From what to watch and wear, to something for the weekend. Here's our list of top summer tech.
Samsung QLED 8K
It’s going to be hot this summer and you’ll want to be outside most of the time, but let’s face it, you’re also going to blob out in front of the TV occasionally. The Queen’s Gambit isn’t going to watch itself. If you want to go all out, this is the TV to buy. It’s Samsung’s current top-of-the-range model, and is a living room dominator. Combine it with the company’s Q70T soundbar and you have a home cinema set-up that will have guests swooning and you not needing to go out to your local multiplex. $8,499 Shop
Dyson Pure Cool Me
The best way to stay cool is obviously a fan, but many are too noisy to use at night and, besides, are aesthetically unpleasing. This Dyson fan is space-age in appearance and is a good option if you want to buy into the brand’s luxury range but don’t need to aerate a whole room. The Pure Cool Me, as the name suggests, is best aimed at one person, and can be easily angled. It can move from side to side, has 10 intensity levels, and is remote controlled. You’ll need to replace the filter after a while as it also removes pollen, allergens, household fumes, and bacteria from the air. It’s pricy, but worth it. $549 Shop
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
What’s summer without some tunes? The first and most social of three audio products on this list, the UE Wonderboom 2 is a mini marvel. It sounds far better than it has any right to considering its size and RRP $169 price tag. Better yet, the waterproof speaker has an ‘Outdoor Boost’ mode that is fine-tuned to soundtrack your beach, bach, or pool party. Grab two and you can even link them together for stereo sound. $169 Shop
Huawei FreeBuds Studio
If you want to keep your music taste to yourself or are after some noise-cancelling headphones for when the trans-Tasman bubble opens, look no further than these cans from Huawei. They pack in an excellent comfortable design and superbly effective noise cancellation. They work with iPhones, iPads, and all other Bluetooth devices, but if you have an Android phone you can dive into granular controls with Huawei’s AI Life app to adjust the level of noise cancellation. $599 Shop
Oppo Enco X
If you prefer your personal audio more low-key, these wireless buds from Oppo are a fine choice. Their noise cancelling is top notch considering how small they are, and battery life is excellent, with up to 20 hours of playback when you charge them in the case. They come in a stealthy black and are $100 cheaper than Apple’s AirPods Pro, yet have near- identical features. I particularly like the responsive touch controls that let you tap to play, skip track, or slide up and down on the stems to adjust the volume. $349 Shop
Callaway 200 S Laser Rangefinder
Summer is the perfect time to hone your golf, both at the weekend and for weekday ‘meetings’. If you’re after a bit of tech to improve your game that’s subtle enough to slip into your back pocket, this Callaway rangefinder is a fine companion. It works by measuring the angle of slopes on the course and then adjusts the range accordingly, giving you that little bit more insight into your next shot. With a range of up to 800 yards and a feature that can lock onto a pin from 275 yards out, it’s a refreshingly old-school piece of tech that is built to do one thing and does it well. AU$314 Shop
iPad Air
This year’s iPad Air is my favourite in ages thanks to a slick redesign that apes the iPad Pro but costs hundreds of dollars less. The Air is small enough to chuck in your bag, but the 11-inch display is more than enough screen space for any task, be it work or play. The Air is compatible with the second-generation Apple Pencil for note taking in the boardroom or sketching in the countryside. Splash out for the Magic Keyboard and it turns into a laptop so you can take advantage of the all-day battery life and whip-fast performance. I recommend the cellular version so you can get a 4G SIM card and connect anywhere without Wi-Fi. Just don’t tell your boss you can still access your emails in the Coromandel over summer. From $999 Shop
Cheerble Wickedbone
If you love your dog more than anything but would quietly prefer they entertained themselves sometimes, perhaps the Wickedbone is the canine purchase you need. It’s an interactive toy that is meant to last longer than an actual bone, and like every smart device worth its salt, is controlled via an app. The Wickedbone can perform nine different motions and responds differently depending on how your pooch chooses to abuse it. Each end acts as a wheel so you can shoot the device around the room like a remote-controlled car, as well as spin and bounce it, to keep your pet entertained. Just don’t forget to charge it. $199 Shop
Fitbit Versa 3
It has taken a few years for Fitbit to fine-tune its smartwatches but the Versa 3 is a triumph, packing everything you could want into a device that tracks your health better than most. This fully featured watch beats others on the market by racking up around six days of battery life, though it’ll soak up a bit more juice if you use the built-in GPS feature to track runs or play music directly from your wrist to wireless headphones. It has a superb display, heart-rate sensor, NFC (near-field communication) for payWave (only with ASB for now), and is waterproof, so you can wear it in the shower or to track swims. There’s also menstrual-cycle tracking and sleep analysis, and connecting to fellow Fitbit owners in the companion app lets you track your workouts and progress against others for a bit of friendly competition. $449 Shop
Blunt Coupe umbrella
Not strictly tech and I don’t want to tempt fate, but a Kiwi summer isn’t safe from the occasional downpour. Locally made Blunt umbrellas cost more than the average supermarket brolly but for good reason – their clever patented design does away with buttons and release catches. I reckon the Coupe is the best size choice in the range, as it’s the lightest full-length model at 430g but is still enough to cover you and a bag, or you and your special ‘other’ at a squeeze. I’ve got the boring black one, but you can get pink, yellow, or turquoise to punch a burst of colour into a rainy summer street. $119 Shop
