Another year has flown by, but not without several tech purchases being added to the already long list of gadgets that various Gadgets 360 team members already own. We’re always looking for a chance to talk about gadgets, and the end of the year is a convenient excuse.
Surprisingly, routers were a popular choice among the team this year, and as you would expect, smartphones feature rather heavily as well. We have the audiophiles in the house chipping in with their picks as well.
Here are the best tech-related purchases Gadgets 360 staff members made in 2018, which includes everything from gaming consoles to writing apps, and a whole lot more.
Abhinav Lal: Alienware 15 R3
Alienware 15 R3 served my purpose of having a gaming machine that I could use in several cities, and it was just as powerful as I expected. While there were a few glitches here and there — most of which were to do with Windows 10 — I’ve been satisfied overall.
Aditya Shenoy: AKG N60 NC
The AKG N60NC (wired) is the gadget I bought this year. I bought it during a trip to Dubai and happened to walk into a Samsung outlet that was selling the last few units for 50 percent off. After quickly checking out the reviews of the product online, I managed to pick it up for AED400 (around Rs. 7,800) which is a steal compared to the Rs. 24,000 price on Amazon India. These headphones have good audio quality and the noise cancellation is a boon on flights. I wish I’d gotten my hands on the wireless model because I have to carry a dongle with me at all times.
Buy: AKG N60NC
Akhil Arora: Jabra Elite 65t
A little less than a year ago, I brought up my requirement for a headphone upgrade and the fact that I was debating between in- and over-ear picks. That internal discussion continued for five months in 2018, before I landed on the former. With a last-minute twist. Instead of wired in-ears — the Beoplay H3 — I opted for the wireless freedom of the Jabra Elite 65t.
Sure, the sound quality would never match up but tell that to the ease, convenience, and multi-functionality. Wearing them is a breeze, using them between multiple devices feels like the future, and they’ve a very good fit. I can use them on the bike, while running, dance with them, and fall asleep without annoyance and worrying.
Buy: Jabra Elite 65t
Akshay Jadhav: Poco F1
Having been stuck with a budget Android phone for a year, I recently decided to upgrade to a new phone — the Poco F1 ₹ 19,999. The price to performance ratio is outstanding, without sacrificing much on any major features. The only small downside might be the plastic or as the company likes to call it the “polycarbonate” back and the build quality, which to be honest I am perfectly fine with because of every other aspect being close to perfect in this price bracket.
Additionally, I installed Nova Launcher Prime as soon as the phone got delivered because no one wants to deal with intrusive ads and Nova Launcher lets you hide unwanted apps as well. Since phone makers keep churning out new phones with incremental upgrades — I’m looking at you, OnePlus 6T ₹ 37,999 — I hope I’ll get about 2-3 years of use with my POCO F1.
Buy: Poco F1
