But after a bumper crop of tech launches this year, navigating the gadget stars and 'turkeys' of 2013 can be a minefield for anyone.Take mobiles, for example. While most smartphone geeks would agree that the BlackBerry Z10, without the manufacturer's unique selling point of a QWERTY keyboard, fell wide of the mark, other mobiles proved more divisive. Take the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom - a clunky, hybrid of smartphone and snapper, which sported only a mildly impressive 16-megapixel camera. And those looking for affordable handsets weren't fooled by the Apple iPhone 5C and its garish range of colours. Bold though it may look, it's only separated by £80 from the more refined 5S, which also packs a faster processor punch.However, this has been a good year for affordable - and by that I mean genuinely affordable - technology. As stocking fillers, mobiles are pricier than the usual satsumas, chocolate coins and walnuts, but for those on tighter budgets there's no longer any need to compromise on features. The Motorola Moto G has been widely praised by reviewers, boasting a nice set of features and a powerful quad-core processor and 4.5-inch HD display. With its changeable, colourful cases, it also looks a little bit like Apple's iPhone 5C - just without the price tag.But while there are mobiles galore to pick from - like critical darlings the HTC One, Sony Xperia Z1, LG's G2, and of course the iPhone 5S with fingerprint ID technology - tablets are likely to be the most popular tech gift this Christmas.More convenient than laptops, and now catching up with them when it comes to creating - as well as consuming - content, shoppers also have a range of prices to choose from. At the top end the iPad Air, and at the lower end of the spectrum there are decent options at around the £100 mark, like the Tesco Hudl or the cheapest tablet on the market from Aldi. The budget supermarket beat high-end competition from the likes of Harrods and Waitrose when it came to its Christmas pudding, so it's perhaps unsurprising that its £80 value tablet sold out in its first weekend. In fact, there's a wealth of Android tablets which won't break the bank as well as solid higher-end offerings like the Nokia Lumia 2520, available via the king of weepy Christmas ads, John Lewis.
There's also a spot for 'phablet' favourites like Samsung's Galaxy Note 3, bringing the best of both worlds by marrying tablet functionality - thanks to a whopping 5.7-inch HD display - to sleek smartphone stylings.Outside of phones and tablets, for those looking for Christmas entertainment that doesn't cause as many arguments as a family game of Monopoly, this year's latest games consoles, the Playstation 4 and Xbox One, offer the potential for hours of gaming distraction from Dead Rising 3 and Zoo Tycoon (Xbox One) to Knack and Killzone: Shadow Fall (PS4).So whether you're kicking it back with charades or wheeling out the Nintendo Wii for some team bowling, have a techtastic time this Christmas. And my one tip: If you're buying a tablet or a new smartphone for the kids, how about setting it up with a few fun and free apps first and then turning off in-app purchasing? Getting a bargain on your tech could be undone if they are free to run up huge bills by the time the last mince pie has been scoffed!* For more information visit www.uswitch.com/mobiles
No comments:
Post a Comment