The Hottest Tech Gifts of the Year People Will Actually Want

Small gadgets and handy techy gizmos work great as stocking stuffers or secret Santa gifts for friends, family, or coworkers. In fact, we’ve collected them in our comprehensive list of the Best 40 Techy Gifts under $100—that should give you plenty to parse through.

But this list is not that. These are the big tech products from 2025 that really got us amped up. They’re more expensive than what you’d buy for an acquaintance, but if you’re looking for a big reaction on Christmas morning from your kids, spouse, or significant other, one of these should do the trick.

For Any Nintendo Fan

Easy prediction: The Switch 2 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is going to be the best-selling piece of tech this holiday season. The system only came out in June, and plenty of people have likely been saving up for a holiday purchase. It’s a no-brainer for families, especially if they didn’t already own an original Switch. You likely already know what makes the Switch 2 so special, with its highly improved (and larger) screen over the original.

We aren’t anticipating any major price cuts, but several bundles help save some cash, especially if you are already planning on purchasing a particular game. For example, the bundle with Super Mario Kart World saves you $30, which helps get around the expensive prices of the games. If your giftee already has a Switch 2, I recommend checking out our Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, all of which have been tested by us, which could also make for a great gift for Nintendo fans.

For the Coffee Snob

Perhaps more than any other coffee machine, the xBloom Studio Coffee Machine (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is made for tinkerers. It’s an ambitious piece of tech that aims to recreate the perfect cup of pour-over coffee right in your home, all in one device. Coffee enthusiasts may scoff at the idea of automating a process that often takes such serious tweaking and precision, but according to our resident coffee expert and food tech reviewer, Matthew Korfhage, the xBloom Studio pulls it off.

Making coffee on the xBloom Studio doesn’t simplify the process of pour-over, enabling its own level of nerding out via the comprehensive app. Every imaginable element of the process can be fine-tuned. The level of detail most definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s also a sleek-looking appliance to have on your kitchen counter, though there are certainly cheaper coffee machines that still emphasize tech and style. But for the right person, the xBloom Studio Coffee Machine is a coffee nerd dream come true.

For the WFH Spouse

You know what they say: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Logitech MX Master 3S had long been the most popular productivity mouse you could buy, so there were big expectations for its successor. Thankfully, the MX Master 4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) delivers without rocking the boat too much. There’s now haptic support in the thumb rest, and you can press here to activate the virtual Actions Ring. You can customize the ring via the Logi Options+ app and have it launch apps, websites, insert symbols, or even text—the options are nearly endless.

It might not be worth an upgrade from the MX Master 3 or 3S, especially since the polling rate hasn’t changed, but there’s no question the MX Master 4 has taken the reins as the go-to wireless mouse for serious office workers. If there’s someone in your life who you know would appreciate a mouse that not only provides great ergonomic support but also feels extremely high-quality in the hand, look no further.

For more ideas on possible home office products that could work as gifts, check out our comprehensive guide to all the Best Work From Home Gear.

For Big-Screen Lovers

When it comes to tablets, there’s still nothing quite like the iPad. The latest model didn’t change much, just adding the A16 chip to the mix. It’s otherwise the same old iPad we all know and love. The big upgrade is in the software. With iPadOS 26, this basic iPad (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is going to feel a lot more like a capable laptop replacement. With full window support, you’ll be able to handle windows and apps in the same way you would on a MacBook, resizing and multitasking to your heart’s content. There are a lot of other improvements in the software, too, including a more Mac-like cursor and the introduction of the Preview app. It’s a revolutionary change to the entire iPad lineup, but it feels truly transformative for this iPad because of its price.

There’s a reason we call it the best iPad for most people. I would have never said this about the base iPad in the past, but if you or someone you know can make this work as their primary computing device, it might be the most affordable way to get some work or studying done.

For the Sports Enthusiast

Whatever you may think of Meta’s AI and privacy policies (which are garbage), it’s hard to argue that the best smart glasses are the ones people already wear. The Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses are basically the wildly popular Oakley Sphaera, just with workout headphones, a 5-mic array, and a 12-MP action camera with image stabilization built into the bridge of the nose. You can integrate the glasses with your Garmin and use the watch to trigger autocapture of your most fun moments, or you can just say, “Hey Meta, take a video” as you hike under a waterfall. The headphones sound great—they’re the only open-ear headphones I haven’t had to jack all the way up to hear at 20 mph on a bike—and the lenses are Oakleys, which means that they have cutting-edge color technology and are interchangeable for the seasons.

If you have a tech bestie or wife in your life who also likes biking, running, skiing, or snowboarding, you are in luck. I can’t wait to take the Vanguards out snowboarding this year and finally film my friend on that sweet, sweet (tiny) jump, without dropping my phone in the snow.—Adrienne So

For Music Stans

With all the earbuds we review, you might think our audio experts are above something as common as AirPods. But Apple really nailed it this year with the AirPods Pro 3 (9/10, WIRED Recommends). It has been almost three years since Apple updated its noise-canceling earbuds, and the latest come with a new ear tip design, support real-time translation, vastly improved noise canceling, and longer battery life. According to our testers, they last up to eight hours with noise canceling on, which means they can go for more than a full day of work. All that adds up to this pair being the best AirPods ever made.

An Ultralight Laptop

In the past, selling overly light laptops usually meant tradeoffs and compromises. But not with the Asus Zenbook A14 (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Yes, it’s incredibly light, to the point where you might forget it’s in your backpack altogether. Not only does the Zenbook A14 weigh only 2.16 pounds, but it also doesn’t skimp on the stuff that really matters, like performance, battery life, display quality, or even ports. After all, what good is a super-light laptop if it fails to meet your needs?

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X or X Plus chip is the key to the laptop’s success in this regard, offering efficient performance that translates to hours and hours of battery life. (Just know that this is an ARM processor, meaning you may run into some compatibility issues with some apps and games.) You’ll get the same fantastic OLED screen and long-lasting battery life regardless of which chip configuration you choose. It even comes with legacy ports like HDMI and USB-A, unlike so many laptops that are focused on portability.

For On-the-Go Gamers

The world of gaming handhelds has really expanded over the past few years, largely thanks to the success of both the Switch and the Steam Deck. But there has also been a plethora of Windows-based gaming handhelds to capitalize on the trend, allowing you to game anywhere with your Steam library. The ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X (7/10, WIRED Recommends) represent the pinnacle of how far this hardware has come. And yes, a big part of what helped give this product such a splash was the official Xbox branding, even though it very much feels like a true sequel to the original Asus ROG Ally. Will that Xbox name help Windows handhelds go mainstream? I’m not sure, but that seems to be the hope behind the partnership.

Either way, you get solid performance via the AMD Ryzen Z2 A (or great performance with Z2 Extreme on the Ally X) and surprisingly good battery life. No, the screens aren’t super high-res—or even OLED—but the base ROG Xbox Ally is fairly affordable at $600, undercutting even the Lenovo Legion Go S.

For Busy Bees

It’s been a long time since Apple has made an Apple Watch worth upgrading for. But that’s really what the Apple Watch Series 11 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) accomplishes. So, what’s the flashy new feature that makes this Apple Watch finally worth it? It’s not the AI workout buddy, but the longer battery life. Our smartwatch reviewer and fitness editor extraordinaire, Adrienne So, says the battery life took a huge step forward.

That alone makes this worthwhile, but she also notes that the health updates in the Apple Watch Series 11 are clinically validated now, too, and the satellite messaging on the Watch Ultra 3 is particularly handy for intrepid outdoor adventurers. So, whether you opt for the standard version, the cheaper Apple Watch SE, or the advanced Apple Watch Series 11 Ultra, it’s finally time to upgrade that old Apple Watch you’ve been hanging on to. Read our Best Apple Watches guide for more details.

For iPhone Fans

Is your spouse or parent still clinging to that 6-year-old iPhone, cracks and all? Honestly, that’s smart. No one needs to upgrade their smartphone every year. But if your loved one’s device is clearly showing its age, and more importantly, not receiving critical software updates anymore, it’s time to consider a new phone. For iPhone owners, the natural upgrade is the iPhone 17 (9/10, WIRED Recommends). The best part about it is that Apple finally brought its ProMotion technology from the Pro models into this phone, meaning the screen refreshes at double the rate of the iPhone 16—it’ll appear much smoother and snappier.

Battery life has improved, there’s an upgraded front camera system that lets you capture selfies in any orientation without having to twist the phone in your hand, and the dual-camera system still delivers great results. It may not be the best iPhone for gamers—the iPhone 17 Pro’s thermal management improvements and A19 Pro chip really shine there—but the iPhone 17 remains the best model to buy for most people. It comes in really fun colors, too.

We have a guide that breaks down the entire iPhone 17 range in case you want to consider other devices like the iPhone Air. —Julian Chokkattu

For Android Lovers

Is your loved one on the Android side? You have far more options to choose from, but I think they’d probably fall in love with the Google Pixel 10 (8/10, WIRED Recommends)—especially in the gorgeous Indigo color. It includes an excellent triple-camera system that features a 5X optical zoom camera—very uncommon at this price bracket. This is also the first flagship Android phone with Qi2 support, meaning there are magnets embedded in the back of the phone, just like MagSafe on iPhones. This enables the ability to attach magnetic accessories, but also allows for faster and more precise wireless charging.

Read our Best Google Pixel Phones guide for more details and other options. —Julian Chokkattu

For Nerds

If your loved one appreciates a great gadget, they’ll be ecstatic to see one of these framed deconstructed art pieces from Grid Studio. I’ve linked the Game Boy Advance here, but Grid has dozens and dozens of deconstructed devices, from the iPod and the Wii Remote to the BlackBerry Bold and even the original iPhone. The company says the parts are original, and some may even show wear and tear. The batteries are fake to prevent any hazards. There are labels describing several parts, and some specific prints have even more details. —Julian Chokkattu

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