What’s most surprising is that, having been unveiled and put on sale, the WiiM Ultra is actually even less than the cheapest option on that list. Can you imagine Apple ever asking what a reasonable price for its latest iPad Pro might be? Us neither. 

You get plenty of streamer for your money, too. The Mac Mini-esque aluminium chassis bears a 3.5in touchscreen, which can be used to just display things like artwork or to control playback and tweak settings, and a physical volume dial, adding a touch of the tactile to your digital music delivery.

There’s Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 inside, with two antennas for solid streaming from Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, AirPlay 2, and Chromecast, but it also has a pre-amp built-in, so you can use the wealth of ports round the back to connect other sources, from turntables to TVs. You get line-in and phono-in, optical and HDMI ARC, but there’s also a subwoofer socket, USB for adding storage, and a 3.5mm output that’s connected to a dedicated headphone amp. 

The WiiM Ultra uses an ES9038 Q2M SABRE DAC, which means hi-res files at up to 192kHz/24-bit are on the playback menu, with tech to automatically tweak the sound based on the sonic characteristics of the room you use it in. 

You get all of this for just £339 – a tenner less than the lowest price proposed by WiiM before launch. Bargain.

• Read more: Spotify Supremium explained – when will the long-awaited hi-res streaming upgrade appear?

While the shape of the Meridian Ellipse might not come as a surprise, then, its audio capabilities might. Despite only being about the size of a shoebox, Meridian has found space inside for a pair of 90mm wide-range drivers and a suitably oval-shaped subwoofer, each with a dedicated chunk of the 80W total amplification.

There’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth onboard, with support for AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify and Tidal Connect, but unusually for a wireless speaker of this size there’s also plenty of ports positioned neatly on the back, including ethernet, USB-C (which enables playback of hi-res tunes at up to 24-bit/192kHz), 3.5mm and, with a little help from a dongle, digital optical. You also get a set of illuminated touch controls on the top, which allow you to stop, start and skip tracks, and adjust the volume, plus there’s a hidden NFC chip for easily pairing your phone.

It all runs on Meridian’s R2 platform, which includes the same signal enhancements found inside its £60,000 DSP9 active floorstanding speakers. If you buy a pair of those you can choose any colour of the rainbow (and pick between matt, satin and gloss finishes), but the Ellipse only comes in black.

Just make sure you don’t look at it from the top, because then you’ll realise it’s actually the shape of a purple Quality Street and Meridian will have to come up with a new name.

The Meridian Ellipse is available to buy now and will set you back a pretty hefty £1900.

• Read more: Best wireless speakers 2024 – music and radio via Wi-Fi

The watch has been created to celebrate Inter Milan’s second star and uses the team’s signature colours: blue and black.

• Best smartwatch: Apple and Android smartwatches reviewed

For those that don’t follow Italian football, in Serie A, a team earns a star to be permanently affixed to its jersey for every 10 titles won. Inter Milan, after an excellent season and with five matches still to be played, became Italian Champions, winning their 20th Scudetto and earning their Second Star. 

The dial features the logo of Inter at six o’clock, along with the two stars they’ve earned, printed in gilt.

An ombré gradient pattern, fading from blue in the centre to black in the periphery, adds a striking visual effect to this exclusive dial.

In terms of the case and bracelet, you’re getting the standard Black Bay 58 – an excellent 39mm steel case which is water resistant to 200 metres.

Inside is the Manufacture Calibre MT5402 (COSC), a self-winding mechanical movement with a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.

This new Black Bay 58 will be proudly worn by the players of Inter Milan and is limited to 1908 numbered pieces. It will be available at the Tudor Boutique in Milan and Rome as well as all Tudor points of sale throughout Italy.

If you’re in the UK and want to get your hands on one of these watches, you should contact your local Tudor retailer as an undisclosed number has been allocated to the UK market.

If you prefer cycling to football, then I suggest you check out the Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono Cycling Edition – a high-performance watch with a carbon composite case.

• Read more: Best outdoor security camera 2024: wireless cams for home

While we didn’t review Ezviz’s original C8C security camera ourselves, the online consensus seems to be that it struggled with close-up details. Now, the C8C offers 3K resolution, which is quite the upgrade from the old 2MP model. This means clearer, sharper images that’ll help you spot the smallest details. Whether it’s that stray cat that’s knocking over your bins or the postie sneaking around your garden. In fact, Ezviz reckons the camera can identify a car’s number plate – it can catch those zoomed in details.

Now, this camera doesn’t just sit there looking pretty. It offers 360° panoramic coverage and AI-powered detection. The AI smarts can distinguish between humans and vehicles, so no more false alarms. When it spots someone, it auto-zooms to keep track of their every move. It has night vision, but not just any night vision. This is full-colour night vision up to 20 metres and black-and-white up to 30 metres. This means you’ll get clear, vivid images even in the dead of night. And if an intruder dares to come close, the C8C 5MP will set off a siren and flash its spotlights to send them scurrying.

Control is a breeze with the Ezviz app. You can see, hear, and talk to anyone who wanders into view thanks to the two-way talk feature. Plus, you can manoeuvre this pan and tilt security camera to cover every nook and cranny of your property and set up to 12 customisable detection zones. This camera is built to withstand the elements, with a durable, weather-proof design. Whether it’s rain, snow, or the blistering sun, the C8C won’t bat an eyelid.

Dual antennas ensure a solid Wi-Fi connection, offering up to 220m coverage. Prefer to go wired? It’s got that option too. Storing footage is flexible – go for a local SD card up to 512GB to avoid subscription fees, or opt for Ezviz’s cloud option. And because we all love a bit of voice control, it’s compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can tell your smart assistant to show you the feed or turn off motion detection when you get home.

Fancy sticking this outdoor pan and tilt security camera on your gaff? The new Ezviz C8C is available on Amazon for £85. But it’s currently discounted to £70 for the launch. Considering the tech and features packed into this camera, it’s a steal.

• Related: Best smart home devices 2024: time to upgrade your home

• Read more: Best lightweight laptop 2024: for work, gaming, and streaming

The Galaxy Book 4 Edge features Samsung’s own Galaxy AI and Microsoft’s Copilot smarts for double the fun. Galaxy AI learns from your usage patterns over time, boosting productivity and creating personal AI experiences. Link to Windows lets you experience Galaxy AI features on a larger screen, making it easier to work across devices. Plus, the Copilot+ PC adds extra Windows features, from searching for documents with Recall to running video calls with Live Translate.

When it comes to performance, the Galaxy Book 4 Edge is a beast. Powered by the Snapdragon X Elite processor with its 12-core Qualcomm Oryon CPU and Adreno GPU, this laptop can handle just about everything. There’s a dedicated Copilot key for you to activate AI capabilities with a single keystroke. Meanwhile, all-day battery life and super-fast charging ensure you stay productive on the go. With video playback time of up to 22 hours, you can binge-watch your favourite series without reaching for the charger.

Samsung’s Galaxy Book 4 Edge is also a creator’s dream. With Microsoft’s Paint Cocreator, you can turn sketches and text into fine art. The anti-reflective AMOLED display ensures that your visuals are stunning, whether you’re indoors or out. The touchscreen and adaptive 120Hz refresh rate provide a seamless and immersive experience. Auto Super Resolution upscales game graphics in real-time, ensuring you never compromise on visual quality.

Security is top-notch with Samsung Knox and Microsoft’s Secured-core PC integration. This multi-layer security platform safeguards your data with secure hardware, real-time threat detection, and collaborative protection. On-device AI keeps your data local, enhancing privacy while maintaining functionality. Device Privacy Settings give you control over your device and AI safeguards, ensuring you can trust your PC with sensitive information.

The Galaxy Book4 Edge is available to pre-order directly from Samsung and third-party retailers. The 14-inch model starts at $1349/£1399, while the 16-inch models start at $1449/£1499.

• Related: Microsoft’s latest Surface Laptops pack AI to try and dethrone the MacBook

• Read more: Best lightweight laptop 2024: for work, gaming, and streaming

The Yoga Slim 7x wants to be the go-to machine for creators on the move. Thanks to the Snapdragon X Elite processor, this laptop contains a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU that pumps out a staggering 45 TOPS. That’s a lot of horsepower for these new AI features. The onboard AI can handle everything from text-to-image creation to advanced photo and video editing. The battery can keep going for days with its 70Wh capacity. This machine is all about portability without compromising on power, weighing in at just 1.28kg and 12.9mm thin.

Lenovo’s Yoga Slim 7x sports a dazzling 14.5-inch 3K 90Hz OLED touch panel that hits a peak brightness of 1000 nits. With support for both 100% sRGB and P3 colour gamuts, this display promises vibrant, true-to-life colours. Plus, it’s TÜV Rheinland certified for low blue light, so you can work longer without straining your eyes. The audio experience is equally impressive with Lenovo Premium Suite’s four-speaker system delivering crisp, clear sound.

Now, shifting gears to the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6, Lenovo’s new powerhouse for business users. This model also packs the Snapdragon X Elite processor with its 12-core Qualcomm Oryon CPU and Adreno GPU. The integrated NPU brings high-level AI capabilities right to your fingertips. It enhances productivity with features like Recall for easy document retrieval and Copilot+ for AI-assisted tasks.

The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is designed with professionals in mind. It features a 14-inch display available in various configurations, including a WUXGA IPS panel and a stunning 2.8K OLED option. The communication bar houses an FHD+IR MIPI camera with a physical shutter for added privacy. Connectivity options are robust with Wi-Fi 7 and optional 5G capabilities. The 58Wh battery promises multi-day usage, making it perfect for long business trips.

Fancy a new AI machine for your creative needs? The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x will be available from June with a starting price of $1199. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 will also be available from June, with a starting price of $1699. Both models will be up for pre-order soon directly from Lenovo.

• Related: Microsoft’s latest Surface Laptops pack AI to try and dethrone the MacBook

The headphones are, for the most part, standard premium Bluetooth 5.4 active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones with spatial audio.

They’re not unmistakably Sonos, but they are nice and subtle and very well thought out with up to 30 hours of battery life on board and a three-hour life available after a three-minute quick charge.

As usual with Sonos gear, they’re available in white and black. You can switch between transparency, ANC and Aware Mode easily.

However, they do have one killer feature called TV Audio Swap – and that’s the ability to switch audio from your soundbar to the headphones with a single press of the so-called Content Key, which is a volume slider and play/pause/answer/end call button.

This will work with Sonos Arc initially, but Sonos were clear that support would come to all current-generation soundbars over the coming months, even the base-level Ray.

Sonos confirmed to Stuff that this feature works using Wi-Fi, although Sonos is clear in its materials not to state that the headphones use Wi-Fi. Presumably, this is to avoid confusion that Sonos Ace can connect to other Sonos products like speakers and fully integrate with a Sonos system – because it can’t.

That could be seen as a disadvantage, but clearly was too difficult to achieve. However, we’d like to see the ability to swap content from other Sonos speakers.

Another technology is called TrueCinema. It’s coming later this year and is, essentially, TruePlay for these headphones. It optimises sound for your living space for a “hyperrealistic listening experience” says the company.

Sonos Ace does support lossless audio if you are using them wirelessly with a Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound-compatible device using aptX Lossless. However, those devices remain thin on the ground so much more likely is you can cable them up via USB-C if you’re concerned about having lossless audio.

The headphones use custom 40mm drivers, have wear detection so they pause when you remove them and you can customise the EQ in the app. The spatial audio – from supported services like Apple Music – is powered by Dolby Atmos tech. Comfort has also been paid particular attention to, especially with two different types of foam in the headband.

We’re expecting our Sonos Ace review sample to appear soon and we’ll bring you a full review just as soon as we’re able.

AI is being used by many of these PC makers as a marketing term but there’s more than an element of truth to their AI capabilities.

As with other Copilot+ models, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips are at the heart of the range, with ARM-based processing similar to Apple’s M Series chips and the chips inside your smartphone.

These include massively improved AI capabilities in terms of the neural processing – capable of up to 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS).

Both laptops have up to 26 hours of battery life (up to 22 hours of streaming) and are mega speedy – HP says that large files open twice as fast.

The HP EliteBook Ultra is also available in a blue finish with a smudge-resistant Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coating.

One side effect of HP’s new line-up is that it has simplified things for end-users in terms of what they should be buying. Of course it’s still complicated, but now consumers can choose from three different strands – OmniBook for laptops, OmniStudio for all-in-ones and OmniDesk for – you guessed it – desktops. And they have numbers, 3, 5 and 7 depending how premium they are. The top models have X and U suffixes – hence the X suffix on the HP OmniBook X AI PC.

The HP OmniBook X AI PC is available for pre-order for a starting price of $1,199.99/£1,199 with 1TB of storage. The HP EliteBook Ultra AI PC is available for pre-order for a starting price of $1,699.99/£1,200. Both will begin shipping on 18 June.

• Read more: Best lightweight laptop 2024: for work, gaming, and streaming

At the core of the Swift 14 AI is the new Snapdragon X Series platform. It’s Qualcomm’s Arm-based processor that wants to rival Apple’s silicon performance on Macs. This chipset comes with an NPU that dishes out an impressive 45 TOPS. That means this laptop is geared for some serious AI muscle – handling everything from mundane tasks to complex workloads with ease.

The Swift 14 AI’s design doesn’t just talk the talk. It walks the walk with a sleek aluminium chassis that screams modern elegance. Weighing in at 1.36kg and 15.9mm thin, it’s built for both style and substance – you won’t break a sweat carrying it around all day. And speaking of all day, the battery life promises to keep you powered for a full day without hunting for an outlet. Connectivity? It’s sorted. The Swift 14 AI comes packed with ports from USB-C to USB 3.2. Plus, you get the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

On the visual front, Acer’s new baby sports a 14.5-inch WQXGA IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Add in a 1440p QHD IR webcam with a triple microphone array, and your video calls are set to be crystal clear. TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe Certification ensures your peepers are protected during those long screen sessions.

The Swift 14 AI doesn’t just look good, it’s got the smarts to back it up. You get features like Recall for easy document and app retrieval, Live Captions for real-time translations, and Cocreator for AI-generated content. Windows Studio Effects take your video calls to the next level with improved lighting and noise cancellation. Plus, Auto Super Resolution ensures your gaming visuals are always top-notch. The Swift 14 AI supports Windows Hello for quick and secure logins using facial recognition, and the AcerSense app offers a suite of AI features and device management tools.

Fancy this new lightweight, MacBook-rivalling AI laptop? The Acer Swift 14 AI will set you back $1099/£1199/€1499, and will be available from July. You can pre-order it directly from Acer or from Currys in the UKta.

• Related: Microsoft’s latest Surface Laptops pack AI to try and dethrone the MacBook

Less than 15mm thick and weighing just 1.42kg, the Vivobook S 15 sounds impressively portable for a 15.6in laptop. It should be rather potent, too, with a Snapdragon X Elite system-on-chip running the show. It’s made up of a multi-core Oryon CPU, Adreno graphics, and Hegagon neural processor good for 45 TOPS (Tera Operations per Second), which Qualcomm reckons could give a MacBook Air M3 a run for its money. Early benchmarks certainly show that to be the case, too.

AI workloads include Asus’ bespoke StoryCube app, which uses artificial intelligence to sort your digital camera’s RAW files. Expect Live Caption real-time subtitles for video calls, and a presence-detecting webcam that can dim the screen when you look away, or lock the laptop automatically when you walk away for a minute – then unlock it again once you’re back.

Asus has several models planned, with up to 1TB of SSD storage and as much as 32GB of RAM. Battery life is pegged at 18 hours, or more than enough to get through a working day without bringing the power adaptor along with you.

There’s been no skimping on connectivity, with two USB4 ports, two USB 3.2 Type-As, a full-size HDMI 2.1 out, 3.5mm combo port and a microSD card slot. Naturally there’s Wi-Fi 7 on-board, too.

The screen will surely be the star, with a 3K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Asus’ OLED panels are some of the best around in the laptop world, so I’m expecting wonderfully vibrant colours and ample brightness to boot. Audio comes courtesy of a Dolby Atmos-approved, Harmon Kardon-tuned speaker setup.

The Asus Vivobook S 15 is set to go on sale from June 18th onwards. There’s no official word on pricing just yet.

• Read more: Microsoft’s latest Surface Laptops pack AI to try and dethrone the MacBook