Holiday gift guide 2019: iPhones, cases and peripherals

With the holidays just around the corner from Thanksgiving this year, people are already in full swing of trying to figure out what gifts to get their favorite people. If you’re buying for an Apple fan, or someone that enjoys using their iPhone, then this guide will breakdown quite a few great gift options that we think any iPhone user will love to unwrap this holiday season.

iPhones 11 and iPhone 11 Pro

If your loved ones are looking to pick up a new iPhone this holiday season, then you’ve got quite a few choices to choose from. For instance, many retailers have been running some solid deals on devices like the iPhone 11 and even the iPhone 11 Pro, making it easier for users to pick up the latest iPhone at discounted prices.

Of course, these prices are changing all the time, so you’ll want to make sure you keep an eye on retailers like Verizon, AT&T, or whatever other carriers you might be looking to pick up an iPhone on. We’ve seen quite a number of great deals over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping sprees this year, and we expect we’ll see some additional deals crop up over the coming months. We’ll keep an eye out for any good deals that pop up over the coming weeks, so check back for links to those as they become available.

Apple AirPods

For those who spend a lot of time on the go, though, a gift like a pair of the latest Apple AirPods could go the distance. There are a couple of different options to go with here, including the normal AirPods and the AirPods Pro that feature a wireless charging case. This really all comes down to how much you want to spend and what you think will work best for your iPhone users.

On top of picking up a pair of Apple AirPods, you might also want to consider grabbing a Spigen AirPods Strap. While more well known for their budget-friendly cases, Spigen’s AirPods Strap allows you to add a strap to your AirPods. Not only does this give them the more nostalgic look of the older Apple earbuds, but it also allows you to keep up with your AirPods a bit easier, which is a win/win in our opinion.

Apple Watch Series 5

The latest and greatest in the Apple Watch line-up, the Series 5 devices are sure to be at the top of any iPhone user’s holiday wishlist. Not only is the Apple Watch great for telling time, but it also connects easily with your Apple device and makes it easy to keep up with all your latest notifications to ensure you never miss a beat throughout the workday.

The Apple Watch Series 5 is available starting at just $399, though going with a more traditional band like the Gold Stainless Steel Case with Sport Loop will raise the price upwards to $699. Of course, you might also find some solid deals on these brand-new devices as we get closer to the holiday, so keep an eye out at retailers like Amazon, Verizon, or even the Apple Store for some decent discounts.

Anker Portable Battery

When it comes to peripherals, especially in this day and age, you’re going to find far more options than you know what to do with. But if you’re looking to get your iPhone users the best goodies to go along with their shiny new iPhone, then tools like this Portable External Battery Pack from Anker should be high on your list of must-buy items. Clocking in at 20100mAh, this ultra-high capacity power bank will allow you to charge your iPhone 5-7 times over on one full charge. Of course, recharging it will take about 10 hours, but that’s a very small price to pay to ensure you never run out of juice on your iPhone.

iPhone headphone adapter with 3.5mm jack

If the iPhone users in your life haven’t quite embraced Apple’s courageous move to get rid of the headphone jack and limit the ability to charge your phone and listen to music via wired headphones, then you can also look into picking up a charger adapter that features a 3.5mm headphone jack. This will allow you to charge up your iPhone while you listen to music on a regular set of earbuds, something that’s been impossible to do natively without the use of Bluetooth headphones. You can buy it on Amazon for about $10 at regular price.

Apple Arcade subscription

Perhaps one of the coolest new features of the Apple ecosystem, Apple Arcade brings a ton of great games into the users’ library for a low monthly fee. At just $4.99 a month, you can get your loved ones a slew of great mobile games to enjoy on their iPhone no matter where they are. What’s more, that single subscription gets up to six members of your family access to all the goodies that Apple Arcade has to offer, making it even easier to purchase this gift for multiple iPhone users in your life.

Truth to be told, there are a ton of great gifts out there for the iPhone users that you have in your family. This list is just the start. If you’re still having trouble finding some great gifts for the iPhone fans in your family, then be sure to take a look at the offerings we’ve pointed out above, and then go from there. There are also a number of great cases available for the iPhone that will help protect your investment. Cases like the Lifeproof waterproof case or even the Otterbox can be great for those who have a nasty habit of dropping their phone all the time. You can also check out the rest of our Holiday Gift guides for even more helpful information and ideas.

*Shacknews may receive a small compensation for any purchases made using links provided in this article.

Josh Hawkins

Guides Editor

Joshua holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and has been exploring the world of video games for as long as he can remember. He enjoys everything from large-scale RPGs to small, bite-size indie gems and everything in between.