Let’s say there was some catastrophic event all of a sudden, and for whatever reason I needed to replace all of my Apple products at once. What would I end up buying? We’ll explore this scenario, and this’ll hopefully serve as useful advice for anyone just looking to expand their Apple ecosystem.
For context, my ecosystem currently consists of a 128GB iPhone 16 Pro, a stainless steel Apple Watch Series 8, an M3 iMac with 2TB/24GB, an M4 MacBook Pro with 512GB/16GB, a 128GB iPad (A16), and a lightning pair of AirPods Pro 2.
These products were purchased over time, and if I had to replace everything at once, I realistically would not want to spend the money to get all of those products again in one shot. That would be far too much money to spend in such a short period.
So, given the budget constraint of needing to buy everything at once, here’s what I’d choose to get…
MacBook
As mentioned, I currently have two Macs: an M3 iMac and an M4 14-inch MacBook Pro. I do quite like having a dual Mac setup, and I’d still choose to keep it that way if I had to replace my devices.
The easiest choice to make for a MacBook replacement would be the base model M4 MacBook Air. My MacBook certainly serves a secondary role in my Mac setup, mostly being used when I’m traveling – or on the rare occasion where I want to get some work done away from home.
The main reason I have an M4 MacBook Pro is because the choice was made prior to when I ran a dual Mac setup. But, with the MacBook Air being so cheap – regularly going on sale for $799 – that’d make the most sense for the role it serves. I would have half the amount of storage I do today, but once again, it’s a secondary Mac. I’d make it work.
Mac desktop
As for the second part of the equation, the desktop, I’d still likely stick to an iMac.
I simply love having a Retina display on my desktop, and I’m not quite a fan of the 27-inch screen size either. I have a smaller desk, so I find 24-inch works better. There are a very limited number of Retina display offerings on the market, especially if you want something below 27-inch, so the iMac wins by default.
Even if I were okay with the larger screen size, there’s still the simple fact that the Studio Display costs more than an iMac. The iMac just makes sense for me.
As for the configuration, that’d be a bit more challenging. I got a really great deal on my M3 iMac, paying just $1099 for the 2TB/24GB version thanks to a clearance deal from Micro Center – and I wouldn’t get it anywhere near as cheap if I had to buy another one.
Unfortunately, I do really like having 2TB of storage, which third party retailers don’t sell – meaning I’d have to buy one full price from Apple. I’d likely compromise and get 1TB (while keeping my 24GB of memory) – running me $2099 from Apple in the four port configuration.
If I were willing to get less storage, I could pick up the 512GB/24GB model from Amazon for over $400 less, but unfortunately I highly value having a large amount of internal storage.
iPhone
As for the iPhone – believe it or not, I’d probably downgrade to the iPhone 16e.
I think that phone nails all of the basics quite well, and that’s all I really care about out of my phone at this point. I recently bought a mirrorless camera and I love carrying that around everywhere, so my iPhone camera being top notch no longer really matters to me.
Plus, the iPhone 16e packs the A18 chip and supports Apple Intelligence, so I’d still be able to test out the latest and greatest features. Of course, it still has USB-C, as well as the Action Button – both of which I find incredibly useful.
$599 is a bit high for what it is, especially with it missing MagSafe, but I really like how the phone focuses on essentials. I could also consider a refurbished iPhone 15 Pro for a similar price, but I still think I’d pick the 16e.
Apple Watch
Solely because I’m focusing on spending less money here, I’d choose to get a silver aluminum Apple Watch Series 10, 46mm.
I would really miss more durable sapphire crystal display cover on the stainless steel (and now titanium) watches, but it wouldn’t be practical to buy one brand new – and ideally I’d want to get all of these replacement products as quickly as possible. There wouldn’t be much time to scope out a deal, so I’d just pick up the easiest thing.
When on sale for $329, the Series 10 is an easy pick. If I wanted to save even more, I could consider the Apple Watch SE – but I really value having an always on display.
On a positive note, I have always adored the look of the silver aluminum Apple Watches, and I’ve never gotten to own one – so this would be a nice opportunity.
iPad
This is the only product where I’d replace what I have with the exact same product. I’d once again get a 128GB iPad (A16) in yellow.
I actually recently made the decision to downgrade from my M4 iPad Pro, primarily because iPadOS 26 ruined the way I liked to use my iPad with the removal of Split View and Slide Over multitasking – so I can say with certainty that I’d pick the A16 iPad again.
At the end of the day, I just use my iPad for Safari usage and watching YouTube videos, so I don’t need anything particularly fancy. With how cheap the A16 iPad is, it’s a no brainer. You can currently get one brand new for $299, making it an easy pick.
AirPods
Last but not least, AirPods. Apple is expected to be dropping new AirPods Pro soon, but in this scenario I wouldn’t have time to wait – so I’d still confidently pick up another pair of AirPods Pro 2 – with the main difference being that these would be a USB-C pair. They go on sale all the time for around $169, so I’d have no problem picking them up, even if they’re soon to become outdated.
What would you pick up if you had to replace your Apple ecosystem overnight? Let us know in the comments.
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