What NOT to buy for Christmas
Don’t disappoint your loved ones with useless and overpriced tech gifts. Robert Irvine reveals the rip-off devices to avoid and recommends what to buy instead
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales may be over, but there’s still time to buy your loved ones new devices for Christmas. However, with money tighter than ever this year, it’s important to choose technology gifts wisely, so you don’t spend a fortune on an item that will disappoint the recipient and embarrass you. Few of us can afford to splash out on luxury items such as smart TVS, ipads and high-end phones, but there are other, less expensive devices that are not worth buying because they don’t work as promised or are overpriced for what they offer. Here we suggest five tech rip-offs you should avoid.
Photo stick Why you might buy one
A photo stick sounds like the perfect gift for a keen photographer. It lets you back up all your precious pictures and videos from your PC or phone to a thumb-sized device so you can take them anywhere with you. The sticks include software for organising your images, which sounds handy if you have a huge collection.
Why you shouldn’t
Photo sticks are typically bog-standard USB sticks sold for overinflated prices. For example, the 128GB model of one of the most popular devices, Thephotostick, costs £134 (www.snipca.com/44143, pictured below left), while you can buy a 128GB USB stick from the reputable brand Sandisk for just £11 (www.snipca. com/44144).
That price difference isn’t justified by the software installed on photo sticks – the excellent free program Faststone Image Viewer (www.snipca.com/44145) is a much better option for managing your pictures and performing simple edits. It also has a portable version you can run from a standard, much cheaper USB stick.
Some photo-stick manufacturers sell devices with Lightning connectors, which plug into your iphone or ipad to back up your mobile images, or USB-C connectors for Android phones and tablets. But for £53 – about half the price – you can buy a 128GB Sandisk USB stick (www.snipca.com/44146) that features USB-A and Lightning connectors, and comes with a USB-C adapter, which means you can use it with Android and IOS devices, as well as your PC.
Generic Android tablet Why you might buy one
The Tesco Hudl and Hudl 2 were among the most popular tech Christmas gifts in 2013 and 2014, proving that budget
Android tablets didn’t need to be poor quality. But most Hudls have long stopped working, and many new tablets cost hundreds of pounds, so you may consider buying a cheap generic device from an unknown brand.
Why you shouldn’t
An Android tablet for under £100 might seem like a bargain, but look closely at the specifications and you’ll usually see why it’s so cheap. It may run an old version of Android that’s unlikely to be updated, or it might be severely underpowered, with a slow processor, limited storage and meagre amount of RAM. There’s also a security risk, with some Chinese tablets sold on Amazon and ebay found to contain malware.
You can avoid these problems by buying your loved one an Amazon Fire tablet – the latest 7in model costs just £60 with ads, or an extra tenner without (www.snipca.com/44148, pictured above)
and has 16GB of storage (get 32GB for £80). Fire tablets run a modified version of Android, and though they don’t let you access the Google Play Store, you can install nearly half a million apps from the Amazon Appstore.
If you’re happy to spend more for proper Android and a larger screen, Samsung’s latest ‘budget’ tablet, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite costs £149 (www. snipca.com/44150), while the previous model is available from Amazon for £125 (www.snipca.com/44149). Both have an 8.7in screen and 32GB of storage. Alternatively, save money by buying a Lenovo Tab M7 for £99 (www.snipca. com/44151), which also has 32GB of memory but only a 7in screen.
Huawei phone Why you might buy one
With their superb cameras, stunning screens, brilliant battery life and generous storage, Huawei phones rival Apple and Samsung models for specifications, yet cost hundreds of pounds less. For example, you can buy the 64GB Huawei P40 Lite E from Amazon for just £190 (www.snipca. com/44158, pictured below).
Why you shouldn’t
Since March 2020, the US government has blocked Huawei from using Google Mobile Services, which means you can’t access the Google Play Store on the company’s latest phones and tablets, or install Google apps including Chrome, Youtube, Drive and Maps. Huawei offers its own App Gallery, but this has only 50,000 apps compared with the Play store’s 3.5 million.
There are workarounds for installing unavailable apps, but who wants a new phone that involves a lot of tweaking? And while you may be happy to live without Google in exchange for a great quality device – it will prevent lots of tracking, for starters (see our Cover Feature on page 50) – the recipient of your gift may not be as enthusiastic.
For an affordable Android phone that offers high-end specs, consider a Motorola model, such as the 128GB Moto G31, which currently costs £185 on
Amazon (www.snipca. com/44159).
Expensive earbuds Why you might buy them
Most people who enjoy listening to music, podcasts or audiobooks on their phone would be delighted to receive a pair of Apple Airpods for Christmas. They offer excellent sound quality, connect wirelessly via Bluetooth – so no cable tangles – and their distinctive design makes them instantly recognisable. Recent research suggests they can boost your hearing too - see page 8.
Why you shouldn’t
Even the cheapest, 2nd-generation Airpods cost £139 (www. snipca.com/44197), so when the recipient remarks “oh, you shouldn’t have”, they may actually mean it – especially if they’ve lost one by Boxing Day. A thriftier option is to buy a pair of Earfunair Bluetooth earbuds for just £40 (www.snipca. com/44153, pictured above). They’re comfortable to wear, easy to use and deliver punchy, expansive sound, with a lengthy battery life and waterproof design. Read the five-star review from
our sister title, What Hi-fi at www. snipca.com/44154.
Novelty chargers Why you might buy one
A portable power bank in the shape of an animal or other character seems like a fun gift for a young relative. It has the dual benefits of giving them something cute to carry around and ensuring their phone doesn’t run out of battery when they’re out and about.
Why you shouldn’t
Your grandchild won’t thank you when they discover that their new tech toy doesn’t work properly. For example, customer reviews of the Deecozy Small Portable Charger (£26 from www.snipca. com/44160, pictured above right), which is shaped like a cat or bear in a spaceship, suggests that it only charges phones by around five per cent, and comes with a Chinese manual.
We’re not saying that all novelty devices are useless, but in the long term ‘practical’ is more important than ‘fun’. A pocket-sized Anker Power Bank (£23 from www.snipca.com/44161) may not light up young faces with joy, but at least it will charge their devices.