Author: Mitchel Broussard
Now that Thanksgiving has passed, holiday shopping is in full swing around the world. While personal preference always plays a part in gift giving, sometimes it can be hard to come up with any ideas for someone in your life who loves tech and Apple products.
For this reason, we've created a buyer's guide that combines gift recommendations from our community of readers and from our own editors. The gifts in question largely relate to products created by Apple and third-party accessories that work well with Apple's devices. We've divided things up by Apple Products; Cases, Skins, and Screen Protectors; Charging; Audio; Smart Home; and Miscellaneous.
Apple Products
If your budget allows for it, Apple has numerous devices that will make for solid gift giving ideas this holiday season. If the person you're buying for subscribes to Apple Music, AirPods and HomePod are great companions to the streaming music service, and Apple TV 4K is one of the best streaming boxes on the market, perfect for TV binges during the upcoming holiday break.
Cases, Skins, and Screen Protectors
With their cheap prices and small sizes, iPhone cases and screen protectors make for great stocking stuffers. Of course, if you're looking for MacBook protection, companies like Pad & Quill and Twelve South offer solid options, and the growing popularity of AirPods has caused third-party brands to introduce some case options for the wireless headphones as well.
iPhone
MacBook
AirPods
Charging
Portable chargers are one of the best go-to gifts this time of year, since most people can relate to needing a quick charge on their smartphone at one point during the day. Anker's popularity and reliability in the market remains strong, so you can't go wrong buying from them, but look to Choetech, RAVPower, and new brand Nimble for a few other notable charging accessory options.
Audio
If you're shopping for a music lover, who perhaps doesn't subscribe to Apple Music, then Bluetooth speakers are a great idea. The market is full of low-cost, dependable options like Anker Soundcore, as well as mid- and high-range devices from UE and Sonos.
Smart Home
If anyone on your shopping list is into smart home devices, the iDevices Switch and Hue White and Color Ambiance Lightstrip are great additions to any HomeKit household, and mesh Wi-Fi systems from Orbi and AmpliFi will ensure that all devices remain connected anywhere in the house.
Miscellaneous
Of course, there are plenty more gift ideas that would work for the Apple fans on your list, from Throwboy's Apple-themed pillows to a helpful dongle keychain accessory, a BentoStack organizer, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Discuss this article in our forums
Continue reading...
Now that Thanksgiving has passed, holiday shopping is in full swing around the world. While personal preference always plays a part in gift giving, sometimes it can be hard to come up with any ideas for someone in your life who loves tech and Apple products.
For this reason, we've created a buyer's guide that combines gift recommendations from our community of readers and from our own editors. The gifts in question largely relate to products created by Apple and third-party accessories that work well with Apple's devices. We've divided things up by Apple Products; Cases, Skins, and Screen Protectors; Charging; Audio; Smart Home; and Miscellaneous.
Apple Products
If your budget allows for it, Apple has numerous devices that will make for solid gift giving ideas this holiday season. If the person you're buying for subscribes to Apple Music, AirPods and HomePod are great companions to the streaming music service, and Apple TV 4K is one of the best streaming boxes on the market, perfect for TV binges during the upcoming holiday break.
- AirPods ($160) - AirPods may be the most loved Apple product thanks to instant setup and truly wireless features.
- Apple TV 4K (starting at $180) - Watch Amazon Prime, HBO, Hulu, and more, all organized with Apple's convenient TV app.
- HomePod ($350) - A great Apple Music companion that can also perform some helpful Siri functions.
- 11-inch iPad Pro (starting at $800) - The latest iPad Pro, with an all-screen design and Face ID.
- Apple Pencil 2 ($130) - Pair a new Apple Pencil 2 with the 2018 iPad Pros for a smooth illustrating experience.
- Apple Watch Series 4 (starting at $400) - A bigger display and slimmer body make this Apple's best workout companion yet.
Cases, Skins, and Screen Protectors
With their cheap prices and small sizes, iPhone cases and screen protectors make for great stocking stuffers. Of course, if you're looking for MacBook protection, companies like Pad & Quill and Twelve South offer solid options, and the growing popularity of AirPods has caused third-party brands to introduce some case options for the wireless headphones as well.
iPhone
- Native Union iPhone cases (starting at $20) - Stylish designs that protect an iPhone X, XS, XS Max, XR, and more.
- Spigen Thin Fit cases (starting at $10) - One of the thinnest iPhone cases around.
- BodyGuardz Pure 2 EyeGuard ($25-$55) - Protect your iPhone from drops and your eyes from harmful blue light effects.
MacBook
- Incase Hardshell Case for MacBook (starting around $40) - Incase is well-known for its hardshell MacBook cases, which provide durable protection to Apple's laptops.
- Twelve South BookBook ($64) - Twelve South's BookBooks make your MacBook look like a vintage novel.
- Pad & Quill Leather Valet Case for 13-inch MacBook Pro ($140) - Fit your MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone, Apple Pencil, cables, and more in Pad & Quill's leather case.
AirPods
- DecalGirl AirPods skins ($7) - Personalize your AirPods with DecalGirl's skins
- Silicone AirPods Case ($9) - Protect the AirPods Charging Case from dangerous drops with a silicone case.
- Bruno Magli Leather AirPods Case ($45) - Bruno Magli's accessory protects AirPods in a smooth brown leather case.
Charging
Portable chargers are one of the best go-to gifts this time of year, since most people can relate to needing a quick charge on their smartphone at one point during the day. Anker's popularity and reliability in the market remains strong, so you can't go wrong buying from them, but look to Choetech, RAVPower, and new brand Nimble for a few other notable charging accessory options.
- Kingston Nucleum USB-C Hub ($50) - Expand your MacBook's ports with Kingston's USB-C Hub.
- OWC USB-C Travel Dock ($30) - OWC has confirmed its Travel Dock works with the MacBook Pro and all-new iPad Pro.
- Griffin BreakSafe Magnetic USB-C Power Cable for MacBook ($20) - Bring back MagSafe with Griffin's cable accessory.
- Anker PowerLine+ Lightning braided cables ($20) - Ultra-reliable braided Lightning cables that beat Apple's prices.
- Anker PowerCore II Slim 10,000 mAh ($36) - Anker's PowerCore batteries are a backpack and travel necessity, and 10,000 mAh is a perfect mid-range size.
- Anker PowerPort 5 Wireless Charging Mat ($16) - Wirelessly charge an iPhone 8 and newer on Anker's cheap-but-reliable mat.
- Mophie powerstation 3XL ($140) - Mophie's all-new 45W USB-C battery is perfect for fueling up your MacBook or MacBook Air.
- RAVPower Wall Charger with 3 USB-A ports ($14) - Split up charging to a trio of devices with RAVPower's wall accessory.
- Choetech Wall Charger ($17) - Fast charge an iPhone using this device and a Lightning-to-USB-C cable.
- Logitech POWERED Charger ($70) - Charge your iPhone in either Landscape or Portrait orientations using Logitech's versatile Qi-compatible stand.
- Twelve South PowerPic ($80) - A subtle wooden picture frame hides a useful 7.5W wireless charger.
- Nimble's portable and wireless chargers (starting around $40) - The new eco-friendly brand sells well-designed and trustworthy chargers.
Audio
If you're shopping for a music lover, who perhaps doesn't subscribe to Apple Music, then Bluetooth speakers are a great idea. The market is full of low-cost, dependable options like Anker Soundcore, as well as mid- and high-range devices from UE and Sonos.
- Soundcore 2 Bluetooth speakers ($40) - Like Anker's other products, these speakers are low-cost but high quality.
- Sonos One ($200) - With AirPlay 2, you can use Siri to control audio playback on Sonos One and integrate the speaker into HomeKit.
- UE Boom 3 ($130) - A 15 hour battery and improvements to waterproofing make the Boom 3 Ultimate Ears' most durable speaker yet.
- Anker SoundBuds Curve Wireless Headphones ($26) - Anker's SoundBuds provide 12.5 hours of music playback.
- BeatsX ($100) - iPhone quick pairing and Lightning charging make the BeatsX a great option for those in the Apple ecosystem.
- Bose QuietComfort 35 ($300) - Block out noise to focus on your own music with Bose's comfy over-ear headphones.
Smart Home
If anyone on your shopping list is into smart home devices, the iDevices Switch and Hue White and Color Ambiance Lightstrip are great additions to any HomeKit household, and mesh Wi-Fi systems from Orbi and AmpliFi will ensure that all devices remain connected anywhere in the house.
- Lifx lights (starting at $30) - Lifx lights sync to HomeKit and offer various bulbs and lightstrips for colorful lighting scenarios.
- Hue White and Color Ambiance Lightstrip ($60) - One of the best options in the smart lighting space for quick-and-easy bias lighting.
- Nanoleaf Aurora Smarter Kit with Rhythm ($230) - Fun, bright accent lighting that you can control from your iPhone or with Siri.
- Ecobee4 Thermostat ($215) - A favorite for HomeKit-enabled temperature controls.
- August Smart Lock Pro + Connect 3rd Gen ($235) - Make sure your door is locked right from your iPhone.
- Anki Vector ($250) - The new Anki robot is an adorable in-home assistant.
- Orbi Mesh Wi-Fi System ($322) - Larger homes of up to 5,000 sq ft will benefit greatly from Orbi's whole-home mesh Wi-Fi coverage.
- AmpliFi Instant Router ($180) - Sets up in under two minutes for fast and dependable coverage throughout your home of up to 4,000 sq ft.
- iDevices HomeKit Switch ($30) - One of the best -- and best priced -- HomeKit-compatible switches on the market.
Miscellaneous
Of course, there are plenty more gift ideas that would work for the Apple fans on your list, from Throwboy's Apple-themed pillows to a helpful dongle keychain accessory, a BentoStack organizer, and more.
- Throwboy Apple Device Pillows ($25 - $40) - Decorate your home with cute pillows themed after an iPhone, Mac, Rainbow Wheel, and more.
- Moment Tele 58mm Lens for iPhone ($95) - Get 2x closer to the subject on a single or dual lens phone.
- Kano Harry Potter Coding Kit ($100) - Kids can learn how to code through lessons themed in J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World.
- Felix Gray Blue Light Filtering Computer Glasses (starting at $95) - Reduce eye fatigue while working on your iMac or MacBook with Felix Gray's quality glasses.
- Twelve South Fermata ($80) - Charge and store Beats and other headphones on the Fermata stand.
- Ember Ceramic Mug ($80) - Keep your coffee or tea at the perfect drinking temperature for hours with Ember's iOS-connected Ceramic Mug.
- BentoStack ($50) - Perfect for frequent travelers, who can store Apple Watch bands, Apple Pencil, cables, and more in BentoStack's unique enclosure.
- Dongle Dangler Keychain Accessory ($10) - Make sure your 3.5mm-to-Lightning dongle is always at-hand with this helpful accessory.
- Tile Mate with Replaceable Battery ($25) - Never lose your wallet or keys again with Tile's newly updated Bluetooth trackers.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Discuss this article in our forums
Continue reading...