Under the tree

Gifting is made even better this year thanks to Vodafone Social Pass. Pick the perfect phone for your loved one and rest assured they’ll stay connected all summer long. Here are our top picks...

My younger brother would be thrilled if I gifted him the Vodafone Smart N9 lite. This phone packs a punch at the a ordable price of only $129*. Featuring both an 8MP camera and a 5MP selfie camera, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to capture those holiday moments when he goes camping with friends this summer. Catherine Wilkinson, style director

My father-in-law doesn’t like using technology, which means we don’t get to talk to him as much as we would like, so the Alcatel 3026 (at $59*) is the perfect way to help him stay in touch. The large ergonomic keypad is great for his big panelbeater fingers — and the extra-loud HD sound will help him pick up our calls in time! The Alcatel 3026 is also compatible with some types of hearing aids, and has an assistance feature which means he can easily contact us if he needs our assistance. Sally Conor, sub editor

My husband owns his own business, which means the Vodafone Smart N9 is the perfect gift for him this Christmas. As he’s often on the go and needs to stay connected at all times, the speedy device means there is no time wasted. With its large 5.5” HD display, it’s the perfect smartphone for him to jump between apps, stay on top of his emails and take the perfect snap. At $199*, it’s a great value smartphone. Fiona Ralph, features editor

I’m constantly bugging my husband to take photos while we’re on holiday, so it’s only fair I provide him with the appropriate tools right? The Vodafone Smart X9 (available from mid-November for $299*) o ers superior performance with a fantastic dual camera experience (16MP + 8MP selfie camera), plus other features such as auto HDR, slow mo and super night mode. The fingerprint sensor means it’s modern enough to satisfy his techy side, while the huge 5.7” touchscreen will come in handy for his TradeMe obsession! Kristina Rapley, editor

The Huawei Nova 3i (at $499) in stunning Iris Purple is the perfect treat for me this Christmas. The four integrated cameras bring to life rich and beautiful colours in a spectacular way, allowing me to capture all my summer occasions in style. With endless social data on my favourite social apps from only 36c per day when I buy a 28 day Vodafone Social Pass, I can instantly share my summer snaps on my social pages thanks to Vodafone Social Pass. And with a huge 128GB internal memory, there’s plenty of storage space for my photos. Fiona Kerr, art director

My youngest son, 11, currently uses my phone to make videos and play games, so perhaps it’s time we got him one of his own. The Vodafone Smart C9 comes with a 4” touchscreen, two cameras (a 2MP and a VGA 0.3MP selfie camera), GPS, phonejack and FM radio. Amazingly, this Smartphone is just $49* and comes with a free MyFlex Prepay SIM, so I can design a monthly prepay plan of data, minutes and texts to suit him (and with plan prices starting from only $13 it’ll suit my budget too!) Stephanie Attwater, chief sub editor

DID YOU KNOW: Social Pass from Vodafone enables you to share how cool your Christmas is looking, with endless social data on your favourite social apps (including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest) from only 36c per day when you purchase a 28 day Vodafone Social Pass. Social Pass keeps you connected all summer long; design your perfect Christmas on Pinterest, keep in touch with friends and family near and far over Facebook, upload your festive snaps to Instagram, hashtag your Christmas on Twitter – Vodafone Social Pass gives you endless social data for sharing!