As the Holidays approach, we’re sure many of you are still scrambling for a few stocking stuffers here and there. Well, if you’re shopping for a geek, there’s a good chance that they’ll like anything that will enhance their smartphone experience in any way. Whether it’s a case, smart accessory, or even some headphones, we’re going to lay out our top stocking stuffers for the mobile geek right here.
While some of these ‘stocking stuffers’ would do best in a gift guide, we’re going to cover quite a few avenues and price points, so read on!
For The Power User
If you’re shopping for someone who is either constantly on the go, or just constantly on their phone, a portable phone charger might be the way to go. There are many to choose from, each varying in price and battery size. Just make sure you get one that’s compatible with the person’s phone, so don’t mistake Apple’s Lighting Connector port for a MicroUSB port. Luckily, many portable charger come with multiple connectors, so this is less of an issue these days.
For $50, you can grab the Anker Astro E5 15000 mAh portable charger. Not only will this small brick charge most smartphones about five times before it needs to be charged itself, but it’s compatible with just about any smartphone or tablet around. No wires will come with the charger, so the user will have to make do with their own charging/syncing cable.
If you’re looking for something a little less expensive, you can grab the PowerGen Mobile 5200 mAh portable charger for only $30. Like the Anker Astro, this charger provides a full-sized USB port, so phone compatibility isn’t an issue.
For The Instagram Photographer
If the person you’re looking to buy a gift for was too busy taking a photo for Instagram or video for Vine to answer what they wanted for the holidays, that’s a good enough answer as any.
Buy the Phoneography Starter Kit at the Photojojo Store!
Enter PhotoJoJo, a company that specializes in mobile “phoneography” and offers up camera lenses that attach to the user’s phone. You can buy them individual lenses or the starter kit you see above!
Buy the Muku Shutter Remote at the Photojojo Store!
If you’re photographer already has something like the Phoneography kit you see above or attachable lenses for their smartphone, then you should check out the Muku Shutter Remote. This small piece of kit connects to an iPhone or Android phone through Bluetooth, allowing the user to take photos without having the phone in their hands at all!
Still not what you’re looking for? PhotoJoJo has a TON of other nifty products for your mobile photographer, so be sure to check out its site right here!
For The Fitness Buff
Buying a gift for a health nut family member or friend? We have a couple of options for you to choose from.
The FitBit Flex helps the users keep track of steps taken, calories burned, hours slept, active time, and more. Best of all, the FitBit Flex is only $99.95!
If you’re looking for something that looks a bit more stylish and arguably has a better looking companion application, you might want to look into the Jawbone Up. The sleek wearable device offers a good chunk of the same functionality than the FitBit, but the application provides a much better visual experience when it comes to tracking your steps, food, calories burned, and sleeping patterns. The Jawbone Up is also a bit more expensive at $129, but given its lack of Bluetooth functionality (that’s saved for the $149 Jawbone Up 24), it also gives you better battery life, lasting around 10 days.
For The Audiophile
Looking for the perfect gift the audiophile in your life? Headphones are obviously the way to go, and because of this, we’re going to lay out some pretty obvious choices.
The Beats Solo HD headphones not only ooze style, but have the functionality to back them up. Coming in at $100 less than the $299 Studio Beats headphones, you’ll get both great quality and color options with these bad boys.
Looking for a Beats alternative that’s just as flashy? Check out the Skullcandy Aviator headphones. These (foldable) headphones are rather big, but pack a big punch in the sound department. Available in 11 different color schemes, the Skullcandy Aviators are as solid as they are sexy. Oh, and did we mention they’re $50 cheaper than the Beats Solo HD headphones?
For The Early Adopter
Shopping for someone who always has the latest gadgets and accessories this year? Well, if your early adopter doesn’t already have one already, you might want to look into smartwatches for them.
The Pebble Watch (iOS and Android) is a popular smartwatch that offers up a good amount of functionality such as notifications, apps, and more. At $150, the Pebble is one of the more affordable smartwatch options. The E-ink display is easily viewable in sunlight, and thanks to its water resistance, you don’t have to worry about getting it wet.
The Samsung Galaxy Gear (Samsung Galaxy Devices with Android 4.3 Only) is another smartwatch that might be limited in its compatibility and more expensive than a majority of the competition, but it also has more features. Voice commands and a built-in camera really set the Galaxy Gear apart from other smartwatches, but at $299, you could probably live without them just fine.
The Sony Smartwatch 2 (Android Only) finds itself in the middle of the Pebble and Galaxy Gear when it comes to price point at $199, but offers up a simple and straight forward experience that’s pretty enjoyable. This is Sony’s second smartwatch, so the Smartwatch 2 has a pretty decent selection of applications to choose from. Like the Pebble, the Sony Smartwatch 2 is also water-resistant and the design may be a bit more appealing as well.
For The ‘I Don’t Care’ Type
If you’re stuck with one of these people for your holiday shopping, make them regret it with a gift card from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with grabbing someone a gift card, we’re sure they’d rather something on this list over one, but that’s their problem, right?
For The Home Automation Geek
If you’re feeling spendy and your person has everything under the sun when it comes to technology, then some home automation products will definitely be a treat!
The Philips Hue Lightbulbs are about as cool as you can get if you’re looking to liven up your home. The starter pack includes three lightbulbs and the Philips Hue bridge, which is what talks to the bulbs. After hooking your bridge up to your wireless router and installing the bulbs, you can control these LED lights from your phone or computer, set timers, have then turn on when you get home, and off when you leave.
These aren’t just your average white lightbulbs, either. As the name suggests, the Hue bulbs can be changed to just about any color you’d want!
That said, the Philips Hue lights aren’t cheap. The (required) starter pack is $200 and additional bulbs are $60 a pop. If you have the cash to both spend $200 on a set of bulbs, the Philips Hue lights are definitely going to impress. Just a fair warning, though. You will want to keep these lights for yourself.
Nest is another option if you’re looking to give the gift of home automation. Even more expensive than the Hue lights, the Nest will allow you to control your thermostat with your phone, but that’s not all. You can continue to use Nest just like your old thermostat, and it will program itself to your habits. If you continue to turn the Nest down before you leave for work, it will begin to do that for you automatically. Same goes for when you come home. Coming in at $249, Nest isn’t the cheapest stocking stuffer. Then again, Nest can help you save money on your energy bills in the long run, and that’s not something the most expensive product on this list, the Samsung Galaxy Gear, will ever do for you.
Misc Geeky Stocking Stuffers
Nothing above really sing to you? Well, take a look at our last two, rather random stocking stuffers!
A charging cable might not be something you’d expect to be a gift, but it will be when you see the LED charging cable. The cord is simple and to the point, and gives off the illusion that you can see the “electricity” charging your phone or tablet in front of your very eyes. When your device is fully charged, the LED lights turn off.
LED Charging cable for Android — LED Charging cable for iPhone 5/5S
If the person you’re grabbing a gift for has a smartphone that supports wireless charging, the Tylt Wireless Charger may be a good option. The Tylt performs just as any other wireless charging device does, but it looks good in the process. The $70 Tylt isn’t necessarily cheap, but it’s one of the best looking wireless chargers out there.
Do keep in mind that no iPhones support wireless charging right now, so the Tylt is going to be limited to a handful of Android phones and a few Windows Phone handsets.
So that’s our list of top Stock Stuffers for your phone geek family and friends. Have anything else you’d want to see in this list? Sound off in the comments below!