As Apple fans (and Terry Pratchett fans) know well, there is a difference between cheap and value for money. The lowest price is not necessarily the best value. You get what you pay for and all that.

This is an argument for Apple’s product ecosystem as a whole, which consistently offers a better user experience than its cheaper competitors, but historically offers guidance. In this ecosystem too. We have felt for several years that Cupertino intermediate devices represent the most attractive sweet spot between value and power, and this has become particularly evident recently as the company has leaned into its upselling strategy by leaving important features outside of core products.

So far, that’s the case. All of a sudden, preconceived ideas risk being thrown out the window. Right now, Apple’s entry-level products seem oddly fantastic.

Take the 10th generation iPad, Apple’s current entry-level tablet. When this came out two years ago, I rented its design, larger screen, cameras, processor, and 5G support, but I couldn’t give it a recommendation because the price had increased from $329 to $449 and I wasn’t considering it anymore as a budget tablet. Well, that price has almost dropped now, and at $349 we can enjoy its qualities without reservations.

In the iPhone range, I wouldn’t go so far as to recommend the SE, which hasn’t been updated in a while and wasn’t even particularly dazzling (although next year update should change this considerably). But it’s worth noting that this year’s non-Pro models are more attractive than they have been in a while. The iPhone 16 has its compromises, but these are acceptable given the hundreds you’ll save by not opting for the higher-end models.

More recently, Apple has made changes to its Mac lineup that are good news for customers on a budget. The entry-level MacBook Pro made headlines when it received an M4 update last week with twice the RAM and an additional Thunderbolt port, but double the quieter MacBook Air RAM Allocation at the same prices, this may be more important as it brings solid performance under $1,000.

The highlight of Apple’s week of Mac announcements was undoubtedly the Mac mini M4. In addition to the new chipsets (which represent a double upgrade over the M2 it previously featured), the new model benefits from additional CPU and GPU cores, as well as a switch from rear USB-A ports to USB-A ports. C frontals. The next tier of RAM has gone up to 64GB and it’s easier to get support for three displays.

But far more important than these interesting technological improvements is the physical redesign, which sees the mini shrink from 7.7 to 5 square inches, losing more than a pound of weight in the process. Finally we get a Mac mini worthy of its name. And it starts at just $599.

Are these recent examples indicative of a longer-term trend? Is Apple ready to slow down the upselling and accept that a large portion of customers only care about business models and deserve to be taken care of properly? Well, it’s hard to say at this point. If next spring’s new iPhone SE is up to par more optimistic predictionsmaybe we’ll find something.

But in the meantime, let’s just enjoy the fact that Apple’s cheaper products are good. It may not last.

Foundry

Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in one handy summary. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it pairs really well with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you also want to read it during lunch or dinner hours.

Trending: Featured News

The truth behind Apple most unpopular decisions: It’s not about you.

THE Mac-mini Finally lives up to its name.

The first Apple Intelligence the features are hazardous.

THE Mac mini M4 illustrates Apple’s poor health power button obsession.

Apple week Exciting Mac Announcements I went down at a difficult start.

Mac mini M4 is smaller, more powerful and can connect three displays.

Apple Mac Accessories Finally switch from Lightning to USB-C.

Podcast of the week

This week is full of Apple treats! We have a new iMac, new MacBook Pros, and a new Mac mini, all with the new M4 chip! We talk about what’s new and much more in this episode of the Macworld Podcast! And we promise, no tricks!

You can watch every episode of the Macworld podcast on Spotify, Sound cloudTHE Podcasts appOr our own site.

The rumor mill

Does the new iMac M4 just tip us one new Mac screen does it come from Apple?

Software updates, bugs and issues

AirPods Pro 2 7B19 firmware allows new iOS 18.1 hearing features.

And with that, we’re done for this week’s apple breakfast. If you would like to receive regular summaries, subscribe to our newsletters. You can also follow us on Facebook, TopicsOr Twitter to discuss the latest Apple news. See you next Monday and stay Appley.