Submitted by Marshall Walker on
The 2015 holiday shopping season is in full swing and iPhoneFAQ has scoured the internet looking for the best iOS products for all Apple lovers. Below are 7 great accessories and toys that will make great gifts for a variety of iOS users. We've included fitness gear for exercise enthusiasts, speakers and headphones for audiophiles, and the hottest video games and toys of the season.
The iPhoneFAQ Holiday Gift Guide is the answer to all your 2015 holiday shopping needs.
MFi controllers for Apple products have seen limited adoption over the last couple of years. This is mostly because playing games on your iPhone or even some iPads with a full sized controller feels sort of silly. With the introduction of the Apple TV and the iPad Pro, that has changed dramatically and all of the sudden MFi controllers for Apple products make a lot of sense.
If you're in the market for on, SteelSeries' Nimbus controller is the standout amongst the pack. Apple is pushing it as their officially recommended controller, and Steel Series worked directly with Apple in creating it (something none of the other controller makers can say). The Nimbus is as well built and as much a pleasure to use as anything you'll find shipped with an Xbox or Playstation, and in many cases we prefer the feel and quality of the Steel Series.If you're not already familiar with SteelSeries, these are controllers and other peripherals made for folks who take gaming and precision very serious (think eSports, people). In other words, there is some serious nerd power at work here. And that's a good thing.
Newest iPhone FAQs
BB-8 App-Enabled Droid from Sphero
The BB-8 app-enabled droid allows you to bring the magic of The Force Awakens into your own home. You can control your own BB-8 droid with your iOS or Android smartphone/tablet, or allow it to explore and learn its new surroundings on its own. The BB-8 droid can also recognize and react to your voice and transform your video recordings into a virtual hologram.
For fans of the original trilogy there is the Toys R Us exclusive R2-D2 Interactive Robotic Droid. The BB-8 and R2-D2 droids are already two of the top selling Force Awakens products this holiday shopping season.
BB-8 App-Enabled Droid App Store Link
Fitness trackers continue to be one of the hottest products on the market and each iteration of these trackers seem to do more and more. But many of those who take fitness tracking seriously prefer products which do one thing and do it well: heart rate sensors, cadence and stride sensors and so on.
Polar's H7 heart rate sensor may be the ultimate example of this. Widely regarded as one of the, if not the, most accurate heart rate sensors out there (chest-strap sensors are accepted as more accurate than wrist worn and other counterparts). You get an easy to use, incredibly reliable heart rate sensor that pairs with several different, excellent apps from Polar that will leverage your iPhone's sensor to provide more complete training information such as step and GPS tracking.
If you want to take things a bit further, the H7 also pairs with Polar's Loop 2 wristband, which offers a whole host of other features for the fitness tracking junky.
The Beats Pill+ is Apple’s first Lightning-connected wireless speaker since the iPhone maker acquired Beats Electronics in 2014. The Bluetooth-enabled device includes a two-way active system for better sound across all genres of music, up to 12-hours of battery life and a companion app for syncing multiple Pill speakers for stereo sound.
The Beats Pill+ ships with a 12-hour rechargeable battery, 1.5m Lightning to USB-A charging cable, 12.5W power adapter and soft carrying case. It features four physical buttons (power button, play/pause button and two volume controls), USB port and it is highly portable weighing in at only 1.5 pounds.
Jabra Sport Pulse Wireless Earbuds
Many regard in-ear heart rate sensors as the most likely to compete with chest sensors in terms of accuracy as the two technologies progress. Based on months of testing, we've found that likely to be true, as Jabra's Pulse earbuds have proven their mettle with accuracy and reliability that compares relatively well with the Polar H7. While the H7 was less prone to momentary hiccups, the Jabra Sport Pulse Wireless earbuds kept pace with chest sensors we matched it against the vast majority of the time.
Jabra's fitness app is also one of the nicest we've tested, with excellent voice coaching that will encourage you to ride the extra mile or stay on the treadmill a bit longer.
And, in addition to an excellent heart-rate sensor/fitness tracker (also weather/sweat proof), the Pulse stacks up as an excellent set of wireless Bluetooth earbuds. Sound is crisp and clear with relatively rich bass. Battery life could be a bit better, but if pressed for more battery life in exchange more weight, we'd likely stick with the Pulse's very light weight and minimalist form factor that still packs 10 hours of life per charge.
Skylanders SuperChargers for iOS
Skylanders SuperChargers is Activision’s version of Mario Kart. Players can take their favorite Skylanders characters over land, sea or air by using various Skylanders vehicles. The interactive Skylanders characters and vehicles are sold separately. Players can collect and use the physical Skylanders toys to interact with the game, just like Disney Infinity or LEGO Dimensions.
Skylanders has become to go to video game franchise every holiday season for the last several years, and SuperChargers has only raised the bar with its new racing tracks and collectible vehicles. The Skylanders SuperChargers Racing Action Pack with Legendary Astro Blast and Sun Runner plus Sky trophy will also be a much requested item for Skylanders fans this year.
The iOS version of the Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack features the full console game and everything you need to start playing.
iPhone 6 and 6s Smart Battery Case
Apple’s new Smart Battery Case is the perfect gift for iPhone 6 and 6s owners who need a little bit more juice during the day. The case not only protects your iPhone from accidental damage, but it gives you a combined talk time of 25 hours and extends your internet usage up to 18 hours on an LTE connection. The case includes a soft microfiber lining on the inside and the soft elastomer hinge to make taking it on and off easier than most cases on the market today.