This post is brought to you by Apple.

When you think of all the ingredients that make a great summer, you probably think of bottles of sun cream and ice lollies rather than tech, but having some of these essentials can take the next few months from 0 to 100.

A great speaker

Whether it’s for a BBQ, summer drinks in your back garden or to take on your summer getaway, a good speaker can get you in the right mood. What you’re looking for here is something that’s lightweight and doesn’t compromise on sound, which is why we love the Beats Pill+ Portable Speaker. Of course, the MOST important part is that you have a banging playlist to get the good vibes flowing, so make sure you’ve downloaded Apple Music so you can curate one just for you.

iPad

Why is an iPad perfect for summer, you may be wondering? This is actually the hidden gem of summer essentials. Not only is it the perfect size so you can watch movies and TV shows under the stars (bigger than a phone and no ones lugging a TV outside), but the iPad mini is also perfect for chucking in your suitcase so you can take as many books as you like on holiday with you! It also has all day battery so you can watch, snap and draw through the long days! The smart folio is also a must-have for propping up your iPad while you laze about.

The right apps!

You can have all the tech in the world but if you’re not making the most of it with the right apps you might as well not have them at all (and lucky for us there are 1 million apps on the app store for iPad!) We’ve broken down some essential apps you might want to download this summer!

• Podcast app: If you’re not already making the most of this app, what have you been doing?! With podcasts on everything from feminism and mindfulness to hip hop and adulting, there is a podcast for everyone, and it’s the perfect way to relax in the sun.
• Citymapper: Exploring a new city this summer? Then Citymapper will be your BFF. It’ll help you get around everywhere from Manchester to Madrid so you can have a stress-free experience on your adventures.
• Love Island app and ITV Hub: Let’s face it, we can’t always rely on our summer’s being as eventful as the Islanders, so when you need to catch up on last night’s ep or get exclusive info, there’s no better combo than these two!
• Skyscanner: Are you trying to plan the trip of a lifetime? Or maybe you’re just trying to get your pals together for the ultimate party vacay? Whatever it is, this app makes it so easy to find the cheapest flights for whenever and wherever you want to go.
• Magpie- photos & notes: This app is basically a digital scrapbook. If you’ve ever taken pics of a book you wanted, a restaurant or recipe you can collate them all into different lists within this app, so you can get organised this summer.

A great pair of headphones

If you’re lucky enough to be jetting off this summer, headphones are essential to transform any plane or train journey from something dull to something quite pleasant.There are sooooo many headphones out there to choose from, so it really depends on what you need them for. Even if you’re not going away, a good pair of headphones are great for jogs in the park, which AirPods are perfect for, and for tuning people out when you’re sunbathing in the garden, which we love Beats Solo3 wireless headphones for.

A Mac

Summer is the best time to chill out, so you don’t want to be feeling hassled by your tech. The best thing about getting a Mac is that it so intuitive, you’ll spend less time learning your way around it and more time using it for great stuff! One of the best features for summer is that iCloud makes it so simple to sync your music, docs and photos (which you’ll have A LOT of if you’ve got an action packed few months coming up!) across your devices. Macs are so thin and light, too, so if you need to work or just wanna browse the net whilst your out and about enjoying the sun, you can!

Don’t forget if you want to get your hands on an iPad or Mac, you can get up to 10% off with your UNiDAYS account.