We assemble four things that'll help your mobile life run smoothly, from the latest smartwatch to a foldable microphone for podcasting on the go, as well as the best everyday earbuds and a battery pack to keep all your portable and travel tech charged on the move.
Portable travel tech to keep you connected
1. Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5
Mobvoi isn’t quite up there with Apple, Samsung or Garmin in the pantheon of fitness-focused smartwatches, but it still makes a stylish and powerful wearable. Incorporating the new Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 Wearable Platform, which uses Google’s Wear OS 3, the TicWatch Pro 5 is strong and robust, albeit a little large on the wrist.
Mobvoi has incorporated its own software suite into the device for fitness tracking, including blood oxygen levels, heart rate and all the usual motion metrics, but you can also use Google’s Fit suite. There’s a rotating crown to navigate apps, as well as a quick charge function that gives around 65 per cent of battery life in just half an hour. The stock watch faces range between info-dense overload and stylish classic dials, and there’s also a faint LCD-style permanent display that gives you all the basic data at a glance without your having to turn the watch on. Used sparingly, you’ll get over three days of use from the Pro 5.
Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5, £329.99, Mobvoi.com, Amazon.co.uk
2. Urbanears Juno earbuds
Juno are the new noise-cancelling earphones from Swedish audio brand Urbanears. As well as having the usual feature set – Automatic Noise Cancelling and a useful Transparency Mode – Juno’s plastic componentry is 91 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic waste. A brand-new app enables listeners to customise the touch controls (including the ability to amplify your surroundings with a single tap), and the case also offers wireless charging.
A charge will give eight hours of listening, and the earbuds can stay connected to two devices at any one time. Three colourways are available, Dirty Tangerine, Charcoal Black and Raw. A supremely comfortable fit, engaging sound and a keen price point make these a fine choice for casual listeners who can't trust themselves with more ostentatious alternatives.
Urbanears Juno, €99, Urbanears.com
3. Tula Mic
If Teenage Engineering’s meticulous new TP-7 is overkill, consider the Tula Mic, a beautifully crafted compact recording device that draws inspiration from both Dieter Rams and the Swedish audio specialist (two of the Tula team behind the design, mechanical engineer Steven Nersesian and electronic and firmware engineer Stefan Burstrom, have worked with Teenage Engineering). Under the creative guidance of David Brown, Tula’s pocketable Mic is all set for 12 hours of high-quality WAV recording, either as a standalone device or hooked up to a phone or PC. The company even offers bundles of twin Mics for podcasters on the go, available in black, cream, red and seafoam.
Tula Mic Podcast bundle, £435, TulaMics.com
4. Samsung Battery Pack by Layer
Not all battery packs are the same. Layer’s new 25W 10,000 mAh battery pack for smartphone giant Samsung is a case in point. Wrapped in a smooth organic case made from speckled plastic, this is as close as the humble power bank gets to being a tactile object. The inset ’10’ identifies the capacity, and twin ports allow for the fast charging of two devices at once, making this battery pack an essential part of every outfit.
Samsung 25W 10,000 mAh Battery Pack by Layer Design, layerdesign.com, £37 from Samsung.com
