It's that time of year again. But 2020 will be the first graduation season in a century that happens under the shadow of a worldwide pandemic. For most students, that will mean no real-world commencement ceremonies or parties. And given the historic economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus, it means that many of us can't afford to spend big bucks on a graduation gift, either. But you can get more than you think for less, and you'll find plenty of decent tech items for less than $50. Here's a look at some of our top picks -- which we've skewed towards affordable headphones, speakers and other Gen Z-friendly gifts.
The Fiil T1X wireless earbuds deliver very good sound for the money -- there's a touch of presence boost in the treble to add clarity, which is both good and bad. Plus, they fit my ears well and I was impressed by how quickly the buds paired with my phone.
These have an IP65 sweat- and water-resistance rating so they can take a sustained spray of water. Battery life is around five hours on a single charge at higher volume levels, and there's a quick charge feature that gives you two hours of juice from a 10-minute charge. The simple, fairly compact charging case charges via USB-C. The buds have touch controls and there's a companion app that allows you to tweak the sound with EQ settings (I left it on the default setting).
The EarFun Go is $40 and delivers good sound for its compact size, with just enough bass and volume to make you think you're listening to a significantly bigger speaker. It's also fully waterproof and has up to 25 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels (it charges via USB-C). Two of these can be wirelessly connected to create a stereo pair.
For $10 more, you can get EarFun's Boom ($50), which is also a solid value. It sounds slightly better but I prefer the design of the Go.
The latest portable battery from Aukey has a built-in 10-watt wireless charging pad and fast charging capabilities via USB-C (two ports) and USB-A. Relatively slim for a 10,000-mAh battery, it'll charge a couple of devices at the same time and has enough juice to deliver multiple charges to the latest smartphones.
The fully waterproof JBL Clip 3 is one of top micro Bluetooth speakers you can buy. The integrated carabiner framing the entire perimeter of the speaker acts as a bumper, which provides some fall protection. This is available in multiple color choices for $50. Read our JBL Clip 3 review.
Real AirPods will run you between $129 to $159, depending where and when you buy them. But for under $50, your best alternative is the EarFun Free. It offers wireless and USB-C charging, full water resistance and six hours of battery life between in-case charges. Oh, and for the price, they sound pretty good, too. Read our EarFun Free review.
Half the price of Anker's highly rated Soundcore Liberty Air 2 with similar features, the Soundcore Life P2 earbuds are an excellent value option. The buds charge horizontally in their case rather than vertically, and there's a slightly cheaper feel to both the case and the buds compared with the Liberty Air 2. Their sound doesn't have the presence boost in the treble that the Liberty Air 2 buds have, so they're not as clear-sounding with well-recorded tracks and the bass isn't quite as well defined. But they're warmer and more forgiving, which I appreciated, and they sound more like the original Liberty Air. Read our Soundcore Life P2 review.
There's nothing sexy about a wall wart, but this one is the closest we've found to a universal charger -- and it only costs about $26 (and right now Amazon has a coupon that takes $5 off). Use the USB-C PD (power delivery) port for nearly anything, up to and including the Nintendo Switch and most newer laptops. Meanwhile, the older USB-A slot works for phones, headphones or anything else that uses a legacy USB cable.
These days, it's nearly impossible to get a TV without a bunch of "smart" streaming apps built-in. But that's not true of older TVs, and even newer ones don't have all the top new services, like Disney Plus. Enter the Roku Streaming Stick Plus: For under $50, this plug-in streamer will deliver literally every online video service you can think of -- Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus and hundreds more -- at resolutions up to 4K for under $50. Oh, and the remote will control your TV's power and volume, too. If you're looking to give that old TV a new lease on life, this is the gadget to get.
Normally $60, the Echo Dot smart speaker with a built-in digital clock is currently on sale for $45 at Amazon. That means "Alexa, what time is it?" is a question your grad will no longer need to ask. Read our Amazon Echo Dot with clock (3rd gen) review.
No, the Lenovo Smart Clock isn't as fully featured as the Google Nest Hub -- but at half the price, it's a pretty sweet bedside companion that includes Google Assistant. There's no camera, which we appreciate in the bedroom, and the USB port on the rear is handy for charging phones or other gadgets on your nightstand. It usually sells for about $60, but we threw it in here as a bonus pick because sometimes goes on sale for as little as $40. Read our Lenovo Smart Clock review.
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