It’s that time of year again, all the shops have their Christmas stock and the TV is full of Christmas ads. Some of the hardest gifts to buy are for tech lovers, mainly because of how expensive they can be and certain tech that’s in it’s infancy can have issues. The last thing you want on Christmas morning is to unwrap a new laptop and for it not to work. We’ve done the hard work for you and picked the 10 best tech gifts available in the shops right now.
1. Google Home
For the second year running the Google Home range of products are too good not to mention, once again. Place it anywhere in your home and just say “OK Google, what’s the weather going to be like today?” and Google home will talk back to you giving you the answer. It also has built in speakers so you can ask Google to play your favourite song, or set a reminder which will also sync to your mobile phone. There is also the budget version, Google Home Mini, a premium Google Home Max for superior sound quality, and new this year Google Home Hub which features a touch screen display on top of the speaker.
2. Polaroid instant camera
This isn’t something we’d expect to be writing in 2018, but Polaroid cameras are back! They have released a brand new range of instant cameras. In a time full of instant filters, digital backups and the option to pick the best photo on a smartphone there is something quite satisfying about having to get the picture right the first time with a Polaroid. It also has the added novelty of getting an actual print out of the photo straight away. They add more of an experience to taking a photo and are the must have camera this Christmas.
3. Google Pixel 3
The Pixel 3 is the latest smartphone offering from Google and in almost every review when being compared to the latest iPhone it has won. It boasts features like touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels x 2160 pixels at a PPI of 443 pixels per inch, 64GB of internal storage, 12.2-megapixel primary camera, 8-megapixel selfie camera, fingerprint sensor to unlock, supports wireless charging and it is also waterproof. It is available in standard Pixel 3 (5.5 inch screen), or XL (6 inch screen) with a choice of 3 colours: Just Black, Very White and new this year is an off pink colour that’s been ironically called “Not Pink”. If we were buying a new mobile phone for someone this Christmas this is the one we would pick.
4. GoPro
GoPro’s are by far the best portable action cameras available. They offer a wide variety of cameras from the budget Hero 7 White with slightly less image quality up to the Hero 7 Black. The Hero 7 Black features 4K HD filming, hyper-smooth video stabilisation to get steady shots even if attached to something bumpy like a bike, slow-mo video, time lapse video, voice control, GPS, and auto upload which syncs videos and pictures straight to your phone. GoPro’s are fairly well know for being waterproof too, so you can get clear videos underwater while scuba diving in the great barrier reef if that’s your sort of thing. As they are fairly small you can stick them onto a car or even a bike helmet to capture the best angles. So good that they are even used to shoot action shots in TV shows and movies. A great Christmas present for the adventurous types who loves the outdoors and want to capture it in its best.
5. Google Chromecast
The Google Chromecast can turn any TV into a smart TV. Just plug it in to the TV and after a short set up you can cast away to your hearts content. Using your mobile you can cast things from your favourite apps on to your TV like YouTube, Movies, Music and more. If you have a Google Home device or the Google Assistant on your mobile you can also use voice commands to pause, play and change the volume. More and more apps are becoming compatible with Chromecast so it is an ever evolving product. It also casts to your TV in HD for the best quality picture. It’s a great present for watching Christmas movies on this year.
6. Tile
This also featured on our list last year but again it is too good not to miss off. Tile is one of the most simple, but useful pieces of tech you could ever buy for a clumsy loved one who is always losing things. Tile is a tiny Bluetooth tracker and easy-to-use app that finds your phone, keys, and anything you don’t want to lose-in seconds. Simply attach to an item and locate it by seeing its last known location on your smartphone using an app. It works round the other way too, simply press a button on Tile to make your lost phone ring even when it’s on silent.
7. Chromebooks
Chromebooks are one of the best budget laptops money can buy. They are a lot cheaper than things like Apple MacBooks but if you are just looking for basic laptop features like browsing, creating documents, watching YouTube and more, then they are perfect. Yes, they might not have a massive storage drive, but anything you save on a Chromebook will be stored on the Google Drive cloud, so you don’t need all that storage anyway. Some versions like the Acer Chromebook are 2-in-1 meaning they can turn from a laptop into a tablet by simply folding away the keyboard and using the touchscreen instead. They also have anti virus software built in to protect you when browsing the internet. The perfect present for any member of the family.
8. Phone case
By far the cheapest thing on our list but a great present to buy someone for Christmas. There are lots and lots of companies selling phone cases, with different colours, designs and shapes available. But our favourite has got to be personalised picture phone cases so you can have a family picture with you all of the time. We’d much prefer a picture of our dogs on a phone case though 😉
9. Camera lens for smartphones
Sometimes smartphone cameras can’t quite cut the mustard when trying to take the perfect picture. Smartphone camera lenses are a a great Christmas present for anyone into photography, and come in different types like zoom, wide angle and macro lenses.
10. Portable charger
It’s all well and good having the latest tech and high quality cameras built in to smartphones, but all these features can cause your battery to run out quickly and there’s nothing worse than running out of battery when on the move. That’s where portable power banks come to the rescue. There are a wide range of different products for all budgets and the best of them can charge-up multiple devices simultaniously, and can charge your smartphone more than once before the power bank needs recharging itself.
Thanks for reading our latest blog post, we hope that you find the best presents for your loved ones and have a great Christmas!
