What The Tech: Did you know there are gifts you should unwrap early?
BY JAMEY TUCKER, CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY REPORTER
Some of the most exciting gifts on Christmas morning are also the most frustrating. That brand
new tablet, gaming console, or smart toy might look ready to go straight out of the box, but
many of today’s popular gifts need time before they actually work.
Charging is the obvious step. Some devices need several hours of power before they’ll even
turn on. But charging is just part of the story. A growing number of gifts also need to be
activated, updated, and connected to the internet before they are usable.
And Christmas morning is the worst possible time to do that.
Every year, millions of families try to activate new devices at the exact same time. App stores
slow down. Game downloads stall. Cloud services are slow, and customer service lines are
overwhelmed.
Companies like Apple, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have all seen Christmas Day slowdowns
as servers are flooded with new devices trying to connect at once.
That is why some gifts really should be opened before the kids wake up.
Tablets are at the top of the list. iPads, Fire Tablets, and Android tablets all require charging,
software updates, account logins, and app downloads.
Apple devices often need an Apple ID and iCloud setup. Amazon Fire tablets require parent
profiles and parental controls. Skipping that setup can turn Christmas morning into hours of
waiting.
Smartwatches for kids also need early attention. These devices usually have to be paired with a
parent’s phone, connected to WiFi, or cellular service. They also need to be updated before they
can track locations or make calls.
Gaming consoles are the biggest Christmas morning trap. New consoles almost always require
large system updates before you can play anything. Games themselves can take hours to
download, even on fast internet.
When millions of households are doing the same thing at the same time, downloads slow to a
crawl.
Smart toys that use companion apps are another common problem. If the toy requires an app, it
usually needs Bluetooth pairing, WiFi access, firmware updates, and account setups before it
does anything interesting. Without setup, many smart toys won’t work at all.
Virtual reality headsets also need to be set up early. These devices require charging, account
creation, software updates, and game downloads. Some need to be linked to a phone or
computer during setup. None of that is fast on Christmas morning.
Even smart speakers and kids’ audio players can cause delays. They need Wifi setup, account
linking, and sometimes voice training. Many also work better if the content is downloaded ahead
of time.
The rule of thumb for parents is simple. If the gift has a screen, connects to WiFi, uses an app,
or mentions the cloud anywhere on the box, it should be opened early.
Charge it. Set it up. Run the updates. Download the apps. Make sure it works. Then put it back
in the box and wrap it up again.
The kids will never know, and Christmas morning stays magical instead of turning into tech
support before breakfast.
Gifts to unwrap early:
Tablets
Phones
Kids smart watches
Game consoles and games
Smart glasses
Virtual reality headsets
Anything that connects to the cloud
Anything that requires an app
