Christmas gadget gifts 2021: 10 top tech buys in high demand

From fitness-trackers to home office upgrades and gadgets to make your home smart, these are the top 10 tech gifts to watch.

Aussie Christmas shoppers, many fresh out of lockdowns, are expected to splash more than $11bn on festive gifts this year and experts predict technology will be high on their lists.

From fresh game consoles to wireless earbuds and smartwatches to smartphones, many of 2021’s big-name gadgets are now in stores, three months before the big day.

And Telsyte managing director Foad Fadaghi said trends that emerged in 2020, like smart home upgrades and a focus on fitness, would continue as “our behaviour has changed for good”.

Officeworks merchandise general manager Jim Berndelis says many consumers have already made a “head start on their Christmas gifting”, fuelled by warnings about delivery delays and global chip shortages.

The early buyers were focused on accessories to upgrade existing gadgets, he says, and keeping in touch with loved ones and colleagues.

“Staying connected has never been more important, (and) we anticipate high demand for some of the exciting new mobile phone and tablet launches from Apple and Samsung,” he says.

“With customers focusing on their health, we are also seeing increased demand for items such as smartwatches and wireless earbuds that help to track or optimise their health and fitness journey.”

Companies including Fitbit, Apple, Samsung, Suunto, Withings and Whoop have recently released wearable gadgets to appeal to the fitness-focused, while the Apple iPhone 13 and folding Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 are also forecast to fuel sales.

Fadaghi says Aussie Christmas shoppers are also expected to keep investing in smart home gear and upgrades for their home offices.

Logitech POP Keys

$130, logitech.com

Arguably the most fun-looking wireless keyboard on the market, this new release gadget from Logitech is bound to sell out this Christmas. The POP Keys not only feature mechanical, typewriter-style keys but they come with eight swappable emoji buttons and come in three adorable colours: daydream mint, blast yellow, and heartbreaker rose.

Fitbit Charge 5

$270, fitbit.com/au

The Fitbit Charge 5 tracks the wearer's fitness, stress, heart health, sleep and wellbeing.

Health and fitness is expected to remain a big trend in the holiday season this year, and Fitbit’s new Charge is its most advanced to date. This Fitbit is the first of its kind to come with an ECG monitor as well as step-counter, stress gauge, and a larger, brighter display.

Google Nest Doorbell

$329, store.google.com

Ironically, this particular Christmas purchase might be useful for those buying gifts to make sure they arrive as planned. Google’s first battery-powered smart doorbell features a 1.3-megapixel sensor with a 145-degree view designed to capture anyone in front of your door, and uses artificial intelligence to recognise whether it’s a person or parcel outside.
“Smart home products from doorbells to cameras and upgraded Wi-Fi networks, all of those kinds of technology for the home will be important,” he says.

“Even buying big monitors – a lot of those purchases are not a one-off event and people will keep upgrading their home offices regularly.”

Smart speakers, headphones and soundbars were also expected to be popular purchases, Fadaghi says, along with games consoles like the Nintendo Switch OLED, and PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X that remain in high demand.

Retail experts recommend consumers start Christmas shopping earlier than usual this year to avoid supply problems and, in the case of online purchases, delivery blowouts.

Nintendo Switch OLED

$539, nintendo.com.au

Nintendo Switch OLED features a bigger screen and more storage and is expected to be a Christmas hit

The big change to Nintendo’s console is right on its face: this console now comes with a larger, seven-inch screen created from brighter OLED technology that makes games look a bit crisper. The updated Switch console also comes with 64GB storage built-in, better audio, and a new stand that will let you plug it directly into a router. Experts are warning the console could sell out before Christmas.

Samsung Galaxy Watch4

$399, samsung.com/au

The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 is one of the first smartwatches to measure the wearer's blood pressure as well as tracking their fitness, sleep, and heart health.

Samsung’s 2021 smartwatch has more health features than you’d expect from a gadget that also tells the time. In addition to tracking your sleep, for example, it will record your snoring. It can also take an ECG of your heart rhythm, record your pulse, check your blood oxygen levels, and estimate your muscle mass.

Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight

$369, arlo.com

This smart home camera doesn’t just show you what’s happening outside your home but can help protect it, too. The new Pro 4 Spotlight Camera is wireless and simple to install but it also comes with a built-in light for illuminating security problems and a siren that can be triggered automatically or with a tap of an app icon.

Apple iPad Mini

$749, apple.com/au

Apple’s smallest tablet got the biggest makeover this year. The sixth generation iPad Mini got a much bigger screen, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a 5G connection, powerful chip and an aluminium body that comes in four colours, including purple and “starlight”. A new wide-angle camera upfront is also designed to improve video calls from the device.

Jabra Elite 3

$119, jabra.com.au

There are a lot of wireless earbuds around but Jabra’s newly launched Elite 3 models are among the best and most budget-friendly. The noise-blocking, thoroughly wireless gadgets feature four microphones to deliver quality sound, will play audio for nine hours on a single charge, and are compatible with Alexa, Siri or the Google Assistant, depending on your phone type.

GoPro Hero10 Black

$600, gopro.com

The newest action camera on the market is seriously powerful. At the heart of the GoPro Hero10 Black is a seriously fast chip that can capture video with twice the frame rate at 5.3K, snap 23-megapixel still photos, and delivers even greater digital image stabilisation. It’s also designed to upload photos to the cloud as soon as it finds a Wi-Fi connection.

SanDisk Ixpand Wireless Charger Sync

$169-$199, sandisk.com.au

This smart accessory could be ideal for the person who (a) snaps a lot of phone photos and (b) doesn’t take the greatest care of their handset. The SanDisk gadget plugs into the wall to act as a wireless charger but in addition to topping up an Apple or Android phone’s battery, it also backs up photos from the device to its on-board storage of either 64 or 128GB.

Originally published as Christmas gadget gifts 2021: 10 top tech buys in high demand