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11 Cool New Gadgets: Pixel 11 Phones, Kanto's Obi3 Turntable and a Fiio Tube Amp

VariousAugust 16, 2026Source: Gear Patrol

Another week down, and, per usual, a bunch of new tech and gadgets have been announced. The challenge for anyone who cares about gear is separating the launches that matter from the noise — and Gear Patrol's weekly roundup does exactly that, collecting 11 of the most interesting new releases and announcements from the past week into a single read. This week's headliners span phones, audio, and the kind of niche hardware that keeps the gadget world interesting.

The biggest announcement of the week came from Google, which introduced four new Pixel smartphones. The Pixel 11 family continues the series' formula of strong cameras, clean software, and increasingly capable AI features, and the multi-model lineup means there is now a Pixel for nearly every budget tier. For everyday-carry enthusiasts, the Pixel line remains one of the most compelling phone choices — the cameras alone make it the natural pick for documenting a new knife, watch, or pocket dump in detail.

On the audio side, Kanto Audio revealed the second generation of its Obi3 turntable, an upgrade to a deck that has become a favorite of design-conscious vinyl listeners. The new version refines the original's minimal aesthetic while improving the components that actually affect sound. Alongside it, Fiio announced its first vacuum tube amplifier — a notable move for a brand better known for affordable digital audio gear, and one that brings the warm sound of tubes to a segment that usually skips them.

The rest of the list runs the usual gamut of gadgetdom: accessories, smart-home gear, and a few genuinely odd entries that justify the roundup's existence. The common thread, as always, is that these are products you might have missed in a week dominated by bigger headlines — which is precisely why the roundup format keeps earning its place in the bookmark bar.

The verdict: if you only read one gadget summary this week, make it this one. The Pixel 11 lineup is the week's biggest story, but the Kanto Obi3 and the Fiio tube amp prove the audio world is where the most interesting releases actually happened — and both are worth a deeper look before you spend money elsewhere.

GooglePixel 11Kanto AudioObi3 turntableFiiotube amplifiergadget roundupnew techaudioEDC techGear Patrol

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