This year was filled with great hardware. Some of it came out in 2021, some before, but I was able to get it only this year. Nevertheless, here are some of my favourite things this year.
iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 mini
As I mentioned in my review – good became even better. The best thing about iPhone 13 Pro, in a day-to-day use it’s unnoticeable, which is always a good sign. My wife got an iPhone 13 mini, and it is a beast. Small, yet powerful, and improved battery life compared to the last year model is noticeable.
Apple Watch Series 7
When bigger is indeed better. The battery on my Series 5 wasn’t good at all, and by the end of year 2 it was close to unusable. So, Series 7 was a welcome improvement. Bigger screen, brighter always–on display and better battery makes this an outstanding upgrade from whatever generation you are on.
Honda e
This is a big one. We had a need for a second car and going electric was quite a choice. Many habits had to change, as well as thinking about range. But after three months with the car, I’m still in love. It is small, fun, and a bit eccentric – just perfect for a city car.
LG C1
I’ve had C9 for almost two years and loved it, but as we’ve moved to a much bigger space, 55” TV wasn’t big enough anymore. From the distance of our couch, it looked like a postage stamp. I knew I wanted an LG OLED and the bigger, the better, but 77” was drastically over our limit, so we’ve had to settle for a 65” one. It is noticeably bigger and paired with Vogel mount, you can bring it closer. The LG C1 is great from the picture standpoint, but the software is a massive step back. It tries to be smarter, but it is not. It’s slow, buggy, inconsistent. And why, for the love of god, they removed play/pause button. I had to plug my Apple TV, which is now the only interface I use. On the bright side, it is completely ready for the next–gen gaming, which is a big deal.
Sony PlayStation 5
Speaking of which, I’ve waited long enough for a PS5 from the official Sony dealer. But I don’t think it will happen in the nearest future. So one day I decided to pay a bit more and buy from scalpers on eBay. It now seems like a smart move, since I overpaid less than 20% and prices since went up. The best thing about this generation of PlayStation is DualSense controller. In games that have support it feels outstanding. The games themselves are not yet there, unfortunately. It feels like 2022 will be the year we’ll finally see at least something for the next generation.
Dyson v15
Surprisingly, in a list of phones, cars, and gaming consoles, this is one of the best purchases made this year. It is small yet powerful. Simple yet technological. It makes vacuuming fun.
MacBook Air with M1
This is the best laptop I’ve used in years. It’s actually the best computer I’ve used in years. It is fast, powerful, has a great battery. Not only that, but it is almost the perfect laptop, especially considering the price. If you need to buy a laptop right now, seriously consider this one.
Honorable Mentions
There are two devices I like, but not used long enough to form a full opinion, but still, they are worth mentioning.
Oura Ring 3
My wife gave me it as a gift. I wanted to track sleep for a long time, but wearing an Apple Watch was a no–go. It is big, heavy and has a massive screen. Oura Ring is perfect for that. Although most of the things I already knew – you shouldn’t drink alcohol before bed and should have a sleep schedule, there were still a couple of surprises from the data.
I have to mention one thing – their support is probably the worst I ever encountered.
Keychron K2
I’ve long wanted to try a mechanical keyboard and finally pulled a plug during the Black Friday sale. I love typing on it, but it needs some adjustment. The change in travel is massive compared to MacBook Air or iPad Pro keyboard.
