Table of contents for January 2025 in T3 India

FOCAL DIVA UTOPIA French audio brand Focal makes some of the best, most premium sound blasters around, and its latest effort – the Diva Utopia – marks a new milestone for the speaker maker. This new device is Focal’s first wireless active loudspeaker set, meaning you get all the convenience of wireless listening without losing Focal’s signature audio quality. Made using Naim electronics, this three-way bass-reflex floorstanding speaker set offers up near-studio-quality sound for exquisite high-resolution listening. That’s delivered thanks to 400W of amplification power per speaker and ultra-wideband tech for lossless audio streaming. The speakers can connect to each other and external amplifiers wirelessly, and they work with a range of connectivity modes, including AirPlay 2, Google Cast, HDMI eARC, optical and RCA inputs. All in all, they’re ideal…

Apple’s recent innovations in gesture control technology across its wearables are not only changing the way we interact with devices but also signalling a broader shift in the wearable tech industry. With features like gesture-based controls on the Apple Watch and AirPods, Apple is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with often hands-free interaction. This trend highlights how wearables are evolving to become more intuitive, accessible and integrated into our daily lives. At the same time, it hints at where the entire wearable industry might be heading – towards smarter, more connected and invisible interfaces. What stands out about Apple’s approach is its focus on accessibility. Gesture control features like AssistiveTouch and Double Tap allow users with physical limitations to control their Apple Watch with hand movements, making the device…

SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH ULTRA Rocking a gorgeous design and an enviable spec sheet, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is a formidable option for rugged smartwatch lovers. Designed to work in conditions as diverse as 55 degree heat, 9000m of altitude and 100m underwater, this is ready to go anywhere you can. ₹59,900, samsung.com APPLE WATCH ULTRA 2 Whether you enjoy hiking to tall peaks, or diving the depths of the ocean, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has specs for you. Fitted in a titanium chassis, you’ll also find a whopping 3,000 nit display here, ensuring you can see even in direct sunlight. ₹89,900, apple.com GARMIN FENIX 8 Arguably the most recognisable name in rugged smartwatches, the new Fenix 8 from Garmin packs in just about every feature or function you…

Over the past few years, manscaping has become more accepted than previously. However, whether to manscape is still a big debate… When people hear the word manscape, they automatically think of tending to pubic hair but the term doesn’t just refer to that. Rather, you can manscape various areas of the body, including the back, shoulders, armpits, stomach and chest. But there’s a few things to keep in mind so you achieve a ‘smooth-like-a-seal’ feel rather than a red and patchy look. First, you’ll want to get an actual manscaper. If you’re trimming sensitive areas like your pubic hair, you won’t want to use a shaver or razor as this can increase the likelihood of snagging – something you don’t want around your nether regions! A tailored manscaper works better…

1 PANASONIC UB820 UHD BLU-RAY PLAYER No home cinema is complete without a UHD Blu-ray player, and the UB820 is great value. 4K picture quality is outstanding and there’s a variety of HDR output settings you can match to your UST projector. ₹35,900, panasonic.com 2 OPTOMA ALR101 AMBIENT LIGHT REJECTING SCREEN If you don’t have a convenient, all-white wall at which to aim your UST projector, then invest in an Ambient Light Rejection screen, which is constructed to optimise light coming from a UST projector, while repelling light when it falls from above. This fixed 100-inch screen from Optoma will enhance contrast and colour, even in brightly lit environments. ₹1,29,900, optoma.com 3 SAMSUNG HW-Q930D SOUNDBAR The Samsung HW-Q930D is an impressive soundbar upgrade that offers 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos sound, and…

@girishmallya on X (formerly Twitter) This month, we’re diving into the world of e-commerce in India, focusing on the cash on delivery (COD) system. It’s a double-edged sword for the industry. India has one of the most sophisticated COD systems globally, making online shopping accessible even to those wary of digital payments. However, this convenience comes at a steep price for e-commerce brands. They face high costs for cash handling and suffer from a notably higher rate of returns or refused deliveries. To tackle these issues, some direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, followed by giants like Flipkart and Amazon India, have started charging a small COD fee or offering discounts for pre-paid orders. But there’s room for a better solution. I propose a tech-driven approach - Escrow Accounts. Here, payment would be…

HEAD TORCH EXTRAVAGANZA PETZL SWIFT RL 2 The Petzl Swift RL 2 is an outstanding head torch, combining a lightweight design, impressive 1,100-lumen brightness and effective Reactive Lighting technology. Ideal for outdoor enthusiasts, it delivers excellent performance, comfort, and versatility for activities like trail running and hiking. ₹8,499, petzl.com LIFESYSTEMS INTENSITY 300 The Lifesystems Intensity 300 LED Head Torch is a reliable and affordable option for outdoor adventurers. Its lightweight design, six lighting modes and weather-resistant build make it perfect for hiking and camping. Simple to use and offering great value, it’s a practical choice. ₹2,999, lifesystems.com BIOLITE HEADLAMP 750 The BioLite HeadLamp 750 excels with its bright 750-lumen output, stable design and easy operation. Perfect for outdoor enthusiasts, it offers strong battery life, comfortable wear and excellent stability, making…

A belated thanks to the good people at Onanoff, who sent GaGu the Fokus+ headphones to test a few months ago and have been patiently waiting to hear his thoughts. They’re alright, mostly. A little small, but they fit to the head nicely without squeezing one’s skull. Very comfortable. They also sound pretty okay, at least once the volume’s been pumped up a little. Just for the sake of diplomacy, let’s avoid too much mention of the ANC, which behaves weirdly and rather ruins the experience when it’s switched on. If you have kids, consider the BuddyPhones CosmosFun – they’re almost exactly the same thing, just with a volume limiter and some shiny stickers in the box. Budgets are stretched around Guru Towers – the run up to Christmas is…

KITCHEN 1 SAMSUNG FAMILY HUB AI VISION FRENCH STYLE SMART FRIDGE FREEZER Samsung’s Smart Fridge Freezer uses a camera to monitor the food you add and remove. From there, it’ll note the expiry date, offer recipe suggestions and add to your shopping list. The Family Hub window allows you to see inside, plus it can play music, organise your calendar and share photos. ₹3,34,900, samsung.com 2 NETATMO SMART SMOKE ALARM Whether you’re in the kitchen, in a different room of your house or even at the office, the Netatmo Smart Smoke Alarm detects smoke and flames and alerts you immediately via your phone. Aside from its detection, it also sounds an incredibly loud 85 dB alarm – so there will be no mistaking if your kitchen is on fire! ₹8,999, shop.netatmo.com 3 HAIER…

The world of grooming and self-care has come a long way, especially for men. The days of 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner and shower gels are out – 10-step skincare routines, manscaping and hair growth helmets are in! Whether you’re looking to clear your skin of acne, remove unwanted hair or improve the look of your locks, taking a few minutes out of your day to take care of yourself is invaluable. The latest and greatest grooming essentials can transform the skin, teeth, hair and feet, so you not only look like a knockout but you feel refreshed and rejuvenated too. Depending on your needs and preferences, you can keep your grooming routine simple and affordable, or you can really push the boat out with an array of luxurious and innovative beauty…

FOR EVERY DAY: HUGO BOSS The Boss scent collection is extensive, including the Bottled and The Scent series, so there’s something to choose for every occasion. But for everyday, the original Hugo Boss Bottled is part of the woody fragrance family and has notes of citrus, apple, amber, cinnamon and sandalwood. A fresh yet spicy scent, Hugo Boss Bottled develops through the day, so it gets stronger as time goes by, making it ideal for day to night and beyond. FOR THE OFFICE: MONTBLANC When in the office, you don’t want anything that’s too overpowering, as it can be distracting for all. However, you still want something strong enough that you smell professional while you’re sitting at your desk. Clean and fresh notes are the best way to go, and…

Samsung Premiere 9 (LPU9D) B5,99,900, samsung.com WE’RE IMPRESSED Brightness is outstanding, making this UST easy to watch with the lights on. Colour vibrancy and dynamics are also excellent, while the Dolby Atmos audio array can be considered best in class. Operating noise isn’t overly intrusive, and the sleek design makes it particularly easy to live with. WE’D IMPROVE Like Samsung’s TV range, it lacks Dolby Vision. THE LAST WORD Combining jaw dropping imagery with a surprisingly immersive sound system, the Premiere 9 will more than satisfy cinephiles and sports fans looking to supersize their entertainment. Leica Cine 1 ₹8,45,900, leica.com WE’RE IMPRESSED The Vidaa 6.0 smart platform ensures you’ll have access to plenty of top-rated streaming apps. WE’D IMPROVE Bright enough for daylight viewing, but best in a dark cinema environment.…

The Vivo X200 Pro features a 6.78-inch quad-curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chipset. It comes with options for up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, running on either OriginOS 5 or FuntouchOS 15 based on Android 15. The camera setup is highlighted by a triple system, a 50MP main camera (Sony LYT 818 Sensor), a 50MP Wide Angle Camera and 200MP Telephoto Camera. This setup is further enhanced by ZEISS optics and Vivo’s V3+ Imaging chip for superior photo quality. The phone also includes a mega 6,000mAh battery with 90W wired and 30W wireless charging capabilities, encased in an IP68-rated body. This battery is bigger and longer lasting than anything we have seen in a comparable phone. The VIVO…

The BenQ MA320U positions itself as a premium 4K monitor specifically designed for MacBook users, combining seamless integration with impressive color accuracy. While it comes with a more approachable price point than Apple’s Studio Display, it still packs features that make it an attractive option for professionals seeking a Mac-optimized external display solution. The MA320U arrives dressed for the part. Its black chassis and minimal bezels could easily convince you it rolled off Apple’s own production line. The build quality screams premium - no creaky plastic or wobbly stands here. While the included stand offers all the ergonomic adjustments you’d expect (height, tilt, swivel, and pivot), many users, myself included, prefer mounting it on a monitor arm for that clean, floating display look. The port layout is a masterclass in…

Striking a balance between functionality and fun, the TAX2208 offers a feature packed experience for party lovers and casual users alike. Compact yet powerful, this speaker includes built-in LED lights and a sturdy carry handle, making it the ultimate portable entertainer. The 30W speaker and an 8-inch woofer, the TAX2208 delivers room-filling sound with punchy bass, dynamic low-end and balanced mids. Whether you are using it to play music out of your car, partying at a camp site or streaming your favourite playlist indoors, it’s got you covered. Customizable LED lights pulse, glow and flash in sync with your music, instantly setting the party vibe. Choose from different light modes or turn them off entirely if you prefer. Plug in a mic for karaoke nights or connect your guitar for…

Feeling terribly groggy when you wake each morning? Then a wake up light, or sunrise lamp, could be your new bedside bestie. Designed to wake you up naturally with the sun and your body’s rhythms, wake up lights do this by gradually brightening the light to mimic the rising of the sun, for a gentle awakening. Most wake up lights have the option to add sounds at the end of the cycle to make sure you’re up when you need to be, and many come with a sunset cycle to help you wind down at night. Some people find using a wake up light over a traditional alarm clock helps them start the day off feeling more alert and in a better mood. It’s a no-brainer, right? Find out below…

NEWS ABOUT AUTOMOBILES McLAREN HYBRID The McLaren Artura is a 200mph supercar that also acts as a conventional hybrid. It’ll drive silently through traffic – or at up to 80mph – in electric-only mode, then transform into a fully-fledged supercar with the flick of a switch. HYBRID PICKUPS COMING Ford’s Ranger pickup truck is finally getting a plug-in hybrid option in the UK. The PHEV engine option will arrive early next year on Wildtrak and XLT series models as well as a new Stormtrak edition. FASTER SELF-DRIVING SPEEDS Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot 95 sees the automaker’s level 3 autonomous driving go from 60km/h to 95km/h (around 59mph). This effectively provides motorway speeds of self-driving. It’s coming to Germany next year and other markets soon. LASER PRECISION LOTUS TESTS THE THEORY If…

I must confess to a guilty secret in my technological life – a tendency to buy up old tech before it disappears from the market, either because it has a certain quaint appeal or simply because I think it might come in useful. That’s why I have a collection of incandescent Christmas lights (for their lovely warm festive glow), a couple of strong-sucking vacuum cleaners that exceed the latest wattage limit (I thought they’d clean better), a pair of DVD-recorders and even an unopened box of floppy disks. It’s not only me who’s afflicted. Future-proofing by buying ‘the last of stuff’ seems to have become a nostalgic ritual for some consumers. A photographer pal of mine, for instance, is stacking up on Canon EOS 5D MkIV camera bodies because it…

Best for the long haul JBL LIVE BEAM 3 Two days is a long time to be listening to music – but 48 hours is what the JBL Live Beam 3 is offering, and what’s more the way they reproduce music makes two whole days and nights just fly by. On top of cracking battery life and endlessly engaging sound, JBL has included its nifty touch-screen charging case – so you don’t even have to fire up the JBL control app in order to access volume, playback or ANC modes. ₹15,000, jbl.com CAMBRIDGE AUDIO MELOMANIA P100 Rely on Cambridge Audio to go to town when designing and specifying a new pair of wireless over-ear noise-cancellers. Yes, the Melomania P100 look good, feel good and even smell pretty good straight from…

1 HAVE FRESHLY WASHED HAIR How often you should wash your hair is a huge debate. But if you want a pro blow dry, you’ll need to start with freshly washed hair to remove dirt, grease and dead skin from your locks, so your blow dry lasts longer. 2 APPLY STYLING PRODUCTS After washing, applying styling products like a blow dry spray will ensure your hair will hold its shape for longer. Pick a product that caters to your hair type and length, to better protect your hair. 3 STYLE WHEN HAIR IS DAMP-DRY The best way to style your hair into any style, including a blow dry, is to do so when your hair is damp-dry. The styling process takes place as hair goes from damp to dry, so…

Projectors have evolved. More stylish, brighter and easier to use, you no longer need to tolerate models that look like they’re on the run from the office IT department, bolted to the ceiling, or tabletop beamers that belt out more heat than a fan heater. The latest generation of Ultra Short Throw (UST) projectors are far more conducive to real world living. They need only centimetres to cast a 100-inch (or larger) image, while a shift to laser light sources, able to deliver high brightness even in rooms with high levels of ambient light, has made them a feasible alternative to large, flatscreen TVs. Switched off, UST projectors rarely draw attention to themselves, but powered up they can transform a wall into a video display. These models typically come with…

CALIBRATE YOUR PROJECTOR To get the best picture quality, calibrate your projector to match your room and everyday viewing conditions. Explore the picture presets on offer, and favour the brighter, more colour rich options when watching daytime sports. OPTIMISE ROOM LIGHTING It sounds obvious, but for a true cinematic experience, minimise the amount of ambient light in the room. Blackout curtains pay dividends during summer months when you want a movie night, but it’s still quite bright outside. Avoid incidental light that may reflect onto the wall or screen area you intend to use with your UST projector. INVEST IN A QUALITY SOUND SYSTEM The cinematic experience can be elevated with a dedicated home cinema sound system. This can take the form of either a soundbar or a separate AV…

In the past the Pro Max model was seen as the top choice in the iPhone range, given its superior capabilities, but that’s all changed with the latest model. The 16 Pro offers everything that the bigger handset does, in a smaller, more usable format. It’s now the best choice for most. Unlike the last generation Pro, this year’s offers a bigger screen, up from 6.1-inch to 6.3-inch, so you’ve got more screen real estate to play with. That’s the biggest increase since the iPhone 12 Pro, which was the first to go to 6.1 inches. Resolution is 2622x1206 pixels, which remains the same 460 pixels per inch as before. That screen bump is the main reason why you might want to give the bigger Pro Max a miss, unless…

The Asus ProArt PX13 positions itself as a premium creator-focused laptop that combines portability with power. In a market flooded with creator-focused devices, Asus attempts to stand out with innovative features and powerful specifications. While it excels in many areas crucial for content creation, some compromises might give potential buyers reason to pause. The ProArt PX13 immediately impresses with its sleek, professional aesthetics. The aluminum chassis, finished in Nano Black, gives the device a premium feel while keeping it durable. At 13.3 inches, it’s remarkably compact for a creator-focused machine, making it easy to slip into a bag or carry between locations. However, the black finish is a fingerprint magnet, requiring frequent cleaning to maintain its sophisticated look. While it offers 2-in-1 convertible functionality, the device’s weight makes it cumbersome…

The ASUS ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV is a game-changer for creative professionals, setting a new benchmark in display quality and color accuracy. Designed with professionals in photography, video editing, and graphic design in mind, this 27-inch 5K (5120x2880), 218 PPI monitor offers a stunning resolution that delivers razor-sharp visuals and unmatched clarity. First up, the unboxing experience: though everything is packaged securely and safely, it took a bit of time to figure out how everything fits together. We wish Asus had put extra effort into making the unboxing and setting up experience a joyful one. Once it was set up, it was a breeze to use it. Asus provides a Color Calibration Test Report with the monitor. The standout feature of the PA27JCV is its 100% DCI-P3 and AdobeRGB color…

The Sony WF-C510 earbuds deliver a well-rounded audio experience at an attractive price point, making them an appealing choice for those venturing into the world of truly wireless audio. These earbuds uphold the brand’s legacy by offering sound quality that feels refined and balanced. Vocals and mids come through with clarity, while highs maintain a pleasing crispness. Although the bass response is on the lighter side, the overall sound signature remains enjoyable for casual listening. One notable aspect of the WF-C510 is the attention to aesthetics. Sony has introduced a range of unique colors that make these earbuds stand out. This fresh approach to design, combined with a reassuring build quality, ensures that the WF-C510 not only sounds good but also looks the part. In terms of features, the ambient…

If you’re looking for the very best tech available today, you’ve definitely come to the right place. Best of the Best is the most useful gadget-buying guide you will ever encounter. To create it, we’ve extensively tested the best tech the world has to offer, to bring you rock-solid recommendations for your home life, daily commute and the tech you use all the time. In 21 different categories, we’ve chosen the top three products, so you can choose one that’s just the right mix of features and budget for what you need. These rankings come from real testing by our team of experts – they’re the products we’d choose for ourselves, and we can’t recommend any higher than that. PREMIUM PHONES APPLE IPHONE 15 PRO MAX ₹159,000, apple.com/in This flagship…