Stuff UK April 2022

Hello! This issue is all about phones. Well not, all about phones, but like letters through a stick of rock it is the theme running through these pages. We’ve got the pick of the new launches, including some smashing new gear from Oppo, Honor and more, plus we’ve tested all three of the new Samsung Galaxy S22 series. And in our cover feature we’ve looked at phones for every budget, taking you through the best of the best as well as the best for not a lot of cash – you can get some crackers for way less than half the price of a flagship nowadays. Elsewhere, we’re one of the first to review the Steam Deck handheld PC gaming console, a remarkable – and very different – piece of mobile…

If you’ve skipped ahead to p36 and read our smartphone-testing frenzy, you’ve probably already decided which one will be next to grace your pocket. But what’s this? It looks like Oppo approaching with a gigantic phone-shaped spanner, and there’s only one place that’s being thrown: in the works. Powered by Qualcomm’s range-topping Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip and 12GB of RAM, the Find X5 Pro has 256GB of storage to fill with pics from its Hasselblad-optimised cameras: two 50MP sensors for the wide and ultrawide snappers, a 13MP telephoto, plus a 32MP selfie-cam that peeps through a punch-hole in the 6.7in QHD+ AMOLED screen. Oppo’s MariSilicon X neural processor handles all the imagery and adds a new 4K Ultra Night Video mode, which should stop evening scenes looking grainier than a…

For some unlucky gamers it might seem that the virtual world is the only place they’re ever likely to get their mitts on a PlayStation 5, such is the seriousness of the ongoing stock shortage… but that hasn’t stopped Sony upping the white console’s desirability factor that little bit more. Sony first confirmed it was working on a new VR headset back in February 2021, and a year later we finally know what it’ll look like. Sleeker and lighter than its predecessor, the PlayStation VR2 has a new vibration motor that will make you feel every bump, blast and bullet. Inside, two 4K HDR OLED displays combine with eye-tracking tech to do a better job of tricking your brain into thinking what you’re seeing is real. Perhaps most significant of all,…

From start to finish, the Tour de France is over 2000 miles long. To do that without leaving the comfort of your home, you’re going to need either a very big living room or the Technogym Ride – a connected exercise bike that makes the Peloton look like a Raleigh Chopper. With a 22in Full HD tilting touchscreen and apps such as Zwift, Strava, Rouvy and TrainingPeaks pre-installed, you can tackle virtual versions of famous stages from the world’s most legendary races – including all 21 hairpins of the Alpe d’Huez – or just zoom along to Netflix. The patent-pending gearchange buttons are claimed to be ultra-responsive – and as Technogym has been working with pro cycling teams for over 30 years, it should know a thing or two about that…

Put an iPhone 13, a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, a Google Pixel 6 and Honor’s new Magic4 Pro in a wireless charging race, and one of them would be propped up at the finish line sending out celebratory WhatsApp messages before the rest had even got their induction coils in gear. And yep, it’d be the Honor. While its 4600mAh battery is far from the largest around, its support for 100W charging – both wired and wireless – means it’ll hit 100% in just 30 minutes, or 60% in half that. Chances are you’ll need it, because with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor (also rather fast), 6.81in 2848x1312 OLED screen with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, you’ll probably struggle to put it down. That’s not…

Earphones with a hole in the middle might seem about as useful as a waterproof towel, but Sony’s LinkBuds aren’t like all the others. Designed to be worn all day, they have 12mm drivers shaped like Cheerios – so you’ll never be cut off from the outside world and will always be able to hear what’s happening around you, even when you’ve got music playing. Adaptive volume control will automatically pump your tunes up in loud places, or turn them down when it’s quiet, plus there’s a Speak-to-Chat mode that pauses whatever’s playing as soon as you start talking. The controls are clever too: rather than having buttons or touch-sensitive areas to prod at, the LinkBuds can turn vibrations into actions, so you just need to double-tap or triple-tap the area…