9to5Mac Reviews

I’ve had the joy of getting to test out the reMarkable Paper Pro over the past few months. It’s certainly an impressive device, though it isn’t quite for everyone. That said, I do think it makes a lot of sense for a lot of people, and I’m certainly happy such a device exists on the market. It’s certainly made me re-think a few things.

For the longest time, I had believed that purchasing a new iPad at full price never made any sort of sense. Ultimately, you’re paying more than an equivalently spec’d MacBook, for less capability. It always felt like iPadOS was the key limiting factor for the iPad, not the hardware.

However, I’ve now owned an M4 iPad Pro for nearly 9 months, and I can confidently say it’s changed how I feel towards iPads.

Zens recently sent over their Quattro Charger Pro 4 to try after Apple started selling it, and it’s already become a family favorite. In testing, I also discovered a fun, off-label use that potential buyers may appreciate.

I’ve described one of Waterfield’s earlier backpacks as a mini-Tardis, as it carries way more inside than you’d ever expect from the compact form factor, and that’s even more true of the latest Shinjuku Backpack.

It looks like a slim backpack suitable for a MacBook, charger, and a few other bits and pieces, but the beautifully-organized layout means it’s surprisingly capacious …

For me, one of the biggest issues with making the switch from a MacBook to a Mac mini was the display aspect of it. MacBooks all have fairly great displays, especially on the MacBook Pro. However, finding a good display that pairs nicely with a Mac desktop always feels like a little bit of a challenge.

You either have to go with Apple’s expensive options, or compromise significantly on the experience with a third party. Some common compromises include poor brightness, a lack of USB-C, or a lack of macOS integration. While the BenQ MA270U certainly isn’t a Studio Display replacement, it performs excellently in all of the qualities that matter to me.

If 27-inch 5K displays aren’t your thing, BenQ’s 32-inch 4K monitor is a fun option I’ve been testing and loving. The BenQ RD320UA 32-inch Ergo Arm Programming Monitor with MoonHalo is designed to maximize comfort during long coding (or writing) sessions.

At CES 2025, Belkin began shipping its new SoundForm Isolate headphones. They’re the first wireless headphones with active noise cancellation that Belkin has developed, and they come in at just $60 – making them incredibly affordable over-ear headphones.

There’s been a lot of talk about augmented reality tech lately, especially with the unveiling of Snapchat Spectacles and Meta Orion. Those are both highly expensive and unobtainable to consumers – but there is a growing market of affordable glasses, that provide some of the benefits of AR glasses at a much more palatable price tag. The RayNeo Air 2s’ are one of them, and I’ll be providing some of my thoughts.

Philips Hue bulbs are one of the easiest ways to give your existing light fixtures smart home capabilities, including through Apple’s HomeKit platform. The problem with Philips Hue bulbs, however, is that whenever a wall light switch is flipped off, the smart lights become unresponsive.

The Lutron Aurora dimmer is a simple yet ingenious way to solve this problem, and it should be at the top of every smart home fan’s holiday wish list.

Plus, they are currently on sale for 20% off on Amazon…

Large language model AI has been a leap forward for me in how I use technology. So naturally, ChatGPT is something that my 7 and 11 year old kids are already familiar with, but there isn’t an AI that they interact with regularly. Enter Miko Mini, a fun and affordable AI bot that’s designed to create a safe and engaging environment for kids. The AI component is LLM powered so the bot is naturally conversational, and Miko has a host of content partners including Disney, Nickelodeon, and iHeartRadio. Read on for our impressions.

Meta released a brand new mixed reality headset about two week ago, the Meta Quest 3S. It’s their cheapest mixed reality headset by far, starting at a price of $299, compared to the $499 starting price of Meta Quest 3. Don’t get confused though, the S in 3S does not mean it’s better, even though you may think that.

It’s a great value for mixed reality – but something Apple would never make.

The iPhone 16 line-up offers an impressive boost to battery life, but there are still occasions when our iPhone needs some help to make it through a long day.

If you can’t rely on being in one place long enough to top-up by cable, a portable battery pack can save the day. I tested out two very different battery-powered wireless chargers …

It’s been about a month since Apple released the iPhone 16 lineup. As an iPhone 15 Pro Max user, I was honestly quite disappointed keeping up with the rumors, as it sounded like Apple had nothing interesting in store other than just larger displays.

However, there was one key upgrade with the iPhone 16 lineup that didn’t necessarily appear in the rumors, and it got me to pull the trigger.

I’m a big fan of the Wallet app as a single place to store all my tickets and passes for everything from travel to theater, but not every company directly supports the app.

Passbook is one of a number of apps which allow you to take any existing ticket and import it into the Wallet app, to keep everything together …

Apple did something interesting after they released the iPhone 16 lineup: they started using the Beats brand to make iPhone cases. It’s not clear why they did this, other than wanting to make a cheap feeling case without using their own brand.

I’ve long used Shokz bone-conduction wireless headphones as my go-to for voice and video calls, mostly because they are so comfortable I often forget I’m wearing them.

I’ve been using the OpenComm model for a couple of years now, but switched to the new OpenRun Pro 2 for a couple of reasons – one of which was fixing my only real complaint …

Last year Astropad launched its impressive Rock Paper Pencil kit for iPad that delivers a reusable/removable matte screen protector plus a ballpoint-style Apple Pencil tip for a real pen-on-paper experience. This year the company delivered Rock Paper Pencil v2 with a NanoCling border, flat profile, improved Apple Pencil tip, and more. Here’s what I think after testing out the improved version.

Update 8/23/24: Astropad is offering 15% off Rock Paper Pencil through today as a back-to-school promotion.

I’m not exactly an expert on TVs and displays, but I chose a high-end TV for my living room to get the best possible experience when it comes to immersiveness, brightness, and color accuracy. But now I’ve had the chance to try something different: a 4K projector from XGIMI. I’ve been using the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K for the past month and I must say it’s quite impressive.

Welcome to 9to5Mac Gearbox, my new column where I mix my affinity for motorcycles and technology. While Gearbox is primarily written for motorbike riders, you’ll find that riding technology is never strictly just for bikers. Stay safe and enjoy the ride!

I’ve been wearing the Waterfield Moto Front Sling for two months now, and one thing is certain: you don’t have to be a moto rider to enjoy the Moto Front Sling.

Whether I’m riding, driving, or flying, the Moto Front Sling has gone from the East Coast to the West Coast and back with me this summer. My favorite feature? How it expands my everyday carry everywhere I go without being a full-blown backpack.

The Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 15 is the latest iteration of a product the company has been offering for around a decade now.

The battery case claims to extend the battery life of an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max by 50% – but in my testing, did better than that …

If you’re looking for an iPhone wireless mic, there’s no shortage of options out there, ranging from the cheap-and-cheerful to the sophisticated. The Saramonic Blink 500 B2+ aims to bridge the gap between the two – and in my view, succeeds.

For around half the price of similar systems from Røde and DJI, you get a twin-mic setup that connects to standalone cameras, Macs, iPads, iPolder iPhones with a Lightning socket, and current iPhones with a USB-C port …