Computerworld's holiday gift guide 2015

Computerworld holiday gift guide 2015
Thinkstock

Another holiday season is approaching -- time to panic!

Wait, here's a better idea: Check out our annual gift guide -- we've come up with some great ideas for tech gear to give and get.

We have recommendations for more than 45 gifts in every price range, from a $5 phone-holding strap to an $800 premium smartphone. You'll find envy-inducing speakers and smartwatches, keyboards and cameras, chargers and tchotchkes -- and a host of other fun and useful products.

  • Part 1: Top-notch tech for $150 or more
  • Part 2: Nifty tech from $35 to $150
  • Part 3: Stocking stuffers for $35 or less

To jump right to a specific product in our guide, you can expand the table below and click its name. You can also search the table or click the column headers to sort by price or category.

2015 holiday tech gift ideas

Product Category Starting list
price ($)
Activeon CX action camera Cameras & gear 120
Apple iPad Mini 4 Tablets 399
Apple iPhone 6S Plus Smartphones* 749
Apple iPhone 6S Smartphones* 649
Apple Watch Sport Wearables 349
Arkon Folding Tablet Stand Tech accessories 15
Aukey PB-T1 portable battery charger Charging devices 25
Bellroy Elements Phone Pocket phone case & wallet Cases & bags 80
Bellroy Elements Phone Pocket Plus phone case & wallet Cases & bags 120
Celestron ThermoCharge battery charger & hand warmer Charging devices 28
Chic Buds Clutchette Power clutch purse & phone charger Cases & bags 50
Dead Zebra Android Mini for Science figurines Entertainment 10
Dell Chromebook 13 Laptops 429
Dell Venue 8 7000 Series Tablets 299
Fugoo Style / Sport / Tough Bluetooth speaker & jacket Audio gear 180
Google Android Umbrella Wearables 22
Google Chromecast Audio Home tech 35
Google Chromecast Home tech 35
Google Nexus 6P Smartphones* 499
GoPro Hero4 Black 4K action camera Cameras & gear 500
HomingPIN trackable luggage tags & stickers Tech accessories 10
Huawei Watch Wearables 350
iGotTech Cable Clips Tech accessories 16
iHome K2 clock radio with removable battery charger Home tech 80
IK Multimedia iRig Mic Studio portable microphone Audio gear 180
Kano computer kit Educational gear 100
Logitech K380 multi-device Bluetooth keyboard Input devices 40
Loop Ninja Loop phone-holding strap Tech accessories 5
Mohu Leaf 50 HDTV antenna Home tech 70
Motorola Moto G Smartphones* 180
Nite Ize BugLit LED Micro Flashlight Tech accessories 13
Nixplay Seed WiFi Cloud Frame Home tech 90
Nordic Flash Waterproof Camera Float Cameras & gear 13
Plantronics BackBeat Sense wireless headphones Audio gear 180
Simple Matters Ditto vibrating smartphone alert Wearables 40
Snakable reinforced USB cables Tech accessories 30
Speck CandyShell Clear protective iPhone case Cases & bags 35
Sphero BB-8 app-controlled robot toy Entertainment 150
The One Light portable music keyboard Entertainment 300
ThinkGeek Doctor Who Tardis string lights Home tech 20
Timbuk2 Custom Prospect Laptop Backpack Cases & bags 134
Toshiba Chromebook 2 Laptops 330
Ultimate Ears UE Roll portable Bluetooth speaker Audio gear 100
Witti Dotti app-controlled pixel light Entertainment 70
XYZprinting da Vinci Jr. 1.0 3D printer 3D printers 349
Yootech Qi Wireless Charger Charging Pad Charging devices 14
Zagg Pocket Keyboard for phones & tablets Input devices 70
Zing StikBot Studio Pack stop-motion video kit Entertainment 15
Zipbuds Slide tangle-free earbuds Audio gear 80
Zolt Laptop Charger Plus Charging devices 100
* Smartphone prices are for unlocked phones; subsidized prices may be available with carrier contracts.

We've focused on the most up-to-date versions of products like smartphones and tablets, but you can often save a chunk of change by opting for earlier models -- that is, if you know your gift recipients won't mind missing out on some of the latest features. (See our 2014 holiday gift guide for some of last year's hottest tech.)

Happy holidays!

Holiday gift guide 2015 contributors
  • Rick Broida has written about all manner of technology, from Amigas to business servers to PalmPilots, for more than 20 years in dozens of books, blogs and magazines. He sleeps with an iPad under his pillow.
  • Michael deAgonia, a contributing writer for Computerworld, is a computer consultant and technology geek who has been working on computers since 1993, with an emphasis on Macs, OS X and iOS.
  • Ken Gagne, a former editor for Computerworld, covers gaming, crowdfunding and retrocomputing. You can see him on the YouTube channel Gamebits and hear him as host of the Polygamer and IndieSider podcasts.
  • Barbara Krasnoff is Senior Reviews Editor for Computerworld, covering hardware, software, gadgets, apps and other tech-related products.
  • Senior Writer Lucas Mearian covers 3D printers, consumer data storage, consumerization of IT, mobile device management, renewable energy, telematics/car tech and entertainment tech for Computerworld.
  • Valerie Potter is Managing Editor/Features for Computerworld, specializing in how-tos, trends and special reports.
  • JR Raphael is a syndicated writer and the author of the Android Power blog. For more Android and Chrome OS insights, follow him on Google+ or Twitter.
  • Dan Rosenbaum is president of Center Ring Media and editor-in-chief of Wearable Tech Insider. He's been writing about telephones and mobile technology for more than 30 years.
  • Jake Widman is a freelance writer in San Francisco and a regular contributor to Computerworld.

Copyright © 2015 IDG Communications, Inc.

It’s time to break the ChatGPT habit
Shop Tech Products at Amazon