In today’s video I am going over all the Apple gear I currently use each and every
day…..
Hey, I’m Jerry and There was a time when I used all apple gear from computer, tablet
and phone to TV box and router….and then, I didn’t. I wanted a change so from 2015
to the end of 2018 I basically did not use any Apple products. Then slowly, like some
kind of un-scratchable itch, I started accumulating Apple products again starting with the 2018
iPad Pro and then the Apple Watch in the spring of 2019.
So, here is the Apple Gear I use every day, starting with the iPhone 12 Pro.
This iPhone 12 Pro is the best iPhone I have ever owned and one of the best feeling. I
love the squared off edges of the iPhone 12 series phones, and the flat edges help with
grip. Although I prefer the size of the iPhone 12 mini I went back to the pro because of
the extra battery life and the slightly better cameras.
Performance wise, All of the iPhone 12 phones just cut through any application or task and
it is really hard to find anything to dislike about using the iPhone 12 Pro. The Screen
is crisp and bright, the speakers are loud and clear, and because of the Apple ecosystem,
the iPhone 12 just works extremely well with all of the other products I’m going to mention.
Normally, my iPhone 12 Pro is wrapped in the Apple Silicone Case with MagSafe. I havn’t
been a big fan of the Apple silicone cases because they tend to start getting shinny
spots or tearing in the corners. You can actually see some shinny wear spots here…..but I
do like the feel of the Apple Silicon cases because they are grippy but not sticky. That
means I can get it in and out of my pocket with ease, but I don’t worry about the phone
being slippery enough to fall out of my hands like when using the phone naked or with some
other cases.
And because the iPhone 12 Pro and my MagSAFE case have the magnets built in, I like to
use them both with the Belkin Boost charge pro on my nightstand for charging my iPhone,
Apple Watch and AirPods, as well as with the Satechi 2-in-1 magnetic charging stand for
my desk.
Next up is my Apple Watch which is the thing that pulled me back to the iPhone from Android.
This is a Series 4 Apple watch that I bought used on the website Swappa. I was able to
get this Stainless-steel model for a couple hundred less than new and it came in mint
condition. I wanted something to track my workouts and other health activities as well
as to view notifications. I am currently using a leather loop knock off from a company called
Pinnacle Luxuries, but I frequently switch to the Apple sport band, Sport Loop and some
others.
I wanted a cellular model specifically to try and leave my phone at home more often
when I go for walks or quick errands to try and reduce my cell phone usage. Unfortunately,
due to the pandemic I have rarely left home in the last year and that use case kind of
evaporated…….just like my workout habits.
I do still like the Apple watch for notifications, sending quick, Siri dictated messages and
answering calls when my hands are full. Now that Spotify has cellular streaming and the
weather is better I may try to start venturing out more with just my Apple watch and leave
the iPhone behind. But to do that, I need my next Apple product…..AirPods
AirPods were life changing for me in 2017….that along with stretchy jeans. Finally we had
true wireless ear buds that had decent battery life, good speakers and mics, and a charging
case that actually fit in your pocket. This is my second pair of AirPods, and these are
the 2nd gen with wireless charging case. I only upgraded because my first gen AirPods
would not hold much of a charge after a couple years of use and did not hesitate to buy these
when they came out.
I use AirPods all the time from podcasts in the morning to YouTube on the couch and work
calls while walking around the neighborhood. I use them if I am standing in the line running
errands or waiting at a doctor’s office. The convenance of the AirPods is that they
are small enough to fit comfortably in my pockets all the time and I only need to charge
them once or twice per week.
I love AirPods, I recommend AirPods, and I’m not sure I can do adult life without AirPods
again.
My main work computer right now is the 2020 27” iMac with the i7 and Radeon 5500XT that
I bought refurbished about a month ago. I don’t like to be comfortable, so my workflows
change often, Which is a bad thing for my productivity. In the last couple of years
my primary computing device went from PC laptops to Samsung and Microsoft tablets, to the iPad
Pro, MacBook, and now the iMac.
What I like about using an iMac is the simplicity of it. It’s a powerful all in one computer
with everything built in including display, speakers, camera, and Mics. I have tried living
the laptop as a desktop life and I much prefer the actual desktop life. I find that there
are less issues compared to using external displays and constantly connecting and disconnecting
peripherals.
The 5k iMac display is the most well rounded, consistent display you can find that doesn’t
cost $5000. Its bright, sharp, and color accurate enough for most things. The iMac is great
for remote work, video and photo editing, surfing the web, some light gaming, and pretty
much any other regular computer task.
The iMac comes with everything you need right out of the box like the Magic Keyboard. I
use the Magic Keybaord because I like the feel of the keys. They have just the right
amount of travel, are not too loud and the keyboard is almost identical throughout all
the apple products.
I do like to use the MX Master 3 over the Magic mouse because I feel like it has a more
ergonomic feel. Although it does not have the touch sensitive surface like the Magic
Mouse, the MX Master 3 does have a free moving scroll wheel, a horizontal scroll wheel, customizable
buttons and a function button for performing some of the other Mac gestures like showing
spaces or switching between full screen apps.
CalDigit makes a number of docks and hubs to expand or relocate the most useful ports
like USB and SD card readers. The TS3 Plus has 15 ports for USB, Thunderbolt and Audio….the
Element Hub has 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports and 4 USB4 ports for customizing the expansion
that you need. ANd I like these Kanto YU2 Speakers for an even better speaker setup.
Now, before moving back to an iMac I was using the MacBook Pro M1 as my primary device and
I still use it every day. When I need a change of scenery during my work day or when I am
chilling in the evening I like to have the full Mac experience. And of course, the M1
MacBook Pro is almost as powerful as my iMac. I can move any workflow from the iMac to the
MacBook and just continue what I was doing. I love the fact that the battery life is so
good that I can use this MacBook pro for hours at a time, put it down, pick it up the next
day and keep going without needing to worry about charging it.
These M1 MacBooks are not perfect but they are pretty close. There are so many great
things to say about them and I covered benchmarks, performance, and some issues in my 3 month
review which you can find over here.
Unfortunately, the M1 MacBook Pro is so good for general use that my relationship with
my iPad pro has been a bit…..estranged?
For about 2 years the iPad Pro was my main computer. As iPadOS has evolved and we have
seen a better, more desktop like browser, better file management, and now mouse and
keyboard support, the iPad can be the main computer for a lot of people. The iPad has
features that no Mac has like a touch-screen, cellular connectivity, and overall I think
the iPad Pro is a better media consumption device with an amazing screen and speakers.
I was using my iPad Pro for everything including Video editing with Luma Fusion, and it still
ranks as my favorite way to edit photos and video because you can use the trackpad of
the iPad magic keyboard, apple pencil, or your fingers to edit anywhere. Sometimes sitting
on the couch with your feet up is just the best way to edit. I was using Photoshop for
iPad to complete my thumbnails, Microsoft Word for my scripts and so on.
The only reason I switched from using the iPad as my main computer was that I needed
to do multi-cam editing. Now that Luma Fusion has announced that it is coming this year
I may give it another try. Today I use the iPad pro for checking out apps I see mentioned
like MOJO which can make some simple motion graphics for video or social media sites.
And the last Apple product I use every day is my Apple TV….well, at least one of them.
I have Apple TVs on all of my TVs now and pretty much all content I view is through
them. Whether that is Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV + or even live TV using ATT
TV Now, the Apple TV is my go-to box. Complaints about remote design aside, the Apple TV hardware
is fast and fluid, all the apps you would want are there, it integrates perfectly with
AirPlay, and despite the price, I know Apple is not tracking every single thing I am watching.
I also like the fact that you can calibrate the audio delay, which is important depending
on your audio setup, and now you can even calibrate your colors coming from the Apple
TV all with the help of your iPhone. For a number of years I was all in on Roku but the
little things like this make the Apple TV a more complete set top box package.
SO, those are all of the Apple products I use every day. Come to think of it, that’s
most of them, and I may have a problem. But let me know what you think. Do you switch
between products like I do, or do you have a smaller subset of go to devices? Let me
know below. If you haven’t heard, there are a number of new devices coming out in
a couple weeks like the new iMac and if you are curious which one I am getting, check
out this video right over here. Hit the thumbs up button if you liked it, hit subscribe if
you want to see reviews of all the new stuff, and I’ll see you next time.