We bloody love a gadget here at Gizmodo Australia and we get to try out a lot of cool gadgets. So much so that it’s often difficult to write about everything. So we’ve decided to start a new spotlighting series, showing you our five best gadgets, or should we say gizmos of the month.
Let’s get this show on the road. These are the five best and most exciting gadgets that the Gizmodo Australia team got to play with in May.
The Google Pixel 8a
Google’s ‘a’ suffix Pixel device has always been a favourite of Gizmodo Australia, and that’s no different this year. However, this year, the Google Pixel 8a had a price increase, though it did get a second storage capacity option in Australia for the first time, and a gorgeous blue finish. It’s among the best phones that you could buy right now for below $1,000, with brilliant cameras and a small size, and the Pixel operating system is the perfect detox from an iPhone if you’re looking to switch.
Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia
The Google Pixel 8a is available now for $850 from the Google Store, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and Officeworks.
The iPad Pro (2024)
Friend of Gizmodo Australia Alice Clarke reviewed the latest iPad Pro from Apple, which saw the introduction of a gorgeous OLED display and, with an additional purchase, a new stylus, the Pencil Pro. Alice found that it was “a lot of iPad”, and it was probably over spec for what most people would need. However, it is perfectly suited for professionals and hobbyists. “The M4 chip is a game changer, and for all the reasons listed above, I think iPad Pro with Logic Pro is a must-have for serious musicians. It’s yet another tool that lets you realise your vision with less interference from the technology,” Alice said.
The iPad Pro is available now, starting at $1,699 from Apple, The Good Guys and Amazon Australia.
The AMD Ryzen 7 8700G
AMD’s extremely powerful Ryzen 7 8700G processor is a gaming powerhouse, capable of producing incredible 4K and 2K gameplay at high framerates with an equally matched graphics card, and fairly good budget build performance without one. It’s probably not the right pick if you need a budget PC, when you could elect to get a cheap CPU and GPU instead, but for what it is, it’s an exceptionally worthwhile option.
The AMD Ryzen 7 8700G is available now for $499 from Scorptec, Computer Alliance, and MWave.
The Dyson Supersonic Nural
Managing Editor Athina Mallis got to try out the exceptional Dyson Supersonic Nural in May, and found it to be one of the best hairdryers on the market. In her review, she said that if you were to buy a new Dyson hairdryer, this would be the pick of the bunch. It’s quite pricey at $749, but your hair would thank you for it.
The Dyson Supersonic Nural is available now for $749 from Dyson, The Good Guys, and Mecca.
The Samsung HW-Q990D soundbar
Samsung’s latest premium soundbar really is the best of the best, and when coupled with the Samsung S95D, which I am steadfast in my belief is the best TV you can currently buy in Australia, you get cinema-like experience at home. With a speaker setup involving room-wide devices, and deep connectivity with Samsung TVs (along with Samsung’s proprietary ‘eArc’ HDMI port for use), it’s hard to look past this if you want the truly best experience. It’s just a shame it doesn’t come cheaply.
The Samsung HW-Q990D is available now for $1,995 from Samsung online, JB Hi-FI and Harvey Norman.
And that’s it for May
That’s it for our favourite gadgets of May. Check back next month for our favourite gadgets of June!
Image: Gizmodo Australia