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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)