Home
Mobiles
Mobiles Features
What to Buy the Techie Who Has Everything

What to Buy the Techie Who Has Everything

By NDTV Correspondent | Updated: 7 October 2014 12:17 IST

It's festival season in India, a time that's also sometimes called the gifting season. You might think that a shiny new gadget is the perfect gift for the techies in your life, but unless you can ask them exactly what they want, you'll end likely up buying something they already have - if they don't already have something, newer and better, of course.

So if you're planning on buying something then here are a few ideas that will be a lot more appreciated than picking up the wrong gadget.

For the phone fanatic
You could buy someone a new phone - in which case, please ask them what they want. Don't surprise people with this unless you're absolutely sure about the phone they want. Today a choice between Xiaomi and Micromax can be enough to spark a riot, so think, twice, three times about this. If your budget doesn't stretch to tens of thousands, then your best bet is to look for cool covers.

For iPhone users, check out this battery cover from Capdase. Mophie's Juice Pack is also available for various Android phones, but we couldn't find any Indian sellers, so you'll have the added hassle of shipping and customs. For an Android user, just buying the biggest SD card their phone supports is actually a pretty thoughtful gift too, though you might want to make sure they don't already have that.

Cable organisers for earphones and chargers are also super handy - the Belkin Conserve Valet lets you charge multiple phones together, and you can also look at this wireless charging mat if the phone supports it. These cable organisers are great too, while the Fishbone keeps your earphones from getting tangled.

These are just some simple ideas, but the larger theme you should have picked up on is simple - look for cool accessories and tools that accompany the gadgets. It will be hugely appreciated, and won't run the risk of gifting people things they already have.

For the PC lover
If you know someone who's enthusiastic about their PC ,then there's not much you can get unless you're planning on gifting an entire new computer. In which case, please leave your contact details in the comments because we need to be friends. Buying components on the other hand is really boring, but there are some cool toys you can get which will be really appreciated.

Adapters are never a bad idea - this international plug adapter is incredibly useful even if you're not traveling much, because your gadgets don't all come with Indian pins. Compressed air is also incredibly useful - you can use it to clean out your keyboard, and other components.

Cable ties and cable organisers can be useful too, and if you've got a little cash to spare, then an external HDD like this one will always be welcome - you can never have too many backups. And then there's the USB coffee cup warmer, which is half cool, half handy.

For the headphone nut
Thinking of buying your friend a Beats or Skullcandy headphone because they look good? They're costly enough to look like fancy gifts too. It's a very thoughtful idea but for the love of God, don't!

Even low-end headphones have a lot of variety and range in terms of their sound signature, and once you're ready to start spending even Rs. 5,000, even if you buy a great headset, its sound signature might be exactly the opposite of what your friend likes.

(Also see: Best Headphones Under Rs. 3,500: August 2014)

And if you somehow got headphones that were good enough and sounded right, then you're probably buying them something they already have. This correspondent can attest to having a different headset for music, for gaming, for watching TV, for keeping in the bag, and for office use. Storing headphones is a pain though, and something like this headphone stand makes for a nice gift. Cable converters like these can be unexpectedly handy too - you could buy a few bundle them together for a nice gift.

For console gamers
Say you're thinking of buying a gamer a gift. Simple - just get them the latest new videogame that you'll find in a store, right? Wrong! First off, do you even know what system the person you're getting the gift for uses? A game for the Xbox One won't work on the PlayStation 4 - the games are not even compatible across the same brand, so getting a PlayStation 4 owner a PlayStation 3 game doesn't help either.

Instead, look for nice accessories. If the person carries a PS Vita around but doesn't have a carrying case, you can look at this kit from CTA Digital. It's a complete kit with a case, charger, lanyard, protective cover and more.

On the other hand, if the person has an Xbox 360 or Xbox one with a wireless controller, then they go through batteries at an alarming rate. A battery recharger is a wonderful gift, and having more than one is not a problem because batteries are always useful.

In general look at buying accessories - it's easy to see what system your friend has and checking the accessory sections online to buy something nice. These will also last a lot longer than games, and will cost less too.

What would you like to get as a gift? Tell us via the comments; sorry we won't be able to send it to you, but we'd like to know regardless.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.