Holiday Gift Guide: 25 Gadgets We're Wishing For

Image via Complex Original

As of today, there are 27 days until Christmas. Don't panic. Breathe. There ya go. We know how stressful the holiday shopping season can be. That's why we give our family and friends nothing by gift cards (just kidding—sort of). To help lighten your burden, Complex has put together a series of gift guides. You know how gift guides work, right? Good. This one focuses on gadgets. It's been a great year for technology. We've seen a bunch of cool products hit store shelves, and we've seen a lot of crap hit shelves, stay there, and then get recalled. We're going to focus on the former. Keep reading to see the coolest and best computers, tablets, cameras, TVs, and audio equipment available this holiday season. 

Apple MacBook Air

Click Here To Buy It Now at Apple, Starting at $999

Analysts are saying 2012 is going to be the year of the Ultra-book: Super thin laptops powered by Intel's latest Core processors. We think this is a result of PC makers realizing they can't compete with the iPad. However, if 2012 is indeed the year of the Ultra-book, Apple may win yet again. Its MacBook Air is one of the best laptops on the market. With the option of an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor, flash storage, and the new Thunderbolt port, it's also one of the fastest. Looking for laptop that won't break your bank nor your back? Look no further.

Amazon Kindle Fire

Click Here To Buy It Now at Amazon, $199

Despite being smaller, cheaper, and less powerful than the Apple iPad, the latest addition to the Amazon Kindle family, the Fire, is still the strongest competitor to the market-leading tablet. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos calls the Fire a "media service". And for good reason: the Fire makes it ridiculously easy to people to use the breadth of Amazon's services—books, movies, music, magazines. It's already on pace to sell a boatload during the holiday season. If you're looking for a low-priced tablet, this is it.

Bose SoundLink

Click Here To Buy It Now at Bose, $299.95

The new SoundLink takes everything we love about Bose's Soundocks—deep sensuous bass, crisp, clear highs and mids—and crams them into a compact wireless mobile speaker system. Stream music from your Bluetooth-enabled device (Apple, Android, BlackBerry, or computer) and take it with you wherever you need music. Don't worry about knock it up, either—Bose engineered it to take a beating.

TDK ST700 Headphones

Click Here To Buy It Now at TDK, $149.99

TDK picked a perfect time to reemerge into the consumer audio space. Our favorite piece from its new line is the ST700 over-ear headphones. Understated design, studio-quality sound, lightweight and foldable, they can go anywhere you go.

iPhone 4S

Click Here To Buy It Now at Apple, Starting at $199

Let's get this out the way now: The Apple iPhone 4S is the best smartphone money can buy. The latest version, with its dual-core processor, better camera, iOS 5, and voice-activiated personal assistant, Siri, just cemented that fact.

Microsoft Touch Mouse

Click Here To Buy It Now at Microsoft, $79.95

If you're using Windows 7 and are looking for a new mouse, get the Microsoft Touch Mouse. It combines the great ergonomics from past Microsoft desktop mice with a surface that can understand multi-touch gestures that work perfectly with Microsoft's latest operating system. It's a bit pricey, but it's completely worth it.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Click Here To Buy It Now at Google, $TBD

The iPhone 4S is the best phone money can buy, but that may change once Google's next flagship phone hits stores. Sporting Google's new Android 4.0 OS (Ice Cream Sandwich), voice recognition, a great feature-filled camera, complete interconnectivity with all of Google's services, NFC, a dual-core processor, a crystal-clear Super AMOLED display, and the sexiest design we've seen since the iPhone, it may be a worthy contender for the title when it comes out in December.

Asus Zenbook

Click Here To Buy It Now at Amazon, $1,149.99

If Apple isn't your cup of tea, but you still want a ridiculously attractive portable laptop, Asus's got you covered. It's new Zenbook is less than an inch thick but delivers Intel's Core i7 processor and a 128GB flash drive. Only downside is it only comes in one screen size: 11.6-inches. If that's not a problem, say hello to your next machine.

LG Infinia 47LW5600

Click Here To Buy It Now at Amazon, $1,699.99

When it comes to in-home 3D, you don't want to wear headache-inducing glasses. No, what you want to do is rock the same frames you wear when you go to the movies, so you will need a passive 3D TV like LG's LED 3D HDTV set. This one comes with four pairs of 3D glasses so you can your crew can enjoy Transformers: Dark of the Moon the way it was supposed to be.

FujiFilm Finepix X10

Click Here To Buy It Now at FujiFilm, $599

Following the success of its X100, FujiFilm decided to endow some of its amazing attention to detail, design, and functionality to consumers who may not know a damn thing about photography. The X10 boasts a 12 MP lens, a hi-res 2.8-inch multi-function display, HD video capture, and a manual 4x optical zoom lens. But the real reason to get this camera is the look and feel. You won't find anything in this price range that can match it. You won't want to put it down. What more could you ask for?

Samsung Focus Flash

Click Here To Buy It Now at ATT, $49

Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.5 addresses a number of complaints consumers had with the first iteration of the new mobile OS. It also sports a number of cool features like speech-to-text functionality, conversation threads that allow you to seamlessly move from a text message to a Facebook Chat without skipping a beat, and better social network integration. Even better, to use all this you don't need to drop major paper on a device: the Samsung Focus Flash is stacked with a speedy processor, good camera, and a nice screen—pretty much all you need.

Beats by Dr. Dre Wireless Over-Ear Headphones

Click Here To Buy It Now at Beats by Dr. Dre, $329.95

Everyone's favorite headphone brand cuts the cord on its signature model. You get the same thumbing, scull-crushing bass now without the hassle of wires—all you need is a Bluetooth-enabled device and you're good to go.

iPod Nano

Click Here To Buy It Now at Apple, Starting at $129.99

Not only is the iPod Nano the smallest full-featured media player on the market, it's the by far the most versatile. You can use it as a workout assistant, by letting it keep pace with your run with its built-in accelerometer. You can listen to the radio with its built-in FM radio tuner. Or you can buy one of the many cool watchbands and use it as a watch. (Hint: Do all three).

Canon PowerShot S100

Click Here To Buy It Now at Amazon, Starting at $569.95

The follow-up to the world's best point-and-shoot camera doesn't disappoint. Sure, the battery life is a bit shaky and it's a little expensive, but there's nothing better—well, except for the S95. Fast with great image quality and enough manual controls to appease the true photogs, the S100 is a worthy successor.

Orb Audio People's Choice Home Theater System

Click Here To Buy It Now at Orb Audio, Starting at $1,098

There's a very good reason why Orb Audio calls this the "People's Choice". Combining the best Orb has to offer—the amazing Mod2 speakers for the front, the small wonders that are the Mod 1 speakers for the rear, and the Super Eight subwoofer that delivers bottomless bass—in one succinct package, this home theater bundle gives you everything you need to turn your living room into a full-fledged movie theater. And don't balk at the price—it's worth every penny.

Apple iMac

Click Here To Buy It Now at Apple, Starting at $1,199

The computer that changed the consumer desktop is still the king of the hill. From the $1,200 entry-level model (21.5-inch screen, Quad-Core Intel Core i5, 500GB hard drive, AMD Radeon HD 6750M) to the $2,000 top-of-the-line (27-inch screen, 3.1GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, 1TB hard drive, AMD Radeon HD 6750M), you get an outstanding, powerful machine capable of handling anything thrown at it.

Victorinox Slim 32GB Flash Drive

Click Here To Buy It Now at Victorinox, $130.49

What's the size of a $.30 pack of Wrigley's gum and can hold more stuff than an entry-level iPhone 4S? The Victorinox Slim 32GB. Available in other increments (4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 64GB), in an array of colors, it's the best coolest flash drive available.

Incase Sonic Headphones

Click Here To Buy It Now at Incase, $199

Bringing its clean, simple designs to the world of headphones, Incase has created what may be the most comfortable pair of over-ear headphones ever with the Sonic. Lightweight, the Sonic's earcups fit perfectly over the ear, creating an isolation effect so you can't hear a thing while bumping whatever it is you bump.

Sony PlayStation 3D Display

Click Here To Buy It Now at Amazon, $499.99

Sony's been pushing 3D games for its PlayStation 3 console for a little over a year now. To help with message, it released a 24-inch 3D display built specifically for the PS3. There are a few problems: there's no remote control, there's a bit a of a glare, and it costs $500. However! It's most redeeming quality is that it actually accomplishes its goal of allowing two players to simultaneously play a game in 3D. What's cooler than that?

Barnes and Noble NOOK Simple Touch

Click Here To Buy It Now at Barnes and Noble, $99

Barnes and Noble finally got the e-reader right with the NOOK Simple Touch. Smaller, lighter, and cheaper than its predecessor, it offers reader a significantly better reading experience. The swiping page-turns are faster, the screen is clearer thanks to what B&N calls Breakthrough E-Ink, and the battery can go for two months on one charge! And with B&N's selection of 2.5 million NOOK books, you won't want for anything.

TiVo Premiere

Click Here To Buy It Now at TiVo, $79

No matter how good your cable provider's DVR box is, it's got nothing on TiVo's best offerings. Now $20 cheaper, the Premiere gives you all the TiVo goodness: sick HD user interface, 45 hours of recording space, and access to every online video rental services. Know someone who loves TV? Buy them a TiVo.

Braun Cruzer 6 Face

Click Here To Buy It Now, $59.99

Shaving is a necessary evil. Therefore it'd behoove you to lighten the burden by shaving with a tool that makes the job super easy. Something like the Braun Cruzer 6 Face. Able to be used wet or dry, the Cruzer 6 can trim your beard down to four different lengths and then shape you up with its styling trimmer. If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.

Motorola Droid RAZR

Click Here To Buy It Now at Verizon, $299

Motorola brings back the RAZR name for its all-new Android-powered smartphone. At just 7.1mm thick, the Droid RAZR is the thinnest 4G smartphone ever made. It's slight form doesn't mean it's lacking in power, though. Motorola made sure to outfit it with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, an high-resolution 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, and 1080p video capture. Yeah, it's a beast. One that, thanks to its Kevlar backplate and Corning Gorilla Glass front won't break under pressure.

Apple iPad 2

Click Here To Buy It Now at Apple, Starting at $499

The iPad is the tablet that redefined the tablet market. If someone on your list asks for a tablet for Christmas, they're more than likely talking about the iPad. You can't go wrong with either the original iPad or the latest iPad 2, but if you get the 2, you're also getting a thinner profile, faster processor, cameras, and better overall experience. There's talk of an iPad 3 on the horizon, but even if it does get released, the iPad 2 will still hold you down. 

Epson Megaplex Projector

Click Here To Buy It Now at Amazon, $799.99

With projectors dropping in price, now's the time to grab one. One of the best is the new Epson Megaplex projector which allows you to simply dock your iPhone, iPod, or iPod and play the videos stored on the device. Yeah, there are a host of inputs so you can watch DVDs and videos from your computer, but why would you want to?