The Best Tech Gifts For 2017
The following gift guide originally appeared on CNET. For more end-of-year gift ideas, visit CNET's Holiday Gift Guide 2017.
1. TCL S405 series Roku TV
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Sure you can find the non-4K version in smaller sizes for less, but if you want our favorite smart TV that's 49 inches or larger, this is it.
2. Vizio M series (2017)
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With Vizio's M series you get excellent image quality at a price that's hundreds less than comparable TVs. What's not to like?
3. LG OLEDC7P
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If you care enough to give the very best picture quality, only OLED will do. The C7 will have them thanking you for years. (Note that the B7A, which has a bit of a different stand design, slightly different speakers and lacks Dolby Atmos decoding, is otherwise identical and thus equally recommendable.)
4. Roku Express 2017
Dirt-cheap, fast enough and crammed with every streaming video app you'll care to name, the Express is the perfect stocking stuffer for Netflix, YouTube and Hulu fans.
5. Roku Streaming Stick Plus
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Our favorite all-around streamer for 2017, the tiny Plus makes the perfect home video gift, even if the recipient doesn't yet own a 4K TV.
6. Apple TV 4K
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Maybe the 4K TV owner on your list insists on Dolby Vision, loves Apple or just wants the smoothest streaming experience. This is the box for them.
7. Cambridge Soundworks Oontz Angle 3 Plus
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If you're looking for an inexpensive Bluetooth speaker, you'll be hard pressed to find a cheaper one with better sound.
8. JBL Flip 4
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JBL's affordable Flip 4 delivers good sound in a compact portable speaker that's fully waterproof. It also offers better battery life than its predecessor.
9. Bose SoundLink Micro
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Bose's smallest Bluetooth speaker delivers excellent sound for its tiny size and is fully waterproof. It makes for an excellent travel speaker.
10. Amazon Echo Dot (2nd generation)
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The Echo Dot is the cheapest and easiest way -- probably less during Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend -- to get someone on the Alexa bandwagon.
11. Amazon Echo (2nd generation)
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New for 2017, the second-generation Echo offers better sound than the Dot and an affordable price tag.
12. Sonos One
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If you want Alexa voice control with the best sound quality to date, the Sonos One is the way to go. It's already great but future software updates will add better Spotify integration, support for Google Assistant and, in 2018, AirPlay 2.
13. UE Blast
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Need Alexa in the shower or by the pool? The UE Blast delivers stellar sound quality and portability of a rechargeable battery.
14. Anker SoundBuds Slim
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Don't want to spend much on a wireless sports headphone? Anker's SoundBuds Slim is one of the best of the cheapy models -- both in terms of sound and fit.
15. BeatsX
The BeatsX are a fresh take on a neckband style headphone that can be used as both a sports and everyday headphone. And now that you can find them discounted, they seem more reasonably priced.
16. Apple AirPods
Say what you will about the look of Apple's AirPods, but they're extremely portable and among the top totally wireless earphones. Compared to the competition, they're also relatively well priced.
17. Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Wireless Headphones
The Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Wireless headphone has effective noise canceling that sounds great and costs significantly less than Bose's QuietComfort 35 II.
18. Bose QuietComfort 35 II
The best overall wireless noise-canceling headphone adds integrated Google Assistant for 2017.
19. Sony WH-1000XM2
Sony's made some small improvements to its already excellent feature-packed wireless noise cancelling. It's also lowered its price a bit to put the WH-1000XM2 in direct competition with the Bose QC35 II.
20. Nintendo 2DS XL
The Nintendo 2DS XL is priced perfectly as an entry point to those who want to experience the platform's stellar library. If you don't mind missing 3D, it's the one to buy.
21. Nintendo Switch
The Switch was already pretty great, but must-have titles like Super Mario Odyssey and Zelda: Breath of the Wild make it a better deal than ever. On your big screen TV or on the road, prepare to be amazed.
22. Microsoft Xbox One S
The affordable S is a solid choice for a half-step upgrade if you own a 4K TV but aren't ready to splurge on an Xbox One X.
23. Microsoft Xbox One X
Early adopters take note: The Xbox One X is the most powerful (at least on paper) home console available today.
24. Sony PlayStation 4 Slim
If you've never owned a PS4 and a 4K TV isn't in your near future, the slim version is the one to buy.
25. Sony PlayStation 4 Pro
The PlayStation 4 Pro is an impressive console that improves the looks and performance of a lot of PS4 games. You don't need a 4K TV to enjoy those features, but we recommend getting one for it.
26. Motorola Moto G5 Plus
The G5 Plus is the clear choice for a budget phone. In fact, it's hard to find a better deal on a phone that gives you as much as it does for such a slim price.
27. Apple iPhone SE
The iPhone SE is small enough for a child or a front pants pocket, and the lines hearken back to iPhones of old. And it's more affordable than ever.
28. Google Pixel 2
Fans of "pure" Android, this phone's for you. You'll find one of the best cameras on any phone, and a clean, spare version of the OS that's guaranteed to get security and OS updates as soon as they're ready.
29. Samsung Galaxy S8
Scoring high marks across the board, this everyday Android phone has it all: a great screen, top-notch camera, strong battery life and extras like waterproofing and wireless charging. The only thing it doesn't have is portrait mode.
30. Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Samsung's first dual-camera handset tops the S8 and S8 Plus with portrait mode and a digital stylus you can use for everything from handwriting notes to creating GIFs.
31. Apple iPhone 8 Plus
It's on the big side, but Apple's latest "Plus" is the perfect option if you aren't ready to quit the home button, but still capture excellent Portrait photos with its two cameras and dramatic new lighting modes.
32. Apple iPhone X
Cutting edge facial recognition technology and a larger screen-to-body ratio make this Apple's priciest, most ambitious iPhone yet.
33. Google Chromecast Audio
The Chromecast Audio is the ultimate stocking-stuffer for the music lover. It offers the ability to stream music over Wi-Fi from a phone or Chrome browser at a much higher quality than Bluetooth is capable of.
34. Vizio SB3621
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Looking to get your parents something they can hook up to the TV and hear their shows better? The Vizio SB3621 sounds much more expensive than it is, and it's great with music as well.
35. Yamaha YAS-203
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A significant step up from the Vizio, the Yamaha YAS-207 offers excellent faux-surround, and the ability to hook it up via HDMI simplifies setup immensely.
36. Sonos Playbase
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We thought sound bases were pretty much dead and gone, but the Sonos Playbase has single-handedly revived the category and it also sounds better than anything that has come before it.
37. Sony Alpha A6000
Photo by Lori Grunin/CNET
This one's been around for a while for good reason: It's a really good mirrorless camera that just keeps getting cheaper. That makes it a great gift for someone who wants to improve their photography and it won't cost you a lot (for a camera).
38. Canon EOS Rebel T7i/800D
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A solid all-around camera, Canon's cheapest enthusiast dSLR line has been a crowd-pleaser for years. If you know someone who's beginning to take photography seriously, this model is a reliable choice to get them started.
39. Nikon D7500
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One of our favorite dSLRs of 2017, the D7500 delivers the performance and photo quality of more expensive cameras. It's not a cheap gift, but if you have a favorite action or wildlife photographer who's stuck with a slow or old camera, this will make their year.
40. GoPro Hero6 Black
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The Hero6 Black has everything we liked about its predecessor -- a waterproof body, excellent video quality, electronic image stabilization, voice commands -- but with a new custom-made processor performance it kicks up a notch. This adds up to faster frame rates for smoother 4K, slower slow-motion video and impressive stabilization.
41. DJI Spark
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The littlest and least expensive camera drone from the category leader, the Spark has many of the shooting and safety features of DJI's pricier models. Out of the box you can fly it with your phone or simple hand gestures for quick aerial selfies just about anywhere, while an optional controller lets you fly it farther and faster.
42. Apple MacBook (2017)
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This ultrathin, ultralight laptop went from a cult favorite to a great all-around computer for almost everyone, now that it's a little faster and has a better keyboard. For a little extra status symbol appeal, get it in gold or rose gold.
43. HP Spectre x360
With mainstream power in a slim hybrid body that folds back into a tablet, the Spectre x360 covers pretty much all the bases for movie watching, working or drawing and sketching. You can also get it with a 4K screen, or stick to regular HD for better battery life.
44. Samsung Notebook 9 Pro
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For the same price as a lot of less-interesting mainstream 15-inch laptops, the Notebook 9 Pro packs in extra graphics power, a 360-degree hinge and a stylus, making a very well-rounded package.
45. Alienware 13 R3 (OLED)
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It's not the slickest-looking or more powerful gaming laptop, but it's probably the most impressive. This compact 13-inch has VR-ready graphics, plus one of the only OLED displays you'll find on any laptop. Its screen may be small, but it'll blow you away.
46. Amazon Fire HD 8 (2017)
Photo by Amazon
Budget tablets can easily disappoint as a holiday gift, but Amazon's done the right thing this time around by boosting the performance and cutting the price. If you (or your giftee) has Amazon Prime, it's even more useful.
47. Apple iPad (9.7-inch, 2017)
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Apple's entry level iPad does almost everything the fancier (and more expensive) Pro models do, at a fraction of the price. Unless premium stylus support is a must-have, this is the iPad to get.
48. Microsoft Surface Pro (2017)
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There are a ton of Windows hybrids that try to walk the line between laptop and tablet, but Microsoft's Surface Pro is still the king of that specialized hill. The clip-on keyboard (unfortunately sold separately) is an engineering marvel, and the latest versions are thinner with better battery life.
49. Kindle Paperwhite (2015)
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The Paperwhite remains Amazon's best-bang-for-your-buck E-ink e-reader. It hasn't been updated for 2017, so look for it to go on sale during the holidays -- it will.
50. Amazon Kindle Oasis
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The "all-new" Kindle Oasis features a larger 7-inch screen and is the first full waterproof Kindle. It's no bargain, but it's currently the ultimate E-ink e-reader.
51. Google Wifi
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Google WiFi is the best of new class of "mesh" Wi-Fi routers that make it easy to blanket your home in a wireless network via multiple hardware units. You can buy one for great Wi-Fi in a central area, or multiples to extend the network to every corner of your home.
52. August Smart Lock Pro
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August's smart lock is one of our favorites for its easy installation, the ability to assign and schedule an unlimited number of virtual guest keys for free, and the fact that it fits on your existing lock hardware. A new door close sensor in this Pro model lets you know whether or not the door itself is open.
53. Ecobee4
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Ecobee surpassed Nest's smart thermostats this year thanks to this model that has Amazon's Alexa voice assistant built directly into the unit. The included remote sensor and the ability to work with every major smart home platform seal the deal.
54. Fitbit Alta HR
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Fitbit's best basic all-around fitness tracker does heart rate and tracks everything automatically. Good battery life and a compact design make it the best Fitbit this year.
55. Apple Watch Series 3
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Apple's next-generation smartwatch feels faster, has improved heart rate and fitness tracking, and works better as an on-the-go iPod. Go with the version without cellular, unless you need to make calls on the go or stream music wirelessly.
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