11 Best Last Minute Tech Gifts in Canada

With Christmas just over a week away, it’s tough if you’re still looking for a last-minute gift idea. And while there are plenty of tech items to round out the year, knowing what’s trending (and where to get it) is easier said than done. In this fast-paced digital age, the week before Christmas is no ordinary countdown. Therefore Yahoo Canada asked five retail experts to run through this year’s hot tech, from the latest gaming tech like the new Meta Quest 3 to fitness tech like the Fitbit Charge 6.

In a world where streaming platforms and binge-worthy content dominate our digital landscape, the search for the best laptop can be daunting. But that’s where Best Buy Experts come in handy.

Best Buy Experts are specialists available at Best Buy who can provide expert advice and guidance on a wide range of products including technology, appliances, home improvement and more. When asked which laptop would be best for streaming TV, the Best Buy Experts chose the ASUS Vivobook 15 OLED laptop.

“We see that customers are looking for the highest quality displays to view content and connect over video calls. Laptops with OLED panels like the ASUS Vivobook 15 are popular because they can produce brighter and more lifelike colors, with superior black levels and contrast,” the Best Buy experts told us Yahoo Canada.

Mallory Craigmile, Senior Director of Merchandising at Walmart Canada, says Yahoo Canada that even though it was sold out PlayStation portal has been the most sought after item of the season, the PlayStation5 console—Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 bundle with bonus game – is the next best thing.

With PlayStation Portal sold out until January, this bundle pack lets you give the gift of gaming and receive it before Christmas Day.

Whether you’re shopping for the gamer or techie in your life, you can gift a fast, secure laptop with all of Google’s AI-powered smart features built-in.

Luiza Staniec, Head of Consumer & AI Communications at Google Canada, explains Yahoo Canada that all Chromebooks come with built-in virus protection to ensure a safe experience.

“ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip is the perfect lightweight cloud gaming laptop. It features ultra-fast Wi-Fi 6 technology, giving you a full HD gaming experience with access to over 1,000 games via cloud gaming platforms like NVIDIA and Xbox Cloud Gaming The flexible design lets you quickly go from completing a report to playing your favorite games,” said Staniec.

Tech expert Marc Saltzman told us Yahoo Canada that there are several highly rated gadgets, gear, and games that you can gift to a loved one (or to yourself) this holiday season.

“Video gaming consoles are fun for the whole family. Gaming consoles are hot this holiday season, including the new PS5 Slim, the Nintendo Switch OLED model and sales on Xbox Series S/X,” he said.

Staniec also chose the Fitbit Charge 6 as one of the hottest tech items this holiday season.

“The Fitbit Charge 6 is our most advanced tracker yet. It combines advanced health sensors with new machine learning to give you our most accurate heart rate monitoring so you can keep reaching your goals. It’s even compatible with gym equipment and other fitness apps Staniec said.

Saltzman said smart speakers and smart displays are nice Amazon’s Echo Show 5 deliver great value for money, especially as they are so versatile.

“You can make free calls, play music and podcasts, get the news and weather, control your smart home with your voice, play adventure games and trivia, and much more. Smart displays also let you see content such as song lyrics, recipes , YouTube videos, people you can video call with for free, a seven-day weather forecast and more,” he said.

If someone special in your life has requested a smartphone upgrade, Staniec suggests the following Google Pixel8.

“The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are our latest premium smartphones, built with AI at the heart. Both include major hardware updates, such as our fully upgraded Tensor G3 chip and Pixel camera system,” said Staniec.

The Pixel 8 has an improved rear camera, strong security, and all-day battery life.

Craigmile also suggested that Apple’s new Series 9 watch makes a great gift, as it comes in two sizes and an assortment of colors.

For health enthusiasts, the Series 9 takes monitoring to a whole new level. Advanced health sensors now provide more accurate measurements, enabling deeper insights into your well-being.

Beats Studio Buds combine style, functionality and advanced features, making them an excellent gift choice for anyone who appreciates high-quality audio, and Craigmile agrees.

“They are true wireless noise-canceling earbuds, with powerful sound and one-touch pairing for Apple and Android devices,” Cragmile said.

The Roku Ultra is small, compact and easily portable and can be used anywhere you want to stream, making it the perfect holiday gift for someone who likes to take their favorite TV shows with them wherever they go.

“Other home entertainment accessories include a soundbar to amplify the audio coming from your television and a streaming stick or box like Roku to make your older and ‘dumb’ TV smarter,” Saltzman said.

The Roku Ultra makes a great gift for people who have a hard time shopping for and would be a big hit with college and university students with free content, parents who aren’t so tech-savvy, or grandparents, who want to cut down on all those cords .

For the latest trends in wearables and fitness technology, Best Buy Experts recommend the OURA ring.

“A new piece of technology is the ŌURA Ring. This smart ring delivers personalized health data, insights and daily guidance,” they said.

According to the Best Buy experts, it’s new Meta quest 3 iIt is extremely popular this year and they are still seeing popularity for the Meta quest 2.

“VR headsets provide the ultimate immersive experience and the new Meta Quest 3 combines AR and Mixed Reality for a completely different gaming experience,” they explained.

Digital frames have made a comeback as popular tech gifts this year. Michael Segal, founder and CEO of Skylight, shared Yahoo Canada that they are the perfect gift to bring families together.

“Families want technical gifts that actually make their lives easier and bring them closer together. The Skylight frame And Skylight Calendar are the perfect last-minute gifts to do just that. With Skylight Frame you can send them a frame full of personalized photos that might just make them shed a tear,” said Segal.

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