Our last post of 2024! A check on our blog here shows that I’ve been writing these annual year-end tech summary posts for the last 15 years now since 2008, and it’s interesting to see the kind of gadgets and toys we purchased then compared to now.
Samsung S24 Ultra – win: We’re through and through a Samsung family, and we’re currently using S24Us and S21U this year. In a sense, the S24U I picked up in January this year wasn’t that different from the S23U last year. But I was tempted by the better processor, the improved display e.g. the anti-reflection coating on the new model noticeably improves usage outdoors, and that Samsung always offers great offers when trading in older devices. The Samsung Ultras today are fantastic in photo-taking. And coupled also with that I’ve become a less serious and more casual photographer and that I honestly dread carrying heavy camera systems when I’m traveling these days means that the Samsung Ultras are really becoming the dominant camera-capable device I have in my arsenal. The S24U is so good that I also bought one for the missus for her birthday this year.
Asus Zenbook S13 – win: I picked up this ultraportable specifically to replace the 4 year old Dell XPS 13 as my travel laptop, and it’s done a phenomenal job in that. The S13 is very light, has a fantastic keyboard, has a backpanel that I can remove to clean its interiors periodically and also upgrade its SSD, and the OLED screen just makes consuming content so pleasing. I got the laptop on the cheap as the model was getting phased out by Asus. I’ve not seen this model sold recently again at the price I bought it for, so that was some good luck in my being able to pick it up in January this year for cheap.
Sony RX100 VII – win, somewhat: 2024 is finally when I picked up a Sony RX100… after it being on my radar and wish list for 6 years now. The little camera’s compact form factor and very usable optical zoom length when traveling really helps. Thing is though… I’ve traveled out of the country thrice since picking up the RX100 VII, and each time still found myself instinctively reaching for the S24 Ultra rather than the RX100. The RX100’s main advantage is in its long optical reach, but the S24U’s high megapixel options – 50M and 200M – offsets this compact camera’s feature, though there is really a lot of obvious image distortion when zoom into a 200M huge picture generated by the smartphone. Still, a small compact camera is always useful to have, and it’s portable. I miss the dynamic range in the RAWs I get from a larger sensor camera though like a m4/3, the A6600 or the A73 – but it’s what it is. I’ve decided that our 2025 trips will be when I decide if I am going to retire any of my camera systems altogether.
DJI Mini Pro 4 – win: The Mini 4 Pro was a necessary buy, because we were going to Cebu in June and the Mini 3 Pro’s RC had failed and would not be repaired in time before we departed. The newer model has a couple of improvements: including the ability to shoot in a vertical format that is more suitable for social media posting – though that’s not a feature that I use. It has also better obstacle detection and avoidance, which is a great feature, but its utility also finally comes down to the kind of places you fly. The Mini Pro 4 got a fantastic workout during our Cebu trip and I got a large number of very usable aerial videos. I only wish there were more places for me to fly the drone in Singapore. That there just isn’t makes me inclined to plan our June holidays in part based on whether I can get to fly. But it’s what it is, and the fact that I’ve taken to flying these things since last year after overcoming earlier anxieties is in in no small part also due to how well-rounded are the Mini line of drones from DJI.
Meta Quest 3 – win: I liked the Meta Quest 2, but there was always the visible screen door effect, and also its limited field of view. The device after the initial spurt of use got shelved into cold storage. I decided to pick up the Quest 3 after reading the very positive reviews, and after a week of intense use, have concluded that it’s indeed a real improvement over the Quest 2. There screen door effect is much less obvious, the field of view is somewhat better – and importantly, the Meta Quest+ VR subscription makes available a huge amount of content at a low price. I still am really susceptible to vertigo, which makes consuming some of the best content impossible, but what’s still available for me to try with Quest+ is still wide-ranging.
That’s it for 2024: I’ve gradually been picking up less tech items over the years, with camera gear being one of the categories that I’ve largely stopped picking up items in.
So, what do I envision getting in 2025? Well, there’s the soon to be announced Samsung S25 Ultra, thought the current rumored specifications are a little meh. Apparently, Samsung is going back to curved corners – yuck. So, unless there is significantly better battery life and/or camera module and/or great trade-in offer, I’m not sure if I’d want to upgrade the S25U or skip a generation till 2026. I’m set for laptops too: the coming to 3 year old Yoga Slim Pro 7 is still working fairly well though its space bar key is acting funny of late, and the Asus Zenbook S13 has completd only its first year as my travel laptop. I’ll like to squeeze at least another year of use for my Samsung Tab S9 tablet too before I think about replacing it, but there aren’t a lot of 5G/LTE-capable Android tablets sold here in Singapore outside Samsung’s line-up. Perhaps a Windows tablet? As lovely as the Samsung Tab S9 as my go-to device for blogging on the go, my preference still remains to work on Windows whenever I can. Something to keep my eye on at least for 2025 then!
That’s a wrap for 2024. It’s a been a busy year, and 2025 isn’t going to be any different as both kids will be taking their national exams. Still, I expect to write about our June holiday plans in a month or so, so more to come soon!