Top 10 Christmas 2013 tech gifts predicted by Currys and PC World

For the first time in more than six years, games console giants Xbox and PlayStation will release new consoles to market this November.

Microsoft’s Xbox One is an all-in-one entertainment system that is expected to rival home media devices such as Apple TV and Google TV, while Sony PlayStation’s PS4 allows users to share and view live in-game play streamed from their friends.

Both consoles are predicted to take poll positions in Currys’ and PC World’s top 10 list of festive bestsellers.

Last Christmas Dixons reported strong Christmas trading as UK like-for-likes rose 8%, driven by “phenomenal” sales of tablets, which were the number one Christmas gift.

Tablet devices are expected to be big hits again this Christmas, with predictions that the iPad will take the third spot behind the games consoles. The Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 tablet platforms will give the iPad a run for its money – coming in a close fourth and fifth, the electricals retailers predict.

With Currys and PC World seeing an uplift of 344% in sales of tablet accessories year-on-year, the category is expected to be strong this Christmas. Sales of productivity cases, which transform the iPad from a tablet into a computing device thanks to a built-in keyboard, are up 34% year-on-year over the past six months.

Other categories tipped for festive growth include coffee machines (up 50% year-on-year) and standing mixers (up 30% year-on-year).

Currys and PC World are also experiencing high demand for portable Bluetooth speakers, which are up over 200% year-on-year thanks to mounting consumer demand for portability and wireless connectivity.