Ah, summertime. Perfect for soaking up the sun at the beach, going on camping trips with your friends, and — if you’re a tech company — announcing and/or releasing a new product. Everyone from Nintendo to Canon has gotten in on the action this summer, be it with a splashy keynote event or a chill product announcement on social media.
Here are the current scheduled product releases/shipping dates as announced by their manufacturers. Will continue to update this list as summer goes on.
Canon G5 X Mark II & G7 X Mark III [August 2 ]
Canon gave us a somewhat of surprise refresh of their two most popular point-and-shoot cameras. The PowerShot G5 X Mark II & G7 X Mark III both use 1″ sensors to get the best quality images yet both can easily be slipped into a pocket. The more advanced of the two, the G5 X Mark II features a new 20.2MP sensor, 4K/30fps video, an f/1.8 aperture, and 5X zoom, all for just of $899. Is this the competitor to finally challenge Sony’s long-reigning king of point-and-shoots, the RX100? We’ll just have to wait and see.
AKG K361 & K371 Studio Headphones [Sept. 10]
Perfect for content creators on the go, AKG’s two new headphones are durable and lightweight. Whether you split your days between working at the office and producing content at home or spend the bulk of your time bouncing from studio to studio, AKG’s K361 and K371 headphones are right for you. They don’t have many bells and whistles but for $99 and $149, these are some of the most affordable and well-designed studio headphones that we’ve seen to date.
[Update: The cheaper K361 have been pushed back to November 4]
Nintendo Switch Lite [Sept. 19 ]
True, the Switch Lite lacks the original Switch’s eponymous feature, but what it lacks in switchability it makes for with portability and a more affordable price of $199. This is a great option for multiple occupancy households that have a Switch as their main console — pick up a Switch Lite and you can game on-the-go without interrupting your friends’ games/media consumption. Preorders for the Switch Lite are open now in yellow, grey and turquoise color options. A special edition Pokemon model will be available on release.
Already released…
Amazon Echo Show 5 [June 26]
Situated between the Amazon Echo Show and Echo Spot, the Echo Show 5 — as its name suggests — features a 5.5″ screen. It competes directly against Google’s Nest Hub and is priced aggressively at $89, only $10 more than the 2nd Gen Amazon Echo. For that price, Echo Show 5 incorporates a 1MP camera, a 4W speaker and a 960×480 screen. A welcomed addition to any Echo equipped smart household.
Bose Headphones 700 [June 30]
Bose’s new flagship over-ear noise-canceling headphones debut a futuristic design and come with a new name as well. Dubbed the Headphones 700, they are much more streamlined and slim looking than the QC35s. The upgrades are more than surface deep though. The Headphones 700 features improved integration with voice assistants, a 20hr battery life, 11 levels of noise cancellation, and the new Bose AR SDK. All these upgrades don’t come cheap though. The Headphones 700 carry a $399 price tag, $50 more than their predecessor.
DJI Ronin-SC Gimbal Stabilizer [July 17]
The DJI Ronin-SC brings many improvements over its predecessor, the Ronin-S. Both smaller and lighter, the SC is designed for small mirrorless cameras under 4.4 lb. Despite its small size, the Ronin-SC packs in an abundance of features, design enhancements, and technology. The gimbal features timelapse, motion lapse and panorama modes as well as Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone for ActiveTrack 3.0 and ForceMobile control. Starting at $439, the Ronin-SC is an enticing product for run-and-gun video creators and filmmakers.