2024 is intended to be the year of the Apple Vision Pro, the virtual reality glasses already announced this year, but which have not yet gone on sale. Until then, the iPhone, the Mac and the Apple Watch are the stars of the Californian company’s launch year. Our experts from Applesfera and Xataka take stock to choose which, according to their respective judgments, is the best. And no, the best doesn’t have to be the most expensive in any of the categories, but other criteria prevail.
Of course we give you a little spoiler: you won’t see the iPad in the list and not because they don’t want to value them, but because It was the first time in 13 years that a new iPad was not launched. Without scope. Since Apple announced the first model in 2010, 365 days have never passed without a new launch and by the end of 2023, 439 days will have passed since the last one (the iPad Pro M2) was announced.
The iPhone 15 won’t be the best, but it will be some people’s favorite
No, it is not necessary to always choose the best Apple mobile. In fact, the most “basic” one can work, if a terminal like this can be called basic. iPhone15 (both in terms of performance and price). This is how Javier Lacort and Ricardo Aguilar, both editors of Xataka and, in Javier’s case, host of the daily podcast Applesfera (“Loop Infinito”), see it.
Javier Lacort – editor-in-chief of Xataka and presenter of ‘Loop Infinito’
“Apple’s Pro phones tend to get the most attention and interest, but this is one of those years where the non-Pro model is worth looking at. The iPhone 15 finally features the ‘USB-C, recreated by software, the superb 2x lens has a fantastic design, a very good screen and overall performance, as well as touch feel, that are difficult to match.
It is not perfect, and it is often rightly criticized for faults, such as its 60 Hz panel in a terminal that costs almost 1,000 dollars, but I still think it is my favorite device that Apple has launched this year. “He will age very well.”
Ricardo Aguilar – editor-in-chief of Xataka
“For me, Apple’s flagship product for this year is the iPhone 15. I’ve always recommended “basic” iPhones for their value for money, but this year Apple has gone further. So much so that Unless you are a nerd who yes or yes, he needs a 120 Hz panel, I don’t see a single convincing argument for opting for a Pro model.
They created an iPhone with one of the best screens on the market, a brutal camera, lighter (and, in my opinion, more aesthetic and ergonomic) than the Pro models, the usual stand and that zoom possibility (although ‘it’s digital, it’s lossless) which I needed so much. A win-win that generates a peculiarity that was not so obvious before: for less than $1,000 you have a phone that outperforms its competitors that cost much more.
The iPhone 15 Pro is very “Pro” and irresistible for our experts
Of course, having a good foundation is important for an iPhone, but nothing beats a model that’s advanced in terms of performance, screen features, and camera. And what’s more, it has a compact size. Otherwise, tell Miguel López, editor-in-chief of Applesfera, who puts the iPhone 15 Pro as your favorite Apple product in 2023.
Miguel López – editor-in-chief of Applesfera
“It may sound generic, but for me the Apple product of 2023 is the iPhone 15 Pro. Finally, an iPhone that feels comfortable in the hand. Finally, an iPhone with edges and a design that makes you not want to wear a case. Finally, an iPhone with USB-C that was sold as the lightest professional model in its history.
There are so many great details that add up that I couldn’t resist making the purchase. Plus, there are rumors that the iPhone 16 will be bigger and I want to spend a few years with the smallest iPhone possible. The iPhone 15 Pro is the one chosen and for me it is the best generation launched since the iPhone 5. That means something.
“Basic” MacBooks also deserve praise
If the MacBook Air M2 already laid a good foundation with its leap in power and its design, the new MacBook Air M2 15-inch Released this year, it fell in love with many. See for example Isra Fdez, coordinator of Applesfera or Jesús Quesada, e-commerce editor in this same media.
Isra Fdez – Applesfera Coordinator
“In my opinion, the best product Apple released in 2023 was the 15-inch Macbook Air. It’s not 15 either, it’s more! If the iMac with a bare M3 processor seems like a error of form and judgment, an Air with more screen and the possibility of going up to 24 GB of RAM, 2 TB of storage and an M2 that works like the blink of an eye, it’s a total success for me. It’s a device that weighs nothing, measures just right, and works wonderfully for those of us who work remotely and need to stay on top of things in the middle of a trip. It is, in short, the closest thing to a convertible that Apple has in its ecosystem and a good intermediate step between the most powerful iPad and the most humble laptop.
Maybe 2024 will surprise us with a total change in the product line – some rumors point in this direction – but today I can’t think of a better laptop for the vast majority of applications. Plus, in midnight color, it looks stunning. Suffering, because the traces remain there reminding us that nothing is immutable, but of inestimable elegance, with very intelligent management of the speakers under the screen and a huge and very comfortable touchpad. Congratulations, Apple.”
Jesús Quesada – editor-in-chief of Applesfera
“Our eyes easily turn to Apple’s more expensive/powerful/featured devices, but many of their features are not useful or ordinary users don’t benefit from them, so the MacBook Air with M2 chip, i.e. 13, 6 (2022) or 15.3”. inches /2023) is one of the best Apple computers and products in general.
Beautiful, with a quality screen, up to 18 hours of battery life, and enough performance to carry out everyday tasks with ease. Its speaker system is quite surprising, not to mention that it has a Full HD webcam for high-resolution video calls. It’s perfect? No, I would have liked it to have 16 GB of unified base memory instead of 8 GB, that would give it more durability over time if you want to start doing more demanding things, but it’s a fairly round device.”
The power of the MacBook Pro falls in love with the director
Pedro Aznar, director of Applesfera, keeps the latest laptops launched by Apple: the MacBook Pro M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max. This new series, announced at a Halloween event in October, serves as a sample of the tremendous evolution that Apple Silicon has represented.
Pedro Aznar – director of Applesfera
“It’s been a bit of a complicated year because the Vision Pro has had an impact on the company’s product map for this year. For me, it’s been the year of the Mac: Apple introduced new MacBook Pros with M3 processors more ambitious than ever – aiming for native graphics acceleration and putting them in a good position in the gaming world. Or at least, with possibilities and aspirations for it.
In my case, I reinforce my choice because it is the year I replaced my MacBook Pro 2016 with a new MacBook Pro M3 Pro, with which I am very happy. The iPhone 15 Pro is also very close to the top positions, thanks to an improvement in cameras that everyone likes and so I think Apple is doing a good job.
The Apple Watch is making a place for itself, not the “Series 9” nor the “Ultra 2”
Eva Rodríguez, or as we know her internally, the weekend girl, you clearly know your favorite Apple device. Neither Mac, nor iPhone, nor HomePod… An Apple Watch and not even the sharpest. However, his experience clearly demonstrates why it is an excellent choice.
Eva Rodríguez – editor-in-chief of Webedia Tech
“I have been using the Apple smart watch for more than five years and even if I am generally happy with it, for me it is the least interesting. Let me explain: to begin with, the battery is still rare (yes, there is the Ultra option, but that’s out of budget…I guess I’ll leave it for the 40 crisis) and it’s the one I enjoy the least. Be careful, it’s not a little thing: I do padel and spinning daily and I always record my workouts, I also pay with a simple flick of the wrist and notifications are a luxury for me. But I insist, it’s at light years from what I do with the Mac, the iPad or the iPhone.
On the other hand, I was coming from a pair of Apple Watches that lasted less than expected, so I figured, why not take a step back and opt for the SE? Said and done: premium finishes, the same autonomy, my activity very controlled and a more than efficient screen. Total success. For me, today it is the Apple product with the best value for money and a real discovery.”
Surprise guest in the form of HomePod also draws praise
Server did not want to be excluded from its product balance sheet for the year. However, I’m not opting for a Mac, iPhone or Apple Watch. Personally, I think that the HomePod 2 This was Apple’s big reveal in 2023.
Álvaro García M. – editor-in-chief of Applesfera
“When the retirement of the original HomePod was announced, I think few people believed that Apple would really abandon the idea of re-releasing a large speaker. However, I personally thought it would be nothing like the one -there, but would rather opt for a HomePod format with a screen which had already been the subject of rumors and which in fact remains quite probable. But there was a surprise. A double surprise.
The HomePod 2 was amazing in every way. The first to rise from the ashes when Apple itself put an end to it. The other reason was the date: in January. The device itself has not evolved much in terms of sound quality, given that it was already very good in its first generation. However, it has managed to inherit and make the most of the technological improvements presented by its little brother (HomePod mini). “That being said, this seems to me to be one of the great successes for Apple in 2023.”
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