The Verge's popular Installer newsletter returned this week with editor David Pierce's personal gift guide for 2025, featuring everything from the Nintendo Switch 2 to retractable USB cables. The weekly roundup showcases Pierce's hands-on recommendations for tech enthusiasts and casual consumers alike, emphasizing products he's personally purchased and tested.
The Verge's David Pierce just dropped his most anticipated newsletter of the season. Installer No. 107 landed this week with Pierce's personal gift guide for 2025, and it's packed with the kind of real-world recommendations that make his newsletter essential reading for tech enthusiasts. Pierce leads with the Nintendo Switch 2, calling it hands down the best gadget he bought this year. That's high praise coming from someone who tests dozens of devices annually. The endorsement carries weight because Pierce emphasizes these are all products he's purchased with his own money, not just review units that crossed his desk. The gift guide spans from silly gadgets like the POP Phone - a retro handset that plugs into your phone's USB-C port - to serious computing power like the M4 Mac Mini. Pierce describes the Mac Mini as the computer he recommends to almost everyone looking to upgrade their desktop, calling the combination of price and power absolutely ridiculous. But it's Pierce's unconventional picks that really shine. He's still carrying around Baseus retractable USB cables as his only charging solution, swears by a Hoto electric screwdriver that charges via USB-C, and keeps praising the Logitech UE Wonderboom speaker despite having access to countless audio devices. The newsletter also features a homescreen spotlight with Naveen Gavini, former Pinterest chief product officer and current CEO of BuildForever. Gavini's phone reveals some intriguing productivity apps most tech reporters haven't encountered, including Tangle for intentional calendar management and SuperMe for connecting with experts. His company just launched Extra, an email app that aims to completely rethink your relationship with your inbox. Pierce reveals he's seen an early demo and calls it fascinating, though admits it looks nothing like any email app he's ever used. One standout insight from this week's edition: Pierce argues that streaming services represent the best Black Friday deals right now. While everyone's chasing discounts on physical goods, streaming platforms are offering significant savings on annual subscriptions - making the confusing future of television a lot more palatable at half price, as Pierce puts it. The newsletter's community recommendations section showcases how engaged Pierce's audience has become. Readers are diving into everything from the vintage board game Acquire to the anime series Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. One reader mentioned Home Assistant as their new hobby, joking they might lock themselves inside their house with all the automation. Pierce also highlights the return of Stranger Things season 5, noting it's been roughly 648 years since the last season aired. Rather than rewatching everything, he's discovered YouTube recap channels that compress entire series into 20-minute summaries - a genre he admits he never knew existed. The Installer newsletter has become essential reading in tech circles because Pierce focuses on genuine utility over hype. He's not pushing the latest flagship phones or expensive gaming rigs. Instead, he's recommending a night-light app that actually works, acoustic tiles for his home office, and wrestling with the dumb app for his smart thermostat. This approach resonates because it mirrors how most people actually interact with technology - not as early adopters chasing the bleeding edge, but as humans looking for tools that solve real problems. Pierce's gift guide reflects this philosophy perfectly, mixing practical solutions with delightful discoveries.