It's that time of year when high school seniors are graduating having their graduation parties to celebrate. But what do you get them? You want to get something that they will enjoy but also something they will come to find invaluable over the course of four (or more) years. There is so much technology and electronics out there it can be hard to sift through. Let this part one and part two guide inspire you to get the perfect gift.
Laptops (Mac and Windows)
Tablets are all the rage and still very useful but a lot of companies would have you believe that they can replace a laptop for productivity. No. If you want to consume media, browse the web, or read a book then yes a tablet is great. If you want to work (and isn't that what most of college is about) and get things done in a dorm room, cafe, lounge area, library, or classroom, then a laptop is the single most important and powerful tool to do that.
The best laptop you can buy, and 3 years running, is still the 13 inch Macbook Air (2015 edition). It has a great screen, very light weight coming in at just under 3 pounds, has a well documented battery life of over 10 hours, sleek design, and the base model of $999 is more than enough for a college student for their next four or six years (master degree). Now if the student is going into heavy video editing and production and still want a Mac, I would recommend the Macbook Pro Retina but this will be more than enough for 99% of college students. You can't go wrong with the Macbook Air 13 inch 2015 model.
Link to Amazon
If your graduate prefers Windows (which is posed to make a huge comeback with Windows 10 by the middle of the summer) or needs to have a windows laptop for their particular courses then look no further than the Dell XPS 13. This is a Windows laptop that can actually make Macbook Air users jealous with his hardware and sleek design. First is that screen that goes from edge to edge making sure not to waste any space, keep this laptop thin and small. Speaking of thin and small, it weighs in at 2.6 pounds, 0.3 pounds lighter than the macbook air. It has a great keyboard and track pad (which is saying a lot for a Windows PC), comes with Windows 8.1 (free upgrade to Windows 10 when it is released), and pricing starts at $799. Though i recommend getting the slight upgrade in processor to make it $999 and even hardware specifications with the Macbook Air 13 inch 2015 model. In my opinion the Macbook Air is still the better option but if you have to get a Windows Laptop, this is the only one you should consider.
Link to the upgraded model in Amazon (as of June 13, 2015) this link has the $999 upgraded model for $904.
Smartphones (Apple/iOS and Android)
If your graduate wants an iPhone then there are only two options with the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus (or four if you want to give them an I.O.U. for the 6s and 6s Plus in September). It really comes down to screen size, camera, and battery life since everything else is the same. With the 6 Plus you get about a day and a half battery life, bigger screen that is almost like a small tablet, and OIS (optical image stabilization) in the backside camera for better dark/low light pictures and less shaky video. The 6 should still get them through 8-10 hours of the day before needing to charge and will be easier to use with one hand. No matter which you choose, I suggest a case as well just so it becomes easier to hold. Both of these phones are so thin, it becomes a problem hold in one hand.
If they prefer Google's Android operating system there there is no better time than now. Just out are the Samsung S6 and S6 Edge (see above), the LG G4, Droid Maxx, and Moto X 2015 edition for normal sized smartphones. If they want a big screen to substitute as a mini tablet, then there is the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 or the Nexus 6 (HUGE PHONE). All of them have at least a whole day battery life (more with the bigger phones and Droid Maxx), great screens, and good cameras. This choice might be one where you tell them what they can get to choose from and go to the carrier store or big box store with them.
If you are looking for an inexpensive smartphone for a grad who is either going to have either own plan or new to the smartphone world but you don't want to go crazy with the price then the Moto G is the best choice hands down. For $179 you get a 4.5' 720p screen, quad core processor, 8GB of internal storage, and a 5MP back side camera with a flash. While the photo quality won't be on par with a Galaxy smartphone or an iPhone, it will still take good shots of the people they want.
Link to Amazon
Smartwatches (iOS and Android)
Smartwatches are starting to gain momentum with the release of the Apple Smartwatch but still are not a necessity in everyone's everyday life but for a busy college student with a busy class, work, and social calendar, it could definitely make a difference to help them stay focused without always having to pull out their smartphone for notifications, especially in class.
If your grad has an iPhone 5s or 5c or greater and you really want to surprise them, than an Apple Smartwatch will definitely do that. Seen as the "it" thing to have right now in tech, it has a beautiful screen that comes in 38 or 42mm (denoted as women and men sizes), comes in 3 different style types (sport, watch, watch edition), different band types and colors depending on the style, a heart rate monitor, step tracking for working out, all day battery life, and much more. Though unless you are willing to spend $700 plus on the grad, you are probably going to go with the sport edition which is between $350 and $400. Also, if are going to get one do make it last minute as it might take 2-3 weeks for it to get to you as some are on a small to lengthy back order.
Link to Apple Store
But what if your grad loves Android/Google, then the Apple Watch is not an option. That isn't a problem as the Moto 360 is a great smartwatch at $250 with a beautiful circular design most traditional watches. It comes in only one size (42mm), black or silver, and with many band options. The 360 has day and a half to two day battery life, heart rate monitor, step tracking, notifications from their smartphone, and much more. The huge bonus with a 360 is the docking station for charging. The moto 360 doesn't need plugged in as you only need to place it on the small docking station and it charges wirelessly.
Link in Amazon
If you are looking to get them a great smartwatch for either and iPhone or an Android smartphone but don't want to spend more than $200, but want a smartwatch that will still help them with life, then look no further than the Pebble Time. At $199 it comes in 3 colors (red, black, and white), uses standard 22mm watch bands (so you can just go out and buy whichever watch band you want), still provides all the notifications from their smartphone, and a color e-ink display so not as sharp as the Apple Smartwatch or 360 but provides 5 to 7 days of battery. With that battery life you grad doesn't have to worry about charging every single night. With the price it does come with a big downside the others don't have, no heart rate monitor.
Pebble Time is available for pre-order through Best Buy come June 22.
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