Tablets and styluses, and the accessories that go with them.
My new iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) only supports the Apple Pencil Pro, so my old Pencil 2 won't work. Despite just four real differences between them, Apple gives no reason it couldn't support the older pencil, conveniently pushing the upgrade.
After seven years with my iPad Pro 10.5-inch, I upgraded to the iPad Pro 11-inch M4. My brother, a frequent flyer, bought it for me at Changi Airport's iStudio to save the 9% GST, with a guide to terminal prices.
I dropped my Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) tip-first, snapping the tip and leaving part stuck inside. After extracting it, I needed a replacement. Apple's tips come four to a S$28 pack, more than I need.
The Flosku Aluminium Desktop Stand for Apple Pencil is crafted from solid aluminium with an inner silicone fitting to protect the tip. It comes in silver and black, retailing for £25 plus shipping to Singapore.
I bought the 3rd-gen iPad Pro 12.9-inch (Space Grey 256GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular) to test it as a travel laptop replacement, home entertainment device, and weekend blogging machine. I added an Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) for drawing too.
The Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) retails for S$189 in Singapore, or S$176.64 tax-free at the airport once you strip out the 7% GST. It's S$51 dearer than the first-generation Pencil, but pairs only with the latest iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro 10.5-inch is my fourth iPad, after the original (2010), iPad 2, and iPad Air. Nearly four years on, my Air feels sluggish, and its 16GB was always too little, prompting this upgrade.
The Kindle Paperwhite E-reader (2016) retails on Amazon for US$119.99, but it doesn't ship to Singapore directly, so you'll need a freight forwarder. Alternatively, the local SG E-Reader Shop sells it for a reasonable S$209 with free shipping.
With Li Xiang drawing constantly in FiftyThree's Paper app to design our new house, I picked up the FiftyThree Pencil stylus. Launched in November 2013, the Pencil is built to pair with Paper, working far better than an ordinary stylus.
The Apple iPad Pro, a 12.9-inch iPad, is now available for pre-order in Singapore and 39 other countries, with delivery from 13th November 2015. It comes in silver, gold, and space grey, in 32GB and 128GB.
The Microsoft Surface 3 reaches Singapore from 5th May 2015 in two configurations: S$748 for 2GB RAM and 64GB storage, or S$898 for 4GB and 128GB. The younger sibling of the Surface Pro 3, it runs an Intel Atom x7-Z8700.
I'm very impressed with the Dell Venue 8 7000 Series, the most well-built Android tablet I've come across. Its machined aluminium body feels premium at just 6mm thin and 305g, with an 8.4-inch 2560x1600 OLED screen and edge-to-edge infinity bezel.
Xiaomi's Mi Pad goes on sale in Singapore on 10th February 2015 at noon for S$299. Xiaomi didn't state quantities this time, suggesting modest demand. Only the 16GB white is offered here, whereas China gets 16GB or 64GB.
At Slush 2014, Nokia announced the Nokia N1, its first device since selling its Devices & Services business to Microsoft. The N1 is a 7.9-inch tablet with a 2048x1536 IPS panel, running Android 5.0 Lollipop on a 2.3GHz Intel quad-core.
Last Wednesday, Google announced the Nexus 6, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, and Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Nexus 6 runs Lollipop on a 5.96-inch 2560x1440 QHD AMOLED display with a Snapdragon 805. US pre-orders open 29th October 2014, with stores following.
Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 3 last night in New York, touting it as 'the tablet that can replace your laptop'. It packs a 12-inch ClearType HD display, an adjustable kickstand, more power, and an upgraded camera, around 800g.
The Microsoft Surface 2 launched last month, and thanks to Ian, media could buy it at a discount. Retailing at S$618 for 32GB and S$748 for 64GB, I bought the 32GB to complete my tablet family.
The Microsoft Surface 2 goes on sale in Singapore from 13th March 2014 at authorised retailers like Challenger, Harvey Norman, and Newstead. Accessories include the Touch Cover 2, Type Cover 2, and Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition.
Last month, Panasonic introduced the Toughpad FZ-M1, a 7-inch rugged Windows 8.1 Pro tablet powered by an Intel Core i5 vPro. It survives drops up to 150cm and is IP65-rated for water and dust, starting from S$2,600 in March 2014.
The Clasy Screen Protector is the only Nexus 7 protector MobyShop stocks. Clasy is a Korean brand, and the protector itself is Made in Korea. It's cheap, at S$12, with simple packaging containing only the protector and a microfiber cloth.
I bought the 16GB Nexus 7 (2013) from Amazon for just US$199 during Black Friday week, with the 32GB also discounted to US$239. It qualified for free AmazonGlobal Saver shipping to Singapore, so US$199 worked out to roughly S$250.
I bought the Spigen SGP Ultra Crystal Screen Protector for iPad Air from MobyShop for S$36. Spigen's Steinheil line offers two options, the clear Ultra Crystal and matte Ultra Optics. I wouldn't recommend the matte, as it dulls the screen.