Phillips 3D TV, Asus Netbook, Apple IPod, Sony E-Reader, Creative Labs MP3 Player, HTC F3188
Consumer electronics are again at the top of many shoppers' gift and wish lists. But this year, it's the small stuff that's creating must of the excitement.
Smartphones, tablet computers, netbooks and e-readers are muscling out last year's hot laptops and high-definition televisions as this season's top electronics gifts.
Many of hot gifts this year, such as Apple's iPad tablet computer, the Motorola Droid X smartphone and Kinetic for Microsoft's Xbox 360, weren't available last Christmas.
Other electronic products that were new last year, such as the Amazon Kindle, cost substantially less this year and are in high demand.
In order to give consumers a chance to get their arms around a "robust pipeline of new products," electronics-retailer Best Buy started its holiday promotions almost two weeks earlier this year than last.
As a result, consumers can expect to see steep discounts on laptops and LCD high-definition televisions as retailers seek to close out slower-moving products.
Some of the hottest electronic products this year include:
Tablet computers
These hand-held devices allow users to surf the Internet, watch videos, read newspapers and books, manage photographs and more.
- Apple's iPad tablet computer, which came out in April, is one of the hottest electronic gifts this season and starts at $499.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab, iPad's biggest challenger, is the first tablet computer with Google's Android operating system and is now available in the U.S. for about $650.
E-readers
The devices allow users to download books from the sellers' proprietary online bookstores.
- Amazon Kindle is the market leader and lets users read anything anywhere for about $100 less than last Christmas. $139 for Wi-Fi; $189 for 3G.
- Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader is Kindle's biggest competitor and is a Best Buy doorbuster on Black Friday this year for $100, or $50 off.
MP3 players
These fit in your pocket, play music, videos and games, and have come along way since Apple introduced the iPod Mini.
- Apple's latest version of the 32-GB iPod Touch holds 7,000 songs, 40 hours of video and can play up to 30 hours of music or six hours of video. $299.
Video cameras
Clunky camcorders have evolved into pocket-size video cameras that can hold hours of video.
- Flip Ultra HD is a pocket-size high-definition camera that holds up to two hours of video on its built-in memory. From $99.
Smartphones
These phones allow users to surf the Internet, take pictures, listen to music, check e-mail, send text messages and make phone calls.
- iPhone 4, the fourth generation of Apple's game-changing wireless phone, has an improved 5-megapixel camera and a front-facing video camera for video calls. $199 for 16 GB with a two-year service contract.
- Motorola's Droid X is a top iPhone competitor, with 4.3-inch display and an 8-megapixel camera. About $200, also with a two-year contract.
Video-game sensors
These sensors allow users to integrate their body movements into the games they are playing. Microsoft and Sony challenge the dominance of Nintendo's Wii this season.
- Kinect for Microsoft Xbox 360 brings video games to life without a controller. $150.
- PlayStation Move for PlayStation 3 video consoles is like Kinect and Wii, only with a handheld wand. $100.
Internet TV devices
These set-top boxes allow users to bypass cable and access television programs and movies on their high-definition televisions via the Internet.
- Apple TV brings TV shows, movies, videos photos from your computer to your television. $99.
- Logitech Review with Google TV streams video and music to your television and interfaces with regular cable TV. $300.
- Roku allows users to stream movies from Netflix to their televisions. $60.
Netbooks
These small, portable, relatively inexpensive computers can be used for e-mail, surfing the Internet and word processing.
- Lenovo IdeaPad S10, has a 10.1-inch screen, 512 MB of memory and battery life of 2.7 hours. About $400.
- Asus Eee PC 904HA has an 8.9-inch screen and battery life of 5.5 hours. Also about $400.
GPS devices
Navigators help users find their way on foot or in their cars.
- Garmin Nüvi portable GPS navigator features an auto navigator, calculator, currency converter, voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, world travel clock and more. From about $90.
Blu-ray disc players
These players accommodate next-generation Blu-ray format high-definition CDs and DVDs that hold significantly more content.
- Sony BDP-S550 1080 is Sony's newest Blu-ray disc player and offers excellent image quality and a solid feature set. About $500.
3-D televisions
Separate glasses are required and are sometimes included in the price of the TV.
- Panasonic plasma models exhibited the best 3-D picture quality and the least amount of ghosting, according to Consumer Reports. From $2,000 for a 50-inch screen.
- Sony Bravia is an LED-LCD 3-D model that is about $2,000 for a 55-inch screen.
by Max Jarman The Arizona Republic Nov. 24, 2010 12:00 AM
Hot electronics
