Apple fans, What happens when a Macbook gets too expensive?

[Marko13]

Long story short, i was planning on buying the new Macbook Pro M1x when it comes out, since i work with blender and video editing software i was contemplating whether I should really go with the Macbook and step into the apple ecosystem, I noticed a concerning pattern with apple products: They get more and more expensive every single year, Take iphone for example, Iphone 12 is 28% more expensive than iphone 11 and 40% more expensive than iphone XR, a phone released just three years ago, if that keeps up... See where i'm going with this?

I've asked a couple of people about this and they said "oh well you can just buy the older generation iphone, macbook & ipad" whatever, but this doesn't fix the problem it just extends it, in 5 years there probably won't be a older generation intel macbook pro's. I want to commit to a company, to a chip maker, to a Operating system that I could afford in 10 years. Nvidia cards just got much much cheaper with their 3000 series graphics cards making Windows laptops and Desktop pc's more affordable and at the same time cheaper, That sort of thing rarely if ever happens with apple products.

 

[Falhófnir]

XR launched at $749 (which split the difference between the 8 and 8 plus) then the 11 dropped to $699, and the 12 went back up to $799 (same price as the 8 plus, while the mini is the same price as the 8) so it's not a totally linear increase, though yes there has been a general upwards trend with the iPhones.

The MacBook Air went from $999 in 2017 to $1,199 in 2018 back to $999 in 2020 so it's probably the best value for money it's ever been. The MacBook Pro had quite a price hike in 2016 which has stuck, but these are Apple's flagship computers and they aren't a company known for selling themselves short.

Overall unless you feel you must have the top of the line model for whatever reason and you also feel you must upgrade every year or two I think having a good time in the Apple ecosystem is still 'doable' for most people, even without going for the basic SE type models or buying used.

 

[Marko13]

XR launched at $749 (which split the difference between the 8 and 8 plus) then the 11 dropped to $699, and the 12 went back up to $799 (same price as the 8 plus, while the mini is the same price as the 8) so it's not a totally linear increase, though yes there has been a general upwards trend with the iPhones.

The MacBook Air went from $999 in 2017 to $1,199 in 2018 back to $999 in 2020 so it's probably the best value for money it's ever been. The MacBook Pro had quite a price hike in 2016 which has stuck, but these are Apple's flagship computers and they aren't a company known for selling themselves short.

Overall unless you feel you must have the top of the line model for whatever reason and you also feel you must upgrade every year or two I think having a good time in the Apple ecosystem is still 'doable' for most people, even without going for the basic SE type models or buying used.

Do you think Macbook Pro base model will ever reach $3,000?

 

[Falhófnir]

Do you think Macbook Pro base model will ever reach $3,000?

For the 16"? Well it's already at $2,400, IMO that's already on the high side for the entry price of their only full sized laptop. I wouldn't say never but for the foreseeable future I think they have more reason to go lower with the price of admission than higher. That doesn't mean the crazy options that get the price up into the $thousands will be going anywhere though!

It's also worth considering Apple Silicon changes the game on what you can do with the cheaper machines too, the $699 Mac mini M1 or the $1,299 13" MacBook Pro M1 or the $1,499 24" iMac M1 are all very performant options for the sort of video editing you might have needed a 16" Pro for in the past. The M1X models will be better, yes, but the M2 is only going to raise the bar of cheaper machines further.

 

[casperes1996]

I'd like to just throw in the fact that inflation is a thing, so when we for example talk about the MacBook Air's $999 price tags; Well the 2012 also cost $999. You get a way way better computer in the current MacBook Air, I'd argue also relative to its time, and if the price was to follow inflation It'd actually be priced at about $1120. So staying at $999, even ignoring it arguably being better relative to its time, is in some respect a price cut in terms of the value of the money, rather than the number representing the money.

I have a bit of hope that the rumoured removal of the TouchBar could see the price of the Pros drop slightly, including the fact that Apple Silicon is, by all accounts, cheaper for Apple (after R&D is paid off) than buying chips from Intel, AMD, et al. I don't expect all savings to go to the end user, but I hope for a small price drop at least on the 16", though the 14" might be a hike over the 4 port 13", we'll see

 

[Superman041]

Unfortunately we saw another price jump last week, it really does seem like the only way is up in terms of cost. The base M1 Pro is £1900, that is staggering. Considering the Retina Macbook Pro in 2013 was sold at £999, which back then was 'revolutionary'.

Those that say get the M1 and not the M1 Pro, you would be missing out on future proofing, additionally the extra ports, ability to add more than one monitor etc..

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I think a lot of people will buy secondhand going forward. The prices are on the verge of obscene in the UK now and considering how long Macs last, the secondhand market is very attractive.

I think the tech manufacturers are trying to put people off upgrading so often by inflating prices of everything from phones to computers.

 

[Falhófnir]

Unfortunately we saw another price jump last week, it really does seem like the only way is up in terms of cost. The base M1 Pro is £1900, that is staggering. Considering the Retina Macbook Pro in 2013 was sold at £999, which back then was 'revolutionary'.

Those that say get the M1 and not the M1 Pro, you would be missing out on future proofing, additionally the extra ports, ability to add more than one monitor etc..

I think the generation over generation price escalation with the MBP would be easier to swallow if Apple offered just a bit more at the 'consumer' level. A single 13" MBA, no matter how great a computer it is, isn't going to be able to satisfy everyone, and a 13" MBP which is virtually identical does little to expand that offering. If the MBA/ TouchBar Pro doesn't do it for you, something that's at least double the price probably isn't going to be on the table for most people.

 

[iHorseHead]

To be fair, the new MacBook Pro is crazy expensive.

 

[dukebound85]

Do you think Macbook Pro base model will ever reach $3,000?

not in todays dollar equivalents

 

[dukebound85]

Unfortunately we saw another price jump last week, it really does seem like the only way is up in terms of cost. The base M1 Pro is £1900, that is staggering. Considering the Retina Macbook Pro in 2013 was sold at £999, which back then was 'revolutionary'.

Those that say get the M1 and not the M1 Pro, you would be missing out on future proofing, additionally the extra ports, ability to add more than one monitor etc..

my guess is the m1 and the m1 pro and m1 max will all be obsolete at the same time. Better chip versions don't mean future proofing as its usually a chip generation that is more a factor

 

[Superman041]

When do you think we’ll get the M2 out of interest?

 

[pmiles]

Nothing in Apple's lineup is cheap. Never has been. There has been an Apple Tax since inception. You pay a premium because they are like designer clothes... more of a fashion statement.

Keds and Nike are both shoe makers... both are shoes... one you buy out of necessity... the other out of vanity.

If you think Macs are expensive now, don't bother getting into this eco system. It's not going to be your cup of tea.

 

[Superman041]

I’m part of the ecosystem so it’s not that I’m not within the world.

I get that apple products are not cheap. You pay a premium but we’re talking about the level of premium

As I said, the Retina MBP was £999 on release, the cost of the M1 pro is crazy considering the Touch Bar is removed.

I get it’ll be more expensive given the new chip but you would have thought in time tech prices generally decrease. See TV’s etc.

I doubt the M2 when released will be cheaper. It’ll probably be a base of £2K

 

[TiggrToo]

Long story short, i was planning on buying the new Macbook Pro M1x when it comes out, since i work with blender and video editing software i was contemplating whether I should really go with the Macbook and step into the apple ecosystem, I noticed a concerning pattern with apple products: They get more and more expensive every single year, Take iphone for example, Iphone 12 is 28% more expensive than iphone 11 and 40% more expensive than iphone XR, a phone released just three years ago, if that keeps up... See where i'm going with this?

I've asked a couple of people about this and they said "oh well you can just buy the older generation iphone, macbook & ipad" whatever, but this doesn't fix the problem it just extends it, in 5 years there probably won't be a older generation intel macbook pro's. I want to commit to a company, to a chip maker, to a Operating system that I could afford in 10 years. Nvidia cards just got much much cheaper with their 3000 series graphics cards making Windows laptops and Desktop pc's more affordable and at the same time cheaper, That sort of thing rarely if ever happens with apple products.

The pandemic has significantly raised costs this year more so than we'd otherwise expect.

Supply & demand is also a huge factor in pricing as well. Normally when our company increases headcount we'd just go out and buy either a Dell or Apple laptop there and then - now we're bulk purchasing 20 at a time (because it's no longer feasible to get the right spec model instantly) and paying a premium for both brands - when normally we'd get a discount (especially with Dell).

Now, how this plays out in future years is up for debate, but this is not "normal".

 

[calliex]

My current MBP is a 2012 retina 15 in. It will be 10 years old in a few months and cost me just around $2000 then. I will be ordering the new M1pro 16 in MBP sometime in January for $2400. The initial cost seem high but the quality makes it more than worth it.

 

[saudor]

Nothing in Apple's lineup is cheap. Never has been. There has been an Apple Tax since inception. You pay a premium because they are like designer clothes... more of a fashion statement.

Keds and Nike are both shoe makers... both are shoes... one you buy out of necessity... the other out of vanity.

If you think Macs are expensive now, don't bother getting into this eco system. It's not going to be your cup of tea.

It used to also garner better quality if you knew what to buy (aka avoid all the 15" models since they had some kind of dGPU issue)

Other than that, these days it's customer service. Can just walk in and get things replaced/fixed without too much trouble. Try doing that with HP clowns lol. Probably have to pay half the cost to ship to china and they send you back 1.) the wrong item 2.) say nothing is wrong and send it back 3.) claim user damage and not covered under warranty

 

[daabido]

When do you think we’ll get the M2 out of interest?

End of next year. I predict alternating years between MBA and MBP for a few years.

 

[skaertus]

Long story short, i was planning on buying the new Macbook Pro M1x when it comes out, since i work with blender and video editing software i was contemplating whether I should really go with the Macbook and step into the apple ecosystem, I noticed a concerning pattern with apple products: They get more and more expensive every single year, Take iphone for example, Iphone 12 is 28% more expensive than iphone 11 and 40% more expensive than iphone XR, a phone released just three years ago, if that keeps up... See where i'm going with this?

I've asked a couple of people about this and they said "oh well you can just buy the older generation iphone, macbook & ipad" whatever, but this doesn't fix the problem it just extends it, in 5 years there probably won't be a older generation intel macbook pro's. I want to commit to a company, to a chip maker, to a Operating system that I could afford in 10 years. Nvidia cards just got much much cheaper with their 3000 series graphics cards making Windows laptops and Desktop pc's more affordable and at the same time cheaper, That sort of thing rarely if ever happens with apple products.

Well, I live in Brazil and the situation here is chaotic because of extremely high taxes and also because of an ever-increasing exchange rate.

We have the most expensive MacBook Pro in the world: https://9to5mac.com/2021/10/19/braz...e-new-macbook-pro-and-airpods-3-in-the-world/

Plus, we have the exchange rate which is currently very unfavorable. In 2008, I bought a white MacBook, which cost $1,099 in the U.S., for BRL 3,000. Today, the cheapest MacBook Air, which costs $999 in the U.S., is currently on sale for BRL 7,400 in Brazilian stores (the full price that Apple asks is BRL 11,699).

So, the option is either to swallow those prices or buy a PC instead.

 

[Chucks4me]

To be fair, the new MacBook Pro is crazy expensive.

Really?
Powerbook G4 pricing 2004

 

[chabig]

So, the option is either to swallow those prices or buy a PC instead.

I have family in Brazil and I know what you're talking about. I was there earlier this week. Is buying used an option for you?

 

[hello(again)]

Call me crazy but these products get objectively better every year (never minding design, that's subjective) in pretty much every measurable / benchmark-able way. They're more capable than anything any of us could've dreamed of in a consumer-market product 10 years ago. And yes, the Apple tax still exists and always will, because no matter what, at the end of the day, a competing product might be enticing but it simply doesn't bear the Apple logo or run an Apple OS. Apple is a public company, a business which exists to *make money* and keep their shareholders happy. So... in a world where literally everything else is getting more expensive and the products are getting better, why wouldn't prices inch upward?

 

[dtm84]

In the last decade Apple's product line got a bit muddled and confused with overlap between the consumer and prosumer models. It seems like they are trying to make a better separation between the two and that is reflected in the pricing.

 

[iHorseHead]

Really?
Powerbook G4 pricing 2004
View attachment 1876201

I checked prices in my country and the cheapest new MacBook Pro is $3363.77

 

[daabido]

Apple is a public company, a business which exists to *make money* and keep their shareholders happy. So... in a world where literally everything else is getting more expensive and the products are getting better, why wouldn't prices inch upward?

They try to maintain their hardware margins at 40% gross and have been very successful at doing so over a long period of time. No comment about not paying fair share of local taxes. I would like to know how much I am paying extra to maintain that 40% margin on outlays unnecessary for my computer but supposedly necessary to achieve ephemeral aims.