Tag Archives: Technology

Your Old Barbie Dolls Actually Become Speakers and Power Banks

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When I was young, a lot of my stuff was pink. Not just any pink. It had to be Barbie pink. I eventually grew into other colors, but those bright, familiar shades never lost their hold on me. They still remind me of afternoons spent inventing elaborate stories for dolls who, in my imagination, had unusually busy social calendars. Even now, a flash of that pink on an ordinary object makes me stop and look.

Gomi seems to understand that kind of attachment. Its Barbie x gomi Childhood Memories Collection incorporates recycled Barbie dolls and accessories into everyday electronics. The lineup includes Bluetooth speakers, power banks, wireless chargers, and tracker tags. These aren’t just devices dressed up in colors borrowed from a toy aisle. Actual doll materials go into them, alongside other recovered plastics, so the connection to childhood runs deeper than a coat of paint.

Designer: Gomi

The Brighton, England-based studio makes the limited-edition products by hand. Reclaimed plastics form marbled surfaces with patterns that vary from piece to piece. Gomi describes each design as unique, which is part of the appeal if you like objects with a little individuality. The visual variety matters, too: it lets the source material feel transformed rather than hidden inside a new product. A childhood toy becomes something you can recognize in the tech you use now.

On the Bluetooth speaker, recycled doll material is paired with an aluminum back plate and buttons. The contrast gives its playful surface a more practical, finished look. Gomi also lists fast charging and a modular, repairable design for the speaker. Those details matter because color can catch your eye, but an electronic product still has to earn its place in your routine. Repairability suggests that Gomi intends the speaker to be kept and used, not treated as a short-lived novelty.

The power bank makes the collection’s practical side even clearer. It has a 10,000 mAh capacity, USB-A and USB-C ports, and fast charging, according to Gomi. The company says it uses repurposed e-bike batteries and has a modular design that allows repairs and battery replenishment. If your phone runs low while you’re away from an outlet, that’s a problem it can help solve. Its childhood references are a bonus, not a substitute for the job it needs to do.

Wireless chargers and tracker tags broaden the idea beyond audio and backup power. Together, the devices raise a simple design question: Why should accessories we carry or leave out on a desk all look interchangeable? A charger doesn’t have to disappear into its surroundings, and a speaker doesn’t have to resemble every other black box on a shelf. The collection invites people to choose useful tech partly because they enjoy looking at it.

The reuse angle deserves attention as well. Giving discarded dolls a role in new products offers another use for their plastic, while repairable construction may help owners keep their devices longer. That doesn’t mean the electronics are impact-free, and Barbie materials aren’t the only recovered plastics in the collection. The more precise story is also the more interesting one: Gomi has found a visible, functional use for old toy materials instead of relying on nostalgia alone.

Distinctive design does come with trade-offs. If you fall for a particular pattern, you may not be able to return later and find another just like it. Gomi says only one of each power bank design is available; its listings show a $95 price, though availability can change. Anyone shopping primarily for technical performance should still compare specifications. Here, the draw is the combination of everyday function, an individual finish, and a material story you can see.

For me, the appeal starts with that familiar pink but doesn’t end there. Childhood Memories takes a material associated with make-believe and gives it an adult errand: keeping a phone charged, playing music, or adding character to a daily accessory. It doesn’t ask anyone to outgrow their affection for Barbie, and it doesn’t pretend a fond memory is enough to make good tech. Instead, it gives those memories a useful new form, ready to sit on a desk or travel in a bag.

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A Round Clock That Shows the Forecast So You Stop Checking Your Phone

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Checking the time before leaving home often requires checking your phone, which carries the risk of being distracted by everything else on it. The Round Weather Clock keeps both time and forecast together on a circular screen, making it easy to know if you need to grab the umbrella on your way out. It might look like a humble desk clock, but it knows considerably more about the day ahead.

Smart displays do exist, but they’re practically just tablets or even mini televisions. They take up space, bombard you with notifications, and suggest things you didn’t even ask for. With a 3.4-inch round touch screen, this clock doesn’t have much room to fit anything other than the time, today’s weather, and the forecast for the next five days. The circle is also a more familiar and friendlier shape for a bedside table, where the display can be changed to a less information-dense analog clock style.

Designer: Josh Hendrickson (Anoraker)

When you’re half-asleep early in the morning, you can simply glance at the clock and know what’s heading your way. Switching between analog and digital faces offers a more traditional feel and a straightforward readout. You don’t have to pretend that a screen showing rain is an antique just because its case is round.

You have some choice when it comes to the enclosure, depending on the aesthetic you prefer as well as the route you want to take. You can 3D print the “Pebble” style that has a compact, gently tilted body with a bowl-like rear. It’s a shape that fits well beside a computer without looking like an extended display, providing a mix of modern design with a more classic clock face.

If you want to go the more traditional route, however, there’s the “Classic” style, a straightforward circular body with a slightly flatter back. It also comes in a variety of wood options, including walnut, maple, or cherry. It gives a bit of contrast with a warm, natural finish and a digital display. The wooden version can be bought as a finished product, complete with the clock, for $340, while the more adventurous people can grab the free Pebble 3D printable and make their own.

Despite its simple functions, you can, in theory, add a bit of your own features to make it a little smarter. You can, for example, push a message on the screen from a remote device, such as your phone, or you can display a reminder to pick up your keys or other things near your door. It also has a dim red mode to keep the display less distracting and blinding at night.

As with the enclosures, builders can choose whether to go with a Raspberry Pi with some round screen or a Waveshare ESP32-P4 that comes with its own touch screen. That said, the Pebble style is specifically made for the ESP32-P4, so that’s something to keep in mind right from the start. Either way, the DIY project kindly provides instructions for whichever you pick.

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Poclink Motion Ultra is a modern walkie-talkie with LTE, GPS, SOS, and Zero Monthly Fees

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The walkie-talkie has had the same design problem since WWII: great up close, a plastic brick the moment you’re out of range. Bluetooth mesh updated the tech but kept the same ceiling, roughly 1km of real-world range and about 15 people max before the group chat sounds like a submarine drill. Satellite communicators like Garmin’s inReach solved the no-signal problem but traded voice communication for text-only messaging and a monthly subscription fee. Smartphones have the range on paper, but cold weather and touchscreens make them basically decorative in the field. There’s an obvious product sitting in the gap between all three, and Poclink has apparently noticed.

Poclink’s answer is the Motion Ultra, a wearable hybrid LTE-plus-analog radio that runs on 4G LTE when coverage is available and seamlessly switches to analog radio for off-grid communication when it isn’t, with analog range reaching up to 20 miles in favorable open conditions and varying with terrain and surrounding conditions.

Designer: Poclink

Click Here to Buy Now: $399 ($199 x 2 units) $598 (33% off). Hurry, only 789/800 left!

Two oversized PTT buttons give instant access to each mode, operable without looking, gloves on, at full speed. The body is IP67 waterproof, cold-rated to -20°C, weighs about 100g, and can be mounted in different ways for use on helmets, goggles, handlebars, backpacks, and more. A lifetime global SIM covering 60-plus countries ships in the box with zero monthly fees, and groups can scale to 1000 members on PTT or drop into 5-way full-duplex mode for something closer to an actual conversation. Three colorways are available: Alpine White, Ridge Black, and the very correct choice, Adventure Orange.

Two separate buttons handle two separate worlds: the front-facing button connects via LTE for unlimited range, and the side button fires up the analog radio for off-grid reach. Both are sized for blind-press operation, meaning you can trigger either by feel alone, ski gloves on, at speed, without glancing down. That specific interaction, a deliberate physical input requiring zero visual attention, is the kind of UX decision that separates tools designed for actual field conditions from tools designed to look good in a press photo. A multi-function rotary dial rounds out the controls, handling volume, channel switching, and group changes without a touchscreen in sight.

The analog radio speaks three regional protocols: GMRS in the US, PMR446 in Europe, and UHF CB in Australia, giving the Motion Ultra genuine off-grid reach across every major outdoor market. Over LTE, range is unlimited wherever cellular coverage exists. The lifetime global SIM ships included at zero monthly or annual cost, with an optional premium plan extending coverage from 60-plus countries to 160-plus. That no-subscription architecture matters more than it sounds on a spec sheet: it removes the recurring cost objection entirely and means the device holds its value over time in a way hardware-plus-plan models don’t. It also means you can hand it to a friend for a trip and it’ll just work.

PTT scales to 1000 members in group mode, full duplex caps at five people in conference-call mode, and the Motion Ultra handles both depending on whether your crew is running a coordinated ski patrol operation or just arguing over which run to take. On-device AI handles wind noise reduction, so voices stay intelligible through helmets in conditions where a regular speakerphone would produce mostly wind and optimism. Voice command support lets users adjust volume or call teammates hands-free, which matters more than it sounds on a device physically attached to a moving human. The 1.47-inch color display shows team names, channels, and connection status at a glance. Every conversation runs through AES-256 encryption backed by AWS cloud infrastructure, which is a level of security most radios in this category don’t even bother mentioning.

Live GPS location sharing, one-touch SOS, and geofencing are built into the Motion Ultra, and they deserve more attention than the feature list usually gives them. The SOS button sends your exact coordinates to the group instantly, with no satellite subscription and no menu-diving required. Geofencing lets you define a safety perimeter around a resort, campsite, or trailhead, with alerts triggering if someone drifts outside it. The real-world case that stuck with me is a POC-1 Ultra owner who reported that his daughter’s phone died after a car accident in a remote, low-coverage area, and the radio still maintained a connection at 75 miles. The Motion Ultra takes Poclink’s proven hybrid communication platform a step further, evolving it into a more advanced, versatile system that combines 4G LTE connectivity with off-grid analog communication in a compact, wearable form purpose-built for riders, skiers, hikers, and anyone who knows that going farther often means going beyond what a phone alone can handle.

At about 100g, the Motion Ultra lands at that useful intersection of present enough to feel like real gear and light enough to not punish you for clipping it to your helmet every single day. The Universal Action Mount supports helmets, handlebars, backpacks, and third-party accessories, so it integrates into a setup you already own rather than demanding its own infrastructure. A 2000mAh battery with USB-C fast charging handles all-day outdoor use, and Bluetooth doubles as a music and podcast playback source during solo stretches when the PTT stays quiet. IP67 waterproofing and a -20°C cold rating cover every realistic outdoor condition without special handling or storage requirements. The diagonal crosshatch texture on the speaker grille is a small detail, but it reads as intentional rather than cosmetic, which is more than most gadgets in this category can claim.

The Poclink Motion Ultra is now live on Kickstarter, bringing its hybrid LTE-and-analog approach to backers for the first time.

If your idea of staying connected needs to extend beyond where your phone stops working, you can grab 2 units of the Motion Ultra for the early bird price of $399 with estimated shipping starting Nov 2026.

Click Here to Buy Now: $399 ($199 x 2 units) $598 (33% off). Hurry, only 789/800 left!

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Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds are an absolute steal for $99

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Wired earbuds are making a strong comeback for good reason. You don’t have to worry about charging the case, freak out about the buds dying from battery degradation over the years, or fear losing them in transit or dropping them by accident. Bose has realized how big the wired earbuds market is turning out to be over the last couple of years, and they’ve created a pair of ANC wired earbuds that’ll please music lovers like me.

Ever since the introduction of QC20 in the 2010s, the US-based audio brand has seen a lull of many years as far as tethered options go. Since true wireless earbuds first made their presence felt, wired earbuds have been sidelined for the sheer convenience of use. Now driven by the resurgence, as celebrities and Gen-Z endorse the novel idea, there is a renewed interest among audio fanatics for wired options. Bose has gone a level ahead with its new wired earbuds, as they offer what only a handful of trusted makers are offering – the ability to have active noise cancelling baked in.

Designer: Bose

Unlike the passive wired earbuds, these make more sense in audibly chaotic situations like on a flight, walking down a busy street, or noisy neighbours around the block. Simply called the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds (I just love that), they bring back the nostalgia with all the perks that come with tethered options like the in-line remote, and of course, the goodness of blocking out distracting noises with the QuietControl noise cancellation tech. Bose has chosen to go with the USB-C connectivity options, which makes logical sense for audiophiles who value high-quality audio.

Since we are talking Bose, the wearing comfort is top-notch with the three sizes of silicone eartips and a couple of stability wings. According to Bose, listeners can mix and match them to find the “fit that feels both comfortable and secure”. For taking calls, the inline remote has the usual three button controls – volume up, volume down, and the play/pause button in the middle. ANC comes courtesy of the two microphones on each bud, which constantly monitor the surroundings and provide adaptive noise cancelling. Like all TWS earbuds, the ANC can be toggled to Quiet Mode for full immersion, Aware Mode for being aware of the surroundings, and the ANC Off Mode to listen in the native state.


Sound quality is always on top of Bose’s priority list and these wired ANC earbuds are no different. They come with the proprietary Sound Design digital signal processing with support for lossless audio listening. The wired buds can output a fixed 24-bit/48kHz audio signal, which should sound crisp and layered. We also have to keep in mind the low-latency performance, which should make gaming and watching fast-paced action movies a whole lot better compared to TWS earbuds.

The only downside is the absence of a dedicated app control for the wired earbuds, which Bose should consider having, as they are a no-brainer. So, for now, the in-line mic handles all the controls. On the upside, you don’t have to worry about those distracting noises when the wire brushes against the clothing. The IPX4-rated earbuds are waterproof and dustproof against splashes and sweat, and come with a zippered carry case for easy carrying.

Arriving in three classy color options, the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds up for pre-order at $99 are worth the money. They are all set to ship on October 13, so you better pull the trigger before the stock runs dry, which I’m sure will be the case.

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Meta Just Turned Its AI Into a Tamagotchi and It’s Pretty Cute

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AI has plenty of serious questions to answer, from copyright and environmental costs to privacy. There’s also a more everyday hurdle: for many people, AI feels impersonal. An assistant might be useful for a quick task, but it doesn’t necessarily feel like something you’d want to carry around. Meta’s upcoming Muse Charm takes a different approach. It puts an AI agent in a tiny device and gives it a character you can get to know.

Muse Charm is a keychain-sized handheld device built for Muse, Meta’s AI agent. Rather than unlocking your phone and opening an app, you’re meant to reach for the Charm when you want to talk to Muse. You can still use the agent on a smartphone, so the device isn’t your only way in. Its pitch is simpler access: help that’s close at hand when a question or task comes up.

Designer: Meta

The Charm’s rounded-square, or “squircle,” shape gives it something of a Tamagotchi feel. In Meta’s released image, a dark screen and rounded casing frame a small beige character, while a cord hangs from the device. It looks more like a playful accessory than a miniature smartphone. That distinction matters: Meta isn’t just shrinking another screen. It’s trying to make an AI assistant feel approachable enough to bring along throughout the day.

The character is a fuzzy-looking on-screen mascot, not a plush covering for the device. Users can give it a name, adding a personal touch to an assistant that might otherwise appear as text or an abstract icon. Meta describes the Charm as a way to connect with Muse through voice, touch, and a camera. Together, the character and the small form factor turn a practical tool into something that resembles a digital companion, at least in appearance.

That cuteness is doing more than making the product photogenic. It gives Muse a recognizable identity and offers a gentler introduction to technology that some people find unsettling. Still, a friendly face is a design choice, not a solution to concerns about AI. Whether people come to trust Muse will depend less on how charming its avatar looks than on what the agent does with the access they give it.

Muse is intended to do practical work. The agent can read emails, book classes, draft documents, and make purchases, though Amazon has blocked purchases through it. Those are capabilities of Muse the agent; they shouldn’t be mistaken for a promise that every task can be completed entirely on the Charm without using another device. The benefit for users would be getting help with small jobs as they arise, rather than saving them all for a later phone session.

Picture remembering an errand while you’re out, or wanting to ask a question without opening your phone and getting pulled into notifications. That’s the problem Charm is designed to address. It could also appeal to someone trying to spend less time looking at a phone, although it’s too early to say whether owning another screen would actually reduce screen time. Its usefulness will come down to how smoothly those quick interactions work in real life.

Convenience has a trade-off. To work across email, shopping, and other services, Muse may need access to accounts and personal information. Readers will want to know what permissions they’re granting and how much control they retain over the agent’s actions. The Charm’s camera also makes privacy an important question to explore, rather than something its cheerful design can answer.

For now, Muse Charm remains a forthcoming product. Meta was still finalizing its materials and components when it was announced, had not provided a price, and was aiming to ship in time for the 2026 holidays. That leaves the biggest question open: will people find it easier to use than the phone they already carry? If Meta gets that right, the cute mascot may draw people in. The everyday usefulness of Muse will give them a reason to keep it close.

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AeroPress Built a Coffee Maker Nobody Wants to Hide

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As someone who loves exploring different ways to make coffee, I have a confession: I still haven’t tried an AeroPress. I’ve been curious about it for years, but I’m also a certified clumsy person who imagines making a mess on the first try. Maybe that fear says more about me than the coffee maker. Still, if I’m going to take the plunge, the AeroPress Premium Walnut might be the version that convinces me. It looks less like a piece of equipment I’d tuck into a cabinet and more like something I’d make room for on the counter.

The Premium Walnut keeps the manual, 3-in-1 brewing method that made the AeroPress recognizable. What changes is the experience surrounding it. Instead of the Original’s plastic body, this version combines a double-wall borosilicate-glass chamber with walnut, stainless steel, and aluminum. You can see the coffee brewing through the glass, while the wood brings warmth to a design that might otherwise feel industrial. It’s a coffee maker meant to look as considered as the rest of your kitchen.

Designer: AeroPress

That matters because the AeroPress already has an appeal beyond its appearance. It offers a compact way to make a cup of coffee without an electric machine, and its method leaves room to experiment with grind size, water temperature, and brewing time. AeroPress describes the result as combining qualities of French press, pour-over, and espresso-style coffee. The “espresso-style” distinction is worth keeping: this is a manual press, not a replacement for an espresso machine.

The Walnut version addresses a different problem. If you enjoy making coffee but dislike the look of plastic gear on your counter, it gives you an AeroPress you might actually want to leave out. The transparent chamber makes the process part of the visual appeal, and the walnut plunger stands out against the glass and metal. For anyone who enjoys arranging a home coffee bar or filming their morning routine, that combination offers something beyond the finished cup.

Of course, looks aren’t the whole story when you’re using an object every morning. The double-wall glass is intended to help retain heat, and the brewer comes with paper micro-filters, a stainless-steel scoop, and a stainless-steel stirrer. Its 10-ounce capacity makes it a better fit for brewing a cup or two than for serving a crowd. Those details help position it as a small, personal coffee ritual rather than an all-purpose replacement for a large drip machine.

There is also a trade-off in choosing these materials. A glass chamber deserves more careful handling than the Original’s plastic body, especially if, like me, you’re prone to knocking things around before your first cup. The Premium Walnut is better understood as an at-home brewer than a toss-it-in-your-bag travel companion. Its appeal lies in slowing down just enough to enjoy using it, perhaps while giving it a permanent spot where you can admire it between brews.

The price makes that distinction important. At $249.95, the Premium Walnut costs far more than the $39.95 AeroPress Original, even though it uses the same core brewing approach. You’re paying primarily for the glass, wood, metal, and the pleasure of owning a more refined object rather than for a completely new way to make coffee. If your priority is simply trying an AeroPress, the Original is the less expensive place to start.

But if your morning coffee is as much a ritual as a caffeine fix, the Premium Walnut makes a persuasive case for itself. It takes a familiar, functional brewer and gives it a presence that suits a kitchen counter rather than a storage drawer. I can’t promise it would make my first attempt mess-free. I can say it makes me want to try. That might be the most convincing thing a new coffee maker can do.

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HiBy’s $99 W4 Is the Headphone Adapter That Refuses to Look Like One

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You’d think wired headphones and earplugs would have gone the way of the dodo, along with the 3.5mm jack in smartphones. Of course, everyone still has a pair they swear by, or ones that no advanced or premium pair of earbuds have ever managed to outdo yet, but they can no longer be used with your smartphone. The HiBy W4 HiFi Amplifier, however, wants to change the game, and unlike the usual anonymous and uninspiring adapter, it comes in bright colors and with chunky controls that are only too happy to be seen in public.

Portable audio adapters conjure up images of black boxes or dongles that dangle from a phone’s USB port, functional but terribly inelegant. The W4 goes in the opposite direction with a geometric design that’s almost Bauhaus-inspired: a chunky square with a touch of color, and a ridged volume dial that’s just begging to be turned. It’s both retro and modern in a delightful way.

Designer: HiBy

The HiBy W4 is all about the tactile experience. The volume dial lets users easily control the volume without looking, a time-saver when the amplifier or your phone is tucked in the bag. The 2-inch touchscreen shows playback information and puts settings under your fingertips, literally, giving your thumb something to poke at other than your phone and its myriad distractions.

Of course, having a Hi-Fi amplifier, no matter how portable, means carrying yet another thing in your pocket or bag. With MagSafe being all the rage these days, it’s no surprise that HiBy offers an optional magnetic backplate to keep your MagSafe-compatible phone or case and the W4 cozy together. What is surprising, though, is that the plate doesn’t come standard with the package.

The HiBy W4 doesn’t magically make your wired headphones wireless, and a cable will still run from your favorite pair into the box. Bluetooth 5.4, however, takes care of the “last mile” between your phone and the amplifier, supporting both LDAC and other aptX formats your phone supports. Dual CS43198 DAC chips handle the conversion, all without you having to worry about such technical matters.

The W4 supports both the usual 3.5mm jack as well as an additional 4.4mm balanced output for headphones with two cables. Additionally, you can also use the W4 with a computer via USB-C, serving as a desktop DAC. Since the same port is used for charging, the W4 has a special “UnCharge” mode that prevents the connected device from charging the W4’s internal battery, saving your laptop or your phone from additional drainage.

That built-in battery is convenient, though it does mean you have another thing to remember to keep charged before you step out the door. The W4 is advertised to last up to 6.3 hours of continuous AAC playback on a full charge. That number is for the 3.5mm jack only, though, and the uptime goes down to 5 hours if you start using the 4.4mm output as well.

At $99, the HiBy W4 is admittedly a hard sell unless you’re a true-blooded audiophile. It doesn’t completely make headphone cables disappear, its optional magnetic phone attachment is sold separately, and it’s yet another gadget you have to remember to charge and take with you. It does, however, save your favorite headphones from being left out of innovation, and the bright, vibrant colors offer a choice of style to go along with it.

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Nothing’s $399 Headphones Take Aim at Sony, Bose, and Apple at Once

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Consumer electronics have usually been opaque, literally and figuratively, but there was a time when manufacturers actually glorified transparent designs. Nothing tried to bring back that design, as well as that culture, including its first over-ear headphones that let you see part of what makes it tick. The new Headphones (1) Pro pushes that even further by cramming three separate drivers in each cup, then pricing it at only $399. It’s clearly aiming for the likes of Sony, Bose, and Apple, but with an important promise: better sound should look like something rather than nothing at all.

Three drivers isn’t merely a “more is better” kind of deal. It drastically changes how a cup functions by splitting roles: a 40 mm dynamic driver handles bass, a smaller precision driver takes the mids, and a solid-state xMEMS unit with a silicon diaphragm covers treble. This helps avoid muddiness that results from a single driver trying to cover the entire frequency range, especially at the same time.

Designer: Nothing

With titanium arms and glass panels, it’s a design and engineering miracle that the Headphones (1) Pro is actually 2 grams lighter than its predecessor at 327g. That’s thanks to Nothing’s typical outside-the-box thinking, modifying the internal frame structure rather than simply swapping out materials. It might sound over-engineered, but your head and ears will thank Nothing for it, especially during a long cross-country flight.

Those additions don’t come at the cost of comfort, thankfully. With a 10% wider headband, softer cushions, and an 8mm silicone baffle inside each ear pad to improve the seal against your skin, Nothing wants to make you feel like you’re wearing nothing at all, pardon the pun.

Glass sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, but Nothing’s got you covered here as well with drop tests to ensure its survivability. Even if it does crack, a plastic film still keeps things working so you don’t have to weep over your new travel companion. Plus, the panels are designed to make it easy for a technician to heat it from the outside and remove it, both for replacement as well as for repairing parts inside.

You might think that over-ear headphones wouldn’t need much noise cancellation, but Nothing wasn’t leaving things to chance. A total of 10 microphones are employed for adaptive noise cancellation, advertising a whopping 46db of reduction. There’s a new Flat EQ switch as well, giving listeners a bit more control over tuning, an appeal to those who need to work with sound rather than just listen to it.

The one thing that does take a bit of a hit is battery life, now down to around 30 to 68 hours, with and without noise cancellation, respectively. That said, Nothing makes up for it with super-fast charging that juices up the headphones for around four hours of playback with just five minutes of charging. The Nothing Headphones (1) Pro doesn’t just bump up the specs but has also redesigned the lifestyle accessory to fade into the background, leaving nothing between you and the music you love.

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Standard TVs Filter Their Color, the Hisense UR8 Creates Its Own

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For decades, every television has made color the same way, filtering a single blue light down into red, green, and blue until something resembles a picture. The Hisense UR8 ditches that habit. Instead, it creates red, green, and blue light individually, right at the source, through what Hisense calls Chromagic display technology built on its RGB MiniLED architecture. UR8’s RGB MiniLED, powered by Chromagic display technology, builds color differently, using red, green, and blue light individually to deliver natural and real color that looks closer to life. It’s a real design shift, overdue by a few decades.

Conventional MiniLED TVs work by shining a single blue light and filtering it into color, a process that removes light rather than creating it. The brighter and richer the scene, the more that filtering process quietly throws away. It’s not exactly a flaw, just a limitation baked into how these screens have always been built. Hisense decided to rebuild that process instead of tweaking around it.

Designer: Hisense

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The UR8 swaps that single-source filtering for up to nearly 15,000 individual RGB LEDs working independently across the panel. Instead of dimming zones guessing at brightness, each LED produces its own hue and intensity without needing a filter to correct it later. It’s a quiet redesign most viewers won’t think about, even while doing most of the work behind a different picture.

What that translates to on screen is surprisingly specific. Sunsets look warm, skin tones look natural rather than processed, and viewing feels easier on your eyes. Hisense backs this up with a claimed 100% BT.2020 color coverage and Pantone-validated accuracy, though you don’t really need the certifications to notice it.

All of that is pointless if the screen turns into a mirror the second you flip on a lamp, which is where the UR8’s Obsidian panel comes in. The Ultra-Low Reflection Obsidian Panel dramatically reduces reflection so the picture stays clear in any room. Dark scenes are up to 3x darker for rich and deep blacks, never gray, never washed out. That’s a practical call for people who watch TV in living rooms, not theaters.

Gaming is where the UR8’s engineering choices show off. Native 180Hz motion processing reduces blur in fast-moving content so you can follow the action clearly, whether it’s a live game or a quick-cut sequence. Game Booster 330 with the Enhanced Game Bar supports VRR up to 330 and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro certification for smooth, tear-free gameplay. Four HDMI 2.1 ports mean a console or gaming PC doesn’t fight for bandwidth.

That same motion handling pays off during live sports, when a fast break or a corner kick doesn’t turn into a blur of jerseys. Pair that with color that looks closer to what you’d see in person, and the UR8 becomes the kind of screen that naturally holds a room’s attention. A television already sits at the center of most living spaces, planned or not.

There’s a quieter benefit in this RGB engineering. Because RGB MiniLED creates natural and real color directly rather than filtering light, it wastes less energy and uses 40% less overall. Hisense says the UR8 also delivers nearly 50% less harmful blue light than standard MiniLED displays, independently certified by TÜV Rheinland. It’s a rare case where a design choice made for better color also means an easier bill and easier eyes.

The software side keeps pace with the hardware. Google TV with Gemini lets you chat with a conversational AI assistant, discover what to watch with personalized recommendations across 10,000-plus apps, or find content by simply describing what you want. Sound comes from a built-in 2.1.2 multi-channel speaker system tuned by Devialet, with Dolby Atmos support, so the audio doesn’t feel bolted onto an otherwise impressive screen.

The UR8 lineup spans 55, 65, 75, 85, and 100 inches, with pricing starting at $1,299 and available at Best Buy, backed by a two-year warranty. That range matters because it puts a genuinely different approach to color inside apartments and larger family rooms, not just showroom displays. Good engineering ideas usually take years to trickle down to accessible prices. This one arrived a little faster than expected, and it shows.

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The post Standard TVs Filter Their Color, the Hisense UR8 Creates Its Own first appeared on Yanko Design.

Huawei Watch GT 7 Pro Review: Refined, Not Reinvented

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Verdict 3.8 out of 5 Average of 5 criteria
Aesthetics
4.0 out of 5
Ergonomics
4.0 out of 5
Performance
4.0 out of 5
Sustainability / Repairability
3.0 out of 5
Value for money
4.0 out of 5

What works

  • Distinctive octagonal design with a premium look
  • Strong battery life
  • Bright, sharp AMOLED display
  • Board health and fitness tracking

What doesn't

  • Limited third-party app support
  • Proprietary pinned strap design
The Watch GT 7 Pro 46mm shows Huawei sticking to a proven formula and sharpening it further. It is not a bold leap, but it is a confident and well-rounded one.

Huawei has spent the last few years turning wearables into one of the strongest parts of its consumer business. The company has performed especially well in China, with that momentum also carrying into overseas markets. As a result, Huawei has grown into one of the biggest names in smartwatches, offering a lineup that covers different styles, price points, and user needs.

Within Huawei’s smartwatch lineup, the GT series is the company’s sports-focused range. The new GT 7 series stays true to that identity, building on the formula that has made the lineup popular. The GT 7 Pro is not a major leap over the GT 6 Pro, but it feels like a more polished and refined take on the same core idea.

Designer: Huawei

Aesthetics

The Watch GT 7 Pro 46mm stays largely in line with the design language of its predecessor, keeping the same sporty character that defined the GT 6 Pro. Its octagonal case continues to give it a distinctive look, helping it stand out from the many conventional round smartwatches on the market. At the same time, Huawei balances that sportier shape with a polished finish, so the watch still feels premium rather than overtly rugged.

The front of the watch keeps that same balance. Its 1.47-inch AMOLED display sits beneath sapphire glass, which adds a more upscale touch while also improving durability for everyday wear. Around the display, Huawei uses 24-hour markings that strengthen the watch’s sporty identity and give the face a more instrument-like look.

Huawei is offering the GT 7 Pro 46mm in yellow, green, and black, and each one gives the watch a distinct personality. The yellow version I received is easily the boldest of the three, pairing a silver case with a black bezel and a bright lime yellow strap. Matching yellow accents around the bezel and on the watch face make it feel the most energetic and overtly sporty of the lineup.

The green version takes a more outdoorsy approach. It keeps the same overall design but swaps in a muted green strap and matching accents, giving the watch a look that feels active without being as loud as the yellow model. The black version, by contrast, is the most understated. With its darker finish and strap combination, it gives the GT 7 Pro a stealthier and more versatile appearance that should appeal to buyers who prefer something cleaner and easier to wear every day.

Ergonomics

Despite its sporty, fairly bold design, the Watch GT 7 Pro 46mm is comfortable to wear for long stretches. At 56g and 11.2mm thick, it has enough presence to feel substantial on the wrist, but it never comes across as overly bulky in daily use. Huawei has also done a good job with weight distribution, which matters more than raw dimensions when you are wearing the watch through workouts, sleep tracking, or a full day out.

The strap has also been revised. Huawei calls it the Easy Cross Strap, and the key change is that the loose end tucks underneath instead of threading through a traditional belt loop. According to Huawei, this makes the watch easier to wear day to day while also creating a snugger fit that can help improve the consistency of health tracking. The elastomer strap feels soft enough for extended wear while still staying secure during exercise. It is detachable and uses a 22mm fitting, but because it is secured with pins, swapping it out is less straightforward than with a standard third-party strap.

Huawei’s control layout is familiar and easy to get used to. The buttons sit within easy reach, and the rotating crown adds a more tactile way to move through menus. That makes the watch feel more natural to use when you are on the move and do not want to rely entirely on touch input. Combined with the curved case and integrated strap design, the GT 7 Pro feels built not just to look sporty, but to wear like it too.

Performance

The Watch GT 7 Pro 46mm features a 1.47-inch AMOLED display, and it is one of the first things that stands out about the watch. Huawei claims a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and in use the panel looks sharp, bright, and vibrant. Watch faces have plenty of visual punch, while menus and health data remain easy to read at a glance. Huawei has been consistently strong in this area, and that continues here with a screen that feels right at home on a watch in this class.

Out of the box, the GT 7 Pro runs HarmonyOS 6.1 and supports both Android and iOS devices, which immediately makes it more flexible than some ecosystem-bound alternatives. The software itself is easy to navigate, with clean menus, smooth animations, and a layout that does not take long to learn. It is not trying to overwhelm you with complexity, and that works in its favor on a smartwatch that is meant to balance fitness features with everyday usability.

Health and fitness remain at the heart of the experience, which is exactly where the GT series has built much of its appeal. Huawei includes a broad set of tracking features here, covering the usual essentials such as heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen, stress, and workout monitoring, while also adding more unusual tools like the Diabetes Risk Study and Coronary Heart Disease Study. The latter, however, was not available on my test unit during the review period.

On the fitness side, the watch offers more than 100 workout modes, reinforcing its role as a serious sports-focused smartwatch. Huawei has also expanded its support for winter sports, with dedicated indoor and outdoor skiing as well as snowboarding modes. These can track data such as maximum speed, average incline, total descent, and run count, making the watch more useful for users who want something beyond basic activity logging. It also supports downloads for more than 3,000 ski resort maps worldwide, complete with details such as slope names, difficulty ratings, and lift station locations.

Since ski season is still months away where I live, I was not able to test those winter sports features properly. My hands-on time was limited to more routine activities like outdoor walks, yoga, and casual cycling. Even within that narrower scope, the watch performed well. GPS tracking was accurate in my testing, even when I passed under railway bridges and near buildings, where signals can sometimes become less stable.

Battery life is one of the GT 7 Pro’s biggest strengths. Huawei rates it for up to 21 days at the upper end, up to 12 days under typical use, up to 7 days with the always-on display (AOD) enabled, and as much as 51 hours in trail running mode. Those are ambitious figures, but in my time with the watch, its endurance was genuinely impressive.

I took it with me on a nine-day trip after charging it to 100 percent, and by the end of the trip it still had 19 percent battery remaining. During that time, I had all health tracking features on, AOD turned on, and used it for a couple of indoor and outdoor walking sessions as well. That makes the result more impressive, because the watch was not simply sitting idle for most of the trip. In day-to-day use, that kind of endurance makes a real difference, especially on a sports-focused smartwatch where frequent tracking can drain smaller batteries much more quickly.

Charging is handled through a proprietary magnetic wireless charger included in the box, and it is fairly quick. Because of the watch’s shape, though, it does not sit flat on the charger, which can be a mild annoyance in everyday use. It hovers slightly, and I often found myself checking to make sure it was still charging after the initial confirmation screen disappeared. It also feels like time for Huawei to move from USB-A to USB-C, as the included cable already feels a bit dated.

Sustainability

The Watch GT 7 Pro also puts some emphasis on durability. It carries both IP69 and 5ATM ratings, giving it a solid level of protection against dust and water exposure. That makes sense for a watch positioned around sports and outdoor use, where it is more likely to be exposed to sweat, rain, splashes, and more demanding day-to-day conditions.

Huawei also uses sapphire glass over the display, which adds another layer of reassurance. Sapphire is known for its strong scratch resistance, and it also helps the watch feel more premium in the process. Taken together, these details give the GT 7 Pro a tougher, more dependable character without pushing it fully into rugged-watch territory. That said, sustainability is less of a focus, with no clear mention of recycled materials or other environmental measures.

Value

At £379, or roughly $510, the Watch GT 7 Pro is priced like a premium smartwatch, so it has to offer more than just a nice design. For the most part, it does. You are paying for a watch that gets the basics right, with strong battery life, a durable build, a comfortable fit, and a health and fitness feature set that feels broad enough for most users.

The value proposition really comes down to what you want from a smartwatch. If you care most about app support and deeper smart features, there are rivals that make a stronger case. But if your priorities are battery life, fitness tracking, and a watch that looks and feels good on the wrist, the GT 7 Pro makes more sense. It is not a dramatic step up from the GT 6 Pro, so current owners may not feel much pressure to upgrade. Still, for anyone coming from an older device, it feels like a well-rounded package that knows exactly what it is.

Verdict

The Watch GT 7 Pro 46mm is not the kind of upgrade that changes everything, but it does not need to be. Huawei has taken a formula that already worked and polished it further, keeping the GT series focused on the things it has consistently done best. The result is a smartwatch that looks distinctive, wears comfortably, lasts a long time on a charge, and offers more than enough health and fitness features for most users.

It is not without trade-offs. Third-party app support remains limited, and Huawei’s pinned strap design also cuts down your band options compared with a standard 22mm quick-release system. Still, if you want a premium sports-focused watch that feels dependable, lasts well beyond a few days, and fits easily into everyday use, the GT 7 Pro gets a lot right. It is not a radical step forward, but it is a solid and well-rounded one.

The post Huawei Watch GT 7 Pro Review: Refined, Not Reinvented first appeared on Yanko Design.