The best smartphones and tablets to give as gifts
You don't have to spend a grand to give a phone as a gift.
If there's someone in your life who's wishing for a phone or a tablet this holiday season, check out the shortlist in our newly published gift guide. As you might expect, recent flagships like Google's Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL, iPhone XR and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 made the list. These are all great phones, but they'll cost you. (No shame in getting the iPhone XS Max either, but for most people the XR is a fine, if not ideal, choice.)
That said, you don't have to spend $1,000 you don't have to show your affection for the would-be giftee on your list. The OnePlus 6T is a solid choice for half the price, with a beautiful glossy finish and a 6.41-inch Optic AMOLED screen. You can go even lower with the Moto G6 and not feel bad about it, seeing as it has a glass-wrapped body you'd usually find in premium phones.
You also have a couple of solid options on the tablet front. If you're shopping an iOS fan, the latest iPad will set you back just a bit over $300. (Here, too, you could go with the pricier iPad Pro, but you probably don't need to.) If your friend or family member prefers a tablet with a full-fledged operating system, Microsoft's Surface Go might be the better choice. You can get one for as little as $399, though its keyboard companion will set you back another $100.
