Apple Upgrade program launches for leasing iPhones, Macs and iPads
Apple’s new US leasing plan lets customers get iPhones, Macs, iPads and Apple Watches with options to keep, pay off or upgrade devices.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
Apple has launched the Apple Upgrade program in the United States, giving customers a way to lease iPhones, Macs, iPads and Apple Watches instead of buying them outright. The program matters because it arrives shortly after higher prices on several Apple hardware lines made new devices costlier for buyers.
Apple described Apple Upgrade as a leasing option for its current device lineup in a newsroom announcement. The company said customers can switch to a newer model before the end of the term, settle the remaining balance ahead of schedule or keep the device when the subscription period ends.
How does Apple Upgrade work?
Apple Upgrade is a lease-style plan: a customer gets an Apple device for a subscription period and has choices before or at the end of that period. Apple says those choices include keeping the device, paying it off early or upgrading early to another model.
The Verge reported that the structure resembles a car lease. Apple has not been reported here as changing the devices covered beyond the four categories named in its launch: iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch.
Which Apple devices are included?
The launch covers Apple’s main personal-device families. According to Apple’s announcement, the program applies to:
- iPhone models
- Mac models
- iPad models
- Apple Watch models
The program is starting in the US. No international rollout details were included in the reported launch information.
Why is Apple offering a leasing program now?
The timing follows a recent round of hardware price increases. The Verge reported that Apple raised prices on MacBooks, iPads and other devices because shortages of memory and storage components have continued.
Those price increases did not include iPhones, according to The Verge. But Apple CEO Tim Cook said last month that “the situation has become unsustainable,” and The Verge reported that the warning could point to higher-than-expected pricing for the iPhone 18 series when it arrives later this year.
For customers, the leasing plan gives Apple another way to sell devices when upfront prices are under pressure. For Apple, it creates a formal path for customers to return sooner for newer hardware while keeping the option to own the device at the end of the subscription period.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.