Category: Apple

Back in 2020, I purchased the 16-inch MacBook Pro. I’d never been a fan of large laptops and so not sure what got into me but decided I’d buy the largest one Apple sold and I regretted the minute I got it. I mentioned in my original review that a month into using the laptop I had gotten slightly more comfortable with it but it really didn’t progress much further than that. It definitely wasn’t a laptop to take on trips with, and I’m not even talking plane trips, I hated taking my laptop to the office or into the next room just because of how big and bulky it was.

I don’t tend to change laptops a lot, my average cycle is around once every 4 years so this is the quickest change I’ve done, 2 years after purchasing the 16-inch MacBook Pro I went ahead and purchased the latest 14-inch one.

The new 14-inch Macbook Pro might be the best laptop I’ve ever owned, even competing with all my favorite iBooks from the early 2000’s including the 12″ PowerBook.

Where do I begin? Let’s talk about the size first, although 14″ doesn’t sound much smaller than 16″, and even though in photos it doesn’t look that much smaller, in reality, the difference is huge. As I’ve been doing since 2001, the first thing I order when I buy a new laptop is a black Waterfield SleeveCase. The sleeve offers plenty of protection so I tend to throw around my laptops into the backseat of my car, on the car floor, or onto my desk. Throwing around the 14-inch feels so easy now that I’ve come from the larger 16-inch. I know how easy throwing around a laptop isn’t something you’d think of when buying a new laptop but it’s really something that we all do. The 14-inch is easier to carry around, shove into places, and is a much more portable machine than the 16-inch was.

Another issue I had with the 16-inch was the battery life. It wasn’t that great and lasted around 4-hours. The new 14-inch lasts so much longer that I’m going to compare it to my iPad. I don’t charge my iPad daily even though I use it daily. The new MacBook is the same, since I got my MacBook over a month ago if I really think about it I could probably tell you exactly how many times I’ve charged it. The battery easily lasts over 10 hours so I don’t charge it every night but more like every 3 or 4 days now. I usually keep the laptop on my couch in my living room when I go to sleep while with the 16-inch I’d take it back to my desk so I can charge it and have it ready for the next day. It feels freeing not having to charge the laptop every night.

The keyboard is another thing that is just amazing about the laptop, the best keyboard I’ve used to date on any laptop. Firstly the touch bar is gone which is good news. Although I was a huge fan of it when it first came out, Apple never really expanded its features or abilities so over time I just started wishing I had regular buttons.

Other things to mention, the laptop has a notch similar to how new iPhones do but they’re less noticeable on the MacBook. It doesn’t bother me at all and it makes me feel like I have more screen space because the menu bar has now moved up to where the camera is, instead of it feeling like the menu bar is eating up important screen real estate. That top menu bar strip feels like bonus space. Apple also brought back some ports including the SD card slot which I just got to use now for the first time to move photos from my camera to my laptop. Very practical but I won’t use it that much myself. I also need to mention how good the new MacBook feels to hold. Both my MacBook Air and my 16-inch MacBook Pro have sharp edges whole the new 14-inch has softer rounded edges and so feels really great in my hands. Finally, the new MacBook looks very hot, one of the best-looking laptops to date.

So like I mentioned at the start of this post, this new 14-inch MacBook Pro is one of the best laptops I’ve ever owned. I love it a lot and already feel so attached to it that I put up my 16-inch for sale without hesitation. I also got it for a pretty good deal, Amazon had a $200 off offer on the 14-inch so I ended up buying it for KD530. I just checked now and they actually have the laptop discounted right now at KD546, so not as good a deal as I got but still cheaper than retail. If you’re looking for a laptop I can’t recommend this one enough. Definitely get it.

I’ve always been very fascinated with compact computers I guess ever since I saw the original Nokia Communicator 9000 with Val Kilmer in the 1997 film, The Saint. Since then I’ve had a bunch of mini computers including the Nokia Communicator 9110, Sony Clie UX-50, Asus Eee 900, and the MSI Wind. I think this is why I’ve always wanted an iPad Mini and after spotting the purple one at an Apple store in Amsterdam while on vacation, I decided it was time I got one. So after getting back to Kuwait I got in touch with Xcite and managed to get my hands on one.

Full disclosure, I have a long-standing relationship with Xcite who provided me with this iPad. They’ve been very supportive of the blog from the very early days and they’ve lent or given me a number of items over the years to review, as well as hooking me up with discounts. I’m a huge Xcite fan.

Firstly right off the bat, I’ll tell you that I tried my best to capture in the photos how beautiful the purple color of this new iPad Mini is, but I’ve failed at doing so. The purple Mini combined with the dark cherry Apple cover I got for it looks amazing, you really need to see it in person because my photos don’t do it justice. Color aside, I also love the new form factor of the Mini which now follows the updated design language of the larger iPads and new iPhones. Gone are the curvy soft edges which are now replaced with the sharper sides that I think give it a timeless look. One reason I felt so comfortable with the Mini right away is that it feels like a Kindle in my hands, and side by side with one, you’ll see below they’re pretty close.

The iPad Mini is tiny and incredibly light, especially when compared to my huge 12.9″ iPad Pro. It’s not as light as my Kindle, but it’s light enough that I can hold it for an hour while reading magazines and not feel bothered by the weight. And yeah, I’ve mostly been using my Mini to read magazines, RSS feeds, and documents. Although my iPad Pro’s larger screen makes the magazine experience more natural due to the size of the pages on the screen, it’s a much more comfortable experience on the Mini because of how lightweight it is. One thing I found surprising, the iPad Mini is actually small enough to fit into the front pockets of my pants. I wouldn’t walk around with an iPad in my front pocket, but the idea that I could, if I needed to, makes it very convenient.

I’ve had the iPad Mini for a few weeks now and it’s replaced both my laptop and iPhone for casual browsing while watching TV. It’s kinda like having a phone in your hands but better because of the larger screen. But, it is a very odd size and I’m not sure who I would recommend this iPad for. It’s not going to replace your phone since it’s not a phone, but it’s also really small so if you’re thinking of getting an iPad, it wouldn’t be the size you’d want to get. It’s not even the cheapest iPad so it wouldn’t be the one you’d get for your kids either.

I think the iPad Mini is meant for people like me who already have a regular-sized iPad and a regular-sized iPhone and are looking for something in between. It’s not something I need, but something I’m finding uses for. For example, I currently take my iPad Pro with me when I travel so I can watch shows on the plane. But I don’t like taking my MacBook Air with me when I do that since my backpack becomes too heavy. Now I can take both my MacBook Air and iPad Mini with me and the weight is fine. I’ve also started using the iPad Mini when working on my cars to load up documents. Previously I was using my iPhone, but the Mini’s larger screen makes reading instructions from a distance much easier. If you get a Mini you’ll find uses for it.

One issue I should mention I have with the Mini is the battery life. According to Apple, both my larger iPad Pro and new iPad Mini have a similar battery life, but that can’t be the case because I feel my iPad Mini’s battery drains a lot faster. Maybe it’s because I spend so much time on it, more than I would on the Pro, but I don’t think so. Another thing I’m kind of disappointed about is the fact Apple doesn’t make a keyboard for the iPad Mini. It’s the one thing I really wish it had because my idea of a mini computer always involves a keyboard. There are some third-party ones available, but I haven’t found one yet that I liked. I do have the Apple Pen which works with the Mini, but I rarely use it. Finally, the last issue I have with the Mini is the Touch ID. The iPad Mini doesn’t have facial recognition and instead uses Touch ID which is located on the power button to unlock the iPad. You’re meant to touch it and it scans your fingerprint and then unlocks. It’s been a few weeks and I still haven’t gotten used to it yet and I tend to spend a lot of time accidentally turning off the iPad when trying to unlock it. It’s super annoying.

When I spoke to Xcite about getting an iPad Mini I requested the entry-level 64GB model because that’s really more than enough for my needs. Also, because this is going to supplement my various Macbooks, iPads and phone, it doesn’t really make sense financially to get anything more expensive than the entry-level model which already costs quite a bit at KD160. So that’s the model I’d recommend, I also wouldn’t bother with the 5G models since you can always tether your iPad to your phone.

In conclusion, I’m loving my Mini. Not sure who to recommend it to but if you’ve been thinking about getting one I’d pull the trigger and get it. It’s fast, the speakers are loud and the size is perfect. To check out the various iPad Mini models and colors available, here is a link to the Xcite website.

You might have noticed recently that Safe Search on Google is turned on by default and can’t be switched off. It seems local internet providers were asked by the MOC to switch it on and lock it so that it can’t be turned off. Luckily for iPhone users, there is an easy way to bypass it on your phone while at the same time being more private. I just found out about this so I’m assuming a lot of people don’t know about it either.

If you have the latest iOS update installed, head to Settings then click on your Apple ID at the top, and then iCloud. In the list, you’ll find an option called “Private Relay (Beta)”. Just turn that on and problem solved, you’ll now be able to use google with Safe Search off.

Thanks Nasser!

After accidentally pre-ordering the wrong iPhone 13 Pro from the online Apple Store, I finally got my hands on the one I wanted from Xcite. I skipped the iPhone 12 Pro last year so was really looking forward to seeing how different the 13 was going to be from my 11 Pro. In short, turns out not that different really.

Full disclosure, I have a long-standing relationship with Xcite who provided me with this iPhone to keep. They’ve been very supportive of the blog from the very early days and they’ve lent or given me a number of items over the years to review, as well as hooking me up with discounts. I’m a huge Xcite fan.

Firstly let’s get the price out of the way since that seems to be the most controversial thing. Purchasing the iPhone locally even from authorized resellers is a lot more expensive than purchasing the phone from the US Apple Store online. When I accidentally ordered the 512GB iPhone 13 Pro online, with shipping to Kuwait and with Apple’s silicon case the total came out to 420KD. In Kuwait, the official retail price of the 512GB is 470KD. That’s 50KD more and doesn’t even include the case which costs around 20KD. So 70KD more expensive than ordering it from the US. But, on the bright side, the prices in Kuwait are cheaper than Europe. I considered buying the iPhone when I was in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago but the prices there were more expensive than in Kuwait. The 512GB was selling for 525KD at the Apple Store which is 55KD more expensive than Kuwait. So Europe > Kuwait > US.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about the phone. Going from the iPhone 11 Pro to the 13 Pro I was expecting to see a big jump. Not sure why since my 11 Pro was doing perfectly fine. I didn’t think my phone was slow, the battery was lasting great, the cameras were good, the OLED screen was fantastic and facial recognition was the best thing although I wished it had a fingerprint reader last year. I’ve been using the 13 Pro for around a week now and it still feels like I have my old phone. No major difference, in fact, other than the more boxy shape of the phone and the 3x zoom vs the 2x zoom on my previous phone, I don’t think I’d be able to tell I was using a different phone.

The new iPhone 13 Pro has a much higher screen refresh rate, 120Hz vs 60Hz in the old phone. The higher refresh rate is meant to make scrolling look smoother but in reality, I don’t see any difference. Maybe if I put my old phone next to my new one and scroll down a long website at the same time I’ll notice a difference, but that’s now how I use my phone. I think this is a feature that’s been overhyped, I’m sure it’s good to have, just wouldn’t be something I’d highlight. The notch on top is also meant to be smaller but I only noticed the difference a while ago while taking the side-by-side shots with my old phone. Finally, the camera which improves every year is also meant to be better but again in normal use, I’m not seeing much of a difference. The whole transition to this new phone has been very… subtle.

I think the biggest difference between my new phone and old one is how much louder the speakers are on the new phone. They’re at least 25 to 50% louder and I love that. Another great improvement I noticed just yesterday is the battery life. I was out of the house all day and by 7PM I had 20% battery left and the phone hadn’t been charged all day, not even in the car since I was in my old Alfa.

Really the things that are catching my attention are mostly negative. For example, the new zoom lens on the iPhone is 3x zoom vs 2x on the previous models. I tend to shoot food shots mostly with the 2x zoom since it allows me to avoid shadows but I still haven’t gotten used to the new 3x zoom and thats because I now have to move further away from my food to the point I have to push my chair back to be able to fit my subject onto the phone. 3x is better than 2x most of the time, so I just need to get used to it. Another issue I have with the phone is the magnetic back. I’ve been using a magnet to mount my phones in the car for years. It’s super practical, you just put this very thin metal between your phone and phone cover, and then it just snaps onto the magnetic phone mount that came with it. It makes removing and mounting your phone super easy. The only issue is you can’t use the wireless charging feature because of the metal plate. Starting with last year’s iPhones, Apple placed magnets inside the phone to use with various accessories like phone covers and magnetic wireless chargers. I was hoping this would mean I would no longer have to place the metal plate behind my iPhone but turns out I still have to. Although the iPhone can attach to my car mount without a metal plate now, it’s not strong enough to hold it on rough roads and so my phone would keep falling.

OK, I’ve realized my post is starting to sound negative but I’m not trying to be. The new iPhone is great, it’s better than my 11 Pro in every way and will be better than any older iPhone. But, if you’re expecting a big jump going up from the 11 Pro or the 12 Pro, you’re going to be disappointed. When friends have been asking me if they should upgrade or not I’ve only been telling people with the iPhone X or older phones to get the new one. If you’re on the 11 or 12 Pro you don’t really need to make the jump. The iPhones are so good they can easily hold you for a few years without really losing out on much.

If you’re interested in getting a new iPhone, they’re pretty hard to come by since they’re in high demand. Xcite have a few of the iPhone 13 models in stock as of this post and you can check them all out on their website.

When the iPhone 13 Pro launched a couple of weeks ago I pre-ordered one from the Apple store along with a silicon cover. This is how much it cost me with shipping:

iPhone 13 Pro 512GB (Sierra Blue)
Apple Silicon Cover (Blue Jay)
Total = KD 404

Shipping – MyUS (so I don’t pay US tax)
FedEx 1-3 Days Priority
Customs and clearance fees
Total = KD 16

Total cost = KD 420

I’ll be actually selling this one since I accidentally ordered the 512GB instead of the 256GB. And since the shipping time from Apple is now 3-4 weeks due to high demand, I’m just gonna wait till Digits gets their phones and buy one from them. But, the prices above should give you an idea of how much it generally costs to get a phone directly from the States. There were two cheaper shipping prices with MyUS, but both would have resulted in the iPhone arriving in around 10 days’ time and I’m traveling soon so wanted it to arrive before.

As of this post there is no official launch date for the new iPhone 13 in Kuwait nor are there official prices. But, the Anker dealer Astore published their list of prices which should give us a rough idea of what the local prices will be like:

iPhone 13
128GB – 290.900 KD
256GB – 326.900 KD
512GB – 399.900 KD

iPhone 13 Pro
128GB – 360.900 KD
256GB – 397.900 KD
512GB – 470.900 KD
1TB – 544.900 KD

iPhone 13 Pro Max
128GB – 404.900 KD
256GB – 439.900 KD
512GB – 512.900 KD
1TB – 584.900 KD

iPhone 13 Mini
128GB – 256.900 KD
256GB – 292.900 KD
512GB – 365.900 KD

I skipped out on the iPhone 12 last year so going to be getting the 13 Pro in Sierra Blue this year. Not a lot of improvements over the 12, but should be a nice jump for me since I’m still using the 11 Pro.

I’ve been using a 2013 iMac 27″ as my main computer since well, 2013. It was the entry-level 27″ at that time with a 3.2ghz quad-core i5 processor and I had upgraded the RAM to 24GB and the hard drive to a 1TB SSD. It was showing its age but it held up great over the years and honestly could have survived a couple of more if Apple hadn’t released the redesigned iMacs a few months ago.

As soon as I saw the new iMacs I realized I wanted one, in green, and ASAP. I ended up pre-ordering one from Apple online with 16GB of RAM and 1TB hard drive in addition to an Arabic English keyboard. When I had placed the order the iMacs hadn’t been shipped yet and so I basically ordered it blindly based on photos hoping it would look as good in real life. Well, it does. Now that I’ve been using the new iMac for a few weeks, here are some points:

• With the new iMac I decided to go completely wireless everything. I had a Kensington trackball which I love and had been using for 11 years but it was wired so I decided to get the wireless version of it for my new iMac. The wireless trackball uses a USB-A wireless adapter but the new iMacs only have USB-C. Luckily BEST sells a tiny USB-A to USB-C adapter and it’s not an issue. The trackball does work with Bluetooth but it was super laggy when I set it up that way.

• My KEF LSX speakers were previously connected to my iMac using the headphone jack but on the new iMac, the headphone jack is on the side which meant the cable would stick out. I decided to ditch the wire and instead connect the speakers via Bluetooth. Here is a tip, to stop your Bluetooth speakers from constantly disconnecting from your computer every time it went to sleep, turn off that energy-saving feature.

• Probably the main reason I got the new iMac is for the touch ID keyboard. I use 1Password to manage all my passwords and it’s a lot easier to use my fingerprint to unlock my passwords. In use, it’s been flawless, with a touch of a button I can wake up and unlock my iMac similar to my MacBook Pro which is super convenient.

• The webcam on the new iMac is great, not only is it a lot sharper and higher resolution than all my other Mac webcams, but I used to have an issue when video calling on my previous iMac because I have a large window behind me. During calls, the camera tended to adjust the brightness based on the windows and so I’d end up really dark and barely visible. I no longer have that issue with the new iMac.

• It’s fast, much faster than my older iMac and so far seems as fast or faster than my 16″ MacBook Pro.

Anyway if you’re considering getting one of these new iMacs and have any questions let me know in the comments. I’ve only seen two colors in Kuwait, blue and green. Gait in Avenues has a blue one on display and Xcite also in Avenues has a green and blue one. If you’ve seen any of the other colors anywhere mention it in the comments. The iMac upgraded with a 1TB hard drive and 16GB of RAM cost me around KD605 KD635 shipped to Kuwait.

I used to purchase my US Apple store and iTunes digital cards from Xcite but someone a few months ago left a comment on my blog letting me know I could actually purchase them from Amazon. I assumed that would be the cheapest option since Amazon is selling the $100 gift card for $100, with no extra fees or commission which I assumed Xcite or any other store locally would be adding.

But, Redditor noooris did a bit of math and turns out if you purchase the $100 gift card from Xcite for 29.750 KD, you’re actually only paying $98.94 for it once converted to US Dollars. On the other hand, it cost me 31.072 KD to purchase the $100 gift card from Amazon after converting the amount to Dinars.

So if like me you routinely purchase Apple cards to top off your US Apple Store account, Xcite is the cheapest option I’m aware of for purchasing $100 cards. Here is the Xcite Link

Update: Xcite have now increased the price of the $100 card to KD31. So it’s back to ordering from Amazon again.

Spotted the brand new colored iMac at Gait this weekend. The price for the entry model is KD450 which isn’t so bad when compared to Apple’s US price of KD390 (not including shipping or tax). I ordered my iMac from the US store but only because I needed custom specs (1TB and 16GB of RAM) but if I was looking for a standard build I think I would have most likely purchased it locally.

Since the gyms are closed I figured I’d post about Apple Fitness+ and how much I like it. Last month I decided I’d get back into yoga, I used to do it frequently a few years ago and then just stopped and never got back into it. Last year I tried doing yoga while watching a YouTube video and didn’t like the experience, but in September Apple released Fitness+ so I decided to try it out and see if it was any better. To use it you need to have an Apple Watch set up on your phone, I didn’t have an Apple Watch but I had borrowed one from a friend last year to try it out and I guess my phone still thought I had it. I couldn’t get Fitness+ working on Apple TV or my iPad but it was fine on my phone which was ok for now since I could stream from it to my TV. I decided to try a yoga exercise and to my surprise, my experience was great!

I started doing yoga with an instructor called Dustin and I just clicked with his style right away. I liked his pace, I liked his soothing voice and very chill demeanor and I’ve now started doing yoga with him practically on a daily basis. Apple Fitness+ is basically the same thing as watching an exercise video on YouTube except for the fact that it’s organized really well in the app and if you have an Apple Watch, the app connects your heart rate monitor to Fitness+ and you get a data exchange between the two (you can see your data on the TV as well). I really didn’t care for the Apple Watch, not really a fan of it nor do I like collecting data while working out since I tend to become data-obsessed and it ruins things for me (it why I stopped rowing for cardio and why I had stopped riding my bike for a long time). But I really am enjoying Fitness+ a lot. It’s become my go-to now after finishing up my weight lifting at home.

I mentioned at the start how Fitness+ was somehow working for me on my phone because at one point I had an Apple Watch set up on it? Well, that didn’t last long and it started giving me errors and not letting me stream onto my TV. I didn’t want to stop using Fitness+ so I decided to buy an Apple Watch so I could set up Fitness+ properly. Fitness+ requires an Apple Watch Series 3 or above to work so I looked around for a cheap second hand Apple Watch or a cheap brand new one since all I needed it for was Fitness+. In the end, I found out that Xcite in Jleeb had a Series 3 Apple Watch in stock, size 38mm, and selling for KD64.5 with a free additional strap. This was the cheapest new Apple Watch I could find so I ended up picking that up and setting it up with my phone. Now Fitness+ works on all my devices including Apple TV and my iPad. I also picked up a couple of Manduka yoga blocks from Ananda since I’m currently as flexible as a concrete brick.

Fitness+ has a bunch of workouts you can pick from other than yoga including Hiit, core, strength, treadmill, cycling, rowing, dance, and mindful cooldown. You need an Apple Watch to be able to set up Fitness+ the first time but after that, you don’t really need to wear the watch unless you want to know how many calories or monitor other data. In addition to an Apple Watch, Fitness+ costs $9.99 a month but it came included for me with my Apple One premier plan. Yes, you can use YouTube but I tend to like services focused on one thing and Fitness+ makes finding a workout, bookmarking and following a specific trainer all very easy. Plus if you want to track your heart rate and calorie count then the combination of the Apple Watch and Fitness+ works great and you can also get various notifications on your watch like when you’re past the halfway point of the workout or when you’ve achieved a new record.

Since gyms are closed, Fitness+ could be a great alternative especially if you already have an iOS device and an Apple Watch. They have a free trial period so you don’t need to commit to a membership unless you think you’d use the service.

The official iPhone 12 prices got published today and you can check them all out below:

iPhone 12 Mini
64GB – 256.900 KD
128GB – 274.900 KD
256GB – 310.900 KD

iPhone 12
64GB – 289.900 KD
128GB – 309.900 KD
256GB – 345.900 KD

iPhone 12 Pro
128GB – 359.900 KD
256GB – 395.900 KD
512GB – 469.900 KD

iPhone 12 Pro Max
128GB – 404.900 KD
256GB – 439.900 KD
512GB – 510.900 KD

How do the prices compare to US and UK iPhones? If we take the iPhone 12 Pro 256GB as an example then Kuwait is slightly more expensive than the US price but a lot cheaper than UK prices:

iPhone 12 Pro 256GB
Kuwait – 396 KD
United States – 377 KD (including US tax and shipping to Kuwait)
United Kingdom – 451 KD (including shipping to Kuwait)

The new iPhone 12 was released by Apple recently but there hasn’t been any announcement of a local launch date yet. I figured it might be related to logistics and production issues due to the pandemic so I checked with a contact of mine who told me that the telecoms, Apple Premium (Gait) and Apple Authorized Resellers (Digits, Xcite, etc.) hadn’t received their unit allocations yet.

But, looks like they finally did because yesterday some resellers started announcing a pre-order date. Starting this Friday, November 13th pre-orders for the new iPhone 12 will begin. Previously you’d have super long lines outside Apple resellers on launch day but with the pandemic right now that wouldn’t be the best idea which is why most likely the only way to get your hands on the new iPhone 12 on launch day would be by pre-ordering online. If it’s going to be anything like the iPhone X launch then there will also be a very limited number of units at launch.

Oddly, there still isn’t an official launch date for the devices, maybe that will be revealed on Friday as well. I’m personally going to be trying to get my hands on the iPhone 12 Pro to replace my 11 Pro. I always loved the way the iPhone 4 looked like and the new phones look basically the same.

If you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or newer, you can now finally use the ECG feature on your watch. I’m not sure why this feature was previously disabled for Apple users in Kuwait but over the weekend Apple released watchOS 7 that enabled the feature for a few countries and Kuwait was one of them.

Apple Watch‌ Series 4, 5, and 6 users can generate an ECG waveform in just 30 seconds by placing their finger on the Digital Crown. The idea is that you can take this information to your doctor, if the results are abnormal, and use it as a basis to discover if you have any larger issues at hand.

The irregular rhythm notification feature also intermittently checks heart rhythms in the background and sends a notification if an irregular heart rhythm is identified that could potentially be atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Atrial fibrillation is a health condition that often goes undiagnosed, so ECG app and heart rhythm alerts on Apple Watch will be highly useful for detecting early signs of disease. ECG readings also normally require a full ECG machine and a visit to the doctor, which is far less convenient than a reading taken with the Apple Watch. source

So if you have an Apple Watch download the latest update and try it out.

I’m a bit late to the party with this, but only because I’ve never been a fan of Apple earphones. I’ve never used the ones that came with the iPhone, and I have a major dislike for the way the regular AirPods look with their long stems. But recently I started riding my bicycle again and needed a new pair of wireless earphones.

For the past couple of years I was using a pair of Shure wireless earphones, I liked them because of the way they fit around my ears which meant it was impossible for them to fall out. But, I had two major issues with them. The first was that they were in-ear headphones which meant they isolated the sound around me which I didn’t want to do because I want to be able to hear cars or other riders around me while riding. The second issue is that both earphones were connected by a wire, and the wireless and battery module hung between both earphones on that wire. That’s a bit cumbersome with today’s technology and I hated how the battery module would bounce on my neck while riding my bike.

So after a bit of research, I decided I’d finally give in to Apple and get the AirPods Pro. The Pro versions are different from the regular AirPods in that they are in-ear headphones so they sit inside your ear and not the outside, they also have a shorter stem (you can see a comparison here). The main reason I went with Apple over other better sounding options like the Sony WF-1000XM3 and the Beats Powerbeats Pro is the size. I wanted something small and light and the AirPods Pro were the smallest of the three.

After owning the AirPods Pro for around a month now, I’m loving them. They have two features which make them really great, the first is something I’m wondering why no other in-ear headphone manufacturer has done. Usually with in-ear headphones when you stick them inside your ear you get a bit of pressure which after a long period of time gets uncomfortable. The AirPods Pro are designed in such a way that they release the pressure which has made them super comfortable when I ride. The second feature is the transparency mode. A lot of people purchase the AirPods Pro because of the active noise-canceling feature where the earphones cancel out the sound around you. That’s great when in a busy coffee shop or on a plane, but not so great when you’re out exercising on public roads. Apple thought of that and have included a transparency mode where the tiny mics outside the earphones transmit the sound around you into your ears. So you can still hear your music and also your surroundings.

When it comes to sound quality they’re not great, they’re actually pretty crap compared to all my other earphones and headphones I own but then again, I knew that would be the case before I even bought them. When riding my bicycle sound quality doesn’t really matter honestly. Battery life has also been great with me but I also am constantly charging them whenever I’m close to a charging cable. The biggest surprise for me really was how well they fit really in my ears and how they never fall out.

Really the only negative I have about these earphones is the price. The cheapest I found was 70KD which I’m fine to pay for excellent sounding earphones, but it felt wrong paying so much for these since they don’t really sound great. But I’ve justified the price by the convenience factor and how often I’m using them. So I’ve for example started using them when I take my Alfa out since that car doesn’t have a stereo. They work great while driving since with the transparency mode I can still hear the traffic around me.

So overall I do recommend these earphones even though they aren’t the best sounding. I never thought I’d like them but I do understand now why they’re so popular. If you’re looking for great sounding earphones there are much better alternatives out there, but as an overall convenience and comfort factor, I don’t think these can be beaten.

Apple Music is now officially available in Kuwait. Previously the only way to get Apple Music to work in Kuwait is to have a US based Apple account but now it works with Kuwait ones. I’m not a fan of Apple Muisc, I tried it previously and prefer Spotify instead, but I know a lot of people who like Apple Music more. If someone can let me know what the subscription cost is for Kuwait that would be great since I have a US-based account so can’t try it out myself. Source