Gearburn’s Holiday Gift Guide 2015: the best tech gifts under R500

Christmas shopping is a torrid chore, but it doesn’t have to be, especially if you happen to read Gearburn regularly. Our staff have put their brilliant collective minds together to bring you a list of devices for those looking for techy gifts at convenient price points. Welcome to our Holiday Gift Guide 2015.

If you’re looking for gifts under R150, check out our dedicated list here. If your budget is a little bit more than R500, stay tuned for an upcoming piece.

Below you’ll find a simple smorgasbord of devices within the R500 range that could easily be purchased with a click of the mouse or a tap of the touchscreen. And of course, if you know of a particularly interesting gadget for below the R500 mark, do let us know in the comments section below.

Vodacom Smart Kicka

Price: R499, Makro and Takealot
For? The budding smartphone user

The definitive cheap Android smartphone, the Vodacom Smart Kicka features most of the bells and whistles a novice smartphone users could want. With a 1.0GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM, it’s not much of a powerhouse, but the tiny battery will last all day and then some. It’s the perfect holiday gift for that someone who’s still plodding around on a feature phone. Read our full review here.

Wraps Classic in-ear headphones

Price: R369, Takealot, Incredible Connection and Musica
For? The trendy music lover

Perhaps more of a fashionable wearable than a genuine audio solution, the braided Wraps Classic wrap around their users’ wrists when not in use, and look pretty great in or our the ear. They’re available in six colours too which should crimson, brown, black, green, pink and blue. It’s the perfect holiday gift for that music loving teen.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (PC)

Price: R499, Takealot
For? The PC gamer who loves sneaky-stabby stealth games

Set in London, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is the latest installment of Ubisoft’s stealth and adventure series. It’s a perfect holiday gift for anyone who has prior experience with the series before, and who happens to have a PC quick enough to run it. Beware though, this game isn’t suitable for those younger than 18-years-old.

Microsoft Xbox One Chatpad

Price: R501, Raru
For? The Xbox One user who chats online a lot

Yes, it’s R1 more than the mark mentioned in this post’s title, but still, if your intended target has an Xbox One console that is used more often than the fridge, this is the perfect gift. Slotting into the Xbox One’s gaming controller, the Chatpad gives users a full QWERTY keyboard on which to blast out notes, type in codes, or post updates to social media.

Transcend 64GB Class 10 microSD card

Price: R399, Takealot
For? The quintessential data hoarder

A few years back, 64GB was a lot of storage space, but in 2015, it’s fairly standard. This Transcend card is a perfect multi-usage card, and can be popped into cameras, smartphones, tablets or media centres with the bundled SD adapter.

Lego Star Wars Darth Vader torch

Price: R249, Takealot
For? The giddy Star Wars fan

The latest Star Wars movie is just over two weeks away, and this would be the perfect post-movie stocking filler. It’s effectively mini torch that features Mr. Vader himself and his glowing light saber. His arms can move around as well, just in case your prospective Secret Santa receiver wants to reenact scenes from the series.

Powerstick+ 5200 mAh powerbank

Price: R399, Superbalist
For? The fashionable power requirer

All those Instagram selfies and Snapchat videos will drain a smartphone battery fairly quickly, so a powerbank is always a gift that keeps on giving. This particular example by Powerstick is just 2cm thick, so it can easily slip into a pocket, while holding enough juice to fully charge your average tablet from dead to full. Although it only features a 1A output (not all that fast), it should be compatible with most phones and devices.

25s Wind Up Panoramic Pod with Mini-Tripod

Price: R350, The Men’s Den
For? The Instagrammer extraordinaire

Every modern hipster loves the panoramic shot, and this 22cm-tall wind-up tripod does all the hard bits for you. Wind it up, stick your iPhone or Android phone on panoramic mode, and let the stand do the turning. Of course, if you’re not looking for a rotating tripod, it doubles up as the perfect platform for timelapses and light-trail shots as well.

World Panel SunStream solar charger

Price: R199, Vodacom Stores
For? The sun worshipper-slash-eco warrior

The Sun, for us on Earth, seems like an abundant source of energy but could previously only be harnessed by large solar farms. Thanks to World Panel, this tech is now in the size of a birthday card. The SunStream can charge practically any device using the Sun’s rays. It’s drop proof for up to two metres and won’t melt thanks to its crafty polymer exterior. It’s the perfect summer holiday gift.

Dying Light (PlayStation 4)

Price: R429, Raru
For? The horror game connoisseur

One of the better games of 2015, Dying Light is a tribute to zombies. It’s set in a town rife with the half-deads, and like all good zombie stories, surviving is the name of the game. With the occasional Molotov thrown in the mix. It sounds cliche, but the title introduces a number of interesting mechanics including a day night cycle and free running (parkour). It’s the perfect holiday gift for the horror fan.