Shutterstock | TierneyMJ
It’s that time of year again, time to buy gifts as well as try to surprise the recipients! This year’s Holiday Tech Guide has something for everyone, and if you have any questions, I personally own every one of these products and can explain them all!
Sonos Roam Portable Bluetooth Speaker
$179 | tinyurl.com/2p8m78a9
You simply won’t get a portable speaker better than the Sonos Roam for the price. With characteristically strong sound from Sonos, useful smart home connectivity, and a bass-heavy output that helps it stand out amid noisy outdoor settings, this affordable speaker is a great gadget to buy as a gift. The IP67 water and dust resistance protect it from rain, sand, and even brief, 30-minute dips in the pool. It's compatible with wireless charging, with a 9 to 10-hour battery life.
Apple AirPods Pro 2
$249 | tinyurl.com/2ecrd4h3
Changes between AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2 ($249) are mostly on the inside for the earbuds: Improved active noise-cancellation, transparency mode that now includes an adaptive option, volume control with swipe gestures on earbud stems, and battery life increases from four hours to six hours.
While still part of the AirPods Pro experience, the other new features belong to the charging case: Improved battery life for the earbuds extends the total listening time to 30 hours.
Case charging adds Apple Watch charger support. The case now includes a U1 chip like AirTags. Built-in speaker for alert tones and pinging from the Find My app. Includes a built-in lanyard loop on the case (lanyard sold separately).
AirTags
$29 | apple.com
Keep track of and find your items alongside friends and devices in the Find My app.
A simple one-tap setup instantly connects AirTag with your iPhone or iPad.
Play a sound on the built-in speaker to help find your things, or just ask Siri for help finding it! Put on in your purse or wallet, and they make all kinds of cases and accessories with AirTag support! Find items further away with the help of hundreds of millions of Apple devices in the Find My network. Put AirTag into Lost Mode to be automatically notified when it’s detected in the Find My network. All communication with the Find My network is anonymous and encrypted for privacy, location data and history are never stored on AirTag.
mophie speedport 120 4-port GaN wall charger travel kit (120W)
$139.95 | tinyurl.com/2p8tybma
The mophie speedport 120 4-port GaN wall charger delivers a maximum shared output of up to 120W of fast charging power. The speedport 120 has three USB-C PD ports and one USB-A port, so you can charge up to four devices at once. GaN technology uses high-performance internal silicon components to increase charging efficiency in an ultra-compact form factor. So, you get faster power in a smaller charger.
Belkin BOOST CHARGE™ 3-in-1 Wireless Charger for iPhone + Apple Watch + AirPods
$139.95 | tinyurl.com/59uypctj
Ideal for your nightstand, the Belkin BOOST Charge 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock provides wireless charging power to your Apple devices while you sleep. A 7.5-watt wireless charging pad fuels your Qi-certified iPhone at the fastest possible wireless speed, while the built-in Magnetic Charging Module powers your Apple Watch while supporting Nightstand mode. The 3-in-1 dock also features a third Qi wireless module designed for your AirPods or AirPods Pro, so you can now charge all three devices from a single AC outlet.
Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro
$799 and up | apple.com
The new iPhone is leaps and bounds above previous models, here are some of the specs:
The lock screen is always glanceable, so you don’t even have to tap it to stay in the know. When the iPhone is turned face down or in your pocket, it goes dark to save battery life. In an emergency, if you don’t have cell service or Wi‑Fi, your iPhone lets you text emergency services over satellite. iPhone 14 Pro can detect a severe car crash, then call 911 and notify your emergency contacts. iPhone 14 Pro camera raises the bar for what 48 megapixels can do—delivering 4x the resolution in ProRAW for mind-blowing detail in every crop. And no SIM card is needed, and MagSafe charging and magnetic accessory support are standard.