If they’ve been very, very good this year... then so have these

Splashing out on high-end tech for a loved one this Christmas? We’ve rounded up the big ticket buys that have really wowed us in 2019

IF YOU’RE out to spend the big bucks this Christmas, you don’t want to be dropping that cash on a dud.

So with that in mind, we round up the best of the best in the tech world. Here are some of the finest gadgets out there for that extra special someone in your life.

And if you’re not looking to spend at the high end, fear not – we’ll be back next week with some more affordable ideas…

1. BOOSTED PLUS ELECTRIC SKATEBOARD

THERE’S no doubt our transport systems are going to have to change if we are to tackle the climate crisis – and if you’re going to ditch the car you might as well switch to a mode of transport that’s as fun as it is environmentally friendly.

The Boosted electric skateboard range fits the bill perfectly. The Plus is a long-board design that uses snowboard-style technology to provide a smooth responsive ride.

It can do up to 22mph, and the acceleration is controlled with a hand-held remote. Designed specifically for commuting, it can do 14 miles on a single charge.

Price: £1,349 from amazon.co.uk

2. APPLE IPHONE 11 PRO

THE best mobile phone you can buy at the moment, with perhaps the best camera. What Apple has in its favour when selling phones is the fanatical attention to detail of its design and build, and the perfect pairing of hardware and software built by the same people.

The latest software release – iOS 13 – may have been a bit buggy at first, but the creases are being ironed out as we speak. Whatever you want to do with your super-powerful iPhone 11 Pro, there’ll be an app for that.

Price: From £1,049 from apple.com/uk

3. APPLE MACBOOK AIR

THE MacBook Air might be the cheapest notebook Apple offers, but that doesn’t mean it’s cheap. Apple doesn’t make cheap laptops, because it knows it can’t if it is to maintain its high standards.

The newest MacBook Air features a 13in retina display, a fast Intel i5 processor, and all solid state drive storage. It’s fast, light, thin and easy on the eye. Your portable do-it-all laptop, with the power of macOS behind it.

Price: £1,099 from apple.com/uk

4. DJI MAVIC 2 ZOOM

THE arrival of consumer-affordable drones for photography and video has taken the kind of images that are possible to a whole new level for the enthusiast man in the street.

Of course, you have to use these things responsibly and play by the rules (you have to be a registered user once the drone weighs over 250g and under 20kg – and it costs around £9-per-year).

DJI makes the best consumer drones, and its Mavic 2 offers great value for money in all its editions.

Price: £1,099 from amazon.co.uk

5. SURFACE PRO X

MICROSOFT is still going strong despite being overtaken by others in the mobile space, and is turning out some terrific hardware these days.

The Surface Pro X is the latest and greatest in their line-up of do-it-all laptops.

It is both a regular PC notebook, and a fine touch-screen tablet, depending on your mood. It is super-thin and light, and its mobile connectivity means it’s always hooked up to the internet.

Teamed with the keyboard cover and the Slim Pen, it’s an all-in-one solution that works equally well on the small screen as on the big – it’s powerful enough to drive two external 4K displays.

Price: From £999 from microsoft.com

6. FUJIFILM X-T3

WHEN it comes to cameras, you might be happy with what comes out of your mobile phone. But even the best of the best can’t match a dedicated shooter like Fujifilm’s X-T3.

Fujifilm is making cameras with just the right amount of retro-appeal in their looks these days, combined with state-of-the art tech on the inside.

This camera is one of the latest – it looks great and sports features like Fujifilm’s celebrated X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and companion X-Processor 4 for superb image quality. Then there are nice-to-have features like weather resistance and the fabulous

Fuji film emulations built in.

Price: £1,459 with 18-55mm lens from amazon.co.uk

7. AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-AP2000TI

YOU want the best-sounding headphones there are? It will, I’m afraid, be costly. Technology has advanced dramatically in this area in recent years, and you can now buy decent headphones for peanuts.

But if decent doesn’t cut it for you, and why should it, turn to the experts. Audio-Technica’s high-end headphones look and sound incredible. Do you need largeaperture 53 mm drivers with a permendur magnetic circuit, or efficient airflow Core Mount technology? How about a diamondlike carbon (DLC) coating on diaphragms for full-range audio? Of course, you know you do…

Price: £1,200 from eu.audio-technica.com

8. BANG & OLUFSEN BEOSOUND 2

There are cheaper bluetooth speakers than the Beosound 2, that much is true. But are there any that are better? Not so sure about that. Bang & Olufsen make the best, so it seems unlikely. Don’t be fooled into thinking a device that looks as good as this speaker can’t match those looks with paramount sound – the Beosound 2 produces rich room-filling audio with plenty of presence and punch.

Price: £1,499 from amazon.

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9. MIELE CM 6150 COFFEE MACHINE

FORGET about your pod machines… if you want a proper cup of coffee there’s only one way to go. Freshly ground beans, brewed under the right pressure at the right temperature.

But you don’t want to have to train for years as an expert barista to achieve that perfect cup, do you? That’s what this coffee-maker is for – it does it all for you with the minimum of fuss. Price: £1,149 from miele.co. uk

10. THE FRAME 2019 55” ART MODE QLED 4K HDR SMART TV

YOU want the biggest TV you can get, don’t you? Otherwise how are you going to enjoy the incredible series and films the streaming services are pumping out from all corners these days. But you don’t want a massive screen dominating your living room.

That’s why Samsung made The Frame – hang it on your wall and it looks like a painting, displaying a selectable range of world-class art, and even dimming the screen to match the lighting in the room. Flick it to TV mode and it’s a fabulous 4K HDR Smart set.