It’s already Day 6 of Tech Guide’s 2020 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas to help you zero in on the gadget gifts that your family and friends will absolutely.
Today we’re look at tablets and e-readers. Tablets are now more powerful than ever and are popular for school students, mobile professionals and anyone looking for a laptop replacement.
For book lovers, e-readers are also a great way to have all of your books and the actual bookstore at your fingertips.
Here are Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas:
DAY 6: Tablets/e-readers
DAY 7: Drones/Gadgets
DAY 8: Smart/IoT devices
DAY 9: In-car gadgets
DAY 10: TVs/Blu-Ray/4K
DAY 11: Appliances
DAY 12: Computers
DAY 6: Tablets/e-readers
IPAD AIR – FROM $899
The new iPad Air could very well be the Goldilocks of the iPad family – it’s more powerful than the entry level iPad but doesn’t come with the high price of the top-end iPad Pro – it’s just right.
The iPad Air sports an all-new design. Gone is the Touch ID home button and in its place is screen from top to bottom.
While it doesn’t share the iPad Pro price tag, it certainly has inherited some of its DNA with similar flat edges and narrow bezels.
This new member of the iPad family is aimed at the user who wants more performance then the entry level iPad eight generation but without having to spend big money on an iPad Pro.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE IPAD AIR
SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S7+ – From $1,199
Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab S7+ is an extremely capable tablet and ticks all the boxes that would easily qualify it as a laptop replacement to use anywhere.
The versatile device is available in 11-inch and 12.4-inch screen sizes and is seen as a direct competitor to Apple’s iPad Pro.
And like the iPad Pro, the Galaxy Tab S7+ forms an exciting new part of Samsung’s Galaxy ecosystem which now includes the Galaxy smartphones, the Galaxy Watch 3 and the new Galaxy Buds Live earphones.
But the Galaxy Tab S7+ tablet can also standalone for those who want to work, play and be entertained on the go.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S7+
iPAD PRO – From $1,329
The latest and most powerful iPad Pro has edged even closer to behaving like a fully-fledged laptop thanks to significantly improved performance and new support to pair a mouse or trackpad.
Apple has also unveiled a new Magic Keyboard with backlit keys and a trackpad – but this review won’t include it as it’s not due till May.
The tablet still offers stunning 11-inch and 12.9-inch Liquid Retina displays which make your content, apps, web pages, images and videos look amazing.
The new onboard A12Z Bionic chip isn’t a massive improvement on last year’s iPad Pro but an improvement nonetheless on an already powerful product.
The kind of power the iPad Pro puts in your hands would put most laptops to shame.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE 2020 iPAD PRO
LENOVO CHROME DUET – $599
The Lenovo Duet Chromebook is a sleek and light 2-in-1 device that switches from fun to business to fun as easily as it converts from tablet to a laptop.
Simply attach the plug-and-play keyboard to transform the device into ultraportable 10.1″ tablet to get your work done.
The Lenovo Duet Chromebook has all the core security, speed and simplicity features of a Chromebook, with fast boot times, works with Microsoft Office and software optimised for on-the-go productivity.
As one of the lightest, thinnest Chromebooks, the Lenovo Duet Chromebook travels effortlessly wherever you go, and with 8 years of auto-updates it’s sure to become your go-to device.
ALCATEL TKEE MINI TABLET + FAMILY SMARTWATCH BUNDLE – $279
Looking for a pressie for the little one who is looking for more independence to play and learn? This bundle might be the perfect gift for them. It includes…
The Alcatel TKEE Mini Tablet is a 7-inch tablet to help your child play and learn. The tablet features award-winning educational platform Kidomi, as well as offers parental controls and smart features such as Eye Care which protects your child from blue light.
The bundle also includes the TCL MT40 Family Watch – a 4G smartwatch made for kids, and controlled by an app on the parents phone for safety. Parents can pre-set contacts that kids can video call or send emoji messages to. Available from Big W.
LASER 10-INCH ANDROID 16GB TABLET – $149.95
The Laser Android Tablet allows you to explore, engage and be entertained.
The sleek, versatile tablet lets you access your emails, watch movies, read books and play games.
Whether for business or personal use, Laser’s Android tablets are user-friendly, practical and portable – powerful enough to conduct your everyday activities yet simple enough for the kids to use. From www.laserco.com.au
IPAD – 8TH GENERATION – $499
The iPad has had the most interesting journey since it was launched more than 10 years ago and now stands as one of the most successful consumer electronics products of all time. The latest eight generation iPad continues that tradition.
It puts more power than ever in entry level user’s hands and the latest 8th generation model is actually cheaper than last year’s model so that’s a big result.
READ TECH GUIDE’S FULL REPORT ON THE iPAD 8TH GENERATION
MICROSOFT SURFACE GO 2 – From $629
Microsoft built this as an affordable and portable 2-in-1 now has a larger 10.5-inch PixelSense display with 64 per cent faster performance.
It is powered by the 8th generation Intel Core M processor and now also includes dual microphones and a 5-megapixel front facing camera for clearer video chats.
Starting at just 544 grams (not including Type Cover*) the Surface Go 2 has a battery life up to 10 hours and is perfect for browsing, shopping, emails, and homework
It has the portability of a tablet and the performance and versatility of a laptop with adjustable Kickstand and Signature Type Cover (sold separately)
Also onboard is a USB-C port, headphone jack, HD front- and rear-facing cameras to keep you connected.
MOSHI USB-C TO HDMI ADAPTOR – $89
Wouldn’t it be good if we could take what’s on your tablets and put it on your televisions? With the new Moshi USB-C to HDMI adapter now you can.
The small adaptor has a USB-C port and HDMI port and can connect to any tablet with a USB-C port like the iPad Air and iPad Pro.
It can even support 4K video at 60hz and HDR and also charge the smartphone, tablet or laptop thanks to USB Power Delivery pass through.
READ TECH GUIDE’S FULL REPORT ON THE MOSHI USB-C TO HDMI ADAPTOR
APPLE MAGIC KEYBOARD FOR iPAD PRO – Form $499
Apple’s new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro arrived earlier than expected – and it’s also better than we expected. It’s the perfect partner for the iPad Pro.
It makes the iPad Pro a lot more versatile than it already is – and it will also work with last year’s iPad Pro as well.
The Magic Keyboard’s track pad and cursor make the iPad Pro more like a laptop than ever before.
The actual keyboard, which is now backlit, uses the same scissor mechanism you’ll find on a MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air and offers the same 1mm travel.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE MAGIC KEYBOARD FOR iPAD PRO
KOBO NIA E-READER – $149.95
The Kobo Nia is the latest e-reader on the Rakuten Kobo family of products – it’s a high quality yet affordable device so you can enjoy the latest and favourite books anywhere and anytime.
The compact Kobo Nia has a 6-inch Carta E-Ink glare-free touchscreen which looks just like paper whether you’re reading indoors or out in the sun.
The display has a resolution of 1024 x 758 and 212ppi (pixels per inch) so the type on the screen looks sharp and clear – like the printed page.
And even if you’re reading at night, the ComfortLight makes it possible to continue through the chapters without disturbing your partner and illuminating the whole room with a bright backlight.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REPORT OF THE KOBO NIA
KINDLE – $139 ($119 for Prime Members)
The Kindle has set the benchmark for e-readers over the years and the latest and most affordable model has inherited features introduced in more expensive models including an adjustable front light.
Priced at $139, the entry level Kindle provides an ideal reading experience which can be enjoyed inside and outside and in all kinds of light conditions.
The first thing you notice when you turn on the 6-inch glare-free display which has 167ppi (pixels per inch) is how great the text looks – it’s just like printed words on a page.
KINDLE PAPERWHITE E-READER – $199 ($169 for Prime Members)
The thinnest, lightest Kindle Paperwhite yet—with a flush-front design and 300 ppi (pixels per inch) glare-free display that reads like real paper even in bright sunlight.
It is also waterproof so you’re free to read and relax at the beach, by the pool, or in the bath.
And you can enjoy twice the storage with 8GB or 32GB to hold even more titles.
It also runs for ages on a single charge which lasts weeks, not hours.
