My iPhone 12 Mini Ecosystem

iPhone 12 mini is officially my first ever iPhone that I bought (not borrowed). And honestly, I am glad this was my first. The smaller size is the only reason I went for it, and iOS is perfect for a smaller screen. From one-handed use to tight integration to increased battery life through extreme optimisation, iOS enhances the experience of using a 5.4-inch display.

I definitely have some gripes with the iPhone 12 mini; for instance, it is very hard to read content for more extended periods, and watching YouTube is just not as fun as watching it on my Galaxy Z Fold 2.

However, one of the most significant advantages of using an iPhone is the wide range of hardware accessories available to customise the phone based on your liking along with using products from Apple’s ecosystem. Let’s have a look at my EDC!

Dbrand Grip Case (MagSafe Compatible) with MKBHD ICONS Skin

Starting with the most common accessory, the case. Dbrand has been one of my favourite companies for almost 5 years. I often first go to their website whenever I buy a new gadget. I did the same this time around, and I was thrilled to know that Dbrand has a MagSafe compatible case. Dbrand grip cases are known for their exceptionally grippy texture(as the name suggests), and they don’t disappoint here. The chances of me dropping my phone are drastically low because of the grippy texture and ridges on the sides. However, that was not my concern (more on that later),. The skin I have on the case is the MKBHD ICONS skin, easily my new favourite. I have the same skin on many of my devices, being a fan of Marques, it was an obvious choice. My main concern, however, was the strength of magnets and if they will be able to hold on to my MagSafe charger and phone stand easily and securely. It turns out I had absolutely no reason to worry as the magnet strength is remarkably strong. The case adds some bulk to the phone, but the benefits outweigh the costs, especially on a smaller phone. The case is a lot more secure, has a fantastic grip, is entirely customisable with skins, and is MagSafe compatible, what else do you need?

Moft Snap On Phone Stand 

Talking about MagSafe, my most beloved accessory for my iPhone 12 Mini is the Moft Snap-On phone stand for the iPhone 12 series. I’ve had almost every moft product since their Moft laptop stand. I used the Moft X for all my prior phones, and the Moft phone stand with magnets was an easy no brainer for me. I ordered it the minute I got my iPhone 12 mini. The stand holds 3 cards and hides them away, unlike Apple’s MagSafe wallet. More importantly, it acts as a phone stand and gives 3 different orientations; 1) Portrait orientation, which makes FaceTime and reading extremely enjoyable. 2) Landscape orientation makes watching videos a lot of fun and is very convenient (doesn’t work on the mini). 3) Finally, the float mode is easily the most unique orientation, and it makes the phone into a portable workstation in essence. It is also an effortless grip to use the phone one-handed (yes, even the mini). This is my favourite accessory for my iPhone 12 mini, and paired with the Dbrand grip case; it is an unbeatable combination for a perfect everyday carry.

Satechi USB-C Magnetic Wireless Charger

Apple’s MagSafe “tech” made wireless charging a lot more convenient, in my opinion. One of the biggest pain points of wireless charging was aligning the coils, especially when you are about to pass out! The issue with Apple’s own MagSafe charger is it charges all non-apple devices at 2W (I am not exaggerating) as opposed to the Qi standard of 7.5W. I was thrilled when Satechi released their own version of the MagSafe charger, as it could charge my fold, buds, AirPods all at a reasonable speed (I bought the Satechi magnetic wireless charger before I bought my iPhone 12 mini). The charger honestly works just as expected, it’s fast, accurate and, more importantly, provides reliable speed. I would definitely recommend this if you have an Android or even older iPhones. It also comes with a magnetic sticky pad that lets you attach it exactly where the wireless charging coils are on your non MagSafe devices. This helps in reducing the inconvenience of perfectly aligning the coils to charge wirelessly.

iPad Pro 11 inch 2018 with Apple Magic Keyboard

One of the best things about Apple is the ecosystem. It is unbelievably convenient. One of my favourite features is Handoff, where I can copy something on my iPhone and paste it on my iPad/Mac. The convenience is unreal, and productivity rises through the roof. Obviously, Airdrop and the option to answer calls on my iPad is equally useful. Apart from the connectivity between devices, the iPad Pro in itself is a great device. I did have many issues with it on iOS 13, and I had to get my iPad replaced. But all in all, it’s something I use very often, and I always use my iPad to write all my articles or even play COD mobile. I take it out often and I usually alternate between this and my M1 MacBook Air in my general EDC.

M1 MacBook Air 2020 (base model) 

I bought the M1 MacBook Air because I didn’t have a personal laptop for a while. I was using my work laptop as my personal laptop, limiting my usage quite a lot. When Apple launched the M1 MacBooks, I was extremely impressed and wanted to buy it immediately. Apart from the benefits of the ecosystem I mentioned above, the M1 MacBook Air by itself is a great machine. I didn’t need the MacBook Pro because a) I have a primary work laptop and b) the M1 MacBook Air is hilariously fast and efficient that I never had to even think of buying an upgraded version or the M1 MacBook Pro. I can do all my tasks easily on the M1 MacBook Air, which doesn’t break a sweat even after having all my apps open simultaneously. My 2018 work MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM and Intel i7 processor turns on its fans when I open Word and Chrome together. I am highly impressed that I got such an outstanding laptop for around A$800 (after the promotions and selling my old laptop). It makes a perfect addition to my everyday carry.

Apple Watch Series 6

This is the biggest bait to join the Apple ecosystem and at this point I think I did technically enter the walled garden. However, I can definitely jump out of it as all my other products here work well on their own and I don’t depend on Apple services for any of my daily tasks. I use Google photos (not iCloud), YouTube music (not Apple Music), and PocketCast (not Apple podcasts). The services can be another significant hook but nothing is as strong as the Apple Watch. There is no denying that the Apple Watch is the best smart watch in the market. It is so much better that the second best (galaxy watch series) is probably only half as good as the Apple Watch (I’ve used both). I love the Apple Watch, I wear it from the time I get up till the time I sleep. It is a perfect EDC accessory. The health features such as oxygen tracking, heart rate monitor and ECG are really good and are mostly accurate. But more importantly, the Apple Watch pushes me to workout and do some exercise because I have the constant urge to complete the fitness rings. Since I got the watch I started moving a lot more and doing a lot more physical exercise in general.
The apps on the Apple Watch are also amazing, it has my banking app, my email app (Spark), YouTube music, PocketCast and so much more. The Galaxy watch had a barely functioning Spotify that I never use.
This is why I decided to ditch my galaxy watch and buy the Apple Watch when I bought my iPhone 12 Mini. This also is probably the biggest reason I might not leave the Apple ecosystem (but will always use an android).

AirPods Pro

Finally, I use Apple’s AirPods Pro quite a lot with my iPhone 12 mini. I do juggle between the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro (my main) and my AirPods Pro a lot. But for the sake of this article, let’s focus on AirPods Pro. I was never really a fan of the original AirPods as they sounded terrible, didn’t fit my weird ears and were overhyped a lot. However, when I tried the AirPods Pro, I did find them to be a lot more balanced, and the noise cancellation and transparency mode is easily one of its best features. Of course, the integration between Apple devices is good but I also feel this is overhyped. The “seamless switching” between Apple devices is annoying, honestly. For instance, I was watching Two and a Half Men on my iPad, and I opened Twitter on my phone. The Airpods literally switched because there was a 5-second ad on Twitter. I genuinely feel stuff like this is overhyped by Apple fanboys. I turned it off on all my devices and just manually switch whenever. However, with the iPhone 12 mini, my everyday carry is very minimalistic. I usually carry my iPhone 12 Mini (with Dbrand case and Moft) and my AirPods Pro (or galaxy buds pro) with my keys when I get out of the house.