The phone you choose will depend on your gift recipient. Is the person a loyal Apple customer? Do they prefer Samsung’s lineup? Then the most pressing question of all – are there any deals happening that will make this purchase lighter on your wallet? We’ve put together this list for anyone struggling to find the right phone to gift or to find a phone that comfortably fits into their budget. We’ll be updating this page with the most recent deals. Must read:
The best cheap tech gifts for under $100The best cheap tech gifts under $75The best cheap tech gifts under $50The best cheap tech gifts under $25
The best phone gift ideas
Below are 12 phone gift ideas I found for the holiday season this year.
The best phone deals
Below are three phone deals we found happening right now. This is the premium Pixel 7 model and it stands out from the basic model with an additional 48 MP camera with a telephoto lens, a larger display with higher resolution, and a larger battery. In our review of the Pixel 7 Pro, its performance didn’t fall off when multitasking or using the phone’s other features. This model is available in Hazel, Snow, and Obsidian. The iPhone 14 comes with an Apple A15 Bionic processor, so you should be able to breeze through most tasks without any lag. And anyone who’s upgrading from an iPhone 12 or older will appreciate the noticeably improved performance. The Pixel 7 has the same main, front-facing, and ultrawide cameras as the Pixel 7 Pro, only lacking a telephoto camera. And it has the same Tensor G2 processor as the more expensive model. The Pixel 7 comes in lemongrass, obsidian, and snow colors. It also has an extremely capable 40MP front-facing camera that is situated under the display. Speaking of the display, it’s a massive 6.8 inches and also supports 8k video. The advertised 18-hour battery life is adequate for most situations. Where this phone really standards out is the standard software (Photo Pro, Cinema Pro, and Video Pro), which gives you control over every aspect of the cameras. The Image Edge app allows remote shooting by allowing you to connect to an external camera and have the images or video transferred to your Xperia Pro-I. Although nothing is top tier, the Moto G Pure has all of the essentials. Its solid camera, 3.5mm headphone jack, and good battery life make it a great phone for kids. It isn’t 5G compatible, so when you need more speed you’ll need to upgrade. The battery life is advertised at 15 hours, which is an improvement over previous models, but a touch on the low side. Personally, I’m a fan of saving money and smaller phones that can comfortably fit in my pocket, and the latest iPhone SE checks both of those boxes. This model is tough and is advertised as being waterproof (1.5 meters underwater for 30 minutes), shockproof, dustproof, and resistant to extreme temperatures. But the appeal of the AGM M6 isn’t in what it is, it’s in what it isn’t – an electronic leash. It’s the perfect gift for someone who’s getting serious about cutting the distractions in their life but still wants to kinda stay in touch. Just like with a number of budget 5G phones, the OnePlus Nord N200 doesn’t support the fastest 5G connection (mmWave). However, given mmWave’s limitations and potential drain on your battery, that may not be as big of a deal as it seems. This generation of the Z Fold is lighter than previous iterations and has an improved array of cameras. Its processor and memory are built to handle the most resource-heavy tasks, so you shouldn’t have any problem loading videos or gaming, although the battery life is middling. The 12 MP rear-facing cameras and 8 MP front-facing camera may not win you any photography awards but are more than enough for day-to-day photos. It’s water resistant up to 4 feet and comes in sage, charcoal, and chalk. It’s ideal for anyone who needs a phone to handle harsh conditions and has an IP68 dust and water resistance rating as well as MIL-STD-810G drop test certification. Its enhanced touch feature allows you to use the phone without removing your gloves, a great option for harsh weather conditions. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to choosing a phone to give to someone as a gift. The newest high-end iPhone may not be the best for everyone and it certainly won’t fit into everyone’s budget. So we selected a wide variety of devices to suit just about any need or want, at a range of price points. A locked phone is tied to a specific carrier, like Sprint, T-mobile, AT&T, or Verizon. Most of the best phone deals are for locked phones and typically require you to switch services, trade in an old phone, and commit to a contract. If you’re buying a phone for someone that’s part of the same family plan, a locked phone can be a smart move because you’re likely to be able to get an excellent deal. Even with a locked phone, your carrier must unlock it for you once it’s paid off. In most cases, the easiest way to increase your phone’s storage, and hopefully increase its usefulness, is to take advantage of the many cloud storage options. A free Dropbox account comes with 2GB of cloud storage and Google Drive has 15GB of shared storage space. An Apple iCloud account comes with 5GB of free storage. And all of these cloud services allow you to increase your storage space for a fee. The easiest solution is to ask the giftee exactly what phone they want, but if you want to maintain a level of surprise you’ll want to at least know the following:
What carrier are they using or do they want to use?Do they prefer Android or iOS?What do they want a phone for? Photography? Video? Heavy-duty outdoor adventures?What’s your budget?
Once you know how much you’re willing to spend and what the person you’re getting the gift for needs and wants, it’s much easier to narrow down your choices. But gifts can come in all shapes and sizes, so we also rounded up the best gifts by category, price, and retailer – plus, the hottest tech toys for kids in 2023. Gifts by category
Delight DIYers with these interesting gifts that make and fix thingsWhat do you get for the gamer who has everything?Tech-themed gift cards for gadget loversOdd and interesting gift ideas for the hobbyist hacker in your lifeThe best laptops to giftThe best phones to gift (even on a budget)Cooking gift guide: These smart kitchen tools went TikTok viralTablet gift guide: iPads aren’t the only optionUseful smart home gifts, from plugs to thermostatsTravel gift guide: Luggage, Liquid IV, and moreTV gift guide: Gorgeous TVs for the binge-watcher in your lifeThe best fitness gifts: Workout mirror, Whoop, and moreCreative gifts for live streamersGift ideas for coffee lovers (besides a Starbucks gift card)
Gifts by price
The best cheap tech gifts under $100The best cheap tech gifts under $75The best cheap tech gifts under $50The best cheap tech gifts under $25
Gifts by retailer Gifts for kids
