New iPhones are out; you probably already heard about the new features and how much they cost. But do you know how much money it takes to make an iPhone? Just around $500. And it's sold for double that price. Since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2008, Apple products have become increasingly expensive. They offer limited discounts, and they are not the newest when it comes to feature sets. However, every third person in the US owns an iPhone. They have a very loyal customer base. And as a company, Apple is so profitable that they have more cash than the US government. But the most important question for us as consumers is, are Apple products worth the money? Or are we getting ripped off?

Before we answer those questions, we first need to understand Apple's typical customer avatar. You see, all other tech companies, they want to sell as many products as possible to as many people as possible, but not Apple. Their customer base is highly selective, and their products are designed to please only that selected group. I will explain. You can go to an electronics store and get a Samsung phone for as low as $50, but if you walk into an Apple Store with that money, you will probably return with a charger. You have to spend at least $400 to get an iPhone.

And just like that, by creating a minimum barrier of entry and making the product inaccessible to a large part of the population, owning an iPhone means something more. It gives the feeling that this is a product to aspire to and hold onto. But is that feeling enough for us to justify this spending?

I am an Apple fanboy. I always have been. I bought my first MacBook in 2011, and since then, I have spent thousands of euros on Apple products. And whenever someone argued with me about my choices, I tried convincing them and myself that I was making a calculated, logical decision. But am I really convinced? Has my fanaticism made me blind to the obvious? I wanted answers, and this led me to a rabbit hole of thoughts.

My first entry into the Apple ecosystem was with my Macbook. I was planning to go for higher studies and wanted to get a fast and efficient laptop. The iPhone was already on the market, but I was a happy, proud BlackBerry owner. It wasn't as flashy as an iPhone, but it had one thing the iPhone didn't: BlackBerry Messenger. Remember, this was before WhatsApp, and BlackBerry was the only service offering something similar to a messaging app.

I was about to move to Germany, So I planned to get a BlackBerry for my girlfriend so that we could stay in touch. But we broke up before I got to the Blackberry store to make that purchase, and in that spur of the moment, I got myself an iPhone. And 10 years later, the same me is sitting here talking to you about the importance of making conscious purchases.

Back to the story. So, I used that phone for 5 years before upgrading to an iPhone X. I also used my MacBook for around 10 years before buying the M1 version last year. Somehow, I always liked the feel of an analog watch and never felt the need to update it. But this changed when I started exercising regularly, and I got myself an Apple Watch recently. I also own an iPad, AirPods, and an Apple TV. So that's my share of investment with Apple, and I can fairly say that except for the first purchase with the iPhone, the rest were on a need basis and not because I wanted the newest and best. But again, the question is, what is so special about Apple that separates it from the rest of the pack?

Quality

So my first MacBook, which I got for around 1000 dollars in 2011, still works fine even after 12 years. Just that it's not good enough for my current work demands. But if I had bought a laptop from any other brand, I would have most likely made an upgrade sometime around the 5-year mark, which would have cost me more than I spent on my MacBook. My old iPhone is also still technically working fine. I upgraded only because the battery performance was not optimal, and I wanted a better-quality camera for creating content. There's no question that iPhones and MacBooks are expensive, but their products are built to last, and that saves me quite a lot of money.

Performance

The MacBook with the Apple processor is a power horse, especially for those who work in fields that require such processing power. This is especially handy for me when I work with 4K files.

Rendering and exporting a video is done in just a matter of minutes. Apple has always positioned itself as a brand for creators. The top-end Apple Mac Pro computer sells for 50,000 dollars. It's the epitome of performance. Although it's not meant for an average user like you and me, there is a always a need and a market for these products.

Productivity

Then, there is the beautiful Apple ecosystem with its features, such as the universal clipboard. I can copy text on my iPhone and magically paste it on my MacBook. So when I want to write captions for Instagram, I write them down on my laptop, and when I am done, I copy and paste them on Instagram before uploading them from the phone. I didn't know how much I missed this feature until I worked with my Office Windows laptop.

Similarly, If I get a two-factor authentication on my phone, the message will automatically autofill on my Mac. And then there is the Airdrop feature, which allows wirelessly transfer files between Apple devices. When my friends and I travel together, sharing photos is easy if the other person also has an iPhone. If there is an Android friend in the group, we need to upload the documents to Google Drive or send them across WhatsApp, which compresses the photos and limits the number of photos that can be sent. Nothing against Android users. But yeah, it takes more steps and time and is annoying. Airdrop also helps me to instantly transfer files from my iPhone to MacBook.

Sometimes, I realize during my editing process that I missed a B-Roll to be shot. I can instantly open the camera on my iPhone, record it, send the file to the laptop, and resume editing in minutes. Another cool Apple-specific feature is Handoff. If you work on one app on one Apple device, you can continue working on the same app on the other device. So, if I am browsing a page on Safari on my mobile while traveling, I can just continue browsing on the MacBook when I get home. The same applies to Apple Notes, which is my idea capture system. I make quick notes on the iPhone whenever I hear or read something interesting, and it is immediately available on my MacBook and iPad. I can simply continue working on any device I want.

Devices in the Apple ecosystem work so beautifully together, and that helps me be more productive. All these tiny features save me short bits of time and they add up in the long term. And for someone like me who believes that time saved is money saved, these features make Apple products worth their price. But then that's not all.

Security

I work in the cybersecurity field, and I know, how tech companies use and sell our data without giving any consideration for our privacy. Some people may not care about it, but I do. I agree; Apple may not be the Mother Teresa in this matter, but at least they say privacy is one of their core values. I would trust Apple with my data any day compared to companies whose profit model is solely based on selling user data.

Design

And then comes the design factor. In 2008, the cellphone market was dominated by cheap plastic bricks. Then came the iPhone with a beautiful design made of aluminum and glass. Apple dedicates so much effort and time in designing their products, and their attention to minor details is exceptional. Whether it's the rhythm syncing of the MacBook breathing light to the human breathing interval or how the torch icon changes when the flash is switched on. It may not be much, but being a tech nerd, these are tiny joys of using their product.

Ease of Use

But forget the quality, forget the performance, forget the design. The most important reason why I can't think of leaving the Apple ecosystem is that Apple devices are so silent and efficient that I rarely know they exist. My Apple laptop never bothers me with updates. It never shows me a blue screen. Apple just gets out of the way and lets me do my job. "Everything just works."

So the conclusion is, for me, Apple products are not about showing off. I don't believe owning an Apple product makes me any cooler or more special. If that were the case, I would have always walked around with Apple headphones. I also don't regularly update the latest Apple products as soon as they launch just because the processor is 40% faster or there is a new color available. And this is a trend I have seen with many of my friends. Are Apple products more expensive than they are worth? Probably yes. But they are worth the cost for those who value the performance, user experience, and ecosystem. And no other brand can offer an alternative as good as them. It is not about just one iPhone or a Macbook. It's the complete package that makes it all worth it.