Top Tech Gifts of the Past 20 Years
For more than two decades, technology has shaped the gifts we give at Christmas. From the excitement of unwrapping your first gaming console to the moment you switched on your very first smartphone, tech has played a huge part in our festive memories.
But which gadgets were the most popular each year? We looked back at the biggest-selling and most talked-about devices from 2000 onwards — the ones that ruled Christmas morning and defined each generation.
If you want to see which smartphone topped the Christmas charts across the years, take a look at our 2000–2024 smartphone roundup.
The Most Popular Tech Gifts: 2000–2006
Before smartphones, the early 2000s were all about gaming, music players and the rise of instant messaging. These were the devices everyone wanted:
- 2000: PlayStation 2
- 2001: Apple iPod
- 2002: Danger Hiptop (Sidekick) — instant messaging exploded
- 2003: Dell Flat Panel Monitor & Intel Pentium M — perfect for early Skype
- 2004: Sony Vaio S Series laptops
- 2005: Xbox 360
- 2006: Nintendo Wii — the biggest console launch of its time
The Most Popular Tech Gifts: 2007–2014
With the arrival of the iPhone in 2007, the tech landscape changed forever. Apple, BlackBerry and games consoles dominated Christmas lists worldwide.
- 2007: Original iPhone
- 2008: BlackBerry Bold 9000
- 2009: Motorola Endeavor HX1 Bluetooth headset
- 2010: Xbox Kinect
- 2011: Apple iPad 2
- 2012: HP Envy 14 Spectre Ultrabook
- 2013: PlayStation 4
- 2014: iPhone 6 — Apple’s all-time best-selling model
The Most Popular Tech Gifts: 2015–2018
As smartphones evolved, Apple branched into accessories and wearables — and Christmas lists followed suit.
- 2015: Apple Watch (1st gen)
- 2016: Apple AirPods
- 2017: Nintendo Switch — one of Nintendo’s most successful consoles ever
- 2018: iPhone XR
The Most Popular Tech Gifts: 2019–2024
In more recent years, tech trends shifted towards VR, high-end smartphones and AI-powered devices. These gadgets dominated the festive season:
- 2019: Oculus Quest (1st gen)
- 2020: PlayStation 5 — 4.5 million units sold in its first quarter
- 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- 2022: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
- 2023: Meta Quest 3 — boosted by renewed VR hype and Apple Vision Pro news
- 2024: iPhone 16
To explore the best mobile deals for this Christmas, check out our Christmas mobile deals guide.
If you’re planning ahead for this year’s gifting season, Envirofone has a huge range of refurbished smartphones, tablets and tech — all high quality, all incredible value.
