TECH NEXT: Gadgets get ‘smarter’ and consumer-friendly by the day

At just over 300 gms, the 2019 iPad Mini is light as ever but packs a lot more firepower under the hood. It’s powered by Apple’s new A12 Bionic chip that Apple claims delivers three times the performance and nine times faster graphics. This is a key addition for power users who enjoy intensive gaming on a larger screen (vis-à-vis a smartphone) and can also get work done on their daily commute or a long flight.

The slim form is one reason why many Apple fans have preferred the iPad Mini. It’s great for videos or Graphic novels on the go, especially with the improved Retina display with True Tone technology that packs 326 Pixels per inch. The Mini’s battery life (10 hours of video playback) also makes it a great binge watching companion. The 2019 iPad Mini features an 8MP and 7MP rear and front camera and comes in 64GB and 256GB storage versions. You can choose from Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + Cellular options. Our most favourite upgrade in the new generation iPad Mini is Apple Pencil (first generation) support. You can sketch, doodle or take notes at a meeting. (Rs 34,900 onwards)

Samsung’s new buds made their appearance along with the Galaxy S10 phones and score with their featherlight form factor and competitive price tag. The charging case is ultra-compact too and should slip into your tightest jeans. This case gives you an additional 6 hours of battery life aside from about 5 hours for the buds. I noticed that this five hours drops slightly when I used it more for calls than music. These buds pair effortlessly with Samsung and other Android devices, it also works with your iPhone. Bose’s SoundSport Free and Sony’s buds might have the edge in the sound output and noise cancellation departments respectively but the Galaxy Buds delivers a good all-round experience for its price tag. And then there’s a killer feature — wireless charging. You can use your Galaxy S10 to ‘reverse’ charge your buds without any cables. (Rs 9,999 or 4,999 if you buy it with a Samsung Galaxy S10)

Xiaomi has just unleashed a sub Rs 5,000 smartphone that delivers great bang for your buck. At its heart is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard memory. You can expand the memory with a Micro SD card (up to 128GB). We like the fact that the phone has a dedicated Micro SD card slot in addition to a dual SIM slot. The phone’s key strength is its 3000 mAh battery that will last comfortably through a day of extensive use. The device sports a 5-inch display (1280 x 720 pixels) and two cameras — a 8MP rear cam and 5MP selfie cam. (Rs 4,499)