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iPhone 12 Pro Max (256GB, Pacific Blue, 2020)

In 2020 Apple released four iPhone 12 models simultaneously: the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 mini, the iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The four options offer two “regular” iPhone models in two sizes, the 12 and 12 mini; and two “Pro” iPhone models in two sizes, the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max. Overall, three sizes were available: mini, “regular,” and Pro Max, since the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro were the same size. The iPhone 12 models had arguably bolder color options, while the Pro models included more refined shades of Silver, Graphite, Gold, and Pacific Blue. This example is an iPhone 12 Pro Max with 256 GB storage in Pacific Blue.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max had an edge-to-edge 6.7-inch screen referred to as a “Super Retina XDR” display with 2778 x 1284 pixels (458 ppi). The camera system on the iPhone 12 Pro Max included four separate cameras, three on the back and one on the front. Apple listed the camera specifications for the Pro Max model as follows:

  • Pro 12MP camera system: Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto cameras
  • Ultra Wide: ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° field of view
  • Wide: ƒ/1.6 aperture
  • Telephoto: ƒ/2.0 aperture (iPhone 12 Pro); ƒ/2.2 aperture
  • 2.5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 5x optical zoom range
  • Digital zoom up to 12x
  • Night mode portraits enabled by LiDAR Scanner
  • Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control
  • Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono)
  • Dual optical image stabilization (Wide and Telephoto)
  • Sensor-shift optical image stabilization (iPhone 12 Pro Max Wide)
  • Five-element lens (Ultra Wide); six‑element lens (Telephoto); seven-element lens (Wide)

The TrueDepth Camera on the front gained many new features from previous front iPhone cameras. The 12MP camera had features including:

  • Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control
  • Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono)
  • Night mode
  • Deep Fusion
  • Smart HDR 3
  • HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30 fps
  • 4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps

Video recording features included:

  • HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 60 fps
  • 4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
  • 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
  • 720p HD video recording at 30 fps

Sensors included Face ID, LiDAR Scanner, Barometer, Three‑axis gyro, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, and an Ambient light sensor.

Apple described the iPhone 12 Pro Max finish as “surgical grade” stainless steel with flat stainless steel sides, a glass back, and a glass front with a “Ceramic Shield” cover for increased durability. The back had a MagSafe connector for wireless charging that used a magnet to attach a wireless charger (it is unknown why the term “-Safe” was used since the charger introduced no safety features).

The iPhone 12 Pro Max used the Apple A14 Bionic processor with 6 GB of RAM and 128, 256, or 512 GB of flash storage. Wireless connectivity included 802.11ax Wi-Fi, 5G wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC (for Apple Pay). Its only wired connection was a Lightning port.

My personal iPhone upgrade pattern had been established as upgrading to “major” model releases, but skipping the “update” models. For example, I would upgrade from the iPhone 6, skip the 6s model, and then upgrade to the iPhone 7. However, beginning with the iPhone 8, this pattern was broken when the iPhone X [ten] was released along with the iPhone 8—and no iPhone 9 was released. Since the iPhone X and the iPhone 8 were released simultaneously, I never used an iPhone 8. Thus, I went from the iPhone 7 to the X, skipped the XR, and upgraded to the iPhone 11. Apple broke the pattern again by jumping from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 12, skipping what may have been called the iPhone 11S or 11R (following previous conventions).

Source: EveryMac, Apple

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AirPods with Charging Case (Generation 2, unopened, 2019)

AirPods with Charging Case are the second generation wireless headphone product by Apple.

According to Apple:

“The new AirPods deliver the wireless headphone experience, reimagined. Just pull them out of the charging case and they’re ready to use with your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or Mac. After a simple one-tap setup, AirPods work like magic. They’re automatically on and always connected. AirPods can even sense when they’re in your ears and pause when you take them out. To adjust the volume, change the song, make a call, or even get directions, simply say ‘Hey Siri’ and make your request. You have the freedom to wear one or both AirPods, and you can play or skip forward with a double-tap when listening to music or podcasts.”

Since the first version of AirPods, Apple touted an easy setup experience. For all intents and purposes, the setup has been truly simple, perhaps “magical” as Apple has claimed, from the start. The initial pairing process begins simply by placing a new set of AirPods in proximity to an iPhone or iPad. The pairing process takes just a single tap on the device.

The design of the original AirPods and AirPods Generation 2 is identical on the outside for both the AirPods and the charging case. Internally, original AirPods use a W1 chip and AirPods Generation 2 use the H1 chip that adds the hands-free “Hey Siri” feature and better battery life.

The name, “AirPods with Charging Case,” differentiates this product from the “AirPods with Wireless Charging Case.” AirPods with Charging Case offered charging only with a Lightning connector cable. For an additional $40 at the time of purchase, the AirPods Wireless Charging Case allowed a user to “set the case down on a Qi-compatible charging mat and let it charge. The LED indicator on the front of the case lets you know that your AirPods are charging.” To purchase the Wireless Charging Case for AirPods separately cost $79.

When purchased online, Generation 2 AirPods also offered free case engraving. “Engrave an emoji, name, initials, phone number, or date. Only at Apple.”

Source: Apple (Wired, Wireless)

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Apple Watch Woven Nylon Band (42mm, Navy/Tahoe Blue, Stainless Steel Buckle, 2016)

The Apple Watch Woven Nylon Band was available from Spring 2016–Summer 2018. Woven Nylon bands were originally available in seven colors. The original colors included gold/red, gold/royal blue, royal blue, pink, pearl, scuba blue, and black. This band design was the first to include plastic connecting “lugs” to attach to the watch.

This Apple Watch Woven Nylon Band in Navy/Tahoe Blue was available during the Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 seasons. This example fits the 42mm Apple Watch and had a Stainless Steel Buckle.

According to Apple:

“Every Woven Nylon band is made from over 500 threads woven together in a unique, colorful pattern. Monofilaments connect four layers of the weave to create a single durable band with a comfortable, fabric-like feel. Available in seven vibrant colors.”

Unlike the Apple Sport Loop bands that shipped with two sizes in one box, each Woven Nylon box included one size band with twelve notches. The 38mm version was designed to fit wrists 125–195mm, and the 42mm fit 145–215mm wrists.

Apple Watch Woven Nylon band styles were discontinued in Summer 2018.

Source: 9to5mac, Apple

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Apple Watch Series 6 (Red Aluminum Case, 44mm, GPS, 2020)

The Apple Watch Series 6 was nearly identical to the Series 5 models, but the Series 6 added some new internal features: faster chip, a new Blood Oxygen sensor (SpO2), and an altimeter that was always on. Externally, the Apple Watch Series 6 was available in colors including blue aluminum and (PRODUCT)RED aluminum, in addition to aluminum in space gray, gold, and silver; stainless steel in graphite, silver, and gold; and titanium and titanium space black.

This 44mm Apple Watch Series 6 is an aluminum (PRODUCT)RED model that shipped with a (PRODUCT)RED Sport Loop. This model has GPS capability, but it lacks the cellular capability of higher-end options.

Like all previous Apple Watch models, the Apple Watch Series 6 uses a Digital Crown and a touch display. The screen is OLED at 368×448.

When purchased online at the Apple Store, the aluminum Apple Watch Series 6 models were available in four additional color combinations: Blue Apple Watch with Deep Navy Sport Band; Gold Apple Watch with Pink Sand Sport Band; Silver Apple Watch with White Sport Band; and Space Gray Apple Watch with Black Sport Band.

Along with the Apple Watch Series 6, two new band designs were released including the Apple Solo Loop, a soft and stretchable “liquid silicone” loop band with no mechanical closure; and an Apple Braided Solo Loop, a loop band made from stretchable, silicone-infused thread with no mechanical closure. Both the new loops were sold in sizes.

Source: Everymac, Apple

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iPhone XR (packaging, 2018, 2020)

In 2020 Apple made a major change to its iPhone 12 packaging when they stopped including Lightning headphones and a wall power “brick” charger in the box at the time of an iPhone purchase. With these items removed, Apple was able to reduce the size of the iPhone box and reduce the extra packaging associated with the headphones and charger. It was announced that the iPhone 12 would ship only with the phone and a USB-C-to-Lightning charging cable.

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, announced at an October 2020 Apple event, “Customers already have over 700 million Lightning headphones, and many customers have moved to a wireless experience with AirPods, Beats, or other wireless headphones. And there are also over 2 billion Apple power adapters out in the world, and that’s not counting the billions of third-party adapters. So we are removing these items from the iPhone box.”

With the iPhone 12 announcement, I was not at all expecting this packaging change to also affect older, but still manufactured iPhone models. At the time of the iPhone 12 release, Apple was still offering the iPhone XR as a lower-end and less expensive iPhone option. Surprisingly, the iPhone XR packaging was also reduced in size and shipped without the headphones and charger. Also, the cable was switched to a USB-C-to-Lightning, replacing the former USB-to-Lightning option.

While the change may contribute to some environmental benefits, the situation was not universally accepted as positive. Some critics noted that, “The move saves the company money, but some of the environmental benefits could be offset by people buying earbuds and chargers separately” (The Verge). From a practical standpoint, some users—namely enterprise, government, and school districts like mine—had not switched to USB-C when this decision was made. As Apple indicated, it is likely that most users likely already have more than one charger and at least one set of Lightning headphones.

The photos here represent my school district’s iPhone XR upgrade affected mid-stream—where iPhone XR models purchased before October 2020 used “classic” packaging, and devices purchased in late-October/November 2020 unexpectedly used the new packaging without an announcement or warning.

Sources: AppleInsider, The Verge

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iPod touch (Generation 5, 32 GB, blue, unopened, 2015)

The iPod touch Generation 6 had a 4-inch Retina display at 1136 x 640 (326 ppi). It used a rear 8-megapixel iSight camera capable of recording 1080p video, and a front 1.2-megapixel FaceTime camera capable of recording 720p video. Wireless connectivity included Bluetooth 4.1 and 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi.

Externally, the iPod touch Generation 6 is very similar to the Generation 5 model, but it is quite different inside. The Generation 6 uses a dual-core A8 processor, 1 GB RAM, and was available with storage of 16, 32, 64, or 128 GB.

Six different colors were available, including space gray (black glass front with dark gray aluminum back), gold (white glass front with gold aluminum back), silver (white glass front with silver aluminum back), hot pink (white glass front with bright pink aluminum back), blue (white glass front with blue aluminum back), and red (white glass front with red aluminum back). The red version was a (PRODUCT)RED offering.

This example is blue with 32 GB of storage.

Source: Everymac

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Numeric Keypad (for original Macintosh, M0120, 1984)

When the original Macintosh was introduced in January 1984, this Numeric Keypad was also announced as an accessory for an additional $99. The keypad uses the same telephone-cord-like interface as the Macintosh to attach in a daisy chain to the keyboard or computer.

The exterior packaging, included with this example, uses a stylistically similar “Picasso” abstract rendering of the product and Apple logo as the packaging of the original Macintosh.

The interior packaging is white styrofoam with an embossed Apple logo.

Source: Wikipedia

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SIM-eject tool (from iPhone SE Generation 1, 2017)

Over the years, Apple has included a SIM-eject tool with iPhone and iPad models with a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) tray. Early Apple SIM eject tools were more substantially designed than this version and were made from an alloy named Liquidmetal.

This version of the SIM eject tool shipped with an iPhone SE (2017). While a previous version of the tool was solid, this SIM eject tool is essentially a bent wire. It is unknown as to whether this tool is made from Liquidmetal.

Interestingly, Apple’s official Support web pages refer to the “official” SIM-eject tool, but picture a bent paper clip in their how-to diagrams for removing SIM cards.

Sources: Mac Rumors, Apple

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iPad Smart Keyboard (for iPad Generation 7/8, unopened, 2019)

According to Apple’s website, “The Smart Keyboard is a full‑size keyboard made for iPad. It delivers a comfortable typing experience wherever you are and converts into a slim, durable front cover when you’re on the go.”

This keyboard uses Apple’s proprietary Smart connector so the keyboard does not require its own power. “Just attach the full-size Smart Keyboard to your iPad and start typing — no charging or pairing required. And when you’re finished, it folds up to become a slim, lightweight cover.”

The iPad Smart Keyboard is Apple’s first case-integrated keyboard for the base-model iPad. It is compatible with iPad (Generation 7 and 8), iPad Air (Generation 3), and iPad Pro 10.5‑inch.

Source: Apple (iPad Keyboards, iPad)

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iPod shuffle (Generation 2, light blue, Late 2007)

This Generation 2 iPod shuffle released in Late 2007 was identical to the previous Early 2007 Generation 2 iPod shuffle, except they were available in silver and four new colors: light blue, light green, purple, and Special Edition (PRODUCT) RED. This example is light blue.

The Generation 2 iPod shuffle (Late 2007) model also added a new 2 GB model.

This iPod shuffle measured 1.07 inches tall, 0.98 inches wide, and 0.33 inches deep and included a built-in clip for easily attaching the iPod to clothing. All iPod shuffle models lack a display. This model incuded 1 GB of flash memory to hold approximately 240 songs.

A small USB dock shipped with this iPod shuffle that used the headphone jack to connect to power and synchronize music. Its battery lasted for about 12 hours.

Source: Everymac