You’re probably running around town looking for the perfect gifts for each one of your friends. But if you’re having a tough time thinking of what to get, gadgets and tech stuff are usually a safe bet, especially if they’re both pretty to look at and functional. We’ve come up with a list of tech-y items that we ourselves would love to get this Christmas, given the chance (hint hint).
Leica Sofort
Leica has finally broken into the market of instant cameras with the new Sofort. Yes, it’s a pretty upscale instant camera (and not to mention an expensive toy) but it makes for a pretty nifty gift for someone close to you. It has all the design quirks and style of the legendary brand’s extensive catalog of cameras and provides a couple of modes for you to play around with. You can use any Fujifilm Instax Mini Film, but they do have their own pack of both color and monochrome films that use a warm shade of cream for its frame, instead of the usual white. If you still have qualms about getting this, here’s another reason: it’s a Leica. $425
Where to get it: Leica Store, #01-18 Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade, 328 North Bridge Rd.
YEVO 1 Wireless Headphones
It’s about time that people get with the times and go wireless. If your friend is using the new iPhone 7, then he or she will know how much of a hassle it is to bring that headphone jack adapter everywhere. And really, the Earpods aren’t exactly the prettiest (or most convenient) things on the market right now. These babies, however, are way more sleek and cutting-edge in both tech and style. Each side is built with a dedicated amp that provides for really great mid and high tones and a tight bass response without distortion. Pair these in-ears via Bluetooth 4.1 or NFMI and you’re good to go for 20 hours per charge. $299
Where to get it: On their website.
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UOB x JaeSuk Kim x G-SHOCK
UOB Cards has teamed up with cult brand G-SHOCK and celebrated fashion artist JaeSuk Kim to create Singapore’s first limited edition designer contactless wearable. Available in two colorways, they sport Kim’s signature designs: the white & pink version sees the timeless watercolor Susu designs atop glossy white bands while the black & blue iteration sports a blue camouflage pattern. Here’s the kicker: it has a built-in slot for a UOB Contactless Card where you can get 0.5% rebate on all contactless transactions.
Where to get it: You can’t get it at any shop though; you need to chalk a minimum spend of $2,500 within six charge slips to redeem one. Terms and conditions apply. More here.
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BEOPLAY A2 Active Speaker
These days, owning a portable speaker is akin to having a smartphone; it’s useful pretty much anywhere you go, whether you’re travelling, going to the beach, for a picnic for at home use when you’re moving between rooms (because built-in speakers on phones just don’t cut it). Let your friend take it up a notch and gift him or her with B&O Play’s latest Beoplay A2 Active Bluetooth speaker, which comes with a USB-C charging cable, two NATO-inspired straps made using woven polyamide. Besides honing B&O’s patented True360 omni-directional sound, it’s also dust and splash resistant, which means you can pretty much bring it anywhere without any worry. $549
Where to get it: Bang & Olufsen, #01-05 Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10-12 Scotts Rd.
Casio EXILIM EX-TR70
Cameras have come a long way, from SLRs, to DSLRs, and then downsizing it into hybrid cameras to eventually making its way into smart phones. And then there came the new norm of selfies. This Casio camera was created to indulge people who love taking selfies (just look at the way it’s designed). It comes equipped with an Advanced Make-up Mode that takes “picture perfect” self-portraits and layers the face with a rosy tinge for more radiant and glowing complexion. It also has a video mode that retains this Make-up Plus Technology. Once you’re done taking gratuitous photos of yourself, you can even share them on your smart devices through its Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities. $1,399
Where to get it: Authorized Casio retailers.
TomTom Touch
Tracking your health and fitness has been a thing for a while now, and if you have a friend who’s been thinking about getting more in touch with his or own health, then this fitness tracker should do the trick. The TomTom Touch does way more than track the number of steps you take a day; it also monitors your heart rate, calories burned and is equipped with sports modes for when you’re running, cycling or gymming. It then combines of these performance statistics with your personal body composition to give you meaningful data and graphs to make sense of it all. $239
Where to get it: Challenger stores.
LG SH6 Sound Bar
Obviously a TV set would be an amazing gift for anyone, but you can get the next best thing: a sound bar to go along with their current TV set at home. Minimal, non-evasive and sleek, the LG SH6 Sound Bar comes with a 4.0-channel sound system and air ducts that magnify the bass response from teh dual bass ports. It has a smart Adaptive Sound Control that changes the audio profiles automatically, depending on what you’re watching (movies, dramas, sports, music, news, et cetera) and a dedicated button to switch to the Home Cinema Mode. The best part is that it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in, so technically you can still connect your smart phone and listen to your tunes through Spotify on this. $699
Where to get it: Authorized LG retailers.
Dyson Supersonic
A Dyson branded hair dryer sounds very lavish, but so is everything on this list. The brand has taken the technology behind its iconic bladeless fans and put it into this small, useful device for anyone who takes the time to do their hair every morning. The Dyson Supersonic hair dryer makes use of a fast but focused airflow. Since it doesn’t have the conventional blades, it’s generally quieter than conventional hair dryers and automatically controls the temperature so that your hair doesn’t get damaged from being exposed to extreme heat. $599
Where to get it: Major departmental and electrical stores like Tangs, Takashimaya, Robinsons, Harvey Norman and Best Denki.
