The most expensive Apple product ever made is probably the last you’d expect
- Apple is one of the most profitable companies in the world, with its tech prices seemingly skyrocketing
- However, its most expensive product ever might surprise you
- It was launched all the way back in 1980
Published on Jan 02, 2024 at 3:27 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jan 02, 2024 at 8:48 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Adam Gray
Apple is one of the most profitable companies in the world – but the most expensive Apple product ever made might surprise you.
With the profitable tech company making $99.8 billion in net income in 2022, you might think the iPhone is most profitable.
However, despite the 2023 Mac Pro priced at $7,500 and even the 2015 Apple Watch Gold at $17,000 – these aren’t the most expensive Apple product ever made.
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In fact, delving into the three-decade history of Apple is necessary.
Apple’s strategy has always been to release high-end and innovative tech with a focus on innovation and quality.
But it’s the 1980 Apple III, which at the time set consumers back $8,000 (adjusted to $26,230 for inflation), that sets the bar as the most expensive Apple product ever made.
It was dropped onto the blossoming IT market on 19 May 1980 at the National Computer Conference, California.
The Apple III computer was the first designed by Apple.
It followed the Apple II series and was designed for modern business users of the eighties.
Sadly, the computer was a commercial failure due to design faults – similarly to the iPhone 15 and update blips of 2023.
As such, it was a steep learning curve for CEO Steve Jobs.
The series from Apple II to Apple III and Apple III+ was discontinued in 1985 after just 65,000 units were sold.
Weighing roughly 11.3 kg – this wasn’t a computer to pop into a briefcase for your commute.
With a Synertek 6502A processor, it also had a built-in 5.25-inch floppy disk drive with four expansion slots – a first for the soon-to-be tech giant.
It had Apple’s Sophisticated Operating System (SOS) at 2 MHz with 128k of memory (expandable to 512 KB for a price).
What’s more, its typewriter-style keyboard was the first of its kind for the company, with the Apple II sporting a teletype-style keyboard.
The launch of Apple III coincided with International Business Machines (IBM), launching a personal home computer.
Its MS-DOS operating system would later become known as Microsoft.
The creation, boasting software from tech ingenue, Bill Gates, sold the same number of units in a four-month run than the Apple III sold in its five-year production run.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
