Gadget Guide: Back To School Essentials

Image via Complex Original

Price: $1,330 

Your most expensive investment this time of year should always be a new laptop. When it comes to Windows 8, Acer's updated notebook makes for the best option. The inclusion of Intel’s new Haswell processors boost system power by initiating faster booting times, stronger graphics, and extended battery life. Functional components like the keyboard and trackpad provide stellar results, while the 1080p touchscreen panel is just as beautiful as the machine’s sleek profile.

Price: $200 

Sol Republic’s gained notoriety with its customizable and fashion-forward sound cans. Now the headphone maker is making noise with the Deck—a portable speaker promoting loud audio and striking features that compliment a bold 360-degree design. Being able to wirelessly control the receiver from up to 300 feet is pretty impressive, but it is the company's patented Heist Mode that steals the show by allowing users to connect five devices and take over playback at will.

Price: $230 (16GB) - $270 (32GB) 

The best Android tablet just got better with a marveling 1920 x 1200 display (323 ppi) that puts the iPad to shame. Google welcomes the latest version of its Jelly Bean OS, along with a cleaner UI and some exclusive features such as "restricted profiles." Benchmarks and multitasking are solid under Qualcomm's 1.5GHZ Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core as well. No other tablet in its price class compares.

Price: $300 

BBD upgrades its signature Studio headphones with improved comfort, Adaptive Noise Canceling technology, a 20-hour rechargeable battery, and a reengineered sound stage that balances booming bass with sharp stereo imaging. Consider it the perfect listening companion for when that Marshall Mathers LP 2 drops. Keep an eye out for the limited edition Eminem pair (picuted above) coming soon.

Price: $300 (w/two-year contract) 

It goes without saying a smartphone should always remain your most important purchase. And if an upgrade is in the cards, believe us when we say the Lumia 1020 is the essential camera phone you'll want on hand at concerts and rallies this fall. The 41MP shooter benefits from carrying 6X digital zoom to capture incredibly detailed and stunning images at any distance. The combination of Microsoft's dynamic WP8 operating system and Qualcomm's 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU only strengthens the 1020's performance value.

Price: $80 (annually per remote computer) 

Those who favor their iPad over a MacBook Air, yet seek remote access to their Mac (or PC) from the tablet, should download Parallel’s virtualization software ASAP. The subscription service lets you start desktop applications on Apple’s slate from a launcher screen and supports various touch gestures that double as mouse commands. Just another reason to ditch the laptop.

Price: $500

Like every mancave, your dorm is naked without a high-end HDTV. The M-Series stands out from the pack boasting gorgeous 1080p Full HD resolution, 10 million to 1 dynamic contrast ratio, and Vizio’s App Plus service for media streaming. If the trust fund calls for it, consider copping the strikingly gorgeous 80-inch model at $3,800. Football Sundays just got serious.

Price: $178 

Don't become too dependent on the cafeteria, as it just might be closed when you need it most. Having a portable grille in the dorm has its benefits and Dimplex's model fricassees meals just as fast as any grill twice its size. Automatically set the time and temperature via digital control panel and get your cook on before night school.

Price: $200 

AKG’s versatile in-ears are tuned to drown out the ambient noise of your boring Physics professor with quality noise-cancellation features, powerful bass resonance, and crisp vocal output. Its premium housing and sleek profile also make it a head-turner when walking the hallways or riding the train.

Price: $35 

Forget AppleTV, Roku, or any other media-streaming box. Google has the hottest and most cost-efficient alternative out with its Internet-to-TV streaming stick. Chromecast grants you access to Chrome, Google Play, Netflix, YouTube, and other services on any HDTV: remote-free. Browse content, control playback, and watch programs using your iPhone, iPad, and Chrome for Mac and Windows. 

Price: $380 

Proactive photogs in search of something lighter than a DSLR can breathe easy with Nikon’s compact shooter. The CoolPix P330 produces amazing images and even better videos: really sharp 1080p clips at that. A bright aperture range really adds clarity and scope to blurred photos, bringing out the details and vibrancy of each shot. Its user-friendly control layout also makes camera engagement seamless.

Price: $70 

Between browsing through Instagram pics and streaming YouTube clips in between classes, you'll be lucky to have 20 percent vitality on a mobile device come lunch time. Portable power always comes in hand and the PowerPak+ offers more juice on the go at half the price of most external chargers.

Price: $100 

Logitech’s type-and-swipe computing peripheral eliminates the need of carrying two accessories by integrating a built-in touchpad into its trademark keyboard. The touch surface is larger than the average touchpad found on most laptops and supports 13 unique Windows 8 gestures, plus the incurve keys add comfort to the typing experience. Slim, sexy, and wireless, you can pull it out anywhere and finish term papers in chillax mode.

Price: $200 (w/two-year contract, AT&T) and $200 (w/two-year contract, Verizon)

No other smartphone is making a bigger fashion statement at the moment than Motorola's new flagship device. The Moto X carries over the stellar battery performance of the Droid series and brings forth new hand-free features spearheaded by an optimized version of Google Now. Sweet additions to any Android handset, but it's the manufacturer's new Moto Maker customization system that is drawing people to the mobile: letting them pimp out the back chassis with new shell colors, accents colors, and other materials like wood casing.

Price: $80 (32GB) - $100 (64GB) 

Looking to pass off that new Drake to a classmate or your entire music catalog before class? The portable storage device simplifies the process of sharing and streaming hi-def media by allowing users to do so across mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, PCs), while connecting up to 8 devices and 5 HD video streams simultaneously. No internet connection is required.