEAKER OF THE YEAR - SONOS MOVE 2

Sonos might not be the first name that springs to mind when you think of smart speakers, but with not one but two voice assistants on board - Amazon's Alexa and Sonos's own anonymous helper - there's no doubting the Move 2's built-in brain power.

ELECTRIC CAR OF THE YEAR - VOLVO C40 RECHARGE

The first Volvo in SA that was only available in an EV format, this crossover balances in-car features with its all-electric nature and delivers a pleasing meld of the power you'd expect from a car that costs over a million and range that makes filling a gas tank seem like the relic of a past left forgotten.

DRONE / ACTION CAM OF THE YEAR INSTA360 GO 3

If the goal of an action camera is to be as lightweight and portable as possible (all the better to be mounted on your bike, head, body, surfboard or big toe), then the tiny Insta360 Go 3 is the best one around.

CAMERA OF THE YEAR FUJIFILM X-T5

Smartphone cameras may be improving all the time, but they still have nothing on a tool built specifically for the job. And in a year of excellent camera releases, this all-rounder stood out for us.

IN-EAR HEADPHONES OF THE YEAR SONY WF-1000XM5

For several product generations now, Sony has hogged the top of the tree when it comes to active noise-cancelling true wireless headphones.

AFFORDABLE HEADPHONES OF THE YEAR - ANKER SOUNDCORE VR P10

Anyone still harbouring metaverse ambitions would do well to pay attention to Anker's virtual reality-ready VR P10 buds. Gamers in general and Nintendo Switch owners in particular should also be looking over here.

OVER EAR HEADPHONES OF THE YEAR - FOCAL BATHYS

Product Review

STUFF AWARDS 2023

The bad news is that everything is terrible and humanity seems to be spiralling towards several different varieties of destruction at once. The good news is that some great tech came out last year - and it's time for Stuff to reveal the very best. See, you've forgotten about the bad news already...

2023 GADGET OF THE YEAR - SONOS ERA 300

THE SONOS ERA 300 GLEEFULLY SERVES UP TRANSFORMATIVE SPATIAL AUDIO THAT COULD JUST SIGNAL THE START OF A NEW...ERA.

AFFORDABLE TABLET OF THE YEAR AMAZON FIRE HD 8 KIDS PRO

Product review

PREMIUM TABLET OF THE YEAR - APPLE IPAD PRO

No, bigger doesn't always mean better, especially when it comes to what is ostensibly a portable device - but Apple's 12.9in tab is large and in charge.

All I have to do is stream

Sony's new handheld looks like a portable PS5 but is useless on its own. Can its remote play capabilities be worth the cash?

BRAIN ON THEIR PARADE

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

How do you follow a classic that not only tore up the Legend of Zelda rulebook but set a new gold standard for open-world game design? If you're Nintendo, you go large - very large indeed...

VIRTUAL REALITY

Whether you’re after an all-in-one device or want to connect to beefier hardware, here are the finest VR headsets of 2023