So you bought your first iPhone. Congratulations! As we know all too well, you're probably not stopping at one or two. Give it some time and you will be eyeing the other Apple devices and wondering how they can further enhance the Apple user experience. Especially as Apple's Continuity features make it so seamless to move across these devices.
Before you know it, you'll be jogging with your Watch and AirPods, lounging on the sofa with the iPad mini, playing Apple Arcade games on the big screen with the Apple TV 4K and editing photos on your MacBook Pro. Of course, Apple's not the only tech firm playing the ecosystem card, but it's by far the best at it. There's no way out from this walled garden — and it's only getting bigger. Here then are our top 5 Apple gadgets to get after switching to the Apple universe.
Apple Watch Series 7
The Apple Watch Series 7 should be next on your list after an iPhone. After all, it's the logical extension of your phone, so much so that you can ditch the phone and go out only with the Watch. You can pay in stores, listen to music, and if you have the cellular model, reply messages and answer calls without the phone. And then there's the health and fitness tracking capabilities that you get with the smartwatch.
Apple iPad mini (6th Gen)
A tablet with its larger screen is better for reading news, watching videos or playing games than an iPhone. Especially if you had picked the iPhone 13 mini for its compact one-handed use. While the more powerful iPad Pro models may, at times, replace your laptop, I prefer the handy iPad mini. The re-designed mini has a lovely 8.3-inch display that can be used with the Apple Pencil. Everything just feels snappy, thanks to its new Apple A15 Bionic chip. It's definitely the 8-inch tablet to get.
Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)
Another excellent companion for your iPhone is the Apple AirPods. The latest 3rd gen AirPods gets even better with a new design, Spatial Audio, and improved battery life. Spatial Audio, in particular, really expands the soundstage of any audio source, making it feel more immersive. It works great for both music and movies, especially for Dolby Atmos content.
Apple MacBook Pro (2021)
If you're ready to invest heavily in the Apple ecosystem, the Apple MacBook Pro (2021) is the next step. This powerful and capable notebook uses Apple's own ARM-based processors to achieve incredible performance while using less power than older Intel-based MacBooks. It's perfect for prosumers and content creators who are into editing photos and videos, as well as professional developers and designers.
Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen)
With Apple expanding its TV and music content in recent years, the tech giant has had to loosen its tight grip on apps. For example, you can find the Apple TV+ app on Android and certain smart TV platforms. But the best Apple TV experience still comes from the Apple TV 4K media streamer, which has been refreshed with a more powerful processor that can play HDR and Dolby Vision smoothly. The improved performance is very helpful when it's running games from Apple Arcade. But the highlight is probably the new Siri Remote, which has a new more usable click wheel, and feels more solid, too.
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