245 On April 1, 1976, Apple was founded. Fifty years later, Bobby and Jon jump on the phone for a candid, unfiltered conversation about the company that shaped so much of their tech lives.

This isn’t a polished keynote-style retrospective. It’s two Apple fans talking honestly about the products, moments and memories that stuck with them most.

They get into their earliest encounters with Apple, from old Macs and the first iPods to the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone X and the original iPad. They also talk about why Apple still has such a hold on people, how certain products changed the wider tech industry, and what might come next as rumours continue around foldables, AR glasses and future Apple Watch upgrades.

There’s nostalgia here, but there’s also scepticism. Bobby and Jon also touch on Apple in 2026, Tim Cook’s legacy, privacy, product strategy and whether the company can still deliver the next truly era-defining device.

If you’ve ever owned an iPod, queued mentally for an iPhone, or wondered whether Apple still has the magic, this one’s for you.

In this episode:

• Apple’s 50th anniversary and why it still matters
• The first Apple devices that pulled us in
• Why the iPod changed everything
• The iPhone models that felt genuinely revolutionary
• The original iPad and how opinions changed
• Foldables, AR glasses and Apple’s future
• Apple Watch Ultra, Vision Pro and what we’d actually buy next
• Tim Cook, ethics and the harder questions around Apple today

Listen now and tell us: what was your first Apple device, and what’s your all-time favourite?

Timestamps

00:00 Intro and setting the scene

01:10 Travel chat, hand luggage and taking tech away

06:22 MacBook vs iPad and the convenience debate

09:58 Apple’s 50th anniversary and current Apple books

12:27 Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Apple’s founding story

15:53 Ronald Wayne, the early Apple story and what might have been

20:08 Jon’s first Apple experience using an old Macintosh

22:02 The first iPod and the moment Apple became irresistible

26:56 First iPhones, networks and early Apple buying memories

27:52 Why the iPhone 4 was such a landmark device

30:11 The iPhone X and the jump to Face ID

31:44 The original iPad and how different it felt

35:55 What Apple might do next - foldables or AR glasses?

41:37 Apple Watch Ultra, future upgrades and rumours

44:08 Meta glasses, privacy and waiting for Apple’s version

46:53 Tim Cook, politics and the more complicated side of Apple

49:18 Final thoughts at the 50-minute mark

Apple 50th anniversary, Apple podcast, Apple history, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, first iPod, first iPhone, iPhone 4, iPhone X, original iPad, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple foldable, Apple AR glasses, Tim Cook, Apple nostalgia, tech podcast, Apple fans

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

244 In this weekend unfiltered chat, Bobby and Jon do exactly what listeners have come to enjoy most from these candid catch-ups: hit record and let the conversation go where it wants.

This time, Bobby is speaking from inside his brand new MINI Cooper Electric and, despite previously saying he’d never own an EV, he’s already completely won over. From the remote parking features and Apple-like build quality to the OLED display, voice controls and overall personality of the car, he shares why this MINI feels special almost immediately.

Jon then talks through his recent Ford Explorer EV test drive, including the biggest surprise of all: just how much better it felt to be back in an electric car. The pair get into real-world range, battery pre-warming, charging practicality, interior design, trim choices, safety systems and how different buyers prioritise different things depending on where and how they drive.

It’s a relaxed but genuinely useful conversation about what makes a modern EV appealing, what still causes hesitation and why range, tech and ease of use matter so much in the real world.

Timestamps

00:00 - Another weekend unfiltered chat begins

00:33 - Bobby records from his new MINI Cooper Electric

01:00 - The surprise remote control parking feature

02:09 - MINI app tech and daily manoeuvre memory

03:19 - Why these features don’t always come across on a test drive

04:24 - Jon’s early thoughts on the Countryman EV and range worries

04:45 - Bobby on the MINI’s OLED screen and infotainment

06:20 - Voice controls, assistants and living without physical buttons

07:44 - Apple Watch access, personality and why the MINI feels special

09:24 - Build quality, trim level and how premium the car feels

10:43 - Sound system, user profiles and day-to-day usability

12:00 - Cars and phones are converging

12:56 - Security, remote control and keyless access

14:13 - Jon’s Ford Explorer EV test drive begins

15:00 - Why going back to an EV immediately felt better

15:20 - Range, charge limits and battery pre-warming

16:21 - Explorer interior, practicality and driving impressions

17:47 - Roof bars, tyre costs and EV ownership considerations

18:58 - Weight, stability and the square steering wheel

19:46 - Ford trim flexibility vs MINI pack structure

21:28 - Why Jon is prioritising range above all else

22:45 - Real-world MINI range vs Explorer range

24:22 - Home charging and the reality of EV ownership

25:48 - Bentley test track day and a possible MINI road trip to Cheshire

26:45 - Wrap up and subscribe reminder

Tags

MINI Cooper Electric, MINI Cooper SE, Ford Explorer EV, electric cars podcast, EV range, EV charging, car tech podcast, MINI review, Ford Explorer review, electric vehicle buying advice, OLED car screen, EV test drive, Bentley Continental GTS, weekend unfiltered chat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

243 Apple dropped a lot of hardware in a very short space of time, so in this episode I’m cutting through the launch-week noise and getting to the only question that really matters: what’s actually new, what are the real benefits, and do you genuinely need to bother upgrading? We cover iPhone 17e, iPad Air with M4, MacBook Air with M5, MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max, MacBook Neo, the refreshed Studio Display and the new Studio Display XDR, all through the lens of whether you should stick with what you’ve got or twist and make the jump.

There’s a proper look at why iPhone 17e could be the smartest iPhone in the range for normal people, why iPad Air with M4 remains the sweet spot for most users, and why MacBook Air with M5 may be the easiest laptop recommendation in the whole lineup. I also get into the new MacBook Pro for serious creative and professional users, why MacBook Neo might quietly be one of Apple’s most important launches because it opens the door to the Mac world without feeling cheap, and why the new Studio Display XDR is the sort of product that makes creative pros start mentally selling organs.

The overall verdict is simple: this wasn’t a week of reinvention, it was a week of refinement, smarter product positioning and some genuinely sensible upgrade paths for people on older gear. So if you’ve been wondering whether Apple’s latest announcements are must-buy upgrades or just very polished reasons to keep what you’ve already got, this episode is for you.

Timestamps

00:00 Apple’s launch week in one sentence

00:24 What this episode is about

00:53 iPhone 17e - key specs, benefits and who should upgrade

03:04 iPad Air M4 - the sweet spot iPad?

04:20 MacBook Air M5 - the easiest laptop recommendation

05:29 MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max - who it’s really for

07:50 MacBook Neo - Apple’s most interesting strategic launch?

10:03 Studio Display and Studio Display XDR - what’s new and who they’re for

12:22 Final verdict - what’s worth upgrading and what isn’t

14:42 Outro

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.