Top Tech Gifts to Give This Holiday Season

Once the turkey has been finished and the pumpkin pie cleaned off, the season turns quite quickly as holiday shopping is on the mind. Retailers fully take advantage of the gift-giving spirit by pushing large sales on Black Friday (which is now beginning as early as 8 p.m. on Thursday at Wal-Mart). Plus, in the last few years, another shopping day has emerged: Cyber Monday.

Since the holiday shopping season is kicking off this weekend, it’s a good time to consider the offerings. During the holiday season there’s one thing to keep in mind: people love technology.

So if you’re one of those people who can’t resist a sale, here are the top tech gifts for this holiday season, according to Business Insider.

(Note: Prices will vary. Business Insider picked the top gadgets and PMD chose a top one given the benefits and features offered by the device.)

Tablet

Full-size iPad

Price: Starts at $499

©iStockphoto.com/Yunus Arakon;

It’s probably no surprise here that the full-size fourth-generation iPad was the best, according to BI. Apple’s advantage is access to the 200,000 tablet-optimized apps, one of the fastest processors in a mobile device and the high-resolution Retina display.

Runners up: Google’s Nexus 7 (good for physicians), Apple’s iPad Mini, Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, Google’s Nexus 10, Microsoft’s Surface and Barnes & Noble’s Nook HD.

Smartphone

iPhone 5

Price: Starts at $199.99 with two-year contract with Verizon, AT&T or Sprint

Apple.com

There are probably more smartphones on the market than you know what to do with at this point, which means that in addition to a handful of very bad ones to avoid are a handful of really good ones that make it difficult to choose. The iPhone 5 is the best for most people because it has access to all of Apple’s goodies — a huge library of apps, movies and music.

Runners up: Motorola’s Droid Razr M, Samsung’s Galaxy Note II, HTC’s One X+, HTc’s Droid DNA, Nokia’s Lumia 920, Google’s Nexu 4, Samsung’s Glaxy S III and HTC’s Windows Phone 8x.

Cameras

Canon Rebel T3i

Price: $649 with 18-55mm lens

Amazon.com

Depending on your level of experience with cameras, this can be a touchy area. The Canon Rebel T3i is a perfect entry DSLR, according to BI, which makes it a good camera for just about anyone. However, it isn’t cheap.

Runners up: Samsung’s Galaxy Camera, Canon’s G12 Point and Shoot, GoPro HD Hero 3, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 and Canon SX50

Laptops

MacBook Air

Price: Starting at $999

Apple.com

The Macbook Air isn’t for everyone depending what they need a laptop for, but it’s the favorite at BI. However, if you need more power or want a more unique design or even a laptop that bends and folds, then you might want to check out the runners up.

Runners up: Lenovo’s Yoga, Toshiba’s Satellite Ultrabook, Samsung Series 7 Gamer, Alienware M17x R4, Lenovo’s ThinkPad X230, Asus Zenbook Prime and Apple’s MacBook Pro with Retina Display

Desktops

Dell XPS One 27

Price: $2,299.99

Dell.com

A great all-around computer, the Dell XPS One 27 has a high-resolution, touch-sensitive display. It’s not the best choice if you’re on a budget, but one of the runners up is only priced at $675.

Runners up: HP Pavilion 23-1000z, Apple’s iMac, MicroExpress MicroFLEX 37B, Apple’s Mac Mini, Origin Genesis X79, HP Z1, Apple’s Mac Pro and Google’s Chromebox

Accessories

There are a number of accessories that either pair with another device or are standalones. Here are two from BI’s list.

Nike’s FuelBand

Price: $149

Nike.com

A simply black band to wear on your wrist, the FuelBand can monitor how many steps you take and track your daily goals. Plus, it syncs up with your smartphone.

Olloclip

Price: $69.95

BusinessInsider.com

Do you know someone who uses their iPhone more than an actual camera? The Olloclip allows you to take high-quality iPhone photos.

Read more:

Best Tech Gifts — Business Insider