Apple Upgrade’s launch list names which iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad models actually qualify for a lease, and which do not. iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus and Apple Watch SE are explicitly excluded. That eligibility list, not the monthly price, is the part of Apple’s July 28 announcement that decides whether a shopper can use the programme at all.
A monthly figure is meaningless to a customer holding a device Apple has ruled out. The eligibility list is the gate everyone has to clear before any price applies.
Key facts on Apple Upgrade eligibility
| Category | Eligible at launch | Explicitly excluded |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | 17e, 17, Air, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max | iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus |
| Apple Watch | Series 11, Ultra 3 | Apple Watch SE |
| Mac | MacBook Air M5, MacBook Pro M5, iMac M4, Mac Studio | Not itemised by Apple |
| iPad | iPad Air, iPad Pro, iPad mini | Not itemised by Apple |
What actually qualified when Apple Upgrade launched
Apple’s July 28 release names five eligible iPhone models: 17e, 17, Air, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. On Apple Watch, only Series 11 and Ultra 3 qualified. Mac eligibility covered MacBook Air with M5, MacBook Pro with M5, iMac with M4 and Mac Studio. iPad eligibility covered iPad Air, iPad Pro and iPad mini. Every model on that list was current Apple hardware at the time of launch; nothing older made the cut.
Don’t miss the best of The Mac Observer
Set us as a preferred source and our Apple reporting ranks higher in your Google Search results and Discover feed — one tap, no account changes.
The three exclusions Apple named outright
Apple’s release is explicit about three exclusions: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and Apple Watch SE. All three remained on sale in the US after July 28, which makes the exclusion a deliberate line drawn against specific current products, not simply a case of Apple Upgrade only covering hardware it had not yet discontinued. Apple’s own wording notes “and others,” meaning the three named models are not necessarily the entire excluded list.
Why the list matters more than the rate
A published monthly rate, such as the iPhone floor of $17.99 or the Mac floor of $24.99, only applies to a shopper whose device is on the eligible list in the first place. Someone choosing between an iPhone 16 and an eligible model is not comparing two lease payments; they are comparing a lease to no lease at all, since Apple Upgrade simply is not an option on the excluded device.
The list has already moved once
Apple’s own iPhone 18 Pro and Mac Studio material from August already quotes Apple Upgrade lease pricing that the original July list did not itemise, which means the eligible-products list has been extended at least once since launch without a matching newsroom announcement. Apple has not published a changelog for eligibility, so there is no way to confirm from the public record exactly when a given model was added.
What excluded ownership actually means
- An iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus or Apple Watch SE owner cannot lease that specific device through Apple Upgrade.
- Exclusion from the lease programme does not affect AppleCare eligibility, trade-in eligibility, or anything else Apple sells separately.
- A shopper can still buy any excluded device outright or use another Apple financing option; only the Klarna lease itself is unavailable.
What Apple has not said
- Why iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus and Apple Watch SE specifically were excluded.
- The complete current eligibility list, since Apple’s own later releases have already added models the July list did not cover.
- Whether excluded models will ever become eligible, or on what timeline.
Apple Upgrade’s eligibility rules were set on July 28, well before Apple’s September 9 event, and the safest step for anyone checking today is to confirm a specific model against Apple’s live Apple Upgrade page rather than this or any other list, since Apple itself has already updated it once without saying so.