Okay, in September Apple announced the new iPhone XS and Apple Watch. I resisted! I already had an iPhone X and Apple Watch Series 2, not to mention my iPad Pro 10.5" and iMac 27" Retina. Plenty of Apple tech and more than enough for any sane person, right?
Well here we are, the week after the second Apple event in late October, with a new MacBook Air, Mac mini and (tada!) of course iPad Pros.
The rumours regarding the new iPad models were very accurate. An 11" model in pretty much the same size casing as the previous years 10.5" model, and the 12.9" in a smaller casing, due to the reduced bezels. Face ID, in both portrait and landscape orientations. And, of course, a change to USB-C from Lightning which I for one think is the right move.
I immediately after the event ordered myself the larger 12.9" model in space grey, with 512GB of storage. Plus the new Apple Pencil 2 and the Keyboard Folio. Should arrive a in a few days on November 7th.
Oh, and the reason my wife thinks I’m mad? In the meantime I have gone and purchased a new iPhone XS Max and Apple Watch Series 4. Managed to keep her a little bit sweet by passing on my iPhone X to her, which she loves!
I am now far poorer, financially, although (as I stress to my wife) far richer in the joys of life. Bearing in mind the ‘joys of life’ to me, mean tech and preferably Apple tech.
Has anyone else gone down the ‘update to the latest of everything route’? Or, am I alone in my madness?
I bought my first Mac, a Late 2006 MacBook, on release day or within 72 hours (I don’t recall). The closest I’ve gotten to that since is getting an iPhone 8 & Apple Watch S3 about a month after they were released. iPad? Refurb. Second Mac? Refurb. Wife’s phone? Still rocking an iPhone 6s.
Sure, I’d love to get the new shiny immediately upon release but financially, that doesn’t work for me. Since I don’t use my hardware to pay for my shoes, it’s just not a priority.
Impulse purchase is what they count on. However, there were huge problems in new model lines in recent years (MacBook Pro 2016 and it’s keyboard) so I would never-ever purchase a first model of a new lineup from Apple.
Another topic is what do you get out of it? I have an iPhone 8 Plus and and a 2015 15’’ MBP Pro, payed by my company. Maybe I would purchase the iPhone with my own money, but never the MBP Pro without a good reason - it has to earn me some good money if dump over 3000 € in it. Otherwise a smaller model would do too - I was perfectly happy for 4 years before with a maxed out MB Air.
Personally, I have a 2018 iPad which is sufficient for my needs and ordered a cheapest wifi alu apple watch - because there is no way I will throw out 800 € for a throw-away-in-2-years electronic device. I makes over 30 € a month.
Don’t misunderstand me - luckily, I am not in the position where I could not afford all of it. It is just a bad value for money. These devices, as shiny as they may be, mostly do the same things with every iteration. They will not make you a better writer, programmer, whatever you are. I understand a point in quality of life sometimes between having a mac and not having one - some of these windows machines and windows software out there are just plain horrible. But switching a perfectly working iPad Pro which is still simply overpowered for most of the tasks it can do with a new one - what is the value?
I’ve updated my phone, watch, and now iPad in the past two months (no new Macs yet though). The phone was pretty much automatic. I’m on a two year cycle and this was my year to replace the iPhone 7. I also pass my old phones down to my Mom and Dad and my Mom was on a 6 year old iPhone 5, so she really needed the upgrade.
I’d been saving for a new iPad. While my 1st generation 12.9” iPad Pro was still working well, I use it enough that I was intent on replacing it if the new models were a compelling upgrade (and I think they’re very compelling).
The real surprise was the watch. I bought a Series 3 last year and I figured it would last me at least two years. The new health features on the Series 4 were very compelling. Apple offered me enough through their trade in program that I went ahead and bought the new one.
So, three new devices in a couple of months, but no regrets.
You’re not alone. My wife is pretty clear about my craziness.
I think it’s unfair though. I don’t upgrade everything every time.
My iMac is 3 years now (I don’t think I’ll replace it anytime soon, although an iMac Pro is very tempting), and you can hardly blame me for upgrading the MacBook Pro when they made 32 GB RAM available… the new iPad Pro arriving tomorrow is replacing a 3 year old one.
The iPhone is on a yearly upgrade cycle though, and the only reason my Series 2 Apple Watch hasn’t been replaced is because LTE is still not available here - but it’s supposed to be in the works and likely rolled out within a few months.
But in all seriousness, I really like tech and I love the Apple ecosystem. I’m sure I could have increased my threshold for when to upgrade and survived, but it’s not completely bananas. It’s possible to argue that I’m getting a low value for money from the upgrades, but I can easily counter that it’s part of how I make work fun and make sure that I can keep at it!
Glad it’s not just me, current inventory is late 2016 MacBook Pro, 2017 12.9” iPad Pro (work provides), 2017 10.5” iPad Pro (my personal), iPhone X, Apple Watch Series 2 and AirPods.
MacBook Pro is still fine, need a big upgrade to justify.
I could be tempted to combine iPads with a new 12.9, need to see the size in store.
Phone, depends on contract, but no real rush (for the first time since my 3GS).
Watch, once again no rush, however I can already feel the pull to series 4 starting.
AirPods, I have every kind of Bluetooth headset, it’s likely a new release would be ordered immediately, for me I need them to fix the time lag and unpredictable nature of switching devices (ie between iPhone and iPad), it takes up to 20 seconds and often fails. I’m thinking of checking out the Jabra 65t.
Slight change - having taken delivery of the 12.9" iPad Pro, with Keyboard, found it just a bit too large for me, although a huge improvement over the original 12.9".
I use my iPad for work, as well as personal, and it involves taking photographs then annotating the pictures, which I tend to do whilst holding the iPad with one hand and using the Pencil with the other. Although this was achievable with the 12.9", it began to get a bit uncomfortable after half-an-hour or so.
Thanks to Apple’s exchange policy I was able to take it back and exchange for the 11" with Smart Cover instead. Also saved $480 (Aus) in the process, which was a bonus!
Loving the new Apple Pencil. It is more seamless in use and I know it is going to be charged when I need it. Good upgrade.
As soon they announced the macbook air, I obsessed over it. I have a wonderful 2014 macbook pro that runs well (one thunderport not withstanding), and couldn’t really justify the air. But I couldn’t resist --and within days of the event had put in my order for a gold macbook Air with 16 GB of memory and 500 GB SSD. I’m loving it.
My backup macbook pro? In the hands of my son…the apple (yes, I said it) doesn’t fall from the tree.
I got to play with a new MBA for almost a half hour at my local Apple Store. What a nice machine! The TouchID makes me wish my iMac had it on the bezel. (If refreshed iMacs with FaceID or TouchID come out I am going to feel extremely envious!)
