Black Friday and Cyber Monday are fast approaching, which means Christmas shopping season is about to start. It always pays to be first out of the blocks to grab those Christmas tech gadget bargains.
We have searched the market, tried and tested those must-have designs and come up with a list of tech gadgets that will be popular with any tech lover this festive season. Everyone loves a gadget, whether to make life that bit easier or just to have some fun.
A new gadget at Christmas will always provide entertainment that spans the generations. Whether you are buying for your parents, grandparents or children, or you can’t resist the temptation to buy for yourself, our list highlights some tech gift trends for 2017, with a tech present to suit everyone on your list.
- Sphero’s BB-9E and R2-D2
Star Wars is set to absolutely dominate the world of Christmas gifts this year, with the second film of the new Skywalker trilogy – The Last Jedi – set for release over the Christmas period.
Sphero’s BB-9E and R2-D allow you to use your smartphone or tablet to control your own droid. What sets these new droids apart from others previously on the market is the integral use of app technology, as opposed to any physical remote with limited capacity. The options can all be accessed through your smart device.
You can geek out and have your own personal guard – the patrol mode instructs the droid to gingerly explore its surroundings ahead of you. The droid’s movements are ingeniously programmed to reflect their personalities – hugely entertaining for all the family. We want one!
- Kanger
2017 started with a boom in the vaping industry, with several hundred vape gadgets making an appearance. Numerous celebrities have caught onto this trend and have switched to vaping over traditional cigarettes.
Classic box mods are still very popular on the market. They are the source of power for electronic cigarettes, converting current from the battery and channeling it to the tank and your e-cig coils and they are being updated with new features and more power.
KangerTech is one of the leaders in making tech smart kits. Their Kanger vape products come in a variety of on-trend colours such as red, platinum and white and they are portable and affordable.
- Homedics Sensatouch 2 In 1 Shiatsu Massage
There are many massager gadgets out there which might appeal to parents or grandparents offering a great alternative to a spa trip. We have enjoyed trying out massage pads, pillows, shoulder wraps, foot massagers and other gadgets.
In our opinion Homedics’ Sensatouch 2 in 1 Shiatsu massager is one of the most thoughtful gifts as it straps to your favourite chair and the Sensatouch technology massages away even the tightest knots. For an even more relaxing experience, activate the heat mode which we can guarantee provides immediate relief for tired backs and shoulders.
- HP Sprocket 2-in-1
Many people still prefer to print photos and it is always thoughtful to give photos as gifts for family to treasure. The HP Sprocket 2-in-1 lets you or anyone else you approve print 2-by-3-inch photos wirelessly from a smartphone or tablet, anywhere you go.
It will fit into a small bag and it includes a 5-megapixel camera, so you can alternately snap and print without smart device. It will also connect to popular social media platforms, so you can direct-print photos stored online. This has already become an essential device for our tester.
- Amazon Echo Dot
This tiny smart device lets you stream music around your home, using only your voice. We are waiting until the last weekend of November to try bag a bargain on Black Friday. If you can find an Amazon Echo Dot at a discounted price, it makes sense to buy a few and put them in different rooms around your house.
- Meccano Mecca Spider
Meccano is a brand on the rise for 2018. The Mecca Spider is a gift that both children and parents will love as it offers a great way to teach children about engineering and computer science.
Children will love the creepy crawly movement of the Mecca Spider – you can control his actions with the buttons or via the app. You can even use the app to customise Mecca Spider’s behaviour. The Spider can even mischievously spray a small jet of water at intruders such as little brothers or parents!
- Google Home
With yet another voice-controlled speaker on the gift list this year, new virtual assistants look like they are set to be part of the family this Christmas. Google Home offers hours of fun to spend sat around with family utilising the extensive song library to recall favourite songs and reminisce and laugh together, before you stick on the Christmas party tunes.
- Microsoft Xbox One X
Billed as ‘the most powerful console ever’, whoever receives this for Christmas is in for a real treat. The Xbox One X does what no console has done before: Native 4K HDR gaming.
In our opinion, the positives of this console far outweigh any minor flaws. Games look absolutely stunning – the Xbox One X fulfills the promise of 4K HDR gaming and offers by far the most premium gaming experience on a console.
- Bose QC35 II headphones
Advanced noise cancelling headphones which are sure to give you some peace on Christmas Day, Bose QC35 II headphones feature the Google Assistant built in, you can play music, receive texts and get answers without glancing at your phone…and relax. These are pricey, but in our experience, the peace is priceless!
- Nespresso Vertu
Coffee and cafe culture is now dominant in the UK and we are a nation that now has a higher expectation for coffee quality within the home, so a Nespresso machine is sure to be high on adults’ Christmas lists this season.
Nespresso Vertuo pods are dome-shaped and have a barcode around the rim. The barcode allows the machine to create the optimum brewing conditions for each capsule based on the particular blend of coffee.
We prefer this machine to others on the market as we are fans of a coffee shop style long coffee as opposed to the disappointing shots you can get with other machines.
- Anki Overdrive Fast and Furious
Players use a smartphone to find the racing line and control the speed and the cars steer themselves around the track with Anki Overdrive Fast and Furious. We had great fun triggering virtual mines, missiles and magnet attacks to slow down our opponents.
The sounds and visuals are on the screen but the racing action happens in the real world. This is Scalextric for the next generation!
