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How to beat Apple's upselling strategy?

H

hajime

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
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Hi, I have been an Apple user since Apple II but since TC took office, every year I have a headache in choosing Apple products. This is because their products are no longer user upgradable after purchase and their upselling strategy. For example, almost two months have reached but as of today I still cannot decide whether to end up with a Mini or MacBook Pro as well as the configurations. There is no specific Mac that I am 100% in love. Otherwise, it would be easy to choose. There is no perfect product. Each has its own issues and shortcomings. I also don't want to sell to strangers and go through some possible troubles. I just use Apple's trade-in program. What is the best way to beat Apple's upselling strategy?
 
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I'm with you on seldom reselling products. What I normally do is set up a trade-in, then offer the trade device to family or friends for the same price. If someone wants it - great, it's theirs. If not, it goes to Apple.

Not sure what you're referring to as the "upselling strategy" - sure, you pay additional if you want more RAM or storage. But I don't view that as "upselling strategy" but rather customization. Decide what you want. To start with: If you're debating between a mini and a MacBook Pro, those are diametrically opposed devices. Do you need a laptop or a desktop? Then determine what processor, RAM, storage, etc. you want and buy it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
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Embrace PC, which has tremendous competitive forces driving all component prices DOWN and most PCs still have flexibility to config/upgrade RAM and storage at any time (such as years from now when unforeseeable changing circumstances may demand more of either or both).

Apple is a lone, "company store" model, in which they control all. There is no 'beating' a single Seller of anything. They demand whatever pricing they want. They have NO competition for what they specifically sell. Pay what they demand if you want what they offer. Resistance is futile.

Else, you can play the "buy refurb or education store" option for minor discounts (also controlled entirely by Apple).

If Mac, you have NO choice at all about RAM and must get all you can imagine ever needing for life of device. You can somewhat "beat" SSD pricing by buying small internally and then shopping for the bulk of your storage needs as an external, where again PC-market-like-competition drives storage pricing way down vs. Apple's outrageous pricing... typically 3X-5X market rates for comparably fast m.2 storage.
 
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By upselling, I mean after adding RAM and SSD to the base Mini M4 model, I may perhaps add a bit more to get a Mini M4 Pro for TB5. Then, perhaps I add a bit more money to get a MacBook Pro 16" for portability or wait for the Studio.

I already have a Windows PC.
 
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hajime said:
By upselling, I mean after adding RAM and SSD to the base Mini M4 model, I may perhaps add a bit more to get a Mini M4 Pro for TB5. Then, perhaps I add a bit more money to get a MacBook Pro 16" for portability or wait for the Studio.

I already have a Windows PC.
Click to expand...

They've got the pricing strategy down to an exact science. You upgrade a couple of things and then notice for a $100-$200 more, there's an even better computer, so you go spec that out and realise for another few hundreds you can get a really nice MacBook Pro. Quickly you've gone from spending $600 to $1500+. :D

Apple Intelligence has sweetened the situation for you a bit, you no longer have to contend with 8GB RAM because Apple wants AI in everything moving forward. This was a $200 upsell to 16GB until a couple months ago.

If you buy a Mac Mini, use external storage instead of upgrading the internal. Since you are not moving the computer around, and the external connectivity ports are fast, you can get a 4TB Samsung T9 for close to what Apple sells 256GB to 512GB.

If you stick to base RAM and base storage, you're beating most of Apple's upsell strategy.
 
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Currently I have a Mini M4 with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. I am flip flopping daily between the Mini (various configurations) and a MacBook Pro 16”. I don’t like the notch (but not so much bothered by it) and I feel much more comfortable with a 17” screen as I am too used to the 17” MacBook Pro. So even I can pay for the MacBook Pro 16”, I am not entirely satisfied with it.

I don’t know if Apple will release a larger MacBook Pro in the redesign 2-3 years later.
 
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hajime said:
I don’t know if Apple will release a larger MacBook Pro in the redesign 2-3 years later.
Click to expand...

if by larger you mean another aircraft carrier sized screen....I'd bet against it. I had a 17" back in the day, but that was a long time ago with a couple of iterations in between so history says no. And there is no doubt that Apple is trending to lighter, smaller, so that says no. And even on the PC side, there aren't a lot of laptops that size and those that do exist tend to be gaming machines, and Apple doesnt focus on that market. So no.
 
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Any of these M4-based machines can do what 95% of users are ever going to do with them. Programming, video editing, word processing, web browsing, going to college, etc. Unless you specifically know why you must have more memory, stick with the base. Upgrade the storage if you need.

I upgraded a 2016 MacBook Pro with an M4 MacBook Pro (14-inch, 16GB, 512GB) and will easily use it for another eight years.
 
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Buy the base mac mini + upgrade ram to whatever you need. Then 3rd party external storage. If 16gb is enough then don’t upgrade that.
 
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hajime said:
Currently I have a Mini M4 with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. I am flip flopping daily between the Mini (various configurations) and a MacBook Pro 16”.
Click to expand...
Your M4 Mini is pretty up to date, and you already have a 512GB SSD, so the debate over the 256GB base model is moot. For the moment, I’d say that 16 GB RAM and 512GB SSD are in the “if you need to ask, you don’t need any more” category.

The question is, then, what isn’t your Mini currently doing that you need to do? You know how much of your SSD is free, you can check the RAM pressure while you are working and you know how fast the applications you use daily run. All I would say is that you don’t want your system drive to get anywhere close to 100% full - but on a Mini with 512GB it’s no great hardship to move your bulky documents, media libraries etc. to external drives and keep the super-fast internal drive for system, apps and temporary files/swap. (256GB gets a bit tight if you have a couple of pro apps & their libraries, large games or virtual machines installed).

There’s still quite a jump between M4 and M4 Pro minis with the same RAM/SSD capacities - so if what you decide you need is 32GB RAM and/or 1TB SSD you’ll still save about $400 by sticking wit the M4. The more sticky point is the top-end M4 Pro vs. the Studio M2 Max - but if you’re at that point I’d just wait and hope that a M4 Max Studio appears soon.

As for MacBook Pro - again, the simple question is, do you need to move your computer around a lot or use it “on the road”? If so, post Apple Silicon - with both desktop and laptop ranges using the same SoCs and giving comparable performance, then moving to a laptop might make sense. The only equation that really changes is storage - you probably don’t want your laptop to rely on an external SSD.

I think it’s unlikely that Apple will release another 17” laptop - the 16” is already a step forward after years of maxing out at 15” - and the switch to retina displays is a game changer. The 16” can cram a lot more information on its screen than the 17” ever could, so it comes down to what your eyesight can comfortably deal with. Your Eyeballs May Vary. Probably worth having a play in a store and trying out the various screen modes.

The way to beat “Apple’s up selling strategy” is to be clear about what you actually need and not get distracted by FOMO or a craving for “new computer smell”.
 
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FreakinEurekan said:
I'm with you on seldom reselling products. What I normally do is set up a trade-in, then offer the trade device to family or friends for the same price. If someone wants it - great, it's theirs. If not, it goes to Apple.

Not sure what you're referring to as the "upselling strategy" - sure, you pay additional if you want more RAM or storage. But I don't view that as "upselling strategy" but rather customization. Decide what you want. To start with: If you're debating between a mini and a MacBook Pro, those are diametrically opposed devices. Do you need a laptop or a desktop? Then determine what processor, RAM, storage, etc. you want and buy it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Click to expand...
Look up MKBHD and the Apple upsell ladder. It’s a real thing, why pretend you don’t know what he’s talking about?
 
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It’s not just Apple that does this, it’s commonplace in many industries. Take cars for example, there are tons of options available for cars (of course this varies based on manufacturer), and they are priced so that each tier up is less expensive than the last one. Same thing with groceries, there are always coupons or deals based on quantity (one box of cereal for $4 or 2 for $7). Granted not the exact same scenario but the point is that the pricing is set up to maximize revenue. It isn’t specific to Apple or the tech industry. It’s a fairly basic finance / pricing strategy.

The way to “beat” it is to just know what exactly you need. If you know you don’t need more than 1TB of storage, don’t get more. Similarly, if you know you don’t need a Max chip, don’t go for one. Sometimes easier said than done but that’s usually the best course. At the same time, keep in mind that you are buying a tool that is meant to perform a specific function for you. Buy the right tool for you and don’t worry about what else is out there. Again, easier said than done (and I myself have severe FOMO whenever a new device comes out), but that’s the way to go.
 
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theluggage said:
Your M4 Mini is pretty up to date, and you already have a 512GB SSD, so the debate over the 256GB base model is moot. For the moment, I’d say that 16 GB RAM and 512GB SSD are in the “if you need to ask, you don’t need any more” category.

The question is, then, what isn’t your Mini currently doing that you need to do? You know how much of your SSD is free, you can check the RAM pressure while you are working and you know how fast the applications you use daily run. All I would say is that you don’t want your system drive to get anywhere close to 100% full - but on a Mini with 512GB it’s no great hardship to move your bulky documents, media libraries etc. to external drives and keep the super-fast internal drive for system, apps and temporary files/swap. (256GB gets a bit tight if you have a couple of pro apps & their libraries, large games or virtual machines installed).

There’s still quite a jump between M4 and M4 Pro minis with the same RAM/SSD capacities - so if what you decide you need is 32GB RAM and/or 1TB SSD you’ll still save about $400 by sticking wit the M4. The more sticky point is the top-end M4 Pro vs. the Studio M2 Max - but if you’re at that point I’d just wait and hope that a M4 Max Studio appears soon.

As for MacBook Pro - again, the simple question is, do you need to move your computer around a lot or use it “on the road”? If so, post Apple Silicon - with both desktop and laptop ranges using the same SoCs and giving comparable performance, then moving to a laptop might make sense. The only equation that really changes is storage - you probably don’t want your laptop to rely on an external SSD.

I think it’s unlikely that Apple will release another 17” laptop - the 16” is already a step forward after years of maxing out at 15” - and the switch to retina displays is a game changer. The 16” can cram a lot more information on its screen than the 17” ever could, so it comes down to what your eyesight can comfortably deal with. Your Eyeballs May Vary. Probably worth having a play in a store and trying out the various screen modes.

The way to beat “Apple’s up selling strategy” is to be clear about what you actually need and not get distracted by FOMO or a craving for “new computer smell”.
Click to expand...

Although I don’t need portability daily like I did before the pandemic, I would prefer to be able to work in different locations at home. The good thing about the M4 Mini is that is it so cheap that I don’t need to buy expensive Apple Care+ like I would do if I opt for the MacBook Pro 16”.

If M4 Mini had Thunderbolt 5, that would make the decision choice easier.
 
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Chuckeee said:
How to beat Apple's upselling strategy?

Whichever Mac you buy, keep it & use it for at least 8 years.

And as a bonus, that’s a good environmental strategy too.
Click to expand...

Doesn’t Apple stop giving security upgrades for Mac once they are about 6 years old?
 
Chuckeee said:
How to beat Apple's upselling strategy?

Whichever Mac you buy, keep it & use it for at least 8 years.

And as a bonus, that’s a good environmental strategy too.
Click to expand...
This worked nicely before the Silicon Mac Era when we could upgrade the components after purchase.
 

How to beat Apple's upselling strategy?​


-I agree, keep your stuff for a while. Apple is great at supporting older products. Writing this on my MBP2018.
-buy used or Apple refurbished. I did several times buy Apple computers 2nd hand from some big consultancy group where I had a friend. And I bought refurbished.
-buy after the hype. Go for example for some M3 MAX now not some M4 MAX everybody pays premium for.
-Invest in long lasting configurations instead: Enough RAM, get comfortable to you storage size or external storage, have the battery replaced and such. Better don't buy 8 gigs of RAM, nor 512 mb storage today. Go 16 and 1 or similar.
-most important: Don't buy more computer than you need. Think about the typical use cases and the "special" needs you will have. Most things can be perfectly done with mainstream machines. Define your own personal preferences and set priorities like having a truly excellent monitor or great speakers.
 
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hajime said:
Hi, I have been an Apple user since Apple II but since TC took office, every year I have a headache in choosing Apple products. This is because their products are no longer user upgradable after purchase and their upselling strategy. For example, almost two months have reached but as of today I still cannot decide whether to end up with a Mini or MacBook Pro as well as the configurations. There is no specific Mac that I am 100% in love. Otherwise, it would be easy to choose. There is no perfect product. Each has its own issues and shortcomings. I also don't want to sell to strangers and go through some possible troubles. I just use Apple's trade-in program. What is the best way to beat Apple's upselling strategy?
Click to expand...

work out how long you plan to keep the device.

work out how much extra you would need to spend to get what you actually want.

consider what $X over Y years means to you. make your choice.
 
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hajime said:
What is the best way to beat Apple's upselling strategy?
Click to expand...
Buy PC instead which can be upgraded as needed. You already have one.

Also hang on to Apple computers for a decent time. Unfortunately you have to spend a lot at purchase time now, which I had to do when I got a M2 Macbook Air. I got that with 1TB SSD and 16GB ram to try and get longevity from it. I rarely use it, only when I'm out and about. Otherwise I prefer my desktops.

When it is time to replace those two, they will probably get replaced with whatever replaces the Lenovo PX.

hajime said:
Doesn’t Apple stop giving security upgrades for Mac once they are about 6 years old?
Click to expand...

Well I have a two 2019 Mac Pros and it's almost 2025 and I'm still getting update notifications for Sequoia 15.3 which I haven't installed yet.
 
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