The holidays are right around the corner and with two teenagers of my own I got to thinking about the top 5 tech gadgets for the holidays. Let me tell you, finding a gift teenagers actually like is tough! All they really want to do is sleep and be on summer vacation year round. If they absolutely have to be awake, what they really want to do is to stare at some sort of screen. Queue the top 5 Tech Gadget Gift Ideas for Teenagers tracked by gap intelligence:
Smartphone
First and foremost on every teenager's list is probably a new smartphone. Every kid wants the latest and greatest in the smartphone realm! I'd say that most users fall into two categories: Apple lovers and Anything But Apple lovers. For the Apple lovers, the new iPhone 8 is a guaranteed win with a great camera and Apple's famous user friendly iOS. For the Anything But Appple lovers, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is one of the most high-end phones around. With it's crystal clear 5.8 inch dsiplay and a 12 megapixel camera, the S8 is sure to be a hit! These two phones are comparable in cost and availablity so the choice really comes down to personal preference.
Laptop
One of the best deals out there for a general, do-anything system best for techy teenagers is the HP ProBook x360 Education Edition placed for $299 at the Microsoft Store. Touted by HP to be "Built to survive students and the school day" with its powerful, durable, and flexible design, and Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4, co-molded industrial rubber, and pick- and minor spill-resistant keyboard. Don't dismiss it's versatility, with teenagers able to annotate, draw, solve math problems, and even take notes right on the screen with integrated premium touch technology.
Tablet
A good tablet like the Microsoft Surface Pro is incredibly versatile. Transform the Surface Pro into Laptop Mode by opening the built-in Kickstand and adding the new Surface Pro Signature Type Cover, featuring an exceptionally responsive, full keyboard experience. Lower the Kickstand to place Surface Pro in Studio Mode for the perfect writing and drawing angle with the new Surface Pen. Or close the Kickstand for a powerful, stand-alone Intel® tablet.
Monitor
Pick up a budget-friendly, large-screen monitor you can dock your laptop to. Teenagers can use that big screen for movies, video games, and even school work. This ultrawide LG IPS monitor from Best Buy is great option. Its native resolution is 2560 x 1080, giving you more screen area in which to work in and providing a wider view for your design processes.
Pocket Printer
These smartphone sized printers are the latest craze among millenials. HP's Sprocket is a big hit with it's small and sturdy design and true ease of use! Borders and text boxes can be added to the prints and it can print up to 50 photos without running out of battery. A fun plus is that the photo paper is sticky so pictures can be used as stickers. The Sprocket can be found at many of the stores on gap intelligence's retail panel as well as online for about $129.
Now that you know the top 5 must-haves teens will love for the holidays, you can send your child out into the world ready to play (and learn too). I know all of these gifts would help in the struggle to get my kids excited about the holidays (hopefully they can do the same for you). gappy Holidays!
