Welcome to Day Two of our 2013 shopping extravaganza! Having trouble figuring out what to get for a distant relative, new neighbor, or estranged second cousin? Thankfully there are people like us putting together handy-dandy holiday shopping guides for you! Whether you’re looking for new hardware and accessories, or just something a bit less impersonal than an iTunes gift card, we’ve got you covered.

Other 148Apps Holiday Gift Guides: for [Heath Nuts] [Creative Types] [Gamers] [Power Users]

Today’s guide centers around highly social iOS users. I’m talking about the people who practically live on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, and all that. It can be tough to come up with something for such diehard (virtual) social butterflies, and even more tricky to surprise them, but we’re certainly going to give it a shot! Check out our list below for some hopefully useful ideas.

iKit NuCharge Battery Case for iPhone 5


When people check Twitter, Facebook, and so on all the time, it stands to reason that they might need something to supplement their battery usage. Enter the iKit NuCharge Battery Case ($89 - iPhone). It's light, slim, and great for on-the-go charging. Which in itself is great for people who use their phone once every ten seconds to update their status or share photos of their lunch. [Our Review]

Feed reading is a big part of most social media users' day-to-day habits, which is why including an app like Ziner ($4.99 - iPad) and Reeder 2 ($4.99 - Universal). With so much news and information just a few taps away, having an extended battery would be very important indeed. And if the need arises to settle an argument about any number of topics at a get-together, massive cross-referencing search engine Phlo ($1.99 - Universal) is also available.

Poddities Netsuke


The Netsuke from Poddities (~$20 - iPhone/iPod Touch) is another worthwhie consideration. It's such a simple little piece of hardware: just a metal loop that screws into the bottom of the iPhone. And yet it can be quite handy for someone who's constantly checking their screen. Installation is easy and it allows users to attach their own lanyard or other form of loop so that their phone is always within easy reach withouth the danger of falling out of a pocket. Once attached they'll be able to wear their iPhone or iPod Touch around like a necklace or strap it to their wrist for easy Tweeting - or really any other sort of rope/nylon-based attachement they can think of. [Our Review]

The most significant purpose of the Netsuke is the way in which it makes one's iPhone or iPod Touch so easy to have on-hand. For this reason, it's ideal for messaging apps such as the new Tweetbot 3 ($2.99 - iPhone) and IM+ Pro7 ($4.99 - Universal), as well as for camera apps like PureShot ($1.99 - Universal). If a random thought occurs that must be shared, friends must immediately be informed of a change of plans, or something really cool is happening and photographic evidence is needed, your Netsuke recipient will be covered.

Sonos Wireless Music Systems


Another thing social folks like to do is share their music with others. Either by mentioning what they're listening to in a post, linking YouTube videos, quoting lyrics, or flat-out playing their music for anyone within range to hear. It's for the latter reason that we recommend the Sonos Play:1 ($199 - iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch), Sonos Play:3 ($299 - iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch), and Sonos Play:5 ($399 - iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch). These are some seriously high-quality speakers that work incredibly well solo or grouped together. They even feature humidity protection, so you can place them in the bathroom without having to worry about damage from the steam. Even if someone on your list already has a Sonos speaker, they could easily add another one to their system for even more expansive sound. [Our Sonos Play:1 Review]

If the person you're getting a Sonos speaker for also happens to enjoy amateur videography, you might want to consider gifting them a copy of Vidstitch Pro ($0.99 - Universal). It's a great way for them to combine multiple videos and still images into a sort of moving collage, and could certainly benefit from the addition of some high-quality sound. Conversely, if they prefer to listen rather than create there's always Pocket Casts ($3.99 - Universal). This unassuming little app is a fantastic tool for downloading, managing, and listening to one's favorite podcasts regardless of whether or not they're available on iTunes.

Feel free to peruse our Editor’s Choice selections for more top-rated social app ideas.

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