2016 Holiday gift guide: Top tech, gadgets to give this season

Starting life as a Kickstarter project in 2014, Packed Pixels caught the imagination of laptop users and could make a great gift this Christmas.

Packed Pixels are a way to extend the screen of your laptop. The lightweight 2048 x 1536 9.7" screens clip on with brackets and are powered via USB, so there is no need to be near an outlet. In addition, they can be manoeuvered into landscape or portrait depending on your preferences.

Price: £149

Via: Packed Pixels

Google's Chromecast has recently received an update to cater for today's 4K and Ultra HD content. After you plug the device into the back of your television set, you can use the Chromecast to stream content from online sources, apps, or mirror what is playing on your mobile device.

Price: $70 (£69)

Via: Google UK | US

Lighter than your average smartphone, the Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Slim portable hard drive -- available in 1TB and 2TB versions -- is a thin, stylish storage solution which is not only handy for travelers, but could make a great gift for anyone who needs a little extra space and wants to keep a backup of important documents, photos and media.

Price: $79.99

Via: Amazon UK | US

Virtual reality is becoming an established industry in its own right but heavily relies on mobile technology and PC systems to operate. You no longer, however, need a high-powered system to dip into VR.

Google's new headset, the Daydream, is an inexpensive gift which can really stand out. There aren't too many apps available for it yet, but that will likely change in the near future.

Price: $79 (£69)

Via: Google

Apple's flagship smartphone, the iPhone 7 -- together with the iPhone 7 Plus -- are the best mobile devices the company currently offers and could become a statement gift this season. The iPhone 7 comes in a range of finishes, a 4.4-inch Retina display, up to 256GB capacity and is powered by the A10 Fusion processor.

Price: $649 (£599) +

Via: Apple US | UK

The Apple MacBook Air is a lightweight, portable laptop suitable for standard use and on-the-go work. While the MacBook Air is not the best choice for performance-heavy applications -- such as modeling or content editing -- the laptop does come into its own with reliability, ease of transport thanks to its 0.68-inch body and 12 hours of battery life.

You can pick up the 13-inch MacBook Air with either Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and a range of storage options.

Price: $999 (£949) +

Via: Apple US | UK

A gift for fitness buffs and those looking to get back in shape, the Samsung GearFit 2 is a wrist-worn GPS tracker which also includes a heart rate monitor that logs your fitness data to be accessed either through the wristband's touchscreen display or accompanying app.

Price: $179.99 (£163)

Via: Best Buy (US) | Amazon (UK)

An alternative for Android fans is the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. The smartphone packs a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED screen, 4GB RAM and an octa-core processor up to 2.3GHz. However, the "edge" is the real temptation of this smartphone, which is a handy feature that allows you to place your most used apps or news feeds.

Price: $649.99 (unlocked) (£639)

Via: Samsung US | UK

Sony's PlayStation 4 is a dominant player in the console industry and can now be picked up in both a standard and "Pro" version, is capable of playing HDR content and comes in either 500GB or 1TB storage options. Sony has also slimmed down the console to push sales forward as the console has been out for some time.

Price: $299.99 (£259.99) +

Via: PlayStation US | UK

Microsoft's Xbox One S is a likely contender for many shopping lists this Christmas. The console has been slimmed down in its latest evolution and, aside from playing games, is also able to support 4K Blu-ray, 4K video streaming, and HDR content.

Price: $299 (£249.99) +

Via: Microsoft US | UK

Singlecue Gen 2 is a sleek connected home product which can make a great gift for those interested in the Internet of Things (IoT) and connected home technology. The device acts as a hub for your IoT devices -- such as smart lighting and thermostats -- alongside cable TV setups and Apple TV. All you then need to do is control whatever device you wish through gesture control such as waving a finger.

Price: $137.75

Via: Singlecue

A gift for professionals, the Bitmore Juucee Pro combines a protective travel case for essentials such as credit cards, cash, and organizers alongside a handy 4000mAh rechargeable powerbank.

Price: £39.99

Via: Bitmore UK

If you're planning to pick up a headset for a Christmas gift, consider the Arctis 7. The headphone and microphone setup focuses on gaming, with the promise of being lag-free and balanced when it comes to game sound and live chats.

The headset is compatible with Windows PCs, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, Mobile and VR gaming.

Price: $149.99 (£179.99 preorder)

Via: Arctis US | Overclockers UK

The Dell XPS 13 laptop, while not the cheapest on offer, is a great laptop which squeezes out as much display room as possible by offering a 13-inch display in an 11-inch frame. This device is a good option for those who enjoy watching content in high-resolution, as the XPS supports a resolution of 3200x1800 at 5.7 million pixels.

The laptop is powered by a sixth-generation Intel Core processor with up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage.

Price: ‎$999 (£999) +

Via: Dell US | UK