Tech Guide’s 2017 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas – Day 2: Smartphones

Christmas is almost upon us and tech gadget gifts will be high on the shopping lists. Tech Guide is once again running its annual 12 Days of Christmas Gadget Gift Ideas.

And today were talking about one product that is likely to be one of the most popular under the Christmas tree in 2017 – smartphones.

Recently Telstra released research that revealed nearly half of all parents (45 per cent) said a smartphone was what their child wanted for Christmas.

And we’re not going to fill this list with all the top-of-the-line smart phones like the iPhone X, the Samsung Galaxy S8, the LG V30 and the Google Pixel 2 – these aren’t exactly the smartphones many people hand out at Christmas time.

What you’ll find here are all under $1000 and includes all more affordable entry to mid-level devices.

The Tech Guide 12 Days of Christmas Gadget Gift Ideas are:

Day 1: Cameras

Day 2: Smartphones

Day 3: Wearable/smartwatches

Day 4: Headphones/speakers

DAY 5: Gaming

DAY 6: Tablets/eReaders

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 2: SMARTPHONES

ALCATEL A3 – $149

Alcatel has had a big year because it delivers quality products at affordable prices and the A3 certainly fits that bill.

This device is a perfect first phone for kids and offers a 5-inch HD display, 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a fingerprint reader for added security.

And they still managed to keep the price under $150. It’s available now through Optus.

ALCATEL A3 XL – $179

If you wanted something a little bigger, the Alcatel A3 XL ups the screen size to 6 inches.

The display has a resolution of 1280 x 720 and is an ideal size for those who want to consume content and interact with social media on the go.

The device is powered by a quad core 1.1 GHz processor and is running the Android 7.0 operating system.

Read Tech Guide’s complete review of the Alcatel A3 XL

HUAWEI NOVA 2i – $499

You get a lot of bang for your buck with the Huawei Nova 2i – it has a 5.9-inch high definition display and an all-screen design usually found on devices that cost hundreds of dollars more.

It’s also the first smart phone that has a dual lens camera on the front and on the back.

Read Tech Guide’s complete review of the Huawei Nova 2i

NOKIA 6 – $399

The comeback of the year would have to go to Nokia after introducing its first range of Android smartphones.

These devices are sleek and yet affordable with the Nokia 6 a real standout.

The device has a sharp design with a 5.5-inch full high definition screen and an impressive 16-megapixel rear camera.

The Nokia 6 is running the Android 7.1.1 operating system and has 32GB of storage and a microSD card slot to expand that even further.

Tech Guide’s complete review of the Nokia 6

OPPO R11 – $649

The Oppo R11 is an impressive mid-tier product that offers a number of top-shelf features including a 5.5-inch full high definition screen and 20-megapixel cameras front and back.

This device looks a lot like an iPhone in both design and its operating system.

That aside, the Oppo R1 still packs in fast charging and solid performance but no NFC.

Read Tech Guide’s complete review of the Oppo R11

HTC U11 – $999

HTC’s new flagship smartphone has a beautiful design and excellent build quality to go with its impressive features including the stunning quad HD 5.5-inch screen.

There is also a new feature called Edge Sense which allows users to give the phone a short or long squeeze to do things like take photos and open apps.

The on-board Ultra Pixel 12-megapixel camera was rated as one of the best in the world.

It also has Hi-Res audio playback and USonic – a feature that maps your inner ear to optimise playback so it sounds even better.

Tech Guide’s complete review of the HTC U11

HUAWEI MATE 10 – $899

The Huawei Mate 10 has a 5.9-inch display and a 3D glass body curved on all four sides for a more comfortable grip.

It packs in two Leica lenses for the dual camera system on the rear panel and is powered by the Kirin 970 processor on a platform that delivers 25x better performance and 50x greater energy efficiency than the previous Mate phone.

Read our Tech Guide report here.

Stay tuned for our review of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro in the coming days.

MOTO Z2 PLAY – $699

The Moto Z2 Play is one of the most versatile smartphones you’ll find with a 5.5-inch full high definition AMOLED display, 12-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel wide-angle front camera.

But what really makes the Z2 Play a standout are the Moto Mods which can be added to the device including battery packs, a JBL speaker, a camera that adds 10x zoom and mini projector.

Here is Tech Guide’s complete report.

LG K4 – $179

For a phone under $200, the LG K4 certainly packs a punch with its generous 5-inch display and slim design that is just 8.1mm thick.

It has a 5-megapixel rear and front camera and includes Auto Shot and Gesture Shot so you can capture your images and selfies without hitting the shutter button.

The LG K4 is an ideal phone for a child or any user on a budget.

Tech Guide’s full report is here.