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The Christmas 2017 gift guide for gamers on iPhone and iPad

Last minute accessory purchases

The Christmas 2017 gift guide for gamers on iPhone and iPad
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iOS

It's Christmas, and you might as well admit it. You've forgotten someone haven't you?

It's probably a nephew or a young cousin or a not-quite-best friend. Fortunately, there's a dependable source of gift ideas for any iPhone or iPad-owning gamer in your life.

Here's a list of iOS accessories from across the price spectrum. Grab one or more of these and no one will ever know that it was a panicked last minute purchase. Probably.

Gamepad

Touchscreen controls have come a long way, but there's still no replacement for a good solid set of physical controls - at least not when it comes to traditional game genres.

We're thinking platformers, first person shooters, and arcade racers. If the game has been ported from PC or console, you can be certain it would play better with physical controls.

That's why the pocket gaming person in your life will thanks you for an Apple-certified controller for their iOS device - even if they didn't realise they wanted one.

You can't really go wrong with the SteelSeries Stratus. Not only is it highly portable and very well built, but it comes with a full complement of two analogue sticks, four face buttons, a D-pad, a 'pause' button, and four shoulder buttons. That's a full house in controller terms.

It's also a lot cheaper than it used to be, so it won't sting you in the wallet.

Buy SteelSeries Stratus from Amazon Bluetooth headphones

From the iPhone 7 onwards, Apple has added stereo sound to its smartphones and cranked up the volume. On the tablet front, the iPad Pro family comes with four speakers.

Still, for much of the time a set of headphones remains a must - both in terms of sound quality and simple courtesy. Don't be that guy on the train. You know the one.

The added complication with the modern iPhone family, of course, is that they don't have 3.5mm headphone jacks. Sure, you could rely on Apple's clunky dongle or the rubbishy packed-in earphones. But a better alternative is to invest in a decent set of Bluetooth headphones for the full wireless audio experience.

Our pick would be the Jabra Move Wireless headphones, which are highly regarded for their solid sound quality, comfortable fit, ease of use and excellent battery life at a very reasonable price.

Buy Jabra Move Wireless from Amazon Bluetooth speaker

Of course, there are times where you want to project the music from your phone away from home - when you're on holiday, for example, or out doing stuff away from other people.

There are plenty of great portable Bluetooth speakers on the market these days, many of which Apple has listed on its website. All the stuff from UE, Bose and B&O is of good quality, but you're best off steering clear of the Beats stuff.

We're not going to touch upon the emerging market for smart speakers either. This is all about simple, affordable portable sound output.

A good all-round pick for a speaker you can take anywhere is the UE Roll 2. It's compact, solidly built, water-proof, and of course it sounds decent.

Buy UE Roll 2 from Amazon Case

With iPhone prices climbing at an alarming rate, it's a better idea than ever to invest in a case. The market is awash with options, too.

Unfortunately, there's no single case pick that will do for all scenarios. If you want something really rugged - maybe you have a physical job or are keen on extreme sports - then there are solid options from UAG, Dog & Bone, and Otterbox to name just three brands.

If you're after something more stylish and sympathetic to the premium looks of the person's iPhone, though, it's difficult to look past Apple's own leather cases. They're slim, light, and feel great in the hand.

Good third party case makers include Silk, Spigen, Speck, and SwitchEasy.

Our one all-round pick is going to be the Silk Base Grip, because it fits well, offers decent all-round protection, and doesn't make your £700 iPhone look like a £150 knock-off. Oh, and it's also very cheap.

There's a fair chance that the receiver of your gift has either an iPhone 7 or an iPhone 8, and the good news is that cases for one will generally fit the other.

Buy Silk Base Grip from Amazon Gift Card

The most obvious thing you can buy an iOS gamer, of course, is the means to buy more games. We're talking about an iTunes Gift Card.

Sure, it's unimaginative, but as last-minute presents go it's easy and effective.

They come in £25, £50, or £100 increments, and you can get Apple to post them directly to the intended receiver. They can be redeemed against anything on the App Store, iTunes Store, iBooks Store or Mac App Store.

Think the receiver is in the market for some Apple hardware? Then the Apple Store Gift Card might be a better bet. These can be redeemed against anything on the Apple Online Store and at Apple Retail stores, and you can specify the precise value and design you want.

Buy iTunes Gift Card from Apple Buy Apple Store Gift Card from Apple Read more: remember to check out our detailed 2017 accessories guide!
Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.