Tech Trend Predictions for Christmas 2013

Buying for a gadget lover this Christmas but not sure what to get? This guide discusses some of the top techie gifts on offer for 2013, so you can find a piece of kit they’re sure to love.

Apple iPad Air

Only recently hitting the market, this new piece of kit from Apple – a company which typically dominates gadget lovers’ Christmas wish lists – is sure to be a hugely popular gift.

The Apple iPad Air comes with a 9.7-inch Retina display, five-megapixel iSight camera and powerful A7 chip. Of course, it also runs the latest iOS platform and comes with apps such as Siri pre-loaded.

Apple and other retailers may experience stock issues, so it’s a good idea to order yours early and try stores that sell the different variants, such as Viking IE, when ordering your Apple iPad Air.

HTC One

Crowned Mobile Phone of the Year and overall Gadget of the Year at the T3 Gadget Awards, the HTC One could be one of the most popular smartphone picks for Christmas 2013.

The Android device boasts a 4.7-inch FHD display, a powerful quad-core processor, 4G network compatibility, a HTC UltraPixel camera, and a battery that provides up to 18 hours’ talk time.

Apple iPod Touch

Apple dominates when it comes to the MP3 player category, and while the iPod Shuffle is a great budget option, the more expensive iPod Touch could be its most popular model.

This device comes with 16, 32 or 64GB of memory – the variant you choose should depend on the size of the users’ music library. The larger two are available in a range of colours.

Also equipped with a four-inch touchscreen Retina display, Wi-Fi connectivity, a five-megapixel iSight camera and Bluetooth 4.0, this piece of kit is not your typical music player.

HP Chromebook 11

As a budget laptop packed with impressive specifications and an increasingly popular operating system, the HP Chromebook 11 could fly off the shelves this Christmas.

Weighing just over 1kg and 17.6mm slim, the device is super compact and portable.  The 30Wh battery provides up to six hours of active use.

It comes with an 11.6-inch 16:9 display that boasts a 176-degree viewing angle, 2GB RAM, Dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity and an in-built webcam. There are also pre-installed apps such as Google Chat.

Sony PlayStation 4

This next-generation console is released just in time for Christmas, and many pre-orders have already been made in preparation for gifting.

Games like Call of Duty Ghosts, FIFA 14, Killzone Shadow Fall, Battlefield 4 and Need for Speed: Rivals are likely to fill up the stockings of those receiving a Sony PlayStation 4.

 

However, the console faces stiff competition from the Xbox One, which has similar specifications. The Guardian has this useful guide for parents who don’t know which one to buy.