Most of you probably received your Christmas bonus already and some are still waiting for relatives from abroad to receive a bit of Christmas dollars. You probably have set sights on what to do with that extra money but if you still find yourself looking for something not too expensive to splurge on, here are 5 gadget gift ideas that costs less than P5k which you can get this holiday season.
5. Kindle 4
The basic $79 Kindle 4 is Amazon’s way of making e-book readers accessible to a lot of people. I’ve been contemplating on getting an e-book reader for quite a while but the price is always turning me off until Amazon announced this little stripped down e-book reader.
The Kindle 4 foregoes the touchscreen and keyboard of its brethren but you’ll get a slimmer, lighter and more pocket-friendly e-book reader at an affordable price. This is not a tablet folks so don’t compare it to the iPad or 7-inch tablets out there. You will get e-ink display that’s easy on the eyes and will let you finish your novel or two without having be near a power source.
Somz Store over at Sulit is selling these for Php4,890.
4. JBL On Tour Micro
There are many egg-speakers around already that you are hard-pressed to choose whether to go with what others are having or whether to look for something more distinct. Well if you choose the latter, the JBL On Tour Micro portable speakers may be the right companion for your laptop or music player.
The JBL On Tour Micro sounds just about the same as your X-minis (which is not bad) but comes with a fresh look. It’s audio cable can be coiled and stored underneath and it also comes with a carrying pouch so you won’t have to worry about scratching or damaging it while in your bag.
SRP: Php1,995
3. Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750
You don’t want a workspace cluttered with cable so you opt to go wireless with your peripherals. But you also don’t want to worry about having to recharge or swap batteries while in the middle of typing up a report so what can you do? Go solar.
The Logitech K750 is a full-sized keyboard with a minimalist but stylish look that would blend well with your modern workspace. It’s wireless but also doesn’t require any batteries for you to charge, at least the usual way that is. It has some light panels on top that would get and store energy from ambient light to power up your keyboard. Got that? You don’t need the sun. It works indoors even with your room light! Amazing.
SRP: Php3,890
2. Aviiq Portable Charging Station
On our recent trip to Malaysia, my wife and I brought 2 smartphones, an iPod Touch and an iPad… and only one USB power charger. So imagine the hassle of having to take turns charging our phones and other devices at the end of the day. We could bring other chargers but that would be not-so travel-friendly.
We could sure use something like the Aviiq Portable Charging Station, a travel sleeve/pack that can charge 4 USB-powered devices (even an iPad) at the same time. All you need to do is plug it to your power source and connect your devices into any of its 4 USB charging ports. It also has a compartment on the side where you can neatly store your USB cables.
SRP: Php3,950 available at Digital Walker
1. SoundMAGIC PL11 in-ear earphones
Ok this shouldn’t be on the list because these are about 2-year old models. However, it’s one of the carefully guarded secrets of audiophiles if you’re looking for a budget pair of earphones that doesn’t sound like what you paid it for. SoundMAGIC won’t ring a bell to a lot of people and being a China brand might turn these people off. Don’t let the name fool you though. Go ahead and “google” this brand/model.
The SoundMAGIC PL11 won’t wow you with design or packaging but instead, it will win you over with its excellent sound quality. Imagine an entry-level earphone with a high-end sound quality. That’s what you’ll get here. Head-fi.org compares it to the Sennheiser CX300-II in terms of sound quality.
The problem with SoundMAGIC cans is that it’s hard to find them in malls. Someone in Sulit is selling these for Php800 (that’s the actual price!) and also have other models.