While some Apple fans and tech critics have had reservations with the new MagSafe wireless charging feature announced with this year’s iPhones, I have tried to keep an open mind right off the bat. While I know it doesn’t charge as fast as a USB-C to Lightning Cable paired with a Fast Charger, it does offer faster wireless charging than previous iPhones, which is a step forward from what was available on previous iPhones.
I’ve been a fan of Urban Armor Gear, or UAG as they are more commonly known, and their cases for several years. Their products tend to have interesting designs and provide excellent protection without excessive bulk. When you are a fan of large iPhones, that is a very important feature. Another thing that I really like about UAG is that their products tend to be reasonably priced considering the combination of quality design and visual appeal.
Even though I won’t be able to pre-order an iPhone until next month, I decided to go ahead and get a new MagSafe charger when they went on sale last Friday. I was already on the Apple Store app getting my iPad Air and figured, why wait?
Unfortunately, Apple’s MagSafe-compatible cases for the iPhone 12 Pro Max were not on sale yet, but at least buying early insured that I could try out Apple’s new magnetic charging puck on day one with my new phone when it shows up in a few weeks. The new MagSafe Charger arrived yesterday and it looks predictably unassuming, yet solid.
Right off the top, I’m going to give a bit of a disclaimer- I am nowhere NEAR the level a profession photographer. I don’t even qualify as a pro-sumer these days. However, I have had an interest in getting the most out of the iPhone for photography since Apple put a really capable camera inside of a smartphone with the iPhone 4S.
This interest lead me to start looking at external lenses that add additional capabilities to the iPhone years ago. At the time, you needed external lenses to do any kind of zoom , macro or wide angle photography. While the rapid advances in smartphone cameras have changed the market for external lenses, there are a few companies still making high-quality models that take an already impressive current iPhone camera to the next level. Sandmarc is one such company making high-end, professional level mobile photography accessories.
Apple’s Smart Battery Cases certainly aren’t anything new. They have been around since 2015 and the iPhone 6S. However, since I have had really good success with all-day battery life using Plus and Max-sized devices since the iPhone 6, I never bought, or even tried one. Until recently, that is.
Even though the iPhone 11 Pro Max has delivered some of the best battery life that I’ve ever enjoyed, I decided to pick one up a month ago. I had some work travel coming up at the time and I can’t always count on easy charging in meeting venues. You never can tell how much you might need to use your phone to take pictures, stay connected, or for your own Internet connection. All of that can take a big toll on your battery life. I figured a little insurance would be a good idea.
I’ll admit that I am extremely late to the wireless charging bandwagon. For various reasons, it just hasn’t seemed essential or at least worth the cost to invest in one. However, when I was offered the opportunity to take a look at the GoPower Watch Stand with Wireless Charging Base for review, I was intrigued to learn about what I’ve been missing.
I would say MY Powerbeats Pro arrived, but they aren’t actually mine. I am taking a look at them so I can write a little about them, but they will belong to my wife very soon. Wednesday was her birthday, so these are her Combo bday/Mother’s Day gift. She was kind enough to let me test drive before she takes them so I won’t get in the way of her listening pleasure once I hand them over.
Back in October of last year, I reviewed Pad and Quill’s Bella Fino and Traveler Cases for the iPhone XS and XS Max. Pad and Quill sent me the iPhone XS version of the Traveler right around the time that I got my iPhone XS Max. Thankfully, I still had my iPhone X, so I was able to test it out for a couple of days before I had to send my old phone back to Apple.
I reviewed Sandmarc’s Photography Edition last Fall, which includes their Wide Angle, Fisheye and Macro lenses, and came away very impressed with both the quality of the lens construction and the images produced. While this 3-lens collection set does a lot to expand the functionality of the iPhone’s camera, the one thing missing was zoom enhancement.
While I have used a few wallet cases on previous iPhones over the years, I’ve never been a big fan of the category, by and large. I don’t usually prefer to carry my cards and money with my phone unless I am traveling by plane, so the added bulk of the card pockets on the inside flap of a case doesn’t hold much appeal. However, I understand that this is just a personal preference of mine. Wallet cases are both plentiful and popular for a good reason- plenty of other people DO like them.
Vaja has always been one of my favorite accessory manufacturers, going back before the days of the iPhone to the prehistoric times of PDSs and Palm Pilots. Vaja was the number one name in lux accessories back then and it remains one of the top high-end brands today, offering both ready-to-ship and customizable high quality leather goods for all kinds of electronic devices.