Hey {{first_name|there}}!
How’s it going? Here’s what I have for you today:
I have a new favorite iPhone case
Are you an Apple box collector, too?
Riley Hill joined us on Basic AF to talk new iPads and iPadOS 26
And my hand-selected news roundup
A quick note: the next newsletter is scheduled for Thursday, November 27, which is the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US. I’ll be sending you that one on Wednesday, the 26th, instead.
I’ll be including a sweet tip on how to keep your Apple Music recommendations from being overrun by holiday music over the next month and a half, so keep an eye out for it.
📱 Bullstrap’s Minimalist leather case is my new favorite
Bullstrap Minimalist iPhone Case
There was a time when Apple made excellent leather cases. They felt great, the fit was precise, and they aged beautifully. I bought one with nearly every new iPhone.
Apple left the leather accessory business a few years ago, but even before then, the quality of its cases had declined significantly. The last one I had, for my iPhone 14 Pro, wasn't good.
With no leather option available, I opted for Apple's silicone case in the delightful Ultramarine color when I bought my iPhone 16 Pro Max last fall.
While my initial experience with it was good, over time, it became more annoying to get in and out of pockets. And honestly, I just missed having a leather case.
After some research (no one drags out a decision like I do), I treated myself to Bullstrap's Minimalist leather case in the Terra color for my birthday back in September.
Now that I've had it for a couple of months, here are my thoughts:
100% full-grain leather feels premium
MagSafe charging works great
The company’s limited lifetime warranty provides up to two cosmetic replacements per year (pay only for shipping), which is excellent.
The metal buttons for the action button, volume up/down, and lock/Siri are nice and clicky.
The camera control button is a physical glass button and not a cutout (though a model with a cutout is available as well)
Camera controls are a little fidgety to change between settings, but that's true for me with no case on.
Easy in and out of pockets
Has held up very well for the two months+ that I've had it and still feels great
There are updated Minimalist designs for the iPhone 17 series, and other models available, too.
At $79, Bullstrap's pricing is premium, but the case's quality and excellent warranty make it worth it for me. I caught mine on sale for a bit less, and the current Black Friday deal brings it down to $58, which is a solid value for full-grain leather with a lifetime warranty and cosmetic replacements.
Photo Gallery
The Terra color goes well with natural titanium on my iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The bottom of the Minimalist features an open design.
The metal buttons feel great.
The case features a glass Camera Control button.
You can find more info on the Minimalist at https://bullstrap.co.
📦 Are you an Apple box collector?
We had a fun discussion on Threads recently about holding on to Apple product boxes. There’s a whole subculture of us who do this, myself included.
Why? Well, at first, I told myself I’d keep the boxes in case I ever resold the products. But here’s the thing: I’ve never done that but it doesn’t keep me from collecting boxes, though. 😏
I guess it kind of makes sense for something iconic like the first iPod or original iPhone.
My boxes for the OG iPhone and iPod.
But the box for the Siri Remote? Or the iPhone 11 Pro Leather Case? Yeah, real bangers there.
So, for the poll this time around, let’s see how many of us do this. Be sure to vote below!👇️
📈 Poll
Do you keep your Apple boxes… or toss them?
🎙️ Basic AF: New iPad Pros and iPadOS 26 with Riley Hill (And Jeff’s Return!)
Episode 74
Jeff returns to the show 🥳 and Riley Hill joins us again to talk all things iPad.
Riley and I have new M5 iPad Pros (11” and 13” models) and share our experiences. Did Apple make the right call with the current iPad Pro design by choosing thinness over battery life? And how’s life with iPadOS 26? Is the new windowing system everything we hoped for, or is it a step backwards?
Listen to and follow the show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, all the other podcast apps, as well as on YouTube and YouTube Music.
📣 News to Know About
Here’s a quick rundown of noteworthy things that I’ve hand-selected just for you:
