The holidays are a hectic time for you, but they’re downright insane for someone who reviews gadgets all year long. This is the time of year I have to whittle down a mountain of gadgets — pick out my very favorites for a whole variety of reasons, from ease of use to cost — and make my grand gadget gift recommendations.
It’s a task that I take very seriously, just ask my family who is currently buried under boxes, swimming through a sea of Quickstart guides, and begging for a break from all of this connected chaos. (Wimps.) After a few Olympic-sized swimming pools of coffee, and a few reboots of my own brain, the list is now complete. Here’s the best stuff I’ve gone hands-on with this year.
WEARABLES
The big talk in tech this year is wearables, which includes everything from smart watches to fitness bands, and even gorgeous bling like the Ringly ($195) that vibrates when you’re getting a phone call or message. Sadly, it doesn’t arrive until after Christmas, but a whole lot of others out now are worth a look. I like the Microsoft Band ($199) as a really solid hybrid activity tracker, calorie counter and smartwatch all in one. I appreciate how easy it is to use and that it works across all devices. It doesn’t have all of the Inspector Gadget magic tricks that the Samsung Gear S has, but it’s a much more realistic fit for a mid-to-non techie type. Also worth buying now, the Withings Activité ($450) is a gorgeously designed, waterproof watch that tracks your movement and features year-long battery life. With Apple’s Watch coming out in early 2015, you might want to wait, but if you must have this tech now, these are great choices. We’ll have another story within the next week or so about how to decide between a fitness tracker and smart-watch which will include all the other good ones out now.
HYBRID LAPTOPS
Can’t decide between a tablet and a laptop? This year you don’t have to. There are more great choices than ever, in a full range of prices. The HP Stream is sleek and light, comes in super bright colors, and starts at just $199. The HP Envy X2($949) is a “2-in-1″ with a magnetic keyboard that snaps on and off, easy as ever. When you no longer need the keyboard, detach the screen and go. The Surface Pro 3 (starts at $799) works in the same way, and its clicky kickstand works great if you want to set it up while you’re sipping your morning coffee. If you absolutely want the most flexible computer on the market, take a look at the Yoga 3 Pro ($1,299). It acts as its own stand, sits upright like a laptop with a full keyboard, or can completely bend itself backwards to turn itself into a tablet. I like to think of it as a “four-fer.” Of course, for simply the best laptop on the market today, it’s hard to beat Apple’s MacBook Air, which starts at $899. It’s slim, light, rugged, has long battery life, and holds it value year after year.
TABLETS
If there’s one thing you have to give Apple credit for, it’s consistency. This year the company once again made its smaller tablet, the iPad mini ($399), better than ever, and at the moment it’s simply the best tablet you can buy. Apple added the Touch ID fingerprint unlock feature this year, and the size is just perfect for browsing the web or reading a book. For a super capable tablet on a slim budget, the Amazon Fire HD 7 ($139) is also perfect. A powerful quad-core processor and beautiful HD display will put a smile on your face for hours upon end, and for a very affordable price.
PHONES
You already know what I’m going to say here, right? The iPhone 6 twins (starting at $199 on contract) have been praised since the moment they were released, and for good reason — they are easily two of the best smartphones of the year. Bigger, higher-resolution screens, a more powerful processor, and an all-new design should put them at the top of your list. In the non-iOS world, the HTC One M8 ($199 on contract) gets a big recommendation for its super cool dual lens camera that lets you focus after you’ve already shot your photo, and some seriously impressive built-in speakers that pump out music like a mini boom box. I also like the Lumia Windows line for teens and shutterbugs (starting at $0 on contract), and all of my friends who carry Samsung Galaxy phones will punch you out if you try to tell them your phone is better than theirs. I think the Galaxy phones are harder to just pick up and use for non-techies — but those who love them, tend to really, really love them.
SPEAKERS/HEADPHONES
Wireless speakers and headphones are two of the top “it” gifts this year, which means there’s plenty to choose from. I love the new Beats Studio wireless headphones ($379), as well as the Parrot Zik ($399) — both are gorgeous, advanced Bluetooth headphones that hit all the right notes on noise cancellation and audio quality. I covered several more headphones in every price range in a recent roundup, where I went “ears-on” with many of the mainstream players.
As for Bluetooth speakers, the Aether Cone ($399) puts a fresh spin on streaming music. It learns what you like to listen to, and it lets you use voice commands to request music directly. It also happens to look like a piece of artwork no matter where you set it. Cool, right? Speaking of cool, the Beats Pill 2.0 ($199) is the very definition of it. It’s definitely too large to swallow, but it pumps out bold, bassy sound and looks great doing it.
GAMING
For gamers, it just keeps getting better with super bundles and deals like the all-white PlayStation 4 Destiny Bundle ($449). Destiny is one of the most popular games of the year, and when you combine it with the most powerful game system of the current generation, it’s a match made in gaming heaven. If you’d rather throw down with some intense 8-player fight action, the Super Smash Bros for Wii U bundle ($99) comes with the newest Nintendo brawler, along with a retro Gamecube-style controller and adapter, so you can beat up your friends just like you used to.
DRONES
If you love the idea of a drone but want to start small, the deceptively compact Parrot Rolling Spider ($99) is the perfect fit. It fits in the palm of your hand, but packs some seriously cool drone mo-jo. Its built-in camera can shoot and store hundreds of photos at a time, and you can control it all with your smartphone. Welcome to the future.
Of course, if a Big Brother style eye in the sky is more your style, Parrot’s AR.Drone 2.0 Elite ($399) is big on power and intimidation factor. It comes in military-esque camo patterns and can record HD video as you cruise the friendly skies. Sure, it might make your neighbors run for cover, but that’s all part of the fun, right?
3D PRINTER
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VIDEO CAM
Will GoPro cameras ever stop being cool? Not if they keep making crazy cams like the HERO4 Silver ($399), that’s for sure. 1080p clarity that you can carry in your pocket, and now there’s a huge touchscreen on the back so you can watch your footage as soon as you record it, and frame photos and video recordings with absolute perfection. The HERO4 Black ($499) takes recording performance one step further with full 4K capture capabilities, offering an unrivaled level of detail. It doesn’t get any better than this.
GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING
The best gifts are the ones that continue to delight all year long. Monthly subscription boxes were trendy last year and once again, this holiday they continue to deliver and delight. There are a ton to choose from: Birchbox for grooming and beauty supplies, Mantry for amazing artisan foods, Nerd Block sends geeky gifts, and Beer of the Month for, well, you can figure that one out for yourself. You can also give the gift of convenience with Plated, which sends an entire meal’s worth of ingredients straight to your front door every week.
