Holiday Gift Guide: The Best Tech Gadgets

What device are you using to read this? Is it Galaxy S5? Maybe a passport-sized BlackBerry? We were introduced to a slew of new devices in the last twelve months—new smartphones, tablets, e-readers, smartwatches, cameras, and headphones (not to mention the sale of an entire headphone company to Apple in Beats by Dre).

There have been some flops this year as well, like Amazon's first attempt in the smartphone market with the Fire Phone. They do have the awesome Kindle line, so don't feel too bad. 2014 was a good year for gadget geeks, and, who isn't one nowadays?

From devices that focus on photography, music, and communication, here are The Best Gadget Gifts​ of 2014.

Price: $199

Buy it now at: Amazon

The future of reading will be on a screen. Today, the best way to do that is on Amazon's Kindle Voyage. It's a beautiful e-reader with regards to both design and display. It weighs just 6.3 ounces, has a brilliant high-resolution screen, and six-week battery life on a single charge. The only downside is that it's a little pricey for an e-reader. For just $100 more you can pick up an iPad Mini. But consider: Those $100 buck bring you an App Store that's filled with distractions that will keep you from doing what you wanted to do in the first place: read.

If you're looking for something with a few more extras outside of just reading that doesn't break your wallet, check out Amazon's HD Fire 7 tablet.

Price: $250

Buy it now at: AIAIAI

If you're looking to break away from those ubiquitous candy-colored headphones, put Ghostly International's collab with AIAIAI in your sights. The TMA-1 was designed to boost bass levels even at low volumes, and feel great around your ears, thanks to adjustable cups. Not to mention, the matte black is never going to go out of style.

Price: $249

Buy it now at: Amazon

The Apple Watch is coming next year. While it's poised to become the most popular smartwatch on the market, it certainly won't be the best looking, no matter how must research Jony Ive put into it. Motorola's Moto 360 is a great looking smartwatch that uses Google's Android Wear software. It isn't perfect—the battery life isn't nothing to write home about—but it's incredibly classy. Just make sure whoever you get it for has an Android smartphone to connect it to. For iPhone owners, the Pebble Steel is a great choice.

Price: $499, or $399 for the Silver Edition

Buy it now at: GoPro

Your best friend has one. Your S.O. has one. Your next door neighbor has one. GoPros are everywhere, and people aren't just using them to film extreme sports. These small video recorders at weddings, parties, and planted on the helmets of motorcycle riders. Everyone has a use for a GoPro—this is a perfect stocking stuffer this holiday season. Just keep in mind that there are a few differences between the Black edition and the lower-priced Silver (the Black can shoot in 4K; the Silver has a touchscreen display).

Price: $179

Buy it now at: GoPole

GoPole's mix of accessories help you make the most out of the GoPro camera. Put it on a long stick to capture wide angles while walking through a tourist spot, fix it on a short hand grip to carry it around while hiking and running, or mount it on your car to catch some cool angles of your road trip. The GoPole GoPro Accessory Bundle​ includes a 14- to 40-inch extension pole, 14- to 24-inch floating extension pole, compact hand grip, floating hand grip, 2-piece extension kit, hi-torque thumbscrew kit, and a compact lens cleaner.

Price: $69.99

Buy it now at: Olloclip

This is a great gift for the shutterbug in your life. While it's fun to slap on a filter after you've snapped a picture, slapping on a device that pumps up the power of your phone's lens is even better. The Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens is portable, and gives your iPhone 6, 5/5S, iPad Air/Mini, or Galaxy S5/S4 the power of four perspectives: fisheye, wide-angle, macro 10x, and macro 15x.

Price: $499

Buy it now at: Amazon

TCL's Roku Smart-TV is a great deal for the price, especially if you're looking to cut your cable cord. Hooking up Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Pandora is a breeze, and the simplified remote won't leave your parents guessing how to use it when they come to visit—less is more when it comes to remotes. While the picture quality has been criticized, for $499, this 48-Inch 1080p set is a great pick up for a college dorm or apartment.

Price: $299

Buy it now at: Apple

Using Alpine's TKR3 Headphones in combination with its iPhone app, you can scan and organize your music into "energy levels." The app, Level Play, gives users randomized songs from the levels it organizes them into. You can take calls and switch songs with the TKR3's built-in controls, and Alpine's technology uses the upper part of the headband to create the feeling that you're listening to songs in a live setting.

Price: Apple iPhone 6 starting at $199 for 16GB, $299 for 64GB, and $399 for 128GB, on two-year contracts;

Apple iPhone 6 Plus starting at $299 for 16GB, $399 for 64GB, and $499 for 128GB, on two-year contracts

Buy it now at: Apple

Another year, another iPhone. Except this time, Apple gave us two different sizes—a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 with Retina HD and 1334 x 750 resolution, and a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus with Retina HD and 1920 x 1080 resolution. Decisions, decisions. Of course, they come with different storage options, starting at 16GB. But we recommend dropping the extra $100 and going straight to 64GB. With upgraded cameras, these babies are going to need more room to hold larger size photo and video files. It'll be worth it.

If you're having trouble choosing between the two, we recommend the iPhone 6 Plus for its camera and battery life. You'll be more comfortable with it if you find yourself carrying around a backpack or purse that you can slip it into. Both phones are an upgrade from the iPhone 5S, and offer what may be the future of payment: Apple Pay's NFC technology. If you're going to use this as a stocking stuffer, consider the recipients' hand size.

Price: $149.95 for 16GB, $179.95 for 32GB, $249.95 for 64GB

Buy it now at: Mophie

If you're someone who's stuck with an iPhone 5/5S for another year or two before your next upgrade, here's an easy way to refresh your phone: add a Mophie Space Pack. The device slides onto the iPhone and provides extra battery power while adding either 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of extra storage. Crazy, right? (You can place and remove photos, songs, and documents using Mophie's own app). It comes in blue, white, red, black and gold.

If you're just looking for extra power, you can get the Juice Packfor iPhone 5/5S or the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Price: $1,099

Buy it now at: Amazon

While drone laws vary from state to state (or city to city, if you live near an airport), more people are using them to create beautiful films or straight up drone selfies. DJI's Phantom 2 Vision+ is considered the best consumer drone that comes with a camera on the market. It'll make a great gift for filmmakers who feel constrained by gravity—and you should make sure you get a role in the project, considering this baby's price.

Price: $84.95

Buy it now at: Grenco Science

If you're looking to combine your love of vaping with your love of rap music, look no further. The G-Pen was designed by Snoop Dogg (note the map of Long Beach printed on the pen's body). Snoop's entire set includes a G Pen, battery, herbal tank, USB charger, cleaning tips, brush, and glass sleeves. Herb is not included.

Price: $224

Buy it now at: Vape World

The Solo Diffuser is powered by an internal battery, and features a ceramic heating element and glass stem. It's small and discreet: 4.5 inches tall and about 1.75 inches in diameter. Just the right fit for your hand.

Price: $24.99

Buy it now at: Amazon

So you don't feel like putting a case around your phone in order to get extra power when you need it. What else can you do? Crank's Dash Battery Pack is a sleek 9,000 mAh battery pack that you can carry around discreetly in one of your backpack's small pockets, or in your desk at work. The battery allows you to simultaneously charge it and a device, so you won't need extra outlets. Better yet, there are two USB outlets, so you can charge with a friend at the same time. You won't have to worry about buying another one for awhile: The battery can last through more than 500 charge cycles.

Price: $199

Buy it now at: Amazon

There are a ton of wireless speakers out there, but Logitech's UE Boom looks good and sounds even better. The shape isn't going to disrupt the feng shui of your bedroom or living room, and if you're the type that wants to be surrounded with sound, you can pair it with another UE Boom unit. But let's go back to the shape for a second: The cylindrical design means you'll get a 360-degree sound performance. The UE stands for "Ultimate Ears," and it isn't hard to see why.

Price: $329.96

Buy it now at: Walmart

You heard it already and you'll hear it again: This is the time to buy a Wii U. The Walmart exclusive Wii U Mario Kart bundle is still more affordable than the Xbox One or PS4 without any games. Pick up some extra controllers—or use some Wiimotes—and race with the fam on Christmas Day (the newly released Super Smash Bros. for Wii U would be a good complement). Walmart seems to be in short supply, so keep an eye out.

If you're still not convinced, here's what you can look forward to in 2015: