Top Tech Gifts for Under $50

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Although some of the best and most current technologies can cost hundreds of dollars to acquire, it should not cost you an arm and a leg to give the technology enthusiast in your life a meaningful gift. Thankfully, many potential presents will delight your techie friends and family across various forms of gear and gadgetry that are great value for money. Learn more about the top tech gifts for under $50 and help make a technologist smile this holiday season! 

A Six-Month Subscription to Scribd Will Keep Someone Reading for Months 

If you know someone who is constantly glued to a tablet, laptop, or smartphone to consume books and literature of all kinds, giving the gift of a six-month Scribd subscription will make you their new best friend. Featuring apps available across an impressive variety of operating systems and devices, including Nooks, Kindle Fires, most web browsers, iOS, and Android, you can be sure that the recipient will be able to use it. With one of the largest digital libraries available, including classic literature, current releases, sheet music, reference documents, books, periodicals, podcasts, and more, $50 for six months of access is one of the best tech gifts for the avid reader in your life. 

A Three-Month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscription for Dedicated Gamers 

While console wars continue to rage back and forth over game studio acquisitions and exclusive releases, all console gamers can agree that game streaming services make excellent gift ideas. So if you happen to know a dedicated Xbox fan in your circle of friends, they will likely be more than happy to enjoy a three-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. At the cost of $42-$45 depending on sale prices, this gift also includes membership to Xbox Live Gold to enjoy online gaming with friends as well as access to Xbox Cloud Gaming, which allows users to stream games to their smartphones, PCs and consoles easily. 

The Google Nest Mini is an Excellent Gift for a Google-powered Smart Home 

As much as Amazon would like to have consumers believe that Alexa is the only smart home system for consumers, the Google Nest family of products represents another technological ecosystem that is especially useful for those who have already invested in Google devices, apps, and services. Only costing between $49-$50, the second generation of the Google Nest Mini offers all the benefits of a typical smart speaker. In addition, the Nest Mini includes increased bass and audio capabilities, dimming the lights, changing the temperature settings on a thermostat, and asking your Google Assistant to queue up your favorite Spotify playlist. Whether intended to join an entire fleet of Google smart home devices or as an affordable entry point to home automation, the Google Nest Mini makes an excellent gift for the techies in your life. 

Increase Someone’s Charging Capabilities with the Anker PowerPort III Duo 

If you know an older person who may not possess a full mastery of modern technology, one easy way to convince them of the utility of upgrading their current tech setup is by making basic functions like charging devices as easy as possible. Coming in at a modest cost of $28 and available through a variety of online retailers, the Anker PowerPort III Duo offers twin 18W USB-C charging ports with a combined charging capacity of 36W and is capable of quickly charging both Apple and Android smartphones. Given that Apple has ceased to provide chargers with the purchase of new iPhones, this charger is also a great gift for anyone who has recently purchased such a device. In addition to offering charging rates up to three times faster than a conventional 5W charger, owners of the Anker PowerPort III Duo enjoy the benefits of an 18-month warranty, customer service access, and an included welcome guide for using the device. 

The Wyze Cam V3 is a Great Way to Upgrade Someone’s Security Inexpensively 

As part of Wyze’s line of affordable home security devices, the Wyze Cam V3 proves that cheap tech gifts can still come with advanced technology and features. Whether you would like to fend off the scourge of marauding “porch pirates” or simply want the peace of mind that comes with having home security, this unit is a great way to get started. Costing between $30-$35, the Wyze Cam V3 offers an incredible amount of technology for the price, including support for IFTTT (if this, then that) to allow instant communication between devices, apps, and services without any coding required.  

This camera also offers a weatherproof rating of IP65 for outdoor and indoor use, color night vision, intelligent detection of people, motion, and sounds, and a built-in siren to scare potential intruders. Users will also benefit from local and free cloud storage of any captured footage, audio, and so forth, which helps ensure that any incidents are recorded in multiple locations. It should be noted that some of these features can only be used by subscribers, but you are unlikely to find a more affordable single security camera elsewhere. 

Giving the best tech gifts to your technology-loving friends and family does not have to be an expensive ordeal, especially when combined with holiday sales events. However, prices and product availability may be subject to change, so be sure to acquire your gifts sooner rather than later. 

*The opinions reflected in this article are the sole opinions of the author and do not reflect any official positions or claims by Acer Inc.

About Dan VanPatten: Dan is a full-time technology writer with interests in gaming, gadgetry, and all things PC tech related. He writes about a variety of topics including technology news, product reviews, and software. His experience stems from years of experience writing & producing content for technology newsletters & publications.