Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves
Episode #157
Apple shipped a lot of great products in 2015, most of which I own and use daily. They’re all darn good, but which one did I think was number one -- the best of the best?
Was it the Apple Watch? The more I wear mine, the more I enjoy it. I love seeing, hearing, and feeling directions in the Maps app right on my wrist, and I love talking into it like Dick Tracy when I answer a phone call or reply to a text. Then there’s all that exercise I wouldn’t have gotten without the Apple Watch’s gentle prodding, not to mention the unique ability to change watch faces, complications, and bands in seconds. Yes, the Apple Watch was superb, but as much as I love it, it’s not my top pick for 2015.
I know what you’re thinking: If the Apple Watch wasn’t my top pick, it must be the new iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil. And that would make sense — the iPad Pro is an exceptional productivity tool, with the biggest screen ever on an Apple tablet paired with a desktop-class CPU.
I’ve been testing an iPad Pro with both Apple accessories and will have a complete review for you later this month. But, while iPad Pro is very cool and the Apple Pencil is perhaps the finest stylus ever made, it isn’t my number one pick, either.
If it’s not the Apple Watch or iPad Pro, it must be the new Apple TV with its nifty new touch-pad remote with voice control and search. But it’s not the Apple TV, either. Again, I’ve been testing one of these and while it’s a major improvement over previous generations of Apple TV, it wasn’t Apple’s best product in 2015.
Nor was it the new thinnest-ever MacBook, with its all-new keyboard and a single USB C port. It’s a nice little notebook but not even close to the best thing Apple made in 2015.
If it’s not any of these, what was the best thing Apple made in 2015?
(Photos courtesy Apple, Inc.)
So what was the best product Apple made last year? It was an easy call for me: it’s the iPhone 6s Plus, of course. Three innovations insured its spot as my top Apple product of 2015: 3D Touch screen, an incredible camera, and all-day battery life.
3D Touch has changed the way I interact with my iPhone for the better; I don’t know how I got along before I could “peek” and “pop.” Live Photos, which come to life when you press on them, are simply amazing. And how could you not love a battery that lasts all day without recharging? And last, but certainly not least, the camera’s image stabilization – especially on video – is astonishing.
So there you have it: In my humble opinion, the iPhone 6s Plus was easily the best product Apple produced in 2015.
In my humble opinion, the iPhone 6s Plus was Apple’s greatest hit of 2015.
(Photos courtesy Apple, Inc.)
What do you think?
And that’s all he wrote…