Apple Upgrade Is Here: A New Way to Lease Your Next iPhone, Mac, or iPad

Apple announced a new program today called Apple Upgrade, and it changes how you can pay for a new device. Instead of buying outright or spreading out a purchase price, you lease the device from Apple through a partnership with Klarna, paying a set amount every month. If you have questions about whether this makes sense for you, get in touch and we can talk through it.

How the leasing works

Apple Upgrade covers iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, and iPad, and it launched today on Apple's website, in the Apple Store app, and in Apple Store locations across the United States. iPhone and Apple Watch leases run 12 or 24 months. Mac and iPad leases run 24 or 36 months. Monthly payments start at 17.99 dollars for iPhone, 11.99 dollars for Apple Watch and iPad, and 24.99 dollars for Mac, though the actual number depends on the model and storage you pick. A soft credit check is required, which will not affect your credit score, and trading in your current device lowers the monthly payment further.

At the end of the lease you have three choices. You can upgrade to a new device by starting a fresh lease and returning the old one, pay a one time fee to keep the device you have, or simply return it and walk away. That flexibility is the whole appeal here, especially if you like having the newest hardware without committing to owning it long term.

What this replaces

Apple is retiring the iPhone Upgrade Program and iPhone Payments in the United States now that Apple Upgrade exists. If you are already enrolled in the old iPhone Upgrade Program, Apple says you can keep going for now, but new sign ups will go through the new system. One thing worth knowing before you sign up: Apple Upgrade does not include AppleCare the way the old iPhone Upgrade Program did. You can still add AppleCare+ or AppleCare One separately, but it is an extra line item rather than something baked into your monthly payment.

Is leasing the right call for you

A few entry level products are not part of the program, including the base iPad, Apple Watch SE, iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, MacBook Neo, Mac mini, and Studio Display, so this is really aimed at people buying current higher end hardware. If you tend to hang onto your devices for four or five years, buying outright or using Apple Card Monthly Installments is probably still the better financial move. But if you like upgrading every year or two, or you would rather smooth out the cost of a new MacBook Pro or iPad Pro into a predictable monthly bill, this is worth a look.

Working through whether a lease, a straight purchase, or trading in an older machine makes the most sense for your situation is exactly the kind of thing we help with every day. Stanton Mac Support is an Apple focused tech support company based in Somerville, offering tutoring, troubleshooting, and buying advice for Mac and Apple users across Greater Boston. If you are weighing a new Mac or iPhone purchase, our Mac tutoring sessions are a good place to start.

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