All Things Mac/ Apple
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I have a 15 Pro Max. Back then the only way to get 5X zoom. I much prefer the slightly smaller form factor overall but the zoom has made it worthwhile. Presbyopia has made the larger screen nice too but it is sometimes inconvenient to stow and always inconvenient to operate one handed.
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Prior to the 14 Pro, I had a 12 Mini which I really liked. I'm just getting too old (eyes) for the smaller form factor. I'm also thinking that when my 2018 iPad Pro 11" gives up the ghost I won't replace it and just use the 17 Pro Max for similar tasks (e.g. Apple Fitness and stationary bike, rower mostly).
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As practically every content creator / reviewer has remarked, the Air is blatantly Apple getting the consumer to beta test form factor as they push ahead with a foldable iphone in the next year or so.
The Air is meant to be amazingly durable (for the record) but battery life is not great at all.
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Or just generally a form factor that concentrates camera, connectivity, and computing in a small portion of the phone. Future phones may effectively be screens and this moves along that continuum.
For me the tradeoffs aren’t justifiable.
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So far I am not a fan of the liquid glass interface. Seems like adding more and more for no particular benefit other than customers want new features one way or the other. And I’m still sitting on an iPhone 13 I know that’s getting old but I just can’t see a compelling reason to spend $1000 on a new phone.
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@jimcord
Same here still rocking my 13pro, battery is kinda meh on it but no desire to upgrade till this completely goes. Plus ive been tryna be on my phone less, so it’s a win win. Cut screen time down so much last few years. -
I have my 15 Pro Max and it looks brand new, and I’m still happy with it. The new Pro models seem like a downgrade at least in terms of case material. I do appreciate camera upgrades above all else. I don’t do anything processor intensive. I upgraded from a 12 and based on battery health I suspect I will be able to make it to an 18 if not a 20. I guess in 2027 it’ll be the 20th anniversary, perhaps they’ll have something special then.
Liquid Glass does little for me but I am relieved that they dialed it back from the original designs I saw. I am overall happy with iOS 26.
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Waiting for my Airpods Pro 3 to drop.
As much as I love the ease of use with Airpods (looking forward to better tips and ACN) I dont think anything has come close to the old skool; wired earbuds, studio quality sound scapes, true noise cancellation. Best buds I've ever had were Ultimate Ears. Only issue is, the wires would always degrade and need replacing. Bluetooth is great but just pointless worrying about lossless audio etc when it all gets compressed (due to no jack and wire).
Sorry. I've gone fully nerd before 9am.
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I’m on an iPhone 12mini (I have a newer one for work, but don’t remember the number, it’s mainly a portable calendar), and I love the design. The size did make me realize that I needed better glasses, and it’s very prone to typos, but apart from that I think it’s perfect. It is so easy to use one handed, and I don’t miss screen real estate.
I love most apple products, but I really wish they’d make I new iPhone mini rather than an air.
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@TeflonDon same. i'm very happy with my 13 mini.
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Got to say, I'm impressed with the Airpods Pro 3. The tips having foam (covered by silicon) are a personal game-changer; ear seal is vastly improved making the ANC elite. Pretty much muffles all noise on the train before I even start listening to music. That wasn't the case with the 2's - found none of the tips truly fit/sealed.
I know something like Bose delivers better dynamic range and vibrancy and whatever but end of the day, it all gets compressed via Bluetooth and Airpods are seamless on the Apple eco-system. So overall it's a no brainer purchase because it does everything extremely well (whereas other ear buds might excel at the one thing - even tho sound quality should be THE one thing we all concern ourselves with). Parklife.
The sound quality is still great, bass is improved mids, lows, details are there, nothing is muddled. Seen some hate for how they sound compared to the Pro 2 but think Apple nailed the sound signature.
Again, if I wanted to lean into audiophile energy I'd get engineer grade earbuds that are wired but that would be overkill for morning commutes listening to Wu-Tang, 2000s indie and dirty tech-house beats.
One complaint is Apple retaining white only earbuds because 'marketing'. Give me black earbuds Apple.
Bonus complaint: No EQ
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I'll be replacing my first gen ones with them. Ultimately, for me simple integration and other features like live translation (and I am a smartwatch wearer but still curious about the heart rate monitor) that constitute convenience and comfort coupled with "good enough" sound quality is fine. And unless your musical content is high fidelity the benefits of audiophile equipment are probably largely negated. And Apple's vertical integration means that they can push out firmware and other updates to improve performance and functionality over time. For example, it looks like the 2nd gen AirPods Pro support the live translation thing.
