It’s no secret that Apple isn’t a cheap brand. While the company sells relatively affordable “SE” and “e” variants of certain devices, its main focus has always been on the higher-end tiers—and the public generally knows what to expect.
Nevertheless, there have been several instances of Apple releasing exceptionally overpriced products that transcend the typical “Apple tax,” shocking customers with ridiculously high markups. Let’s take a look at some of them, starting with the most accessible of these notoriously pricey items and working our way up to the most jaw-droppingly expensive product in Apple’s history.
12. Polishing Cloth (2021)
Apple
Arguably, the cheapest overpriced Apple product is the Polishing Cloth released in 2021. For $19, you get a 6.3 x 6.3 inches (16 x 16 cm) cloth made from non-abrasive material, suitable for wiping fingerprints off your Apple display. While 19 bucks may be negligible for some people, the product is still objectively overpriced compared to similar microfiber cloths sold by third parties.
Many enthusiasts justify paying premium prices for the tight Apple ecosystem integrations, long years of software support, and reliable build quality. These arguments, however, don’t apply to the Polishing Cloth, since, well, it’s a mere cloth.
11. Crossbody Strap (2025)
Apple
Earlier this year, Apple launched the iPhone 17 series, along with an all-new Crossbody Strap accessory. The $59 product is made of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) yarn and lets you dangle your iPhone across your body when paired with a compatible Apple case (starting at $39).
Like the Polishing Cloth, there’s really no advantage to buying Apple’s $100-plus version, as third-party options made from the same material are offered for a fraction of the price. A similar argument could be made about Apple’s iPhone cases, which cost around $50 and aren’t always durable or… finely woven.
10. iPhone Pocket (2025)
Apple
Now, onto the reason this list is being typed in the first place: Apple’s highly innovative iPhone Pocket. For just $149.95 or $229.95, you can get the short or long variant of this 2025 fashion statement.
For those unfamiliar, the iPhone Pocket is a special-edition project in collaboration with Issey Miyake, the namesake of the Japanese designer famous for making Steve Jobs’s trademark turtleneck. As its name suggests, it’s a 3D-knitted pocket for your iPhone that you can wear or attach to your bag—a Posh Cloth, if you will. While it may visually resemble the fan-favorite iPod Sock, it absolutely doesn’t match its more reasonable $29 pricing.
9. Pro Stand (2019)
Apple
Next, we’ve got the Pro Display XDR’s $999 Pro Stand, launched in 2019. Given the display’s exceptional color accuracy, it would be a steal at $999. Well, except the one grand only gets you the display’s stand—not the display itself.
Now, I’m not going to argue whether the stand-less Pro Display XDR’s $4,999-5,999 pricing is fair, as it’s a niche product for a very specific group of professionals. However, there’s no defense for a separate aluminum stand to cost as much as an iPhone, regardless of how versatile it is.
8. Apple Vision Pro (2024)
Apple
We all knew Vision Pro was going to have a high price tag, but when it was unveiled at WWDC 2023, its whopping $3,499 price tag was at the highest end of expectations. While one could suggest that the price is fair for a first-generation, highly sophisticated spatial computer, Apple retained the same price with this year’s M5 refresh, which brought little more than a new chip. Given that it still can’t replace a Mac and how constrained visionOS is, we can safely declare that the ambitious headset is ridiculously overpriced.
7. Macintosh XL (1985)
Vladeep – shutterstock.com
Back in 1985, the Macintosh XL wasn’t actually a new Mac—it was rather a retooled version of Apple’s failed Lisa PC with $3,995 price tag, which would translate to around $12,000 today when accounting for inflation. Considering the original Lisa (see #3 below) sold for $9,995, the Macintosh XL was downright affordable and actually sold pretty well, but it was discontinued just four months later.
6. iMac Pro (2017)
Apple
As a way to placate professionals who were hamstrung by the cylindrical Mac Pro but still wanted a new machine, Apple launched the iMac Pro in 2017 as a more capable version of the iMac, catering to professionals with exceptionally demanding needs. It was loaded with high-end specs, including up to an 18-core Intel Xeon processor, 5K display, and AMD Vega graphics, but started at an eye-watering $4,999. Initial rumors suggested that the machine would cost up to $17,000, so maybe customers were pleasantly surprised to learn that the maxed-out version capped out at just $13,199.
5. Twentieth Anniversary Mac (1997)
Six Colors
To celebrate 20 years in business, Apple produced 12,000 units of the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (TAM) in 1997 to show off Apple’s flair for design. This high-end machine had a flat screen LCD and a Bose sound system, but its $7,499 price tag (around $14,600 today), made it one of the company’s priciest devices yet. It was so futuristic, Apple actually delivered it to customers in a limo, but it didn’t sell out until Apple cut the price all the way to $1,995.
4. 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition (2015)
Foundry
Remember when the Apple Watch was still going through its identity crisis phase? A few unlucky customers’ wallets sure do. In 2015, the 18-karat Gold Apple Watch Edition debuted for an insane $17,000. Not only was it the same watch as the $349 version, but it became obsolete a few years later. Apple still tailors its smartwatches to luxury fashionistas, but the high-end Hermès models top out at $1,949 instead, much easier to swallow.
3. Macintosh Portable (1989)
If you think the 16-inch MacBook Pro is expensive, 1989’s Macintosh Portable, Apple’s first battery-powered Mac, cost $7,300, or around $18,500 today. While technically “portable,” it weighed 16 pounds and lasted about 10 hours when not plugged in. It was a major step toward the PowerBook and MacBook, but its high price barred it from being adopted by the masses, and the company discontinued it in 1991.
2. Lisa (1983)
Computer History Museum
Released in 1983 for $9,995 (over $31,000 today), Lisa was one of Apple’s first desktop computers. Due to its exorbitantly high cost, however, Lisa’s sales didn’t meet the company’s expectations. As such, Apple buried 2,700 Lisa units in a landfill and launched the Macintosh line a couple of years later for a lower price.
1. Mac Pro (2019)
Apple
Last but not least, we have the world’s most expensive cheese grater. In 2019, a year before entering the M-chip era, Apple launched a modular Mac Pro tower for power users. When maxed out, the Intel-powered computer cost $52,748—excluding the display. This possibly crowns it as the most expensive product Apple will ever release, now that the self-driving car project has been axed.
Today, the latest, maxed-out Mac Pro with an M2 Ultra costs a mere $12,448, a significant drop from $50K. Though the $699 wheel kit is still sold separately.
