Tech Items to Gift This Holiday Season
We are officially only ONE MONTH away from Christmas Eve, everyone! It is time to seriously get yourself in full holiday shopping mode, and get items checked off your list! Before I get started, I want to remind you that this isn’t my first holiday blog post this year, so if you’re looking for some gifting ideas, check out my Canadian Small Shop Holiday Gift Guide, my Holiday Gift Guide for Her, my Holiday Gift Guide for Him and my Stocking Stuffer Ideas (That Don’t Suck!) blog posts for tons of suggestions for everyone!
Now, let’s talk tech. I promised you all that I would incorporate one of my favourite topics a bit more — tech, and particularly Apple products. But, I know not everyone has an iPhone, and some people just prefer Android to iOS, so I figured why not create a list of items that include something for everyone, regardless of what kind of device system they prefer. So, buckle up everyone! This is a long one — and I mean a long one.
1. HomePod Mini | 2. Twinkle MagSafe iPhone Case | 3. Twinkle MagSafe Wallet | 4. OLED Nintendo Switch | 5. Apple TV 4K | 6. Beats Pill+ | 7. Nest Thermostat | 8. Smart Lightbulbs | 9. AirTag | 10. 3-in-1 MagSafe Charging Station | 11. Smart Plugs | 12. Nest Mini
For the Gamer
Remember at the beginning of the pandemic how popular the Nintendo Switch was?! Well, there was a reason it was so popular, and if you’re looking to gift one this holiday season, look no further than the newly released OLED Nintendo Switch that just hit the market in October! With a new OLED display & larger screen, this model of the Switch is sure to be a popular gift this year (and maybe you can include a game, if it’s in your budget)!
But what if they already have a Switch, or their definition of gaming is more limited to their phone? Did you know that the Apple TV gives you the ability to play Apple Arcade games right on your television!? That’s right — when you’re at home, you can play any Apple Arcade game* right on your TV, from your phone. And when you need to head out, there’s a seamless transition from TV-to-phone, meaning no need to start a new game on each device!
What about if they need some great Bluetooth® headphones to enjoy the audio that goes along with their game, whether it be on their phone or computer? There’s tons of great options out there, but my personal favourites include the Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones, the AirPods Pro & the Google Pixel Buds.
* Limited to iPhones, not applicable to Android.
For the Smart Home Lover
Honestly, ever since we got a Nest Mini last Christmas, things have been so much easier! If you were to ask me a year before that if I was even interested in having a smart home device in my home, I would’ve said “not really”, but now that we have one I must admit, I love it! My favourite feature is being able to just tell Google to set a timer, and to easily listen to music while I cook! If Apple is more your cup of tea, and you want that seamless integration from device-to-device, the new HomePod Mini is another great smart home device option!
Though I can’t personally speak to how amazing this item is, I’ve heard nothing but great things about the Nest Thermostat! Who doesn’t love the idea of being able to adjust their thermostat from their phone?! This makes it easier to warm your house up before you even get home, and you can even program it to turn your thermostat down when you’re not home, saving you money on your bills, and helping the planet in the process!
Now, does anyone else often day dream about being able to just tell their lights to turn off at night? It can’t just be me, right? If you, or someone you’re shopping for day dreams about this too, then I have the perfect device for you! Pick up a set of Smart Plugs and Smart Lightbulbs (that work with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices) and give this gift as a set this holiday season! Then no one has to get out of bed to turn the lights off at night anymore 😉
For the Student or Worker
Now that life is getting a little more back to normal, we’re seeing the return of students to school, and workers to the office, which means a lot of us need to start thinking about things like making lunches again (ugh) & new bags to lug our items around. If you happen to be looking for a new backpack to take to school or work this year, check out the Fawn Design x Jillian Harris Backpack! It has a compartment for your laptop, and tons of storage for other necessities and tech items in the main compartment and is perfect for both students and workers alike! If a new backpack isn’t on your list this year, but you’re in need of a way to protect your laptop, support a small shop this holiday season by purchasing this Laptop Sleeve (13” model), giving you both protection for your tech while keeping your accessories trendy & stylish.
A personal favourite item on this list for this holiday season is not only handy, but extremely affordable! The new Apple AirTag* is an amazing gift option for anyone, whether they lose stuff frequently or not. The AirTag can be attached to keys, bags or even a wallet and allows you to easily track exactly where you lost your item with the use of the Find My app, with Precision Finding available on iPhone 11 models & later. You can even have the AirTag play a noise to help you find your lost item!
Whether you need to carry a public transportation pass, student ID or an office entry pass, we all know there’s absolutely nothing worse than when you’ve left your house and realize you don’t have your necessary cards with you. I’m so guilty of this myself, and that’s why this holiday season, I’ve got the Case-mate Twinkle MagSafe Case** and matching Twinkle MagSafe Wallet** on my list! Not only are both items beautiful on their own, but they match and with the added feature of MagSafe in the iPhone 12 and 13 models, the wallet can easily be attached & removed from my phone, meaning I don’t have to sacrifice a thin (or cute) phone case to remember my things!
* Applicable only to Apple iPhone devices. Cannot be used with Android.
** Applicable only to Apple iPhone 12 & 13 Models. Older Apple devices do not support MagSafe.
For the Fitness Lover
Though I must admit that I can’t personally relate to this category, I know there a lot of fitness lovers out there! If this sounds like you, or someone you’re shopping for, I highly recommend checking out the Apple Watch, especially if you’re already in the Apple environment (though it can work with Android devices, it works far better with iPhones). You can easily track calories burned, active minutes and workouts on the watch. You can even receive texts and listen to music* while working out! Plus, you can sign up for Apple Fitness+ and be able to do workouts created by Apple instructors from home or in the gym, usually with little or no equipment needed. Another great way to customize your Apple Watch is by purchasing different bands to create a look you want.
Another item that works seamlessly with the Apple Watch and Apple Fitness+ together is the Apple TV! Yep, it’s here again. Because it’s an Apple device, you can turn on any Apple Fitness+ workout on the TV and do your workouts from there! If you don’t have the Apple TV, you cannot play them on the television and are limited to your iPhone and/or iPad.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a list for fitness lovers without talking about speakers! The Beats Pill+ is the perfect option for people who like to workout on the go (like travelling, for example! Or even at home), and don’t like to wear headphones. It can easily be paired with Apple devices and even select Android ones too!
* Only works with Bluetooth headphones/earphones.
For the Constant Charger
Let’s be honest, we all know someone that is constantly looking to borrow a charging cable or just constantly seems to have their phone plugged in (me, I am someone). For some people, the need to charge frequently is due to heavy usage, and for others it’s because their phone battery is aging & doesn’t hold a charge like it used to. If the constant charger you’re shopping for has an iPhone 12 or 13 model, the new MagSafe Battery Pack is something I’d highly recommend gifting! Not only can it be used as a wireless boost of power in at the end of the day, but it can also be used as a wireless charger while plugged in, giving it more than one use & more bang for your buck! Best part is when it runs out of battery, you can easily remove it from your device rather than carry a heavy battery case on your phone all the time!
Another great option for iPhone 12 and 13 users is a MagSafe Charger*. To help mitigate battery life drainage, Apple added the MagSafe feature to these iPhone line ups so that you could wirelessly charge and get it perfectly centered every time. Believe it or not, when it’s not perfectly centered, you could be ruining your battery! Just note, that you will need to buy a wall adapter as the charger doesn’t come with one! If you are running on an older iPhone model that doesn’t support MagSafe or you’re not sure exactly what device you’re buying for, you can always pick up the 2m USB-C to Lightning charging cable & the wall adapter together!
If you’re anything like me, and have an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods that can all be wirelessly charged, this Mophie 3-in-1 MagSafe Wireless Charging Station is an absolute must! It keeps all of your daily tech items together in one place, so you’re never looking all over your house for your earphones and watch while trying to head out the door in the morning.
Last, but certainly not least is the perfect gift for the avid road-tripper, or someone who’s always forgetting to charge their phone & leaving the house on 25% battery life — the Mophie Wireless Vent Mount Car Charger! We all know how quickly our phones die when you’re using the maps feature, so be gone the days of draining battery while on the road!
* Only works with MagSafe-compatible cases, or no case.
WOW! I know that was a long one - probably one of the longest I’ve done in a while. But I hope you found some awesome new tech items to add to your wish list or your shopping list this year. What tech item was one that is a must have for you?! In all honesty, for me, it’s definitely the MagSafe iPhone Case and matching MagSafe Wallet. My favourite items are the ones that are equally functional & cute!
* Note: Links above are commissionable/affiliate links.
