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Gadgets 360 Staff Picks: Our Wishlist for 2018

Gadgets 360 Staff Picks: Our Wishlist for 2018

By Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 2 January 2018 12:52 IST

Highlights

Most want a new phone, TV, or headphones
Two each want a Switch, a soundbar, or a camera
There's even a kitchen gadget in the list

The technophile staff at Gadgets 360 likes not only reviews literally hundreds of different gadgets each year, but also buys tons of them for personal use (yay, consumerism!). Just like last year, we asked everyone what's on their tech wishlist for 2018, and reflect on whether they ended up getting their 2017 pick or not for whatever the reasons may well be.

Abhinav Lal
Last year I said I was looking to buy an HTC Vive VR headset in 2017, and that would necessitate a PC upgrade for me as well. Well, neither of those two came to pass, and this year, I’m finally getting a PC upgrade. Instead of upgrading my gaming desktop, I’ve decided to buy a gaming laptop instead. Over the past year, I’ve been shuttling between two cities for personal reasons, and a desktop just doesn’t make sense for me anymore.

So while I’ll be spending 50-60 percent more on a gaming laptop compared to a similar-specced desktop, one can’t put a price on the convenience of the form factor. Thus, this year, I look forward to buying an Alienware 15, complete with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card. The VR headset may have to wait though, until prices – which are still exorbitant – drop further.

Buy Alienware 15

Aditya Iyer
What would have been my big 2017 purchase without a doubt I’ve kept reserved for the coming year - the Nintendo Switch. The company name which has been a pioneer of the gaming industry had a massive success with the release of its newest console becoming a worldwide ought to have product, both for the enthusiastic, loyalist gamers at the same time being accessible to newcomers alike.

While lagging behind the console war with Sony and Microsoft over the past decade, its new hybrid-console levels the playing field with titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey as indications in its debut year alone, and several third-party developers commiting to the console, while also retaining what they’d rather be known for- the piece of gaming hardware you’d have carrying out, and chancing on any time you’d get to mash buttons in daily life.

Any skepticism one might have by now including what I had has been well put to rest; as we move on from the golden age of gaming living in a post-world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Overwatch, which champions video games as we might argue as the supreme art-form, emphasising on both powerful narratives & engaging gameplay, with the most important of all - having fun. Having used the system through friends and colleagues already, the only thing kept me waiting is Game Freak’s announcement of the next main-entry Pokemon RPG title, which I can say will be one millions have been waiting for long. Also, an XL more-colourful version please.

Buy Nintendo Switch

Aditya Shenoy
The first thing on my list for 2018 would be a new television. My current 32-inch full-HD Samsung TV is begging to be replaced. I have my eyes set on a 43-inch LG TV and if I get a good deal on it will happily install it in my living room.

The second thing would be upgrading my car head-unit to a different one that supports Android Auto. I already have my eyes on a unit that fits right in an enables Android Auto seamlessly but availability is an issue. I could do with inbuilt Google Maps navigation and Google Assistant in the car.

Third on my list is Android Wear. I have been using an LG G watch for close to 3 years now and the battery life has started getting inconsistent. While I would want to run it to the ground a replacement is due. Currently, the Asus Zenwatch 3 looks like a good contender but I will be waiting for more Android Wearables in 2018 before zeroing in on one.

Buy LG 43-inch TV, Asus Zenwatch 3

Akhil Arora
Until just last month, there was no chance that my wish for 2017 - a 4K HDR TV - would come true. But then by mere accident, it did. It's nowhere near the best of the lot, as it was bought to function as a monitor, but that hasn't stopped from me experimenting with 4K HDR content, when I can get my hands on it.

With that in the bag, I'm going to focus on the severely-lacking sound setup for the TV, which currently consists of terrible in-built speakers. A soundbar (hopefully one with Dolby Atmos) and a subwoofer are ideal for the size of my living room, with the Sony HT-ST5000 one of the very few officially available in India.

Also on the list is a headphone upgrade, now that my Jabra Move have given up on me for the second time. I'm still debating between in- and on-ear - the size determines when I can carry them - so time (and more research) will tell where I end up.

Buy Sony HT-ST5000

Ankit Chawla
On top of my wish list for 2018 is the Bose QC35. Simply the best in the active noise cancelling business, the QC35 is a blessing in disguise for the frequent flyer as well as for the daily commuter in me. I have used a significant number of earphones and headphones claiming to offer ANC, but a demo of the Bose got me swooning over them. I'll somehow have to convince my wallet to open up to that preposterous price tag, though.

And, obviously, the Tesla Roadster is also on my wish list. But I'll probably wait till 2020 (or 2050) to get my hands on that beauty.

Buy Bose QC35 II

Gagan Gupta
My original wish for 2017 was the Bose QC 35. Though they’re still a solid pair of headphones, that requirement quickly diminished once I picked up a pair of AirPods. The convenience they offer far supersede all the features that QC 35 had to offer me. For now.

This year I had my mind set on Nintendo Switch, but held off because I personally don't find the joycons very comfortable. Knowing Nintendo and its penchant for redesigning consoles for the better, I'm hoping for a slightly tweaked Nintendo Switch sometime this year. Of course this is pure speculation, and I may not get the console I want, but either way - Nintendo Switch is on top of my 2018 wishlist. Whether there's a redesign or not.

Buy Nintendo Switch

Gopal Sathe
My wish for 2018 is a new television, because at seven years in, I’m more or less due, and 32-inch sets are definitely behind the times. But at the same time, I have a hard time parting with things if they’re still working fine, so I doubt this will actually happen. The other thing I’d really like is a good smart TV box, but the options are limited. The other thing I’d been thinking of buying was a new console, but I just bought myself a Nintendo Switch. This leaves me with only two things that I really want to buy, in 2018.

A really nice rice cooker, like this one from Prestige can make day to day cooking simpler, and allow me to try out new styles of cooking; the other thing I’m interested in is also a kitchen gadget, though this one has no moving parts of electronics, this Santoku knife that a lot of people have recommended to me.

Jagmeet Singh
I'm saying goodbye to 2017 with a brand new iPhone 7. But I'd like to continue my journey with iPhone by picking up the iPhone X sometime in 2018. The Super Retina display with ultra-thin bezels attracts me the most. Likewise, features such as the TrueDepth camera-equipped Face ID are influencing me to take the buying decision. But certainly, its premium price tag has so far stopped me and even somewhere convinced me to buy the iPhone 7 - at least for this year. I believe that the price of the iPhone X would drop a bit in the coming months and some cashback or discount offers would come to eventually let me fulfil my wish in 2018.

Alongside the iPhone X, I'm also all set to buy Apple's AirPower wireless charging pad that would give me a single platform to charge my iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously. I hope the pad would debut in India soon to join my buying list for 2018.

Buy iPhone X

Prabhakar Kumar Thakur
More than a year after I got my present phone, I am planning to get a new one next year. In all probability, it is going to be Mi Max 3, speculated to be launched in 2018. Details available to the media suggest that the phone will have a good seven-inch display, bigger than its predecessor. However, that’s not the only thing the display has to offer. I am expecting a brilliant viewing experience on a full HD, 18:9 display. Looking at the trend, I might even get a dual rear camera on the device.

For a person who needs his ‘source of connectivity to the world’ to last for the whole day, Mi Max 3 is the answer. With quick charging and a rumoured massive 5500 mAh battery, this phone should last even after heavy usage throughout the day.

Pranay Parab
Last year, I’d written about my desire to play board games and spend more time with my friends and family. I bought Exploding Kittens, Scotland Yard, Abandon Planet, and Pandemic Red Legacy Season 1. Of these Exploding Kittens is the only one I’ve played regularly with all my friends. Its box is small enough for me to carry around all the time and the rules are easy enough for most people to understand quickly. I’ve had a blast playing it and my 2018 wish list includes finding the time to play more of these board games.

That aside, I want to invest in a good 4K HDR set up for my home. This includes buying a 4K HDR TV, (probably) a soundbar, and a playback device such as a 4K Blu-Ray player, an Apple TV 4K, or simply a laptop that can stream 4K HDR content. Once that is done, I’ll be patiently waiting for my favourite movies to release in this format.

Buy Apple TV 4K

Ravi Sharma
Having purchased the iPhone 7 in the first half of the year, I am inclined to buy the AirPods in 2018. The bundled EarPods are good enough for casual use, but it becomes a pain when I want to listen to music while the handset is being charged. I have heard good things about the AirPods from colleagues so far, from the smooth pairing to the great sound quality, so it is the one piece of tech I will definitely be buying next year.

Buy Apple AirPods

Rishi Alwani
While others might wax eloquent about 4K HDR TVs, VR or such, my 2018 wishlist is limited to something rather low tech compared to my 2017 purchase of the Xbox One X. A high capacity microSD card. And no, I’m not clamouring for the return of the microSD card slot to smartphones. It’s for my Nintendo Switch. Thanks to both digital and physical Switch games occupying near criminal amounts of space, I’ve already run out of space on my 128GB microSD card and the internal storage on the Switch too. Hopefully 500GB microSD cards don’t cost as much as a new Switch in 2018. More so with a new Pokemon game, Metroid Prime 4, and Bayonetta 3 on the horizon.

Buy 400GB microSD card

Roydon Cerejo
I will admit, I ended up cheating a bit with my last year’s tech purchase for 2017 as I ended up buying the Manfrotto Advanced Travellers backpack a few days before 2016 was up. However, next year, I’m doing it properly since the one device that I’m looking forward to owning would be an iPhone. This could be the new iPhone or even this year’s model, I don’t really have an itch to own the latest tech.

After using the iPhone X for decently long period of time, I personally feel it’s one of the few phones that have really gotten the bezel-less design just right. But more than that, I really enjoy the seamless syncing across iOS and macOS for even simple apps like Notes. The one thing I wish Apple would hurry up in fixing would be notifications, which is rubbish compared to Android. But in pros do out-weight the shortcomings so I wouldn’t mind living with that.

Buy iPhone X

Sandeep Kumar Sinha
Each year, I think of being a fitness freak. But one thing that resists me is the ability to track my activities. So, in 2018, I'm planning to ultimately pick a fitness tracking band that will help me monitor my movements - starting from sleep and walk to run and swim. I'm thinking of buying the recently launched Garmin Vivofit 4. This new fitness band is claimed to have 12-month of battery life that would let me wear it for a long time. The wristband has an always-on display that provides weather updates as well as step counter on the move. Moreover, its affordable price attracts me the most.

Buy Garmin Vivofit 4

Yousuf Jawed
Spending most time with camera at work, my wishlist for 2018 is Sony A7S II. This camera is capable of doing 4K (UHD) and FHD at 120 FPS video. It has five-axis stabilisation, and most important the presence of Slog2 and Slog3 which gives it edge over other competitors. I’m also planning for picking up Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens. So it will complete my handheld setup.

The second thing on my wishlist is to pick up Jabra Move headphone, This headphone is priced at Rs. 4,699. I need this headphone because because it’s wireless as well as wired. So it’s gives me flexibility to use with as per need (read: available battery strength).

Buy Sony A7S II, Jabra Move

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