My Capsule Tech Setup 2026 Digital Minimalism

I haven't done a setup video in quite some time and I actually don't think I've done a capsule tech setup video ever. And just to briefly explain, my capsule tech setup pretty much completely encompasses all the tech that I used in my everyday life. Covering everything from work, entertainment, personal finance, and everything in between. And before someone says I'm not a minimalist because I own more than one electronic device, I want to mention that everything I talk about here today gets used nearly every single day and brings me a lot of value in at least one area of my life. Here's my capsule tech setup for 2026. But first, if you're new to my channel, thank you for stopping by. Here we talk about minimalism, frugal living, tech, and things of that nature. So if that sounds good to you and you end up liking the video, be sure to like and please give the subscribe button a fake hidden immunity idol. Let's get started. I'm just gonna go over each item individually and the purpose that they serve in my life as a minimalist. Starting with my laptop. I don't think I've ever talked about my laptop in detail because frankly I think talking about technical specifications is boring. So to briefly elaborate, this is my 2020 M1 MacBook Pro 256 gigabyte. There have been several iterations of this laptop since I got it and plenty of opportunities to upgrade. But this six-year-old laptop is still holding up quite nice and pretty much covering all my needs. It's number one main purpose is for me to work and edit videos on primarily and occasionally if I have something long or important to type out or print, I'll use my laptop for that purpose as well. It stays in my backpack when it's not being used and since I've only ever really exclusively used it for work and not so much entertainment, I feel like I've conditioned my brain to know it's time to work whenever this laptop comes out because that's the only time it's ever really touched. And really my favorite thing about this just has to be its reliability over the past six years. I know it's easy to hate on Apple but speaking from my own experience, I definitely feel like I've got my money's worth out of this so far and I'm hoping to get at least another couple years of use out of it. Of course, my iPad mini. It's been about six months since I made any iPad mini video and even longer since I made a dedicated setup video. So I'll be doing a new version of that pretty soon. And for those interested in the specs, I went with a 256 gigabyte starlight iPad mini 6. So this is coming up on about four to five years old. I use the Apple Pencil 2 that magnetizes to the side of the iPad which is also how it charges wirelessly. And for a case, I have the Smartfolio case. I actually consider my iPad mini to be the center of my capsule tech setup and everything else sort of branches out from here. My iPad mini handles everything from reading, planning, writing, light work, watching shows, entertainment, media consumption, and everything else in between. And yes, there is some overlap and redundancy because some of the other things I own can do these things as well. But I found it to be the perfect middle ground for all my needs regarding work, productivity, and entertainment. And if there's ever a question about what I should bring to work or if I'm leaving for a short or extended period of time, this is usually the thing I bring every single time without question. It's just too useful and convenient of a form factor. One of my personal favorite things to do on here are drawing, watching shows, and be productive when I have to. It's pretty much good at everything I've ever tried to do with it including gaming and some light animating. The only way I can ever see myself replacing this is pretty much the same way I would replace my other devices and that's when the battery is completely dried out. Which unfortunately I think is gonna be sooner rather than later because I'm already noticing shorter than preferred battery life just because of how much I actually use it. Overall, essential to my capsule tech setup and definitely my favorite piece of tech that I own. I wanted to quickly thank Paperlike for sponsoring this video and being my all-time favorite iPad accessory. Paperlike 3 is the latest iteration to the Paperlike screen protector that's designed to have the premium feel of paper when writing or drawing on iPad. It gives ideal friction, resistance, and tactile feedback making everything on Paperlike 3's true paper feel comes from their NanoDots surface. It's a microtexture technology that delivers the exact friction your hand naturally expects. Application is incredibly easy because included is the butterfly application system. I've always been horrible at applying screen protectors of any kind and this makes it very convenient. It eliminates the three biggest causes of failed installs which are dust caused bubbles, misalignment, and unclear instructions. Paperlike 3 is engineered to stay below maximum screen protector thickness which is the technical limit that guarantees precision Apple Pencil was built for. I've been using a Paperlike screen protector pretty much since I've had my iPad and way before this partnership and I've been swearing by it ever since. So if you write, draw, or just want to have some protection on your iPad screen, I highly highly recommend looking into Paperlike 3 using my link in the description box or scanning the QR code on screen. And thanks again to Paperlike for sponsoring this video. iPhone 13. And yes, I'm still using my now very beat-up iPhone 13, 128 gigabytes in green. It's in pretty rough shape at this point which makes sense after four years of daily use. My battery capacity is now at 73%, there's scratches all over it, and the screen protector is cracked in a couple of places. And even with all that, my phone still gets the job done and I'm holding out for as long as I possibly can to replace it. The case I use is some cheap silicone one I found on Amazon that comes in a few colors. I think this one's called Matcha. Aside from the fingerprint wear on the back, this has had no peeling or defects which the much more expensive Apple ones are pretty susceptible to. I'll have a link for this in the description box if you're interested. The difference with my phone and really everything else in my capsule tech setup is that I try to give it one main purpose for use. And for my phone, that's just to be for communication. I've said before that the pro versions of phones were never really my thing and when it is time to replace this, it'll mainly be for a new battery. It's a shame we just can't do it ourselves. Hopefully the next one proves to be a handy simple sidekick that this one has been over the years. Nintendo Switch OLED. I've talked to enough of you guys over the years to know that a good number of you at least dabble in gaming or at the very least understand it can be therapeutic. I'm a firm believer that everybody needs a hobby that helps them disconnect and especially a hobby that they're not trying to monetize. And for me, that's where my Nintendo Switch comes in. I've been casually playing games for as long as I can walk and it's always been my personal way of decompressing. For me, this little device has the lowest barrier to entry, portable enough, and just practical enough to do everything I need to in this department. My Switch actually stays in this case in my backpack when it's not being used. This is just some random slim case I found on Amazon and has slots for the cartridges on the inside, which is convenient if you just buy a used loose cartridge or someone who doesn't like keeping the boxes. The Switch single-handedly kept me gaming and relaxed during busy periods of my life where I just did not think it'd be possible. So more than just a medium for playing games, this is something that represents how important it is for my productivity and creativity to do something mindless every now and then. Also, I'll have my Switch code down in the description box if you're interested in being friends. AirPods. I've had these AirPods Pro 2 practically since they launched almost four years ago and I have this little lanyard attached to it that makes them a little harder to lose. I could go on about the sound quality, which is incredible by the way, but honestly the best thing about these is how seamlessly they connect across every single device I have and talked about in this video, including the Nintendo Switch. I've truly had no issues with these over the years and honestly can't see myself switching to any other headphones. Tech pouch. I got this small tech pouch from Bellroy a handful of years ago and it quickly became an essential part of my tech setup. It conveniently holds my mouse, my charging block and cables, my external SSD, a screen cloth, and most importantly a hub that has a memory card reader along with some other ports. When I'm getting situated at my desk at home or at work, I'll usually just keep it open on my desk for quick access and to easily pack everything away when I'm done. And I think what I love about this one so much is that there's practically no wasted space and it's exactly the size that I need to hold what I actually use. Everything that's kept in here I used to just keep in random pockets within my backpack and it was always messy and disorganized. This is just an easy way to centralize those small things that can be easily lost. Anchor block and cables. I keep this 65 watt anchor block tucked away in my backpack when I'm leaving the house for the day. It has three ports in total where I usually charge my phone and something else simultaneously. And along with this block, I carry a lightning cable and a USB-C cable, both of which I'll occasionally need for work when I'm transferring files so they sort of serve two purposes. The convenience of having a fast charging block is something you really don't think about until you actually have one. My phone can go from dead to a full charge in about 40 or 45 minutes. I definitely recommend getting a higher wattage charging block with multiple ports for faster charging, of course, but just not having to carry more than one block to charge several things at once. Well, it's very nice. This was just a bit of a walkthrough of my capsule tech setup and I hope you found some value in some of the things I shared today. I think what's important to remember, and I have to tell myself this from time to time, is that my own definition of minimalism isn't about owning one electronic for everything, but about being more intentional and making good use of the things that I do own. Anyways, as always, I appreciate the time you spent here and I appreciate you watching. If you did like this video and you like this type of content, be sure to like and consider subscribing to my channel and I'll see you next time.