If you're on the hunt for the best gifts to buy an Apple fan this year, we've put together a helpful guide to point you in the right direction. While personal preference always plays a part in gift giving, sometimes it can be hard to come up with any ideas for someone in your life who loves tech and Apple products.
The gifts in this guide largely relate to products created by Apple and third-party accessories that work well with Apple's devices. We've divided things up by Apple Products; Cases, Skins, and Screen Protectors; Charging; Audio; TVs; Smart Home; and Miscellaneous. Be sure to save this guide and browse it throughout the year whenever you need to buy a birthday gift or other present for a loved one.
Apple Products
If your budget allows for it, Apple has numerous devices that make for solid gift giving ideas. If the person you're buying for subscribes to Apple Music, AirPods and HomePod mini are great companions to the streaming music service. For anyone active on your shopping list, the new Apple Watch SE is a great workout companion at an affordable price point.
- HomePod mini ($99) - A smaller version of the HomePod at a much more affordable price perfect for holiday gift-giving.
- AirPods 2 ($129) - The cheapest AirPods are getting on in years, but still make a great gift for the holidays, particularly at lower prices.
- AirPods 3 ($169) - Redesigned in 2021, AirPods 3 are the latest version of Apple's most beloved accessory.
- AirPods Pro 2 ($250) - Apple's AirPods Pro 2 earphones feature 2x better noise-canceling technology, improved Transparency mode, and an H2 chip.
- Apple Pencil 2 ($129) - Pair a new Apple Pencil 2 with the latest iPad Air and iPad Pro models for a smooth illustrating or note-taking experience.
- Apple Watch 8 (starting at $399) - The newest Apple Watch has many of the same features as the 7, with an added temperature sensor and car crash detection functionality.
- 10.2-inch iPad (starting at $330) - If you don't want to spend as much on an iPad Pro, Apple's entry level iPad got a 2021 update as well thanks to the A13 Bionic processor.
- iPad Air (starting at $600) - The new iPad Air with an edge-to-edge 10.9-inch display, M1 chip, and Touch ID power button.
- MacBook Pro (starting at $1,999) - The all-new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are the best all-around notebooks on the market, equipped with Apple's M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.
Cases, Skins, and Screen Protectors
With their cheap prices and small sizes, iPhone cases and screen protectors make for great, quick gifts. Of course, if you're looking for MacBook protection, companies like Pad & Quill and Twelve South offer solid options, and the growing popularity of AirPods has caused third-party brands to introduce some case options for the wireless headphones as well.
iPhone
- Apple's Leather and Silicone Cases with MagSafe ($50 - $60) - Apple's newest iPhone cases, now enhanced with MagSafe.
- Nimble's iPhone Cases ($35-$40) - Stylish, sparse cases that protect your new iPhone 12 from drops, with proceeds going toward eco-friendly causes.
- BodyGuardz Pure 2 EyeGuard ($25-$55) - Protect your iPhone from drops and your eyes from harmful blue light effects.
MacBook
- Incase Hardshell Case for MacBook (starting around $40) - Incase is well-known for its hardshell MacBook cases, which provide durable protection to Apple's laptops.
- Twelve South BookBook ($90) - Twelve South's BookBooks make your MacBook look like a vintage novel.
- Pad & Quill Leather Valet Case for 13-inch MacBook Pro ($160) - Fit your MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone, Apple Pencil, cables, and more in Pad & Quill's leather case.
iPad
- Logitech Folio Touch for iPad Air ($160) - Logitech's keyboard comes in under the price of Apple's and has a bunch of useful features like a touch pad and backlit keyboard.
AirPods
- Elago's Cases for AirPods 1 & 2 ($8) - Stylish dual-tone protection for your AirPods.
- Elago AW6 AirPods Case ($12) - Protect your AirPods in a case that looks just like an iPod.
- Elago AirPods Pro Slim Case ($8) - A sleek case to protect your AirPods Pro.
Charging
Portable chargers are one of the best go-to gifts, since most people can relate to needing a quick charge on their smartphone at one point during the day. Anker's popularity and reliability in the market remains strong, so you can't go wrong buying from them, but look to Choetech, RAVPower, and new brand Nimble for a few other notable charging accessory options.
USB-C
- Kingston Nucleum USB-C Hub ($50) - Expand your MacBook's ports with Kingston's USB-C Hub.
- OWC USB-C Travel Dock ($50) - Add up to five ports of expansion onto a MacBook Pro or iPad Pro.
Portable Batteries
- Anker PowerCore 10,000 mAh Battery ($30) - Anker's PowerCore batteries are a backpack and travel necessity, and 10,000 mAh is a perfect mid-range size.
- Mophie powerstation USB-C XXXL ($200) - Mophie's powerhouse portable charging station offers a 26,000 mAh portable battery.
Wireless Chargers
- Anker PowerWave Wireless Charging Mat ($14) - Wirelessly charge an iPhone 8 and newer on Anker's cheap-but-reliable mat.
- Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Dock ($150) - Wirelessly charge your iPhone, along with your Apple Watch, on Belkin's convenient and useful dock [Review].
- Twelve South HiRise Wireless ($60) - Wirelessly charge your iPhone on the stand, then pop out the puck for an on-the-go Qi mat that perfectly fits the AirPods [Review].
- Moshi Lounge Q Wireless Charging Stand ($70) - With an adjustable-height design and aesthetic inspired by Danish furniture, this Moshi charger fuels up your iPhone in style.
Audio
If you're shopping for a music lover, who perhaps doesn't subscribe to Apple Music, then Bluetooth speakers are a great idea. The market is full of low-cost, dependable options like Anker Soundcore, as well as mid- and high-range devices from UE and Sonos.
Speakers
- Soundcore 2 Bluetooth speakers ($40) - Like Anker's other products, these speakers are low-cost but high quality.
- Sonos One ($200) - With AirPlay 2, you can use Siri to control audio playback on Sonos One and integrate the speaker into HomeKit.
- UE Wonderboom 2 ($100) - A great little speaker that's perfect for both indoor and outdoor use [Review].
- Belkin SoundForm Elite Smart Speaker ($300) - A solid combo wireless charger + Bluetooth speaker [Review].
Headphones
- Anker Soundcore Life 2 ($80) - Anker's over-the-ear headphones have excellent battery life and a comfy fit, without breaking the bank [Review].
- Powerbeats Pro ($250) - Think of these as upgraded AirPods, with sweat resistance and a reinforced over-ear fit to ensure they stay snug even during tough workouts.
- Bose QuietComfort 35 ($300) - Block out noise to focus on your own music with Bose's comfy over-ear headphones.
- Sony Bluetooth Noise Cancellation Wireless Over-Ear Headphones ($350) - Perfect for anyone who's working from home and in need of a little more quiet during their day.
TVs
The end of the year is always a good time to shop for a new TV, and this year you can get quality deals on great TVs that also support Apple's HomeKit and AirPlay 2 features. Below we've rounded up a few possibilities from Best Buy and B&H Photo, all of which support HomeKit.
40-55 inch
- LG 43" Class UN7000 Series LED 4K UHD Smart TV ($250)
- LG 43" Class HDR 4K UHD Smart LED TV ($310)
- TCL 55" Class 5 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Roku TV ($450)
60-70 inch
- LG 65" Class UN7000 Series LED 4K UHD Smart TV ($500)
- Sony 65" Class X800H Series LED 4K UHD Smart TV ($900)
- Sony 65" Class X900H Series LED 4K UHD Smart TV ($1,400)
70+ inches
- LG 70" Class HDR 4K UHD Smart LED TV ($550)
- LG 75" Class UN6970 Series LED 4K UHD Smart TV ($850)
- LG 75" Class NanoCell 80 Series LED 4K UHD Smart TV ($1,000)
Smart Home
If someone on your shopping list is into smart home devices, Nanoleaf's products and the Hue White and Color Ambiance Lightstrip are great additions to any HomeKit household, and mesh Wi-Fi systems from Orbi and AmpliFi will ensure that all devices remain connected anywhere in the house.
- Lifx lights (starting at $30) - Lifx lights sync to HomeKit and offer various bulbs and lightstrips for colorful lighting scenarios.
- VOCOlinc Smart Light Bulbs ($40) - A solid, cheaper alternative to Philips Hue, VOCOlinc's bulbs can integrate with HomeKit and support 16 million color options.
- Nanoleaf Essentials ($20 - $50) - Nanoleaf's Smart Color Changing LED Bulb and LED Lightstrip support HomeKit and don't require a hub to function.
- Hue White and Color Ambiance Lightstrip ($80) - One of the best options in the smart lighting space for quick-and-easy bias lighting.
- Nanoleaf Shapes ($200) - Bright and unique wall lights, now with new shapes that offer more customization [Review].
- Ecobee4 Thermostat ($250) - A favorite for HomeKit-enabled temperature controls.
- Orbi Mesh Wi-Fi System ($260) - Larger homes of up to 5,000 sq ft will benefit greatly from Orbi's whole-home mesh Wi-Fi coverage.
- AmpliFi Instant Router ($220) - Sets up in under two minutes for fast and dependable coverage throughout your home of up to 4,000 sq ft.
Miscellaneous
Of course, there are plenty more gift ideas that would work for any Apple fan, from Throwboy's Apple-themed pillows to an iPhone-connected Aura digital picture frame, a LaCie external hard drive, and more.
- Throwboy Apple Device Pillows ($25 - $40) - Decorate your home with cute pillows themed after an iPhone, Mac, Rainbow Wheel, and more.
- iBoy ($40) - An adorable figurine for any Apple enthusiast to decorate their office or living spaces [Review].
- Aura Digital Picture Frames (starting at $170) - Well designed digital picture frames with a hassle-free iPhone app that's a cinch for anyone in the family to use and share photos.
- Elago's nostalgic accessories (~$10 - $15) - Beyond AirPods, Elago offers cases for iPhone and stands for Apple Watch that look like Macs, iPods, and even the original Nintendo Game Boy.
- BentoStack ($50) - Perfect for frequent travelers, who can store Apple Watch bands, Apple Pencil, cables, and more in BentoStack's unique enclosure.
- Cozy's "Drink Different" Ice Molds ($13) - Spice up your favorite cold drinks with Mac-shaped ice cubes [Review].
- Function101 Button Remote for Apple TV ($40) - Replace the original Apple TV remote with a larger remote that has directional arrows in place of the Siri Remote's glass Touch surface.
- LaCie 5TB External Hard Drive ($150) - Back up your Mac with 5TB of storage for photos, files, and more.
Do you have any other gift giving ideas? Send us a tweet @MacRumors to let us know your best ideas for 2020.
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