If Apple products are known for anything,
it's being pricey. Here's a tablet that's $2,000.
Here's a laptop that's $2,000. And here's a phone that's almost $2,000.
Sure, you certainly get what you pay for. These all have the best screen technology.
They're the fastest in their class. And as I found out with the iPhone recently,
they can be used to create remarkable things. But Apple does have entry-level devices
that do cost a little bit less. So when does it make sense to save your money
and go with the cheapest model at the Apple Store?
Historically, Apple never really had value options.
But things are a little different now. The least expensive Mac is a Mini,
which at $700 has the lauded M1 chip.
For only $400, you can enter into the world of the iPhone
with the SE. If you want an Apple Watch, the Series 3 is $200.
And then there's the new 329 iPad.
If you were to buy all these together, you'd be completely in the Apple ecosystem
for much less than the cost of this flagship.
Now, one of the reasons these are so cheap is that they're contained in old, classic designs.
The Mac Mini's outer shell, for instance, is almost 12 years old.
So all the RD and tooling required to make them
has been paid for. And yet, beneath aging shells beat modern hearts.
So let's start with a device that makes the most sense to cheap out on the new iPad.
At $329, it's one of the cheapest devices Apple sells
and one of the company's best deals. I like it a lot.
And I think it's the best iPad for everyone.
What makes this latest update a good deal as an iPad
is that for the first time in a while, the base iPad isn't that far behind the lineup.
The base internal storage has been increased to 64 gigabytes,
the same amount that comes by default with the iPad's Air and Mini.
Remember having to deal with 32 gigabytes of storage? Oh, that's horrible.
Next, there's center stage, which is already found on the iPad Pro and Mini
as well as this, but not yet on the iPad Air.
It means a much better front-facing camera that can follow you around NVIDIA calls.
And the processor's been given a minor bump going to the A13 now.
That brings it one generation closer to the Air, which costs almost twice as much, but isn't twice as fast.
But here's the real reason why cheap iPad is best iPad.
iPadOS. It's not that iPadOS makes this cheap iPad great,
but rather it holds back the more expensive models from reaching their potential.
As I argued when we reviewed the iPad Pro, there are limitations to how far you can push
this operating system. For what it's worth, it's quite capable
until you have to do one specific task, but there's only one way to do it
through a convoluted, multi-step, multi-app workflow.
Ahem, Google Drive. This means that the more expensive iPads have more power
than you can fully use, and it means that you can save hundreds of dollars
and overall miss out on very little, because when you start configuring an iPad Air
to make it more capable with keyboards and stands and things like that,
the price gets to MacBook Air territory right quick,
and that's just gonna be more powerful and more useful for the things you need to do on a computer.
So if you want an iPad, just get the iPad.
Now, yes, there are compromises to know about. This design is as old as GTA V,
which is still kicking too, isn't it? I should add that I do in fact love the throwback vibe
now that the silver model gets a black bezel,
and the screen within it, well, it only covers the SRGB gamut,
so it's not gonna show as many colors. It's also unlaminated,
meaning that there's a noticeable separation between the LCD panel and the glass.
The speakers and the rear camera are nothing to write home about, and this thing still has a lightning port,
which is probably the biggest technical compromise you get going down to this.
So that's the iPad.
Apple's base Mac Mini has the lauded and powerful M1 processor with more GPU cores
and better cooling than is found in the base MacBook Air and iMac,
which cost hundreds more. Now, for its $700, you get no luxuries,
so it's BYODKM. It means bring your own display, keyboard and mouse, okay?
If you're really in a pinch, those are things you can get at the thrift store for cheap
because the Mac Mini is one of the few Macs to still have USB-A ports.
On the phone front, the base iPhone is this SE.
The SE is great because it represented a change from Apple's previous strategy
of selling their old phones unchanged for far too long.
This means that the iPhone SE has the same processing performance as the iPhone 6S.
And instead, they put the most up-to-date chips and technology in the old phones package.
So this 2020 SE has the exact same body
as the iPhone 8 from 2017, but has the same A13 chip from the iPhone 11.
Yet, it's only $400. Now, it's not the best looking or highest specified device,
but it's bound to be supported for at least another four years
and today still supports all of the features of the latest iOS releases.
So it's easy to recommend. But I've been reading the rumor mill
and sentiment is showing that there may be an update impending for the SE in the first half of this year.
And barring any price increases to worsen inflation,
that would become an even better buy.
Now, there's an SE model of the Apple Watch as well,
but it's not actually the cheapest offering. That would be the $200 series three,
which is just plain old. Its screen is small, its S3 processor is slow,
and its storage is scant. With only eight gigabytes,
you can't even update it without completely resetting it.
It'll monitor your heart, enable Fitness Plus, give you iPhone notifications on your wrist,
along with the time. But it stubbornly remained at this price
for over two years now while its value has eroded.
So unlike the other devices, I don't recommend buying the cheapest Apple Watch,
at least not now.
And that is the interesting thing to consider when buying base.
The best time to buy is soon after they get released.
That way you get the most value out of them for the longest time.
But even if you're late to the party, Apple's strong lead in processors
gives even the base models a huge amount of longevity.
Plus, there are the benefits to having more devices in the Apple ecosystem.
And all you really miss out on are the luxuries, like an emojis.
Thanks for saving on this Mac Address. If you're the type who's totally fine
with getting the base model of any product, why not give us a like? And if you're interested in saving
even more on Apple products, why not subscribe? And if you've been burned by buying a base Apple product,
tell us your story in the comments below. I was once burned by buying an Apple product
right before our new model came out. That iPad third generation.