The best gadgets of September 2024

September was officially Apple month. We witnessed the launch of four models of the long-awaited iPhone 16 and several other Apple refreshes. We also checked out some weird and cool gadgets at IFA 2024 in Berlin. Kyle spent a day waterskiing with the GoPro Hero 13 Black and found it to be packed with features, although a bit pricey. Additionally, Google has updated its Pixel Buds lineup with the near-perfect Pixel Buds Pro 2.

XGIMI has refreshed its MoGo Pro lineup with the $500 MoGo 3 Pro, but the third iteration looks nothing like its predecessors. It has been radically cut down to the size of a soda can and is about as heavy as a milk carton. Instead of Android TV, it is now integrated with Google TV, giving you native access to streaming apps.

Google TV integration means you don’t need a dedicated Smart TV, set-top box or Smart TV dongle. It offers native access to any service offered by Google TV, so it is worth launching the selected application immediately. The package includes a remote control with dedicated shortcut buttons for YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime and a customizable button for the selected service. —Dua Rashid

I know it sounds weird and a bit disturbing, but EcoFlow has released a Power Hat equipped with eight solar panels and two charging ports, so you can charge up to two devices while you’re on a hike. However, you will have to pay $80 for it, which seems like a lot for a regular beach hat, but not for a dual output power bank.

Decorated with a 360-degree brim covered with solar panels, the hat can be placed on your head and offers two charging ports, Type-A and Type-C, so you can refill your devices on the go. The eight panels on the hat provide enough juice to last at least a few hours. Capacity ultimately depends on the amount of sunlight reaching the solar panels, but the hat can fully charge a 4,000 mAh battery (the average size of a smartphone battery) in three to four hours. —Dua Rashid

If cost is no object, the new Hero 13 Black is still a step up from the previous generation. The new GoPro has a 10% larger 1,900 mAh battery than the Hero 12. The company promises that you can record over 2.5 hours in 1080p or 90 minutes in 4K at 30 frames per second. It should also be better for more extreme temperatures, but GoPro also claims that you’ll see the most drastic improvement when recording in the higher 10-bit mode rather than the standard 8-bit.

The new GoPro has new sensor capabilities, but it’s not as flashy as the additional accessories. It can still capture 5.3K at 60 FPS and 4K at 120 FPS. It maintains vertical shooting from the Hero 12, but now supports slow-motion burst shooting up to 5.3K at 120 FPS and 900P at 360 FPS. The big new addition to image quality is HLG HDR support with 10-bit recording and a wider color gamut. For long-time GoPro users who decried the loss of GPS tracking, they are now back. —Kyle Barr

If you’re upgrading this year, you’re dealing with an old, broken iPhone, and you’re considering upgrading to the Pro, then yes, you should consider the iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max. As Apple said, it built this phone for Apple Intelligence, which should let you know what’s on the horizon for your well-curated walled garden in the coming year. It’s also nice that you can choose a smaller phone with all the camera glass the larger device offers, but not the larger size.

The new Pro phone isn’t just an AI tool, although it has all the hardware to make it possible for early adopters of the technology. Everything about the iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max is solid, from the seven-lens camera system to the battery life. This year the new colors are also brighter and brighter. We’ve only had a week with the iPhone Pro/Pro Max so far, but if this is the year to upgrade, get ready for what’s coming next. — Florence Ion

iPhone 16 sets a positive precedent for future users of the entry-level iPhone model. You won’t get leftovers from last year’s Pro model in a refreshed, color-friendly smartphone casing. Instead, you’re buying a stripped-down version of the iPhone Pro model and a bit of future-proofing for what’s to come as Apple slowly reveals its AI history.

This year’s iPhone 16 uses even more premium features from the iPhone 16 Pro, which makes it seem like a slightly better deal. Like the Pro, the main camera on the iPhone 16 is a fusion camera, there are Apple Intelligence features, and there is an action button along with the new camera control button that just debuted on the iPhone 16 Pro. — Florence Ion

Judging solely by the W95A 4K Mini-LED TV, Panasonic has managed to keep up with the times by selling its TVs in European and Asian markets, but don’t expect a dazzling example of pure viewing pleasure. It’s solid, and if it reaches its price point, I don’t think you’ll have to look too far in another direction to get a bright, colorful, and easy-to-use TV.

Our test 55-inch W95A model compares favorably with this year’s other mid-range mini-LED offerings, though it’s not as expensive or as efficient as quantum dot LED TVs like Samsung’s 4K NEO QLED TV, LG’s QNED TV, or LG’s Bravia 7 TV. Sony Unlike its competitors, I didn’t have to fiddle with the settings as much to get an image that met cinematic expectations. The W95A has the widest range of screen sizes for the company’s US tablets, ranging from 55 inches to 85 inches. —Kyle Barr

The Asus Zenbook S 14 is a good laptop because of the hardware, plenty of ports and lightweight design, not because of the new chip. There is something to be said about the cover material, which feels and looks unique. There is also a new Lunar Lake Intel Core Ultra chip inside. Both of these features are solid, although you have to ignore the noise.

It’s easy to recommend the Zenbook S 14 simply because it offers so many I/O ports and a unique design compared to other 14-inch laptops. It just feels a bit undermined by mediocre performance, even if it’s quite capable for its price. Its design oozes cool, but you’ll need more power to keep up. If I had one suggestion for anyone considering the Asus Zenbook S 14, it would be to choose the slightly more expensive model equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 258V processor and 32 GB of RAM. —Kyle Barr

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are overall excellent headphones that will give you everything you want. The size and weight have been dramatically reduced so that they can be comfortably worn in your ears all day long. The anti-roll bar that rotates for adjustment is by no means a gimmick. Thanks to this, the plugs fit perfectly and adhere to the ears. The navigation is done so intuitively that I start to wonder why more earphone manufacturers don’t take a similar, simple approach, especially when it comes to volume. The sound profile is impressive, with the star of the show being the deep, punchy bass. And the noise cancellation is so strong that you feel transported into a private void. —Dua Rashid

The $300 touch-integrated gaming pad, Freyja (previously called Project Esther), was unveiled earlier this year at CES. Fast forward nine months, and the concept was born thanks to Freyja, named after the Norse goddess of war.

The pillow is equipped with six touch actuators that send tactile sensations to various optimally placed areas on the back and upper legs. Razer has worked with select game developers – 20 so far – to precisely sync touch inputs to their games, and is working to continually expand this list. Of course, this functionality will work with all your titles, but you’ll enjoy perfect sync with titles from Razer’s growing list of collaborations.

In the short hands-on demo I was given, I was amazed by the directionality, strength, and accuracy of touch in Mortal Kombat. No vibration was accidental or unnecessary. Each of them was perfectly synchronized with the events in the game, matching even their most subtle attributes. In some cases they were also omnidirectional, sending sensations traveling through multiple areas of my body. They breathed life into every explosion, shot and step. —Dua Rashid