Best Gadgets of the Week: iPhone 5, iPod Touch, Wii U

Sept. 15, 2012 — -- intro: Some of you might be asking yourself: wait, there was more than one gadget launch this week? Are you really sure it wasn't just the iPhone 5?

It's true, the tech headlines this week was dominated by Apple and its launch of its new iPhone and iPods, but there were a few other gadgets to sneak out into the world when you might not have been looking.

Nintendo finally announced pricing of its Wii U and Toys R Us of all places decided to release its own tablet. Click on through to get the details on the top gadgets of the week.

quicklist: 1title: Apple iPhone 5text: It is finally here. Or almost here. On Wednesday, Apple announced the iPhone 5 and it was, well, everything we thought it would be.

The new phone has a 4-inch Retina Display, a faster A6 processor, LTE, an improved 8-megapixel camera, and a brand new thinner and lighter design. But it's not just improved hardware: the phone will run iOS 6, which has Apple's brand new Maps and Passbook apps. Passbook is especially helpful; it puts all your coupons, passes, etc. in one central app.

The phone is up for pre-order now and will be in stores this Friday, Sept. 21. Check out our first impressions of the phone here and our top 5 features round-up. (Apple)

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quicklist: 2title: Apple iPod Touchtext: Along with the iPhone 5, Apple introduced some new iPods, but leading the pack was the new iPod Touch. The new Touch also has a 4-inch display, fast A5 processor, a thinner design, new iSight camera, and a loop to attach it to your bag or jeans.

Running iOS 6, the new iPod Touch also has Siri and Facebook integration. Included in the box are Apple's new EarPod headphones, which were designed to fit better in your ears. Oh, and it comes in six colors now.

The Touch starts at $299 and ships in October. (Apple)

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quicklist: 3title: HP Spectre Onetext: The iPhone 5 and the iPod Touch were Apple's lead products this week, but it's easy to see Apple's influence on HP's new product as well. The Spectre One is a new Windows 8 all-in-one computer from HP with a design that is very reminiscent of Apple's iMac.

The aluminum all-in-one measures just 11.5 millimeters thin, has a 23.6-inch flush glass HD screen, and will be powered by Intel's Core i7 processors as well as Nvidia graphics. Also included a keyboard and a wireless trackpad that looks very similar to Apple's MagicTrackPad.

The Envy Spectre One starts at $1,299 at will ship in November. (HP)

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quicklist: 4title: Nintendo Wii Utext: Nintendo has been showing off its next-generation Wii U console for more than a year now, but this week it finally announced pricing and availability.

The Wii U and its tablet-like GamePad controller will be out on Nov. 18 for $299. The GamePad lets you play a game even when the TV is off.

Nintendo also announced TVii, which will let people watch live programming and streaming video using the system. We got a quick look at the new console this week -- check out our video here. (Nintendo)

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quicklist: 5title: Toys R Us Tabeo text: Just when you thought the 7-inch tablet world couldn't get any more crowded, Toys R Us -- yes, the toy store chain -- announces its own Tabeo 7-inch Kids Tablet.

The tablet, as you would expect, is child-proof with a rubber, removable bumper case that fits around it. Like lots of other tablets it runs Android 4.0, but Toys R Us says this is set apart by the 50 kid-friendly apps that are pre-loaded and the Internet safety controls.

The tablet starts at $149.99, but the Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7 start at $199 and have much nicer specs and access to the same apps. (The new Kindle Fire HD even has its own kids mode.) (Toys R Us)

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