Christmas is here! As we come to the end of 2021, it’s once again time for some festive fun, and you know what that means - gifts!
Tech gifts are a great idea for gadget fans of all ages - and even for people who aren’t very techy themselves. But sometimes getting the right gadget gift can be tricky. You need to know what’s new, which products your loved ones don’t already have, what will bring a smile to everyone’s face and what’s actually useful.
From smartphones to games consoles, headphones to smartwatches and all sorts of other tech treats, the electronics world has an ever-growing selection of must-have products. With so much choice out there, sifting through the infinite shelves of cyberspace might seem a bit daunting - don’t fret, we’ve done the hunting for you!
Just take a scroll through this guide and you’ll find a host of tech that’ll make great gifts for people of all ages.
iPhone 13 - from £27 per month
First up, we’ll start with our favourite smartphone of the year - Apple’s iPhone 13. Gift this smartphone to a loved one and they’ll probably be smiling for the whole year. With an industry-leading camera, stunning screen, all-day battery life, Apple’s trademark design and a range of colours to choose from, this one might be a better shout for a gift to yourself.
Apple AirTags - £84.99
These handy location-tracking devices for your personal items can hook on to anything you can think of - keys, purse, bag, wallet or whatever else you can’t risk misplacing. You'll always know where the item is by checking its location on your phone. If you know someone who’s always losing their keys, this is the gift for them.
Theragun PRO - £549
Life can be stressful every now and then. Sometimes you just want to unwind and relax, ideally with a soothing massage. Well, if a masseuse is hard to come by, this is the next best thing - the Theragun Pro. Billed as a “percussive therapy device”, it pounds and soothes your muscles in the manner of a genuine soft-tissue massage, leaving you in a state of muscular bliss.
Sonos Roam - £262
Famed for its audio-brilliance, Sonos has been a big name in the speaker world for years. Now, they’ve answered everyone’s calls by delivering a truly exceptional portable speaker - the Sonos Roam. Exceptional sound from a device no bigger than a bottle of Coke, the Sonos Roam is a versatile speaker that you can not only rely on for music on the move, but you can also just slot it into your existing Sonos home setup.
Bose QuietComfort 45 - £319
Sticking to the audio theme, if you’d rather focus on the music and block the world out at the same time, these Bose noise-cancelling QuietComfort 45’s are some of the best headphones on the market. With improved sound and a longer lasting battery, these headphones are the perfect gift for the audiophile in your life.
Nintendo Switch OLED - £305
Gaming gifts are a real treat over Christmas. We’ve all got memories of unwrapping that new console, whether it was an N64 way back when or a PS5 last year (if you were extremely, extremely lucky).
This year, Nintendo has released an enhanced version of its excellent Switch console, and it’s got a big OLED screen! So whether you’re playing Animal Crossing or Metroid Dread, every game looks better on the Nintendo Switch OLED.
Oculus Quest 2 - £299
For the ultimate VR experience, look no further (with the headset on) than Oculus Quest 2. It boasts a better screen than other VR headsets like the HTC Vive or the Valve Index, and with room and head tracking to boot, it’s had a boost in power too.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 - £879
Windows laptops are an ideal gift for people who don’t use MacBooks, and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 is a superb option. Light, slim, touchscreen, excellent audio speakers and lots of processing power, it’s ready to go for both work and play.
Get the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
iPad Pro - £965
Alternatively, if a tablet is more their thing, then you just can’t go wrong with an iPad. Apple’s iPad Pro is much more than a standard tablet, it’s essentially a powerful portable computer you can use for video editing, idea sketching, game playing, and much more.
Add a stylus and a keyboard and the productivity gets an even bigger boost. All of this power comes down to the same M1 chip found in the MacBook Air laptop.
Polaroid Now - £95
Smartphone cameras are great, but sometimes you just want the tangible joy of a Polaroid moment. This latest Polaroid camera is much like a smartphone snapper, with filters, apps and tools to enhance your pics. And then when you’re done you get a photo printed out that you can keep forever, or at the very least stick to your fridge for a few months.
Pixel 6 Pro - from £30
Another one of the year’s best smartphones, Google really impressed with its Pixel 6 range. The best of the bunch, the Pixel 6 Pro has a dazzling 7.7-inch OLED display, amazing camera, and powerful processors behind the screen. If you’re splashing out on a very special Android user in your life, they’ll love this smartphone.
Garmin Fēnix 6 Solar - £675
Christmas is a time of eating, drinking and relaxing. But come the new year, those resolutions will start to take hold and we’ll all start thinking about how to burn off those Christmas calories.
If you know someone who takes their fitness seriously, the Garmin Fēnix 6 Solar smartwatch is the perfect present. It’s got all the standard sport-tracking features you need, and amazingly it can be charged with sunlight!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 - from £41
There’s one smartphone that came out this year which transcended mere mobiles and launched itself fully into the gadget gang - the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3. Samsung’s folding smartphones have seen a few new releases over the last few years, but the Z Flip 3 is probably the best one yet.
Get the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
Belkin MagSafe charger - £139
The ultimate portable charger, the Belkin MagSafe powers your iPhone battery without the need for any wires. Just pop the Belkin MagSafe on your desk and you’ll never have to dash for a charging cable ever again.
Get the Belkin MagSafe charger
Bowers Wilkins PI7 headphones - £329
Another tech product that’s been improved immeasurably by the removal of wires is of course the ear bud. Having a wire trailing from your pocket up to your face is so 2016, but if you know someone who’s still stuck in the past, gift them these Bowers Wilkins PI7 headphones. They offer truly spectacular wireless audio, immersive music, and lives are free from wires - what more could you want?
Get the Bowers Wilkins PI7 headphones
Panasonic TX-65HZ980B OLED TV - £1,499
Big ticket tech gifts don’t get much bigger than this - the 65-inch Panasonic TTX-65HZ980B OLED TV. This is easily one of the best TVs you can buy - 5K, HDR, Dolby Atmos and Panasonic’s excellent tech deliver striking picture quality that’s wonderful for shows, movies, and gaming. If you’re thinking of spending big on a Christmas treat for the whole family, you’ll get goodwill for years with this one.
Get the Panasonic TX-65HZ980B Smart TV
Peloton Bike - from £35 per month
When it comes to home exercise, it doesn’t get much better or more current than the Peloton. This international smash product completely reinvented the exercise bike. With a video screen turning you into an instructor, and thousands of other uses - it’s like having a spin class in your living room.
Dyson V15 Detect - £889
Some people like tablets, some people like TVs, some people like smart speakers, and some people like…vacuum cleaners?! Yep, Dyson’s high-tech vacuum cleaners are not only highly coveted cleaning appliances, they’re also marvels of technology.
Take the V15 Detect, it has a built-in LASER on the head, yes a laser! It shoots a glowing green beam on the floor while you’re cleaning so you can see every single hidden dust particle. It even has a screen that shows you exactly how much dust and muck you’re hoovering up. Incredible.
Logitech StreamCam - £156
Influencers, streamers and Zoom enthusiasts will all love this top-of-the-range webcam that’ll broadcast their faces in crystal-clear Full HD - no more grainy video chats! It’s loaded with great tech like automatic exposure, framing and image stabilisation, and you can also use it to shoot vertical videos, so that's TikTok covered too.
Lego Typewriter - £180
Finally, we present you with this Lego typewriter. It’s a fully functioning typewriter, with a moving carriage, actual klackable keys, and a design that will get guests and friends talking. We can’t imagine anyone not being delighted to unwrap this on Christmas morn.
