The ultimate guide to tech gifts for you and them

Tis the season for giving! You’ve been good and worked hard this year, so you deserve nice things. We at Wanted are here to help you out with some ideas for gifts… for yourself. And some smaller things for other “loved ones.”

INSTANT CAMERAS

For you: Polaroid One Step 2
The original is finally back, after many a misstep and failed tries to relaunch the brand fully merging with The Impossible Project. Here then is Polaroid’s first vintage inspired instant camera in a decade. Better news still, it’s actually quite reasonable coming in at only R1324 ($99) – obviously with most instant cameras, the part where it hurts your wallet will always be the film but they have made a massive effort to bring the price down to about R214 for a pack of 8 shots. Although at the moment you can only buy it online and ship it here, there are rumors it may be available on SA soil soon.

For them: Fujifilm Instax Mini 9
The actual camera that has reawoken this trend is still a solid get. Hardy, super easy to use and incredible fun for humans of all ages. Although close in price to the Polaroid (R1089), the film is a cheaper and far more readily available. It’s the perfect holiday companion, don’t leave home without it.

GAMING CONSOLS

For you: Nintendo Switch
Who would have thought that Nintendo would make this strong of a come back? Sure the Wii was a justifiable sensation but the games were always a sore point, and in contrast that is where the Switch really shines. With the buy in from most of all the big games of the year and their own powerhouse exclusive content that includes not one but two massive hits this year – Zelda and Mario Odyssey - both of which are dominating the top spots of all reputable top games of the year lists, including ours (Odyssey is number one.) That, coupled with the instant pick and play portability, makes this is a game changer and a must-have piece of tech.

For them: Nintendo SNES Classic Mini
Nintendo keeps on winning with this powerhouse stocking filler. Go down memory lane with this palm size winner packing all the greatest 16 bit games from your youth in the 90’s. The best bit is not the fact that you get 21 games built in, including never released Star Fox 2 as well as classics such as Super Mario World and Street Fighter II turbo – it’s the rewind option! This allows you to quickly rewind and fix that mistake you make when you go the wrong way into Castlevania 4. Those tricksy bats, beware!

HEADPHONES

For you: B&O Beoplay H9
Put down those boring looking “classic buy” Bose wireless headphones and opt for something a lot sexier – and more comfortable. A while back we went around and listened to Rod Stewart’s “Do you think I’m sexy” on every pair of wireless cans that we could get our hands on and these were found to be the best. They truly deliver crystal clear tones that enhance all of Rob’s vintage sex appeal and your own. Grab a pair and go listen to that song immediately. Come on, sugar, we know you want to.

For them: Audio Technica Monitor ATH M50
Don’t let the slick DJ-like plastic aesthetic fool you: These are a solid great buy from a well-loved brand by actual professional audiophiles the world over. And with sound this good you can understand why. Rod’s percussion rang stronger than in some headphones twice the price and added warmth to his already sultry Scottish tones.

PROJECTORS

For you: Optoma GT1080
Televisions are boring and if you didn’t get one in the mad rush of black Friday then skip it all together and instead learn to live your best life in wall wrapping full HD. Thanks to this little beauty’s super short throw abilities, you can get a 100inch screen only a meter away and every added meter makes a massive difference. Also, thanks to new Darbee tech, you will have 4K-like graphics on an unimaginable scale. With great sound translation and 3000 lumens for even somewhat bright rooms, who needs mall-based cinemas anymore?

For them: YG-300 LED Handheld Mini Projector
This is nothing short of a tiny yellow box of fun. Coming in at an adorable 12.5cm x 8.5cm and weighing 245g it’s the cutest tiny sugar packet projector you ever did see. Although it only has about 400-600 lumens, it still supports 1080p so you’ll get a thrilling enough ride for a pocket size bite that, for around R500, is worth every penny.

PORTABLE WIRELESS SPEAKERS

For you: Wonderboom
We have already sung the praises of this little guy and how he can turn a pool party into a real splash but now it’s time for you to get in on the action. The sound is rich and deep and a lot louder than many larger competing counterparts. What’s more, since it’s water-, mud- and dust-proof, you will be covered no matter where you are holidaying this festive season. It even works super well indoors while you listen to podcasts and you cook a little something in the kitchen. We love a bit of versatility.

For them: the same
You can connect them up to make max amount of party vibes, allowing double or triple the win for (both of) you.