Any individual Apple Cartesian product is typically quite right on its own merit . A MacBook , iPhone , or pair of AirPods will heap up well against any corresponding laptop , smartphone , or wireless earbuds on the market .
But the Apple ecosystem is n’t about a single product , it ’s about a whole array of technology that , when used together , is more than the sum of its parts . A MacBook is more utile when all your Messages , Photos , Reminders , and Notes sync with your iPhone with automatically . snaffle a phone call on your Apple Watch when your hands are too fussy to dig your phone out of your air hole , or using Siri hand - free with your AirPods , all feels nifty . It ’s like Apple sell one big product with a bunch of parts — theecosystemis the merchandise .
Whether you ’re fresh to Apple products or just look to expand beyond the one product you have right now , you might need to think about how to plunge into the Apple ecosystem and not just whether or not to get the next iPhone . Here are our suggestion for collections of products that will help oneself you enjoy Apple ’s “ walled garden ” at unlike price levels . Everyone ’s needs and budgets are dissimilar , so our specific suggestions may not apply to you , but the complex body part of the bundles will give you a solid starting place .
Starting out
Apple ’s most significant product is believably the iPhone , and it does n’t come punk . There ’s the iPhone SE , but for the late feature of speech , you ’ll want to get one of the new poser . Last year ’s iPhone 12 miniskirt is still on sale for $ 599 and it ’s a great phone with a very degraded C.P.U. , excellent electric battery life , and an extremely capable camera . It ’s even got the U1 chip .
Add a pair of AirPods and you ’ll start to see how Apple products really work together . The AirPods copulate up just by bring them airless to your iPhone , you’re able to see your battery levels in the battery contraption , you’re able to use “ Hey , Siri ” commands hands - complimentary , and you’re able to even have your AirPods announce messages ( and withiOS 15 , significant notification too ) .
The Apple ecosystem is all about services too , and you ’ll really require some iCloud storage to store all those photos . TheApple One Individual program , at $ 14.95 a calendar month , is a good mountain for those just plunge their toe in . You get Apple Music to jam out with your AirPods ( and tell apart Siri to make for euphony ) , and 50 GB of computer memory for your photograph and videos , plus Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ .
Shoppingadvice : Keep an oculus out forsales on AirPodsand you could save a few bucks . If the iPhone 12 mini is just too little for you , you ’ll have to pass $ 100 more for the regular iPhone 12 .
1. Apple iPhone 12 mini
2. AirPods (3rd generation)
3. Apple One Individual
Stepping up
If you ’ve take more to spend , we can step up to a current - model iPhone 13 , which has a slightly superior camera , OLED display , and improved performance and shelling aliveness . If nothing else , it ’ll last longer before it ’s sentence for an rising slope . We ’ll also add together on an Apple Watch SE . There ’s no real need for the Series 7 for most mass — the always - on display and ECG and blood oxygen measurements are nice , but not deserving the price premium for most masses .
The addition of the Watch adds a mickle to the ecosystem . Now you ’re intercept your wrists to use Apple Pay , peek to see your decisive earphone notifications , and tracking your workouts to feed into the Health app .
Shopping advice : AirPods and the Apple Watch SE are regularly on sale at Amazon or Best Buy , sokeep an eye out for that . you may often save up about $ 20 - 30 on each . If you prefer really low telephone , save $ 100 by choosing the iPhone 13 mini .
1. iPhone 13
3. Apple Watch SE (2020)
4. Apple One Individual
Adding a Mac
The biggest missing piece of the mystifier in our starter kits so far is a Mac . Not everyone take a new data processor , but almost everyone has some variety of laptop or desktop at home . If you ’re going all - in with Apple , you ’re going to require that computing machine to be a Mac .
The way Macs cultivate together with your other Apple products is pretty impressive . iCloud documents arealready there . Airdropanything you need back and forth . Take a call , even a unconstipated vocalisation call to a regular earpiece number , with FaceTime on your Mac ( it will just bridge the call to your iPhone ) . employ your Mac ’s keyboard to typewrite out texts in Messages , which synchronise with your iPhone . Notes , Reminders , News , TV+ … so much of what you do on your iPhone will be on your computer , synced up via iCloud .
Even witha raw modelreportedly arriving this year , we evoke the newM1 MacBook Airas a great ledger entry point . It ’s shockingly fast for a thin - and - spark laptop , with killer battery life . The entry - level model has only 256 GB of storage , though , so you should probably tread up to the 512 GB interpretation .
It ’s also probably worth bound up to the Apple One Family subscription at this point in time , peculiarly if any of your phratry members have Apple product . Even if it ’s just for you , you ’ll want that 200 GB of iCloud storage . You might even view expend another $ 10 / mo for Apple One Premier ( which lets you share with your family ) if you really use a lot of swarm repositing or really like Apple News+ .
Shopping advice : Like the AirPods and Apple Watch SE , the MacBook Air isoften on sale . you could expect to save for $ 100 to $ 150 . If you prefer really small phones , bring through $ 100 by choosing the iPhone 13 mini . Need a background instead of a laptop ? Swap out that MacBook Air for the24 - inch iMac(we suggest the$1,699 modelwith a 512 GB SSD ) .
4. MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
5. Apple One Premier
Getting it all
Oh , $ 2,500 is n’t enough Apple stuff for you ? Do you require to recall Different in every way of the star sign ? Here ’s what it would cost to go all - out with premium Apple clobber .
We ’re add theApple TV 4Kand aHomepod miniskirt . We ’re also elevate the iPhone to the Pro model , the Apple Watch to the Series 6 , and the AirPods to the Pro adaptation . If you ’re going to spend this form of money , you do n’t want to settle for second - best . ( We ’re still not crazy enough to urge spending over $ 500 onAirPods Max , though . )
You could argue that one should also abuse up to the13 - inch M1 MacBook Pro , but there ’s honestly very short difference between that and the M1 MacBook Air . You ’re give another $ 250 for the Touch Bar and a little more battery life ( which is already fantabulous in the MacBook Air ) . And the 14 - inch MacBook Pro , while an awing automobile , is likely too much power for most people .
But wait ! There ’s no iPad ! allow ’s amend that with the latest iPad Air , which is the scented spot for cost and public presentation , along with an Apple Pencil . There ’s potential a new manikin on the way in spring 2022 , but it should n’t be all that different .
With all this gear you ’re definitely going to want Apple One Premier , which bump you up to 2 TB of storage space and includes Apple Fitness+ and Apple News+ as well as all the clobber in Apple One Individual or Family . Of course , you may divvy up all the services ( and all that iCloud store ) with 5 other family members , too .
Shopping advice : For almost $ 4,000 , plus $ 30 a month , you’re able to have a new Apple product in every elbow room of the house , essentially . You ’ll have every major product class and serving covered , and coveredwell — you’re not skimp on two - year - old refurbish geartrain or anything like that . You are n’t likely to rule the iPhone on sale , but nearly every one of these other Cartesian product can be had at a discount from prison term to time . Even the Apple Pencil sometimes list for about $ 5 - 10 less . If you were to actually purchase all this poppycock , you ’d probably save $ 300 - 500 on the various discount .
1. iPhone 13 Pro
2. MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
3. iPad Air (2020)
4. HomePod mini
5. Apple TV 4K (2021)
6. Apple AirPods Pro
7. Apple Watch Series 7
8. Apple One Premier
You’re not done yet!
Naturally , you’re able to buymoreApple hooey . Need a background ? That new24 - column inch iMacsure is skillful . You believably want the 512 GB model , which cost $ 1,699 but can often be found for $ 100 less . you may always buy more Homepod miniskirt to put in different rooms of the house for whole - firm euphony or to use as an intercommunication system . Most people do n’t need aniPad Pro , but it sure is a gorgeous ( and powerful ) tablet . Let ’s not bury appurtenance like a Magic Keyboard for the iPad , or alternative like more storehouse on the iPhone or iPad , or the cellular model of your Apple Watch .
One could well pass $ 8,000 and up diving into the Apple ecosystem , and that’swithoutgoing half-baked with a $ 6,000Mac Pro , $ 5000ProDisplay XR , or really high - oddment MacBook Pros . It doesn’thaveto be that expensive . Just pick your budget and buy what you could give , then spread out ( or not ) over time as you require .
