If you are a devoted technophile, 2018 will definitely provide you with plenty of reasons to spend your money. From phablets and laptops to other innovative tech gadgets, this promises to be a banner year. Whether you have some holiday gift money burning a hole in your pocket or are ready to go window shopping to see what you should save up for, the following ideas may help give you some inspiration:
Phablets Aplenty
Big-screen phones, also known as “phablets” (phone + tablet = phablet) are really hot right now. From the ability to watch movies, play video games or text your fellow techies with fewer big finger typos, phablets are immensely user-friendly and packed with cool options. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Note8 comes with plenty of bells and whistles all designed to make your life easier. The Note8 phablet features Samsung’s best S Pen to date, which lets you take notes without unlocking your screen first and handwrite messages; as a bonus, the S Pen is now water resistant. The Note8’s dual rear 12 MP cameras with a 8 MP front camera lets you take professional quality pictures — both in the dark and at a distance. The phablet’s quick charging battery will allow you to power up ASAP, and with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Processor, and 64GB of internal memory you’ll have the power and storage to do just about anything you want.
Another phablet that is getting a lot of positive attention right now is the 6-inch Pixel 2 XL from Google; its 18:9 OLED screen has more surface area to work and play with than previous models. As Google notes, the Pixel 2 keeps up with the most devoted phablet user, offering 7 hours of battery life with only 15 minutes of charging. Devoted selfies takers will never have to worry about running out of room; the Pixel 2 provides free and unlimited photo storage, and its smart camera with dual-pixel autofocus will take professional looking shots.
Slim and Light Laptops
If you use a computer a lot for work or prefer a larger screen for your gaming and video needs, 2018 will be a great year for laptops. The new Dell XPS 13 9370 is the slimmest and lightest version of this laptop yet, and its white and rose gold color scheme makes it look amazing. Starting at $999, the laptop features a vivid display thanks to the power of 4K resolution, and up to 12 hours of battery life. The built-in webcam is also a nice feature, as is the cooling system that will allow this state of the art laptop to keep humming along for as long as you want.
3D Printers Go Mainstream
3D printers have quickly gone from a niche product to one that is more mainstream. Using what is called a design document, the 3D printer will melt either plastic or metal to make a variety of items. If you have been hankering to give 3D printing a try and create your own earbud holders, soap dishes and other useful doodads, you can’t go wrong with the Monoprice Select Mini 3D Printer for about $240. In addition to being budget-friendly, the 3D printer has plenty of the features you’ll find on much pricier models; it supports all filament types and can handle plastic as well as wood and metal.
No matter what type of tech you like the most or want to try, 2018 is starting off with a proverbial bang. From large screen phones or laptops to the 3D printer, which will easily give you hours and hours of fun, there is no shortage of amazing technology to buy this month and beyond.