posted in Technology
Apple Introduces Leasing Program for iPhones and Other Devices
www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/technology/apple-leasing-program.html?unlocked_article_code=1.3lA.Vn7-.EtHuo9eE2cCj
www.nytimes.comApple Introduces Leasing Program for iPhones and Other Devices (Gift Article)The program is an effort to make products more affordable as artificial intelligence sends some component prices soaring.Now, a $1,999 MacBook Pro can have a monthly payment of $38.99 over 36 months.
$38.99 * 36 = $1403.64. That doesn’t seem right.
Macrumors has a more detailed analysis (different device in their example):
If you return the iPhone 17 Pro and simply move on from the Apple Upgrade program, then your total cost to own the device would be $551.88 after 12 months, plus sales tax if applicable. While that is less than paying $1,099 upfront, the catch is that you are no longer in possession of the device after your lease ends and cannot resell it or trade it in.
Seems like it’s just designed to keep people buying new hardware regularly.
MacRumorsApple's New Upgrade Program: Is It Worth It?With the new Apple Upgrade program in the U.S., you can now lease an iPhone, but is it worth it? The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We'll use the iPhone 17 Pro with 256GB of storage on a one-year lease as an example. In the U.S., the device costs $1,099 upfront, but through Apple Upgrade you can lease it for $45.99/month for 12 months.Replying to @pageflight@piefed.social
For the people that do it, if you paid $1099 upfront, and then sold it after a year to buy the next upgrade, how much would you get for the 1 year old phone?
That’ll help decide if it’s worth it or not, and I’m sure there will be deals that put it in your favor at times vs buying outright.
Replying to @NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
As soon as you stop paying you end up with nothing. That can never be a deal.
Replying to @123@programming.dev
If you buy a phone and sell it after a year, you have ‘nothing’
If you buy it outright you spend $1000 and resell it for $500 you have $500
You lease it for $500 you still have $500
But that has to be your original plan to get a new phone.
Sometimes, the lease deals work in your favor and you’ll end up with more than the resell value. Sometimes you can get a really good outright deal too.
Edit: and without a lease deal, outright usually wins.