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September 2022 is in the books. We look back on all the coolest gadgets that dropped this month.
For more of the latest and greatest product releases, check out our full collection of the best new gear.
September is in the books — and yes, it's officially fall. But looking back on the month that was, there were a lot of new cool gadgets that were announced this month. From all the new iPhones to Bose's newest noise-canceling wireless earbuds, Sonos's first "miniature" subwoofer and a lot of cool soundbars and loudspeakers, we break it all down.
(For the best announcements of last month, August 2022, click here.)
The Bowers & Wilkins PX8 are the company's new pair of flagship noise-canceling headphones and, at $699, they are the most expensive pair you can buy (other expensive competitors are Apple's $549 AirPods Max and the Master & Dynamic $599 MW75.) The new headphones are essentially a higher-end model of the B&W's recently released PX7 S2 ($399), with superior drivers and made of more luxury materials. They are available in two finishes: black or tan.
Teenage Engineering is well-known for its creative gadgets and its latest one is no different. The PO-80 Record Factory is a unique kind of turnable because it is capable of both cutting and then playing a vinyl record. That's right, you can connect it to an audio device (via a 3.5mm jack) and make a vinyl record. These are tiny 5-inch vinyl records, granted, so don't expect to record an entire album (although there is an adapter for making 7-inch records). The PO-80 Record Factory is powered by USB and has its own built-in speakers; you can also hook it up to an external speaker via a 3.5mm connection.
One of the standouts from Amazon's big hardware event was the Kindle Scribe. It's the company's newest and most high-end e-reader, but it's most notable because it's the first Kindle to work with a stylus (called the Scribe Pen); it attaches to the side of the Kindle Scribe and you can use it to take notes, leave page markers or even draw.
The Kindle Scribe is available for preorder and is expected to ship before the holidays.
The other big standout from Amazon's big hardware event was the Halo Rise, which is a bedside alarm and sleep tracking device. The Halo Rise has a built-in light and clock that will gradually warm (mimicking the sunrise) to gradually wakes you up. It also has integrated sensors for sleep tracking; it tracks your breathing patterns as well as room conditions like temperature, light levels and humidity, and then gives you information about your sleep that you can access in Alexa app. It is not a speaker does not come integrated with Alexa, but it will work with an existing Alexa smart speaker.
The Halo Rise is available for preorder and will ship later this year.
The Freewrite Alpha is Astrohaus's most affordable smart typewriter to date. For those who don't know, a smart typewriter allows you to type on a monochrome screen and be free of the internet's many distractions (such as email). It connects to Wi-Fi and you can access the document you've typed afterward. Astrohaus is running an Indiegogo campaign for the Freewrite Alpha right now, and it's expected to ship in 2023.
Skullcandy has announced its first gaming headsets in years. There are three different models — PLYR ($130), SLYR Pro ($100) and SLYR ($60) — and all are relatively affordable and compatible with PC as well as the latest consoles. The SLYR and SLYR Pro are both wired headsets, while the PLYR is a wireless headset and has some more advanced features and even a Tile integration to help you find it if it gets misplaced.
Logitech announced a new version of its popular wireless mechanical keyboard, the MX Mechanical Mini — this time it's specifically made for Mac setups. The original model was compatible with Mac, but the new model is part of the "Designed for Mac" series. The only real difference is that it has the same key caps and configuration as a Magic Keyboard, plus the keyboard is available in either space gray or pale gray to match your Mac.
Nothing didn't officially announced a new product, but it did release a teaser video and a bunch of lavish press photos of its upcoming pair of wireless earbuds called the Ear (stick). They are expected to be very different from the company's Ear 1, and they'll come in cylindrical and vibrantly-colored charging case. They are expected to be fully announced later this year.
The Victrola Stream Carbon is the first turntable that works natively with an existing Sonos speaker system. It's a collaboration between Victrola and Sonos and, after you set it up, it'll appear in the Sonos app just like any other Sonos component; from there, you just group it with your other Sonos speakers are — boom — you're rocking out to vinyl. There's no extra components needed. In addition to working perfectly with Sonos, it's also just a really gorgeous and high-end turntable.
Polaroid is temporarily jumping out of the realm of instant film cameras and into... portable Bluetooth speakers. That's right, the company announced four different Bluetooth speakers — the P1 ($60), P2 ($130), P3 ($190) and P4 ($290) (from left to right: starting from the smallest and most affordable to the largest) — that each have a colorful-yet-retro flair.
They work like most other portable Bluetooth speakers (although none are rugged) but the kicker is that each works with the company's new companion app (Polaroid Music), which allows them to stream a number of different radio stations.
The Meze Audio 109 Pro is the Romanian hi-fi company's first pair of dynamic open-back headphones. They're designed to be super lightweight and comfortable, but yet they're also made with premium materials — like wood, steel and leather — so they'll feel pretty lavish.
The 109 Pro are modeled after the company's well-loved 99 Classics ($309), but they have an all-new beryllium coated dynamic driver that promises rich, detailed and accurate sound. At $799, they are open-back headphones for budding audiophiles looking to make the jump into the world of serious hi-fi.
The Sony SRS-XV900 is the company's newest Bluetooth party speaker, and it's effectively a larger version of its existing SRS-XV700. At 58 pounds, it's a far-cry from being classified as a "ultra-portable" speaker, but it does have a built-in battery (that gets up to 25 hours of playtime) so you can move it around your backyard as you see fit. It has multiple analog connections and can be used to power your other mobile devices. And yes, you can customize its built-in LEDs to light up however you see fit.
This is Mophie's newest portable power bank that doubles as a stand for your iPhone. It's fully compatible with MagSafe, meaning it can fast charge any iPhone 12, iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 at up to 15 watts. It has a 10,000-mAh capacity, which is enough to nearly double the battery life of your iPhone. Additionally, it has a USB-C PD input/output port that you can use to charge a second device along with your iPhone.
(Mophie also announced updated models of its other portable powerbanks, including the powerstation mini, the powerstation and the powerstation pro XL.)
Focal announced an upgraded version of the super high-end Utopia headphones that it first released in 2016. The new open-back cans have an updated and more lightweight design (the earcups also have a new honeycomb pattern on them), but they also boast improved sonic performance thanks to new M-shaped drivers and M-shaped grills that, according to the company, enable "even clearer and more accurate musical reproduction." The only real downside is the Focal increased the price of the new models by about a grand.
Logitech's Brio 500 is effectively an updated version of the company's c922 Pro. It delivers similar picture quality — 1080p at 30 fps or 720p at 60 fps — but it does have a new ultra-wide lens and more advanced autofocusing capabilities that can automatically keep you in frame. The Brio 500 also has a built-in microphone and a privacy shutter, and it comes in three different colors. It's positioned as a moderately affordable option for anybody looking to up their Zoom game (it's also compatible with Microsoft Teams and Google Hangouts) with upgrading to a more expensive 4K webcam.
The Bowers & Wilkins 700 S3 is the company's third-generation line of 700 series loudspeakers. The line includes a total of eight loudspeakers — including three floor-standing speakers, three stand-mounted speakers and two center-channel speakers — and they all borrow technologies of the company's high-end line of 800 Series Diamond speakers, but deliver them in a slightly more accessible package.
DJI announced the Osmo Mobile 6, its latest handheld gimbal designed to help you take more stabilized photos and videos with your smartphone. This sixth-generation model has a couple marked improvements over its predecessors. It has a new wheel control on the side of the handle that can help you quickly zoom-in (or out) and focus on your subject. There's a new "quick launch" feature that, as the name gives away, will help you quickly launch to the DJI camera app so that you can get shooting faster than before. And there's a new status panel screen that'll more easily show you how much battery the gimbal has left.
The Sub Mini is a smaller and more affordable version of Sonos's exisiting Sub; it costs $429 and weighs 14 pounds, while the larger Sub costs $749 and weighs just over 36 pounds. The Sub Mini works much the same way as the Sub, adding bass to a Sonos home theater or speaker system, but it's specifically designed to be paired with Sonos's smaller soundbars and speakers, like the Beam (Gen 2), Ray or a stereo pair of Ones. The only downside is that you can only pair one Sub Mini with a Sonos soundbar, unlike the Sub which you can pair two with Sonos's flagship soundbar, the Arc.
Read our review of the Sonos Sub Mini, here.
DJI announced its newest action cameras, the Osmo Action 3. It borrows the classic design of the 2019-released Osmo Action and pairs it with the sensor and shooting capabilities (maxes out at 4K at 120fps) of the 2021-released Action 2. Additionally, DJI has given the new camera significantly dual touchscreens, improved battery life (up to 160 minutes) and faster charging capabilities. It also has a new quick-release mounting system.
The Fujifilm X-H2 is the company's newest mirrorless camera and it's very similar to the recently-released X-H2S. It has the same processor, built-in image stabilization and electronic viewfinder. The big difference is that the Fujifilm X-H2 has a huge 40.2-megapixel APS-C sensor, which is the highest resolution that the company has put into any of its X Series cameras.
GoPro introduced its newest action camera — and this year there are two to choose from. The Hero 11 Black is the company's newest flagship model, while the all-new Hero 11 Black Mini (pictured) is a shrunk-down version that's almost half the size. Compared to last year's model, the Hero 11 Black looks pretty identical, but GoPro integrated it with a larger sensor that enable some higher-resolution photo and video capturing capabilities. The "Mini" version is exactly the same, but lacks the dual touchscreen displays.
The GoPro Hero 11 Black is available now while the Hero 11 Black Mini will be available on October 25.
Amazon introduced an updated version of its entry-level Kindle. It still costs $100, but has been upgraded with a nicer and brighter screen, improved battery life and it supports USB-C charging. That's right, micro-USB be gone! This 11th-generation Kindle will be available on October 12.
Astell&Kern announced its new flagship portable hi-fi player, the A&ultima SP3000, and it is luxurious. It's made of high-end 904L stainless steel, just like a Rolex watch, and has gorgeous and large (5.46") touchscreen. It is decked out with a new high-end DAC (AK4499EX) and should support pretty much any lossless audio codec (up to 32-bit/768kHz). It runs an Android operating system so accessing your lossless service —be it Qobuz, Tidal or Apple Music — should be a breeze.
The iPhone 14 is very similar to last year's iPhone 13. It's the same size and has a nearly identical 6.1-inch display. It also has the same A15 Bionic chipset. However, Apple did give it a few notable upgrades under the hood. It has improved rear and selfie camera systems for better low-light photography; there's a new Action Mode for improved image stabilization when shooting video. It has satellite connectivity — which is a first for any iPhone. And maybe most notably, Apple has done away with the "mini" version and instead replaced it with a "plus" version, which has a 6.7-inch display similar to the Pro Max.
Read our review of the iPhone 14, here.
The new iPhone 14 Pros were probably the biggest standouts from this week's Apple's event. They have an all-new floating pill-shaped notch, called the Dynamic Island, that's interactive and designed to more-easily control apps (like Music, Timer or Maps) when they are running in the background. They have a vastly improved rear triple-camera system, including a 48-megapixel main camera with the largest sensor ever put in an iPhone. And they are powered by Apple's super new powerful chipset, the A16 Bionic.
Read our review of the iPhone 14 Pro, here.
Bose announced the second-generation models of its noise-canceling wireless earbuds. Compared to the 2020-released QuietComfort Earbuds, the new models have a completely new design that's noticeably smaller, plus Bose has drastically improved the noise-cancellation and transparency modes; in fact, Bose claims that these have the "world’s best noise cancellation" of any true wireless earbuds.
Apple announced the second-generation models of its AirPods Pro. The new wireless earbuds look pretty similar to their predecessors and cost exactly the same — $249 — but Apple has given them a more advanced H2 chipset, superior audio and twice as powerful active-noise cancellation. There are new capacitive touch controls on each earbud that allows you to adjust volume (a first for an AirPod). They have a more durable case that can wirelessly charge on a Qi charger, MagSafe charger or (most excitingly) an Apple Watch puck. They will ship with an additional size eartip that's "extra small." And the case has a built-in loop that you can attach a small lanyard that Apple will sell separately.
Read our review of the AirPods Pro 2, here.
The Apple Watch "Ultra" is a completely new line of Apple Watch that's larger, more rugged, more sophisticated and more expensive than any other Apple Watch. It has a bigger and redesigned digital crown and an all-new "Action" button that can be customized to do things like quickly start specific workouts. It has a bigger battery that lasts 36 hours (or up to 60 hours when in low-power mode). And it has a new Compass app and an app specifically designed for recreational scuba divers called Oceanic Plus.
Read our review of the Apple Watch Ultra, here.
Apple also announced new flagship and budget-friendly Apple Watches in the Series 8 and SE (Gen 2), respectively. Both look nearly identical to their predecessors, admittedly, but Apple gave both a few notable improvements. The new SE has a faster processor, comes in new colors and has a new $249 starting price (which is $30 cheaper than before). The Series 8 has new sensors for body temperature monitoring (which is mostly aimed at women's reproductive health). Both new Apple Watches also can detect if you're in a serious car crash and call for help.
Read our review of the Apple Watch Series 8, here.
The Insta360 X3 is the company's new handheld 360-degree camera and the direct successor of the 2020-released One X2. The biggest improvement with X3 is probably its new touchscreen display; it's significantly bigger and more useful (as it's way easier to preview and review footage). The lens and sensor got a big bump on the X3, too, as it's now capable of capturing 5.7K 360-degree videos and super-detailed 72-megapixel stills.
This is Polk Audio's newest flagship soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. The MagniFi Max AX is a 5.1.2-channel package that includes a soundbar and wireless subwoofer (but for an extra $100 you can also purchase a package with wireless rear-channel speakers). It supports Chromecast and AirPlay 2 for easy streaming and integrating into your home's existing multi-room audio system. It also has built-in Bluetooth.
The Hasselblad X2D 100C is the company's new flagship medium-format mirrorless camera. It has a ginormous 100-megapixel backside illuminated sensor, but packs it into a body that's similarly sized to the company's X1D 50C and X1D II 50C (both of which have 50-megapixel sensors). It has an advanced hybrid phase and contrast-based autofocus system and in-body image stabilization. It's a beast of a handheld camera. Hasselblad also announced three new lenses to go with it (and other X System cameras): XCD 38mm f/2.5 ($3,700), 55mm f/2.5 ($3,700) and 90mm f/2.5 ($4,300).
For more information about the Hasselblad X2D 100C, check out PetaPixel's Jaron Schneider 's early review.
The Audio-Technica AT-LP3XBT is company's newest turntable and the direct successor to its AT-LP3. Like its predecessor, the AT-LP3XBT is a fully automatic turntable — so the tonearm with lower itself when it starts playing and rise up when the record has been played through — that comes with a AT-VM95C cartridge and a built-in phono preamp. The big difference is that the new model has built-in Bluetooth, allowing you to listen to vinyl on your Bluetooth-enabled speakers.
The Jabra Elite 5 are the company's new mid-range wireless earbuds that fall between its more expensive Elite 7 Pro ($200) and Elite 7 Active ($180) and its more entry-level Elite 4 Active ($120) and Elite 3 ($80). The Elite 5 might not deliver quite the sound quality or call clarity as Jabra's higher-end offerings, but they still have plenty of premium features. They have hybrid noise-canceling and an IP55 rating (which is fine for workouts), for example. And they have a case that supports wireless charging.
Razer announced the "V2" version of its Kishi mobile controller earlier this summer, but it was only available for Androids — now the company has released a version of the same mobile controller that works with Lighting. If you have the original Kishi mobile controller, this second-generation version is mostly identical. The main difference is that it has two new multi-function buttons, which you can program via a companion app.
Bluesound has announced a smaller, less powerful and more affordable version of its Powernode wireless streaming amplifier. The Powernode "Edge" works much the same way as its larger sibling; it connects to a pair of passive loudspeakers and allows you stream to them via a range of wireless options: Bluetooth aptX, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Roon Ready. It also supports a number of wired connections, including HDMI eArc for a TV. The difference is that the Edge can deliver 40-watts per channel (compared to the Powernode's 80-watts), and thus is better equipped for smaller loudspeakers.
Sennheiser's original Ambeo soundbar is one of the best and most expensive Dolby Atmos soundbar you can buy; released in 2019, it's a standalone 5.1.4 soundbar with 13 dedicated drivers. This week, the company announced a smaller version of that exact soundbar. The new Ambeo Plus soundbar packs nine total drivers (two are up-firing to create a truly immersive experience) and comes in at $1,000 cheaper.
Samsung announced a new mid-range soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos. The HT-A3000 is essentially a smaller and more affordable version of the company's HT-A5000 ($1,000) and the flagship A7000 ($1,400) soundbars. It's a 3.1-channel soundbar that's designed to work best when paired with Sony's newest Bravia TVs; its Acoustic Center Sync feature allows the TV to work as a center channel (and make dialogue sounds even clearer) so that the soundbar can better focus on everything else.
The JBL Bar 1000 is a unique Dolby Atmos soundbar mainly because it has battery-powered side speakers that are designed to be detached — yes, detached —from the soundbar and used as rear-channel speakers. These are upward-firing rear-channel speakers, too, meaning they can create an even more immersive Dolby Atmos experience. In total, the JBL Bar 1000 is a 7.1.4-channel home theater system that's packaged as a single soundbar. Pretty cool.
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 is the company's first gaming monitor with an OLED display. It's a 34-inch curved monitor (with a 1800R curve) that has a 3,440 x 1,440 resolution and a max refresh rate of 175Hz. Maybe the neatest thing about it, however, is that the Odyssey OLED G8 has built-in Wi-Fi and supports Samsung’s Gaming Hub, meaning you play games (via Xbox Game Pass) or stream shows (via Netflix or Amazon Prime) without having a console or computer connected to it. No pricing info has been released yet.
This second-generation foldable tablet is a pretty big upgrade to the original ThinkPad X1 Fold that was released in 2020. It has a significantly bigger OLED display (now 16.3" instead of 13.3") that's also higher-resolution; the bigger real estate allows for a larger display and a larger keyboard when using it in laptop mode. It has a thinner design (by roughly 25 percent). It comes with a bigger and better (it's backlit) wireless keyboard, which you can use in tablet mode to have a truly big display. And it's powered by the newest 12th-gen Intel processors.