The 20 Best Tech Gifts for Christmas in 2020

Socks? Another coffee-table book? Come on, you can do better than that! If you're Christmas shopping for a tech-head, there’s a plethora of new and exciting gadgets to choose from. But even the luddites among us will be pleased with a gift from this selection. What music-lover would say no to a sleek new speaker? What artist would baulk at a magical digital drawing pad? Browse our best tech gifts for 2020 – we guarantee you'll find plenty of perfect presents to put under the tree.

A Life-changing Set of Earbuds

Best tech gifts to give for Christmas in 2020: Apple Airpods

Know someone always untangling earphone wires, getting the cords knotted in their scarf or swinging an earbud right out of their ear as they jog? It’s a big call, but we’re going there: these cordless Apple AirPods are a life-changing gadget. There’s around four hours of music in these tiny devices and three hours of phone chat. But it’s no big deal to charge them up – just pop them back in their cute Tic Tac-container sized case.

A Way to Film Cinematic Aerial Footage

Best tech gifts to give for Christmas in 2020: easy-to-fly drones from Officeworks

An easy-to-fly Mavic Mini drone, that when folded fits in the palm of your hand, will be the most exciting thing under the tree for an aerial photography enthusiast. It weighs just a little more than a smartphone but this air-borne camera has some remarkable features within its tiny frame, including a three-axis gimbal to keep it stable while flying, the ability to film HD footage four kilometres away, and a 360-degree propeller guard to keep it safe in the sky. Footage is easily edited using a smartphone app.

The Coolest Headphones on the Block

For sound-quality and coolness cred, Beats are top of the list. The Solo 3 Wireless Headphones come in a selection of excellent colours, from of-the-moment rose gold to a bright red. Engineered for premium acoustics and clarity, they last for 40 hours without needing a charge. Nothing will distract the wearer from their playlist or podcast, unless they choose to receive a phone call with the touch of a button.

Cool tech gift ideas for Christmas 2020 include an iPad, GoPro and gaming headsets

A Smartphone Upgrade

Here’s one of the best tech gifts for those who need a new smartphone – especially of the Android persuasion – the new Google Pixel 4a. A great offering for kids or grandparents, it’s surprisingly affordable and a handy convenient size, considering it comes with most everything you need, including a powerful Snapdragon 730G processor, 128GB storage, an OLED display and a quality camera. Add in that it comes unlocked, so you can take it to your preferred phone service provider, and is optimised for Google Assistant and your giftee is bound to be saying, “Hey Google, I got just what I wanted for Christmas”.

A Capture-the-Action Camera

“GoPro, start recording!” That’s all the recipient of this neat little Hero9 Action Camera will need to say to begin capturing the moment, whether that’s live-streaming a commute on a city cycle-way, recording the conquest of a gnarly wave or filming an underwater encounter on a teeming reef. This is the perfect companion for the intrepid person in your life. (Pics. Or it didn’t happen!).

A Do-It-All iPad

There are tablets that won’t play second fiddle to any device, thank you very much, and the iPad 8th Gen is just such a one. More than an extra screen or an app library, this device combines the power of a computer with a level of versatility, portability and ease of use you'll never get from a desktop. An iPad’s never just a tablet: attach a keyboard and it’s a computer; add earbuds for a giant iPhone; get an Apple Pencil and you have an artist’s canvas.

A DIY Light and Sound Installation

The Nanoleaf Lighting Panel is a truly modern piece of decor – the mood-lighting of the future. Consisting of nine panels that snap together in various shapes and patterns and mount to the walls or ceiling, it functions via an app (it’s also compatible with smart-home hubs) that allows you to create a playlist to which the panels respond with a bespoke light show. The app can control the lights in real time, too, and you can add extra panels – up to 30 can function together – to really light up a room. That’s Christmas and birthdays covered for the next few years, then.

One Gaming Headset for all Platforms

Designed for online gaming as well as all popular consoles, Logitech’s G Series gaming headset has oversized, cushioned headphones to allow hours of comfortable play. Its 50mm drivers provide precision audio and the 6mm boom microphone allows users to be heard clearly while playing, or flip to mute to escape detection. Bonus of a gaming headset: people sharing the space of said gamer need no longer be alerted to the horde of zombies or a samurai attack taking place on-screen.

More Cool Tech Gifts for Christmas

A Home Media Hub

Your TV and film-loving loved one needs an Apple TV, especially if the TV hasn’t been upgraded in some time. This nifty box opens up a world of on-screen possibilities, with hardworking Siri as the intermediary. Easily access all Apple TV+ has to offer (included free for a year), play games on Apple Arcade and navigate with the Apple TV remote. The Apple TV can control smart home devices too – so requesting, “Siri, dim the lights and open Netflix!”, sets the mood indeed.

A Gamer's Dream-Screen

Why will gamers love this MSI monitor? The curved surface makes for a more immersive experience, the 27-inch screen has AMD free-sync technology to prevent screen-tearing, a resolution of 1920x1080, a 165Hz refresh rate, anti-flicker technology and a one-millisecond response time for high frame-rate (translation: it won't strain the eyes and it looks really good). Trust us, gamers will know what all that means.

A Way to Enhance Gaming Immersion

Enhance the gaming experience with this specialty Razer Kraken X headset: featuring a topnotch aural experience, the immersive qualities of the game are increased with these headphones, especially during quiet, tense moments in which the slightest creak or whisper could indicate something’s afoot. It has 7.1 surround sound and 40mm drivers to detect baddies, plus a flexible microphone for clear communication with your allies. Game on!

A Super-sleek Speaker

A devoted music-lover needs a speaker that takes audio as seriously as they do. The Sony Soundbar has to be one of the best-looking wireless speakers around, with a built-in sub for formidable bass and two-channel audio for a surround-sound effect.

An Introduction to Digital Art

Designed for first timers, the Wacom Intuos Small tablet is perfect for those learning to draw, paint or photo edit on their Mac or PC. The pen has 4096 pressure points for a natural drawing experience and even though the device is compact, its active area of 152 x 95 mm is ample for most applications. As a bonus, when you purchase the Intuos you get access to a free piece of creative software, such as Corel Painter Essentials.

A Neat Way to Charge Multiple Devices

Even the tech-averse are likely to have a couple of gadgets on the go these days, but true tech-heads definitely need this Smorgasbord multi-port charger. The cute exterior of this device – a neat bamboo box – belies its abilities: namely, to charge five energy-loving gadgets at once, distributing more power to the greedier ones as needed. It comes with cable ties to keep cords at bay, and keeps devices not just charged, but organised.

A Smarter Home

If a loved one has been weighing the various virtues of the latest smart-home devices, make the decision for them. The Google Nest Hub is an excellent entry point thanks to its user-friendliness and plethora of integrations. Google Assistant recognises its owner’s voice and becomes a digital PA, personalising the device more than ever before. And at the very least, it's an excellent wireless speaker, so even if their only command is “Hey Google, play my Friday playlist!”, it’s worth it.

Shake the Shakes

Raise your standards and get that perfect non-wobbly pic or video with a DJI Osmo Gimbal. Using a secure magnetic quick-release mount, it’s easy to snap your phone to the stabiliser, plus the controls to point and shoot are all handily placed on its ergonomic grip. And when you’re done, the gimbal folds up into a soft carrying case for less bulk on the go.

An Impressive Yet Affordable Tablet

Tablets occupy a very useful space in the tech arsenal. Whether you’re shopping for a tween who wants a device for games, someone who’s after a bigger screen for video-streaming or a student who needs a lightweight device for note-taking, this Lenovo Tab M8 HD tablet is an excellent choice, with its large display, sleek metal casing, long battery life and 32GB storage.

A Slimline Portable Power-source

Why waste time sitting by the phone charger? For the smartphone addict who can’t endure a train trip without Instagram, we found a winning stocking-stuffer. The discreet Comsol charger is small enough to fit in a pocket and it keeps a smartphone juiced on the run.

A Travel Companion

A new or nervous driver will benefit from the Navman MiVUE Dashcam, which records your trips including location, direction and speed at 1080p full HD resolution. With WDR support (Wide Dynamic Range), it adapts to day or night and the MiVUE also automatically uploads footage to your phone, so you can share the good times. And should not so good times happen, it’s reassuring to know the 3-Axis G-Sensor records impacts and the direction they came from.

A Pretty Wireless Charger

For those who like things tidy, an affordable cord-free charger is a clever Christmas gift. It looks a bit like a coaster, but this pretty piece of decor is actually a wireless charger. It can quickly charge any Qi-enabled device and it’s an excellent option to pop on a bedside table because it doesn’t illuminate while it’s doing its thing – meaning the person sleeping and the device charging both wake up refreshed and ready to go.