The ultimate technology and gadget gift guide
A round-up of the very best flagship gadgets on offer this Christmas.
Finding the perfect gift for Christmas is no mean feat, with so many gadgets to choose from in today’s tech-obsessed world.
But on a positive note, such a modern love for new tech means there is something for pretty much every taste and price range out there.
Here is a selection of some of this year’s best gadget gifts.
Nokia Steel HR
The Steel HR contains a heart rate monitor and activity tracker, both displayed on smaller watch faces within a traditional analogue watch set-up.
With battery life of up to 25 days and a companion app to link the watch to your smartphone, the Steel HR can be your smartwatch, without looking like you’re wearing a computer.
Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious Edition
Add in the special weapons feature, where each car has their own “attack” to knock others out of the race, all controlled from your smartphone, and you have a great experience.
This latest version throws in another new twist, with signature cars from the Fast & Furious movie franchise.
Pure Radio Siesta Rise
Complete with a jazzy Norwegian Marius design, it’s the perfect gift for early birds who love to wake up to music.
Sony UBP-X800 4K Blu-Ray player
Housed in a simple, smart box, the X800 can also play almost any disc format as well as access streaming services.
It can even upscale non-4K content to ultra high definition.
Sony WF-1000X earphones
A companion app for smartphones also enables users to customise the noise cancelling settings to let in some ambient sound.
Wireless, they come housed in a carry case that doubles as the charger, providing up to nine hours of battery life.
Amazon Kindle Oasis
That alone will be enough to sell some, but if not, it’s worth considering the Kindle Paperwhite, which offers a good screen quality of its own, but for half the price.
Xbox One X
Running games in full 4K UHD with high dynamic range (HDR10) support, the One X runs games at their very best, and does so faster and sharper than anything else on the market.
With a games library that is expected to steadily grow in 2018, now’s the time to join Xbox.
PS4 Pro
Available in either black or white, the hardware is also the best looking PlayStation ever, and several good bundles that include AAA games can easily be found.
It’s £300 price tag also make it an incredibly appealing option.
PlayStation VR
The headset is light, comfortable and easy to set-up.
The list of games compatible with PSVR is also growing steadily, making this the must-have home gaming experience.
Nintendo Switch
Play on the big screen at home, then lift the portable display from its stand and take your game with you – the Switch has changed how many people play video games.
A gaming library of hugely popular third party ports such as FIFA 18 and Rocket League, topped off by the brilliant Super Mario Odyssey and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild means the Switch is verging on compulsory.
Microsoft Surface Pro
The Surface Pro makes that questions redundant, offering the productivity and power of a laptop through Windows 10, but alongside the portability and versatility of a tablet thanks to the detachable touchscreen display.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
But this phone also possesses a stunning dual lens rear camera, great general design, and a huge screen that make it ideal for watching video.
HTC U11
It also supports both major voice assistants – Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and its Solar Red colour is one of the best finishes we’ve seen on a smartphone.
Nokia 8
But it has also rolled out an entire line-up of Android smartphones, including the flagship Nokia 8, which offers premium level specs and hardware in a device that costs £500.
It has a dual lens rear camera that has been manufactured in collaboration with camera giant Zeiss and runs the latest version of Android – 8.0 Oreo
iPhone X
Face ID, the facial recognition technology used to secure the device is also an impressive and easy to use new feature, with the experience topped off by one of the best smartphone cameras you can buy.
Apple Watch Series 3
With this year’s Series 3, it’s also got mobile data for the first time, making it usable as a communications tool independent of your phone.
For full usage you’ll need to be on EE and take out a small monthly data contract, but no other smartwatch can match the Apple Watch experience.
Instax mini 9
Fun design and easy to use, with a range of lighting and condition settings, it makes capturing an instant photo as quick as on your smartphone, but with the added payoff of that physical memory.
Perfect to try out at your New Year party.
GoPro Hero6 Black
It’s also waterproof up to 10 metres without any extra protective housing, and can be voice controlled to start recording when you need to go hands-free.
SNES classic mini
But the demand is justified, the perfect recreation of the legendary console includes two controllers for nostalgic multiplayer and 21 pre-loaded games, including Super Mario World and the original Mario Kart.
