I like to quickly write down my thoughts as I use a product rather than write up a big review so here are my first impressions of the Apple Magic Keyboard for the 11” iPad Pro. I’ve had the 2020 iPad for a couple of weeks and enjoying it but it didn’t feel complete as I was waiting for the keyboard to arrive and today it did.

Even on the smaller iPad Pro it’s got some weight to it but for me at least it’s fine to carry around with the iPad like I did my Smart Keyboard cover on my 10.5” iPad Pro.

Before even plugging it in the build quality feels amazing (as you’d expect for almost £300). The keys are good, more travel than my 12” MacBook so I’ll need to adjust but enjoying the typing experience. The hinge to hold up the iPad is stiff and that’s a good thing, the trackpad is also a little stiff to click - but it’s only day 1.

Here’s a summary of things I’ve spotted from my first hour with this new setup

• It really highlights the apps that embrace the setup, if your app doesn't have secondary click support I cant use it - I'm currently working out which of the apps I use are good or bad in this respect (would you be interested in a post about this?)
• My writing style means my hands are quite high so my nails are hitting the bottom of the docked iPad, I just need to adjust to this - no big problem
• I like the flexibility of using whichever method I feel like - keyboard, trackpad, undocked or pencil, it's one of the main reasons I love the iPad so much
• The trackpad is actually bigger than I was expecting on this smaller iPad and I'm enjoying using it
• The keys feel cramped to begin with but I'm getting used to it
• I miss the function row that I had with my MacBook
• It feels a little top heavy on the lap but totally doable for me I don't think it needs to be a desk only accessory on the 11"
• I wish the hinge had some more angle to it but understand why not - it would topple over...

Using this setup really makes me appreciate my choice to stick with the iPad and means that I have so much flexibility. I’m looking forward to seeing what iPadOS 14 brings up in terms of iPad support even more now.

I’ve been looking at picking up a 2018 iPad Pro but after using iPadOS 13.4 for a few days I think I might keep my current one going. It’s still fast and the battery seems to have improved slightly.

Another reason is I’d completely missed this product from Logitech and it might do me just fine. Yes it’s not as elegant as Apple’s version but at more than half the cost I think I’m going to give it a go. There’s a few reasons at the moment I don’t want to make any big purchases right now and keeping my 10.5” going with one of these is going to be my way forward for now.

No idea if it’ll be out in May but I’m going to keep an eye out and I’ll report back in.

I’ve been using the Pitaka case for over a week now and wanted to do a durability check in.

I really am enjoying using this case and it’s held up well. Fingerprints rub off the texture easily and I’ve noticed no wear marks at all. The only thing that’s happened is on the right hand side below the power button it started to lift away from the phone a little and a gap appeared. I took the case off and applied a little force to bend it back. It’s now back to having zero gap. I did reach out to Pitaka on this but had zero response.

Overall I’m still happy using this as my daily case, it’s thin and light and adds the grip I want to give me more confidence in using my phone.

I’ve been using the Pitaka Air for a few days now and wanted to share my thoughts on what I’m it’s like to use day in day out. I came across this case whilst listening to a podcast and after checking some details on the case immediately knew it was one I wanted to check out.

It’s on the expensive side (around £50 at the time of writing) but based on my experience it’s up there with the official Apple cases in terms of quality so it’s somewhat justified. It’s also the first case in a while I’ve not thought about taking off once.

The case itself is super thin, like a few pieces of paper thin and weighs hardly anything. It’s a snap on case and is easy to apply, just make sure you have wiped off your iPhone before putting it on.

It’s made of a carbon fibre type material that feels tough and the finish hasn’t scratched up at all. It’s got a nice amount of grip and because it’s so thin it doesn’t feel like you have a case on the phone particularly. The finish of the case adds just the right amount of grip and getting it in and out of pocket is easy.

All of the buttons, some of the top and some of the bottom are exposed. This makes using it easy, no rigid plastic over the existing buttons. I like this approach but it’s no Otterbox, this doesn’t look a particularly drop proof case. I’m perfectly fine with this, I’m looking for something that adds grip but no bulk, this case does that. If you’re after something that gives you more confidence on big drops you’ll want to look elsewhere.

If you worry about screen scratches you’ll still want to apply a screen protector. There isn’t a lip around the case, which I love. I hate cases that restrict gestures of actually using the device.

For me this is the perfect case, price aside (an included screen protector would have been nice) it’s the first case in a while I forget is on there. Personally I like the carbon fibre look and the extra grip it adds is all I need really in a case.

As someone that is usually caseless I’m always looking for something as thin as possible. This case gives a good balance of being barely there.

If you are ok spending £40+ on an iPhone case and want something to give basic day to day protection then this case really is the one to get.

I’ll have a full review but wanted to post some images now I’ve unboxed. First impressions though, wow this might be best case I’ve ever used.

I’m still unhappy with most iPhone cases but now I’ve been using the leather case a bit more it’s started to develop a nice patina.

Last year I did this artificially but wearing it in naturally is a bit more satisfying. The Apple cases are a bit slippery out of the box but a few weeks in and they start to wear in. I’m still not completely comfortable having a leather case but for now it’ll do. I’ve got a review case coming in soon that I think will be better, more on this soon.

I’m not a huge fan of cases but the fabric finish of the official Google case hooked me in.

I picked up two colors

• Fog
• Seascape

Unboxing these is fine, good to see the packing almost all recycling friendly.

The inside of the case is soft microfiber that will keep your Pixel in top condition.

We then have plastic buttons with the same colour accents as the phones.

There are cutouts for the camera and fingerprint reader.

The only downside with this case is that hole for the fingerprint reader. It’s actually deeper than it needs to be and not big enough. I’ve come to like swiping down on the reader to show notifications. This is tricky with the case on. It’s also not so comfortable to unlock.

For £35 it’s not a bad price for these cases, I really like the fabric finish and maybe it’ll soften over time. It’s going to offer drop protection and protect the screen as it has a raised lip on the front.

I’ve posted quite a bit about my love for the feeling of the Pixel, it’s warm, comfortable and hopefully more durable than the glass on other phones. My main phone as you most probably know is the iPhone XS but I still find it slippery and hard to grab onto sometimes. Looking through my case collection I’ve had in for review I spotted the Totallee case I had in for review.

Adding it to the iPhone XS immediately improves the grip and although it won’t make it particularly more durable does feel like an iPhone 5c in the hand.

It’s got access to the all the original buttons and good sized openings around all of the ports.

As you know I’m not a fan of cases but this might be a time when I need to suck it up and accept we aren’t getting a new shell from Apple anytime soon so I help myself by adding to what I already have with a case.

Here’s the Pixel 3a, so gives me that look and feel without the addition of too much to the iPhone.

After trying one on in store I really liked the colour but it was out of stock for weeks. On a whim I checked the store app and there it was. Really liking this colour.

As with the other sports loops if you’ve tried them they are really comfortable and my favourite watch band out there.

These are available in store and online at the moment.

I’ve had a love hate relationship with cases for years and always end up using the iPhone naked but I might have found my perfect case (not quite, see my update at the end of this post). I’ve been aware of thin cases for a while and used the cheaper ones on Amazon on and off but always felt they lacked quality control or were slippery. I’ve also been aware of Totallee but they weren’t easily available in the UK. Well now they are on Amazon UK and I picked one up straight away.

I’d always loved my iPhone 5C and have been after something that gave me that look and feel. This case gets me 80% of the way there. It’s thin, adds hardly any bulk and apart from the metal buttons looks like it’s part of the iPhone. It feels in hand just like my 5C did, that’s if you go for the jet white or black finish.

All ports and switches are easily accessed and I haven’t experienced any issues with wireless charging.

I’m not brave enough to drop test my iPhone XS but looking at the protection prospects it should be ok from low level drops and will definitely protect it from scratches.

I love the feel of the iPhone without a case but it’s so slippery with the glass back. Sometimes it’ll even come off the wireless charger overnight or fall of a sofa. This adds a nice texture for both holding and keeping it put where you leave it.

UPDATE (15th Jan 2019)

It’s broken so I’ve done an Amazon return, another thin case problem as with the cheaper cases out there. Can’t recommend unless you NEVER take the case off.

UPDATE (4th Feb 2019)

I used the Totallee 2 year warranty to make a claim and got a new one posted out to me, great customer service.

Amazon link.

Yes and no 😀

Here’s my saddle brown before the washing machine. I’d already sanded off the the wax finish and added some oil to speed up the patina process. I thought it looked great and certainly improved the grip of the case.

Here’s my case after a run through the washing machine (along with all my watch bands and silicone case).

I think it looks great (looks better than the photos in person) and the wash seems to have taken off the oils that I put in there via my hands and oil I’d purposely put on it it.

I dried it off with a hairdryer and it went back to the light colour. Also note that wash has improved the feel of the case and made it really grippy.

Im glad I did it, remember your results may vary and don’t go in expecting perfect results.

Just a few images of the unboxing experience until I can spend a few weeks reviewing.

Over the holidays I’m juggling the XS with no case, the Otterbox and the Apple Leather case. After using the Otterbox constantly then going back to no case and back to leather I think the leather one offers me the best grip and size compromises of using a case.

Two things that are downside of the Otterbox, slippery back so it spins around on tables, buttons are stiff and the lower part of the case restricts the up swipe for multitasking.

The leather case offers a smaller footprint, is grippy and no restrictions on the bottom of the case.

Took a while to get here from the states but I’ve had through the Otterbox Marvel series case. This is the Symmetry series of cases but with an Infinity War flavour, which I’m loving.

These cases are a little bulkier than an Apple silicone but offers much more protection.

The only slight downside to the bulk is it’s a little harder to use the swiping up gesture on the X series but the width for me makes typing easier.

If you’re into Marvel or like style of case I recommend picking one up before they are discontinued.

I even did a little video.

I’ve never been a fan of big cases and to be honest never really looked at an Otterbox but when I saw the Star Wars edition whilst searching on Amazon I was intrigued. I read up, watched a few videos and decided to give one a go. They looked to be more minimal than their usual heavy duty cases so as a day to day case looked doable for me.

The presentation is good and all materials appear to be recyclable, which is great to see.

The case itself has a large outer shell with a impact protected inner one that is a softer rubber. The case is quite stiff when you first use it but once I’d taken it on and off a few times seemed easier. Oh quick word of warning, if you’re looking for an included screen protector then it doesn’t have one. This isn’t a knock on the case but just be aware.

The design I went for was R2 and Leia but there are other designs available including Vader and BB-8.

Although a bit thicker than the Apple silicone case it’s not too bad for a protective case. I find the Apple silicone case texture to be horrible to hold after a while, no such problems here. It’s a softer material so won’t get that sticky feeling I hate so much. It also doesn’t collected lint and slips easily into your pocket. There’s enough grip to let is sit on sofa cushions etc. This is one of the reasons I’m not using my XS ‘naked’ it feels great in the hand but not for sitting down places.

All the buttons are easily pressed and have a satisfying click to them.

Ports are all accessible and wireless charging is fine.

Value for money wise it’s around £35, which is on the expensive side but a lot better value than the official Apple ones. I noticed though that the Star Wars ones are more expensive so if that’s not your bag just pick up a standard Symmetry one. They do them in loads of different colours.

So overall I didn’t think I’d like a more heavy duty case but otterbox have really done a great job of balancing protection with a more minimal design and come up with a good compromise.

Amazon Link. (All associate revenue goes towards the purchase of stuff to review for the site).

I’ve never been a case guy but over the last few months I’ve been going between the Apple Silicone and Leather cases. I’m using an old black X silicone case on my XS and a saddle brown leather XS one.

After testing both a lot I’ve come to the conclusion I really don’t like the silicone. It might be the fact I have the black version but

• It picks up everything it touches
• It's almost too much grip to get it out of your pockets quickly
• It wears on the edges really badly and already frayed and breaking
• Now it's worn it feels sticky, not in a good way

So I just can’t recommend it. At £45 this is one of the worst value for money propositions Apple gives us.

Avoid and if you’re ok with animal products get a leather one instead.

As you most probably know I use the Apple Smart Keyboard cover, in fact I prefer typing on it than my 12” MacBook. I’ve owned my current version since June 2017, so at almost 18 months use I thought I’d report back on the durability.

For me the keyboard cover is attached to my iPad about 80% of the time, I carry it between meetings in work and it goes into my bag to form as protection to the screen. I’ve also dropped it a couple of times and it’s protected my iPad both times.

Overall for the 18 months of hard use I’ve given it I’d say it’s held up well. For the money I feel it’s a little on the expensive side but worth it if you keep hold of your iPad for more than a year. If you change your iPad each year don’t invest in one because it’ll be another couple of hundred that you can put towards Apple Care + or the iPad itself, these things aren’t getting any cheaper.

Where I’d like to see it improved

I’m yet to try the new iPad Pro and it’s new Smart Keyboard, I’m staying as far away from an Apple store as possible - especially if I have access to a payment method but from my experience of the current 10.5” here is where I’d like to see improvement

• Improved stability if using on my lap, the 10.5" is a little narrow and doesn't feel stable when I'm using it on the sofa
• Improved screen angles, not a couple but like the Microsoft Surface and more like a MacBook. I'd like to be able to adjust to wherever I'd like (if you know a good third party that does this please let me know)
• More durable material, as you can see in the images of mine the edge of the keyboard has frayed so I'd like to see some harder wearing material
• Bit more affordable, I know I know this isn't going to happen 😊

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I used to test a lot cases on my blog but fallen off the wagon with settling on Apple cases. I thought it was about time I picked up some third party cases and let you know what I thought.

First up is the Elago Slim Fit.

This case is a plastic shell that snaps onto the back of your iPhone. It has coverage on all of the buttons and leaves them with the pretty much the same nice click as before.

It’s very minimal and doesn’t add a lot of bulk.

The main downside for me is the slippery finish they have used. It’s a light matte finish but leaves it hard to hang onto. This kind of defeats the object of having a case in the first place.

This is a case to avoid.

My new cape code iPhone XS case is creaking like crazy. I think it’s slightly loose so whenever I hold it there’s some flex and an audible creak. I’ll be taking it back but curious if anyone else has had this?

After a week and a half the saddle brown case is finally getting some patina and grip. I think Apple put a wax or similar coating that protects the finish. This appears to have worn off now and as the case picks up oils and damage it’s become a bit easier to handle. [gallery ids=“672,673,674,675,676” type=“columns”]

I’ve always heard good things about Nomad so decided to finally pick up one of their modern straps.

I’ll have a review in a couple of weeks once I’ve figured out if I like it or not.

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Here’s the Amazon Link

It depends..

After having purchased both the bright orange and saddle brown it’s become evident that out of the box at least there is a difference in the leather used between colours.

The bright orange leather case is much more textured than the saddle brown, which is smooth. This makes it slippery, when holding on the sides it’s almost unusable. Even using within the 15 day return period I’ve found that the grip doesn’t increase. I know it will over a long period but I can’t wait, I’ll most probably drop it.

So I’m returning the saddle brown and sticking with my bright orange, when I use a case that is. I already have so many scratches on my iPhone X that I’m less worried about dropping it. I have Apple Care + just in case.

My advice if you want a leather case from Apple is to try before you buy in store. They don’t mind you opening them up and having a go, you will find the grip changes depending on the colour you choose.

I’ve been testing out third party lightning cables for a while now but realised I’d never actually shared which was my favourite. After having enough with the Apple cable breaking after only a few months I went on a search.

My favourite third party lightning cable is from Anker. It’s braided so flexible and sturdy. I’ve been using it for about 8 months and it’s still in the same condition as when I bought it.

Here’s the Amazon link.