WE’RE ALL EARS...
Our gift guide continues with a roundup of the best tech goodies priced between £100 and £500
WELCOME to the second part of our festive gift guide for the tech lovers in your life.
This week we’re looking at stuff priced between £100 and £500 – next week we’ll have some ideas coming in at under £100.
SEGA GENESIS MINI
Take a trip back to the Nineties and show them what real gaming was about – none of that hyper-realistic graphics stuff going on here, just fast and frenetic 16-bit joy.
Don’t be fooled by the name, either – it might say Genesis on the box, but this is a modern tiny version of the console that was sold here in the UK as the Sega Mega Drive.
This time around it comes with two controllers and more than 40 classic games built-in. Included in the list are the first two Sonic The Hedgehog games, Ecco The Dolphin, Earthworm Jim and many others.
■ £199.99 at amazon.co.uk
META QUEST 2
Meta’s consumer VR set remains the best bet if you’re wanting to get a head start in the connected world of online spaces known as the Metaverse.
There is a quite large range of software already, including games and virtual experiences, which make this VR headset more relevant than it’s ever been. But over time, as Meta builds out its Metaverse, the Quest 2 will be useful for a lot more than just games.
Get them this, and you’ll be buying a slice of the future that can still be a whole lot of fun right now. ■ From £399.99 at meta.com
iPAD
The latest iteration of the iPad came in for a bit of stick when it came out a couple of months ago – largely it seems, because it wasn’t as good as iPad Pro (which is much more expensive…).
Of course, the price of this iPad is higher than the previous generation (which remains available), but you’re getting more for your money.
Add an Apple Pencil and a Keyboard Folio case and you’ve got a proper laptop alternative that
will supercharge their creativity. ■ From £499 at apple.com/uk
BEATS FIT PRO
Headphones can be a matter of personal choice and quite often the ones you choose won’t be the ones that sound best, but the ones that will stay in your ears…
Luckily Beats offer the Fit Pro, which not only sound great, but also have one of the most comfortable and secure fits out there.
Whatever they’re doing – from working out to listening to their favourite tunes, the Fit Pro work very well on all levels.
■ £159.99 at amazon.co.uk
INSTA360 LINK
Everyone is spending more time on video calls than we ever did before the pandemic, and that could be for work or keeping in touch with friends and family. It’s not a trend that’ll be going away anytime soon.
Laptop makers are beginning to catch up and have started
upgrading their built-in cameras, but you can buy sensational add-on webcams that will offer many more possibilities – and the Link from action camera-maker Insta360 is one of the best. Good for budding video podcasters, too…
■ £302.99 from store.insta360.com
GOPRO HERO 11 BLACK MINI
GoPro’s action cams can be a little on the pricey side if you go for the ones that can do everything.
This year, with the Hero 11, the company decided to do something a little different and release a mini version of their flagship
device. It has no screen and boasts very simple controls – it’s designed to be attached somewhere, like your bike or helmet, and then forgotten about while they get on with the important business of having fun.
Once that’s over they can sit back and relive it all again, with stunning footage that matches that captured by its big brother in terms of quality.
£299.99 at gopro.com