The MacBook Neo establishes Apple as an affordable tech brand

It’s a new era for Apple, one that actually started 20 years ago.

If I had a nickel for every time over the past two decades that I’ve heard someone say, “Apple is many things, but affordable isn’t one of them,” I’d probably have enough to buy the latest 16-inch M5 MacBook Pro, introduced this week at an eye-watering $2,699. And if I had another nickel for every time someone shot back, “What do you expect? Apple is a luxury brand—like Ferrari, after all,” I could probably pick up the $3,299 Studio Display XDR the company unveiled this week, too.

The thing is, despite the high prices of the devices I’ve mentioned, these arguments were never entirely accurate. That became especially true after this week, when, along with those pricey new devices, Apple introduced the MacBook Neo, officially completing its transition from a luxury brand to an affordable gadget maker.

The Ferrari of the computer world?

To a degree, I get why people have long claimed things like “Apple is the Ferrari of the computer world” or “Apple is the Louis Vuitton of the smartphone world.” 

Like those companies behind high-end cars and clothing, Apple makes well-designed products that attract a loyal following. And the social signifiers that have always been attached to its products—such as creativity, affluence, and iconoclasm—are probably enough on their own to inspire some people to paying a premium for Apple goods simply to indicate that they’re a person of both taste and means.

But merely looking at the history of Apple’s products and their prices, especially over the past twenty years, is enough to dispel any argument that Apple is solely a luxury brand. Sure, Apple has always charged a lot for MP3 players, computers, and smartphones. But this “luxury” company has also been aware that its high prices can exclude certain customers from its ecosystem. And for some time, it’s been releasing affordable products to counteract that tendency across many of its product categories.

For example, back in 2005, when the average Mac desktop model cost more than $1,000, Apple introduced its first Mac mini, for just $499. Even today, after twenty years of inflation, that tiny miracle costs just $599.

Also in 2005, when the average iPod would set someone back around $300, Apple introduced the iPod shuffle, for just $99. In 2016, Apple brought affordability to its smartphone line with the iPhone SE, which cost just $399 when the average iPhone cost nearly $700. In 2017, Apple introduced the fifth-generation iPad for just $329. Today, that entry-level iPad price point has increased by a mere $20. And in 2020, Apple introduced the Apple Watch SE for just $279, when the average Apple Watch cost between $400 and $900.

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