Parents will spend £225 on gadgets this Christmas

Technology seems to be the gift of choice this Christmas, with parents planning to spend £225 on gadgets, according to new research conducted by uSwitch.com. 26 per cent have budgeted over £300 for gadgets for each child.

Even young children can expect the latest technology, as 39 per cent of parents with children aged one to six plan to spend a minimum of £200 on them. 19 per cent of parents shopped for gadgets over Black Friday and Cyber Monday, or are planning to try and get a bargain in the January sales.

39 per cent of parents won't be able to afford their children's top choice of gadget this year, which is hardly surprising when the most popular items are from premium brands such as Apple and Samsung. 

The most popular gift this year is video games, with 38 per cent of parents planning to purchase these for their children. This is closely followed by tablets, which 34 per cent of parents will buy, and games consoles, which will be purchased by 24 per cent.

Tablets and mobile phones are a growing choice for younger children. 43 per cent of parents plan to buy their youngest child a tablet, and 23 per cent will buy them a mobile.

Ernest Doku, technology expert at uSwitch.com, says: "Clementines and chocolate coins simply won’t cut it with the youth of today. If it doesn’t need charging, they probably won’t want it. I jest, of course, but our research does suggest Santa Claus’s sleigh will be dragging a high-voltage load this year."