SoyaCincau’s Christmas 2020 ultimate gadget gift guide

2020 has been one of the strangest years in recent memory, but as the festive season fast approaches, we’re faced with a familiar challenge: what do I get for Christmas this year? Personally, I’ve always found Christmas shopping to be a difficult challenge, which is why the team over at SoyaCincau.com has contributed to a special, Christmas-themed gadget guide for 2020.

So, how much do you spend? What do you look for? Once you’ve decided on something, where do you buy it? We’ve covered all of that in this year’s ultimate gadget guide, along with links to reputable stores where you can make your purchases online. Plus, the 12.12 sales are about to hit, which means that you can pick up many of our recommendations below at discounted prices—if you know where to look (while stocks last).

We’re also categorising the gifts into different price categories, so you can plan your budget for Christmas shopping this year. Each product is listed in order of affordability, and we’ll also be recommending the top gifts within the guide, under the Editor’s choice segment at the end.

For clarity, we’re listing the 12.12 prices of the products below, and be sure to keep an eye out for our 12.12 Live Blog—which we’ll be updating throughout the sales festival. You should also note that some of the discounts are only available for a limited period of time (eg. 12am–2am), so be ready to complete your purchases at midnight on the 12th.

Ready? Here is SoyaCincau’s Christmas 2020 ultimate gadget gift guide.

RM100 & below

UGreen cable ties (5pcs) – RM4.79
Mijia T100 Sonic electric toothbrush – RM19
Xiaomi Mi Casual Daypack – RM19
UGreen travel bag – RM29.51
UGreen 10W wireless charger – RM34.47
Xiaomi wireless charger (QC3.0) – RM43.90
UGreen 20W USB-C PD charger + USB-C to Lightning cable – RM47.99
4-in-1 Sonic face exfoliating spa brush – RM48.50
Xiaomi Mi Smart Body Fat Weight Scale 2 – RM63
TP-Link Tapo P100 smart power socket – RM65
Samsung UV Steriliser with wireless charger – RM69 (Read more)
Baseus 2-in-1 10,000mAh wireless power bank – RM76.50
Realme N1 Sonic Electric Toothbrush – RM70
TP-Link Tapo C100 WiFi camera – RM88
UGreen 65W GaN charger – RM89.99
Oppo Enco W11 – RM99
Xiaomi Mi LED Smart Bulb – RM99
TP-Link Tapo C200 WiFi camera – RM99
Xiaomi Mi Electric Kettle – RM99
Xiaomi 10,000mAh wireless powerbank – RM99
TP-Link KP303 WiFi power strip – RM99
MCDODO CH-791 Fast Charger GaN 65W – RM99.99

RM500 & below

OnePlus 8T Quantum Bumper case – RM109 (Read more)
Mi TV Stick – RM120.90 (Read more)
Xiaomi Powerbank 3 Pro 20,000mAh 45W – RM1?1.90 (less than RM124.90)
Xiaomi Oclean X electric toothbrush – RM145
Amazfit Band 5 – RM149
Baseus 120W GaN charger – RM149.90 (Chup Dulu)
Google Nest Mini – RM155.90
Mi Vacuum Cleaner Mini – RM169
Realme Watch – RM199 (Read more)
Honor Magic Earbuds – RM199 (Read more)
Mi Box S (global) – RM204.50 (Read more)
Raspberry Pi 4 – RM239
Realme Buds Wireless Pro – RM269 (Read more)
Oppo Enco W51 – RM285 (Read more)
Realme Buds Air Pro – RM299 (Read more)
Realme Watch S – RM299 (Read more)
Lego Elf Club House – RM385 (Read more)
DJI Tello – RM399 (Read more)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 (4GB+64GB) – RM399 (Read more)
ZSCMALL 15.6″ portable LED display – RM400.77
Zendure SuperTank USA USB-C PD powerbank – RM420
Poco M3 (4GB+64GB) – RM499 (Read more)
Honor Magicwatch 2 – RM499 (Read our first impressions)

RM1,000 & below

AirPods – RM549 (Read more)
Fitbit Charge 4 – RM559 (Read more)
Sony WF-1000XM3 – RM606 (Read our review)
Sony WF-SP800N – RM635 (Read our review)
Xiaomi Dreame V9P – RM648
Honor 9x Pro (6GB+256GB) – RM699 (Read more)
AirPods Pro – RM769 (after LazTreats voucher)(Read more)
Poco X3 NFC (6GB+64GB) – RM799 (Read our review)
Nintendo Switch Lite – RM868 (Read more)
Realme Narzo 20 Pro (8GB+128GB) – RM899 (Read more)
Mi Robot Vacuum Mop – RM899
Garmin Instinct – RM899 (Read more)

RM2,000 & below

Trapo car mats – RM169.90–RM1,033.63
GELL 50″ Smart TV – RM1,049
Sony WH-1000XM4 – RM?,?99 (Read more)
Realme X3 SuperZoom (8GB+128GB) – RM1,200 (Read more)
Garmin Venu – RM1,350 (Read more)
Dyson V8 Fluffy+ – RM1,399 (with 12.12 voucher)
Sony PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – RM1,869 (Read more)
Dyson Cyclone V10 Fluffy – RM1,899 (with 12.12 voucher)
Apple iPhone XR (128GB) – RM2,199 (Read our first impressions)
Apple iPhone 11 (128GB) – RM2,899 (Read more)
Apple iPad Air 4th generation (WiFi+Cellular)(64GB) – RM3,099 (Read more)

Above RM2,000

Samsung 55″ 4K Smart LED TV – RM2,099
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 (6GB+128GB) – RM2,299 (Read more)
Sony PlayStation 5 (with Ultra HD Blu-ray drive) – RM2,299 (Read more)
Huawei P40 Pro (8GB+256GB) – RM3,699 (Read our first impressions)
Apple iPhone 12 (64GB) – RM3,849 (Read more)
Huawei MateBook 13 i5 – RM4,099 (Read more)
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G (256GB) – RM4,199 (Read our first impressions)
Apple iPad Pro 12.9″ WiFi (256GB) – RM4,749 (Read more)
Ruark R7 radiogram – RM15,999 (Read our first impressions)
Proton X50 Flagship – RM103,300 (Read more)

Editor’s choice

And there we have it! To populate the list, I tried to find products that are available with significantly discounted prices, so be sure to click on the hyperlinks on each recommendation. In any case, if you still can’t make a decision, here are five of the best options in the list—in my humble opinion.

#1 Ruark R7

This one is probably out of most of your budgets, but if you’re looking to make a statement with your Christmas present this year—this is it. The Ruark R7 is essentially the modernisation of the classic radiogram, and it more-or-less does everything that the modern music listener needs. Internet radio, Spotify Connect, digital inputs, and even analogue ports; the only thing you’re really missing is a vinyl player.

Basically, the R7 is an all-in-one product that offers an entry point into the high-fidelity world—in a vintage-looking aesthetic. Obviously, the price tag of RM15,999 is a mouthwatering one, but this might just make someone’s year. If you’re keen, you can also check out my first impressions of the Ruark R7 here:

#2 Xiaomi Mi TV Stick

The Mi TV Stick is genuinely a device that can truly change the way you consume media in your living room. It’s probably one of the cheapest official Android TV sticks/set-top boxes around, and you’ll have full access to all that Google’s Smart TV OS offers. If you have a friend or loved one who regularly watches Netflix or YouTube on their phones or computers, the Mi TV Stick is available at just RM120.90 during 12.12.

#3 AirPods Pro

The AirPods Pro may be overshadowed by the recently-announced AirPods Max, but suffice it to say, these are still some of the best TWS earbuds you can pick up in 2020. Its main strengths include excellent ANC performance, one of the best implementations of a hear-through (transparency) mode, and of course, seamless integration with Apple devices.

At a usual price of RM1,099, it’s slightly overpriced. However, the AirPods Pro will be available for RM769 from 12am–2am during 12.12 on Lazada (including LazTreats voucher)—so this might be the perfect Christmas present for a loved one, at a discounted price.

#4 Sony WF-1000XM3

As you can see in the picture above, the Sony WF-1000XM3 puts a smile on our faces. Jokes aside, the WF-1000XM3 is still one of the best TWS options in the market today, despite launching over a year ago—and Sony has yet to release a successor. ANC is superb, and overall sound quality is some of the best I’ve heard on a pair of TWS headphones, so this is one to get (but if you want the Apple ecosystem, see #3).

It’s available at some heavily discounted prices these days, and on 12.12, you should be able to pick it up for around RM600. The only caveat here is that the WH-1000XM3 buds are pretty bulky, so you’ll need to keep that in mind. If you still can’t decide, maybe Rory’s review will help:

#5 Poco M3

Finishing off the recommendations is the Poco M3. Usually retailing at RM599, the Poco M3 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage is available for just RM499 on Lazada during 12.12, while stocks last. This means that this might just be the best value-for-money budget phone under RM500, with a 6.53″ Full HD+ display and a gigantic 6,000mAh battery.

Other features include a triple camera setup on the rear, comprising a 48MP main shooter, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor—along with an 8MP selfie shooter. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 662 under the hood, which is mated to 4GB of RAM. To give you a more detailed breakdown, check out Rory’s hands-on with the Poco M3:

If you want to check out 2021’s gift guide, you can read it here!