Must Have Gadgets Christmas 2012

Technology is evolving and improving faster than ever, bringing new innovations and better products every year. Christmas is one of the biggest shopping periods for gadgets and technology with people buying gifts for loved ones and even treating themselves after a successful year. Here are just a handful of the must have gadgets this Christmas.

Apple iPad Mini

Since its launch in 2007 the iPad has taken the world by storm shipping over 100 million units to date. While tablets aren’t a new concept, the iPad really reinvented the market and introduced truly user friendly tablet computing to the masses.

Apple have recently released a smaller brother to its full sized tablet in the form of the iPad Mini. The internals are the same as the iPad 2 which could be considered a little out of date but that’s not really what the device is about. The 7.85” screen and new smaller, thinner form factor makes the tablet an even more portable option than its older brother and the lower price point is very enticing.

Google/Asus Nexus 7

If you’re not a fan of Apple and you would prefer a 7” Android tablet, you can’t do any better than the Nexus 7. The tablet the result of a collaboration between Google and Asus and really sets the bar in the Android tablet world. The tablet is ultra-portable, packs a great high resolution display and modern internals. Even more impressive is the price of the device which in most markets is almost a third less than the iPad Mini.

Apple iPhone 5

Smart phones have become a very popular high end gift over the last few years and the iPhone 5 is one of the best this holiday season. With a larger screen than its predecessors in a sleek, although fairly unchanged shell the new iPhone looks fantastic. The new custom Apple chip and a RAM boost ensures excellent performance and the app selection and OS are as good as ever, although the OS design is definitely getting a little tired in comparison with the competition.

LG Nexus 7

Another one for the Android fans, this time in the form of a smartphone. The latest Nexus phone once again sets the bar for Android handsets and at a fantastic price. The glass back is a slight worry as evidenced by the frequent breakages of the iPhone 4 and 4S and the omission of 4G LTE technology from a top end smartphone at this point is somewhat unforgivable. That said, the Nexus 4 is still a very powerful, very attractive smartphone offering a completely untainted version of arguable the best mobile operating system on the market thanks to the collaboration with Google.

Nintendo Wii U

Nintendo were first to market with their last generation games console the Wii which went on to be the most successful home console of all time. This year they are the first to market again, ahead of both Microsoft and Sony, with their next generation offering; the Wii U. The original Wii owes much of its success to the wide range of people it appealed to. It brought motion gaming to the masses and introduced a whole new group of casual gamers to the market.

The Wii U retains all of the functionality of its predecessor and adds a new interesting input method. The Wii U gamepad houses not only the standard controls we have come to expect but also a large touch screen. This screen can be used in a number of ways by game makers from multiplayer functionality, secondary information such as a map in adventure games or simply as another method of interaction with games. If the popularity of the original Wii is anything to go by the new console will be one of the must haves this Christmas and there are likely to be stock shortages across the country.

Furby

When the original Furby was released in 1998, children all over the world went crazy. It was the must have toy that Christmas and stock shortages drove the price of Furbies through the roof with people selling them in newspapers and at auction for massive profits. The Furby craze is happening again this year with the more desirable colours selling for as much as double their price on online auction sites.

There is a fine line between gadget and toy these days and the new Furby does a lot more than the original all those years ago. The eyes are far more emotive thanks to the small LCD panels they house and your Furby can even develop a personality. Apps are available for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad to allow you to interact with Furby in new ways in addition to live translations of Furbish to English. If your kids have asked for a Furby for Christmas this year and you see one when you’re out shopping, buy it immediately, you may not get another chance without paying over the odds.

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Guest article written by: Joe Jones is a gadget geek who likes to stay updated with all the latest trends. He writes a technology blog and also contributes to a blog about electronic manufacture.

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Guest article written by: Joe Jones is a gadget geek who likes to stay updated with all the latest trends. He writes a technology blog and also contributes to a blog about electronic manufacture.

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