The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card
and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.
When my brother-in-law bought an Xbox One last year, I honestly thought it was a silly purchase. Why not save a TON of money and just get the Xbox 360, I thought. I’m perfectly happy with mine. Well, fast forward a year, and now I want One. Literally. My niece is always telling me how great it is, and the price has gone down quite a bit. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for your kids or a gamer in your life, this is it!
What is Xbox One? Xbox One was built by gamers, for gamers. With the best exclusive titles (Halo, Sunset Overdrive), the biggest blockbusters (Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty) the hottest sports franchises (Madden 15, FIFA 15, NBA 2K15) and top family titles (Fantasia: Music Evolved, Just Dance 15, Skylanders) Xbox One takes gaming to a whole new level. In addition to being a great gaming console, Xbox One connects consumers unlike any other device. It enables access to the latest TV shows and movies through your favorite apps. With Xbox One all of your media is at your fingertips when you want it. I like that it wakes up when you simply say, “Xbox on”, and downloads and updates are performed behind the scenes, so you can start playing instantly.
Another cool brand is JBL. When you give the gift of JBL, you’ll be giving the gift of superior sound and easy portability with their headphones and Bluetooth speakers.
The JBL Charge 2 portable Bluetooth speaker has twin passive radiators for deep bass, a massive 6000mAh battery and a hands-free conference speakerphone, but the key benefit of this speaker is the Bluetooth Social Mode which allows up to three different users to take their turns to play their own playlists on a single speaker. That would work so well for my husband and daughter!
The JBL Flip 2 has dual performance-tuned JBL drivers and a built-in bass port, but the key benefit of this speaker is the SoundClear echo and noise cancellation combined with the state-of the art microphone system to pick up calls.
The JBL Reflect Earbud headphones have a sweat-proof ergonomic design. With a 5-hour rechargeable battery and a reach of about 40 feet, these headphone’s key benefit is the design of the ergonomic eartips along with the built-in magnets which keep your buds on standby without loose cables. I could really use these on my runs! They’re even reflective so you remain visible at night.
What about a GPS? Look for Garmin and TomTom. A good GPS in your car is a must! A thoughtful gift anyone would appreciate.
Featuring bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calling, traffic and weather updates, the Garmin nüvi 52LM has lane assist, as well as lifetime traffic and map updates at anytime. It allows you to easily find addresses and millions of points of interest and gives spoken turn-by-turn directions, rerouting you in real time. The Garmin 2597LMT is another GPS option that even has voice recognition technology!
If you’d prefer a touchscreen, take a look at the TomTom GO 50s. I appreciate that the pre-loaded maps of the United States, Mexico and Canada can always be updated for free so you’re always driving with the latest map. The 3D maps show stunning details of the buildings and landmarks around you.
You can find the Xbox One and other great gifts at Best Buy, a great holiday shopping destination for everyone on your list!
