iPhone 12 Pro Max. Is it worth it?

November 30, 2020
6 min read

It is one of those cases that proves Betteridge’s law. When you personally don’t like something it is so easy to make generalizations about everyone else. So here is an article about how everyone is better off without the new iPhone 12 Pro Max.

When Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone, it made a lot of sense. He put a camera into everyones’ pocket at the time when it was not possible. Back then when you were looking at a $500 iPhone, you were comparing it to either a $200 flip phone or a $2000 DSLR. While it was clearly more expensive than a regular phone, iPhone could make calls, took instantly sharable pictures, had games, basic apps, and of course it also stored all your music and thus replaced an iPod. iPhone was not just magic, it was also a good financial decision.

The first iPhone was heavily subsidised by the carriers and although you did pay $499 to buy one, it wasn’t the whole price of the phone, as you had 2 year contract with the network.
Also, this was not a first camera phone and not even the best camera in the phone. At that time Samsung had camera phones and Nokia had its N95 with a 5-megapixel camera.

Fast forward to today, iPhone 12 Pro Max with 500GB of memory costs $1800, has a camera, and can do about the same things that an equivalently priced iPad or even a Laptop can do. Does it make sense to buy one?

In the first paragraph $499 price was for a 4 GB model, the 8 GB model was more expensive, so why compare it to the top of the line iPhone 12 Pro Max? I would compare it to the 128 GB phone for $1099.

At the time of publication, I thought the new iphone cost me $1300, but as I was filing my return, I realized that after Apple Care, trade in value of my original phone ($250), and taxes, the actual full price of this phone (with Apple Care) is $1,757.80. This is 2/3 of how much I paid for top of the line MBP that I use for all my work. This is insane. What is more insane is that you hide this behind $55/months for 24 months payments. It seems affortable, but in practice is just a ridiculous amount for what is otherwise just a phone.

I don’t think it is fair to add Apple Care to the price of the phone. And the price is much more clear now, not hidden under $499, like it was before.

After ten days of testing it, for me it was a resounding No.

Bingo. “For me”. That should have been in the title.

The new camera is a bit faster, and it is definitely a lot brighter, but at the end of the day, that is it. It is still a tiny lens, and anything that isn’t close and steady gets pixelated, and blurry.

iPhone X camera is much worse, there is less detail. It doesn’t have ultra-wide lens and LiDAR for portraits. It doesn’t have Deep Fusion and Night Mode.

Apple’s promoted photography is mostly portraits, people sitting still, posing. I have two kids though, and they love to run. There is no way I can take their pictures on this phone without having them to pause, just like I do with my 3 year old iPhone X. I can always turn on the video, but the quality is no different from my 5-year old Sony RX 100 iv, in fact, I think the old Sony actually does better video.

I know it’s not only about the specs, but Sony RX100 IV can record 4K video only in 30p, while iPhone supports 24p and 60p. Also, it doesn’t have HDR for video and its battery will die after 280 shots.

iPhone Pro Max feels great in my hands, and I love the quality of the big screen, but that is it.

Back a few years ago when everyone went massive in phone sizes, the logic was that big phones were great for those who had it as their primary and only device. That’s reasonable logic, but in today’s world, I think it makes so much more sense to buy a tiny small phone, for rare calls and text messages, and then to splurge on a proper laptop, or a large iPad, for everything else.

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want to open my iPad or god forbid a laptop every time I want to open Instagram or TikTok. The phone is so much more than rare calls and text messages for many people. I like watching videos on a bigger screen while on the go. And the battery is massive without cases or portable chargers.

For between $1100 and $1500 one can buy an iPad Pro with 12.9 inch display, and a cellular connection. That’s a whole computer that you can touch, and a screen big enough to serve as a home TV. Now that’s a good deal!

iPhone 12 Pro Max is an even faster computer with a better display, faster cellular and a better camera. I would argue it is much better deal.

There are probably decent use cases for the new iPhone, although I can currently only think of one. If you are a narcissistic Instagram celebrity who loves to post selfies from a nightclub, this phone is for you. For everyone else, iPhone 12 Pro Max is not a smart financial decision.

Personally, I am going to save up the money and put them towards a really nice camera, with a real photo sensor, and a real lens. I am hoping for a Leica Q (Matte Black Special Edition), but that is rather expensive. Perhaps a Nikon or a Sony would do. Either way, for anything photo related, I would rather get a great camera with outrageously better photo quality. For everything phone, an old iPhone would do.

Oh, so Leica Q is a very smart financial decision? It costs more than $4500. Last time I checked there are a bit cheaper cameras out there.
I’m not saying that this take is wrong (although in some cases it is). I’m just saying that this whole article is about one man’s decision, considering his needs and use cases.
For some it could be the main or even only computer. So, they won’t have money for an iPad and a phone.
For many people iPhone is better camera than a Nikon, Sony or even Leica, because of the SoC. They take photos outside in front of the sun and iPhone processes it, so you can put it online. Sure after transferring it to the real computer, editing it, correcting, the photo from a real camera would look better, but most people don’t know how to do it or simply don’t have time or desire.
So please, let people enjoy things, even if you think that they are not for you.

Choose Wisely – iPhone 12 Pro Max Review

November 27, 2020
6 min read

It is big. Every new iPhone this year is some sort of compromise, so to make a choice is to rate your priorities. Camera, battery, size, price. And after that there are still color and storage. I’ve been struggling with the choice, but at the end of the day iPhone 12 Pro Max was my go-to. Camera was the single most important thing, so I felt like I could sacrifice something else.

Size

There is no going around it, this phone is massive. My last iPhone review was that of an iPhone XS Max and I called it Coming Home because after spending a year with an iPhone X I was craving for a bigger screen and still, even for me, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is huge. Probably because of the flat edges it just doesn’t sit so tight in the hand. And it is also actually taller than the last years model and noticeably so.

iPhone 12 Pro Max looks noticeably larger than iPhone XS Max

What this means is that even with larger hands this phone becomes almost unusable with one hand. Good thing Apple announced widgets for iOS, so the first two rows on the screen could be filled with those.

It is the most noticeable while typing — reaching for the letters on the opposite side is physically hard now.

Design

After deciding on the model, the next big consideration was the color. Black and Silver were immediately removed from competition because they are a bit boring.

That left me with Gold and Pacific Blue. I went to the store when iPhone 12 Pro came out to see and hold both in my hands. I couldn’t decide until the very last minute of orders starting. But in the end the Gold won and I think I made a good choice.

Yes, this year’s color is Pacific Blue, but after Apple introduced “something different” with Midnight Green last year, this fourth color becomes a default. Everyone who wants a new phone buys it and actually, I think the bigger phone looks boring in blue because it is matte and there is just too much of the color because of the size. Also, the edges in most cases look almost black, and again, this year I didn’t want a black phone.

Gold, on the other hand, adds premium feeling to the already good-looking phone. It looks more like something made by a 3rd party, like Caviar, but with taste. It is absolutely gorgeous to look at. And you always have a glimpse of it, even if you look straight at the screen the edges are visible.

Regarding the fingerprints — this is the issue in the well lit environments of the reviewers, in the day-to-day life I don’t think about it and never notice. If you look at the edges of course you will see fingerprints, but they don’t bother me at all.

It is also heavy. Very much so. Although because of this it feels very premium, but again using it in one hand for a long time — it adds up. 

Battery

It is absolutely massive. Especially after 2-year-old iPhone XS Max. I don’t ever plug it in during the day, even when using Waze in my car, which was unthinkable previously.

I was surprised when on the second and third day after buying it, when I was still setting it up, opening literally every app, synchronising everything, it would have 50% battery left with 3-4.5 hours of screen on time.

But then there was a day with 7h 14m of screen on time and still almost 50% battery left by the end of the day. And another one, with more than 6 hours of screen on time when the phone still had around 5% of battery left working from 7:05 in the morning until 00:42 at night, on my birthday — so there were many calls, constant checking and replying to the congratulations in the messaging apps.

Battery is just massive

As I’m writing this at the end of the day, I still have 52% of battery left with 4.5 hours of screen on time. This is a full-day phone, at the very least.

Camera

As every previous part, I will start the same — it is big. In fact, it is so big, you can fit 44 mm Apple Watch into the camera cutout of the iPhone case.

I don’t know why you would do it, but you can

I would recommend reading the review made by one of the creators of the best iPhone photography app Halide Sebastiaan de With. This is the most comprehensive review you will find right now, showing the real differences between the Pro Max and regular Pro cameras.

As was expected it really shines at night and in the evening, where there is not a lot of light and a bigger sensor can gather more of it.

Oh, and the main thing — it finally doesn’t cut out glasses in the portrait mode.

With my daughter. Notice my glasses

Miscellaneous

  • This was a good year for Apple to ditch the charger from the box. When you first receive the box, it looks deceptively small. This feeling stays with you until you hold the device in your hand and turn it on.
  • Keyboard is a tiny bit bigger, but enough to be noticeable and more comfortable.
  • Physical buttons are in a different place and it is unusual at first, but as with everything you get used to it pretty fast.
  • The camera bump is so much bigger that I had to change the grip because I was touching it. Had to teach myself taking the phone a bit lower than usual.
  • Leather case is thinner, which makes a phone in it more usable. Although I don’t like that it has a chin now. With constant swiping up from the bottom of the screen it is in the way. But I do love the colored animation which is the same color as the case.
  • I miss 3D Touch. I used it all the time and long press even with the haptic feedback is not the same. And also cursor mode on keyboard was so much better when you could do it anywhere and not just on the space bar.
  • While watching recorded HDR video, the screen gets really bright. I mean REALLY.
  • Not on the iPhone itself, but on the migration process. Used wireless migration from one phone to another. The process is good, although for a long time (about an hour), you can’t use both phones. Some apps (especially banking) get confused about their state and I had to reinstall a couple.

Apple Event — October 13

October 13, 2020
5 min read

As other companies are trying to repeat the success of Apple presentation from June, they are going to the next level with the production of their events. This time the focus was even more on transitions and again, the event is much shorter, clocking at 1 hour and 10 minutes.

HomePod mini

Source: Apple
Source: Apple

The smallest announcement (no pun intended) was HomePod mini. Apple claims that it will have an amazing sound and for $99 it will be a very compelling device.

Two notable things — when talking about 3rd party services, Apple didn’t mention Spotify — the most popular music streaming service, but it will be supported in the new OS.

Second, Apple please stop showing HomePods without cords in the middle of the room, it’s misleading.

The Intercom feature could be potentially interesting, with the ability to ask Siri to communicate something to everyone in your family. What’s important it works not only on HomePods, but on iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Macs and even CarPlay.

iPhone

Watching presentation, you could have missed that the main feature of the new iPhones is 5G (powered by Verizon). It is fast (in ideal conditions), reliable (in ideal conditions), has low latency (in ideal conditions). Oh, and did I mention? The new iPhones will have 5G (powered by Verizon).

The 5G was all over the presentation in partnership with, you guessed it, Verizon. Nobody knows how much Verizon paid Apple for that commercial inside the commercial, but it was bad. It was the worst presentation for a long time because of that. One would think Apple is above such things, but no, today was the very low point in the history of Apple events.

The one good thing in Apple implementation of 5G is Smart Data Mode, which will use LTE to preserve battery when the high speed is not essential.

iPhone 12

Source: Apple
Source: Apple

The main difference from the iPhone 11 is of course the new flat design, similar to the iPad Pro (and iPhone 4 and 5).

There are 5 colors — black, white, red, green and blue. And the screen is a bit bigger at 6.1”, but it has smaller borders, so the difference in the physical size is non-existent. The screen itself is OLED now, instead of LCD in the previous year model. It has a new technology which Apple calls Ceramic Shield, which is new material for the screen for dramatical improvement in toughness. Apple claims it has 4x better drop performance. We’ll have to wait and see if it will improve scratch resistance.

The new A14 Bionic chip is better and faster and will be faster than competition for years to come, that is everything you need to know.

The main camera is a bit better, the processor also allows for Night Mode on all cameras including front one. And you can also shoot Night Mode Time-lapses now.

MagSafe

Source: Apple
Source: Apple

There are magnets in the iPhone and it looks very interesting. You can attach wireless charger (similar to the Apple Watch), Apple cases will now have magnets to easily snap on and off.

And Apple introduced wireless charger for Apple Watch and iPhone.

Oh, and there won’t be a power adaptor and headphones in the box.

iPhone 12 mini

The smallest iPhone in the lineup. Physically it is even smaller than iPhone SE, but it has 5.4” display.

It is the same as the iPhone 12 except for the screen, so you won’t compromise on anything, just need to choose the size.

iPhone 12 Pro

Source: Apple
Source: Apple

Pro phones also feature a new design, although the band is from stainless steel and there are 4 colors — Silver, Graphite, Gold and Blue.

The displays got a bit bigger 6.1” (instead of 5.8”) for iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7” (instead of 6.5”) for iPhone 12 Pro Max. As with the iPhone 12, the bezels are smaller, so the physical size of the phone is just a bit bigger.

The biggest improvements are with the camera. Deep Fusion is now available on all 4 cameras (including front one).

There is LiDAR for depth data. The biggest improvement is in low light autofocus. The camera will find focus at night 6x faster. It also allows making portraits at night.

Apple will now support RAW photography right in app and what is more importantly there will API for Apple ProRAW, which will help 3rd party developers (like Halide) to improve their processing.

The iPhone Pro Max will have even better camera sensor. Starting with a bit better Telephoto sensor, which will allow using up to 2.5x optical zoom. And the main camera will have a Sensor Shift technology, which shifts the whole sensor instead of the lens for more precise image stabilization.

Prices for the Pro models will remain the same, but it will now start at 128 GB storage capacity. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will be available in a week, while iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available in a month.

iPhone Homescreen – iOS 13 Edition

September 16, 2020
6 min read

Before the end of the year 2019, I’ve decided to start a new tradition, by posting my homescreen and looking at what changed over the year. I feel like it is a bit different right now, because of the WFH situation and also with the release of iOS 14 with a lot of changes focused on the homescreen. So let’s look at the last iOS 13 homescreen, before updating to the iOS 14, which I feel like will change homescreen dramatically (I’m actually running public beta, but screenshot was taken right before installing it).

Stayed

There are some apps that stayed on the homescreen, although some of them changed placement. I still use Telegram, Messages and WhatsApp and the Phone app for communication. After an absence for a month Twitter and Instagram are back. And of course Safari is still in the dock.

For keeping up with the news and blogs I still use Reeder and Pocket, and YouTube for videos, while Overcast remains my podcast player of choice.

I won’t be replacing CoinKeeper any time soon. As well as all of the photo apps, like Halide, Lightroom and Photos.

The one app I am considering switching but which is still there is Notes. I don’t know what to replace it with. For writing I’ve found the replacement, but I’m not sure about the archival stuff.

Removed

There are a a couple of apps that are no longer on the homescreen, but I do use almost all of them.

App Store and Settings I can usually get to from search or from the second screen, but I don’t do it often.

I very rarely use ExpressVPN on iPhone and as I’ve mentioned in my previous overview its placement on the homescreen was temporary. Just like Gemini – I now use it only when it sends push notification once a week, so there is no need to keep it on the homescreen.

The last two are a bit of a different story. I’ve started editing mobile photos in Lightroom, as I enjoy the way it changes photos more, so I’ve cancelled my VSCO premium subscription and removed it from the first screen, although I didn’t delete it from my phone, yet.

I’ve removed Waze because this past half a year I’ve driven much less and it doesn’t get a lot of use. On the rare occasions I drive to work I have a Shortcuts automation running when I get into the car which launches Waze automatically with driving directions.

Replaced

Kindle – Books

A little while ago Kindle app introduced a bug, where it would forget the place you’ve stopped reading. So I had to remember and find the place every time I’ve opened the app, which was … not ideal. So I’ve switched to the Books app. Although it opens a book for quite some time, I liked it in the end. It opens on the right place, shows words, what more do you need.

Music – Spotify

In the begging of summer Spotify had a deal, where new users could get three months for free (including Family plan). I’ve long ago wanted to give Spotify another chance and it seemed like a perfect opportunity.

The free trial ended and I am still paying for Spotify. I think algorithms are better. Music is the same. The only advantage Apple Music has – integration. But I don’t have HomePod and rarely use Siri asking to play music, so I don’t feel like I’m loosing much.

Reminders – Asana

I’ve been using Asana for work for a long time and actually liked it a lot, so decided to use it as a personal task manager and for cooperation with my wife. It has all the features I want in the task manager and it is free. Hard to beat that.

Added

Apollo

My Reddit client of choice. Like how it looks and feels and it gets updated all the time.

Revolut

I’ve been using the app more and more. It is now one of the places I have investments. So it made sense to bring it forward from the second screen.

Audible

Since we’ve had a child, I started listening to audiobooks more and more. It’s perfect for walks with a sleeping toddler. She is a bit older now, so I turn the subscription on and off, mostly waiting for the deals, since I don’t have time to listen to all the books I already have.

Ulysses

The app I’m writing this post right now. I’ve been looking for a writing app for a long time, since I don’t actually enjoy writing in the Notes app. This felt perfect, so now I’m a subscriber. I even started using Markdown, which I didn’t get before, but now it makes sense.

Tot

You might say it’s silly to have three writing apss on the homescreen and I might actually agree. But they are all for different purposes and Tot is for short bits of text which I need for a short period of time. I’ve tried using Drafts for a similar reason before, but Tot fits much better. It’s a very pricey app, but sometimes it’s ok to overpay for something you enjoy.

Mimo

I’ve decided to learn programming. I probably won’t become a full time programmer, but I want to understand code. Also as a business analyst it’s very helpful to know at least some code.

Mail

I’ve been using Mail.app for a long time, only now did I bring it to the homescreen. It’s only for my personal use, I don’t have notifications turned on, so I check the app 1-2 times a day.

Formula 1

As I’ve said earlier, after watching the Drive To Survive documentary I decided to try to watch Formula 1 races. We are half way through the season right now and I enjoy it a lot.

Morning

Recently I’ve tried to delete all social media apps for 30 days (and was successful at it), the app gave me the rundown of the most important news of the day.

Sunday Endorsement – 31.05.2020

May 31, 2020
5 min read

📱 Tot Pocket

I was very skeptical at first. I mean, who wouldn’t be – €21.99 for a very limited note taking app. But after much consideration and keeping in mind the possibility to refund (yay Europe) I decided to give it a try. I’ve been trying to find an easy to use note app for a long time and nothing could come close to what I wanted. Notes.app was where I kept all my notes and didn’t feel like simple jotting app, I’ve tried Bear for a year, but it just replaced Notes and I never was a Markdown fan, I wanted something with rich text support. Drafts came close, but I always felt overwhelmed by it and after a week there would be tens of notes which I couldn’t remember what they were about.

Tot is light, colorful (it even changes the color of keyboard to match the dot and what surprised me most – even 3rd party keyboards get colored). I didn’t like icon at first, but recently they’ve added Mobius, which is now my favorite. I use all but one dots for something already and love it.

One disclaimer I have to add – I’ve had a data loss with the app. Just yesterday I was walking around town, listening to the audiobook and adding some notes, including citations I’ve transcribed myself. When I came home and opened an app – there was nothing. Just one word I’ve put as a placeholder when I created the note. And now I can’t shake the feeling of distrust. I hope it was a one time thing, but I’m not sure when I will be able to trust the application fully again.

I can’t recommend an app costing €21.99 to everyone, but if you look at screenshots and read the description you will know if the app is right for you. It is for me.

📺 Drive To Survive – Season 2

“Netflix are a bunch of cunts, aren’t they? I would love for them to play that.”

At the beginning of the season two they immediately let you know – this time it’s bigger, we have Mercedes and Ferrari now, but that somehow ruins it a bit. It became more pristine. The most controversial things were mostly when drivers and principals mentioned the documentary or Netflix.

But I still would recommend watching it. And I feel like it is much more interesting to those who have never watched F1, because otherwise you would already know what happened.

One additional note – I was the victim of advertising. After watching the show I went for a walk and had such a strong desire for a Red Bull I went to the store and bought one. Marketing works.

📜 Stratechery – The Google Squeeze

Half a year old article, but still very interesting. I never though how much advertising there is on Google. The screenshot which shows the results, where you have to scroll 3 pages in order to get to the organic results is worth the read alone.

I’ve compared the article with my own usage and it is the same in some instances and completely different in others. I hate the hotel module of Google. It always feels like some shitty websites want to give you a very bad deal. When I’m looking for a hotel I always go to booking.com. Always. And, as it turns out, that’s what they’ve tried to do – incentivize people to go straight to them. I guess it works.

⌚️ Pride California Watch Face

With the most recent update of the Apple Watch there are a couple of new Pride watch faces. One of them is California with Pride colors. It is my favorite watch face right now. I’ve been meaning to write about watch faces and how they all are bad for some reason or other. There are customizations, but it always feels like there could be more. But in terms of look – this one is just amazing.

One note – the process was a bit cumbersome. I had newest update on my Apple Watch, but new colors weren’t there. I updated my iPhone to iOS 13.5 and could choose a new California color, but it wouldn’t show up on my Watch. Only after restarting the watch did it work.

📚 Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

I’ve laughed a couple of times while listening to the book. It is probably the best memoir by a businessman I have ever read. It is more about motivation and drive and less about the decisions themselves. I’m sure that in order to build such a monumental company there have to be more controversial stories, but this book is not the place for them.

Ending is just beautiful. The book itself is very personal, but ending takes it to the new level. I didn’t want for it to end. One of the strongest recommendations I can give. Everyone should read it.

iPhone SE: It’s Not About The Price, It’s About Value

April 17, 2020
3 min read
Source: apple.com

When Apple announced iPhone SE earlier this week there was a lot of enthusiasm about the price, which in US starts at just $399. That is a lot of the phone for the price. Better still, as some pointed out – Apple announced the phone the same week OnePlus decided to go in the top tier price territory.

We live in a world where a brand new iPhone is undercutting every single phone OnePlus has released this year in price

Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD)

But what is even more amazing is the value you get buying 2nd generation iPhone SE. Sure you can choose from a lot of option in this price point in the world of Android. Huawei, LG, Motorola, Samsung will have you covered, but will you get the same amount of phone for the same amount of time?

For $399 you get the same processor as in iPhone 11 Pro, just think about that. This phone will get OS updates for at least 4-5 years and it won’t be slow. The best you can hope for with Android – it has the latest OS when you buy it. It also has a camera a bit better than last years iPhone XR. It has great battery life, wireless charging, it is spec-wise top of the line smartphone.

Before the phone was released, hearing all the rumors, I couldn’t have imagined that it would have A13. I was thinking that at best it would be last years processor, so it doesn’t look as capable as current top tier model, but Apple has outdone itself. I will be recommending this phone to a lot of people. I know a couple who already are waiting for it to be available. Some have 1st generation SE, others 6-8 types of phone.

The Perfect Coronavirus Phone

Final thought, it could be an exaggeration, but it is true. First of all because of the price. As many of us are not sure what the future will bring financially, if you need to buy a new phone, this is the strong contestant. Second – masks. Right now a lot of people wear masks, especially workers in fields that still have contact with people (medical workers, food delivery workers, etc.) and there is talk, that after quarantine is over, masks will be mandatory for going outside for some time. You know what doesn’t work with mask? FaceID. So iPhone SE with TouchID would be perfect for that scenario.

My Homescreen At The End Of 2019

January 13, 2020
5 min read

It is nice to look back and see how my homescreen has changed. It shows the most used and important apps at that moment. I would like to start the tradition of going through the apps on my homescreen each year to see what has changed or stayed the same (took the idea from M.G. Siegler).

For a couple of years, my first rule of arranging the homescreen is no folders. Just the most used apps I can open in one tap. I’ve tried to put folders in the first row recently, as it is hardest to reach, but it didn’t work aesthetically for me.

The top row consists of the rarely used apps and Telegram, which I open mostly from the Notification Center. App Store stays here since the days I’ve manually updated all the apps.

The second row is all about photography. Instagram is where I post my photos almost exclusively, Photos app which I love. My two main editing apps – Lightroom, where I edit my real camera photos and VSCO where all the mobile editing is done. I’m not sure why I still keep Lightroom on the homescreen, I almost don’t use it on the phone, but it is one of the top apps on my iPad.

There is another photography app on this screen, although it is a bit lower for easier reach – Halide. I’ve been using it a lot less recently, now I either take photos with the built-in camera app or with my real camera, but sometimes it’s nice to have RAW capture capability (I open the built-in camera app from Lock Screen or Control Center).

CoinKeeper is the app for tracking expenses . I’ve been using it for a long time, there is a new version out, but I’m so used to this one, I’m hesitant to move, lucky for me they keep both of them in the App Store.

I’ve been using TweetBot for years, until the summer of 2019. I wanted to use Twitter less and also have all the features that the service offers, so I moved to the official Twitter client. At first it felt like I was using completely different service, but after some time I actually began to like it.

Almost everything I read on the internet goes through Pocket. I have a couple of IFTTT rules that save all the articles from select blogs, I also go through the Reeder (yes, RSS reeder in the 2019) and save the articles that seem interesting for reading later (that is why I didn’t update to Reeder 4 this year, for what I am using it for, the previous version is enough).

I’ve tried to watch more YouTube videos, but it is hard. Twitter and Instagram allow for a short bursts of usage, with YouTube you have to be in the right place and have a lot of time.

Although most of my reading is done on the iPad before going to bed, Kindle is one of the aspirational app placements – I wanted to read even more, so I’ve put it on the homescreen.

It is impossible to live in Europe without Waze and WhatsApp (in the case of the latter – unfortunately). Most of my work chats have moved to Slack (which I have somewhere in the folder and I have notifications turned off on my iPhone, it’s enough I get them on the computer), I chat in iMessage with my wife and in Telegram with most friends. But there are still couple of groups in WhatsApp (mostly family) which I can’t move anywhere else.

I use Apple Music mostly because of all the integrations. We have a family plan between me and my wife and I like using Siri when trying to play something.

Last two apps are temporary – I use Gemini in the short bursts, almost like using Twitter or Instagram, to go through all of the photos and delete similar ones. Once I go through all of them, I plan to remove it from the homescreen and do the cleaning periodically, probably using a reminder.

ExpressVPN is the app I literally installed on the December 31st. While at the hospital, I’ve had some time to kill, so I wanted to watch a couple of TV shows. Netflix in Latvia, as it turns out is so bad, it’s not even funny. So it is totally worth it to pay for the VPN service in order to get content I want.

Since iOS 13 came out, I’ve moved Reminders to my homescreen and use it as my one and only to do list app. The new design, integrations and simplicity is what keeps me using it. I’ve tried a lot of different apps for tasks, but my needs are very simple, so all those apps mostly drove me away from productivity.

In the dock there are Messages, Notes, Overcast and Safari – those are probably my most used apps. I listen to a lot of podcasts and the sound engine of Overcast is the best in class.

I’ve been using Bear for a year and moved back to Apple Notes. It works for me. I like to use rich text while editing and nothing can beat its price.

Because of syncing, battery life and privacy focused features I use Safari on all my devices.

So here it goes, my homescreen at the end of the year. I know that it’s far from perfect, I know a couple of improvements I want to make already (actually some of them are already made), so it will be fun to take a look at the same screen next year.

Upgrading With Purpose

November 6, 2019
4 min read

Up until recently I was getting the new iPhone every year just as it comes out. Believe me, it is hard to do in Latvia, but I’ve always found a way. Sometimes through persistence, like with the iPhone X, I pulled every string I could, but got one of the firsts. Sometimes through luck – we’ve had tickets booked to Berlin right for the day of iPhone XS going on sale, so the second pre-orders started I was navigating Apple Store in German (which I don’t understand at all) and ordering the iPhone XS Max. This went on since I’ve returned to the iOS with iPhone 6S Plus, so it were a good couple of years. This was probably one of my favorite tweets of all time:

Recently though, I’ve started to think more about upgrading the devices I use and try to ask myself – is it really necessary to do that just because the new comes out or do they improve something I really need?

First the AirPods, when the second generation came out, I didn’t see the need to upgrade, as I don’t use wireless charging, the battery on mine was still fine and the sound wasn’t improved. I could benefit from the faster pairing process and a bit longer battery life while calling, but those were minor changes considering the price. I’ve used the 1st generation AirPods until the battery got abysmal and upgraded.

Then there was an Apple Watch. I loved my Series 3, but when the Series 4 came out, it looked outdated, with the square screen and without the new watch faces. Series 3 was still powerful enough (unlike its predecessors). Series 4 had a couple of new health features, which are still not available in Latvia. The watch I had was still perfectly fine. On the other hand, when Series 5 came out with the always-on display, it was a big change and improvement to get myself an upgrade.

That way we get to the star of the upgrading show – the iPhone. I would love to have the newest and greatest, but do I need it? My year old XS Max works great, the battery is still good and lasts me all day. The camera improved, but I use it for some snapshots day-to-day and it is perfectly fine for that, when I travel I always take my “big” camera as I love to take photos with that. I tried Night Mode on my wife’s iPhone 11 and it is … okay. It looks cool, but I don’t see myself using it often yet.

The struggle is real and one of the biggest problems are social networks. I open my Twitter feed and there are all the tech bloggers getting phones for review or buying on the first day. I open my Instagram Explore tab and it is filled with new iPhones, AirPods and other products. From YouTubers, who got them from Apple, to influencers, to photo aggregator accounts. This creates the biggest FOMO I have probably ever experienced.

But are there any other reasons for not upgrading besides self-restraint? Except for the obvious one – money, there is also emotional – next year or the year after, when you upgrade, it would be a two or three times better leap in technology. Phones today don’t get much upgrade year over year, so in those two or three years there would be enough to surprise and delight you.

When I’ve upgraded to Series 5, as I’ve mentioned before the biggest upgrade was always-on display, but if I had Series 4 before that, it would be the only new feature. It is amazing, but it wouldn’t give you the same feeling for a couple of days, when you want to play with new device (if you don’t also consider the horrendous battery life as a new feature). For me the screen changed, it got bigger, there are a lot of new watch faces to play with. New types of complications. I’ve had this new device feeling, when for a couple of days I wanted to play with my new toy. I’m not sure it would have been the same upgrading from Series 4 to Series 5.

I’m not saying everyone should stop buying new watches or phones every year, I’m not even sure I won’t buy one, still. But I want to be more mindful about those things. Put more thought into the decision and not just run after new and shiny every time Apple presents or announces something.

Apple Pay: Two Months In

October 18, 2019
4 min read

We’ve just got to Spain and despite of it being late at night decided to go swimming, the sea was about 3 minute walking distance from our hotel, so we’ve changed in the room, took towels and nothing else. I had only my Apple Watch with me. We’ve went to the sea, had a nice swim (which my Watch tracked as an activity) and on the way back we saw a bar. We went there and as nobody had a wallet, I’ve bought drinks for everyone with my watch. Tell me this 10-15 years ago, I wouldn’t believe you.

There are different types of technologies – the ones that disrupt, the ones that improve or worsen our lives and the ones that blend seamlessly into our lives and it feels like they’ve always been there.

When you first pay using Apple Pay it just feels right. It’s easy, fast, natural and secure. The one problem? During the presentation I though we would never get it in Latvia. When AirPods came out I had to wait 9 months before I was able to buy a pair. We still, after a year, don’t have EKG (although most of the Europe does), so imagine my surprise when one day out of the blue I see news that Apple Pay is available in Latvia. Five years after it was announced.

I immediately opened Wallet app to set it up both on my phone and my watch. It is still available only in mobile payment systems – Revolut and Monese (although Swedbank is promising the support soon), no other local bank offers it, so the barrier to entry right now is a bit high for users. It took me a minute to set it up and 5 minutes later I was using my watch to pay for coke. It felt like I live in the future.

It is now about two months since launch in Latvia and it feels like there wasn’t any other way before. I’ve used the physical card just a handful of times and mostly outside of the country.

My wife asked me to help her order Revolut card, so she could use Apple Pay. I’ve had a couple of waiters ask how is it possible to set up Apple Pay and they seemed very enthusiastic and really wanted to try it out.

Here in Latvia, almost every terminal is equipped with NFC reader, so I’ve only had one time where I couldn’t use it. After about a week I’ve left my physical Revolut card at home and never looked back. I have one back-up card in my wallet, but it almost never gets used.

I was surprised that there are a lot of terminals that don’t have NFC in Lithuania, granted it wasn’t the capital, but the smaller touristy city, but still. In Russia on the other hand contactless terminals are the norm. Even in some god forgotten little towns where cashier is a babooshka you can pay with your watch or a phone.

I love that there are no limits using Apple Pay, like there are with contactless. I’ve paid large amounts without the need to enter PIN, just pushing the button on the watch.

The offline story is very well covered here in Latvia, unfortunately not so much online. I was able to try out Apple Pay on a website just once, but it was a blast. There are a couple of apps that I use that added Apple Pay as their payment option (mostly apps that rent e-scooters), using those makes me wish every app and website supported it.

I hope more banks add the support for the Apple Pay in the future, as this is fast, easy to use and most importantly secure way to pay, so the more users have the ability to use it, the better.

What Happened, Apple?

September 12, 2019
3 min read

Although there was a loot of interesting stuff presented, something was definitely amiss at the latest Apple Event. First it was half an hour too short, leaving time for at least one big thing. Second, different release dates for iOS and iPadOS don’t make sense and actually will be messy.

Regarding the first issue. There were a lot of rumors about Apple bringing the reverse wireless charging to the iPhone. This would give the ability to charge the AirPods from the iPhone. It is now rumored Apple scraped this feature as it didn’t hold up to the high standards (Apple and wireless chargers, am I right?).

There were also a lot of rumors about some kind of Tile device, which you could track. Apple didn’t show anything like that. It even added new processor to the iPhone and didn’t bring it up. How un-Apple is it? This U1 chip is specifically designed for proximity based navigation and right now the only feature it will have – you can AirDrop to the specific person by pointing iPhone at them. Imagine this technology used in retail. This could be a game changer – you point your iPhone at something, it shows you the price, you pay with Apple Pay and you are done.

There was absolutely no mention of AR. Again, this is unlike Apple in the recent years. There were rumors of AR headset, I wouldn’t say it should have been shown in this event, but still, no word? Especially considering, that in the GM builds of iOS 13, people are already finding a lot of new mentions of AR.

Regarding release dates for the OS’s. In the new version redesigned Reminders app uses a different format, so if you update your iPhone on September 19 and use this new format it will stop syncing to the iPad, which will still have old Reminders app and old format.

Also, if you use Shortcuts and change anything in one of them on iOS 13, it will stop working on iOS 12. What about universal apps? Can you update your app for iOS 13, while still supporting iOS 12 for the iPad.

There are a lot of questions, which make this event a bit weird. Remember the tag line for the event was By Innovation Only and there was nothing Innovating in that event (except of course Pro font in the camera app on the Pro iPhone).

I hope there is a second event in October, where Apple will be able to bring some light on the features it didn’t show us in this event or should we wait another year now?