85 cool gadgets: Our pick of the best new tech for 2022

We all love the arrival of a new gadget, something that will make life more convenient and entertaining for yourself, or help you out with a clever gift idea for a family or friend. That’s why we’ve put together some of the most interesting and innovative bits of tech out there right now in our list of the coolest, new gadgets we think you’ll love.

If you want to boost your listening experience with the latest speakers and headphones, ramp up your fitness with the newest watches and hi-tech trainers, max out your home entertainment experience or just explore what else is out there, we’ve got you covered.

Make sure to check back regularly for all the latest gadgets.

Cool gadgets and new tech for 2022

Logitech Litra Glow

Logitech Litra Glow © Logitech

Zoom calls and video meetings are going nowhere so why not look your absolute best while you do it? With Logitech’s new Litra Glow, you can get a nice glow at home that will make co-workers jealous – they don’t need to know you’ve just crawled out of bed!

Sensors on the Litra Glow will adjust the light’s brightness to adapt to different skin tones and diffuse the light so that you don’t look like a deer caught in the headlights. It has also been tested to make sure it is completely safe to use the lamp for long periods of time.

Sony Linkbuds

Sony Linkbuds in Grey © Sony

Sony has always been at the forefront of headphone technology and with its latest pair, it is doing something rather unique. These headphones feature a hole in them (by design – don’t worry, no parts are missing). This means you can be more aware of your surroundings and people desperately trying to get your attention while enjoying your music. It features other clever features like touch control by tapping the skin by your ear and volume that adjusts to match your environment.

Gran Turismo 7

Gran Turismo 7 on PS5 © Gran Turismo

A game feels like a strange addition to a gadgets list, and yet Gran Turismo 7 fits in perfectly. That’s because of the incredible graphics on offer, especially if played on the PS5. As you whizz around race tracks in beefed-up supercars, you’ll find it hard to convince yourself you’re not actually there.

The game fits in other impressive features like some incredibly fast load times, clever use of haptic feedback and a realistic driving feel as you hit the tracks.

Nothing Ear

These new wireless earbuds are the most hyped new product in tech right now. Backed by the likes of Tony Fadell, who invented the iPod, and Casey Neistat, one of YouTube’s most revered vloggers, there’s a huge amount of buzz surrounding this product that aims to bring premium audio performance at a wallet-friendly price bracket. It’s something that the company’s CEO Carl Pei had a track record for at his previous mobile phone company, OnePlus, which specialised in unfussy smartphones with powerful chipsets.

We can’t vouch for the sound yet, but we love the design and retro-futurism aesthetic. For the price, there’s an impressive set of features, including variable levels of noise cancellation, water- and splash-resistance and customisable gesture controls on the earbuds themselves.

£99

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3

This is the first foldable phone that might be worth a go. The first few iterations of foldables were marred with reliability issues and huge price tags. However at £949, this phone is likely to cost as much on contract as the latest Apple or Google devices. There’s no sacrificing on processing power or features to make the phone work at this price either: the Flip3 comes with an octa-core processor inside, plenty of RAM and a 120Hz display. Plus it’s waterproof.

Folding the phone will split the display in two, so you can, for example, sit the phone on the table to watch videos. There’s also a small screen on the back so that you can see notifications when your phone is shut. We’d give it a few months to see if anyone reports any hardware issues with the screen, but we personally can’t wait to see what they do with foldable tablets next…

£949

Urbanista Los Angeles headphones

Charging devices is one of those daily pains that we could all live without, and while battery lives have improved, it is still a regular occurrence. This is a problem Urbanista is attempting to resolve with the Los Angeles headphones.

Lined with a solar cell material, these headphones will constantly charge themselves throughout the day as long as there is light. This works both inside and out in the big wide world and theoretically removes the need for charging.

Along with the unique charging feature, the Los Angeles headphones also include active noise cancelling, ambient sound mode and voice assistant features.

AllBirds Tree Dasher 2

AllBirds Tree Dasher 2 © AllBirds

The AllBirds Tree Dasher 2 are a pair of shoes that will especially appeal to the eco-friendly runner. Made from a eucalyptus tree fibre knit, with shoelaces from recycled plastic bottles, this is a shoe with a small carbon footprint.

Despite this, these shoes still offer a comfortable performance and a lightweight design – perfect for both long-distance runners and rapid sprinters.

Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4

Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4 © Tag Heuer

If you like the idea of a smartwatch, but also want to feel like the classy individual you are, the Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4 could be just what you need. It is by no means affordable at £1550 but that price is pretty normal from a brand like this.

Skip past the large amount of futuristic buzzwords here and there are some interesting features to this watch, especially around fitness. The watch includes guided 7 minute workouts with animations and notifications to switch exercises. You can choose upper, lower or full-body exercises.

LEGO App-controlled Transformation Vehicle

App-controlled LEGO set © LEGO

When it comes to LEGO, there is a lot of choice. However, this new LEGO Technic set has a unique feature to help it stand out – the ability to control it via an app.

With the app, you can drive the vehicle around, and when you flip the car over (or hit a wall), it will reveal a completely different car below. Because the LEGO car features suspension, you can even drive it over uneven surfaces.

Mac Studio

Mac Studio hub © Apple

In its latest launch event, Apple listed off a host of new gadgets, but it’s the new Mac Studio that stands out as the most interesting addition. A small desktop computer with a surprisingly high amount of power, the Mac Studio is aimed at creatives with digitally-intensive work.

Coming in two models (expensive and bank-breaking), you can choose how much power you want from your computer. The more affordable option still feels incredibly overpowered, offering 3.4x faster graphics compared to the 27-inch iMac – another incredibly powerful device.

We’ll be honest, for the majority of people this is going to be a heavily overpowered piece of kit. However, if you’re a serious video editor, 3D designer or someone intending to really push your computer’s processing power to the extreme, this will be the perfect investment.

Skydio 2+

Skydio 2+ © Skydio

There are a lot of drones on the market right now, all offering something slightly different. However, Skydio’s 2+ has a unique feature we haven’t seen elsewhere that really helps it to stand out.

Through technology known as Keyframe, you can plan out routes that the Skydio 2+ will follow. You can define complex camera movements and then choose what speed the drone will approach these routes.

Skydio’s aim with this feature was to be able to give anyone the ability to get clean drone shots, no matter their level of skill. Equally, you can use this feature to film yourself doing something if you don’t have someone to pilot it for you.

$1,099,

Zenbook 17 Fold 

Asus Zenbook folding © Asus

With Samsung taking the helm, the world of foldable devices seems to be flourishing recently. We’ve seen plenty of brands launch their own folding smartphone but at , Asus went a step further by unveiling a folding tablet.

The Zenbook 17 Fold is, as the name suggests, a 17-inch folding tablet. It can be folded completely over for easy storage, or you can even bend the display at any angle. Asus has crammed in fancy features like AI noise cancellation, Dolby Vision Atoms and Vision for high-end streaming and, surprisingly for a folding tablet, a lot of ports!

However, while no price has been announced yet, we would expect the Zenbook 17 Fold to be pretty expensive on its launch.

£TBC,

DJI Action 2

DJI Action 2 under water © DJI

DJI, along with GoPro, is one of the biggest names in the action camera market and with the Action 2, they are going all-in on modular features.

With strong magnets attached to the camera, you can quickly switch attachments, throwing on a tripod, helmet mount, waterproof cases, a screen and other features you’ll need when trying to keep a camera attached to your body as you leap off a cliff.

Along with the magnetic modular attachments, the DJI Action 2 also succeeds at the features we would expect from an action camera. It offers 4K, 120fps footage, it has image stabilisation to keep your footage level through the action and it is water, dust and drop-proof.

Opal Camera      

Opal in two different colours © Opal Camera

The Opal camera is a stylish, high-quality and oh so expensive webcam, but what else would you expect from a company headed by ex-members of Apple, Beats and Uber!

Marketing itself as a DSLR quality camera in webcam form, this could be the future of webcams. Of course, at $300 this needs to perform well. Along with 4K quality, the camera also features intelligent noise cancellation and a lot of adjustable settings.

Right now this camera is only available by reservation and works exclusively on Apple devices, but Opal plans to open this up to Windows down the line.

$300,

Noveto N1 speaker

Noveto N1 speaker © Noveto

The Noveto N1 is a clever and unique design for a speaker. Unveiled at CES 2022, the N1 is able to project sound to the space directly by both of your ears. By doing this, you will hear the speaker at full volume but those around you will just hear a quiet whisper of sound.

Because this is new technology that hasn’t been released yet, there is no way to know how successful this is. Noveto is claiming up to 90 per cent audio reduction 1 meter away from the listener.

The speaker is also kitted out with face ID. This allows the speaker to adjust to the current user and their preferences.

£TBC,

Withings Body Scan

Withings Body Scan product © Withings

Revealed at CES 2022, the Withings Body Scan is what you would get if you crossed a scale with a doctor that never leaves you alone.

On top of the obvious function of informing you of your weight, the Withings Body Scan will also tell you the fat mass of your whole body (including separated percentages for arms, legs, torso etc) and inform you of your vascular age.

On top of that, it is also able to give you a neuropathy score. All of this is done through a bar that comes up out of the scale. This bar sends low-voltage electrical currents through the body via electrodes and measures the resistance of tissue to the current.

If you don’t mind your scale being somewhat intrusive to the point of sending electrical currents through your body, there won’t be many more intelligent than this one.

£TBC,

Sony HT-A9

Sony’s new speaker system is designed for those that want to get serious home cinema surround sound, without having to spend time and effort draping wires around your living room. The HT-A9 system is essentially a set of four wireless speakers that talk to a control box plugged directly into your TV. You just place the four speakers around you, and let the setup – which echolocates each speaker – calibrate to you and your living room. Each device has a tweeter, a sub and an upfiring speaker to power the full Dolby Atmos experience. Pair these with a Sony TV and the system will also use your TV’s speakers to add to the sound.

£1,799

Zephyr PRO RGB sweat-proof gaming mouse

If you’ve ever played an online game, whether that’s Fortnite, Call Of Duty or Apex Legends, then you’ll have experienced the sweaty palms that come with going toe-to-toe with a cocky 12-year-old shouting abuse at you over the voice comms.