New technology comes out every day that promises to build upon the fast-paced advancements we’ve already had in recent years, and there’s little doubt that you have a modern gadgets lover in your circle of friends or as a family member. You may think of spy movies or superheroes when you hear the word “gadget,” but really the gadgets meaning is just any small mechanical device or electronic device, so the smartphones we use each day with digital assistants like Siri and Google Assistant definitely fit the bill. The word originates from the French gâchette, meaning either “clock” or “trigger.”
Whether your gadget and gizmo-loving friend prefers simplicity in their devices or is looking for the most state-of-the-art modern technology with all the bells and whistles, we have a list that will help you find the perfect latest electronic gadget.
Smart Speakers
We’ll start off simple with some of the most basic smart home technology. Amazon, Google, and Apple all sell great Bluetooth speakers, and Amazon generally gets the credit for popularizing the idea, thanks to Amazon Echo and their built-in Alexa assistant in later models. These Wi-Fi speakers are a great way to stream Spotify and other audio services, essentially replacing older options like iPods and MP3 players, and many even have sensors that can alert you if something’s amiss in the house.
For the new gadget lover who just needs great sound quality to blast music in the living room via Bluetooth connection, the $200 Sonos One is probably the best way to go. This speaker offers hands-free music control, so there’s no need for cables or wires, and you can also use it to check the news in addition to playing music. It has both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, so you can choose which voice assistant you’d rather use, and it will even help you manage other smart home devices in the house. The small size of the Sonos One also means it can be set up in small spaces, such as on a bookshelf. It’s also water-resistant, so it’s even a perfect way to listen to music in the bath with a simple Wi-Fi connection. If there are others in the house, you can even mute the microphone and connect the speaker to a pair of Bluetooth headphones.
If your friend is trying to take advantage of all the technological advances in smart home products, they’ll need a digital assistant to be at the center of their home. This is where the $100 gen four Amazon Echo comes in. With just a Wi-Fi internet connection, this speaker is perfect as a kitchen gadget at the heart of your home, with sensors that are easy to sync and that can send you notifications if it picks up unusual sounds like glass breaking or an alarm. Thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence, it will be able to filter out normal sounds like a doorbell ringing or noises from appliances. All of these speakers feature remote control with your smartphone as well, so you’ll be able to set them to your preferences from anywhere.
Smart Wearables
It’s likely that a lover of the latest gadgets is up-to-date on their mobile phone game, but they may not be aware of the advantages of a smartwatch over a cell phone. Smart wearables and accessories are becoming more commonplace in the United States, and it isn’t difficult to see why. Consider the Apple Watch, for example, which is able to send different vibrations to your wrist that indicate whether you should turn left or right when following a GPS. This digital technology grants peace of mind on road trips, since you won’t have to be constantly staring at a smartphone to get your bearings.
When it comes to Apple products, the Apple Watch is often hailed as the future of health and fitness trackers as well. It can completely replace a pedometer by tracking steps and miles, but health mobile apps can also track your heart rate, pulse rate, and even monitor your sleep quality.
If your gadget lover is really into social media, then a smartwatch may be an even better fit for them, as it’s a great way to check and respond to notifications when you’re out and about. Some people may even find that they can basically replace their Apple iPhones with this product. It’s basically a new way to track everything in your life at your fingertips.
Naturally, you can connect these devices to Apple Music and other similar services, but wearable tech gadgets go beyond watches. Another great example is Bose Frames, which you’ll be able to find refurbished for as little as $99. These glasses don’t just look stylish and provide great sight—they also double as a pair of earbuds that you won’t have to tuck into a backpack. The miniature Bose speakers built into the frames will direct sound toward you and away from passersby, so you won’t have to worry about disturbing anyone else in public. You can even use the frames to accept or reject phone calls with a single-button control.
Drones
The emergence of drones in the U.S. has already led to some great innovations, such as a taco truck that delivers its meals to remote buyers via a drone. If your gadget lover is always in a competition with friends over who is able to find the next big thing first, then a drone may be the perfect fit.
If you’re looking for a great model on a budget, then check out the DJI Mini 2, which can be found on Amazon for as little as $449. It boasts a great battery life, great connections to Wi-Fi networks, and even supports stunning 4K shots. A possible con of this model is that the camera only supports JPG photo modes, so if your tech lover is trying to shoot video, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Still, the DJI Mini 2 has some new features like more powerful motors and a stronger connection to its remote control, making it great for a first-time flyer. It’s also the smallest and lightest foldable drone of its kind, and it even includes a convenient Find My Drone feature that displays its last known position and causes it to make sounds if you need to track it after losing sight of it during a flight.
If your budget goes up to $1,000, then you’ll be able to find some drone models that are able to shoot 4K video (and reach even higher resolutions), such as the DJI Air 2S. If money is no object, however, you’ll be able to pull out the big guns with heavier drone models, such as the DJI Inspire 2, which includes 5.2K cameras and a variety of other advanced features. These include multiple flight modes, sensors that help it avoid obstacles during flight, and even a smart return-to-home feature.
Gaming Setups
Video games are an extremely popular hobby for people of all ages and backgrounds, and any gadget lover is almost sure to appreciate any device that can take their gaming to the next level. Every tech lover needs a great laptop, not just for gaming, but also for work, social media, shopping for new products, and plenty more. While laptops haven’t always been considered great for gaming, these days, there are powerful models that are able to handle 4K graphics and even virtual reality.
If you want to go ahead and skip to the best gaming laptop around, then the Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 gets incredible reviews and is often called the best laptop for its price point, period. Incidentally, that price point sits at $1,799.99. While this may seem expensive for a laptop, this model is capable of doing things that are unheard of in a model under $2,000. For starters, it boasts an absolute monster of a processor: The AMD 8-core Ryzen 9 5900HS. This is capable of running even the most demanding games at high frame rates, and the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ensures that it can do this at the highest graphical setting while supporting ray tracing. It also supports excellent audio quality and is surprisingly small and lightweight for all its capabilities (roughly four pounds).
If you’re looking to save some money with a budget laptop (just under $1,000) that’s still a great product in its own right, then the Dell G5 15 gaming laptop is the way to go. It’s supported by a 10th gen Intel Core i7 processor, as well as NVIDIA GeForce GPUs (GTX 1660Ti or RTX 2070). This model is perfect as a first gaming laptop, and it can even support some games up to 4K resolution with ray tracing. This includes relatively recent releases, such as Doom Eternal.
Of course, you could skip a PC model and opt for one of the extremely popular new game consoles instead, like the PS5 or Xbox Series X. Each of these is able to support 4K gaming with ray tracing as well, though they’ve proven extremely popular with shoppers and are still difficult to get a hold of due to shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, they each come at a reasonable price of $499 and are fantastic gift options if you’re able to find them. They’re still sold only online in an effort to prevent crowding in stores.
These are just a few great ideas to gift the gadget enthusiast in your life. Pay attention to the things they mention and keep up with important tech showcases like CES, and you’ll likely be able to come up with even more.