The value of streaming services for movies and TV has come even more into view over the past year and a half, but something else has, too: physical media doesn’t get weighed down by internet overload, hiccups, or general outages. Sure, this still ends up being a small victory in a period where convenience and connectivity have really flexed their muscles — especially with theatrical new releases – but it’s also been seen on a practical level when there’s just too much surrounding internet activity eating up data to get a good or even functional image. Reliability will always be secondary to the true joy behind physical media, though, and that’s the satisfaction of, in some way or another, having content you like within reach in a library, in a presentation that the owner has selected from other viewing methods.

There’s another benefit to little shiny discs, though: they make awesome gifts.  Whether it’s giving someone a movie they already love or sharing with them something you’ve personally watched – or heard of through word of mouth – that you feel they’d enjoy, it can be a personal thing with lots of thought behind it. Or, it can make for an easy-to-wrap package for under a tree or in a stocking, or to be tossed in the mix of a random exchange, and all that’s required is a player and the removal of some plastic wrap to kick off the show. And in the case of 2021’s still complicated theater and stream service situation, there’s the good chance somebody may’ve missed a particular theatrical film … or just needs a really good classic, or a box of classics, to get lost in.

The guide below mentions over two dozen different 4K and Blu-ray discs that’d make for wonderful presents to give throughout the holiday season. Follow the links to get to product pages, most of which land at Amazon, and check ‘em out sooner rather than later to see if those elusive holiday deals are still going on for certain ones.  

Gifts For Those Eager For Something New From The Theater

Let’s start off with the new releases of 2021 and how superhero movies hit differently. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Target Art Edition, 4K) presented the first real Asian comic-book superhero film, with a lead actor in Simu Lu who trained in several martial-arts styles in the lead-up to Marvel’s well-told hero’s journey.  Elsewhere, The Suicide Squad (Amazon, 4K) gets the DC film universe back on track by enlisting director James Gunn, who reveals that he gets the core of why the squad’s appealing with a hysterical, colorful, and chaotically violent trip with Harley Quinn and the gang to save the world from a … starfish. Then, there’s the live action origin story of Cruella (Amazon, 4K), which harnesses Emma Stone’s charismatic quirks in a meaningful, delightfully gray depiction of a villain’s ascent that, despite being a Disney movie, has the edge of a comic.

Other new movies discovered quality by exploring familiar ideas from different angles. On the heels of John Wick, both Nobody (Amazon, 4K) and Pig (Amazon, Blu-ray) take on the idea of a retired or reserved man of danger whose fighting spirit is reawakened by tense circumstances: home invasion in one, theft of a pet in another. Nobody gets Bob Odenkirk involved with vigorous action entertainment, while Pig taps into heavy drama involving Nic Cage about rediscovering oneself. Similarly, Free Guy (Amazon, 4K) takes the idea behind The Truman Show and brings it to the landscape of video games, where a non-playable character living in an MMO discovers the truth of his reality and pushes to break the illusion. Then, there’s A Quiet Place Part 2 (Amazon, 4K), John Krasinski’s horror sequel which tries to capture the same disquieting terror beyond a family’s isolated home.

Gifts For Those Who Enjoy Classics In New, Clear 4K Light

This year also marked the long-awaited arrival of The Criterion Collection to the 4K arena, and with that milestone also came the announcement of perhaps the company’s most monumental release: that of Citizen Kane (Amazon), often considered – and frequently debated – as being the greatest movie ever made. Regardless of how one feels about where Orson Welles’ grand drama about the rise and twisted perseverance of a newspaper tycoon falls on the “best of” list, it still makes for a brilliant gift for any film lover, as they’ll eventually want to revisit it alongside Criterion’s glorious supplemental package.  This grand entrance into 4K media for Criterion also quietly marks the introduction of David Lynch’s body of work into the ultra-HD format, as Mulholland Drive (Amazon) also gets a new scan and presentation.

Interestingly, one movie that probably comes up in most conversations about the greatest movies ever made also received a new 4K transfer presentation from Warner Brothers: A Clockwork Orange (Amazon). Like Stanley Kubrick’s other films found in a 3-movie 4K boxset from WB, it’s a worthwhile visual upgrade for a film that’s both increasingly tough to watch and absorbing to watch.  Speaking of upgrades, Shout Factory delivered one of the first substantive 4K-to-4K upgrades with John Carpenter’s seminal classic Halloween (Amazon), finally coming together in a not-so-debatably definitive presentation alongside individual releases for the rest of the franchise. Also, for those Wes Craven and ‘90s cinema fans, meta-slasher classic Scream (Amazon) has also finally been given the visual treatment it deserves with a fine new transfer from Paramount, just in time for the new movie.

Gifts For Those Who Like Old Hollywood, Subs, Spicoli and Spine Numbers

Over the past few years, The Criterion Collection has revived their reputation from the laserdisc days for pulling big, important movies into their workspace and giving them impressive treatments. While they’ve maintained a steady stream of variety from indie, arthouse, foreign, classic, and cult spectrums during the DVD and Blu-ray era and they’ve certainly offered a mainstream hit or two, they’ve tended to be more focused on smaller films that seem to need more than most. Now, on top of Citizen Kane, they’re digging deeper into studio catalogues for high pedigree classics that also “need it”, including the Bogart gangster-noir vehicle High Sierra (Amazon, Blu-ray), the classic ‘50s sci-fi thinker The Incredible Shrinking Man (Amazon, Blu-ray), and the renowned screwball rom-com Bringing Up Baby (Amazon, Blu-ray) with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn.

They’re not just going after black and white classics, either. After The Breakfast Club proved that they’re interested in more mainstream ‘80s comedies with significance behind them, this year they delivered the iconic coming-of-age dramedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Amazon, Blu-ray), complete with new interviews and the TV edit of the film. On top of this, The Criterion Collection have also procured the rights to two significant Asian cinema releases this year. Academy award-winning director Bong Joo-ho’s Memories of Murder (Amazon, Blu-ray) finally made its English-friendly Blu-ray debut in this region from Criterion, a masterful presentation of director’s most harrowing, gripping piece of cinema. Similarly to their beautiful Bruce Lee set, the label will also be producing a sprawling 6-disc boxset for the entirety of Once Upon a Time in China (Amazon, Blu-ray boxset) saga, mostly driven by director Tsui Hark and action legend Jet Li.

Gifts For Cult-Classic Lovers and ’80s Kids

Criterion wasn’t the only boutique label to have success in getting out some surprising titles this year, as cult-classic aficionados Arrow Video also produced some great ‘80s-era packages. Naturally, attention falls on David Lynch’s Dune (Amazon, 4K), which more than anything exists as a hypnotizing sci-fi curiosity nowadays … and, in a sense, as the oddball of Lynch’s body of work. Arrow provides a beautiful 4K transfer and heaps of extras to show and tell that story, though. They’ve done something similar for Ridley Scott’s Legend (Amazon, Blu-ray), another uniquely beautiful genre entry with a devoted fanbase, which arrives alongside a bountiful set of extras with the US and Director’s Cut versions in the best shape they’ve ever been.  Arrow also slipped in a stunning presentation of Tremors (Amazon) in 4K, an honorary ‘80s flick and action-horror classic.

Shout Factory devoted energy to their Halloween collector’s edition 4K releases, but they’ve also cranked out impressive discs from outside their ‘80s-cinema wheelhouse.  Moving to the ‘90s, they’ve presented the underappreciated Lovecraftian space horror flick Event Horizon (Shout Factory, Blu-ray) in a handsome package, and while it looks great, it’s the assertive sound that makes the disc mesmerizing. From there, Shout moves to modern cinema for a surprise release of Krampus … the Naughty Cut (Amazon, 4K), which features additional scenes and the original dialogue that was tweaked for the film to get a PG-13 rating.  Already a pretty fierce horror movie in its “tame” cut, this should be a perfect offering for the right film buff.  Perhaps even more surprising, however, is the fact that ultra-boutique label Vinegar Syndrome entered into the mainstream with a magnificent 4K release of the classic ‘80s fantasy film Beastmaster (Amazon, 4K + Blu-ray).

Gift For Those Who Take Pride In Filling Shelf Space With Cinema

Every time that it seems like the days of elaborate gift sets for physical movie releases might be in the rearview mirror, there’s always one or two in a given year that keep the energy alive. For 2021, that distinction largely falls on the 20th Anniversary 4K/Blu-ray release of Harry Potter (Amazon Exclusive), which comes in a nifty box designed to look like the Hogwarts Express train. Beyond that one, the rest of the gift sets this year have been designed to be slightly more manageable and streamlined on a shelf, letting graphic design do the work. As expected, a complete Middle-Earth 6-Film 4K Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Amazon, 4K + Blu-ray) batches the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit 4K trilogy sets from last year and adds new extras. There’s also the Karate Kid 4K Collection (Amazon, 4K), which presents the three Macchio films with classic poster cover art.

The rest of the gift sets on this list come with little caveats or asterisks, but they’re wholly worthwhile gifts for any cinema lover.  First, there’s the Evil Dead: Groovy Collection (Amazon) in 4K, which bundles together both the film and TV sagas of Bruce Campbell’s Ash against zombie-poltergeist baddies from the beyond … though, asterisk, this set doesn’t come with Army of Darkness, likely due to studio rights. The Criterion Collection has also lovingly crafted a World of Wong Kar Wai (Amazon, Blu-ray) boxset that curates all his “most beloved works” – including Blu-ray newcomer 2046! – in a beautiful package with, asterisk, controversially modified transfers under the supervision of the director. And then, continuing on the Criterion train, there’s the Essential Fellini (Amazon, Blu-ray) boxset released in November of last year, so the asterisk here is to make sure they didn’t get it last holiday.

2021 Gift Guide: Top 4K & Blu-rays for Movie and TV Fans

Last year’s hardware gift guide began with the somewhat obvious preface that 2020 was an incredibly different year in several ways, with the video game market both thriving and struggling with supply issues … and that was before the next generation of consoles were released before holiday shopping. Ideally, a year later, one would imagine that some of the issues might be smoothed out, and that this following holiday season would be primed for gift givers to get their loved ones caught up on the latest and most desirable in gaming. Alas, with the extended stay of the pandemic and its impacts on both the construction and distribution of electronics, it looks as if 2021 will be another year where folks will be frantically searching for the elusive next-generation consoles … and probably the other consoles, too.

Availability of those ever-so-desirable PS5s and Xbox Series X consoles will be in short, narrow windows where folks will need to be at the right place at the right time to get what they’re wanting to give. On top of that, it’ll be a bit tougher to “substitute” the newest systems with those of the current generation due to how many games simply perform more properly on the newer ones, even though heaps of great games still came out on them this year. At least Nintendo Switches shouldn’t be impossible to obtain this year, though it wouldn’t be unwise to go ahead and grab one of those while they’re available now.

Below, we’ve pieced together a bit of a guide to help point readers in the right directions during what will likely be yet another complicated holiday shopping season. Be sure to check out our Software Guide to figure out which games to gift.

For Fans of Marvel, God of War, and 4K UltraHD Superiority, Gift This.

In the early stages of this side-by-side console release, choosing between one or the other usually boiled down to brand loyalty, exclusives, and scrutinizing specks without much hands-on review impressions.  After a year of seeing how these consoles perform, the choices have expectedly become much easier and determined by less factors, with the PS5 having two easy and noteworthy positives in its column: it has a not-so-arguably superior slate of exclusive games, and it’s a reliable, above-par 4K playback device. Discussions about performance have become more practical: while there may be moments of stronger processing power on the Series X, both essentially play their big, shared games on about the same level, and that’s understandable since the two machines are incredibly similar under the hood.

When it comes to their library, the PS5 started things off on a strong note by having their exclusive Spider-Man: Miles Morales title ready at launch, an impression that’s continued at a low, consistent level over the past year. Deathloop, Ratchet and Clank, and the dazzling remakes of Final Fantasy VII and Demon’s Souls are currently only available on PlayStation consoles, and future titles like God of War Ragnarok, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Wolverine will continue their exclusivity on Sony’s hardware. After a brief digital hiccup at release that overclocked the brightness levels while watching movies, the PS5 has also very quietly taken the crown as the superior 4K UltraHD disc player, though that’s to be expected from the company that produces dedicates players.  While neither are top of the line in that arena, the PS5 has developed a reputation for being more stable and crisper through playback.

Check Price/Availability on Amazon Or Search Ben’s for PS5 Console Deals

For Those Who Value Nostalgia, Versatile Power, and Bethesda, Gift This.

Following the shaky release of the Xbox One, Microsoft has restructured their game plan to fill a void and satisfy users in ways neglected by their competitors: through easy backwards compatibility. While other systems choose to focus almost entirely on the latest and greatest, the folks at Xbox figured out that making older games and libraries available to play on their next-gen console wouldn’t so drastically impact the attention placed on new content, resulting in their effort to make 360 and even original Xbox games playable on the system through emulation. One of the most compelling parts of the Xbox Series X has been how one can essentially unplug all their old hardware from the Xbox One, plug it into the same slots on the Series X, and they’re good to go with continuing their gaming without much of hassle. Those games installed on an external HD? Easily playable on the Series X once the system recognizes it.

Here’s the thing: the Xbox Series X can also process games on a more advanced level, whether they’re new or classics. While new titles have been “Optimized for Xbox Series X” to take advantage of the full 4K graphical power coming from this machine, old-school games like Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls: Morrowind have also been “Xbox One X Enhanced” with immense performance upgrades that make replaying them more than just a nostalgic rehash of joy, and effortlessly playable from either discs or external HDs. From storage and controller adaptability to downloading both old and new titles through the Xbox Game Pass subscription program, the experience in owning an Xbox Series X feels more diverse and accessible than the others … and the purchase of Fallout and Elder Scrolls gamemaker Bethesda Studios by Microsoft will have significant ramifications on the exclusivity of games to come.

Check Price/Availability on Amazon Or Search Ben’s for Xbox Series X Deals

For Those Who Love Portability, Family-Friendly Quality, and Zelda, Gift This.

Limited Edition Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch Console

Pros: Cute Colors, Kid-Room Appropriate, Semi-Available | Cons: Game Not Included MSRP: $299

Through the development and release of these new powerhouse systems, the Nintendo Switch has been content with being along for the ride, serving as both a primary gaming system for some folks and a secondary one for those who choose sides in the console wars. Sales were phenomenal in the previous year during the rise in popularity of Animal Crossing: New Horizons amid the pandemic, and the release of several games from Nintendo’s attention-grabbing franchises – Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, Metroid Dread, and Mario Party – make the system equally or perhaps even more appealing this holiday season. Outside of issues where the screen gets scuffed in the dock and the motion controls have a brief lapse in connectivity, Nintendo’s hybridized system has proven to be a wildly successful experiment.

From among the primary video game systems of the latest generation and the one before it, the Switch will likely be the least difficult system to purchase this year. Currently, some models of Nintendo’s portable-home crossbred console can be purchased for mid-November delivery from Amazon, though the color selection is already limited.  Bear in mind that the Animal Crossing version of the Nintendo Switch console, which does seem to be floating in and out of stock currently at several locations, does not come with that game included: an easy mistake to make considering how it’s designed. Some colors of the Nintendo Switch Lite – the compact, portable-only version of the system that doesn’t hook up to the TV or use detachable motion controllers — also seem to be available in a few colors right now at the $199 price point.

Check Price/Availability on Amazon Or Search Ben’s for Switch Console Deals

So, Uh … Where Are They? A Guide of a Different Sort.

Normally, this is where the Holiday Video Game Hardware Guide explores different console bundles and other gift options, but 2021 is a unique year where a perfect storm of slowed manufacturing, supply-chain issues, and halted last-gen console production has resulted in a major shortage across the board. Awesome bundles of last-gen gaming systems thrown together with some of their most popular titles are nowhere to be found, nor are most of the creative and colorful skinned systems, and it’s a struggle to even find regular standalone consoles from the PS4 and Xbox One era.

This isn’t a year where walking into a place that sells video games and walking out with holiday shopping done will be a common occurrence; in fact, most will have to resort to strategizing with different stores and keeping an eagle eye on stock will be necessary. Here are some of the methods that people are using to keep track of in-stock status of certain systems:

Twitter. One of the quickest and most reliable methods to receive alerts will be through Twitter, as there are numerous accounts dedicated to stock updates: @PS5StockNews, @SwitchStockNews, @XboxStockAlerts and so on. It’s possible to continuously refresh the Twitter feed for updates, but signing up for an account and following them will allow you to receive real-time updates when new stock alerts are published, so one can hop online and grab a system before that dreaded gray “out of stock” button shows up once again.

Get Connected. Different brick-and mortal stores will also have certain programs available so that customers may luck out and get one of the restocked systems, though they all involve jumping through hoops. One of the consistent themes about nearly all of the options is that it pays to be a member of some fashion to one of the stores, as that will grant exclusive access either to early info about the drops … or straight-up access to the consoles themselves when they’re available.

• BestBuy has a new TotalTech program that costs subscribers $200/year, but it boasts access to in-demand electronics before non-subscribers, and it makes sense that PS5s and Series X consoles would apply. The TotalTech program also comes with product protection benefits, free delivery and installation of purchases, around-the-clock GeekSquad service, and extended return windows alongside the discount perks, so there’s plenty of other stuff that comes alongside the membership fee.
• Walmart also has a subscription service, Walmart+, that grants early access to deals for its customers, and that has applied to next-gen console availability. Pricing for the subscription is $13/month or right at $100 for a year, and it also comes with free store-to-home deliveries, gas discounts and free shipping for Walmart items regardless of price (normally orders over $35 ship free).
• Costco recently got a restock on console bundles as well, but obviously only for members. That bundle features the console, an extra controller, a premium headset, and subscription cards for PlayStation’s 2 services. Here’s the landing page for that PS5 bundle.
• NewEgg periodically restocks with their own custom bundle (usually an extra controller and/or an HD Camera), but it’s gated by a raffle system called NewEgg Shuffle. After signing up for a NewEgg account, customers can visit the Shuffle page or receive notifications to be entered into specific raffles, which are started once certain items hit the warehouse.  The landing page for that PS5 bundle can be found here.
• GameStop will be announcing when inventory will be available at select locations. Recently, they made a page available for a console “Bundle Event”, in which certain stores in and surrounding a half-dozen major cities would have custom bundles available on a given date at 8am. Bundles have also been available to purchase online, though the company’s PowerUp Rewards Pro Members — $14.99 for purchase discounts and trade/point benefits, or $19.99 if you want physical GameInformer magazines – have early access.

There’s no telling what the next few weeks leading up to Black Friday will have in store, whether little pockets of console stock will be unearthed and made available to the general public, or not. Until then, it’s the kind of year where one can only wish shoppers the best of luck in tracking down and rushing home with their treasures.

For Those Who Have Their System Situation Under Control, Gift This.

Pictured: Xbox’s Limited Controller in Aqua Shift

The one semi-benefit to there being a console shortage is that gift givers will likely have an easier time picking up the extra items for a given system, and just about every gamer will tell you that a new controller is a welcome sight. Also, with this being a year into the console’s life cycle, some new color options have been debut. While Sony has cranked out Midnight Black and Cosmic Red variants of their stock white controller, the folks at Xbox have predictably made more headway with numerous color variants that are compatible with the Xbox One and the Xbox Series X. That includes a snazzy Aqua Shift blue ombre controller that was released in August.

If none of the stock options will suit a specific person’s personality and they’re on the Xbox, there’s the Xbox Design Lab, which reopened for business in July of this year.

Click Here to Visit Xbox’s Revamped Design Lab

For Online Players and Freebie/Deal Hunters, Gift These.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate / PS+ Subscriptions

Game Pass Ultimate 3-Month on Amazon PS+ 12 Month on Amazon

Each yeah, there’s a little bit of uncertainty when discussing the future of the main console subscription services, as to what they’ll look like in the near future and whether card purchases are still viable.  Regardless of the answer, the recommendation hasn’t really changed … until this year. While folks on Sony consoles will still be content with picking up year subscriptions to PlayStation Plus, those on the Xbox side of things may want to consider a shift, or perhaps more accurately an upgrade. This also opens a prime opportunity for a quality gift as well, one that’s essentially worth what the receiver decides to squeeze out of it.

Instead of loading up on yet another 12 Month subscription of the baseline Xbox Live service, folks will want to take a close look at the value of the Game Pass Ultimate program. Over the past year, the benefits of subscribing to just that program have dwindled: online play remains a must, but the Games With Gold freebies and associated discounts at the Xbox Store haven’t been as worthwhile. While the Game Pass Ultimate subscription is notably more expensive — $15/month as opposed to $10/month for Live; card discount prices not taken into account – it also opens the door for subscribers to download a huge amount of current, quality games and have access to the same Games With Gold benefits. There’s a Game Pass Only subscription for $10/month as well, but the online play might be integral to the subscription decision and the combo rate is preferable. Cards only come in 3-month increments though, for now.

For Tabletop and Tech Enthusiasts, As Well As For The Fam, Gift This.

Arcade 1UP’s Infinity Table

Pros: Movable, Pause Games, Apps Added; Cons: Light on Game Quantity | MSRP: $699/899

Over the past 4-5 years, Arcade1UP has been gradually building a reputation for its brand, delivering affordable yet high-quality duplications of arcade game cabinets at roughly ¾ scale. Many attempts have been made to do similar emulations and failed to fully capture the retro spirit, so it’s a noteworthy accomplishment for this company to survive the scrutiny of nostalgic gamers and become known as a reliable source of decent hardware. After moving to slightly unique products with their pinball machine and reshaped “counter-cade” cabinet for bar tops, Arcade1UP now moves into another more innovative stage of their product line with the Infinity Table.

What began as a Kickstarter campaign last year has moved into general availability, with two sizes of table displays currently available: 24” at $699, and 32” at $899. The Infinity Table essentially functions like a giant touchscreen tablet that exclusively boots up old-school board games and family-friendly activities.  For some, that might downplay the uniqueness of the product; for others, the concept of a “giant game tablet” will effortlessly draw their attention. Nearly 50 different applications are available as of this writing, including licensed games that range from Monopoly and Scrabble to the outstanding strategy game Pandemic. The availability for new titles to be loaded into its library makes it very appealing, especially if they keep up the momentum by licensing more quality board games.

Click For the 24″ Model on Amazon Click For the 32″ Model on Amazon

2021 Gift Guide: Video Game Hardware and Accessories

With more and more working from home, chances are people want to pick up a new laptop for heavy-duty use or maybe a second laptop (apart from work) to stream movies, work on personal projects or play games.  (If you’re into gaming, check out our Favorite Affordable Gaming Laptops Guide.) 

Right now, “screen-to-body ratio” is a big thing (90% or higher is very desirable). As with TVs, consumers want thinner bezels and a smaller overall footprint. Can you squeeze a 15.6″ display into a traditional 14″ laptop size? How about a 14″ display into a 13.3″ laptop? (In addition, 16:10 screen ratios are becoming popular, as they offer more vertical depth than the ubiquitous 16:9.)

Apple pulled this move last year when it replaced its iconic 15″ MacBook with a new 16″ model that basically fit in the same body. 

Faster is always better, and this year Intel saw huge competition from AMD in the form of its affordable yet powerful Ryzen 4000 Series chips. Many felt AMD leapfrogged its main competitor in terms of performance.

This past week, Apple announced its own Silicon M1 SoC (System on a Chip), marking the end of its 15-year partnership with Intel for its computer processors. The M1 is based on Apple’s A14 Bionic chip found in the new iPad Air and iPhone 12.

Faster also meant faster Wi-Fi in the form of Wi-Fi 6, which adds a premium to the price but also promises much bigger bandwidth and ultrafast speed.

Lighter and thinner is the holy grail for laptops. While laptops weighing under 3 pounds are becoming more commonplace, we’re even seeing some under 2 pounds, but of course that’s going to cost you.

Lastly, due to the pandemic and the widespread use of Zoom and other video conferencing, the once neglected webcam is now making a comeback. However, manufacturers are obviously behind on this late-breaking trend, because most laptop cameras are still terrible. (720p, seriously?)

Below, we’ve put together some of the hottest laptops for the holiday season, including perennial favorites from Apple and Dell, popular models on Ben’s, and one very cutting edge machine. Watch for price drops and deals on Ben’s in the coming weeks (set deal alerts here)!

I’m a Mac

Apple Silicon M1 MacBook Air (2020)

Starts at $999 @ Apple Store Check Deals on Ben’s

Few have gotten their hands on the MacBook Air with the Apple Silicon M1 Chip, since it doesn’t even ship till the third week of November—or a week after this article is posted—but it’s poised to become the Mac highest on the wishlist of Apple fans.

The new M1 chip’s benchmarks have leaked to the press, and it’s already outclassing 11th Generation Intel Core i7 results. However, the new MacBook Air is fanless, which means that speeds will likely be throttled for cooling purposes. It also has a 7-core GPU (rather than the 8-core GPU found in the other M1 Macs), but that’s keeping the price at the sweet spot below $1k. The MBA is the low-end Apple laptop meant to appeal to the average consumer, and this year the price point and performance look to be just right.

I’m a PC

Dell XPS 13 (2020)

Starts at $980 @ Dell Check Deals on Ben’s

The Dell XPS 13 continues to be the top Windows laptop year after year by making subtle improvements with each new iteration. It now has a 91.5% screen-to-body ratio with “barely there” bezels that have more in common with sleek smartphones. Plus, there’s more screen real estate in its 13.4″ 16:10 display (vs. 16:9).

Many other premium touches abound, like the white woven glass-fiber wrist rest (or black carbon fiber), 0.58″ thin aluminum body, easy-to-open twin-coil hinged lid and larger keyboard and touchpad. Also, the XPS 13 still has great battery life at over 12 hours a charge (Full HD config).

Added bonus: the new 11th gen “Tiger Lake” Intel CPUs are now available in the XPS 13 (9310).

I’m a… Chromebook

Lenovo Chromebook Duet (2020)

Starts at $280 @ Lenovo Check Deals on Ben’s

One of the low-cost favorites on Ben’s, the little 10.1″ 2-in-1 Lenovo Chromebook Duet really outperforms its price point. It packs 10 to 11 hours of battery life, an aluminum alloy/plastic tablet body, bright 16:10 display, detachable keyboard, denim fabric rear cover (kickstand) and decent webcam in a total package under $300, and we’ve recently seen it as low as $229 for the 64GB model.

With keyboard and kickstand, the ultraportable Duet is a smidge over 2 pounds, making it a handy laptop/tablet that travels with you everywhere— airplane, coffee shop, wherever. It supports the use of Android apps (though the user experience is so-so) and plays well with Android phones (e.g. instant tethering).

I’m on a Budget

Acer Swift 3 Ryzen (2020)

$680 @ Amazon Check Deals on Ben’s

The affordable Acer Swift 3 Ryzen laptop uses the powerful Ryzen 4000 series processors, whose price-to-performance ratio have made them very popular among consumers.  You get a lot of premium laptop specs for the money: a svelte 2.7-pound aluminum-magnesium body, 14″ IPS display, fingerprint reader, backlit keyboard, USB-C, the new Wi-Fi 6 and good battery life of 8 to 10 hours. (The 720p webcam is just okay, like many laptop cameras.)

While the beastly octa-core Ryzen 7 4700U configuration sells for around $650, we’ve seen the also excellent Ryzen 5 4500U version under $500, which is a fantastic value.

I’m Really on a Budget

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 (2020)

Starts at $450 @ Best Buy Check Deals on Ben’s

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a budget laptop aimed at a very broad audience. It’s available in multiple display sizes (14″, 15.6″ and 17.3″), various colors like “Abyss Blue,” touchscreen and non-touchscreen, and both 10th Generation Intel and AMD Ryzen processors. It’s very popular on Ben’s due to its affordable price and good performance.

As expected at its price point, some corners have been cut. There’s no USB-C, which is a bit surprising in 2020. The body is plastic, although it does sport a brushed metal appearance and you still get Lenovo’s distinctive 180-degree hinge. The 720p webcam is like other budget laptop cameras, i.e. not that good (though it does have a physical privacy shutter). Battery life is around 7 hours, about average for similarly priced laptops.

The price is where the IdeaPad 3 shines. We’ve seen the Full HD Core i7 17.3″ model for $550, the Full HD Ryzen 5 3500U 15.6″ model for under $400, and the 10th Gen Core i3 variant as low as $300.

I’m Flexible

Lenovo Flex 14 Ryzen (2020)

$600 @ Amazon Check Deals on Ben’s

Like the other lower-priced Lenovos on this list, the 2-in-1 Lenovo Flex 5 14 Ryzen is a popular laptop on Ben’s because of its excellent value. The 360-degree hinge allows you to flip the lid back for tablet mode, and the Lenovo Active Pen is included in the box. Battery life is very good: you can get 8 hours for a full day’s work.

The most popular configuration for $600 offers an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U mobile CPU, 16GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, backlit keyboard, fingerprint sensor and Full HD IPS touchscreen display. That display is also where the Flex 5 14 falls short—like a lot of laptops in this price range, its screen brightness is rated at 250 nits, and that results in a bit of a washed out or dim appearance in very bright environments. Overall, however, the Flex 5 is going to be a great 2-in-1 laptop for most users.

I’m a High Roller

HP Elite Dragonfly G2 (2020)

Starts at $1,779 @ HP Store Check Deals on Ben’s

The 2-in-1 HP Elite Dragonfly (Gen2) is an elegant, very pricey laptop for the type of user who travels business class. The display’s Privacy Mode (aka Sure View Reflect) prevents the guy in the next seat over from reading your screen while you sit back and enjoy selections from the wine list.

As you would expect from the name, the Elite Dragonfly is packed to the, uh, gills with other fancy features like: LTE or 5G compatibility, integrated Tile tracker, Sure Click (a browser security sandbox), very bright screen (850 nits), Bang & Olufsen 4-speaker system, mic mute button, 13 hours of battery life and a lightweight, blue magnesium alloy body.

So, about the price: models start at around $1,800, but if you want all the bells and whistles like Sure View and much, much more, configurations can run from $2,100 to the neighborhood of (gasp) $5,000.

I’m from the Future

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold (2020)

Starts at $2,499 @ Lenovo Check Deals on Ben’s

Early adopters, rejoice! Billed as the “world’s first foldable PC,” the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold has a 13.3″ plastic 2K OLED display that folds in the middle. On the outside, there’s a leather folio cover, giving the laptop the feel of a book when the display is closed.

The X1 Fold offers various innovative UI options: Type on the on-screen keyboard. Use the included Lenovo Fold Mini Keyboard, which magnetically attaches to the lower half of the display. Or flip open the display to its full dimensions, and use the keyboard in detached mode. Or you can use the Lenovo Mode Pen (also included), which slips into the side of the keyboard when done.

The wide bezels and plastic screen are the biggest giveaways this is a first gen product, but the foldable display is definitely a hint of things to come in the world of laptops.

The price for all this exciting new technology? Be prepared to spend $2,500 or more…

Check Ben’s for the latest Laptop deals

2020 Gift Guide: The Hottest Laptops of the Season

We’ve reached the point where everything under the sun must be “smart” or have Bluetooth or connect with an app. Sometimes these features seem pointless, sometimes they are just straight laughable (smart egg carton, really?). But other times the tech components are actually pretty cool. Here are some of the best toys of 2018 that use technology to really enhance the play and learning experience.

Best Coding Toy

Kano is known for making some of best STEM toys available today, the most popular being their Kano Computer Kit ($250). So when my 6 year old started asking about some “real Harry Potter wand” he wanted, and I found out it was made by this brand, I got really excited! The Kano Harry Potter Wand Coding Kit is basically a wand that kids can program to respond to their movements, and make stuff happen on a tablet or computer screen.

There’s a lot of Harry Potter stuff out right now (it was the 20th anniversary this year!), but this toy looks like it really got it right. So far it has almost perfect reviews on Amazon (4.8/5 stars); “Magical meets educational!” says one.

MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $75

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Best Invention Toy

Building off the success of their popular Star Wars Droid Inventor’s Kit from last season, littlebits has released the new littleBits Marvel Avengers Hero Inventor Kit, and it looks pretty cool.  Kids can build and customize an interactive electronic super hero gauntlet, then use the free app to “train” with it.

If you’re more Star Wars than superheroes, the Droid Inventor’s Kit mentioned above has dropped in price (currently $70 at Amazon) and continues to get great reviews.

• MSRP: $150 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $105

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Best Budget Robot Toy

There are about a million robot toys to choose from right now, and the quality seems to be all over the place. The Boxer Interactive A.I. Robot makes the list because he (she?) is priced right, isn’t overly complicated, and is getting super solid reviews. There’s no programming component on this one, but Boxer boasts “personality and emotions”, and comes with 10 activity cards that allow you to play games like bot bowling, paddle bot or go kart. There’s also a free app that unlocks additional games.

For younger kids who aren’t quite ready to build or code their own bot, this one looks like it’s a lot of fun to play with right out of the box.

MSRP: $80 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $54

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Best High End Robot Toy

On the not so cheap end of the robot toy spectrum is the new Anki Vector Voice-Controlled Robot, which raised an astonishing $1.8 million on Kickstarter last year. Billed as “a robot sidekick for your home,” it’s part smart home device, part adorable tiny bot. It can answer questions, take photos, set timers, give you a weather report, and navigates and self-charges independently.

While reviews are saying Vector hasn’t quite brought The Jetsons to life, yet, it looks like a lot of fun for adults and kids alike.

MSRP: $250 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $175

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Best Smart Speaker for Kids

You may be reading this thinking, “wait, what? Why does a kid need a smart speaker?” And I kind of thought the same thing until I read more about the new Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition. The kids’ edition basically does all the same things as the regular Amazon Echo Dot, but the special thing worth mentioning here is that it comes with a year of Amazon’s FreeTime Unlimited service. FreeTime gives your kids access to tons of apps and games, kid-friendly radio stations, Alexa Skills lessons, customizable alarms, plus over 1000 Audible books for kids.

There’s also a parent dashboard that allows you to set daily time limits, see what content your kids have accessed, and even use the speaker as a two-way intercom when you don’t feel like shouting up the stairs when it’s time for dinner.

They retail for $70, but you can currently get $30 off if you buy two, making it $110 for a pair.

MSRP: $70 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Old School Tech Toy

When my 6 year old asked to buy an old Sony digital camcorder at Goodwill last summer, I said yes mostly because it was only $6.99, and didn’t expect him to do much with it. But it’s been one of his most played with “toys” ever! Yes, there are cameras made specifically for kids (the Vtech Kiddiezoom is probably the most popular), but compact digital video cameras have gotten so inexpensive, you might as well get your kid something that can capture quality videos/images.

The Sony Handycam HDRCX240/L 1080p Digital Video Camera is currently around $120 refurbished from Amazon, but you should be able to find even cheaper models on eBay, or if you don’t mind used, Craigslist.

Not only do kids love playing around with a video camera, you’ll be surprised how entertaining and fun the footage they end up with is! Having the world documented from their point of view will be well worth the price of the camera.

MSRP: $199 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Best Hybrid Building/Tech Toy

With their LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox Building and Coding Kit, LEGO is branching out from their popular Mindstorms robotics line, and has made a tech/building combo toy that is more accessible, and much less expensive. While Mindstorms has a focus on the coding and programming side of robots, LEGO Boost looks like it’s mostly about the building. It also costs almost $200 less!

With LEGO Boost, kids (7 to 12) can build multiple robots, and use the “LEGO Move Hub” and an app to make them come to life. The kit is compatible with regular old LEGO pieces, so there’s the option to really get creative and make the robots their own.

Now in it’s second holiday season, you might be able to find it for under $100 by the time Christmas rolls around.

• MSRP: $160 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $103

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Best Gaming Tech Toy

Nintendo is having a good couple of years! The Switch has really taken off, and one of the cooler concepts to come out in the wave of new game releases is their Nintendo Labo crafting/gaming hybrid. Kids can make physical projects, then “bring them to life” on the screen. The popular Nintendo Labo Variety Kit has everything needed to create two RC cars, a fishing rod, a house, a  motorbike, and a piano. You can even use the motorbike in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe!

• MSRP: $70 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $45

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Best iPad Add-On/Kids’ Tablet Alternative

If you don’t want to get your child their own “kids’ tablet”, the Osmo Genius Starter Kit will turn your existing iPad into a hands-on learning device. This highly rated set includes five games that teach math, spelling, visual thinking, problem solving, and creative drawing skills through a unique mix of on-screen tech and physical pieces.

Perhaps the best part is that this kit is designed to grow with your child, adjusting to their skill level through the age of 5 all the way up to 12.

Once you have the Starter Kit, there are tons of additional games you can purchase, like the newly released Osmo Super Studio Incredibles 2 Drawing Game ($20).

MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $70

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Best STEM Board Game

I don’t know if this one really qualifies as a “tech toy”, but I’m including it anyway because I think it looks really interesting. Circuit Maze Board Game has budding electrical engineers (8 years old and up) arranging tokens to create real circuits and win challenges. Looks a lot like the popular Snap Circuits toys, but in game form. Reviews are mostly positive, and the price is very affordable compared to a lot of STEM toys out there.

• MSRP: $30 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Tech Toys Worth Buying