The Best Gadget Gifts For Christmas 2026
Christmas is nearly upon us and there’s a lot to be excited about. If you’re not ready for the break, there’s the feasting and get-togethers to look forward to – and let’s not deny that gifting is a big part of it too. Whether you’re splurging on your family and friends or expecting something from Santa, Christmas is a great chance to go big with a gift to remember.
This year has given us a bounty of gadgets that use innovative tech to help us live our lives that little bit better. From revamped smart rings to high-end budget laptops (yes really), here are our picks of the newest tech you’ll want to find under the Christmas tree.
Oura Ring 5
While some gadgets are getting bigger and better, others are slimming down – like the Oura Ring. This year’s smart titanium ring is 40 per cent smaller in volume than last year’s and weighs around 2g, which Oura bills as the “world’s smallest smart ring”.
It lasts six to nine days without needing a recharge, which all means it’s easy to forget you’re wearing it. While you go about your business, it tracks your heart rate, sleep patterns, stress and fitness. As a leap forward in wearable tech, it might tempt those who’ve not been interested before.
Starting at £399 plus a £5.99 monthly membership, it comes in a wider range of finishes too – our eye is on the Deep Rose option, if you’re reading, Santa.
Kindle Paperwhite (2026)
Kindle’s new range hits the digital shelves on 28 October – just in time for those Christmas lists. The new Paperwhite is particularly appealing. Thinner, lighter and with a flush display, it’s more travel-friendly than ever.
It offers adjustable lighting, going from white to a warm amber as you prefer, and it responds 25 per cent faster when turning the page. If you use it in the bath or at the beach, you’ll be happy to know it can shake off fresh water for up to 60 minutes and seawater for 30 minutes without damage. The battery is particularly impressive: it can last for 12 weeks on a single charge.
It starts at £199.99 for 16GB of storage, which is enough to fit in a small library. No really: 16GB is enough for a whopping 10,000 books.
MacBook Neo
MacBooks have long carried an air of prestige as their slick design reflects their slick operation. Now that Apple has launched a budget version of the MacBook Air, which costs just over half its price (at £599 compared to £1,099), it’s made an Apple laptop accessible to many more people.
It’s the gift that will keep giving. The high-spec A18 Pro chip means it will be as smooth an operation as Apple products are known for. The 13-inch bright screen, keyboard and trackpad are high-quality, as is the speaker, microphone and webcam.
With only 8GB of RAM, the compromise is that it’s a device for everyday tasks like word processing, image editing and basic video editing. So if you want to use it to edit large videos or work on big files of music, the MacBook Air is a better bet. Otherwise, this is arguably the best budget laptop on the market.
Poco F8 Pro
Another gadget that’s wowed this year for its premium features and a knock-down price is the Poco F8 Pro. A sub-brand of Xiaomi, the Poco phones have enamoured their owners with excellent performance, neat features and compromises where you’ll notice the least – and all for £429.
The design is top-tier, with a slick aluminium frame, classic colours (black, silver and frosted blue) and a fingerprint sensor that’s easy to use. It offers Face Unlock too. Its 50MP main camera, 50MP telephoto camera, 8MP ultra-wide and 20MP selfie camera take decent shots in the day, and content creators will be glad to know it also features a video teleprompter.
For unwinding, the vibrant colours and brightness of the screen mean it’s ideal for watching series or gaming – its first-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite isn’t the latest chip, but it’s still very decent. The speakers benefit from the expertise of audio specialists Bose, and the battery is excellent too with a giant 6,210mAh battery that gives 7 to 9 hours of screen time per charge.
While it doesn’t have wireless charging, a 100W cable (not provided) charges it from 0 to 100% in just 42 minutes, making it one of the fastest-charging phones on the market. It’s not the cheapest present, but it certainly offers value for money.
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3
Ray-Ban’s dedication to stylish design means Meta’s AI glasses don’t look too far off normal glasses, which has helped Meta’s range become the market leader.
The companies have just released the Ray-Ban Meta Display at £749 (which includes a wristband controller) but the Gen 3 offers much better value, starting at £409 for the signature Wayfarer, Aviator or Zena frames.
The glasses house a 12MP camera that shoots 3K video. They have six microphones, a battery with up to nine hours of power, and an action button that conjures up AI like a magical assistant.
It’s an intriguing purchase, but one for responsible owners only: the ability to record people discreetly means it’s one of the more controversial gadgets on the market.
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