There’s nothing quite like receiving a new gadget on Christmas Day. While everyone else is busy staring blankly at their new pair of socks, tech enthusiasts instead get to spend the day fiddling with their new toy device.
However, actually buying gifts for gadget lovers can be akin to stepping into a money minefield, with it being difficult to ascertain exactly which products are worth their routinely high price points. We’ve therefore compiled a gallery of the top 10 gifts for tech lovers, accommodating every budget in order to provide a rundown of the very best products available for you to buy this year ahead of the Holiday. Here’s our 2016 gadget gift guide:
Gadget Gift Guide
-
Ninja Coffee Bar
Buy Here.
Price: $199.99
The gift of caffeine is one of the best you can give someone at Christmas, and the Ninja Coffee Bar has all bases covered at a reasonable price.
Whereas most coffee machines boast one area of expertise, this product instead provides an exhaustive list of features that will allow you to create whichever coffee you fancy, with it even stretching to iced coffees in preparation for when the summer comes around again.
-
Anki Cozmo
Buy Here.
Price: $179.99
The Anki Cozmo is arguably the best smart toy of the year, with the cute little robot capable of an incredibly impressive level of artificial intelligence that will gradually increase over time.
Created by Anki in collaboration with both Pixar and DreamWorks animators, the Cozmo is a gadget that combines the adorableness of Wall-E with some of the most remarkable technology featured in a consumer robot thus far. Anki has taken great steps to make Cozmo react convincingly, with it even capable of throwing temper tantrums when it's having an off day. A great gift for both kids and adults who are kids at heart.
-
Star Wars Battle Quads
Buy Here.
There are plenty of drones available for you to buy ahead of the Holiday, but only Propel's Battle Quads are officially licensed by Star Wars.
The Star Wars Battle Quads have different models each based upon the series' most popular spacecraft, with the TIE Advanced X1, Luke Skywalker's Incom T-65, the Millennium Falcon and a Speeder Bike all present and correct. Along with allowing you to fly around and make your local park look like a scene from the original trilogy, the drones are also capable of engaging in combat via their visible light lasers. If you have two of the drones they can shoot at one another, with them safely dropping to the ground if they've been hit. While getting a pair or more of these gadgets will be expensive, if you've got the disposable income then for Star Wars fans little will come close to recreating some of the series' iconic space bottles on a miniature scale.
-
PERI Duo
Buy Here.
Price: £149.99 (with exclusive discount)
PERI's Duo is our favorite phone accessory of 2016, with it serving as both an excellent portable speaker and an external battery that offers up to a whopping 120% extra life.
The Duo teams these two useful functions into one product, with it snapping to your iPhone like a bulky case and connecting via its lightning port. It's only available for recent models of the iPhone thus far, so Android users need not apply, but for everyone else it'll make for an excellent present this Christmas. You can also use the special promo code crave40 at checkout to receive $40 off!
-
Fujifilm Instax Mini 8
Buy Here.
Price: $54.99
Instant cameras are a big hit around the Holiday period, and the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 is one of the most popular options around.
The Instax Mini 8 takes small photos roughly the size of a credit card, complete with the retro white frame. If you've got someone on your Christmas list who fancies themselves an amateur photographer, this is a budget-friendly option.
-
UE Boom 2
Buy Here.
Price: $149.99
The UE Boom 2 improves upon the issues with its predecessor by way of a much-needed boost to its audio quality, and as a result it's become one of the most popular portable speakers of the year.
Boasting a variety of nice, colorful designs, the Boom 2 is remarkably loud for its size, ensuring that whoever you purchase it for will be having the loudest parties in their neighborhood from here on out.
-
Amazon Echo Dot Second Generation
Buy Here.
Price: $39.99
Amazon's personal AI assistant Alexa received a welcome upgrade this year, with the second generation Echo Dot device now improving its ability to hear its users while boasting the same capabilities of other Echo devices at a fraction of the cost.
The Echo Dot is a steal at its current price point, and is the perfect addition to the modern smart home. With it ablility to communicate with your other internet-connected household items, along with perform Alexa skills such as providing you with weather information and sports updates, it's a great gift for those looking to modernize their home.
-
360fly 4K
Buy Now.
Price: $399
For the thrill-seeker in your life, the 360fly 4K action cam will provide 360-degree video footage of their stunts in a stunning, ultra HD resolution.
With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, the 360fly also features an excellent smartphone app that allows you to stream live footage to your smartphone along with editing it before you upload. A great tool for those looking to capture footage on the go, the 360fly may be a little on the pricey side, but it's one of the best action cams out there at the moment.
-
Apple Watch Series 2
Buy Here.
Price: from $269
Many were underwhelmed with the original Apple Watch, but the company made a great deal of improvements with its second crack at the whip which ensured that, in many respects, it was something of a reboot for the product line.
The Series 2 is the best smartwatch out there, with built-in GPS, 48-hour battery life and water resistance all combining to make it much more practical than its predecessor. Complement these additions with a bevy of excellent fitness features, and the Watch Series 2 makes for a great gift for the individual who's always on the move.
-
Microsoft Surface Studio
Buy Here.
Price: From $3,000
Microsoft beat Apple at its own game this year when it debuted the Surface Studio, a clear rival to the Mac series that was also far more inveigling than any of Apple's most recent efforts in this product line.
The Surface Studio is an artist's dream, with its screen able to be easily transformed into a digital canvas thanks to a hinge that even allows its user to lean on it while they use its touchscreen. Then there's its dial which, among other features, allows users to easily erase their work, while its beautifully crisp display makes your work practically pop out from the screen.
