Apple prepares one of the biggest changes applied so far to the way it sells its devices. The company plans to launch Apple Upgradea leasing program that will allow you to rent with the option to purchase most of the models of iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch.
According to Mark Gurman in Bloomberg, Apple Upgrade will start next July 28 in the United States and will have Klarnaa Swedish financial services company, as a partner. The program will be available in Apple’s physical stores and through its website.
Apple Upgrade will work in a similar way to leasing a car. The customer will choose a device and pay a monthly fee for a certain period. The contracts will be 24 months for the iPhone and Apple Watch, while those corresponding to the Mac and iPad will last for 36 months.
During this period it will be possible settle early the outstanding amount, change the device for a new model before ending the contract or keep it when the rental period ends. The user can also return it upon concluding the contract. Some of these operations could involve the payment of an additional commission, although Bloomberg has not yet detailed its amounts or the specific conditions.
Klarna will financially support the program and will be responsible for evaluating applications. To contract Apple Upgrade it will be necessary pass a ‘soft’ credit checkwhich allows you to check the client’s solvency without the operation affecting their credit history or score.
The program will cover most products from Apple’s four major hardware families, but will leave out some of its most economical models. Bloomberg indicates that they will not be able to be contracted through Apple Upgrade on iPhone 16, Apple Watch SE, iPad basic nor the MacBook Neo. The purchase of products for companies or through the educational store will also not be accepted.
The arrival of the new service will mean the end of new registrations in the iPhone Upgrade Program and in the current iPhone financing plans offered directly by Apple in the United States. The company intends to replace them with Apple Upgrade. The iPhone Upgrade Program is a 24-month financing systemnot available in Spain, which allows you to buy an iPhone through interest-free installments. Once the equivalent of 12 monthly payments has been paid, the customer can deliver the device, choose a new iPhone and start another contract. If you complete the 24 payments without renewing it, the phone becomes your property.
One of its main differences compared to the new leasing is that the iPhone Upgrade Program includes AppleCare+ with coverage against theft and loss within the monthly payment. Apple Upgrade will not incorporate any AppleCare modalityso whoever wants to protect the device will have to hire it and pay for it separately.
This exclusion comes shortly after Apple has raised AppleCare+ prices for Macs and iPads. In Spain, the plan for the 13-inch MacBook Air now costs 84.99 euros per year or 235 euros for three years. In iPads, the basic model and the iPad mini have gone from 3.99 to 4.49 euros per month and from 79 to 89 euros for two years.
The rise of AppleCare+ has occurred a few weeks after a much broader increase in Apple’s catalog. The company made a good part of its Mac and iPad ranges more expensive, in addition to products such as Apple TV and HomePodsin a context marked by the increase in the cost of memory and storage chips. In Spain, some models rose several hundred euros, although the iPhone and Apple Watch were left out of that review.
Apple Upgrade will initially begin in the United States. Bloomberg information leaves open the possibility of it reaching other markets laterbut does not mention specific countries or offer a timetable for its expansion. For now, there is no confirmation that it will be available in Spain or other European countries.