Apple just made it easier to stay on the latest hardware with the launch of Apple Upgrade, a new subscription-style leasing program that lets U.S. customers pay a monthly fee for an iPhone, Mac, iPad or Apple Watch.
The new service builds on the company’s old iPhone Upgrade Program by expanding to almost its entire product lineup, giving customers many more options when it’s time to move to a newer device.
“At Apple, we put the customer at the center of everything we do,” said Karen Rasmussen, Apple’s vice president of the Apple Store online in a press release Tuesday, “and we’re thrilled that Apple Upgrade offers our customers, both online and in-store, a more flexible way to pay for the products they love.”
Apple Upgrade turns hardware into a monthly subscription
As Macs, iPhones and other Apple devices get more expensive, leasing offers a way to spread the cost into predictable monthly payments instead of paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars upfront. That can make premium models more accessible. Plus, Apple Upgrade gives customers the flexibility to upgrade more frequently as new hardware is released.
Unlike a traditional installment plan, Apple Upgrade works more like an automotive lease. Customers choose a lease term depending on the product, make fixed monthly payments, and can return the device, purchase it outright with a final payment or upgrade to a newer model before the lease ends. Trade-ins can reduce the monthly cost even further.
“At the end of the lease term, customers can upgrade their device to the latest generation, purchase it with a one-time payment, or simply return it and exit the program,” noted Apple in Tuesday’s statement.
The service launches today through the Apple Store online, the Apple Store app and at Apple retail stores across the United States. The program is backed by Klarna, which handles the financing with a soft credit check that won’t affect a customer’s credit score.
Apple Upgrade costs
Monthly pricing for Apple Upgrade hardware subscriptions starts at $17.99 per month for iPhone, $11.99 per month for Apple Watch and iPad, and $24.99 per month for Macs.
Leasing an iPhone 17 Pro starts at $31.99 per month, while the Pro Max version costs at least $34.99 per month. An iPhone 17 lease starts at $22.99 per month.
An Apple Upgrade lease on a 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $38.99 per month, while a 16-inch MacBook Pro will set you back at least $57.99 per month. A Mac Studio lease starts at $48.99 per month, while an iMac starts at $28.99 per month. An iPad Pro lease starts at $24.99 per
The exact monthly payments vary depending on the model selected, of course. Add more unified memory and/or storage, and you’ll pay more.
The length of the lease is also a factor. Customers can choose a 12-month or 24-month lease for iPhone or Apple Watch, or go with a 24-month or 36-month lease for iPad or Mac.
Apple also says Apple Card users will receive 3% Daily Cash on eligible payments.
Apple excludes some lower-cost models from Apple Upgrade
Just note that Apple did not include many low-cost models in the new lease program. The budget iPad and Apple Watch SE 3 are not eligible for Apple Upgrade, for example. But the iPhone 17e is.
The low upfront costs will likely encourage quicker hardware upgrades to more premium models. Rather than holding onto devices for four or more years, users can switch to newer models more frequently without needing to sell their existing devices themselves.
The Apple Upgrade program also should give Cupertino a steadier revenue stream. A typical customer might send Apple $24.99 a month for years, rather than infrequently purchasing a computer that costs $2,000.
No more iPhone Upgrade Program
For years, Apple offered the iPhone Upgrade Program, which bundled financing with AppleCare+ and annual upgrades for iPhone buyers. That program is no longer accepting new customers, with Apple Upgrade becoming its successor.
Note that the new program does not include AppleCare+, though Apple encourages customers to subscribe to this service as well, as it offers unlimited repairs for accidental damage … subject to a service fee, of course.
Find out more on the official Apple Upgrade page.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
One response to “Apple Upgrade lets you subscribe to your next iPhone, Mac, iPad or Apple Watch”
Spike prices on your products so far that a lease is required to own them. How’s AI going for you so far, Apple?