Laptop
After more than a year I finally decided to upgrade my old Dell Latitude E7240 for a newer model. I found a good deal on a used Latitude 7270 on eBay and bought it without hesitation. The E7270 is an upgraded and updated E7240, with a newer-generation chipset (Intel's 6th gen Core i5-6300U), a new and improved keyboard as well (on my model) a glossy, higher-resolution touchscreen. The design is also very similar, colors have changed from silver to matte black. Also, the battery is no longer removable, however, it is very easy to replace the battery since you only need to remove a few screws on the bottom of the laptop and the screws that hold the battery in place to take it out.
You can read my full review here.
You can read my full review here.
Where to buy (Dell Latitude E7270): https://amzn.to/2TWxW2i
In case you need a case for yours, this Amazon Basics sleeve fits the laptop perfectly: https://amzn.to/2uU242s
In case you need a case for yours, this Amazon Basics sleeve fits the laptop perfectly: https://amzn.to/2uU242s
Phone
After a little more than a year now, I finally decided to upgrade from the older Nokia 8 (which I reviewed here) to a new, "just black" Google Pixel 3 XL. I've only had it for a few days, but I can already say it's one of the best flagship phones I've ever used. Apart from the rather... conservative amount of RAM Google's hardware division decided to equip it with, it has the (subjectively) best Android experience and a top-tier camera. The display is also vibrant, yet dim and the Snapdragon 845 chipset, while not the latest is still plenty fast for my daily needs. I heard the glass backplate might be easy to break, so I also bought one of the first-party cases.
I'm very excited to review this device, so stay tuned in the coming weeks.
Where to buy (Pixel 3 XL): https://amzn.to/2uXhvqB
Where to buy (Pixel 3 XL Case): https://amzn.to/2P4syaY
I'm very excited to review this device, so stay tuned in the coming weeks.
Where to buy (Pixel 3 XL Case): https://amzn.to/2P4syaY
Power Bank
What do I use to keep all my devices juiced up during the long days at the University? This 10050mAh Asus ZenPower power bank keeps my devices charged all the time, even when I go on the occasional trip o another city for a day or 2. I've had it for about 4 years and it has never left me down - I can only recommend this one here.
P.S.: As a bonus: if you ever need to charge this battery fast, no problem, because it supports QuickCharge 2.0.
Where to buy: https://amzn.to/2xE1F8v
P.S.: As a bonus: if you ever need to charge this battery fast, no problem, because it supports QuickCharge 2.0.
Where to buy: https://amzn.to/2xE1F8v
Portable speaker
For years I've used a small JBL Clip+ as my main Bluetooth speaker, but it was becoming obvious that an upgrade was needed. The years were not kind to the diminutive box: the battery was quite worn and it would turn the speaker off if a certain volume level was reached. Amazon had some great discounts on the entire Sony SRS-XB line so I managed to grab the Sony SRS-XB31 for about a third of its original price. And it sounds really great. But not 170€ great. I think that certain pointless features really drive up the price and sacrifice on the important stuff and that's a bummer because it makes a recommendation difficult. You can read my full review here.
Where to buy: https://amzn.to/2RSE3qt
Headphones
I stopped using all of my wired headphones a few months after I got the Moto Z because it had no headphone jack and I was pretty annoyed by carrying that retarded dongle around. So I went wireless and bought these fairly cheap JBL E45BT headphones. What can I say, build quality seems okay and although they pick up scratches like crazy and the hinge and swivel mechanisms seem flimsy, they did not break after a year and a half of use. Also, battery life is very good at 16 hours and they sound good enough, with deep basses and punchy highs.
Where to buy: https://amzn.to/2sDLSkg
Where to buy: https://amzn.to/2sDLSkg
In-ear headphones
After quite some frustration with my Sennheiser CX6.00BT earbuds (you can read my full review here), I decided to get something else in the same price range. I decided to cut the cord entirely and bought the (Anker) Zolo Liberty true wireless earbuds. They are really comfortable, they never fall out of my ear and isolate outside noise very well. They also sound (subjectively) better than the Sennheisers, as they don't have these almost screeching highs. Furthermore, the earbuds themselves last 8 hours on a charge (that's 2 more than the Sennheisers) and the case holds 100 more hours. I will make sure to write a review over the coming months.
Where to buy: https://amzn.to/2It1MY6
Mouse
Ever since I somehow managed to break a USB port on my old Dell Latitude E6420 by forgetting the wireless mouse's receiver plugged in, I have been using only Bluetooth mice, yet my old Microsoft Sculpt Comfort stopped properly registering clicks so I had to change it. I decided to try something more premium so I went for what is perhaps the best portable Bluetooth mouse on the market right now: the Logitech MX Anywhere 2S. I do not regret the extra € I spent on this mouse, as it exceeded my expectations on all levels: battery life is above average, build quality is top-notch and the sensor tracks even on glass reliably.
Where to buy: https://amzn.to/2LX5x7Q
Pen
As a student, it's very important to choose the right pens, as they need to be reliable and durable. I've had this Lamy Safari Charcoal Black fountain ink pen for about 2 years now and it's still holding up well. I still love the black tip, while I believe that Lamy is charging a pointless premium for ink reserves.
Where to buy: https://amzn.to/2J7BHjf
Watch
Watches are very important for us students. They are our timekeepers - the only things we look at when the course is boring or when we have not finished our exams and there are only a few minutes left.
In the last few iterations of this series of articles I've always had some sort of smartwatch to show here, but that's not the case now. I gave up on smartwatches as I started to think that for the same price you get a much more beautiful 'dumb' analog or digital timepiece minus the notification thingie.
After the bad experience I had with the really nice looking Casio B640WD-1AVEF, I decided to get a better, badder, more resistant watch that would still look good at work. Another thing I had to consider was my relatively small wrist size. I saw some gorgeous Casio G-Shocks online and decided to start looking there. After some digging, I found what I needed: the Casio G-Shock AWG-M100B-1AER. It has everything I need: 200m water resist, looks nice and should be able to take a beating. Not only that but it also has some useful features like the solar cell, the hybrid digital-analog display and it can set the time automatically.
Where to buy: https://amzn.to/2LGOTrH
Thanks for reading folks, I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I enjoyed putting it together.
All Amazon links for the products featured here are affiliate links, which means that I get a small commission for every purchase so it would be nice if you would use them.
This article is not sponsored in any way by any third party - I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed here are therefore my own.
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