Five year old tech might sound ancient. But you’d be surprised. It was cutting-edge, premium, and optimized when new, so it has aged very well.* *My computing setup is three devices: MacBook Air M1, iPhone 12 Pro, and Apple Watch SE, all released in the Fall of 2020. I rely on them daily. But I think upgrades will likely come in the next year.
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Apple Watch SE
The first-gen Watch SE no longer gets OS updates. It’s stuck on watchOS 10, missing out on version 11 and now 26. Battery health is 82%, lasting almost a full day with light usage. I often charge it in the evening to stretch to bedtime and never sleep with it on. I typically do one workout a day, like a 30 minute walk. It gets the job done, but overall it’s sluggish. And it’s the small version; some te…
Five year old tech might sound ancient. But you’d be surprised. It was cutting-edge, premium, and optimized when new, so it has aged very well.* *My computing setup is three devices: MacBook Air M1, iPhone 12 Pro, and Apple Watch SE, all released in the Fall of 2020. I rely on them daily. But I think upgrades will likely come in the next year.
↑ Excerpt ↑
Apple Watch SE
The first-gen Watch SE no longer gets OS updates. It’s stuck on watchOS 10, missing out on version 11 and now 26. Battery health is 82%, lasting almost a full day with light usage. I often charge it in the evening to stretch to bedtime and never sleep with it on. I typically do one workout a day, like a 30 minute walk. It gets the job done, but overall it’s sluggish. And it’s the small version; some text is tiny and hard to read.
Upgrade — I’m very eager to jump to the Watch SE 3 sometime next year. The always-on display should be a great improvement. It being faster and longer-lasting will also be great. I plan to buy the large size.
MacBook Air M1
First released in November 2020, this 8GB RAM / 256GB storage laptop is still awesome. It runs like when I first powered it on in January 2022 (bought from Apple Refurbished). Granted, my tasks are light. My kids have used this MacBook, taking it to school sometimes, and it holds up. The keypresses are excellent. The trackpad is superb. The display is great. The speakers and ports…everything is top-notch. And the battery still lasts a full work day at 87% health.
Upgrade — I’d like to trade it in before it loses any more value and use the money towards a newer MacBook. I’m super interested in the rumored new “budget” MacBook to release in Spring 2026. I’d like to increase the memory and storage rather than than the display or raw power of the CPU.
iPhone 12 Pro
Even with Liquid Glass, this 6GB RAM phone is running well. It’s in excellent condition except the battery, which is at 80% health. I recharge it throughout the day as needed. I carry a MagSafe battery and a battery bank in my EDC bag for mobile power. And with 256GB storage, I never worry about media and apps being limited. It’s great overall.
Upgrade — I hope to get a more modern iPhone next year, likely the iPhone 16e refurbished. It’s already down to around $400 on Amazon and it isn’t even one year old yet! That means the battery health should be in the mid 90% range at least. It omits bells and whistles in favor of low cost. The core is what counts: 8GB RAM, USB-C, and an A18 chip with hardware raytracing, rivaling my M1 MacBook!
Summary
Apple Watch SE: doesn’t quite last a day, sluggish performance, and it lacks the useful Always-On display. 1.
iPhone 12 Pro: runs well, but the battery runs out fast with regular usage. 1.
MacBook Air M1: still great, but I could really use at least double the storage.
I’ll have to upgrade these sooner or later. The sooner I do, the more my devices are worth to sell or trade-in. We’ll see what new tech may come my way in 2026, Lord willing. Meanwhile, I’ll keep enjoying the sweet setup I’m already blessed with, grateful for the great things I have.