Guest PaulOBrien Posted November 27, 2013 Report Share Posted November 27, 2013 In this week's podcast, James and I talked - at length - about great gifts to buy Android fans this Christmas. Here are our picks!We've broken the guide down into 4 categories with 3 submissions each from myself and James. If you want to hear our reasoning behind the items, please do download the podcast. It's a hoot. :)Do you disagree with anything on the list or have your own suggestions? Post a comment below (or even better, phone into the podcast voicemail line!)The <£15 categoryPaul's PicksWhat? Anker 18W / 2.4A + 2.0A (3.6A max) dual-port USB car charger with built-in microUSB cordWhere from? Amazon UKHow much? £6.99Why? OK, so I have a bit of an obsession with powering devices as I'm always running them low / flat. This is the best car charger in town - nicely built, immensely powerful and perfect for charging 2 devices - fast. I'm a fan of Anker gear and this is certainly one of my must-haves.What? Joby GripTight mount for SmartphonesWhere from? Amazon UKHow much? £12.55Why? We all take lots of pictures on our phone, but i'm willing to bet that we don't get pictures of ourselves with our friends / families enough. The GripTight helps fix that by giving you the ability to mount your phone on any regular Tripod mount. Nicely built, folds flat, a worthwhile buy.What? OVIVO Mobile SIMWhere from? OVIVO WebsiteHow much? £15Why? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Except Ovivo Mobile. After buying a £15 SIM (which includes £10 credit), you get either 750MB data or 150 mins / 300 texts / 500MB data for £0 per month! The service is supported by ads when browsing but all other net services work uninterrupted and, well, it's just great. Highly recommended!James' PicksWhat? Anker Astro Mini 3000mAh ultra-compact portable lipstick-sized external battery backup chargerWhere from? Amazon UKHow much? £13.99Why? For those moments when you just need that bit more power to get you through the day this is a compact and good value battery booster. Anker make high quality battery kit so you will be buying into a good brand too.What? Customised phone caseWhere from? VistaPrintHow much? From £11.24Why? Who wouldn’t want a phone case with a customised picture on the back? Whether its your best selfie or a transfer of your loved ones, give your phone just a bit of personal style.What? JVC HAFX1X Xtreme Xplosives In Ear Canal HeadphonesWhere from? Amazon UKHow much? £10.19Why? Don’t be afraid of the name, these headphones will not blow your head off, but you will be pleased with the relatively good sound quality and the great value of these in-canal headphones. if you want to break the budget, you can also get them with an inline mic!The £15-£75 CategoryPaul's PicksWhat? Anker Astro Slim 3 6000mAhWhere from? Amazon UKHow much? £25.99Why? Another power boosting pick. This is a great external battery, again from Anker. What do I like about this? It's got tons of capacity at 6000mAh, but it isn't too big. It's roughly the same size as my HTC One. It has a built in microUSB plug so I don't have to carry cables and a USB port to charge a second device. Very handy to chuck in the bag.What? Feligan PowerbrickWhere from? Feligan directHow much? €69Why? This is my last power-related item, I promise! This amazing bit of kit has 6 changeable, retractable cables for charging your gear, 2 USB ports and 2 multi-country compatible mains sockets. A great way to tidy the sprawl of desks on your table, indispensable if you have a lot of tech!James' PicksWhat? Creative D80 bluetooth speakerWhere from? Amazon UKHow much? £37.37Why? It is always nice to be able to share your music tastes even if you have Jingle Bells on repeat and a bluetooth speaker is a quick and simple way to play music from your phone. The Creative D80 offers a nice balance between being compact, good value and still pumping out your tunes.What? iHelicopter With CameraWhere from? Amazon UKHow much? £42.95Why? Have fun flying around with this remote controlled helicopter and you can see exactly where you are going with the built-in camera. A much cheaper alternative to an AR Drone and probably just about as much fun!Paul and James' PicksWhat? ChromecastWhere from? Google direct (US) or Amazon UKHow much? $35 / ~$35 UKWhy, Paul? A great little gadget that's fantastic value! It's pretty cool already with Play Music, Play TV + Movies, Netflix and YouTube compatibility, but as Google open up the SDK to more developers it really should become a world beater.Why, James? OK, I may not find much use for my Chromecast, but if you are buying a gift for someone who likes to watch streamed TV from sources such as Netflix and YouTube, then Chromecast is a great fit. Use your phone as a remote control and enjoy some seamless entertainment!The £75-£150 CategoryPaul's PicksWhat? PebbleWhere from? Pebble DirectHow much? $150 + shipping + dutyWhy? There are a number of smartwatches out there at the moment, but having tried most of them, this is my pick. It might look a bit plasticky, but the performance, battery life and most of all functionality is top notch. A valuable companion device to your phone!What? Fitbit Flex / One / Zip / ForceWhere from? Amazon UKHow much? variousWhy? 'But it's just an expensive pedometer!' say the FitBit cynics. Yes, it is, but it's a pedometer that syncs to the cloud, lets you compete against friends, records sleep patterns and stairs climbed on some models... it may change your life. It definitely makes you think about your behaviours. The 'One' is the one to have if you want to be subtle, the 'Flex' or upcoming 'Force' if you want to wear it on your wrist or the 'Zip' if you want it to be super cheap, last for ages and you're not fussed about stair and sleep tracking.James' PicksWhat? Kindle PaperwhiteWhere from? Amazon UKHow much? £109Why? If you love to read then the Paperwhite is for you. The Kindle is the ultimate e-reader but this second generation Paperwhite simply blew us away. You can read in the dark, in the light and of course in the sun! There is simply no better option for a book worm.What? Apple TVWhere from? Amazon UKHow much? £76Why? This is one for those of you already in the Apple ecosystem. Apple TV will let you stream your music and videos painlessly to your TV and you can even use it as a second monitor for your Mac. Whats not to like?Paul and James' PicksWhat? Motorola Moto GWhere from? Tesco DirectHow much? £99 8GB / £129 16GBWhy, Paul? The Moto G has redefined the low end market. With a great screen, solid build, quad core process and pretty stock Android, it's the phone bargain of the year. Tesco are selling it cheaper than most and half price when using Clubcard tokens!Why, James? Simply the best phone for less than £300 on sale in the UK today. That is reason enough to buy one for yourself, but if someone you know needs a new phone this is a great option. Free yourself from long and expensive network contracts and go SIM free without breaking the bank too.The £150+ CategoryPaul's PicksWhat? Nexus 7 (probably!)Where from? ArgosHow much? From £199 (cashback offers available)Why? The Nexus 7 probably remains the best / best value tablet available today. I have to confess I am intrigued by the LG G Pad 8.3, but until i've had a hands on with that, the Nexus 7 is my pick. Cutting edge OS updates are a real boon but that aside, it's still a cracking device.What? Acer C720 / C720PWhere from? PC WorldHow much? £198.99 - £20 cashbackWhy? Forget all the scaremongering about Chromebooks, they are useful and they are great - if you are happy to live in what is effectively a browser environment (and many are). The design might be 'functional', but at £178 after cashback for a Haswell machine with a 8.5 hour battery life, you can't go wrong. The newly announced C720P variant will add a touchscreen too!James' PicksWhat? iPad Mini with Retina DisplayWhere from? AppleHow much? From £319Why? Despite Paul’s objections, the iPad Mini with Retina Display is my pick for the best tablet you can buy today. It has an amazing screen, the usual fantastic Apple build quality and of course the unequalled iOS tablet ecosystem. I wonder if Paul will let me get away with this description on the site!What? XBox OneWhere from? AmazonHow much? £429.99Why? Like most people, I love playing a good game and if I were in the market for a new console gaming system, I would definitely consider one of the next generation consoles. I chose the Xbone over the PS4 because I believe in the future Microsoft will come good on their promise for it to take over your living room bringing everything together in one device which feels like a nice simplification to my living room!Paul and James' PicksWhat? LG G2Where from? Amazon UK (some good deals to be had on eBay)How much? From £360 on eBayWhy, Paul? The G2 is the cream of the crop when it comes to Android devices at the moment. It has a stunning 5.2" screen, capacious 3000mAh battery yet is very manageable in overall size, by virtue of the tiny bezels and innovative rear buttons (which are rendered largely reundant due to the 'knock knock' sleep and wake gestures). Truly a handset that 'wows' when experienced.Why, James? It is simple. If you want a high-end Android phone, then just get the best one. The LG G2 is our pick and it is an amazing device. It can also be had for around £100 less than other flagships if you shop around. 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Guest Zarch1972 Posted November 27, 2013 Report Share Posted November 27, 2013 The Ovivo SIM now costs £20 up-front with £15 of credit bundled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PaulOBrien Posted November 27, 2013 Report Share Posted November 27, 2013 Well that blows the categorising... :)P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rwllr Posted November 27, 2013 Report Share Posted November 27, 2013 I'd like to throw in an extra recommendation of the Nook Glowlight possibly instead of the Paperwhite. Its £49 at John Lewis with their 2 year guarantee and it's based on Android so you can even root it and put the Kindle app on if that's your thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PaulOBrien Posted November 27, 2013 Report Share Posted November 27, 2013 rwrllr - good idea, I found the Kindle app is bit clunky on it though...P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RenkliArif Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 Got myself some lipstick ^_^ Thanks for the tip :D Now only if I could find a portable bluetooth speaker.. =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mrrog Posted December 8, 2013 Report Share Posted December 8, 2013 SDR radio dongle, £16 from amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/NooElec-Receiver-Compatible-Packages-Guaranteed/dp/B009U7WZCA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1386538746&sr=8-4&keywords=sdr+radio+dongle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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