Apple's New Mac Pro Wheel Kit Costs More Than An iPhone SE

Apple has begun selling the wheel kit for the latest Mac Pro, and if you thought the surprisingly affordable iPhone SE was a sign that the Cupertino company was embracing frugality, think again. The accessories are designed to replace the desktop's standard metal legs, and make it easier to move around a studio or office.

Apple showed off the wheels when it first announced the Mac Pro last year, and they're certainly striking. These aren't your basic IKEA casters, each made of polished stainless steel with a band of rubber.

This isn't the first time you could get wheels for your Mac Pro, of course, just the first time they've been offered as a standalone accessory. Apple made them optional for new Mac Pro orders when the desktop hit shelves late last year, as an alternative to the regular feet.

It was cheaper to buy them that way, too. Apple's upgrade was $400 for a set of four wheels. If you buy the kit separately, however, you're looking at $699.

"The custom-designed stainless steel and rubber wheels make it easy to move your Mac Pro around," Apple points out, "whether sliding it out from under your desk or across your studio." Just make sure wherever it is, there's a relatively flat floor, too. Apple's wheels don't have brakes, so there's nothing stopping your potent desktop Mac from rolling away.

Also available separately for the first time are Apple's metal feet for the Mac Pro. The Feet Kit is $299, and includes the four stainless steel legs that would come as standard with the Mac Pro. Of course, if you opted to upgrade to the wheels when you first ordered the computer, you won't have got a set of feet in the box.

Clearly, these aren't cheap accessories. When you can get a new iPhone SE for $200 less than a set of four castors, it's no surprise that Apple has found itself the butt of some jokes today about its pricing.

All the same, we're talking about two very different audiences. A Mac Pro starts at $6k – it's not at all difficult to double that amount, or push it even further. Check off all the hardware options, and you're looking at a computer north of $53,000. In the grand scheme of things, a set of $699 wheels isn't so ridiculous.