5 Essential Tech Gadgets for Women

In the past, tech companies often assumed that women’s gadget preferences were driven by one simple factor: the color pink. By adding a pink hue to products like laptops or MP3 players, they believed they could create a must-have item for female consumers. As a result, stores were flooded with pink gadgets adorned with Swarovski crystals, including keyboards, earbuds, smartphones, and more, based on the mistaken belief that women couldn’t resist excessively feminine designs.

Recently, tech brands have started focusing on what women genuinely want – going beyond mere color schemes. While men still outspend women in consumer electronics, averaging $968 versus $631 in 2010, women’s spending in the tech market is still significant [source: Consumer Electronics Association]. For instance, women contributed approximately $90 billion to electronics purchases in 2007 [source: McGraw]. What appeals to women in these purchases is functionality over frills. Women are more interested in gadgets that are well-designed, durable, and easy to use – much like a classic handbag [source: Marroitt].

Breaking free from the pink stereotype, the following five gadgets showcase how the tech industry is finally catering to women. Please note, crystal-covered carrying cases are not included.

5: Smart Wake-up Solutions

A study from Harvard Medical School in 2011 revealed that women tend to wake up earlier than men due to having shorter sleep cycles [source: Walsh]. However, this doesn’t mean all women are naturally inclined to spring out of bed. Here's to the extraordinary woman who can ignore the blaring sound of an alarm clock and wake up with the sun. For the rest of us, technology can assist in making sure we rise on time. Enter Sleeptracker: the wristwatch that tracks circadian rhythms. This can be particularly helpful for women, as the watch detects early morning movements, signaling the end of deep sleep, and activates the alarm [source: Beland].

For those who need an extra push to get out of bed, Clocky might be the answer. This futuristic alarm clock on wheels runs away and hides if you try to hit snooze [source: Marie Claire]. After that, a sleepy game of hide-and-seek becomes the only way to turn it off.

4: Compact Printers for Your Purse

Women often take on the role of family photographers, prompting camera brands to design lighter, more streamlined point-and-shoot options with them in mind [source: Marriott]. For instance, at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, Lady Gaga revealed she carries a Polaroid 3x4 GL10 instant mobile printer in her purse. This device acts as a portable photo studio, unlike the older Polaroid cameras that print photos directly after taking them [source: Sutter].

While some portable printers may be too bulky for everyday carrying, they remain a convenient, wireless addition to any home photo setup. In August 2011, Canon launched its PIXMA All-In-One portable printers, allowing wireless printing from mobile apps and cloud storage. A few months earlier, HP introduced its PhotoSmart printers, offering similar features. In fact, many leading consumer electronics brands now offer compact photo printers, enabling women to choose the ideal 4x6-inch photo printer to meet their needs.

3: Explore Anywhere with a GPS

While it might seem outdated to include a GPS device on this list, in truth, these gadgets are crucial for both men and women. At the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, GPS maker Garmin introduced a compact tracker with a 4-week battery life, offering peace of mind for mothers when their kids are out camping or if the dog escapes from the leash [source: Popular Mechanics]. Career women with long commutes might find the new TomTom portable GPS, which detects upcoming traffic conditions, especially useful [source: Cunningham]. And for those who prefer not to add yet another device, the Pioneer SmartCradle turns an iPhone -- the smartphone of choice for many women -- into a GPS for the car [source: Chubb].

2: The Apple Empire

In 2009, Forbes labeled Apple as "the world’s most discretely feminine brand," praising its sleek, elegant designs and user-friendly experience. This title came at the same time as results from a Women & Digital Life survey, which found Apple to be the most admired tech brand among women [source: SRG].

With its iPods, MacBooks, and iPhones, Apple has become the go-to brand for female tech enthusiasts. For example, in the smartphone race, Apple has triumphed among women, with one-third of the market favoring iPhones, compared to just 22.8 percent opting for Android phones [source: Marsal]. Even though the launch of the iPad initially made some women think of their medicine cabinets more than tech gadgets, they quickly overlooked the unintended association, with 34 percent of iPad’s early adopters being women, according to Yahoo!'s 2010 analysis [source: Saint].

1: Stylish E-Readers

Given that women are more frequent book buyers than men, it’s no surprise that e-readers have become top gadgets for book-loving women [source: Weiner]. According to Nielsen data from August 2011, there is a clear gender divide in tablet-like gadgets, with women favoring light, easy-to-read devices like Amazon Kindles and Barnes & Noble Nooks, while men often choose the multifunctional capabilities of tablets such as the iPad [source: Horn]. E-reader use has grown among women, who now represent 61 percent of the market, up from 46 percent in 2010 [source: Horn]. Furthermore, romance novels – a genre long beloved by women and a bestseller in bookstores – now dominate the top e-reader bestsellers as well [source: Ogas].