Don’t Buy These Apple Products (and What to Buy Instead)
Most of the products Apple sells today are noteworthy, but there are a few underperformers that the company continues to sell that aren’t worth their enticing prices. Some of these products won’t receive software updates for much longer, while others have a better alternative at a slightly higher price. If you’re looking for a new Apple product, here’s why you should avoid these five.
iphone 12 mini
Overall, the iPhone 12 mini is a solid phone. It’s fast, compact, and relatively affordable at $599. However, battery life leaves much to be desired. With intensive use, you will charge this smartphone several times a day.
On the other hand, the iPhone 13 series offers much better battery life, so if you want a compact smartphone, you should spend $100 more and go for the iPhone 13 mini . Alternatively, you can consider the iPhone 12 if you’re willing to spend a little more (and a bigger iPhone). If your budget is tight, the iPhone 11 starts at $499 and offers great battery life too.
Apple Watch Series 3
We’ve already warned you against buying the Apple Watch Series 3 , and it’s time to repeat our advice. The Series 3 is very old for smartwatches and will no longer receive software updates from Apple . This means it will miss out on new watchOS 9 features and anything else Apple releases later. At the moment, it makes no sense to buy a product that is nearing the end of its life cycle, and it’s surprising that Apple continues to sell it at all.
If you’re looking for a relatively inexpensive smartwatch for your iPhone, the Apple Watch SE is a great alternative at just $70 more than the defunct Series 3.
Intel Mac mini
Apple is nearing completion of the transition from Intel-based processors to its own Mac chips. Among the few Intel-based Macs that Apple sells today, the Mac mini stands out like a sore thumb. It’s slower than the M1 Mac mini, less power efficient, and much more expensive. The Intel version starts at $1,099, while the M1 mini with the same storage option starts at $899.
If you want a compact desktop that can run both macOS and Windows, the Intel Mac mini is a decent option for you. However, if you don’t plan on using Windows, the M1 version is much better.
Apple TV HD
In a world with yearly product updates, the Apple TV HD almost feels like a relic from a bygone era. It was first released in 2015, it still uses the ancient A8 processor and is quite expensive at $149.
For just $30, you can get an Apple TV 4K that performs much better and supports 4K resolution. Even if you don’t need an Apple device in this category, there are plenty of better Apple TV HD alternatives that cost a lot less, like Roku or Amazon Fire TV.
Mac Pro
Like the Intel-based Mac mini, the Mac Pro is one of the few Macs that has yet to upgrade to Apple’s M-series processors. Despite being powerful and expensive, this machine has not been updated since its launch in 2019.
When you pay $5,999 (or more) for a computer, you want to be sure it will last at least a few years. If you’re really itching to make a purchase, it’s best to wait for this rumored update to the Mac Pro M-series. You might also want to consider the Apple Mac Studio, which packs its latest M1 Max or M1 Ultra chips into a small form factor.