Staying on top of the year’s latest tech is exactly what we do best here at Tom’s Guide — and 2026 has delivered plenty of exciting new gadgets. Even better? We've tested a ton of them and many make for the perfect holiday gifts.
That’s why I’m rounding up the tech that really impressed us this year. These picks come straight from my colleagues, who have spent hours taking these products for a spin — so you can trust that they’re worth your attention.
Whether you’re shopping for a die-hard tech enthusiast or looking for something special for a friend or family member, these standout gadgets are sure to make great gifts this holiday season.
Our Favorite Tech Gifts
MacBook Neo
"Though Apple’s budget-friendly laptop is now $100 more than at launch, it’s still an extremely affordable machine at its standard $699 price. It comes in four vibrant colors, has a bright display, features a premium aluminum chassis, and packs plenty of power for everyday tasks like web browsing, word processing, and video streaming. While it lacks a backlit keyboard and upgrading to a model with Touch ID costs $100, this is a fantastic laptop and the one I now recommend to most folks. If you want to gift someone a laptop for the holidays, look no further than the MacBook Neo." — Tony Polanco, Senior Computing WriterView Deal
Fitbit Air
The Fitbit Air is a screen-free fitness tracker that won't put a dent in your wallet. It covers all the holistic metrics you'd expect from a modern device, like heart health, sleep quality, daily movement, and workouts. Plus, it's battery will last you a full week. In our Fitbit Air review we called it our favorite new fitness tracker of 2026.View Deal
Surface Pro 12-inch
The Surface Pro 12-inch is a great holiday pick for anyone who wants one device for work, streaming and everyday browsing. Powered by Snapdragon X2 Plus, this compact 2-in-1 gives you the flexibility of a tablet with the power of a Windows laptop. The 3:2 PixelSense touchscreen gives you more room to scroll, sketch and multitask, while the built-in kickstand reclines up to 165 degrees for easy viewing, typing or note-taking. Add the optional Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard and Slim Pen to complete the setup.View Deal
Instant Custom Case
"If you're an iPhone owner, you should know about the coolest case I've tested in a long while. While the Xtrem Inno looks like an ordinary protective case, it packs a genuinely neat feature: an e-ink display on the back. This gives it way more personality and customization, since you can swap out the image to just about anything you can think of. Best of all, this sorcery of changing photos is all done without ever needing to charge it. In fact, it leverages NFC induction to swap images without needing any external power source." — John Velasco, Phones EditorView Deal
KitchenAid Artisan Plus Stand Mixer
KitchenAid has just wowed us with its newest tilt-head stand mixer, which features a LED light to illuminate the mixing bowl, extra smooth precision controls and a 1/2 speed function. What's more, it comes in four exclusive colors.
"I got to test KitchenAid’s newest stand mixer, the Artisan Plus, and it’s even better than I imagined. From the sliding speed control that just glides, to the in-bowl light, which illuminates the mix — and let's not forget the double-edge flex beater that cleans the bowl as it sweeps past— I loved it so much during testing that I gave it a 5-star rating." — Camilla Sharman, Homes Staff WriterView Deal
Aura Ink
The Aura Ink is one of the first digital photo frames to use an ePaper display, which means you can mount it on a wall — wire free — for months at a time, without having to recharge it. We were impressed with the look of the Aura Ink - images on the device looked closer to an actual printed image than on a digital photo frame that uses LCD technology.View Deal
Dell XPS 13 (2026)
The new Dell XPS 13 is here to help you beat the RAMageddon blues. This model has a 13.4-inch InfinityEdge 2.5K touch display, an Intel Core Series 3 "Wildcat Lake" CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. It's wrapped in an aluminum design that's just 0.5 inches thick and weighs 2.2 pounds.View Deal
LG C6 4K OLED TV
LG's latest mid-range OLED is only a marginal upgrade over its predecessor from last year (the LG C5), but the new version boasts all of the benefits of OLED technology. That includes perfect black levels, pixel-level dimming and ultra-wide viewing angles, and the C6 even offers better HDR brightness than last-year's C5.View Deal
iPhone 18 Pro
The iPhone 18 Pro raises the bar for performance in a phone with the new A20 Pro chip. You also get a versatile new variable aperture camera that takes brighter images and gives you more creative control. The battery life is awesome, too, and you get the fastest charging yet from an iPhone. You have to pay $100 more for the phone, and it's heavier than its predecessors, but overall it's easily the best phone money can buy.View Deal
Virture Beast AR/XR Glasses
The gaming final boss of AR glasses — the Viture Beast raised the bar for premium immersion with a massive 58-degree field of view and ultra-bright 1,250-nit micro-OLEDs running at 1200p/120Hz. Throw in 9-level electrochromic lens dimming and native 3DoF anchoring, and you’ve got an ultra-wide, stable display that pulls you into your games wherever you are.
"Simply put, the Viture Beast are the best AR glasses that money can buy right now — bringing a seriously sharp, vivid picture quality with a buttery smooth refresh rate, a ton of versatility, and a comfortable, premium design.
— Jason England, Computing EditorView Deal
MSI Claw 8 EX AI
"The MSI Claw 8 EX AI is a testament to how much MSI has continued to improve and refine its handheld gaming PCs. From its larger screen to its more comfortable and textured grips, this is easily MSI’s best handheld yet. However, it’s the power and improved sustained performance from Intel’s new Arc G3 Extreme chip inside that truly sets it apart." — Anthony Spadafora, Managing EditorView Deal