Last Minute Technology Christmas 2017 Gift Guide

It’s pretty shocking to think that in a few days, it’ll be Christmas. You’ll be surrounded by your loved ones, sharing presents and getting tipsy on Baileys. The fact is, 2017 has flown by.

When it comes to the holiday season, most people tend to be pretty organised and will have done their Christmas shopping by now. However, if you’ve been preoccupied with work and other things, it could be that you’ve left it last minute.

You needn’t worry, though. There’s still some time to get your presents sorted, at least until Christmas eve comes along. The big question everyone asks is, what do you actually get for your close family? A pair of snazzy socks or a gift card may seem like an easy idea, but it’d be a total disaster.

But you can’t go wrong with technology. At the end of the day, who doesn’t like a good gadget? Whether it’s a shiny new smartphone or a television, there are some great gadgets out there that’d make perfect Christmas presents. Here are our suggestions.

Apple iPhone X – £999

If there’s one bit of tech that’s had everyone talking for months, it’s the iPhone X from Apple. Announced in September, the handset is Apple’s most revolutionary iPhone yet, and it’d make an amazing Christmas present if you happen to have deep pockets.

The most captivating feature of the X is probably its 5.8-inch Super Retina HD edge-to-edge display. It’s a great size for streaming movies and TV on apps like Netflix, and the resolution is amazing too. Other exciting things include the Face ID biometric system, a 12-megapixel rear-camera and Animojis.

For all this high-end technology, though, you’re going to have to cough up a lot of cash. The handset starts at £999, but if you want a larger memory option, the price sky rockets even further. It’s probably better getting the phone on contract, at least if you want to save money.

Amazon Echo – £69.99

Over the next few years, we’ll see artificial intelligence technologies advance and dominate. Personal assistant speakers have already shown how useful AI can be, and the Amazon Echo is one of the best out there.  Connecting to the Alexa cloud-based voice service, it can make calls, set alarms, ask questions, check calendar entries and provide news updates.

The device is also compatible with a plethora of smart home devices, and it’d definitely make an amazing Christmas present. You can now get the second generation model, which has a sleeker design and a fabric outer-layer. It usually retails at £89.99, but you can currently get it for £69.99 directly from Amazon.

Sony Cybershot WX220 – £158

While smartphones have amazing snappers, digital cameras still tend to be better at taking more defined photos. If you happen to have a keen photographer among your close ones, it’s worth looking at the Sony Cybershot WX200. It sports an 18.2-megapixel sensor, 10x optical zoom, HD video and NFC connectivity, so you can link it up to a PC or tablet easily.

Apple Airpods – £159

If you’re buying for an iPhone or iPad users, Apple’s AirPods are also worth considering. Although £159 is a lot of money, they’ve become one of the most popular pair of headphones for Apple products. They’re completely wireless and charge within a special case. You should get around three hours of juice after just 15 minutes of charging. The headphones look and sound great, too.

Beats Pill Plus – £149.99

Beats has been making high-quality portable speakers for years, and the Pill Plus is a fine example. It features a stereo active two-way crossover system, as well as separate tweeters and woofers, for an amazing sound quality.

The speaker uses the same acoustic mechanics as professional recording studios, so you’re in for a treat. There’s also Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC, so pairing with a smart device is easy. There’s up to 12 hours of battery life.

Polaroid Zip mobile printer – £109.99

Remember the days when Polaroid cameras dominated? Well, you can now relive the experience with your smartphone. Just connect it up to Polaroid Zip mobile printer through Bluetooth or WiFi, and you can print out your photos instantly. And with the official Zip app, you can personalise your photos with doodles and emojis. The printer costs £109.99, and you get 25 free sheets of photo paper.

GoXtreme Pioneer action cam – £49.99

Should you be buying for someone who likes to travel the world, then the GoXtreme Pioneer 1080P action cam could be just the thing. Available from Argos for £49.99, it’s a small and compact camera that offers 1080p video recording and 12-megapixel stills. While the 2-inch display is pretty small, you can easily get photos up on a laptop through the iOS and Android companion app. The camera also comes with 30M waterproof housing and a bike mount.

LG Minibeam – £410

If your other half dreams of watching movies on a cinema-style display, then it’s worth getting them a projector. But that doesn’t mean they have to be ugly and bulky. LG’s Minibeam PH30JG is around the size of a smartphone, weighing just 491 grams. However, it’s a fully-functioning LED, HD projector that displays 100 inches of content. It also comes with wireless connection to iOS and Android, wireless mirroring, sync controllable Bluetooth and a multi-angle hinge.

Loupedeck

The Loupedeck photo editing console is another interesting gadget too, and it’d be the perfect gift for photographers and graphic designers. Created by a team of ex-Nokia product developers from Finland, it works with Mac and Windows devices and sports scrolling wheels, dials and buttons. The latter give users the ability to edit photos and images on Adobe Lightroom without a traditional mouse or keyboard. It costs around £248 in the UK.

Amazon Fire 7 – £79

Looking for the perfect techie gift for a child? Then the Amazon Fire 7-inch Kids edition may be the perfect solution. Cladded in a thick case, the tablet comes with an IPS display, a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot and 8 hours of battery life. The best thing is that it costs under £100.

Quiz: What do you know about technology and Christmas?