Sometimes technology purchases are all about timing, especially when it comes to holiday gifts buying.
Often, the new products - the cutting-edge ones craved by early adopters - are buggy or so far ahead of the curve that they seem like they’re too limited in functionality for too high a price. Remember the very first iPhone? It was $600 with super-slow data speeds, no App Store and the inability to cut-and-paste anything.
Sometimes it’s tempting to pay a rock-bottom doorbuster price for a gadget that’s on its way out to the obsolescence heap. This December, you shouldn’t give a DVD player as a gift unless the person receiving it is allergic to Netflix and other video streaming services, broke their current player or is a child under 10.
Here, then, are some ideas for tech gifts that are hitting their stride at the right moment.
Video game consoles
Last year at this time, I would have told you that it wouldn’t hurt to hold off on buying a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One game console. Prices seemed a little too high given how few great games were out, and both consoles were still finding their feet with frequent software updates and lopsided sales figures: Xbox Ones were stacked unloved on store shelves while PlayStation 4s were in short supply.
This year, it’s a whole different story with a slew of great new recent game releases including “Fallout 4,” “Star Wars: Battlefront,” the pricey but impressive “LEGO Dimensions” and the current Xbox One exclusive “Rise of the Tomb Raider.” There are lots of bundles for each console available starting around $350 ($300 if you’re shopping on Black Friday) with at least one game included.
Also keep in mind that you may want to consider the Nintendo Wii U, which struggled mightily last year but this year launched some of the best games of the year, including “Splatoon” and “Super Mario Maker.” One popular Black Friday deal promises to be a $250 Wii U bundle that includes “Splatoon” and fighting game “Super Smash Bros.”
In addition to playing games, all three consoles are capable of watching streaming video services such as Netflix, YouTube and Hulu. This has also been a pretty good year for Nintendo’s 3DS portable console, which has a new, more powerful version out for $200.
4K/Ultra HD TVs
Speaking of streaming video, 4K TVs, newer sets that operate at higher resolutions than the current HDTVs most of us own, have dropped so quickly in price that it’s time to consider them if you’re TV shopping for the holidays.
There’s still a dearth of 4K (also known as “Ultra HD”) content; you’re not going to be picking up over-the-air broadcasts at that resolution or see few, if any, cable/satellite channels that support it. But 4K TVs can make existing HD content, such as Blu-rays, look even better than on most traditional HDTVs, and some streaming services such as Netflix are starting to offer a few shows such as “House of Cards” and “Breaking Bad” at the higher res.
Some of the Black Friday deals emerging are for 4K TVs from brands such as Samsung’s UN55JS7000, a 55-inch Ultra HD set for under $1,000. You’ll see lots of knockoff brands deeply discounted, but if you stick to the mainstream brands (Sony, LG, Vizio, etc.) you should be fine.
My current dream TV? LG’s OLED 4K TVs, out of my price range at $3,000 to $5,000. Maybe next year?
Bluetooth speakers
Bluetooth speakers, which can play music wirelessly from a smart phone, tablet or computer, have matured to the point where you can now shop based on design and price without worrying that you’ll give the gift of awful, tinny sound. On the high end, Sonos can set up a whole house with rich sound, but it’s an ecosystem that can get pricey quickly with the cheapest model, the Play:1, starting at $199. For that price, the UE Boom 2 might be a better option for a single-speaker setup.
I’m a fan of Amazon’s Echo wireless speaker, which looks like a cylindrical, black air filter and can voice-control home automation devices, deliver news and traffic updates, and even tells jokes and cat facts. At $180, it seems a little pricey, but Amazon has been discounting the Echo regularly for Amazon Prime members, dropping it to $130-$150. I bought one for about $130 on Amazon Prime Day earlier this year and have been pleased with it overall and can recommend it.
Much cheaper and smaller options are available for about $25-$50, such as Cambridge Soundwork’s well-reviewed OontZ Curve mini speaker; check online reviews to make sure you’re not investing in a dud gift.
Fitness trackers
For the last two holiday seasons FitBit and Jawbone Up fitness wristbands have flown off shelves as ideal lifestyle gifts. But this year, a lot of people either started ditching them in desk drawers or eyeing products such as the Apple Watch instead. Is the quantified self bubble bursting?
Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still good products for those who want to track their exercise goals. The Fitbit Charge HR tracks heart rate and has an OLED screen for $150, and some Garmin Vivofit Fitness Bands have been deeply discounted of late, down to about $50.
Advice on the Apple Watch (starting around $350)? Hold off for the next hardware version, likely out sometime in 2016.
Tablets and phones
Proceed with caution. I’ve long said that unless you know exactly what cellphone gift a recipient would want (say, upgrading from an iPhone 5 to an iPhone 6S), giving a phone as a gift can be dicey since it’s such a personal device that someone uses every day. That said, smart phones are ubiquitous these days and the market is saturated with powerful devices.
The 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are Apple’s current flagship phones, starting at $200 and $300 on contract, though there are all kinds of carrier and retailer deals that can vary that price and commitment. The iPhones this year now shoot 4K video and have speedier Touch ID and 3D Touch.
On the Android side, Samsung’s Galaxy 6S and Galaxy 6S Edge rule the roost in power, features and design. Other models to consider: the Nexus 6P and Moto X Pure Edition, at varying prices across different wireless carriers.
Tablets, on the other hand, don’t seem like the hot products they were a few years ago as phones with larger screens have filled the gap between phones and laptops. Apple has a new, larger iPad Pro (starts at $799 with only 32 GB of memory) geared toward digital professionals. It looks lovely, but seems a little overpriced as a gift.
Other models to consider: Microsoft’s continually improving Surface tablets ($500-$900 to start), and the very inexpensive Fire and Fire HD tablets for people who just want to consume media. The basic Fire 7 mini tablet from Amazon costs a jaw-dropping $50.
Other items to consider
For Black Friday, Roku, the company that makes set-top boxes allowing users to stream video from Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu Plus and other services, said it will roll out a limited-edition product, the Roku SE, and sell it for $25 starting on Thanksgiving Day. The SE lacks some of the advanced features of some Roku boxes such as the ability to stream 4K video or to search for programs via voice. But it seems perfectly capable of 1080p video, includes a remote control, and works with iOS and Android apps that provide search features. It will sell at Roku.com and at some retailers in what the company calls a “limited supply.”
The move seems like a shot at other inexpensive streaming products such as Google’s Chromecast ($35) and Amazon’s Fire Stick ($40). Will those products end up dropping to $20 this holiday season to undercut Roku? Very likely.
Also consider Bluetooth speakers, headsets, adapters and other products to make older cars compliant. For those who are still wrangling wires or, worse, taking their chances by risking a fine in hands-free states, IoGear’s Solar Hands-Free Car Kit (under $50) might be an ideal gift. Or you could give someone a gift card toward a professional car installation for a new Bluetooth-capable sound system such as the JVC’s KW-R910BT receiver ($150).
As usual, chargers, earbuds, sync cables and gift cards for digital services such as iTunes, Netflix or Valve’s Steam video game store make great, relatively inexpensive stocking stuffers.
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