It’s been a great year for Apple products and accessories, which makes it very tough to pick which of those items really stood out. Here are my choices for the best products of 2019.
Best Apple Product
My selection for the best Apple product of 2019 has to be the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Apple managed to pack a larger display into the same footprint as the “old” 15-inch model, corrected a serious keyboard issue, and also added a 9th-generation Intel CPU to a laptop with the largest battery allowed by law.
Runner-Up
Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro Max. Fast, with a beautiful display and the best battery life I’ve ever experienced with a smartphone.
Best iOS App
My choice for the best iOS app of 2019 has to be Fender Play. Although it’s not free, it’s the best way to learn guitar, bass or ukulele. Featuring video lessons that are short, clear, concise and followed by hands-on exercises, Fender Play is one of the best-designed apps I’ve ever used. As I’ve used it for the past six months, more content and new ways to track my progress have been added.
By the way, you might want to check out this comprehensive review of Fender Play on Beginner Guitar HQ.
Best Mac App
The best Mac app of 2019 isn’t new, but I’m giving it my top rating simply because it has saved me more time than any other Mac app. PhotoBulk streamlines photo workflows for the web with a drag-and-drop way to resize, optimize, and change the format of images while adding the ability to watermark.
Best Power Accessory
I’m tired of little battery packs. If I’m going to carry a power pack with me, I want something that’s really powerful. The Renogy Phoenix 100 Mini Power Station is without a doubt the best battery pack I’ve used. It has a 27,000mAh battery and can actually power devices from a built-in AC power plug.
Best Sound Accessory
TwelveSouth AirFly Pro is a unique little device that gives up to two users the ability to listen to entertainment through AirPods or other Bluetooth headphones. It’s tiny, inexpensive, and works great.
Best Video Accessory
Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro might be my favorite Apple product of the year, but the company really dropped the ball by putting a 720p video camera into the device. Not to worry; the Logitech BRIO 4K Pro Webcam has you covered. Featuring USB-C input and a well-designed adjustable mount that can grab onto just about any monitor, BRIO is a 4K camera with adjustable field of view, zoom, and high dynamic range (HDR) video. A full review will be coming soon.
