Happy New Year! 2022 is here — and a new year brings new possibilities, new opportunities, along with new demands. Though with COVID-19’s Omicron variant wreaking havoc around the world and about to kickstart a third wave in India, maybe the best thing we can hope for is to stay safe inside our homes. Once again. Everything old is new again — and that also applies to our list. The staff at Gadgets 360 has a few ideas of new gadgets they would like to own in 2022. And there are overlaps with those from last year. iPhone and next-gen gaming consoles are the most recurring items, except folks are jumping forward a model with the former, from iPhone 12 to iPhone 13. They are followed by laptops, monitors, and smart TV devices.
What gadgets do you have on your new year’s wishlist? Tell us on Twitter @Gadgets360 or in the comments section below.
Abhinav Lal, VR headset
I’ve been saying this for the past two years, but it still holds true — since I haven’t bought one yet. The only gadget on my wishlist this year is a VR headset. And once again, I’ve no idea when I’m going to take the plunge, or which model I’m going to buy. What’s life without a little mystery?
Aditya Nath Jha, MacBook Pro 16-inch M1 Max
I have been a MacBook owner ever since I got serious about my online work. Time saved is money earned, I learned this the hard way over the past few years. Having the absolute best machine to work on certainly helps as it saves minutes and sometimes even hours from your tasks, when you consider the accumulated time over a long period.
I currently use a MacBook Air M1. But as I keep using it further, I have realised I need a bigger screen and a better speaker experience if I am going to use a laptop as my primary work machine. The 16-inch MacBook Pro model which was launched last year with the top-of-the-line M1 Max chip is something that screamed business to me the moment I saw it first in Apple’s presentation.
For sure my current laptop is great, but the smaller screen can be straining at times. It might be tough to buy the 16-inch MacBook Pro in the foreseeable future but if Apple decides on any price cuts or promo offers, then I might dive in one more time.
Buy: MacBook Pro 16-inch M1 Max
Aditya Shenoy and David Delima, MacBook Air M1
Aditya: MacBook Air has been my primary machine for the past four years and it has been super productive. I really appreciate the compact form factor bundled with the excellent battery life and capable performance. And with the new MacBook Air M1, Apple has really improved the performance. It’s still compact, and thanks to the new processor, has become more powerful and efficient. I think the MacBook Air M1 is just the perfect replacement for my 2017 MacBook Air. Though I will only do it if there are good discounts in 2022.
David: The M1 MacBook Air was the first time I was excited about an ARM-based laptop, and that’s because developers began to start taking ARM computers seriously. Well, that, and the ridiculous battery life and performance they offer. Apple’s build quality is already excellent, and these laptops should enjoy software support for years. Seeing the improvements Apple brought with its M1 Pro and M1 Max processors last year, I’m very inclined to wait and see whether the company comes out with an updated MacBook Air this year — M2 maybe? — and that’s why I haven’t yet bought an M1 model.
Read: MacBook Air M1 review
Buy: MacBook Air M1
Akhil Arora and Sheldon Pinto, Xbox Series X
After drooling over the launch of the Xbox Series X in 2020, it was obvious that any red-blooded Xbox gamer would want to upgrade their console to the latest one. But since we both have the “privilege” to ponder over our console upgrades as things (amidst the chip shortage) and the fact that we both already have the Xbox One X — the souped-up cousin to the Xbox One and hence, designed to last longer — we have yet to commit.
After the initial hype died out, Sheldon realised that he really did not need one, because he wasn’t into 4K gaming and only played a limited number of games. He does not own a 4K TV either and does not plan on upgrading to a new one anytime soon. So, even though the Series X is on his wishlist, he’s still undecided about getting one in 2022, unless his One X breaks down.
The only reason Sheldon might jump is the biggest reason to upgrade with Xbox Series S/X: their internal SSDs, which gets rid of those annoyingly long game load times. For Akhil, meanwhile, who does already have a 4K TV, it’s the fact that the One X cannot run games at true 4K or 60fps any longer. This started happening with the latest titles in 2021 and will only exacerbate going forward. Honestly, Akhil just wants to play Forza Horizon 5 at its best.
On top of all that, Akhil is worried about developers ditching the Xbox One generation in 2022. Several game developers have already announced that their next title will only be coming to next-gen consoles. In most cases, Akhil is fine with that for he already has a PlayStation 5, but if some Xbox exclusives he is looking forward to join that queue, the desire to own a Series X will suddenly shoot up.
Read: Xbox Series X review
Buy: Xbox Series X, if you can
Cyrus John and Shayak Majumder, PlayStation 5
Shayak: On my 2021 Gadgets Wishlist, the starry-eyed gamer in me couldn’t wait to get his hands on the next-gen Holy Grail of gaming: PlayStation 5. Little did I know back then that my chances of finding the actual Holy Grail could have been greater than being able to purchase a PS5.
If you also tried to grab a PS5 during one of the many flash sales, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Due to the overall global chip shortage which has impacted production and supply of everything from credit cards to electric vehicles, Sony too appears to be finding it hard to produce as many PS5 consoles as it’d like. It did manage to sell 13.4 million units as of October, but the console is still not as widely available in the markets as much as one may hope.
Cyrus: True, acquiring the Sony PlayStation 5 has been nothing less than a treasure hunt for me last year. As much as Uncharted’s Nathan Drake has been victorious in all his adventures, I can’t say the same about my little ‘adventure’ of buying a PS5 in 2021. Be it online or offline, every attempt of mine to book one has been in vain as for some reason the console went out of stock even before I could say PlayStation. I did try to bribe a friend in the US to grab one for me, but COVID has wreaked havoc yet again and getting out and buying one has been a challenge there as well. Alas, I hope 2022 is more kind in terms of PS5 availability.
Shayak: For me, the PS5 is still one of the most exciting pieces of gaming hardware. It looks great, the DualSense controller is quite path-breaking in terms of immersion thanks to its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, and the PlayStation game library is slowly getting populated with more next-gen titles every month. With an Xbox Game Pass-like subscription service being planned for PlayStation consoles, things are looking pretty great. If you manage to get one, of course.
Cyrus: Undoubtedly, the PS5 has set a new benchmark for avid gamers across the globe and even I want a taste of some of that action. What I am really looking forward to is the changes that they have brought about in the new DualSense controller with the adaptive triggers and how certain games have been customised for gamers to get a true sense of what really the controller can offer. Not to mention I have always been a fan of PlayStation exclusives and am looking forward to playing the new God of War: Ragnarök and Horizon Forbidden West.
Shayak: Our adroit Entertainment Editor Akhil Arora did manage to score a PS5 in 2021, that too through one of the blink-and-miss flash sales, making us greener with envy than Loki’s flowing robe. I sure hope to show off my shiny new console soon.
Cyrus: Colour me a bit jealous but when I learned that Akhil had managed to get his hands on a PS5, I was tempted to ask him whether he’s made some kind of a deal with the devil for Sony’s shiny and elusive console. No shame in acknowledging that Akhil managed to win this race, but I’ll be sending him a selfie hugging a brand new PS5 and maybe with a funky new skin pretty soon!
Read: PlayStation 5 Review
Buy: PlayStation 5
Ali Pardiwala, Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen)
From being quite pro-Android a few years ago, I finally switched to an iPhone in 2021. I also have various other Apple products that play well within the ecosystem, all suitably supported by the Apple One subscription. The one product I’m missing, though, is the Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen), and 2022 will hopefully be when I add this to my Apple gadget collection.
Although there are plenty of affordable streaming devices — including the excellent Amazon Fire TV Stick which is on my colleague Yousuf’s wishlist below — the Apple TV 4K is widely considered the best of its kind when it comes to user interface, streaming performance, and the quality of the overall experience. Somewhat justifying the high price. It works quite well with Apple’s own apps, particularly Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade, and support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos ensures that I have everything I need to get the best out of the televisions I review for Gadgets 360.
Yousuf Jawed, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
I have been using the non-4K Fire TV stick as my streaming device for the past few years. My setup is very frugal in a way, I have connected it with my 4K PC monitor. It’s why I’ve been thinking of upgrading to the 4K Fire TV Stick so I can make use of each pixel available at my disposal. Additionally, I can watch all the 4K content available via different streaming platform in my subscriptions. Hopefully the Fire TV Stick 4K will move from wishlist to cart this year.
Read: Fire TV Stick 4K review
Jagmeet Singh, iPhone 14
Unlike last year when I was looking to go for a high-tech workstation setup instead of looking at a phone upgrade, I am now convinced that I want to switch to a new phone. There are a couple of reasons for the move.
Firstly, I have been using iPhone X for nearly three years now, and though it still looks mint from outside, I can notice some lag when multitasking. Secondly, the battery life that I am getting from my iPhone has started to deteriorate and went down to almost half a day. I had some thoughts of picking iPhone 13 or iPhone 12 during the past Diwali sale — thanks to the enticing discounts that online marketplaces including Amazon and Flipkart offered. But then, the iterative nature of those phones didn’t convince me. Therefore, I decided to wait for iPhone 14.
The rumour mill suggests that the 2022 iPhone model will carry a different design from what we have on iPhone 13 and its predecessors. This is one of the prime reasons why I don’t want to go for the existing models and can wait for the 2022 offering. We can also expect some major hardware-level improvements coming this year, including improved cameras and low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED displays across all models. If Apple could introduce these improvements without increasing the pricing, I think iPhone 14 could bring more value over iPhone 13. Otherwise, I may end up picking iPhone 13 as it may get some price drop as well and become a value-for-money upgrade for people like me — who are using the 2017 model.
Harpreet Singh and Nithya P Nair, iPhone 13 Pro
Harpreet: I’ve been using an iPhone XR for a while now. While I still love its battery life compared to my previous phone, I think I’m ready for an upgrade. iPhone 13 Pro might sound like an overkill, but with a decent Diwali discount (of course I’m not in a hurry), I think I might be able to justify the purchase. iPhone 13 Pro sounds good enough to last another five years or so.
Nithya: I had been waiting for the launch of iPhone 13 Pro from 2020 itself. When it went live in 2021, I couldn’t purchase it since I had made enough tech purchases for the year at that time, including Realme Pad and Samsung Galaxy M31s. For people like me who own older iPhone models, particularly iPhone SE, iPhone 13 Pro brings a lot of new capabilities to the table
Performance and battery life aside, iPhone 13 Pro features a high-refresh-rate display, IP rating, macro and telephoto cameras, 5G support, more storage, and the premium design as well. iPhone 13 Pro will also let me to use two eSIMs together. That said, I find the current price to be a little high, so I might take a leaf out of Harpreet’s book and just wait for some good offers on ecommerce sites to grab it in 2022.
Read: iPhone 13 Pro review
Buy: iPhone 13 Pro
Jasmin Jose, iPhone 13
I just revisited the Gadgets 360 staff wishlist for 2021 and I’d listed the same thing there too. I’m honestly not disappointed that I couldn’t buy an iPhone 13 last year because I had my fair share of awesome tech purchases for the year.
Then again, I do want an iPhone 13 particularly because, as I’d mentioned a year ago, I’m just a bit extra fond of the number 13. The iPhone 13 review by Jamshed also perks up my desire of having one. So, I will probably be looking to buy an iPhone 13 in 2022. Hopefully, the prices will go down too, fingers crossed!.
Buy: iPhone 13
Robin John, Samsung Odyssey G7 monitor
Having used the MSI MAG241C monitor for more than a year, I feel like it’s time for an upgrade — or rather, it’s time for a dual monitor setup that I can use while editing videos and also during my gaming sessions. Samsung Odyssey G7 is something I feel can provide great value for money with its 27-inch WQHD (2,560×1,440 pixels) display that also supports HDR600. The display offer 125 percent sRGB and 95 percent DCI-P3 coverage — in layman terms, that means the colours on this panel should be decent, which will be helpful for editing videos. The 240Hz panel will ensure my gaming sessions on Apex Legends, Counter-Strike, and Valorant will be free of rage quits. Or so I hope (LOL).
As for design, it looks like a spaceship of some sort and could go really well with my setup. It also has support for a VESA mount so I could probably just line it up with my previous monitor which has a 1500R curved panel. The G7 with its 1000R panel might look good side-by-side. The only thing keeping me away from hitting the buy button is that hefty price tag at nearly Rs. 50,000. So, I’m hoping a huge price cut is in line. If not, I’d have to go with the LG27GL850, which seems to be a better deal though its design is kind of generic.
Buy: Samsung Odyssey G7
Siddhant Chandra, Samsung Odyssey G5 monitor
I have spent 2021 upgrading my gaming setup but am still stuck with a 60Hz monitor. The Samsung Odyssey G5 gaming monitor is the final piece of the puzzle for me. It is moderately priced for a 27-inch monitor with WQHD (2,560×1,440 pixels) resolution. Its 144Hz refresh rate and 1-millisecond response time are certain to deliver the competitive edge that I seek during my daily Counter-Strike sessions. The fact that it supports AMD Freesync is a bonus for me as my system packs a Radeon RX 570 graphics card which will certainly help me with demanding titles. Additionally, its stylised bezel accents would amplify the look of my gaming setup.
Buy: Samsung Odyssey G5
Roydon Cerejo, Apple One
I’ve been on the fence about getting an Apple One subscription, but I might just finally bite the bullet in 2022. Ever since Google Photos discontinued its unlimited backup for ‘high-quality’ photos, I’ve been looking for an alternative. Apple One is ideal for me since it’s the most value-for-money subscription for an iPhone user. Not only does it offer 50GB of cloud storage on the base plan, but you also get access to Apple Arcade, Apple Music, and Apple TV+ without having to pay for these services individually. Apple devices can be absurdly expensive, especially in India, but some of its subscription services like Apple One are just terrific value.
Buy: Apple One
