This Week at Mark Ellis Reviews

👋 Hello! Another week has passed us by and I’ve been travelling for most of it. My main companion has been the very expensive, lesser-spotted M3 Max MacBook Pro, which I should have sold about six months ago but haven’t for reasons detailed below. On that note, I’m interested in your thoughts about how often you upgrade tech, so vote in the poll below!

FIRST THINGS FIRST

18 months with the M3 Max MacBook Pro

We currently find ourselves in a fallow period for Apple news and, consequently, content inspiration. That’s why, when I realised I needed to film this week’s Tech Diary video while in a hotel room in Wiesbaden, Germany, I turned to the only Apple device I wanted to talk about - my MacBook Pro.

Correction: it was the only Apple device I had to hand beyond my iPhone 16e, and the viewing figures on my last video featuring that phone suggest that no one really cares about it anymore. In a nice way, obvs. The M3 Max MacBook Pro is, therefore, a bit of a last-minute topic for a YouTube video in May 2025, and I’d completely forgive you for thinking that it’s barrel scraping at its very worst - but please hear me out. 

I have a complicated relationship with this laptop. When I bought it back in 2023, I was still editing all of the videos for my YouTube channel. This led to me purchasing a considerably specced-up MacBook Pro and spending an awful lot of money on it, as a result. Then, around six months later, I gave all of the editing duties to someone else, which meant I had an expensive MacBook Pro that was suddenly nothing more than a travel laptop for writing, email, admin, and… well, that’s it.

To add insult to injury, I also have a MacBook Air, which serves as my ‘home laptop’ (yeah, I know), and that means the MacBook Pro rarely sees the light of day in my house. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, absolute overkill. I do not need it anymore.

But I don’t want to sell it. I can’t. And in this week’s Tech Diary video, I explain why. Through a marginal hangover. In a hotel room. It’s a piece of work, trust me.

BYTE-SIZED NEWS

This Week’s Top Tech Headlines

♻️ Refurbished iPhone 15 Now Available in the Apple Store
Just in case anyone is in the market for a new phone, then Apple has started selling the previous generation again for a healthy discount.

🤏 Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Has A Release Date, For Real This Time
After many months of teasing and delays, we finally know when the Galaxy S25 Edge will be announced…and I’m not too sure about that rumoured price tag…

HAVE YOUR SAY

Last week, I asked you which phone manufacturer you trusted the most. The results were overwhelmingly in Apple’s favour with 74% of the vote, which isn’t really a surprise. Is there a time recently when Apple made a serious blunder (beyond Apple Intelligence) to damage consumer confidence?

Nothing, Samsung and Google came in joint second with about 9% each, which is to Nothing’s credit above all else for building what is obviously a respectable brand in only a few years. I loved reading your replies last week, so please do answer the poll above!

BEST BUYS

My Essential Travel Tech Accessories

Seeing as I gave my iPad buying guidance this week, I thought it would be handy to suggest some accessories that will totally transform how you use your iPad.

1. Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L - This is quite simply the best tech bag I’ve ever used. It has so many thoughtful features like removable velcro compartments and enough space for all your essentials, including a camera if that’s your thing.

2. Anker PowerCore 26800mAh - This thing is heavy and a bit bulky, but holds enough juice to charge your phone to full about six times with more to spare. It’s a lifesaver.

3. Nexstand K1 Carbon Fibre Laptop Stand - If you can’t work without a laptop stand, this is the only one you need. It’s so light, has a genius folding mechanism and is only $20/£25.

Just a note to say that these are affiliate links, meaning I may earn from them, but they are genuinely all products that I love and use in my own setup!

TOP FINDS

What Had Me Glued to YouTube…

🌇 Moving to Dubai, my honest experience 1 year later (Oliur Online) - I met Oliur in Dubai last year and can confirm he’s a lovely bloke. I’m not planning on moving there myself, but I know a lot of people are considering it these days, and this is a fascinating insight into what it’s actually like to live there.

💸 £25M Ultimate Car Collection! (Yiannimize) - a car-related video, of course! This one delves into the unbelievable collection of one of the UK’s most recognisable prestige car dealerships.

🔊 Rekordbox 7 step-by-step beginner tutorial - 2025 UPDATE! (Deejay Plaza) - My ascension into DJ Land continues. I’ve bought an AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2 controller for noodling around on at home and have finally switched to Rekordbox after quite a long time with Native Instruments Traktor. This video is very beginner focused, but did provide some clarity for this Rekordbox noob.

NEED TO KNOW

Tip Of The Week

👉 iOS tip: Decline a call fast – Double-tap the lock button to reject an incoming call instantly.

ICYMI

The Only M4 Mac mini accessory you need - 6 docks tested!

The M4 Mac mini is obviously great, I’ve said enough on that topic already! But it does have a limited number of ports, which is a problem if you plan on using it for things like music or video production, photography or if you just have favoured USB-A peripherals. That’s why a Mac mini dock is almost an essential part of any setup. I use one, watch to find out my favourite!

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. I have a very silly video coming out this weekend, so watch out for that! Until next week,

~ Mark