Gadgets of the year: Next-gen versions of the same old song

In all fairness, this past year has not seen the world of technology altered in any way. No revolutionary products were launched in 2016 and no earth-shaking innovations. What we witnessed rather was a sort of upgrade campaign across the board. Top tech brands, one after the other, presented souped-up versions of their respective bestselling products. Apple did so with its iPhone, Microsoft with the Surface, and Samsung — notwithstanding the Note 7 hash-up — with its smartphone series. Among this gradualist strain of research and development, there were few exceptions though. Virtual reality being one. And “Internet of Things” being the other. Combine all these elements and you have a list of the top gadgets of 2016 all but ready.

iPhone 7 has been in the headlines almost the whole year with its headphone controversy and the price hike. Apple added few new features to its flagship phone — Splash, water and dust resistant, Touch ID fingerprint sensor, 3D Touch, incredible quad-core processor and 32GB starting storage capacity. iPhone 7 features with 12MP primary camera with optical image stabilization, Quad-LED True Tone flash and Live Photos, 4K video recording at 30 fps and slow-motion video recording in 1080p at 120 fps, 7MP front facing FaceTime HD camera with Retina Flash. The sensitive touchscreen of the iPhone 7 also allows you 3D touch. Also, the new Retina HD display incorporates the 3D touch facility across the iOS. iPhone also features iOS 10 and iCloud operating system with A10 Fusion chip with integrated M10 motion coprocessor. iPhone 7 also comes with EarPods with Lightning Connector and lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter. iPhone 7 is priced at Rs 70,000.

Google Pixel has the highest rated smartphone camera. Pixel features unlimited storage for all your photos and videos. Google Pixel is the first phone with the Google Assistant built in. If we talk about the design of the phone, Pixel has a seamless glass-aluminum body. Google Pixel is powered by 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and it comes with 4GB of RAM. The phone packs 32GB of internal storage. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Google Pixel packs a 12.3-megapixel primary camera on the rear and an 8-megapixel front shooter for selfies. The phone comes with 5” full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels AMOLED display, with oleophobic coating and RGB Notification Light. The Google Pixel runs Android 7.1 and is powered by a 2770mAh non removable battery. Google Pixel features Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, 3G and 4G. Google Pixel is priced at Rs 66,000.

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is a high end laptop hybrid with an incredible design and powerful hardware. The tablet section of the gadget is made out of metallic-grey magnesium finish and has an adjustable kickstand and is slinky by 292 x 201 x 8.4mm dimensions. The device comes with a 12.3-inch PixelSense display. Surface Pro 4 offers sixth-generation Intel Core M, Core i5 and Core i7 options and Intel HD graphics 540. Pro 5 also come with variant of 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of RAM. Microsoft also offers Surface Pen and Type Cover accessories which compliment the hybrid itself. The laptop hybrid has 8 -megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 comes at the price of Rs 1,49,999.

Sony PlaysStation VR comes with 3D Audio Technology which means that users will be able to pinpoint sounds above, below, and all around you. PlayStation VR also includes VR headset, Processor unit, PlayStation VR headset connection cable, HDMI cable, USB cable, Stereo headphones, AC power cord, AC adaptor. PlayStation VR features Advanced VR Display which gives seamless visuals to keep users connected to the virtual world through an expansive 5.7” OLED 1080p display running at up to 120 frames per second. The PlayStation VR headset was engineered to be balanced, comfortable, and completely adjustable. It’s designed to feel like it’s not there – keeping you free from distraction as you explore new gaming worlds. The LEDs around the PlayStation VR headset, on the DualShock 4 wireless controller, and the PlayStation Move motion controller are tracked by the PlayStation Camera, providing an incredibly precise capture of your natural movement in virtual space. Sony PlayStation VR is priced at Rs 42,000 approx.