If you’re shopping for just the right gift for the Apple lover in your life, search no further. You’ll find curated tech gifts in various price ranges, including the new iPad Air and a MacBook cover.
The 2020 holiday season will prove unusual and unique. For the first time in most everyone’s memory, few will be rushing to physical stores and malls to browse and enjoy holiday cheer. Instead, the year is likely to see record spending for online gifting, as the pandemic encourages everyone, regardless of habit and preference, to safely shop from home. Don’t despair, as you need not go it alone. Here are gift recommendations at a variety of price points for the Apple fan in your life that are sure to bring a smile this year.
Image: KIKR
Most every Apple user’s home now has a collection of Apple Watches, iPhones, iPads, AirPods/AirPod Pros and other devices that frequently require charging. The KIKR S1, for about $36, provides a sturdy, stable, and adjustable stand for an iPhone and dual simultaneous wireless charging capability for an iPhone and AirPod Pros or compatible AirPods.
The KIKR S1 is a no-brainer gift, but there is one hitch: The product won’t ship until February 2021. That said, the Super Early Bird-option includes four cable holders that have proven surprisingly handy in my weeks-long testing. And a late-shipping gift may prove just the kick the recipient needs to brighten a deep winter’s day.
The T1 Power Strip is a convenient outlet and charging station that also offers splash protection.
Image: ESHLDTY
Not all gifts need be big or expensive to prove appreciated. Increasingly, and especially for the multitudes working from home, electric outlets and charging stations are often in short supply. ESHLDTY has a nifty, $65 portable solution in its T1 Power Strip that even boasts a built-in lamp.
In addition to offering nine grounded power outlets, the unit also has three USB-A and one USB-C ports in its base. With electric outlets packing “safety doors” that require about 15 pounds of force to bypass and enable connecting a plug, the device offers protection against child accidents. Consider the IPX6 splash and built-in overload protection, and you’ve got a handy gift the recipient can use when working on the back porch, from a kitchen table or from a number of alternative locations where additional outlets and charging are required.
ColorKit for MacBook
Image Credit: Twelve South
A thin but protective, colorful wrap that adds personality and protection to a MacBook is a thoughtful gift sure to be appreciated by any MacBook user. The cover, available in aqua, black, coral, forest green, and deep rose, protects the top, bottom, deck, and keyboard of any Apple MacBook. This is an inexpensive way to help someone you care about stand out from the crowd, while also preserving the finish of their Apple MacBook.
Anker PowerPort Speed PD 5 Charger
Image: Anker
Apple users can never have enough chargers. In many homes, the pandemic has increased competition for chargers, which unofficially went missing more in 2020 than any previous year, thanks to so many people working, studying, and remaining at home.
Apple’s default chargers are fine, if straightforward and expensive. Anker offers a compelling alternative in its PowerPort Speed PD 5 charger, which provides 60-watts of power and can charge multiple Apple products (Apple Macs, iPhones, iPads, and more) simultaneously. If you’re feeling particularly generous, add an Anker Powerline+III USB C to USB C 6-foot charge cable for $29.99 more for charging a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro.
Incase Compass Brief messenger bag
Image: Incase
The pandemic has changed the way people work, and while a majority of Americans continue working remotely, many are hitting the road and working abroad. Help the Apple lover in your life go mobile by providing a carrying case to help safely shepherd their 13″ MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, and a few necessary accessories like the charger and cable, from site to site by wrapping an Incase Compass Brief messenger bag. 16″ versions are available, too, so size accordingly. Both sizes are available in black or navy.
Apple AirPods
Image: Apple
AirPods offer Apple users an easy way to better use Mac laptops and desktops, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and even Apple TVs. And, no Apple user is going to say no to AirPods–even if they already have a pair. In an age when more people than ever are taking FaceTime, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom meetings, listening to audiobooks, music, and podcasts while exercising in the neighborhood, and keeping up in socially-distant safe ways with family and friends, AirPods are a no-brainer 2020 gift. If you really feel like splurging, consider the noise-cancelling AirPods Pro for $249.
Apple iPad Air
Image: Apple
Make an Apple fan’s holiday by gifting a new Apple iPad Air, now available in a rainbow of colors from $599 for 64 GB editions. With a 10.9-inch all-screen Liquid Retina display, Touch ID, a 12MP image, and 7MP FaceTime HD cameras, as well as a fast A14 Bionix CPU, the iPad Air can be propped on a desk for hosting video conferences or taken to a comfortable chair for reading reports, responding to email messages, or completing training programs.
Apple iPhone 12 Po
Image: Apple
Want to be a popular Santa? Give Apple’s new iPhone 12 Pro. Potentially one of the most requested gifts of 2020, the iPhone 12 Pro offers power and performance in a sleek, attractive shell. Extending the success of Apple’s iPhone line, the new 12 Pro model provides 5G connectivity, a beautiful edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR display, and a protective Ceramic Shield face. Starting at $999, multiple options and colors are available to help match your selection to your recipient’s specific tastes.
Apple 13″ MacBook Pro
Image: Apple
The MacDaddy gift of 2020 in my book is a standard 13″ MacBook Pro. Invest in your gift recipient’s future with Apple’s base professional laptop, which is among the most capable laptops on the planet. With a 1.4GHz quad-core CPU, 256 GB storage, and 8 GB RAM, the hearty MacBook can handily address a wide range of tasks.