The 3 Levels of the Apple’s Mobile Ecosystem
Intro
Apple has been doing a lot to make their cost of entry compete with other manufacturers. They make premium devices and are targeting different price points so that no matter what budget you have, you can purchase multiple Apple products and start you experience with the Apple ecosystem experience. In this article, I am going to talk about what I see as the three levels of Apple’s mobile ecosystem, that is, considering the iPhone, iPad, and Watch.
The SE Level
Products:
- iPhone SE ($399)
- iPad ($329 or $299 for education)
- Apple Watch SE ($279) or Series 3 ($199) (not recommended though)
This first level I am calling the SE level. Earlier this year, Apple released the iPhone SE which lets you get a brand new iPhone for only $399! To go along with your iPhone, you can also purchase an iPad to take notes on or just for entertainment purposes for only $329. Now, with these two items it is also important to mention the amount of power you get for those prices. Apple’s chips are great and the apps are well optimized so you will have the power to do a lot! Now for the Apple Watch, you can either go with the Apple Watch SE or the Series 3, although I would not recommend the Series 3 because the SE is going to work a lot better, look nicer, and the screen is much better, but I am mentioning it because they both come in at a lower price at $279 for the SE and $199 for the Series 3.
The total for this ecosystem comes out to be $1,007 before taxes. For Apple, who has been notorious for being a premium and expensive brand, you can now get 3 Apple devices for around a $1000. This is also not considering any carrier deals for the phone or discounts you might find when you are buying these!
What I call the AIR Level
Products:
- iPhone 11 ($599) or iPhone 12 mini ($699) or iPhone 12 ($799)
- iPad Air 4 ($599)
- Apple Watch SE ($279) or Series 6 ($399)
Now for this level I am dubbing it the AIR level, mainly because the iPad Air 4 is in this level. For the phone you can choose between he iPhone XR and the iPhone 11 which come in at $599 and $699 respectively, although I would wait for the new iPhones UNLESS you get a crazy deal through a carrier and you don’t care for the latest and greatest. For the iPad, I am choosing the brand new iPad Air 4 which brings you an iPad Pro design, great performance, TOUCH ID, and lets you use the Apple Pencil 2 and starts at $599 which is $200 cheaper than the Pro models. This new iPad gives so much value for what you pay. Plus, Touch ID is a great addition because it doesn’t mean you have to lean over to unlock your iPad all the time. Next for the watch I am sticking with the Apple Watch SE since it provides a lot of value and it is still quite a bit cheaper than the Series 6. Or, you could find a used Apple Watch Series 5 on Swappa like I did, but make sure that you try to find something in the “mint” condition and possible with Apple Care.
The AIR level will cost $1,477 before taxes if you choose the iPhone 11 or $1,577 before taxes if you chose the iPhone 12.
The PRO Level
Products:
- iPhone 12 Pro ($999) or iPhone 12 Pro Max ($1099)
- iPad Pro 11" ($799) or iPad Pro 12.9" ($999)
- Apple Watch Series 6 ($399)
The PRO level or baller version of Apple’s ecosystem includes the iPhone Pro ($999), iPad Pro ($799) and the new Apple Watch Series 6 ($399). This essentially gives you the best of the best that Apple has to offer for their mobile products. These devices have the most features and the best specifications, but your user experience isn’t drastically different. The features you get come at the premium and that is also because of the better hardware.
The damage to your wallet or bank account will be $2,197 before taxes.
Conclusion
What stands out to me with the product line up that Apple has, is the fact that you can also pick and choose where you want to save your money on their ecosystem. If your phone model doesn’t matter then you don’t have to get the Pro or even the regular 11, you can just go for the SE. Or, if you don’t care for the extra features of the Series 6 watch then you can go for the SE. In the end, Apple is allowing you to save more money when you are buying their products and that is a HUGE win for you and me.
You may want to ask why they would do this and I would say that I think it is because they are pushing to expand their services and profiting off of them as well as the hardware. So in return for spending less, they have more opportunity to make money off of you on a consistent basis through either iCloud, Apple Music, Fitness+, Apple TV+, and even the Apple Card which allows you to finance these items through Apple with no interest.
In the end, you the consumer win!
