If you’re searching for the best tech gifts, chances are you’ve got someone hard to buy for in mind. What do you get the person whose home entertainment setup is already dialled up to eleven? Well, that’s the joy of tech, it’s constantly changing. Cutting-edge soon becomes commonplace, and there lies the opportunity. Find something special and you’ve proven yourself a thoughtful and astute present buyer. Plus, with the Black Friday tech sales in full swing, you can save yourself some money.
There’s no need to tell the lucky recipient you did it with our help. Our top choices of the best tech gifts of 2025 can be found below, along with explanations of why we think they’ll be thoroughly appreciated, whether they’re a movie fan, gamer, or music lover. We won’t help you wrap them though, sorry.
AirPods Pro 3
If you’ve ever watched the trial scene in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and wanted one of those universal translators for yourself, Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 would like a word with you. While also available (via firmware update) on the ANC AirPods 4 and the AirPods Pro 2, Live Translation is a game-changing addition, that lets you hear translation in real-time from English, French, German, Spanish or Portuguese, meaning there’s no need to even pick up your phone, let alone thumb through a dictionary.
Elsewhere, the top-end version of Apple’s earbuds get a very small form factor tweak, along with some nice tech upgrades. The battery life of the buds has been increased to give around 8 hours of playback (up from 6 on the previous model), plus they can now measure heart rate while you’re working out (assuming you left your Apple Watch elsewhere).
But the biggest improvement, however, is in audio performance. The sound is punchier and more lively with a broader soundscape, but the showstopper is the active noise cancelling itself, which is noticeably better. Apple claim it shuts out twice the ambient noise as its predecessor, which is a little hard to quantify, but we found the ANC noticeably more effective, removing almost all external sound (aided no doubt in part by the new foam-bodied tips, which also increase passive isolation). It may have been three years since the AirPods Pro line got an update, but these have been worth the wait.
Amazon
Hisense 32-inch TV
©Hisense
The television has replaced the roaring fire in the modern Christmas vignette, and with an ever-growing array of streaming services, a dismal seasonal schedule is no reason to dismay. This Hisense TV delivers on the app front and elsewhere, with more high-end features than we’d expect from a unit of this size.
We like Hisense because it routinely matches what arguably more premium brands offer, but at a fraction of the price. This option is a QLED screen (not a given for a 32-inch TV), meaning movies will benefit from more vibrant colours and superior contrast. But, of course, all of that only really starts to matter with the addition of HDR (High Dynamic Range) – expanding the colour spectrum to over a billion shades. If you value the artistic vision of directors, cinematographers or editors, you’ll love it.
Other inclusions, like Dolby Atmos, ensure that your entertainment of choice will have more immersive sound. However, we’d still recommend a Dolby Atmos soundbar to fully take advantage of this feature. With one, you’ll be well on your way to a proper home cinema setup.
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Hisense 32-inch Full HD QLED Smart TV 32E5QTUK
Hisense
iPhone 17 Pro
This year’s iPhone line-up marks the biggest shake-up for the handsets in quite some time. Not only do we now have the impossibly svelte iPhone Air, but the newly updated Pro range has undergone a serious design facelift, including a full aluminium body and an elevated camera strip. Did we mention it also now comes in orange?
A great smartphone lives and dies with the camera and the 48 megapixel fusion camera on the 17 Pro now features 2x, 4x and 8x optical zoom, the latter of which managing a genuinely impressive amount of detail – even in low light, thanks to Apple’s Photonic Engine (as fun to say as it is to use). Like the regular 17, the Pro also now features an 18 megapixel Centre Stage square sensor on the front camera, too, allowing you to frame pictures any way you wish without having to worry about which way you’re holding the phone – an absolute boon for he selfie obsessed.
Performance-wise, the Pro is also alarmingly fast, powered by the six-core A19 Pro chip, which has every last drop of performance squeezed out of it thanks to enhanced cooling from the in-built vapour chamber. The result is a handset that makes short work of absolutely anything you care to throw at it, from 3D games to UHD video.
Both the regular iPhone 17 and the Pro feature the same 6.3″ 120Hz OLED ProMotion screen this year, but the additional horsepower and outstanding main camera make the Pro a more than worthy upgrade — not to mention the ability for avid cinephiles to shoot in ProRAW or 120fps 4K Dolby Vision video.
Amazon
Dangbei N2 Mini Smart Projector
©Harvey Isitt/Empire
The Dangbei N2 Mini Smart Projector is a well-designed, Netflix-ready smart projector with Full HD resolution. We love its compact form, user-friendly remote control and integrated stand. While the best budget projectors under £100 may be priced too low to deliver the sort of quality we’re looking for, at £200 this one does, and it does it with style.
The 200 ANSI lumens brightness means that the Dangbei N2 is better for evening viewing. This measure is probably the most important technical spec for projectors, and some more expensive models can take brightness to a whole other level. However, the N2’s sharp picture quality and hassle-free streaming meant we still had great viewing experiences regardless of the time of day. A snow-white wall or projector screen will further improve the quality of shows, films and games, but without either it shouldn’t rule out adding a projector to your entertainment options.
Automatic features like focus, keystoning, and obstacle avoidance (which detects things like picture frames or furniture and scales the projection to fit between them) are excellent additions. Another nice touch: the tilt-adjustable stand let us kick back and blitz series on the ceiling.
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Dangbei N2 Mini Smart Projector
Apple Watch Ultra 3
Rough and rugged, the Apple Watch Ultra has long outgrown its niche as an outdoorsman’s device, proving the go-to wrist accessory for any discerning tech nerd. This year’s Ultra 3, meanwhile, brings with it an assortment of improvements that only cement its status as the connected timepiece to beat.
First off, the battery. Charging an Apple Watch is a quick and painless daily necessity but the Ultra smashes through that 24 hour barrier, giving what Apple claim is a two day battery life (though we found with light use it can even stretch to a third). Not having to slap it on a charger every night (even if it does juice to full in just an hour) is a game changer and makes you even more likely to take advantage of the new Sleep Score, which grades the quality of your snooze.
The Ultra 3 also upgrades to the S10 chip for a little added oomph over its previous incarnation, and while the case remains identical, it features a slightly larger display and is now an LTPO3 wide-angle OLED, making it look even brighter than its already dazzling 3000 nits when you’re out and about. And speaking of which, the Ultra 3 introduces not just 5G but also satellite connectivity, allowing you to send your location (or call for help) even when you’re completely off the grid. With its chunky titanium frame, action button and all the bells and whistles that come with WatchOS 26, we think this is hands-down the best smart watch money can buy.
Amazon
Marshall Emberton III Speaker
©David Ker/Empire
The Marshall brand has more than 60 years of history behind it, and the amps which grace the stages of some of rock’s biggest names influence the design of its home speakers.
We like the Emberton III not only because its retro look brings some welcome variety to what can often be plain and uninspiring home audio units, but also because this little speaker produces excellent audio. That quality is achieved through two 38W Class D amplifiers, two 2-inch 10W drivers and two passive radiators. The multidirectional sound created does justice to all sorts of musical genres and the spoken word, an area where many other small speakers fall flat.
Easily held in one hand, it’s straightforward enough to use on your travels. Plus, you can do so confidently thanks to a high waterproof and dust resistance rating and brilliant battery life. While there are bigger and smaller Marshall speakers out there, this one hits a bit of a sweet spot for portability and power.
Ultimea Surround Sound System
©Ultimea
Big and bold audio on a budget isn’t easy. The Ultimea Poseidon D60 is a 5.1 channel system which includes a soundbar, subwoofer and two wired speakers. This is the traditional way of creating spatial sound – place the satellite speakers away from the soundbar and enjoy audio from all directions. The subwoofer is present to boost the bass and, with Ultimea’s BASSMX tech at work, low frequencies are further enhanced.
This much kit often costs a lot more, and you also normally pay a premium for Dolby Atmos. It’s a technology which goes some way to replicating what you’re used to hearing from a cinema seat. Individual sounds are placed within a 3D space and move around to reflect the on-screen action, whether birds flying overhead or a character sprinting to safety. That makes the Poseidon D60 setup an extremely affordable way to start creating blockbuster impact from the comfort of your living room.
Ultimea
Instax mini LiPlay+ instant Camera
In an era when almost everyone has a quality digital camera built into their smartphone, standalone snappers can almost feel quaint. However, Fujifilm’s Instax mini LiPlay+ reminds you that there’s still good reason to keep a dedicated device in your pocket. Harking back to the ‘80s and ’90s when Polaroid pics were all the rage, the LiPlay is a digital camera and printer in one, allowing you to capture candids of your friends and instantly print the image in hardcopy — just like it’s 1991!
An updated version of the 2019 model, this compact instant camera adds USB-C and a wide-angle selfie lens but continues to take crisp, detailed images (with a variety of fun filters and frames available) and instantly spits them out as (surprisingly detailed) photos you can wave around, pin on your wall or slip into a wallet. There’s also an ability to record audio (max 10 seconds), should you desire it, which is appended to images via QR code so you can ‘hear’ the picture whenever you wish. All in all, a fun and full-featured snapper that overdelivers on instant gratification.
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Instax mini LiPlay+ instant Camera
soundcore Aeroclip Earbuds
©David Ker/Empire
Open ear headphones are increasingly popular. They provide a way to listen on the move without completely shutting you off from the outside world. This ambient noise is important for the safety of runners and cyclists, and with Christmas giving way to the New Year and associated resolutions, there’s a chance there’ll be more of these on your list of present recipients than you realise.
The soundcore AeroClip earbuds are a superb example of the technology. The risk with headphones that don’t sit within the ear (or entirely surround them) is that audio is compromised, but the AeroClip perform admirably. However, what really sets them apart is the considered, effective design. They’re ring-shaped (with 12mm drivers) and secured around the outer ear. While it takes a moment to acclimatise, putting them on soon becomes second nature. You’re left with a lightweight, comfortable pair of headphones which can be used for music, audiobooks or calls. If a dodgy pair of earbuds was someone’s established excuse for putting off a run, they’re out of luck.
Sony Bluetooth Turntable
©Sony
The vinyl revival continues apace, and whether you’re digging out old records or starting a collection from scratch (watch that stylus), you’ll need a player to set them spinning. The Sony PS-LX310BT turntable mixes the classic and the modern by integrating Bluetooth. With this, you can pipe the sound through to a compatible speaker, soundbar or headphones and avoid a tangle of wires. It also means that you’re not necessarily tied to one spot. However, if getting comfortable and settling in for the long haul is part of the appeal, it can also be linked up to speakers in the conventional way.
Solid but sleek construction makes this record player less likely to clash with your favourite album artwork. Its premium appearance also ensures that it doesn’t look out of place when not in use. We rate it as a gift for music aficionados old and new.
Researched and recommended
Sony
Kindle Paperwhite
©William Austin-Lobley/Empire
If you’re not yet a convert to e-readers, the Kindle Paperwhite might twist your arm. It does exactly what we want this tech to do and creates a new avenue for book lovers to enjoy their favourite titles. First off, it’s thin and light, which addresses the problem of a bag weighed down by your tome of choice. Beyond that, its anti-glare screen and adjustable warm light allow you to dive into your current read regardless of time of day or location.
This 7-inch screen doesn’t replace the pleasure of thumbing through the pages of a dog-eared paperback for the hundredth time. However, as a tech gift for book lovers, we think it provides an additional way to ensure that there’s always fiction or non-fiction to hand. It also supports Audible via Bluetooth, so it caters to anyone who prefers to ‘read’ their books by listening to them.
Colour might be important if you prefer graphic novels and comics. The Kindle Colorsoft covers that.
AOC Curved Gaming Monitor
©Chris Duffill/Empire
When it comes to gifts for gamers, it makes sense to focus on the item that displays all the action. That might be a TV, but if gaming is a true hobby, then it’ll often be a monitor. We’re big fans of the AOC Gaming CQ27G2SE monitor, largely due to the superb design of its curved screen, which improves ergonomics while also helping with immersion. The visual specs are impressive too, with low input lag from a 165Hz refresh rate and HDR10 helping with the contrast. As a 1440p monitor, it can also downscale to a 4K input. Its angular stand and understated red trim are a nod to these gaming credentials, but it’s not overdone, so it can easily double as an office monitor, too.
Adjusting the screen’s default look through Adaptive Sync or Shadow Control is easy. Sometimes, an area in a game is just too difficult to distinguish – rather than playing around with the in-game settings to tune the brightness, the monitor’s Shadow Control balances the dark areas on the display. If creatures are meant to be lurking in the shadows, fair enough, but for the things that actually need to be seen, you’re covered.
Nintendo Switch 2
©Harvey Isitt/Empire
Released earlier this year, the Nintendo Switch 2 generated a wave of interest from gamers who clamoured for the next way to play. Things have now settled down, but the console is still going strong and is sure to be at the top of a few Christmas lists.
We welcome the refinements made to elements of the original Switch and the new worlds of engrossing gameplay that are now available. This is a more powerful unit capable of 4K gaming on a bigger, brighter display, and the Joy-Con controllers are magnetic. For those unfamiliar with either Switch iteration, while the console is a handheld delight, it can also be connected to a TV and enjoyed on a larger screen. The game you’ll likely first relish at either size is Mario Kart World (for a larger initial outlay you can get it bundled with the console). It’s a joyous showcase of what the Switch 2 is capable of, packed with familiar characters and banana slide catastrophes.
Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones
©Sony
Sony’s WH-CH720N headphones prove that strong and nuanced audio can be delivered at an extremely reasonable price point. Comfortably under £100, they utilise Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. Using the accompanying app, this will map your ear shape and tailor the soundstage to you.
Wireless, lightweight, and built with everyday out-and-about use in mind, the sound produced has width, punch, and good detail in vocals. Battery life is solid, clocking in at 35 hours, and the padded earcups make longer listens comfortable. Even with just a single driver per ear, the soundstage and virtual surround still give enough space.
With noise cancelling on it’s easy to listen without being disturbed, and multipoint connection allows smooth switching between different devices. There are more recent and more expensive over-ear headphones to be had, but this pair nails the foundations of the technology.
Logitech Gaming Mouse
©Chris Duffill, Empire
Peripherals giant Logitech recently teamed up with leading gamers to develop a new mouse – the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2. It’s the successor to the wildly popular Logitech G Pro X Superlight but with some additional, rather impressive tricks.
If you know someone who spends hours battling online foes, this mouse can take their first-person shooter gaming to a whole new level. Weighing a little less than 60 grams, we found it incredibly agile to use during testing and were also impressed by its customisability.
Speed, agility and accuracy are vital when every second counts, all things that the G Pro X Superlight prioritises. While a gaming mouse might seem like an inconsequential piece of tech, any true gamer knows that a good one can make the difference between walking away a champion and facing another ‘you lose’ screen. It may seem simple, but this mouse is a precision tool which will be a game-changer in the right hand (or left).
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Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 Gaming Mouse
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Our writers have tested a wide range of tech over the years. They use that expertise in all our articles, reviews, and advice pieces, have complete control over what they recommend, and select products that they believe best match the needs of our readers. We do not take payment for reviews. Though we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections. These links allow us to continue doing what we love: providing meaningful and valuable consumer product advice.
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David Ker is a journalist with a decade of experience in print and digital publishing. He appreciates technology made with its environmental impact in mind and which presents him a further means to pursue his love of music, reading, games, TV and film. Above all, with so many options, he’s interested in products that display something out of the ordinary and offer value for money. Hard to please, he assures Empire readers that he’ll be a discerning critic on their behalf.
