Can Apple actually do affordable?

Let's be realistic: Apple has a complicated relationship with the word 'affordable'. It uses it confidently, sincerely, and in a way that suggests it has never once Googled what it means. So when rumours started swirling about a 'cheap' MacBook and a 'budget' iPhone arriving this week at an Apple March event – alongside updates to the MacBook Air and Pro – my first instinct was scepticism. Apple doing cheap? Pull the other one.

But here's the thing. Apple already makes one product that's genuinely great value: the Mac mini. It's something of an outlier in the lineup – compact, capable, and priced in a way that makes you do a double-take.

The template, then, does exist. But Apple's record in applying it is a little bit patchy, to say the least.

The SE problem

Take Apple's long-running budget iPhone, now sadly departed, the iPhone SE. It wasn't a bad phone, but it was a compromised one. You got an older design, a dated notch, no MagSafe, and a camera that felt like a step backwards for anyone doing serious mobile content creation. For the price, it was hard to recommend over a slightly older flagship. That's not value. That's compromise dressed up in a press release.

On the day I write this, though, Apple has launched its latest value iPhone, the iPhone 17e, and on paper at least, it sounds pretty darned impressive.

We're talking MagSafe (finally, though it has a limit of 15W, in line with the older iPhones 12-15), a 48MP Fusion camera with an optical-quality 2x telephoto, 4K Dolby Vision video, and the A19 chip. All at the same $599 price point as the iPhone 16e, but now starting at 256GB of storage instead of 128GB.

That doubling of base storage alone is the kind of thing that actually matters day-to-day. The new C1X modem promises up to twice the cellular speed of its predecessor, and the IP68 rating with Ceramic Shield 2 means this thing is built to last.

It comes in black, white, and a soft pink; understated rather than bold, which suits the premium matte finish. For creators who shoot on the go, the camera upgrade alone might seal the deal.

And while it's not the perfect device – there's no word on a high refresh rate display and it is said to be using a 'binned' A19 chip according to MacWorld – Apple appears to have actually listened this time. This feels like a phone that earns its price, rather than simply being slightly less expensive than its siblings. Though as our design editor, Daniel John points out, for some, it may make the iPhone 17, for just $200 more, even more appealing.

A cheaper MacBook?

The rumoured budget MacBook, though, is where things get really interesting. An A18 Pro chip, colourful 12.9-inch chassis and a price tag around $599? On paper, that sounds like the kind of thing you'd happily buy for travel, client meetings or quick edits on the train.

But let's keep our heads. The A18 Pro is a phone chip, not an M-series workhorse. It'll handle web browsing, light retouching, writing and social content with ease. It will not handle 4K video timelines, heavy Lightroom catalogues, or anything in Cinema 4D. If you're a serious creative professional, this is not your primary machine; and Apple isn't pretending otherwise.

What it might be, however, is a genuinely useful secondary device. A lightweight companion to your studio setup. Something you wouldn't cry over if it got rained on at a festival. In that context, the trade-offs (no Thunderbolt, potentially 8GB RAM) become a lot more tolerable.

Is this a sea-change?

So can Apple break tradition? Well, sort of. Rather than genuinely reinventing its relationship with price, I'd say it's getting smarter about segmentation.

The Mac mini showed it's possible to lead with value without embarrassing the rest of the lineup. The iPhone 17e looks like the most convincing budget iPhone in years, and the confirmed specs suggest it's a properly considered product rather than a cynical compromise. And if the new MacBook lands at $599 with that chip and those rumoured colours, it will fill a real gap in the market.

Will it replace your MacBook Air or Pro? Absolutely not. But it doesn't need to. Apple doesn't need every product to be everything. It just needs them to be honest about what they are.

The Mac mini is proof that honesty and affordability can coexist at Apple. The iPhone 17e looks like another step in the right direction, though shows that some compromises like MagSafe charging and 'binned' chips will be made. Here's hoping this week marks the beginning of more of the positives; not just a shiny distraction from the usual premium pricing.

Keep up with the latest news on Apple's big announcements in our Apple March event live blog. And if you're interested in the latest iPad, read our take on the iPad Air M4.