We’ve been reviewing a bunch of new gadgets and hardware at TechCrunch this year: dumb phones, bird feeders, health trackers, slushy machines, AI mattress pads, you name it. Sometimes we think they’re unnecessary and expensive, but other times, we try out devices that we love so much that we go out and buy them ourselves.
If these products can impress a group of (sometimes) curmudgeonly tech reporters, then they’re sure to please whoever you’re shopping for this holiday season.
A bus ride with the Xteink X3Image Credits:TechCrunch For the reader
We’ve reviewed a lot of e-readers this year. What can we say? We’re nerds. We work for a tech website. But after trying devices from the usual suspects as well as some wildcards, we have recommendations. Evidently, 2026 was the year we fell in love with the pocket-sized e-reader.
Xteink X3 ($55) – a budget pick for someone techy
It’s an e-reader so small that it can fit in your wallet, or even magnetize to the back of your phone. Do you dream of a world where instead of scrolling Instagram when you’re waiting in line for coffee, you actually opt to read books?
