Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

The real cost of being the ultimate Apple fan: Nearly $80,000

The real cost of being the ultimate Apple fan: Nearly $80,000

Picture this: You are the ultimate Apple fan. You've got an unlimited budget. And you want all of the things: top-of-the-line devices, fancy accessories and services.

You may not need that high-end graphics chip or added storage, but they're there, right?

Times are tough, and Apple (AAPL) has been trying to position itself a more financially accessible brand, releasing the budget iPhone SE earlier this year.

But Apple has always been a premium brand. And for people with cash to spend, Apple offers some mind-boggling ways for people to pay it huge sums of money.

So CNN Business dug into just how much it would cost to go all-out on Apple products. Here's what we found.

iPhone


You'll likely want to start off by upgrading to the new iPhone 12, which comes with perks, such as 5G connectivity and a telephoto zoom lens. The highest-end option is the iPhone 12 Pro Max with a 6.7-inch display ($1,099) and 512 GB of storage ($300). Adding AppleCare+ with theft and loss coverage will add $269 to your purchase.

To go with it, a silicone case with MagSafe ($49) will protect your phone and enable wireless charging with a MagSafe charger ($39).

Total: $1,756.00 (Excluding additional carrier costs/discounts)

Apple Watch

Customers shopping at the Apple Store in George Street on September 18, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. Customers to the Apple stores in Australia are among some of the first in the world to be able to view Apple's newest products. The new Apple Watch Series 6 features a blood oxygen sensor and app, while a new iPad (8th generation) has also been released.


The priciest Apple Watch available on the Apple store (assuming you don't want to research a third-party vendor to make you a diamond encrusted one) rings in at $1,499. Add AppleCare+ for $149. It has a 44mm silver, stainless steel case with a black leather band and "Single Tour Deployment Buckle" from the Apple Watch Hermès collection. So you can match your Apple Watch with your Birkin.

Total: $1,648.00 (Excluding additional carrier costs)

Mac


To really beef up your home office, you can get a Mac Pro ($5,999) with all the add-ons for $54,447.98. That includes a 2.5 GHz 28-core Intel Xeon W processor with Turbo Boost up to 4.4 GHz ($7,000); 1.5 TB of memory ($25,000); two Radeon Pro Vega II Duo graphics chips with 2X32 GB of HBM2 memory each ($10,800); 8 TB of storage ($2,600); an Apple Afterburner card for better video performance ($2,000); wheels ($400); a Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2 ($149); and pre-installed Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro software ($499.98).

And of course you'll also need a monitor. Apple sells the 32-inch Pro Display XDR with Retina 6K and nano-texture glass for $5,999, and a Pro Stand for $999. If you want to mount your monitor, you'll need a $199 adapter.

And to add AppleCare+ and a cable: $798 and $129.

Total: $62,571.98

MacBook


If you also want a MacBook for when you're on the go, a top-of-the-line MacBook with all the added features would look like this: 16-inch MacBook Pro in
Space Gray ($2,799) with a 2.4 GHz 8-core, 9th generation Intel Core i9 processor with Turbo Boost up to 5.0 GHz ($200); 64 gigabytes of memory ($800); the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M graphics chip with 8 GB of HBM2 memory ($700); 8 TB of storage ($2,200); and both pre-installed software options (Final Cut Pro for $299.99 and Logic Pro for $199.99). All that adds up to $7,198.98. Adding AppleCare+ to protect that pricey purchase will put you back another $379.

You'll probably need some accessories, too. You can add a USB-C to Lighting port adapter cable to connect your iPhone to your MacBook and another cable to your USB for good measure, all for $36. A leather case ($199) will go well with your Hermès watch band. A keyboard with a numeric keypad will cost you $129 and you could shell out for a hands-free mouse for $994.95. And an adjustable stand for your MacBook Pro rings in at $79.95.

Total: $9,016.88

iPad


Apple touts the iPad as the device that can be both PC and tablet. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the most costly of iPads at $1649, when you shell out for all the bells and whistles. That's 1TB of storage and cell service (additional costs will vary by carrier). AppleCare+ adds another $129. With a keyboard attachment ($349) for the latest generation, you'll get some of the PC-ness going and with an Apple Pencil ($129) you can still scribble your notes and draw in inDesign.
Before you exit the store, you'll need to get your delicate iPad some protection from falls and daily wear and tear. A case costs $99 and you can match that with a backpack (nothing worse than a bag that's just a little too small for your iPad!) for another $99. Soon you'll look like any other tech maven heading to a big conference.

Total: $2,583 (Excluding additional carrier costs)

iPod


Don't forget about nostalgia! Apple brought back its classic iPod touch in 2019 and it retails for $399 with 256 GB of storage. Add AppleCare+ for $59.

A huge fan — or someone who wants to ignore texts occasionally by only carrying their iPod, say, when they work out — might own the iPod and the iPhone, even if both play Apple Music. A case for the iPod touch? $30.
Total: $488

AirPods Pro


These $249 wireless headphones have been a crowd favorite, despite initial comments circulating on social media that they look weird. (They said the same about AirPods when they were introduced in 2016.) For the price, you get earbuds that sound slightly better than the original AirPods. Add damage protection for $29.

Total: $278

AirPods Max


Because Beats headphones and AirPods Pro just won't cut it for someone who is always looking for the latest and greatest in wireless audio, Apple has a new product called AirPods Max. They cost a whopping $549, pricier than Apple's most affordable iPhones, and look like a cross-between AirPods and Beats.

If you're looking to upgrade your audio experience or are just curious about the latest drop, it might make sense to get these. From the look of them, they probably have more bass than the typical AirPods or AirPods Pro can offer. To protect them, be prepared to cough up another $59.

Total: $608

HomePod


If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem, when picking out a smart speaker for your home, there's only one kind that will easily sync with the rest of your devices and automatically default to Apple Music: HomePod. While Siri still lags behind Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa in its voice capabilities, Apple charges a premium $299 for the gourd-like speaker and $39 more for AppleCare+. To its credit, it does blend in pretty well with modern furniture.

Total: $338

Apple TV


No home setup would be complete without a TV (and, you know, a couch but we've yet to see Apple, Google or Samsung come out with a branded sofa).

That's where Apple TV comes in.

To be clear, you'll still need to buy the actual TV hardware separately, like a Sony or a Samsung 4K TV. For $199, Apple sells the Apple TV box, which connects to a multitude of apps that some TVs don't support on their own, like Peloton or MasterClass, and a remote control. If you've shelled out anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands for your TV, the Apple TV box with a $29 protection plan is just icing on the cake.

Total: $228

Services


Finally, Apple is also in the business of selling subscription-based services.

While iPhone sales have slowed in recent years, what's on those devices is still taking off. Apple has so many services on offer that it created a bundle called
Apple One to provide access to all of them. After a one month free trial, Apple One costs $29.95 per month for the premier subscription, which gets you Apple TV+, gaming service Apple Arcade, Apple News+, 2 TB of iCloud storage and Apple Fitness+, which launches on December 14.

Total: $359.40/year

Total


Now, let's add it all up. If you really decked out your wrist, your pockets and your home with Apple gadgets, how much would that put you in the red?

The total rings in at a whopping $79,875.26, excluding shipping costs, taxes and carrier fees.

Assuming you're a huge Apple fan, you probably have the branded credit card, too, netting you 3% cash back on your purchases. You'll earn $2,396.25 back — totally worth it, right?

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×