Best technology gifts under $250 for the 2019 holidays
If you haven’t yet begun thinking about your holiday shopping list yet, time to get on it. And if you want to let someone know how special they are, dropping a couple of Benjamins is almost a prerequisite. Here are four of CNET’s top gift picks for under $250 for this holiday season.
Vizio SB3621
CNET rating: 5 stars out of 5 (Spectacular) The good: The Vizio SB3621 offers excellent performance for an ultra-budget sound bar with great movie sound and toe-tapping music playback. The sound bar offers a decent selection of inputs including Bluetooth and will decode both Dolby and DTS. The sound bar and wireless sub feature excellent build quality and a seamless setup.
The bad: The LED display is not very helpful, and the WAV-file-only USB port is a little weird.
The cost: $149.99 to $179.99
The bottom line: The Vizio SB3621n-E8 is the best sound bar under $300 we have ever heard. If you want better TV sound, it’s the new budget benchmark.
Apple AirPods Pro
CNET rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (Outstand
ing)
The good: The AirPods Pro have an ultracompact, lightweight, noise-isolating and sweatproof design that fits more ears securely and delivers better bass and overall sound than the original AirPods. Their active noise-canceling significantly reduces ambient noise and they have a transparency mode to let in sound. Headset performance when making calls is top-notch. Case supports wireless charging, and replacement ear tips are dirt cheap.
The bad: The sound quality is good, but some competitors sound better. It’s unclear if these have better long-term battery life than the original AirPods.
The cost: $249 to $249.99
The bottom line: While they don’t quite have the best-in-class sound quality, they are great true wireless headphones that exceed the standard AirPods in nearly every way.
Sonos One
CNET rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (Outstanding) The good: The Sonos One integrates both Alexa and Google Assistant voice control, with better sound quality than any smart speaker at its price. It offers smart home controls from both systems and its far-field microphone performs well. The Sonos One works seamlessly with Sonos multiroom system and can pair with a second One for stereo sound.
The bad: The One costs twice as much as an Amazon Echo. You can’t switch between the Assistant and Alexa on the fly, and need to run setup again. It doesn’t work well if you have an Echo within earshot. There’s no Bluetooth.
The cost: $199
The bottom line: The Sonos One reaffirms its place as the best smart speaker for the
money.
Apple Watch Series 3
CNET rating: 4.stars out of 5 (Excellent) The good: Cellular connection works well for phone calls, email, Siri and messages. Music now syncs more easily. Improvements in fitness tracking and added watch faces. Adds barometer to GPS and swimproofing. Same overall size as the previous model.
The bad: Battery life takes a major hit when making calls or during GPS workouts. 42mm cellular model is expensive, and that’s before monthly wireless service and Apple Music fees. Still requires an iPhone to set up and pair with.
The cost: $189 to $215.95
The bottom line: The Apple Watch Series 3 is the best overall smartwatch you can buy, but battery limitations and add-on fees keep it from being a must-have upgrade.