Stuck for a gift for Christmas with the clock steadily ticking on? Here are some tech suggestions for all range of budgets.
Apple AirPods
Price: £159
Truly wireless earbuds are the future and the Apple AirPods are some of the best out there. They sound great and the batteries last ages, and they have quickly become the little white sticks to be seen with.
Anker PowerCore+ mini
Price: £12.99
When your smartphone running out of juice could leave you stranded, put an Anker PowerCore+ mini in your bag or pocket and recharge your phone on the go with enough power for at least half a charge.
Tile Mate Pro
Price: £30
Ever lose your keys? The Tile Mate Pro Bluetooth key tracker is for you. It’ll make a loud ring from up to 90 metres away and links to your phone to show its last known location.
Google Home Mini
Price: £29
The Google Home Mini is perfect for answering almost any question under the sun, controlling smart home devices and playing your favourite radio station or Guardian podcast. Its price has just dropped back from £49 to Black Friday levels.
OnePlus 6T
Price: £499
If you want a really good phone that costs under £500, the OnePlus 6T is it. Simply brilliant. You have to spend double to get better.
Amazon Fire 7
Price: £49.99
If you want a smallish tablet for watching video about the home or on the commute, you can’t go far wrong with the £50 Amazon Fire 7. It gets the basics done with a minimum of fuss.
Xiaomi Mi Band 3
Price: £26.99
You simply don’t get better bang for your buck than with the Xiaomi Band 3, including heart rate monitoring, activity tracking and OLED touchscreen. It’s cheap, and a good alternative to a Fitbit.
Bose QC35 II
Price: £289
Sometimes you want to give the gift of silence. You can’t get better than the Bose QC35 II. They cost a bomb, but put them on and block the rest of the world out.
Anki Vector
Price: £199
The Tamagotchi reinvented, and then some. Anki’s Vector is a tiny AI-powered robot that can recognise people, objects and its surroundings, speak to you, take selfies and generally hang out.
Instant digital gifts and subscriptions
Price: from £4
If you need a present to be delivered at the very last minute, digital gift cards are they way forward. They’re available for Google Play from £15 (through PayPal), Apple’s iTunes from £10, Netflix from £15, Steam (above) from £4, Spotify from £9.99 and many others.
