Every holiday season, there are so many electronic devices to choose from when shopping for your loved ones that it’s hard to know which ones are worth the money. In this article, I will provide a list of what I feel are the best, most affordable electronics available this holiday season so you can feel at ease while doing your holiday shopping.
All prices are subject to change.
Tablets
7”
If you’re looking for a more portable tablet device, you have a few options to choose from. The new Nexus 7, Amazon Kindle Fire HD, iPad mini, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 are all great choices if you are constantly on the move and want something more portable than the standard 10-inch tablet.
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Nexus 7: $229 for 16GB Wi-Fi model, $269 for 32GB Wi-Fi model, $349 for 32GB LTE Wi-Fi, LTE, HSPA+ model
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Amazon Kindle Fire HD: $139 for 8GB model, $169 for 16GB model
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Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0: $399 for 16GB model
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iPad mini: $299 for 16GB Wi-Fi model, $429 for 16GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model
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iPad mini with Retina display: Wi-Fi models: $399 for 16GB, $499 for 32GB, $599 for 64GB, $699 for 128GB; Wi-Fi+ + Cellular models: $529 for 16GB, $629 for 32GB, $729 for 64GB, $829 for 128GB
(iPad mini with Retina display is being released later this month, and this version is in very high demand. It is predicted that it will be very hard to find before the holidays arrive).
10”
The 10-inch size is the most popular among tablet devices. It’s not too big, but not too small, either. It’s the perfect size for people who don’t have laptops, or just want something with a bigger screen on-the-go.
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Apple iPad Air: Wi-Fi models: $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB, $799 for 128GB; Wi-Fi + Cellular models: $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB, $829 for 64GB, $929 for 128GB.
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Google Nexus 10: $399 for 16GB, $499 for 32GB
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Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1: $549 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB
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Nook HD+: $149 for 16GB, $179 for 32GB
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Amazon Kindle Fire HDX: Wi-Fi models: $229 for 16GB, $269 for 32GB, $309 for 64GB; Wi-Fi + AT&T/Verizon 4G LTE models: $329 for 16GB, $369 for 32GB, $409 for 64GB
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Sony Xperia Tablet Z: Wi-Fi models: $449 for 16GB, $549 for 32GB; Wi-Fi + 4G LTE: $579 for 16GB
Smartphones
It seems like no matter what you do, you’re always behind when you pick up a new smartphone. You buy the “latest and greatest” thing, and then it becomes obsolete within a few months. I am going to list the phones that I feel will survive and perform well even after that two-year contract runs out (Prices listed are with two-year contract unless specified).
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Nexus 5 (unlocked): $349 for 16GB, $399 for 32GB
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LG G2: $149 on Verizon, $99 on Sprint, $149 on AT&T, $99 on T-Mobile
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Samsung Galaxy S4: $249 on Verizon, $199 on Sprint, $199 on AT&T
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Samsung Galaxy Note 3: $299 on Verizon, $349 on Sprint, $299 on AT&T
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Motorola Droid Maxx: $99 for 4G model, $199 for 4G LTE model on Verizon Wireless
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HTC One: $99 on Verizon, $199 on Sprint, $99 on AT&T
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Nokia Lumia 928: $99 exclusively on Verizon
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Nokia Lumia 1020: $199 exclusively on AT&T
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iPhone 5s: $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB for Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T
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iPhone 5c: $99 for $16GB, $199 for 32GB
Laptops
For people who need more power than a tablet can offer, there are many affordable laptops available. From thin, touch-screen models to big, powerful gaming machines, there is a laptop for everyone.
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Acer C7 Chromebook: $279
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Dell Inspiron 15: $349
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Lenovo G580: $349
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Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E431: $527
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Microsoft Surface Windows 8 Pro: $799
Cameras
For more serious photographers who need more than a built-in camera on a smartphone, there are a lot of options: From point-and-shoots to DSLRs, there’s something for every type of photographer.
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Canon PowerShot Elph 330 HS: $149
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Canon PowerShot A2500: $73
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Nikon D5200: $549
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Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS: $379
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Canon EOS Rebel T3i: $489
Video game consoles and handhelds
This holiday season, the brand new Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will be available for consumers to purchase, along with the Wii U which has been available for about a year. Here are the options for the gamers on your holiday shopping list.
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PlayStation 4: $399 for system (includes one DualShock 4 controller), $499 for various game bundles
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Xbox One: $499 for system (includes one controller and Kinect), $599 for various game bundles
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Wii U: $249 for 8GB, $269 for 32GB, $299 for various 32GB game bundles
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Nintendo 2DS: $129
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Nintendo 3DS: $169
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Nintendo 3DS XL: $199
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PlayStation Vita: $199 for 3G/Wi-Fi bundle, $179 for Wi-Fi only system
