Techuisite Digest
03.21.2024: Using an old iPhone, Apple crave growing, and new iPad rumor craziness.
iPhone 11 Pro Follow up (and returning to Dual-iPhones)
When I decided to go back to two phones, and no longer use my work-issued iPhone 13 Pro with two SIM Cards, was about a week before my new son was born. The actual transition happened the day before he was born.
So to say that it was good timing was an understatement. The whole point was me feeling like I was not able to give myself the work-life balance that I required during this season of my life. With a toddler rampaging through our lives and now a new born, I needed to be able to just turn off work when I left the office.
I also decided that instead of jumping on my wife's AT&T plan and getting myself a shiny new iPhone 15 Pro, that I would pay cash for an older iPhone and continue using Mint Mobile. That older phone ended up being the iPhone 11 Pro, which I went over in more detail in the post My Desire For Retro Tech.
Paul Alvarez
Having two phones again is fine, though the minimalist in my hates that I have to carry two again to the office, as I stated in my Overlapping Tech post, I am also embracing having more tools for specific tasks even if those tasks overlap with other tools I have.
Plus, I usually just keep my personal phone in my pocket and my work phone goes in my bag that I take to work each day. I have actually been thinking of transitioning to bringing a sling instead of my backpack since I rarely use my laptop in the office. The essentials I like to bring every day is my iPad Mini, iPhones, a notepad and pen, my iPod Classic, and amybe some charging cables that I might need – which can all fit in my Alpaka Sling easily.
As the for the iPhone 11 Pro, the phone is just so great. It doesn't have ProMotion, as bright of a screen as newer iPhones, slimmer bezels around the display, or a fancy Dynamic Island, but I just love holding this phone. The battery life isn't great either; it has 91% battery health left but I just think iOS 17 on such old hardware is a lot.
If you sit the iPhone 11 Pro next to a iPhone 12 Pro or newer you can definitley see it's age. The boxy flat edges of the new iPhones look more modern now, but that doesn't meant that the iPhone 11 Pro looks bad. I truly love the design of the 11 Pro over the flat edged versions that all iPhones have now. But holding this phone is just a joy.
Paul Alvarez
I also feel like the display is just as good as my iPhone 13 Pro. Sure, the ProMotion isn't there, but the crispness and colors are just as good. I also really like the rounded off edges of the glass on the display making the app icons and apps feel like it is literally sitting ontop of the diplay.
I think a big reason the iPhone 11 Pro feels perfect for me right now is because I have also been using the iPad Mini a lot more at home which makes me feel like i am still using something a bit more modern and new–though, the new iPad Mini might be coming out soon to make this one seem old too.
Overall I am loving using this iPhone 11 Pro. It feels great in my hand and in my pocket, and I just love picking up to use all day long. Not only does it feel nice, but the nostalgia that it brings every time I see it sitting there makes me happy.
Before I end my thoughts on the 11 Pro, I did want to follow up on the crack that happened on the back of the phone. I did get a Naked Matte Slickwrap skin for it, and so far it has been great. Though you can still see the crack, and not see the Apple Logo as well which is a bummer, it did resolve my fear of the crack getting worse or cutting me.
Apple Crave Growing
I haven't mentioned it in awhile but if you don't follow my personal blog where I talk about random things that don't always include technology, and link posts, you can do so at alvalog.net. The reason I mention it, is I did a post recently about an Apple Craving that has been growing, and it is continuing to grow today.
I also wrote about the Mac and how deciding on which one is difficult right now, since all the Macs are so good. Which is a good thing, but can also cause some decision fatigue. Luckily I am still not in the market to buy a new laptop, the craving for a Mac has still been very strong.
Paul Alvarez
For the sake of this section of the newsletter, lets just say that I do have the budget for a new Mac, and money isn't an object. I have pretended I have been in this place over the past few weeks now, and being able to decide on the perfect Mac for me has seemed so impossible.
Lets go over my dilemma. I think after using the 14-inch Asus Zenbook, I am realizing the benefits of having a larger screen. I think gone are the days of my main powerhouse of a laptop being a slim and tiny form factor. I think I want me screen real estate on my laptop since I mostly use a laptop without connected it to a monitor.
Which made me realize that the MacBook Air 13-inch in Midnight was probably not going to be an option for me going forward. I love the slim design and the look of the keyboard versus laptop ration that the Air brings, but the screen size is something I want to consider more, and 14+ inches is a priority.
This then made me start really considering the MacBook Air 15-inch. It has everything that is great about the 13-inch Air, including the Midnight color, but with a larger screen. A screen larger than the MacBook Pro 14-inches which is also a plus.
The MacBook Air is only 0.1 lbs lighter than the MacBook Pro 14-inch though, yet the rest of the form factor is a bit slimmer and smaller. So you aren't necessarily getting a huge benefit in the size and weight of going with the 15-inch Air over the 14-inch Pro, but that is not really a big factor for me anyway–I like to carry my 2012 11-inch Air when I want something light to use as a writing tool.
I do think that the difference in 15.3 inches versus 14.2 inches is enough to consider strongly though. The Air provides more than an inch in more screen, so it is a big difference versus the Pro. But then you have to conider the other display differences too. The Pro has ProMotion, Mini-LED, and is higher resolution. I love screens so this will always be a big factor for me.
Both come in colors I really love Midnight and Space Black, so I know I would be happy with either one. I also do know that the specs are a bit misaligned for the base models of each laptop. 8 GB versus 18 GB is a huge difference. Also the M3 versus M3 Pro can be conidered a big difference too.
Which leads me to price. The difference in prices for each of these machines is substantial, especially when looking at brand new options. For a MacBook Air I am looking at around $1900 for 16 GB and 1 TB option versus the Pro around $2,200 for a 18 GB and 1 TB option. At $300 difference are the improvements on the Pro worth it, while still losing that 1-inch of screen real estate.
I am happy to not have to make this decision today. It would be lovely to be able to afford it, don't get me wrong. But it is a hard decision and one that I can't seem to overcome right now. It used to be easy, you would just point at the best and say "that one". But Apple has given us the gift of being able to choose so many great options, which makes it hard for us enthusiast to decide on whats best for us.
iPad Rumors
The iPad rumors are running rampant right now. I am nowhere in the market for a new iPad Pro right now, but the rumors are very interesting. OLED, matte glass screen, MagSafe, and a new aluminum Magic Keyboard with trackpad for the Pros all sounds really cool.
But my biggest letdown is the rumors that these iPad Pros are going to be over $2,000. I am sure the technology and features could be used to justify the cost, but this just seems like a risk of squeezing out the iPad Pro for most consumers. Right now the iPad Pros are resonably priced at $799 and $1099 which are a lot don't get me wrong, but a lot more resonable when considering the new ones are going to costs more than double.
I feel like Apple has been doing great in not only improving the Mac line, but also making awesome decisions and making the entry point for people who want a Mac to be priced more resonably. The M2 MacBook Air is still being sold by Apple and is under $1000, the MacBook Pro now has an M3 option giving people an opportunity to get the Pro MacBook at $400 less than before with the M2 Pros models.
If Apple plans to make very expensive iPad Pros going forward, that are similar to the MacBook Pros, with the M Pro chips, they need to have the same options as the Mac. Maybe a slightly less specced iPad Pro 11-inch and some more iPad Air options with more resonable specs for the base models, 64 GB storage just can't cut it anymore.
I think the rumors of these iPad Pros are really cool. I also agree with some that hardware changes are only the first steps, we also need some software changes too. The costs of these iPads sneaking up to MacBook Pro territory is fine, but you have to make sure people are getting what they pay for.
It will also be great to see what Apple does with the other iPads too. The iPad Airs and iPad Mini are in need of some changes, plus the base iPad is in need of some changes; at least in the pricing area. And like other models before, the iPad Pros current features will hopefull be brought down to the other models like the glorious Liquid Retina XDR Display.