Back To School Guide 2015: Under $500

Whether you're going to middle school, high school, or college.  We got you covered w/ our picks to help students ace/conquer your school year.  Whether you need headphones or laptops or cameras or even a stylus, you'll have no reason not to pass through this year w/ flying colors.  

We decided to do things differently this year.  We wanted to break our guide down into price points.  Kicking things off is our under $500 section.  Our Back To School guide awaits.  

Withings made a watch that's smart and not just a smartwatch w/ their Activite line.  The Activite Pop is the sportier version for everyday use/wear w/ its silicone strap.  This thing has an 8-month battery life, sleep monitoring, and activity-tracking (steps, distance, running, & calories burned).   Works on both Android & iOS as you can keep up and compete w/ friends using the Health Mate app.  

$149.99 Buy

Pebble's 2nd generation smartwatch is surprisingly a lot better than you might think.  Although it lacks a touchscreen it makes up for it w/ its awesome battery life lasting up to several days depending on your usage.  Now w/ support for voice commands, a color E-Ink display, and damn-near waterproof.  Pebble Time works w/ both Android & iOS but currently offers more features on Android.  

$199.99 Buy

TYLT is an accessory company who does things differently in regards creating their products.  One of their must-have items is their Energi+ Backpack.  It is a TSA-friendly, travel-ready, backpack w/ a NFC tag & a 10,000 mAh battery inside to keep all of your devices fully charged while on the go.  Easily a must-have for students w/ tech on-the-go.  

$119.99 Buy

The Play: 1 is the most recent & smallest member of the Sonos line of speakers.  It is a small, wall-mountable speaker that can be paired w/ another Play: 1 or any of the other Sonos products.   The digital amplifies, tweeter, & mid-woofer combines to create a great sound by itself but even better when you have a pair of them.  

$199.99 Buy

Motorola's 3rd iteration of their latest budget device is superior in their latest portfolio of devices.  Although it has a 720p display, it makes up for it by having a nearly-2 day battery life, good 13MP camera, LTE speeds, and impressive processor on board.  This time around you can even customize via Moto Maker.   All of this w/o breaking the bank or a 2-year contract.  

$220 Buy

Many of you might not be familiar w/ the Alcatel brand but they've been around for a while making budget devices for pre-paid carriers.  Earlier this year they entered the newly-created, mid-range, off-contract market w/ the Idol 3.  Offering high-specs for a mid-range price point.  Octa-core CPU, dual front-facing Hi-Fi speakers, 13MP rear-shooter & 8MP in the front on a bright 5.5inch display.  

$249.99 Buy

ASUS made the ideal Chromebook for the younger students in mind.  This has a form factor of its own as it is a regular laptop setup that can flip into a tablet form as well.  You got a 10.1inch display, webcam, quad-core CPU, mic + stereo speakers.  All of this backed by the cloud-power of Google makes this a great 1st laptop.

$249 Buy

Toshiba might have made one of the best Chromebook IMHO w/ the sequel tot heir 1st one.  You still have all of the goodness that comes w/ Google's could-based abilities.  All w/ more powerful specs like a 13.3inch 1080p display, Intel CPU, 9-hour battery life, 4GB of RAM, and SkullCandy-powered speakers.  Definitely a more premium Chromebook experience w/o putting a hurt on your wallet.

$299 Buy

Android don't have too many picks for tablets but HTC's Nexus 9 is a great one.   Equipped w/ NVIDIA's K1 CPU ideal for gaming and dual front-facing stereo speakers on a beautiful 8.9inch 2K display.  Running pure Lollipop makes this essential for Android enthusiasts who need a tablet for the work/entertainment needs. 

$365 Buy

In case you're not a Android fan, you can go the iOS route.  The smaller iPad is always an easy pick w/ its 7.9inch Retina display, great camera, 10-hours battery, and access to the biggest app store in the world.  All in this lightweight package for students of all ages.  The iPad mini 2 isn't the most recent iPad but it is a great option w/o paying for the extra bling.  

$385 Buy