That is true only in the sense that Nikon is a luxury consumer brand that people pay a premium for. I'd argue that Apple is a "creative professional" brand and leverages that to appeal to consumers too. If Nikon only made digicams, no matter how good they were, if they took their eye off the photojournalists, the consumers would lose interest.
Apple uses style and design as key selling points and differentiators. Hence, the upscale nature of the brand. Apple will never sell anything that resembles an eMachine.