The holiday season is a favorite time of year for those who love to give (and receive) high-tech gifts.
It’s the one time of year when many of us splurge, throw fiscal caution to the wind and maybe spend a little more than usual.
If you’re shopping for a someone who’s into the latest consumer electronics, gadgets and technology –and budget isn’t first and foremost– then you’ll love the high-tech gifts in this holiday gift guide.
We’ve put together 10 of the hottest, coolest and most buzz-worthy products of 2016, regardless of how much they cost. Because with this gift guide, the sky’s the limit.
High-Tech Gifts 2016 (The Sky’s the Limit): LG Signature 4K OLED TV
With more 4K streaming options than ever, 4K TV’s are a holiday gift guide given this year.
Good as 4K content looks on any UltraHD TV, nothing compares to the viewing experience the LG Signature 4K OLED TV delivers.
With a 77-inch 4K display, you know the picture is going to be good. But make that an LG OLED panel with HDR support and video absolutely pops.
This TV has won an impressive collection of awards, justifying the rather steep $19,999.99 price tag.
High-Tech Gifts 2016 (The Sky’s the Limit): Google WiFi
Virtually everything in a high-tech home relies on Wi-Fi.
Smart devices like thermostats, smartphones, game consoles, PCs, video streamers — without a good Wi-Fi connection their performance suffers.
But many homes struggle with consistent Wi-Fi. That’s why Alphabet Inc’s (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google WiFi makes such a great gift.
For $299, a three-pack of these small, attractive routers are distributed around the house. They then work together to offer mesh Wi-Fi coverage, so the entire house gets consistent, strong, 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
No dead zones, no overloaded network and no engineering degree needed to make it all work.
High-Tech Gifts 2016 (The Sky’s the Limit): Apple Watch Edition Series 2
The Apple Watch Edition made our 2015 guide to the best high-tech gifts, but Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) switched things up in 2016.
The Apple Watch is still the most popular smartwatch on the planet. With watchOS 3, it’s zippier and easier to use than ever. The 2016 models have built-in GPS, a brighter screen and faster performance.
But the Apple Watch Edition Series 2 goes from being made of gold, to being made of high-tech, brilliant white ceramic.
It’s still pricey at $1,249 and up, but this year you can surprise someone with Apple’s best for a fraction of the cost of last year’s model.
High-Tech Gifts 2016 (The Sky’s the Limit): Kindle Oasis E-Reader
For those who love reading e-books, using a tablet or smartphone is a series of compromises. A dedicated e-reader is by far the best experience.
And when it comes to e-readers, the one to beat for a premium experience is Amazon.com, Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Kindle Oasis.
It has an ultra-high resolution display, a premium leather cover (with built-in auxiliary battery), adjustable lighting and a fancy design featuring metal and glass construction. It’s also the thinnest and lightest Kindle the company makes.
At $289.99 the Kindle Oasis isn’t cheap, but any technology loving reading fan would undoubtedly love to receive one as a gift.
High-Tech Gifts 2016 (The Sky’s the Limit): Oculus Rift + Touch Controllers
Virtual reality has generated a huge amount of buzz in 2016. Leading the pack is Facebook Inc’s (NASDAQ:FB) Oculus.
The Oculus Rift VR headset was released earlier this year. But what took the whole virtual reality experience to the next level was the long-awaited release in December of Oculus Touch controllers.
The complete rig isn’t cheap. The Oculus Rift is $599, while the Oculus Touch controllers will set you back another $199.
But for someone who’s itching to experience the best in VR, the Rift + Touch combination is tough to beat.
High-Tech Gifts 2016 (The Sky’s the Limit): Raumfeld Stereo L Streaming Speakers
What’s the best system for streaming music?
Many people would immediately say Sonos. The company has been pushing Wi-Fi streaming speakers for years.
However, there’s a new player in town.
Raumfeld is a German audio company that has been selling audiophile streaming music solutions in Europe for years, but just entered the U.S. market in 2016.
If you want to impress a music-lover with a killer Wi-Fi audio system, skip the Sonos and pick up a pair of Raumfeld Stereo L wireless speakers instead. At $2,399 they aren’t cheap. But with 400-watts powering multiple drivers they will blow away anything Sonos offers.
And the Bauhaus-inspired design means this system looks as good as it sounds.
High-Tech Gifts 2016 (The Sky’s the Limit): DJI Mavic
Drones are still hot, despite some setbacks like GoPro Inc’s (NASDAQ:GPRO) Karma.
While we picked DJI’s Inspire 1 Drone in last year’s “Sky’s the Limit” gift guide, for 2016 we’re looking at the DJI Mavic.
This one is a consumer-oriented drone, rather than professional, but it adds a key new feature: folding.
It’s still a high performance drone, with speeds of up to 40 mph, a 4K stabilized camera and a range of over 4 miles, but the DJI Mavic can be folded up and carried in a backpack.
That’s a big win for drone fans. At $999 it’s not exactly cheap, but the DJI Mavic makes a great high-tech gift for anyone who wants to take to the skies without leaving the ground.
High-Tech Gifts 2016 (The Sky’s the Limit): Alienware 17 Gaming Laptop
Dell’s Alienware 17 laptop could well be the ultimate mobile PC gaming system.
Starting at $1,449.99, even the base model is VR-ready and includes advanced new Tobii eye-tracking technology.
Spring for the $2,449 model, and you get mind-blowing power that any PC gaming fan will be drooling over. The latest Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) Core i7 CPU. an Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) GTX 1070 video card with 8GB of RAM, 512GB SSD + 1TB HDD and a 17-inch QHD display.
Those are a lot of numbers, but they add up to an unbeatable mobile gaming system.
High-Tech Gifts 2016 (The Sky’s the Limit): Lightning LS-218 Electric Motorcycle
Do you have someone on your shopping list who combines a love of technology with a need for speed?
If so — and if you have deep pockets — you might want to have a look at the Lightning LS-218 electric motorcycle.
This two-wheeled high-tech masterpiece is the world’s fastest production motorcycle. Its 200HP engine is capable of propelling it to speeds of 218 miles per hour. Range maxes out at 160 miles with an optional extended battery pack, but with a fast charger, it’s ready in just 30 minutes.
The Lighting LS-218 starts at $38,888.
High-Tech Gifts 2016 (The Sky’s the Limit): Crosley C10 Commonwealth Turntable
Finally, another hot trend for 2016 and one of the best gifts for music lovers: a turntable.
Not just any turntable, this is a limited edition collaboration between Crosley Radio and Moore & Giles.
Crosley is best known for the inexpensive suitcase turntables you see in malls. But the Crosley C10 is another beast. It’s made in partnership with Pro-Ject, a company known for building audiophile quality gear.
The Crosley C10 Commonwealth turntable is a C10 dressed up in Moores & Gile leather.
The result is an $840 limited edition turntable that is sure to turn the head of any vinyl collector and it makes the perfect addition to any high-tech audio setup.
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
