Tech Next: Phones and headsets become lighter and smarter by the day

If you’re looking for headphones for extended use, neckbands might just be the fix you need. Sony brings its legendary noise-cancellation features to its latest neckband. The WI-C600N is ultra-light — just 34 gms and is crafted with an elastic material to improve wearing comfort. These headphones deliver a decent battery life (about 7 hours) despite their light form. The biggest draw of these headphones is noise cancellation. The WI-C600N offers one-push, digital noise cancellation that completely isolates you from the rest of the world. So it’s just you and your music playlist. You can opt to switch to Ambient Sound Mode that allows you to let in the right amount of ambient sound, particularly handy when you’re walking along a busy street. You can toggle between noise cancellation and ambient sound mode with a simple push of a button. One of the thoughtful design touches is the magnetic housing that snaps the earbuds in place and eliminates tangled cords. Tune into Google Assistant or Siri handsfree — these headphones allow you to go completely hands-free while answering calls or plugging into your music playlist. Ultimately headphones are about sound quality. The WI-C600N gets a boost with Sony’s proprietary DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) technology that enhances the sound quality of compressed audio files by restoring high-range sound removed by the compression process. (Rs 10,990).

Honor has added a new, more affordable variant to its 10 Lite set of devices. It’s powered by the same Kirin 710 SoC processor as the other 10 Lite variants with an immersive 6.21-inch Full HD+ display (1080 x 2340 pixels) and a dew-drop notch that pushes the screen: body ratio beyond the 90% threshold. You can choose from Sapphire Blue or Midnight Black colour options. The device runs on Honor’s Custom EMUI 9 along with Android Pie. One of our favourite features of this dual-SIM device is its 3400 mAh battery that is seriously robust (Rs 11,999)

Canon EOS RP: Mirrorless cameras have emerged as a serious alternative to DSLRs. Canon’s lightest Full-Frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens camera is a case in point. The EOS RP weighs under 500 gms and takes on the likes of the Sony A7 Mark 3. The EOS RP is one of the most affordable cameras in Canon’s R Series and will set you back by Rs 1,10,495 for the body (and close to 2 lacs with the 24-105 mm kit lens). It features a 26.2MP CMOS sensor and can shoot 4K UHD Videos. New users can easily navigate through the functions with Feature Assistant while the Creative Assist provides customisable shooting presets and in-camera edit. EOS RP’s compact and light magnesium alloy body is engineered to provide dust and moisture resistance. It’s this lightweight body that makes it more portable and easier to use than conventional DSLR cameras.