In summary:
- Macworld explores how Apple’s ecosystem has become surprisingly affordable with new entry-level devices like the $599 MacBook Neo featuring an A18 Pro chip.
- Budget-conscious consumers can now access core Apple products including the $249 Apple Watch SE, $329 iPad, and upcoming iPhone 17e with A19 chip.
- A complete Apple ecosystem setup costs under $2,000, making premium features like health monitoring and seamless device integration accessible to more users.
Apple hopes to accomplish a lot of things with the MacBook Neo, not the least of which includes attracting more users to switch to the Mac. But it’s more than just growing the Mac user base. Apple hopes that by using a Mac, users will see the benefits of Apple’s ecosystem, which will lead to investing in an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, etc.
Supposed that’s what happens: You decide to go all-in on Apple. But like the MacBook Neo, you want to spend as little as possible on each device. How much will that cost you at the Apple Store? Well. let’s figure that out! Below is a list of the cheapest devices for the major Apple categories, along with what you get for the price.
MacBook Neo
We’re starting with the MacBook Neo, since it’s now the new gateway into Apple’s ecosystem. It has an A18 Pro chip that offers excellent performance comparable to an M1 or M2 chip, so it’s powerful enough for some productivity tasks, web browsing, and even basic media editing. It has a gorgeous aluminum design in four colors, a very good 13-inch Liquid Retina display, and all-day battery life. Its 256GB SSD is a little small, but you can always sign up for an Individual Apple One plan for $19.95 per month, which includes 50GB of iCloud storage.
Read our full Apple MacBook Neo review
iPhone 17e
The iPhone 17e and the MacBook Neo have similar target audiences: switchers and budget-conscious customers. The 17e has an A19 chip with the same number of CPU and GPU cores as the MacBook Neo’s A18 Pro, and its 48MP Fusion camera that will be great for family photos and videos. You’ll also get a 6.1-inch display with Ceramic Shield, 256GB of storage, 5G, Face ID, MagSafe, and incredible battery life. Oh, and it comes in pink to match your Blush MacBook Neo.
Read our full Apple iPhone 17e review
Apple Watch SE 3
The Apple Watch is already one of the more affordable devices in Apple’s lineup. But at $249, the SE offers many of the same health and lifestyle features as the higher-end Apple Watches, including notifications for heart rate, heart rhythm, and low cardio fitness, the Vitals app, and sleep tracking. Also, Neo users can use the Apple Watch SE to unlock their device, approve passwords, and authenticate Apple Pay requests on the model without Touch ID.
iPad (A16)
With a MacBook available for $599, the iPad is, more than ever, a consumption device. It’s the thing you grab in bed or at the beach to read ebooks, watch videos, and maybe play a casual game, make a FaceTime call, or check text messages. For those things, you don’t need anything more powerful than the entry-level iPad, which has an 11-inch Retina Display and an A16 chip.
Read our full Apple iPad (A16) review
EarPods (USB-C)
Wireless is all the rage, but Apple’s cheapest earbuds aren’t AirPods, they’re the USB-C EarPods. You’ll miss out on a ton of features, like how the AirPods can switch between devices seamlessly and hands-free Siri, but for just $19, they’re a surprisingly solid option that won’t ever run out of battery life. If you absolutely have to have a pair of wireless earbuds, you’ll pay are $110 more for a pair of AirPods 4.
Apple One (Individual Plan)
This is the only recurring charge on this list, and it’s not imperative, but a subscription to Apple One really opens up the Apple ecosystem. For $20 a month, you’ll get Apple Music, TV, and Arcade, as well as 50GB of iCloud storage for backups, files, and photos that sync across all of your devices.
Here is my total at the U.S. online Apple Store.
Foundry
For the first time ever, you can go all-in on the Apple ecosystem for less than the price of some MacBooks. Even if you upgrade to AirPods 4, you’re still under $2,000. The MacBook Neo has highlighted just how affordable the Apple ecosystem really is, and you no longer need to spend thousands of dollars to get a fantastic set of devices.
That total doesn’t include the Apple One subscription, and doesn’t include AppleCare, which is another $20 per month for AppleCare One to cover your MacBook, iPad, and iPhone against accidents. You can shop around for lesser prices on Amazon or Best Buy, and if you use your Apple Card, you’ll get a decent chunk of cash back (over $50) on the purchase, too. Overall, not a bad haul for less than $2,000.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor, Macworld
Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.