PCMag’s First-Ever Gift of the Year Awards: Our Experts Pick the Best Tech for Everyone on Your List
It’s hard to believe, but it’s already time to start thinking about your holiday shopping. But what makes the ultimate gift? To answer this important question, we consulted our team of experts, who tirelessly test hundreds of technology products each year, and asked them what they were planning to offer this year and, just as importantly, what they would like to receive. And given the current state of the world, we kept affordability in mind. The result: a dozen favorites in as many key categories.
What you’ll see below aren’t necessarily the best products of the year, but ones we think are particularly gift-worthy. We have the essentials, like phones and computers, that almost anyone would appreciate. Plus, some fun and unexpected choices that are sure to delight.
Our sister sites also run their own unique Gift of the Year awards. Check out the winners on CNET, Lifehacker, Mashable, Popular Science and ZDNET for more fantastic holiday gift ideas. —Eric Griffith
Laptop Giveaway of the Year: Dell XPS 13
(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag; Dell)
Looking to buy someone in your life a great laptop at an even better price? Dell’s budget-focused reinvention of its iconic XPS laptop is one of the best laptops you can find for under $800. This 13-incher offers most of the luxury features you’ll find in more expensive high-end laptops, like a sharp, fast, colorful touchscreen, a snappy keyboard, and a sleek, thin, lightweight chassis. All of this makes it a worthy competitor to Apple’s revolutionary MacBook Neo. We gave the Dell XPS 13 our Editors’ Choice award, and it’s easily the best Windows laptop to offer in 2026. —Joe Osborne
Office Gift of the Year: Apple Mac mini M6
(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag; Apple)
The title of Mightiest Mini Desktop goes to the Apple Mac mini with M6. Yes, the lack of memory has led to a considerable price hike over the previous model, but the Mac mini is still the most powerful desktop computer you can get for under $1,000. It has Apple’s most powerful chip yet, featuring an improved neural coprocessor, more advanced graphics, and faster memory bandwidth. Like most Macs, this one, an Editors’ Choice, is ready for the long haul; it should last a long time for your lucky gift. —Joe Osborne
Phone gift of the year: Google Pixel 11
(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag; Google)
With the Pixel 11, Google slimmed down its Android phone and reduced the camera bar, making the device thinner and lighter. Additionally, the triple rear cameras feature a 50% larger main sensor that captures significantly more light. On top of that, the Pixel 11 is packed with useful AI tools, including Magic Capture, a smart camera feature that extracts key photos from video, and Magic Cue, an on-screen assistant for instant contextual actions. Best of all, the Google Phone offers 19 hours of battery life, meaning your giftee has no excuse to miss your texts. —Kimberly Gédéon
TV Gift of the Year: Vizio Mini-LED Quantum TV
(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag; Vizio)
The Vizio VQM Series Quantum Mini-LED TV is an inexpensive TV that punches well above its weight in terms of performance. Its colors are well balanced and its image is beautiful even if it is not particularly bright. Plus, it supports Apple AirPlay and Google Cast for streaming from your phone, tablet, or computer. This Editors’ Choice bundle is a great package at under $280 for a 55-inch screen and under $800 for a whopping 85-inch screen. —Will Greenwald
Headphones Giveaway of the Year: Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro
(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag; Anker)
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro mid-range headphones, which offer effective active noise cancellation and a rich, bass-focused sound profile for heavy music listeners, would make the perfect Christmas gift. They eschew the usual suite of AI tools, but feature multi-point Bluetooth for up to three devices and a neat touchscreen charging case that lets you check battery life and switch between sound modes. The buds come in four colors, including pink and blue. —Florence Ion
Smartwatch Gift of the Year: Apple Watch Series 12
(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag; Apple)
The exceptional Apple Watch Series 12 puts intelligence into the smartwatch with built-in Siri AI, which can answer the user’s burning questions. An Editors’ Choice, it has a long-lasting 54-hour battery and is durable enough to withstand dust and full submersion in water. It tracks your health with an all-new sensing system that regularly checks your heart rate and other vital signs during and between workouts. Plus, this stylish device comes in multiple sizes, materials, and finishes, so you can perfectly match the look to your gift. —Andrew Gebhart
Health and fitness gift of the year: Oura Ring 5
(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag; Oura)
The Oura Ring 5, an Editors’ Choice, strikes the perfect balance between a stylish accessory and a useful health tracker. It’s beautiful and comfortable to wear around the clock, thanks to its slim, sleek design that feels practically light on the finger. Beneath the surface, it accurately tracks activity, sleep and stress. The well-organized app clearly displays long-term holistic health trends such as cardiovascular fitness and cardiovascular age. Best of all, it lasts over 10 days on a single charge. —Andrew Gebhart
Smart Glasses Giveaway of the Year: Viture Beast
(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag; Viture)
The Viture Beast is a pair of prism glasses that you connect to any compatible phone, tablet, or computer via DisplayPort-over-USB-C to project a huge private screen right in front of your eyes. It’s a personal favorite (and Editors’ Choice), ideal for working in a coffee shop or watching movies on a flight, and it has built-in head tracking that keeps the virtual screen fixed in front of you as if it were physically there. The glasses also allow for ultra-wide 32:9 video with compatible devices, which I find essential when trying to write and edit on the go. —Will Greenwald
Recommended by our editors
Ereader Gift of the Year: Onyx Boox Go 6 (Gen 2)
(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag; Onyx Boox)
If you know an experienced reader who gets their books from all kinds of sources or just doesn’t want to use Amazon, Onyx Boox readers are a great alternative to the Kindle. The Boox Go 6 Gen 2 is a 6-inch e-reader that runs on a version of Android, meaning it can load virtually any book, comic, document, or manga file format and run a variety of apps. It also has a microSD card slot that lets you expand storage well beyond what any Kindle can handle. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but this is a powerful little E Ink tablet. —Will Greenwald
Smart Home Gift of the Year: Birdfy Feeder Rookie
(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag; Birdfy)
Shopping for your favorite birder? The Birdfy Feeder Rookie, an Editors’ Choice, should be at the top of your list. It positions a video camera right next to the seed tray and sends videos and photos to a smartphone app every time a bird stops for a snack. We like the Rookie because its camera is a lot better than similarly priced alternatives. It records clear, smooth videos at 30fps and captures sharp still images. Be sure to get it with a lifetime bundle subscription; no one likes receiving a gift with a monthly fee. —Jim Fisher
STEM Gift of the Year: DwarfLab Dwarf 3 Smart Telescope
(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag; DwarfLab)
It’s an extraordinary gift. The DwarfLab Dwarf 3 lives up to its name, including almost everything a budding astronomer needs in a compact, ultraportable yet feature-packed smart telescope. The Dwarf 3, which users control entirely via a mobile device, excels at capturing larger objects in the firmament thanks to its wide field of view. Our tests show that it (literally) captures stellar images even in light-polluted cities. The affordable device weighs just 2.9 pounds and comes with a padded carrying case. (Tripod not included.) —Eric Griffith
Gift of the Year under $50: Razer Reclusa X Mini 65%
(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag; Razer)
If you’re looking for a gift for that special nerd in your life and don’t have a dime to spend, the Razer Reclusa X Mini 65% is our top recommendation. It’s an enthusiast keyboard with plug-and-play key switches and customization features for the DIY community, including a hot-swappable board that supports three- and five-pin key switches. This Editors’ Choice is the best budget-friendly keyless keyboard you can buy right now. —Zackery Cuevas
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