If you have proverbial champagne taste but live on a beer budget, you might feel like you’re missing out on buying some of today’s best new tech devices. Of course, it doesn’t help to see ads for the new curved 4K TVs or hear your friends who have money to burn talk about the latest amazing gadget they found for only $600.
But perhaps we can change up some of that type of thinking. By and large, when you start shopping around, you can find plenty of awesome, bang-for-your-buck gadgets that do some pretty cool things but won’t stretch your budget to the breaking point. With that in mind, check out the following cool and affordable tech devices:
A Snazzy New Smartphone
You don’t have to shell out hundreds of dollars to get a great smartphone that has plenty of bells and whistles. Your best bet? Head to a nearby wireless carrier like T-Mobile and check out their current deals on a number of smartphones included in the company’s JUMP! On Demand program. Through this plan, you’ll be able to choose from a number of nifty smartphones for $0 upfront and pay as little as $7 per month.
For the cost of a couple of lattes, you can instead buy the Samsung Galaxy J3 Prime, which features a vibrant 5-inch HD display that’s ideal for watching movies or looking through photos. This latest smartphone also features a 5 megapixel camera and 16 GBs of memory, allowing you to store more than 4,000 photos on your new device.
The JUMP! On Demand plan also includes the LG K20 Plus, which features a 5.3-inch IPS in-cell touch display; a 13 megapixel rear autofocus and 5 megapixel front camera; and 32 GBs of internal memory. These two smartphones, along with many others available through this plan, look stylish and sleek — and like you spent hundreds of dollars more.
Amazon Echo Dot
While the first generation Amazon Echo Dot ran for roughly $100, this is no longer the case for the second generation, hockey-puck sized device. For about $45 through Amazon.com, you’ll also get Alexa, a standalone, voice-activated assistant that can be added to any room in your home. And she’s quite the helpful personal assistant, too. For example, you can ask Alexa to control your smart home devices, make phone calls, play music, set alarms, read the news and much more.
The Amazon Echo Dot can also connect to your speakers or headphones through Bluetooth or a 3.5 millimeter stereo cable, allowing you to play music from Amazon Music, Spotify and TuneIn. The device may be small, but it’s definitely capable of hearing you from across the room, even when the TV is on or music is playing, thanks to its seven microphones that allow for hands-free control. The Echo Dot also includes a built-in speaker that works as a smart alarm clock or home kitchen assistant.
Mophie Powerstation Mini
Say goodbye to searching aimlessly for an electrical outlet to charge your depleted smartphone battery and say a budget-friendly hello to the Mophie Powerstation Mini. For about $30, you’ll receive this 3,000mAh portable, handheld charger that will give your smartphone more than 10 hours of additional on-the-go power, or around five extra hours of juice for your tablet. The Powerstation Mini also comes in a number of different colors, including purple, blue and white with an aluminum finish.
