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A Full Apple Ecosystem Now Costs Less Than a MacBook Pro

MacRumors said:


Apple's entire entry-level product lineup now costs less than a single 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip.

16-macbook-pro-lifestyle.jpg

The ten products that now define Apple's lowest-cost tier are as follows:

  • iPhone 17e: $599
  • MacBook Neo: $599
  • iPad (11th generation): $349
  • Magic Keyboard Folio: $249
  • Apple Pencil (USB-C): $79
  • Apple Watch SE 3: $249
  • AirPods 4: $129
  • Apple TV 4K: $129
  • HomePod mini: $99
  • AirTag: $29

The total comes to $2,510, which is $189 less than the $2,699 starting price of the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip. AppleCare One, which can cover any three Apple devices of the buyer's choosing, costs an additional $19.99 per month.

The MacBook Neo, announced on March 4, is the linchpin of the shift. At $599, it is Apple's most affordable laptop ever and the first Mac to contain an A-series chip, using the A18 Pro that debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro. After its March 11 launch, Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple saw its "best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers."

The iPhone 17e and MacBook Neo, both at $599, anchor the lineup at an identical price point that would have seemed implausible just two years ago, when the cheapest Mac laptop cost $999.

What is striking about today's lineup is how capable most of Apple's entry-level products have become relative to their more expensive siblings. The iPhone 17e uses the same A19 chip and 48-megapixel main camera as the $799 iPhone 17, differing meaningfully only in its slightly smaller 60Hz display, single rear camera, and notch design. The MacBook Neo's A18 Pro chip posts a single-core score of 3,461, within 6% of the M5 MacBook Air, and is highly capable for everyday tasks. The Apple Watch SE 3 shares the same S10 chip as the $399 Series 11 and, with its last refresh, gained an always-on display, sleep apnea detection, body temperature sensing, and fast charging. The notable exception in the lineup is the entry-level iPad, which is the only current Apple device that does not support Apple Intelligence.

It is also notable that three of the eleven products on the list are also due for imminent replacements. The 12th generation iPad with an A18 chip and Apple Intelligence support is said to be "[url="http://

Article Link: A Full Apple Ecosystem Now Costs Less Than a MacBook Pro
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That’s crazy, I know the MacBook Neo is a game changer for budget laptops but it’s also got me thinking about iPads as a whole.

In the UK, to get a base storage of 128GB (Wi-Fi) only with the magic folio keyboard it’s £578.

Or you can pay an extra £21 for a MacBook Neo with double the base storage, a superior chip and full Mac OS.

Essentially the only way an iPad with a keyboard can make sense these days is if Apple severely discounts their keyboard cases.

They almost cost as much as the iPad itself!

The MacBook Neo comes with its keyboard 😂
 
thelion7 said:
That’s crazy, I know the MacBook Neo is a game changer for budget laptops but it’s also got me thinking about iPads as a whole.

In the UK, to get a base storage of 128GB (Wi-Fi) only with the magic folio keyboard it’s £578.

Or you can pay an extra £21 for a MacBook Neo with double the base storage, a superior chip and full Mac OS.

Essentially the only way an iPad with a keyboard can make sense these days is if Apple severely discounts their keyboard cases.

They almost cost as much as the iPad itself!

The MacBook Neo comes with its keyboard 😂
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People keep saying this which is valid, but they are different devices, one touch screen based and the other keyboard/mouse. At least now the iPad can be what its supposed to be which is for content consumption, basically like a large screen iPhone.
 
There are tons of people that get by just fine with nothing more than a smartphone and a laptop for work, school, and personal computing. The MacBook Neo + iPhone SE are the minimalist entry point and probably satisfy the needs of 80% of the consumers. Everything else is kind of optional for most folks. Even AirPods are not essential, since you can get by with less expensive AirBuds or third party alternative.

Obviously, MBN is targeted to the EDU market....just look at the ads on Apple's website. In addition, the MBN will introduce a large number of people into the greater Apple ecosystem. In particular, people that have an iPhone and a cheap PC or Chromebook, which is a significant market. Then there is the potential revenue from subscriptions and services. I am sure Apple has folks that study this stuff, and they would not have introduced the Neo if it didn't result in more $$ to the bottom-line.
 
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Compote said:
That's not a worthy remark.
iPhones and Watches also have crash detection. How often do you need a life-saving 911 autocall?

You only lose your wallet once, then it's lost.
It's about managing risk.

And if you must know, I lost my iPhone twice, and twice, my Watch told me to double back and I was able to find it.
Once was at a stationary store. Once was at the library.

The Watch or Airpods are especially useful because you're less likely to miss that notification vs. the notification coming to your phone in your bag or outer pocket.
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I’m not questioning the value of the tech, but I *am* wondering how often you leave your wallet behind 👀.
 
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JoeSilver said:
I want to buy an Apple "ecosystem", just for the sake of it, instead of 1 or 2 accurately chosen devices.
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These are silly ideas, in fact they're yours. You think the premise of the article is silly because you didn't understand it and made up your own theory about it.
It is absolutely not, as you and many others believe, an actual comparison about those two kind of purchases as if anybody may choose one over the other. It'd be ridiculous to believe that.

I'll repeat: the title and the comparison are just a way of saying "entry level products are very cheap now! So cheap that an entire echosystem costs less than a MacBook pro!"
Then you and many others took it as buyer advice.
As if they said "a pineapple used to cost like a horse, now it's cheaper than a cup of coffee!" and you thought "wait, nobody ever considers buying a pineapple or a horse instead of coffee!". This is how wrong you got the title!

Now, if you haven't read the article and got it wrong... gee, read stuff before you talk about it, or you'll sound really dumb! Of course, the article never says "you should buy all of this products instead of a MacBook Pro".
If you've read it, saw that the purchase comparison wasn't the actual point (again, it's nowhere in the article!) and still got it wrong and superimposed your prejudice... you should practice reading and analysing short texts. It's something that's taught in elementary school usually.
Bonus points because my last comment already explained what the article is about and you ignored that too and replied with the wrong idea you already had instead.
 
What on earth is “a full Apple ecosystem”…

I thought that the Apple ecosystem was a term to describe how all of apples devices, software, services etc work together.
 
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Refurb 16e, 450 max
iPad 10, 250
Macbook Neo, 500 on edu
Apple Watch SE3, 250
Airpods Pro 2, 150
Apple Pencil i think its 70 with edu pricing
Apple TV, 130

1300 dollars.

You can get the entire ecosystem for the price of a 15 inch Macbook Air.

Also, if you are okay with second hand products, you can even upgrade what i mentioned above for same or even less.




You do NOT need a homepod or airtags to complete the ecosystem.
 
m1mini said:
Refurb 16e, 450 max
iPad 10, 250
Macbook Neo, 500 on edu
Apple Watch SE3, 250
Airpods Pro 2, 150
Apple Pencil i think its 70 with edu pricing
Apple TV, 130

1300 dollars.

You can get the entire ecosystem for the price of a 15 inch Macbook Air.

Also, if you are okay with second hand products, you can even upgrade what i mentioned above for same or even less.




You do NOT need a homepod or airtags to complete the ecosystem.
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Nice, but in all honesty Id rather have the MBA 15”.
 
Mr_Ed said:
Not sure how this information is useful for most people. I’m sure there are a few who perhaps feel Apple products are part of their identity in some way, and owning Apple products in every category is some sort of goal. I’ve never met anyone like that.
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We do exist!
 
BeatsByTim said:
  • Magic Keyboard Folio: $249
Clearly a necessary part of a complete apple ecosystem. The whole premise of this article is so strange lol. And a singular airtag.
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Yeah, it's a little silly. The total price would actually be a lot lower and this article would make more sense if not for the completely irrelevant add-ons.
 
Compote said:
The Macbook Neo proves the 17e isn't worth its asking price... Or ANY iPhone for that matter.
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The iPhone 17e uses a chip based on M5-class process technology and architecture. The MacBook Neo uses M4 class. The iPhone 17e uses a 460ppi 1200-nit OLED screen. That's about 2.1x the density of the LED, backlit, 219ppi, 500-nit MacBook Neo. In short, the iPhone 17e uses current standard technology. The MacBook Neo uses yesterday's, less expensive, technology. Oh, and the iPhone 17e is an actual phone, and includes satellite connectivity for SOS, messages, Find My/GPS, and crash detection. The MacBook Neo has none of those.

So, I guess if your criteria doesn't include new technology and greater functional capability, then the 17e isn't worth paying the same price. I disagree. The 17e is actually a decent value.
 
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lk400 said:
What on earth is “a full Apple ecosystem”…

I thought that the Apple ecosystem was a term to describe how all of apples devices, software, services etc work together.
Click to expand...

A full Apple ecosystem pulls together all your devices and services together. It hardly seems like you are using the full apple ecosystem if you merely have one device and no others to work with it. You need more than one device for it to appear as more than just a device with software and services. So, what would full be? Are you really taking advantage of the full Apple set of services and interoperability if you are only using, say, an iPhone and AirPods? I suppose different people can argue over the semantics, but until you've (1) answered a phone call on your watch and had it seamless connect to your AirPods and transfer to your Mac, or (2) copied text on your phone and pasted it on your iPad, you probably don't begin to have an appreciation for the fact that the ecosystem is meaningless marketspeak without multiple devices.
 
iPhone 16, Apple Watch 10, and a MacBook Pro from 2014. The services all work pretty well together, but with my MacBook being old and not available to update, I can’t see reminders on my calendar, smart lists in Reminders, junk text messages being marked as spam, etc. I have copied text from my iPhone and pasted in my MB though which is pretty handy. I came from Android and still considering going back, though. The iPhone is still pretty limited on what it can do on its own. I travel a lot and never carry my MacBook so it makes things a little more tedious just using my phone. And there’s little things with the iPhone that drive me bat s**t crazy.
 
vantelimus said:
The iPhone 17e uses a chip based on M5-class process technology and architecture. The MacBook Neo uses M4 class. The iPhone 17e uses a 460ppi 1200-nit OLED screen. That's about 2.1x the density of the LED, backlit, 219ppi, 500-nit MacBook Neo. In short, the iPhone 17e uses current standard technology. The MacBook Neo uses yesterday's, less expensive, technology. Oh, and the iPhone 17e is an actual phone, and includes satellite connectivity for SOS, messages, Find My/GPS, and crash detection. The MacBook Neo has none of those.

So, I guess if your criteria doesn't include new technology and greater functional capability, then the 17e isn't worth paying the same price. I disagree. The 17e is actually a decent value.
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The A18Pro was good enough, and a 500 dollar phone was good enough. Obviously I'm not questioning the value of the components, but the value of the iPhone as a commodity. I still believe they are all overpriced, even for what they are. The proof is how little Apple offers for a trade-in, year in year out.

Apple doesn't seem to understand that their own needs (to upcycle leftover chips, to run their Liquid Glass UI and useless AI) shouldn't trump actual user-friendly features.

The lack of UWB makes the 17e worthless to me. And I get that they are competing with Android on that segment.

Which means they are incentivizing users to leave iPhone and go to Android.

Duly noted.
 
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