2025-09-12 19:58:35
Last year, I made an executive decision not to upgrade my iPhone every year as I have been for over 5 years now. The iPhone Pro has essentially been the same over the years. Yes, the camera gets better, etc etc. but certainly not worth upgrading every year.
If Apple had not stuck to their routine of just upgrading the Pro every year, I was on track to skip this year for the first time. This is because my mobile phone purchasing budget is going to be allocated to a Android foldable, maybe an iPhone foldable next year.
MereCivilian
Last year, I switched from the Pro Max to the Pro because of the weight issue. This year, the Pro Max is even heavier. No, thank you. My power-user friends will jump on it but last year I also accepted the fact that I am not a Pro user. I even bought the regular iPhone 16, but the lack of ProMotion wasn't a real deal-breaker. I gave it a real go too but cannot shake it off despite using it for 2 weeks.
Anyway, this year, Apple called my bluff and launched the iPhone Air. It's super light, super slick, and my heart wants one. It feels like ages since Apple gave us something this cool.
My plan is to pre-order the iPhone Air and, if I am happy with it, to sell my iPhone 16 Pro and call it a day.
I know it's just an iPhone. For most people, it's just an iPhone. For me, a tech nerd, I love my portable gadgets. Thats just who I am. Some people golf, other ski, some gamble, I buy a new phone every year. Glad we settled that.
For me, there is something about a mobile phone. I have always been interested, even in the Nokia days. I enjoy having a new phone every year. Thank God, I can afford it. The Good Lord has been kind. Thank you.
A part of me still thinks that I will miss the Pro cameras. Also, the Air being so thin, I am hoping it is grippy and not slip out. The battery life is not my concern because I carry two phones.
Anyway, I have not traded in my iPhone 16 Pro. I merely have preordered the iPhone Air and intend to use the full 14 days that Apple provides to test the phone for my use case. If I am not satisfied, I intend to return the iPhone Air and keep my iPhone 16 Pro.
2025-09-09 19:46:30
On June 1st 2025, I embarked on an experiment to live entirely without Apple devices. Details of said experiment:
MereCivilian
Six weeks after successfully completing this experiment, an opportunity presented itself. I seriously considered if I should continue with this experiment, permanently embracing the Windows and Android lifestyle. This thought crossed my mind because of how well the experiment went and how seamless it is to use use Window and Android. There were paper-cuts along the way. As there were when I first dipped my toe in Apple waters. It took a few weeks to optimise my setup and have it work just as well as I would prefer it. Having a positive mindset and embracing multi-platform apps made the entire process effortless. In hindsight, I don't believe I would have been able to do anything like this 3 years ago when most of my daily apps were exclusive on the Apple platform.
Anyway, I pondered for a few moments but the decision was pretty straight forward. Yes, I can stay without Apple devices but, having a multi-platform ecosystem is more fun, more enjoyable and just offers the kind variety that I want in my personal commuting. I get bored pretty quickly considering I work on a computer all day as well, therefore, I want to keep things interesting. Apple has a fantastic ecosystem, but I wouldn't call it fun.
My approach to personal commuting is flexible enough not to be locked into anyone particular ecosystem. With that in mind, I reverted to my multi ecosystem setup.
There are other considerations. For example, it was clear that despite being able to do whatever I needed to be do on Windows; I prefer macOS. Perhaps this is because of over 10 years of using macOS. Regardless, I prefer macOS over Windows. This wasn't news to me but this experimented cemented that position.
Visually, macOS is pleasing to my eyes. Perhaps its also muscle memory where on macOS, the minimise/maximise buttons are on the top left while on Windows its on the top right. I also like the macOS menubar. Its the little things that make all the difference.
An important factor is that I do all my work work on Windows. Therefore, after using Windows for 8 hours, I prefer to use something else. This was the reason I moved away from Windows 15 years ago in the first place:
MereCivilian
Honestly, I missed the iPhone the least. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold was better in every way except for the camera. Being a foldable, the cameras are not as good as traditional smartphones. Having said that, for taking everyday pictures, the Fold was more than sufficient. To the extent that even for my 5 day vacation in Queenstown (post experiment), I did not take the iPhone 16 Pro. The additional features such as using the rear cameras for selfies and the "add me" feature made the Pixel Fold a device that I always want to have around.
My wife mentioned on numerous occasions that she missed not being able to see where I am on Find My. My wife, my parents and my sisters are all on Apple devices and we are all part of the same Apple Family, therefore we can locate each other on Find My. Over the years, this has come in handy on many occasions
Towards the end of the experiment, in the last weeks, I lost my father-in-law in a car accident. We spent hours looking for the accident site and could not locate it because we had no ability to track his phone. He used a Samsung Flip 4 and we had not set up location sharing on his phone through Google Maps. We have since set it for my mother in law so we always will know where she is.
This is one of those situations where you do not realise how useful a feature is until something terrible happens. Even if I setup Google Maps location family sharing on each family member's device, it is likely that in high pressure situations, each family member will open Find My instead of any other app. Basically the familiar, the default app wins. The app that you know, is the app that you will use. The power of default cannot be understated. Anyway, because of this, I doubt, there will ever be a situation where I completely abandon the iPhone. My family needs to know where I am. It is for their peace of mind and thats important to me.
MereCivilian
The Apple watch app collection and the quality apps trumps the offering on the Pixel Watch. However, I prefer the circular watch so much more. The apps that are available on the Pixel Watch are delightful to use. It is difficult choosing which watch to keep. Then again, I do not have to choose so I keep them both. I am not crazy enough to wear two watches at the same time so a rotate every couple of days. This keeps things fresh.
The apps on the Apple Watch are not as sticky as their iPhone counterparts. I feel, I use the apps a lot less. I am predominately using the smart watch for notifications and health stuff. Both watches are pretty good at these tasks.
This one has a clear winner. The AirPods Pro 2 is better in every way possible. They are more comfortable, more feature-rich, better ANC, better battery life and better case compared to the Pixel Buds 2. The Pixel Buds 2 are not terrible, they just are not as great as the AirPods.
One of the annoying things about the Pixel Buds 2 case is that despite using it every single day, I still end up putting the right ear buds on the left and the left ear buds on the right. So frustrating.
I wrote over 2000 words in Notion documenting my journey in detail. I do not intend to publish that here but it is remains a good resource. As is the case with most things in life, it is the nuance that we fail to fully comprehend.
Bottom line though for me is that I can be happy and productive with either ecosystems but I prefer the to have both. Windows and Android ecosystem is pretty good, has good variety of options and a lot more open source software.
2025-08-09 22:44:19
I am a big fan of SONOS, always have been, despite the recent controversy relating to the SONOS app. This is an important fact to state up front so you as the reader, know my bias. Every human has biases, and I am no different.
Here is my experience of using the SONOS Ace expressed in over 2500 words
2025-08-07 19:31:43
This is the question I have been asking myself for the last couple of weeks. I lost my father-in-law in a tragic car accident a month ago. Thankfully, my mother-in-law survived the accident.
2025-07-23 18:14:33
We are all familiar with MagSafe on MacBooks. On MacBooks, the MagSafe port is only for charging and does not serve any other purpose. Although the charging speed is decent, its main selling point is that the cable magnetically attaches to the MacBook which provides protection in the circumstances when the cable is unintentionally pulled.
Like most things Apple makes, it is beautifully designed and works well. It seems, as Apple users, we were content to accept whatever Apple gives us.
During my "Without Apple" experiment, I used the Surface Pro as my MacBook Pro and iPad Pro replacement. Microsoft has its own take on MagSafe and therefore, the Surface Pro 11 comes with a Surface Connect port as shown in the image below.
2025-07-17 13:28:10
Since I can remember, I have always used Windows and never had a reason to switch away. Honestly, I didn't even think that there may be viable alternatives. However, in 2010, I bought my very first Mac and that started an epic decade long journey where Apple became my favourite tech company.
We tell ourselves stories. It is funny, actually. I always thought, I bought my Mac because I got an iPhone and fell into the hype that MacBooks work better with iPhone compared to Windows. This narrative is often referred to within the Apple centric media and I suppose, unintentionally, that became my narrative as well.
However, I recently found my first iPhone, and it was an iPhone 5 which I got as a wedding gift in 2013. Therefore, I couldn't possibly be motivated by the iPhone to get a Mac in 2010.
This has been on my mind especially since I started my "without Apple" experiment.
Within a couple of days, the answer was apparent. In 2010, I started working full time and was in front of a Windows PC all day. After spending the whole day working on Windows, I didn't want to use my personal Toshiba Windows laptop. This is precisely what happened when I started using my Surface Pro for work all day.
I didn't switch to Mac because it was superior, but because it offered a distinct experience. It created a separation between my personal and work computing. Using a Mac was a refreshing change, breaking the monotony of using Windows for eight hours a day, five days a week.
Many individuals use Windows for both their professional and personal tasks. Similarly, some people use Macs throughout the workday and then continue using them for personal computing at home. In 2010, I preferred not to, and that's why I bought my first Mac. I probably bought it using funds from my first full-time job.
So, now, I have documented Why I moved away from Windows, 15 years ago. My future self may forget and this blog post will be a useful reminder.
