Will you be getting a new smartphone this December?

It is Christmas season, and most of us are already looking for gifts to give, gifts to ask for and gifts for ourselves (13^th month pays? Self-rewarding?). A lot, surely, are keeping an eye on gadgets.

There are a lot of choices out there. Some might eye on the already available Samsung Galaxy S III while some might opt for the more recent Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

If you’re not planning to go that way, there are many more options. We’re pretty sure that there’s no ‘best’ phone, but there is indeed a best phone for you. There’s the Nokia PureView 808 for photographers and some rugged smartphones like the Sony Xperia Acro S for the adventurers.

The iPhone 5 will be launching before Christmas, but let’s not forget that there more devices available outside the Philippines that haven’t arrived here yet. Well, not officially of course. Most of them are available through the gray market and through other sources, but of course these devices will be sold at relatively higher prices.

For example, the iPad Mini and the iPhone 5 are already available in the Philippines through other re-sellers – but not through Apple’s stores yet. You can get them at much higher costs, but this is all just the result of the laws of supply & demand.

We can’t help but feel hesitant to buy gadgets (and to ask for gadgets) as we know that there is a possibility that they might get immediately outdated within a few months.

There are the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 – which are not officially announced yet for the Philippines. The list also includes the much awaited Nokia Lumia 920, the Microsoft Surface and the iPad Mini.

And of course, a lot of Filipinos are also waiting on Blackberry 10, which will be available very early next year.

There are a lot of reasons not to buy a new smartphone (or tablet) this December, but of course, what’s Christmas without giving? You’re going to miss the whole point and the spirit if we delay all the giving.

And also, you can’t keep waiting forever. Here we are, receiving the all new iPad and all of a sudden, a newer and faster iPad comes out months later.

So, what will it be? Will you be getting a new smartphone regardless of the price? Would you buy what’s available now? Or would you just let December pass and save the upgrades for next year?