Whether you are splurging a bit of the year-end bonus on yourself, or saving up for a nice mobile gadget for a loved one, Holiday 2014 promises to be a season of many options.
From high-end and low-cost smartphones to tablets that do it all, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to picking the right gizmo as a gift. Here are five suggestions when it comes to a portable gadget to put a smile on someone’s face.
LG G3 – S$868
While market leaders Samsung and Apple get all the attention, LG has arguably the most desirable and balanced smartphone in the market today, in the form of the excellent G3.
With a 5.5-inch that is big but not so big that it sticks so clearly out of your pocket like a 6-inch “phablet”, the G3 has slim bezels to make the most out of a compact frame. It helps too that the 2,560 x 1,440 resolution is really sharp.
While the look and feel are sleek, what makes the G3 stand out is its nifty features. You can tap on a blank screen to unlock things, and a power button smartly placed at the back gives you easy access, unlike other phones.
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is powerful, and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus is good-looking, but the LG G3 could well be the phone to have this holiday season for its balance of great looks and feature-packed package.
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact – S$798
If you want a smaller Android phone, Sony’s Xperia Z3 Compact has to be top of your list. Featuring the same design DNA as the larger Xperia Z3, the smaller phone feels right in the hand with its 4.6-inch screen.
It helps too that the device is waterproof and dust-tight. This means the nifty little gizmo can follow you on jogs or even an afternoon by the pool. A sporty person would like the Xperia Z3 Compact.
A 20.7-megapixel camera is backed by Sony’s well-liked image sensors, so you can expect snapshots from holidays to impress as well. What also wins over users for Sony is its Android interface, which is flat, simple and easy to use.
Asus Zenfone 5 LTE – from S$249
The low-end smartphone market is one of the most competitive, but if I were to pick one phone from a number of models I like, it has to be the Asus Zenfone 5 LTE.
Though its 5-inch screen sports a modest 720p resolution, the phone stands out for its 4G capabilities and generally well-designed body. Holding it for the first time, you don’t feel this is a budget phone at all.
Which means the Zenfone 5 LTE should make for a great choice as a first smartphone for a loved one. The Asus interface is friendly, while the relatively low cost of between S$249 and S$299, depending on the 4G model, means this is an economical yet impressive gift.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S – from S$598 for 8.4-incher, and from S$848 for 10.5-incher
When it comes to tablets, the first one that catches your eye from a row of tablets has to be Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S. With either an 8.4-inch or 10.5-inch screen, the Korean firm’s top-end tablets hold a trump card over rivals in its Super AMOLED screens.
I know, its critics often say the colours are overly saturated, but I’ve always liked these Samsung screens since the old Galaxy Tabs. For many users, I’d argue, the return of the vibrant colours and deep contrast on the new Galaxy Tab S devices is a boost for Android tablet fans.
Good news is, Samsung has also bumped up the resolution. With 2,560 x 1,600, magazine pages will look sharp, as will high-res images.
Amazingly, all these features are packed into a frame that is just 6.6mm thick. That’s thinner than the iPad mini 3’s 7.5mm, and the Samsung devices also come with a microSD card slot for stuffing memory cards full with movies and songs on a long trip.
Apple iPad mini 3 – from S$548
Being just a little thicker than its Korean rival doesn’t mean the small Apple tablet is no longer a gift that will delight this Christmas. The current iPad mini 3, with a new operating system and a sharp 2,048 x 1,536 resolution, is still a top gift.
Souped up from last year’s model, the new 7.9-inch tablet comes with a fingerprint sensor for logging in easily and a souped up 64-bit processor. Its sleek, metallic finish certainly doesn’t hurt.
What would you look forward to over Holiday 2014? Share with us in the comments!
Bad recommendation for the ipad mini 3. For a cheaper price you can get the ipad mini retina from last year for a cheaper price. The only difference is no touch ID