Best Electronics Gifts of 2017 for Canadians

The holidays are fast approaching, so it’s to start thinking about what to give your friends and family. Below are some of the top electronics for 2017, most of which are available from Wantboard.

SNES Classic Mini

Following up on the success of the NES Classic Edition from 2016, Nintendo decided to make a mini version of their SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System). The SNES Classic comes with 21 16-bit games including the unreleased Star Fox 2.

The system comes with two wired SNES Classic controllers and the console makes the perfect gift for those feeling nostalgic of classic Nintendo games. It’s available in limited quantities from Best Buy for $99 CAD.

Ember Ceramic Mug

The Ember Ceramic Mug is one of most popular connect mugs so far. The Ember Ceramic Mug will allow you to keep your beverages at the just the right temperature from the first sip to the very last drop.

The Ember Mug can be controlled via the companion smartphone app which allows you to remotely adjust it to your ideal temperature, control the LED colour on the mug, switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit and you can even save presets for your favourite drinks.

With each Ember Ceramic Mug, comes a Charging Coaster and allows you to charge the mug. It’s available now from Wantboard for $139.99 CAD. Ember also made a Smart Travel Mug that has the same features as the Ceramic Mug, the Travel Mug is also available from Wantboard for $244.99 CAD.

Amazon Echo Show

The Amazon Echo Show is Amazon’s first Echo device with a screen. In addition to being able to talk to Alexa, she can now show you things, everything from video flash briefings, music lyrics, security camera footage, weather and more.

If you or your friends or family also have an Echo Show, you can video call them on the device. You can also make hands-free audio calls to other Echo devices and friends and family with the Alexa app.

The Amazon Echo Show can do all the same things as other Echo devices and can be purchased from Wantboard for $244.99 CAD.

Google Home Max


The Google Home Max is the biggest Google Home device and it’s made for sound, inside and out. The outside is made from acoustically transparent fabric and the Home Max has dual 4.5” woofers that offer deep and balanced bass and custom tweeters.

If you have two Google Home Max devices, you’ll be able to play audio in stereo. The Home Max comes with something Google calls Smart Sound which means the device will automatically adjust to the room it's in, no matter where its placed.

Since the Google Home Max is part of the Google Home family, you have access to the Google Assistant, where you can ask Google questions like “what’s the weather?” or “how tall is the CN Tower?”

The Google Home Max is available now from Wantboard for $599.99 CAD.

DJI Spark


The DJI Spark is DJI’s smallest drone to date, even smaller than their Mavic Pro drone. The DJI Spark is so small that you can even take off from the palm of your hand.

The DJI Spark is the first drone that can be controlled via hand gestures alone. You can also control it by the DJI app or the optional remote controller. The DJI Spark has a flight time of about 16 minutes can record in 1080p and take 12-megapixel photos.

The DJI Spark comes in a few colours including, white, blue, red, yellow and green and starts at $699 CAD.


Google Pixel 2 & Pixel 2 XL


As a follow-up to the Google PIxel, Google released the Pixel 2 & Pixel 2 XL this year.

The new phones have similar specs to each other and have a more rounded design and are made from aluminium.

The Pixel 2 has a 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display while the Pixel 2 XL has a 6-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, just like the one found on the Galaxy S8/S8+ and LG G6. Both phones are compatible with Google’s VR platform, Daydream and are running Android 8.0 Oreo.

The camera on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is the highest rated smartphone camera by DxOMark with a score of 98. The camera is 12.2-megapixels and has OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization).

The phone's camera also comes with a Portrait Mode which is like the one found on the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus but Google has managed to do this without the need for a second lens. It is mainly done using machine learning and a single lens.

Inside, you’ll find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB of RAM, both phones are IP67 water and dust resistant and get all-day battery life. There’s no headphone jack on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL but there is a USB Type-C port and front-facing stereo speakers.

The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are now available in Canada. The pricing is as follows:

Pixel 2 – 64GB – $899 CAD
Pixel 2 – 128GB – $1,029 CAD
Pixel 2 XL – 64GB – $1,159 CAD
Pixel 2 XL – 128GB – $1,289 CAD

You can buy the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL from the Google Store.

Apple AirPods


The AirPods was Apple’s solution to those who were disappointed that Apple removed the headphone jack from their iPhones, starting with the iPhone 7 & 7 Plus.

The AirPods have the same design as the standard earphones that come with every iPhone but without the wires. The AirPods use Apple’s custom W1 chip along with optical sensors and a motion accelerometer to detect when they’re in your ears.

The AirPods offer up to 5 hours of listening time and the charging case adds 24 hours of additional listening time. Around 15 minutes in the charging case and the AirPods can be used for another 3 hours of music playback.

You can also access Siri via the AirPods just by double-tapping the outside of them. The AirPods are available now from Apple’s website for $219 CAD.

iPhone X


The iPhone X is the most significant change to the iPhone since it first launched in 2007. The iPhone X has a 5.8-in OLED edge-to-edge display. Because of the edge-to-edge display, the iPhone X doesn’t have a home button (so no Touch ID here), you’ll have to use Face ID instead which can automatically recognize your face and unlock your phone.

The iPhone X comes with the new A11 Bionic Chip, dual 12-megapixel cameras (one wide-angle and one telephoto), IP67 water and dust resistant and come in either 64GB or 256GB of internal storage and two colours, Space Grey or Silver.

The iPhone X is available now on Apple’s website, starting at $1,399 CAD.

Tasty One Top

The Tasty One Top takes the guesswork out of cooking. The cooktop allows you to connect to the Tasty app to access more than 1700 recipes and the One Top can automatically adjust the temperature and power settings to match the recipe instructions.

The One Top can track time and temperature in real-time, so you’ll know when to flip your pancake, add vegetables or when your meal is ready to eat.

The Tasty One Top is available from Wantboard for $244.99 CAD.

Logitech Craft Keyboard


The Logitech Craft Keyboard offers a wireless and premium typing experience. It comes with a dial that can adapt to whatever program you’re running.

The keyboard also comes with backlit keys that can automatically light up when you approach it. The Logitech Craft Keyboard can connect to your computer over Bluetooth or via the included USB adapter and it charges over USB Type-C.

The Logitech Craft Keyboard is available now from Logitech’s website for $259 CAD.