Apple Upgrade Explained: A Guide to Getting an iPhone with 0% Installments

: Probably because they're worried about sales dropping if they raise prices too much. 是因为要大涨价怕销量下滑吧

: Have phones become so expensive that we need to lease them like cars? 手机已经贵到要和车一样租着用了么？

: I thought I could rent it for a month or two 还以为可以租一两个月

: Are all the rentals brand new? 租的都是全新的吗

: Honestly, a lot of people are saying this is worse than the original upgrade plan because the phone isn't yours in the end and there's no Apple Care included. But for me, it actually feels way more worth it than the old plan. I never wanted Apple Care anyway—I just like switching to a new iPhone every so often, but I don't want to upgrade every single year, and I don't want to pay an extra $10 a month for Apple Care. With the old program, if I got an iPhone 17, I'd pay $42 a month, and even after upgrading a year later, I'd still be paying $42 a month. Now, with the two-year upgrade cycle, I only pay $23 a month. Sure, I'll miss out on the iPhone 18 for a year, but I'll get the iPhone 19 two years down the line. Over those two years, I'll spend $552 total, which is $247 less than buying the iPhone outright. Of course, you could argue that if I bought the iPhone for $799 upfront, I could sell it for around $400 after two years, making that a better deal—assuming I don't care about the device's condition. But I'm comparing this to the old upgrade plan, not the outright purchase option. 怎么说呢，看很多人说这个比原本的upgrade要亏，因为最终这个手机不是自己的，而且没有apple care。 但我感觉对我来说反而比原来划算的多。因为我本来就不想要apple care，我只是想隔个一段时间换一款新iPhone玩玩，但是我不想一年就换一次，我也不想每个月多付10刀的apple care。对我来说，旧的program如果买个iPhone17，每个月要付42刀，一年后换新依旧是每个月42刀；现在我选两年换一次，每个月只要23刀，虽然我接下来会有一年无法使用iPhone18，但我两年后以及可以用到iPhone19，这两年我总共花了552刀，比直接全款买iPhone便宜247刀。 当然你也可以说，如果我以799刀全款买下这台iPhone，两年后我还可以以400刀左右的价格卖掉这台iPhone，省，比这个计划要划算，而且不在乎设备成色。但我比较的是之前的旧的upgrade计划，而不是直接购买的计划。

: Are the products new when rented? 请问租的时候产品是新的吗

: Planning to rent a Mac Studio to try it out. 准备租个mac studio玩玩

: Taking the PM plan as an example, the total cost is still $130 higher than buying outright and trading in after two years 以PM为例，这个比直接购买两年后trade in总花费还要高$130

: I get it now 💡 我现在明白了💡

: What does this mean? We've finished paying in 12 installments, isn't the item ours? They want to take it back? I'm not quite sure. 这什么意思 钱分12期付完了 东西不是我们吗？他们要收回去？不是很明白

: Anyone buying this? 有人买吗

: I can't switch carriers on my own—do I have to be locked into one? 我不远运营商就不行，要强制运营商？

: LOL, first time seeing a lease more expensive than financing. Gotta hand it to Apple, they really know how to make money. With a lease, you'd probably have to buy AppleCare+ too, otherwise if it breaks, the repair costs are astronomical and you're forced to fix it since it's not your own device 笑尿了，第一次看到lease比finance还贵的，还是得苹果啊，真会挣钱，lease大概率还要买Ac+，不然坏了天价还必须修，毕竟不是自己的设备

: Tip: In rental services like Apple Upgrade, ownership of the device is technically held by a third-party financial institution or Apple. Therefore, when returning the device for an upgrade, there are very strict requirements regarding its appearance and condition. If the phone has a cracked screen, broken back panel, or severe dents at the end of the lease term, a "Damage Fee" will apply: - **Without AppleCare+**: The return assessment agency (e.g., Klarna) will directly charge a hefty "compensation/repair deduction." - **With AppleCare+**: You only need to pay a minimal service fee (e.g., $29 for screen replacement, $99 for other damage) to smoothly complete the return and get a free upgrade. Official repairs are expensive, and third-party repairs can affect returns or exchanges. - **Not opting for official repair**: Without AppleCare+, going directly to Apple for an official repair—such as replacing an original screen or back cover on an iPhone Pro/Plus—can cost $200–$300+ each time. - **Choosing third-party repair**: If you go to a local shop for a non-original screen, the return inspection may detect non-genuine parts, leading to a "fail" status and potential fines. **Forced "Direct Buyout"**: If the damage is too severe and repairs are not cost-effective, you may ultimately be forced to pay off the remaining balance to buy out the damaged phone outright, defeating the original purpose of "leasing/regularly upgrading." 小提示：在 Apple Upgrade 这类租赁服务中，产权名义上属于第三方金融机构或 Apple，所以在到期退回升级时，对设备的外观与完好度有非常严格的要求。退回时的“损坏违约金”（Damage Fee）如果在租赁到期时，手机有屏幕破裂、背板碎裂或严重凹陷：没买 AppleCare+：退回时评估机构（如 Klarna）会直接收取一笔高额的“赔偿/维修扣款”。 买了 AppleCare+：只需支付极低的服务费（如换屏 $29，其他损坏 $99），就可以顺利交差并免费升级。官修费用昂贵，私修会影响退换。不送官修：如果没有 AppleCare+，直接去 Apple 官维修，换一块 iPhone Pro/Plus 的原装屏或后盖动辄要 $200~$300+。如果找第三方私修：如果去街边小店换非原装屏，退回验机时若被检测出非原装配件，同样会被判定为“不合格”并面临罚款。被逼“直接买断” 如果坏得太厉害、修起来不划算，您最终可能被迫选择付清剩余尾款把破损的手机买断，这就违背了当初“租凭/定期换新”的初衷。

: I've always had this plan, using a new phone every year 一直都有这个计划，每年都用新机

: Want to switch. But T-Mobile won't give the transfer PIN. 想换。可是tmobile不给transfer pin

: Is there insurance for rentals? How are loss or damage during the rental period handled? 请问租赁有保险吗，租赁期间出现掉失或损坏怎样算

: Actually, it's pretty similar to the previous iPhone Upgrade Program, except AppleCare is no longer included. For people who upgrade their phone every year, this should be the most convenient option. 其实跟之前那个iPhone Upgreade Program差不多，就Applecare不包了。如果如果每年换机的人其实这应该是最方便的

: Feels cheaper than buying it. 感觉比买便宜