My Top 5 Apple Products
This list changes annually (at least), and I think it will be fun to keep track of where I stand on my favorite Apple products at different times. Here are my top 5 at this current moment, and the accessories I use with them to make them perfect. They all combine to make my life easier and more fun, and that’s what I’m all about.
1. Apple Watch Series 3 GPS ($359)
I don’t think there is something I look at more often throughout the day. My watch tells me what meeting is next on my calendar and the room it’s in. It tells me how active I have been that day, and I think it’s pretty accurate. The face I use (Modular with mist blue text) also shows me the day of the week, date, temperature and current weather conditions. Nike+ works flawlessly for me when running. Pausing, playing, and fast-forwarding a podcast while driving is so easy with the Overcast app. I can literally dismiss an irrelevant email and remove it from my inbox before it even gets there using Inbox. I go to the grocery store every couple of days and use Apple Pay with the watch 100% of the time. Every aspect of using Apple Watch is seamless and perfect. And also so. incredibly. fast. I bought the 1st generation Apple Watch around the day it was released, and I haven’t gone a day without wearing one since.
Additional accessories: Four watch bands for all occasions (brown leather, black sport, tan sport, stainless steel).
2. AirPods ($159)
I will admit it — I was an AirPods hater when they were announced. They looked dumb and I was still a little mad about the headphone jack removal announcement right before. Do they still look dumb? Probably. Do I care? Not one single bit. These little guys are designed perfectly and I couldn’t be happier with them. The fact that it’s just the 1st generation has me anxious to see what else Apple can come up with, because my wish list is short (louder and black).
Picture this: You’re going for a walk while listening to your favorite podcast. A commercial comes on and you want to skip ahead. You double tap your right AirPod twice and you skip ahead 60 seconds. Too far? Double tap the left and you’ll rewind 15 seconds. See someone you know on the trail? Pop one out and whatever you are listening to pauses. Start walking again, put the AirPod back in, and it resumes. A little later you press the crown on the watch to activate Siri. Tell her to call your wife, and the call is automatically handed off to the AirPods. Combine all of this with the fact that there isn’t a cord and a battery life that doesn’t seem possible, and you have an incredible product. This one may be on the top of the list for a long time.
Additional accessories: I do have to use a 3rd party accessory that I bought from Best Buy to make sure they stay in my ears, but it’s worth the pain to carry them around.
3. iPad Pro 10.5″ ($649)
I’m not naive enough to say the iPad Pro is the device you need to throw away your computers once and for all. I will say that the iPad Pro, that I use in meetings with an Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard 2, is almost everything I need for my job. I still use my computer to create Facebook Ads and to access our organizations server, but for the most part the iPad Pro can do it all. It’s the perfect device for both business and pleasure, and multitasking is better than I thought it would be. I use the Apple Pencil on a daily basis, and I look forward to other apps (Day One?) getting on-board with it soon. I think the new $329 iPad will certainly help with that. This device isn’t cheap, but it’s amazing. Is it worth paying twice as much as the new iPad Apple announced last week? This video from Rene Ritchie will answer that question for you.
Additional accessories: Apple Pencil (almost made this list), charcoal gray smart case, and the most amazing case I have ever used for anything.
4. iPhone 8 Plus ($799)
I’ve had this phone for 9 days, and it’s exactly what I knew it would be; everything I loved about my iPhone 6s Plus with more speed, better battery and an amazing camera. There isn’t much else to say here about this one. It’s the perfect phone if you aren’t ready for the iPhone X, and admittingly I was not.
Additional accessories: This case form Thule, which is the exact same one I had with the 6s Plus for two years.
5. Apple TV 4K ($179)
Give yourself 90 minutes to get this thing setup, and it’s a phenomenal product. Our Apple TV is connected to DirecTV NOW, HBO, Netflix, ESPN, Hoopla, and Kanopy, and now I understand the hype. Having the option to see what is on and available throughout all of these apps at one time is really great. Siri works perfectly with search (a huge surprise). The Up Next feature will keep track of what new episodes are available for the shows you watch, and will bring you straight to them. Enter your favorite sports teams and any time they are playing, it’s at the top of your search. I’ve not decided if I dislike the remote or if it takes some getting used to, but other than that it’s been great. I recommend it, and I also recommend you take advantage of this deal while you still can. It’s a no-brainer.
Additional accessories: You’ll want a nice TV (preferably 4K), and an HDMI cord — there isn’t one in the box. I also grabbed a 20′ Ethernet cord to hardwire this into my router for the best connection, but this isn’t necessary.
And that concludes my list of my favorite Apple products with a few reasons why. I’ll do this regularly and we’ll see what happens in the future. Maybe Apple Glasses and Car Kit make the list in the coming years?
