2020 has been a crazy year but that didn't slow down the tech industry one bit. Smartphone and laptop brands still went on like nothing happened, except that they host their new products online via livestream. It's quick, straightforward, no more waiting for that one person but I digress, you're here to check out our gift recommendations for the Christmas season!
Although most of us (the writers of TechNave) have been working from home, we still managed to play and use some tech gadgets that were released this year. The gadgets that you are about to read are the ones that we reviewed (and bought) and would recommend them as gifts for your tech enthusiast friend. From smartphones to microphones, here are our favourite and recommended devices for this year.
For the gadget enthusiasts
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G - Yumi, TechNave CN Writer
As a person who likes to draw often, my favourite phone of this year is the Samsung Galaxy Note 20!!! This is mainly because of the S Pen stylus and the latest addition allows me not only to draw, but I can use it to sign documents without any other third-party apps for it. I can also use it to directly draw anything I like via the AR camera.
Besides Shopee and Lazada, you can also visit Samsung's official online store here
Since I'm not a mobile gamer, the Galaxy Note 20 can last me more than a day easily and that's fantastic for me. I also like watching my oppa (editor: K-drama stuff) on the phone and its stereo speaker quality is pretty good. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who works on the phone daily to be more productive.
- Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i - Keegan, TechNave EN Writer
A great gift for someone constantly on the move as it only weighs around 1.16kg (0.8kg without the keyboard). The touchscreen panel also supports either the Lenovo E-Color Pen or Lenovo Digital Pen which lets anyone flaunt their artistic side without the need to get an external drawing tablet.
This laptop is only available on the Lenovo Malaysia website here
While the laptop has an impressive battery life of up to 10 hours, keep in mind that this is not for gamers and there's no dedicated compartment to keep the stylus. Small issue, but yeah I really enjoyed using it overall.
- Canon EOS M50 - Hakim, TechNave BM Video Host/Editor
To put it simply, it's a good entry-level camera for videographers. If you are starting as a vlogger, it can be used for that purpose and the recording quality is good enough for YouTube. Besides that, it has a flip screen, fast dual pixel autofocus, and you can use EFM lenses but with an adapter so that you can attach the EF lens and a bunch of other lenses. The 15-45mm kit lens is also good so overall, it's a good money value camera for starters.
You can find this DLSR on the official Canon store in Lazada
For the audiophiles
- SONY WF-XB700 - CK, TechNave CN Writer
I've been longing for a pair of wireless earbuds for a very long time, so I wanted to try Sony as other brands tend to be totally out of my budget. This is my first-ever TWS earbuds and I bought it for just RM359 during the Harvey Norman sales a few months back!
Personally, the Sony WF-XB700 is truly a value for money wireless earbuds. Although it doesn't support Active Noise Cancellation, it's decent enough to block the noise from the outside when I'm playing my favourite songs. I usually wear it for exercising as they fit my ears and never fall out.
You can get this as low as RM369 on Shopee during 12.12!
I also love wearing them for watching Netflix and YouTube too. Oh yeah, these wireless earbuds have a battery life over of 10 hours and I usually just charge them once a week. You can read our review here, highly recommended!
- Ruark Audio MR1 Bluetooth speakers - Abel, TechNave EN Managing Editor
Confession time - I have never heard of Ruark Audio until they came into Malaysia back in July. Out of curiosity, I decided to go and check them out and my life changed. I mean, as in my musical experience. Having reviewed many audio products over the past five years working in this industry, the Ruark Audio is unlike anything I've listened to before.
The Ruark Audio MR1 are perfect desktop speakers. By the way, if you purchase these on either Shopee or Lazada - you can get a free Tidal Premium subscription for a year
As mentioned in my review, the audio performance can make you feel like you're in front of a singer or band, with the musical instruments playing live. Acoustic or orchestra pieces sound amazing and these MR1 speakers can handle a wide range of music genres. It's crystal clear, crisp, perfectly balanced as all things should be. Also, I bought the speakers straightaway right after reviewing them.
For those who need extra accessories
- Logitech MX Master 3 - Matthew, TechNave EN Senior Writer
I didn't review the Logitech MX Master 3 but I bought the mouse this year. I'd personally recommend this for those who are working from home and on top of that, I picked it because you can connect it to up to 3 devices (need to toggle and must buy extra Bluetooth dongles), the side scroller, and the famed Logitech endless wheel scroller. It also has a programmable thumb button, though it's not the easiest to press.
This mouse will be on a discount on Lazada 12.12
- Xiaomi Mi Band 5 - Sarah, TechNave BM Editor
The Mi Band 5 will be just RM159 on Shopee and Lazada 12.12 sales
When it comes smartbands, Xiaomi is definitely one of the brands to go for. The Mi Band 5 is sleeker than other brand's smartbands, it's affordable and it's easy to order a replacement strap for the body, even from third-party sellers for different colour straps! All in all, it's just an easily recommendable smartband for anyone and I got this for my parents.
- HyperX Quadcast - Azzam, TechNave BM Writer
This is a gaming-centric microphone that I bought so that I can talk more clearly in VRChat (if you don't know what that is, click here to read about it). The audio that is recorded from this mic is way better and clearer than most of the gaming headphones out there.
The HyperX Quadcast can be bought on either Shopee or Lazada
If you are a streamer, podcaster, YouTuber or amateur musician, this microphone will give you the best audio quality for your audience. The whole peripheral is made from metal that gives a solid feel, plus it will look great next to your gaming setup. Sure, the price might be steep but the crystal-clear audio quality is worth every Ringgit.
- Ring Fit Adventure - Ken Jim, TechNave CN Editor
Since I have been working at home most of the time, getting the Ring Fit Adventure is just what I needed to exercise indoors. Trust me, this video game and wheel controller can really make you work out and sweat a lot.
On average, the price would be RM429, but you can get it on Shopee for RM359
While the exercises won't guarantee any muscle building, I think it can train your stamina (trust me, I'm a reviewer) with all the workout games. The exercises have a routine and are merged with some RPG gameplay mechanics which are surprisingly quite fun. The games aren't hard and anyone can pick up and play.
So there you have it, these are our favourite devices of the year and as you can see, the list is quite diversified and there's something for everyone. There are plenty of other devices that we like too so if you want to find out more, you can go to the "Reviews" tab on the top of the page and look out for our other reviews, such as smartphones, audio products and other devices that you are looking for.
Thanks for reading, folks. Stay safe and enjoy your year-end break as much as you can. Stay tuned for more tech articles at TechNave.com.
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