Don't let iPad Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Mini starter prices fool you

If you're eyeing a new iPad Pro , MacBook Air or Mac Mini for 2018, it's time to smash open your piggy bank. Apple's new tablet, laptop and desktop computer may seem competitively priced at first, but level up to the top storage capacities and you're looking at a steep climb in what you'll pay for storage.

For example, the cheapest iPad Pro for 2018 starts at $799 (64GB) and quickly builds to $1,899 for the 1-terabyte storage model with the larger screen. That's a 137.8 percent increase. The price increase may seem reasonable when you talk terabytes, considering that you're increasing the entry-level iPad Pro's storage capacity by more than a factor of 15. 

But consider, too, that this year's iPad Pro model already costs $150 more than the cheapest iPad Pro for 2017, with minimal meaningful differences. For example, this year's iPad gets a faster processor, Face ID and USB-C charging, but it loses the headphone jack.

iPad Pro 2018: Feast your eyes on Apple's big iPad update

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Apple's prices are climbing year over year, and the price swing is likely here to stay, simply because consumers keep buying Apple products at ever higher prices. Where Apple goes, other tech brands follow. Vast deltas between entry-level models and the fully-loaded variations are on track to become the new normal.

Here's how much you'll pay if you pull out all the stops.

Read now: Get used to Apple's higher iPhone, iPad, MacBook prices

Watch this: Apple's new iPad Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Mini: CNET editors react

09:48

iPad Pro 2018: From $799 to $1,899

This year's iPad Pro exercises your gray matter with four different storage capacities, two different screen sizes and model variations that include cellular or Wi-Fi only.

Remember that for LTE versions, you'll have to separately factor in your monthly service plan. The same goes for any additional accessories you pick up along the way, like the Apple Pencil  and Smart Folio Keyboard, and necessary adapter dongles, like a USB-C to Lightning cable and a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone port.

Watch this: MacBook Air 2018 now has a Retina display

05:09

MacBook Air 2018: From $1,199 to $2,599

With four storage sizes and two memory options, you have essentially eight configurations for the MacBook Air. At the end of the day, you can more than double the entry-level cost.

Mac Mini 2018: From $799 to $4,199

The seemingly endless matrix of configurable Mac Mini options is enough to scramble your brain and make your eyes pop out of your head.

In addition to choosing from two processor types, you also have four memory options, five storage choices, and two types of ethernet connection. 

If you want Final Cut Pro X or Logic Pro X preinstalled, that'll cost you more, too.

Here's the range of what you'll shell out, excluding software add-ons.

If you're planning to get multiple Mac Minis to run a larger enterprise out of your home or business, expect your costs to multiply.

Come back later for CNET's full reviews of the MacBook Air, iPad Pro and Mac Mini for 2018. In the meantime, catch up on everything new in the world of Apple.

First published Oct. 30, 4:08 p.m. PT.
Update, Nov. 3 at 7 a.m.: Adds more focus on storage. 

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