Apple in 2021: my 5 favorite products from the past year

It won’t be long before the year 2021 is behind us and 2022 is the reality. A good moment to look back at what the past year has brought us, in the Apple field.

The American company has done a lot of things in 2021, but sitting still was certainly not one of them. With a lot of new products on the market, we were also able to test a lot at One More Thing. But what exactly were the favourites?

5 Favorite Apple Products from 2021

In 2021 I once again had the pleasure of getting to grips with a whole bunch of new Apple products. To be fair, that is of course the crown jewel in my work as a tech editor. In that respect, as in the year 2020, I have been incredibly spoiled by Apple over the past year. But what exactly were my favorites of all those products? I list them:

#1 Apple iPad mini (2021)

I’ve said it before: the iPad mini (2021) is definitely my favorite product of the past year. That’s not to say it’s the best product Apple released this year, just what I personally prefer. The previous generation iPad mini, which dates back to 2019, was my favorite tablet from the company until that moment. Wonderfully compact, but unfortunately a bit dated. I think it’s fantastic that this has changed in 2021.

The new iPad mini feels brand new for the first time in years. The design, which Apple has borrowed from the iPad Air (2020), is excellent with this format. A bigger display, an improved battery and a faster chipset: it’s exactly what this little tablet needed. It really felt a bit awkward at first to stick the second-generation Apple Pencil, which is thicker than the tablet itself, on the side. But in all honesty it must be said that this combination has given me a lot of productive hours in the past year.

#2 16-inch MacBook Pro

The 16-inch MacBook Pro has and continues to make me really excited about a MacBook for the first time in years. Last year the M1 variants already managed to give a nice push, but this was subsequently hit hard by this year’s model. Apple has finally admitted its mistakes and introduced the laptop we’ve wanted to come for years.

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro is so incredibly powerful, so incredibly handy and so sleek that every minute on the laptop feels like a breath of fresh air. Even if it is, because I used a 14-inch MacBook Pro from 2017 for this. The price tag of the new Pro means that I haven’t bought it myself yet. In that regard, I really can’t wait to see what a new MacBook Air will bring to the market this year.

#3 iPhone 13 (Pro and Mini)

After the predecessor saw the light of day in October, the iPhone 13 series was announced again in September in 2021. This time the change compared to the previous model was not too big, but in my opinion there were two things that happened with it. head and shoulders above the rest. The iPhone 13 Pro, for example, is the first smartphone from Apple that finally has a higher refresh rate. Where Android devices have provided us with such functionality for years, 2021 will be the year in which Apple makes the switch. Something the company should have done much earlier in my opinion, because ProMotion knows how to improve the user experience on the iPhone.

The two regular models from the new smartphone series are not equipped with the functionality. Still, the iPhone 13 mini is one of my favorite Apple products of the past year. That’s simply because I really enjoyed the iPhone 12 mini as a form factor, but the battery was sorely disappointing. Apple is putting an end to that with the introduction of the iPhone 13 mini. Something that makes the mini my iPhone favorite this year.

#4 Apple AirPods (third generation)

The Apple AirPods have finally received an upgrade, completing the offer. After years of using the second generation, I was able to get started with the third generation this year. A user experience that I can describe as very pleasant. Due to the compact design, the earplugs fit perfectly in the ears and the sound quality is good. The battery life of the earbuds has improved considerably, although I must confess that the new touch controls take some getting used to.

As far as I’m concerned, the second-generation AirPods are still a very good choice for everyday use. But given the amount I’ve been using these new earbuds since their release, they’re getting a spot on this list. Quite rightly so, because I can no longer live without it.

#5 Apple AirTags

What I can no longer live without are the Apple AirTags. Apple’s ultra-wideband trackers have made my life a lot easier over the past year. I now have five trackers in use and this way I can always and everywhere find my own stuff. Where I have not often lost my keys in the past year, I must confess that I am glad that such a tracker is in my wallet. Playing a sound as well as navigating to the tracker has made me panic a little less in 2021. A lovely addition to the lineup, if you ask me.