Our expert pricing research can help you snag a brilliant broadband or mobile phone deal this year, potentially saving money on your current deal. We've also tested smart speakers to help you manage your schedule, plus PC monitors that can help you to juggle work tasks.
In the five tips below, we've also included links to popular products based on visits to our reviews over the past six months. Popular doesn't mean flawless, though, so you'll have to check our full reviews to see how each model scores.
Whether you're searching for a security system or an exercise-tracking wearable, help you choose wisely1. Keep fit with a wearable
A fitness tracker or smartwatch can encourage you to move more throughout the day. You can even get them to measure your activity when playing specific sports, helping to better understand your fitness.
All smartwatches and fitness trackers monitor the basics (such as step and distance tracking, and a lot have heart-rate monitoring. Some include pulse oximetry, ECG measurements and a barometer.
However, to achieve your new year goals, you need to know you can rely on the accuracy of these tracking elements. Our rigorous tests have uncovered fitness trackers and smartwatches that provide inconsistent data or vastly under or overestimate the stats. One of the worst products miscalculated step count by a huge 66%.
You don’t need to spend a lot to get a brilliant device, but be careful about going too cheap – you could end up with a device that's unreliable and frustrating to use. You also run the risk of your data not being protected.
For every wearable that we test, we check how easy it is to use and run a range of privacy and security tests to check for vulnerabilities. We've found impressive devices for around £100, plus several Which? Best Buys that cost less than £200.
Popular fitness tracker: Fitbit Luxe
This fitness tracker has a colour AMOLED display and automatically adjusts its brightness based on your environment. The tracker is water-resistant down to 50 metres and Fitbit claims you can wear it for pool and sea swimming. It works with Android 8.0 or later, and iOS 13 or later.
The Fitbit Luxe costs around £100 at the moment, but we've previously seen it drop as low as £79.
See if this fitness tracker is a Which? Best Buy with our .2. Organise your life with a smart speaker
Smart speakers have become an essential household companion for many people, simplifying everything from the mundane to the genuinely helpful.
If you haven't yet tried one for yourself, note that you can use them in lots of different ways. Here's an overview:
Stay in touch with loved ones Sort your sleep schedule Streamline your lifestyleRead our for more tips on how to buy a great voice assistant for your home, and what to do with it.Popular smart speaker: Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
This newest generation of Amazon’s Echo speakers swaps the classic cylindrical shape for a sleek spherical look, and includes upgrades such as a more powerful maximum volume and a built-in smart home hub.
Amazon Alexa speakers are heavily discounted multiple times a year, so we advise against paying full price. This particular model dropped to just £49.99 in the sales last year.
See how this smart speaker scores with our .3. Make your home more secure
Smart tech can offer you peace of mind while you’re out and about, making it easy to ‘drop in’ on your home to check on pets, see if a delivery has arrived, or simply for reassurance. With the help of our expert reviews, you'll spend less time worrying about your home.
Considering shopping for the following if you want to beef up your home security:
A A APopular smart doorbell: Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2
This doorbell has a quick-reply feature that lets you respond to visitors with pre-set messages. It also offers HD video, infrared night vision and two-way talk. The gadget needs to be hardwired into your power supply, but all the installation kit is included in the box. Motion detection doesn’t require a subscription, but storing video clips does.
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is currently available for around £220, but we've seen it on offer for much less – it was on Amazon at £159.99 in December, so you might want to hold off purchasing for now.
For more details, see our .4. Boost your productivity with a new monitor
If you use a computer for work and want to power through your to-do list, we’ve got an easy solution for you – get a second computer screen. An additional monitor can boost your productivity by up to 42%, according to industry body Jon Peddie Research.
Expensive models come with ultra-high-quality displays and audio systems that most of us don’t need. But don’t simply buy the cheapest you can find – you won’t work more productively if you’re having to squint at a poor screen or can’t get it adjusted the way you want it.
Instead, use our expert to pick a Great Value model. You might also be interested in our guide to the .Popular monitor: Philips 243B9
This monitor offers full height adjustment, along with tilt and swivel. It has HDMI, VGA and full-sized USB ports on the side, plus two more full-sized USBs on the bottom.
If your laptop is compatible, you can plug in the USB-C cable to duplicate or extend your picture while also receiving inputs from other kit you have plugged into the monitor, such as a keyboard and mouse.
For more on this PC monitor, explore our .5. Save money on broadband, mobile and more
Although energy costs are set to ease in 2024, getting into the habit of saving on household bills where you can is as good a resolution as any. When dealing with broadband and mobile, we suggest you take action as soon as your current contract ends.
Switchers HagglersIf you're looking to move away from your current deal, be wary of mid-contract price rises as they can add a significant amount to your bill. You might find that reading the small print before you part with your money makes the offer far less appealing.
Our pick for best broadband-only deal: Now Super Fibre
This fibre broadband deal comes with a 12-month contract, allowing you the freedom to explore other options after a year.
We've seen that Now Broadband occasionally raises its prices, though. In July, products increased by £3.50 (social tariffs were exempt from this price adjustment).
Our pick for best medium-data Sim-only deal: iD Mobile (Three network) 50GB of data
With this deal, you get the added benefit of 30GB of EU roaming. Plus, the network's Sim-only contracts remain unaffected by mid-contract price hikes based on inflation.
You can check the renewal price before the end of each month, which means you can switch seamlessly to a better deal without any penalties.
– stay on top of your tech and get unlimited expert 1-2-1 support by phone, email, remote fix and in print.source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/5-ways-tech-can-help-you-with-your-new-years-resolutions-aJADj7e1MYmT