My Everyday Tech Carry – Late 2023
The things I take with me on a daily basis…
As a tech and gadget enthusiast, it’s no secret that I carry a lot of tech with me everywhere I go.
Whether it’s going to work, doing my weekly shopping, or going on cycling adventures, there are some items that never leave my side.
That is why following on from my summer edition of my everyday tech carry, I decided to do an Autumn edition.
To be fair, not a great deal has changed in the last couple of months but I figured that it would be a good idea to share an update anyway.
As with my last everyday tech carry article, I am not including the things I carry in my backpack, this article includes things I strictly carry in my pocket most days.
So without any further ado, here is my Autumn 2023 everyday tech carry…
My Phone: Google Pixel 7 Pro
Like in the last edition of my everyday tech carry, I am still using the Google Pixel 7 Pro.
After using the phone for 11 months, I still think that it’s a great phone and that there is no need to upgrade. I have been tempted to upgrade it to the Google Pixel 8 Pro, but I don’t have any real reasons to upgrade.
What I have been thinking about getting for a very long time is a foldable phone. But, I’m not sure whether I want to go with Samsung or Pixel, I just know I want one. The only trouble is that I can’t justify the cost!
But on a more serious note, the Google Pixel 7 Pro is possibly one of the most stable smartphones I owned in a very long time, it just works really well and is getting updates on a monthly basis.
In terms of the case, I’m still using the Mous Limitless 5.0, which is possibly one of the best cases I ever had. Yes, these cases are not cheap, but it has protected my phone really well!
Put it this way, It helped my phone survive 2 mountain bike accidents! Therefore, I’m not sure I want to give it up for another case!
Moving on to things that have changed on my phone, I decided to change from the default Pixel Launcher to Smart Launcher 6, which has seriously made the phone feel better and more functional.
In case you are not aware of what a launcher is, check out my article on the one feature I feel iPhones are missing!
As a whole, changing to Smart Launcher 6 has seriously improved the look and feel of my phone. Not only is it different from what I’m used to, but it also functions in a better way and comes packed with some really nice-looking widgets.
Smartwatches: TicWatch Pro 5 & Google Pixel Watch
Unlike in previous months, over the last few months, I’ve been constantly switching between the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 and the Google Pixel Watch.
I know that Google released the Pixel Watch 2 last month, but I decided not to upgrade to it as I didn’t really see a need to upgrade just yet. However, I will likely upgrade when the next version is released.
Out of the two watches, I’ve been using the TicWatch Pro 5 more often. I think that it’s a brilliant watch with a brilliant battery life and some awesome health apps built in.
I also like the fact that it comes with a dual display as not only can you see the time clearly on bright days, but it also helps with the battery life.
I tend to do a lot of cycling and hiking in my spare time and out of the two watches, I think that the TicWatch Pro 5 is more suitable for the outdoors, especially due to the information it can provide me with and the battery life.
I feel that the Google Pixel Watch is more of an everyday smartwatch. I mean it’s a beautiful smartwatch and I love the overall Pixel experience, but with the battery only lasting around a day on average and Fitbit Premium being so unnecessarily expensive I don’t feel it’s good enough for the outdoors.
I mean when I went hiking in the Tatra mountains in the summer, I actually used my Garmin Instinct, as I didn’t think that the Pixel Watch would cope with such long hikes. But now I regret not trying it out!
But overall, I think that both of these watches are great, hence the reason I’m finding it difficult to pick one out of the two!
Earbuds: Google Pixel Buds Pro
In the summer edition of my everyday tech carry, I mentioned that the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC were my everyday earbuds. That has changed as I went back to the Google Pixel Buds Pro.
The reason for this decision is simple, the Pixel Buds Pro are more practical as earbuds compared to the Soundcore’s.
You’re probably thinking to yourself how on earth can one set of earbuds be more practical than another, it’s actually quite simple and it’s all to do with the features!
The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC are a great set of earbuds that offer outstanding active noise cancellation and great sound quality. They even have multi-point Bluetooth!
But as a Pixel 7 Pro user, they just work so much better in the Pixel ecosystem, they also have some incredible features that you don’t tend to find on many earbuds.
A great example is the conversation mode which pauses my music and turns on transparency mode when they detect me speaking. This is a great feature that I tend to use a lot at work and when out shopping.
They also respond to the “Hey Google” command when connected to my phone allowing me to have information without even taking my phone out of my pocket.
I can even have them read out notifications and respond to messages, although I believe that that is dependent on the app the notification or message is from.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro are also the main earbuds I use at work!
With the Google Pixel Buds Pro, I use the Nomad Pixel Buds Pro case in black which is quite pricey, especially if you live in the UK, but it was worth the purchase! The case offers great quality and it doesn’t require me to use double-sided tape, it just works!
Overall, they aren’t the best earbuds I’ve tried out this year, but they are certainly the most practical set I’ve tried. That is exactly why they are still my daily drivers.
Wrapping Things Up…
Not much else has changed from my last everyday carry blog post. I still use the same wallet I purchased in a souvenir shop in Zakopane, Poland during the summer holidays. I think that it is a great wallet that can fit a lot inside!
I also still use the Chipolo-powered Exter tracking card which is pretty cool, but I will likely end up upgrading it soon. I am thinking about pre-ordering the Chipolo Card Point due to its integration with Google’s Find My Device.
In regards to my keys, I still haven’t gone back to using a key organiser. I think that the KeySmart Max is a great tool, but I don’t like the fact it has a tile built in that can’t warn me when the battery is about to run out.
Speaking about trackers, I pre-ordered the Chipolo One Point for my keys a while back, but I still haven’t received it as Google hasn’t updated the Find My Device app to support these devices. Hopefully, they will do that this year, but so far I haven’t received any updates.
What things do you have in your everyday carry? Let us know in the comments!