Buying new technology just got a little easier on your wallet. Apple officially rolled out a brand new leasing option for customers in the United States today. Called Apple Upgrade, this program lets you lease your favorite gadgets for a monthly fee instead of buying them outright. The new service covers almost the entire product lineup and is built to help people handle rising device costs while always keeping the newest tech in their hands.
The service partners with Klarna to offer flexible payments
The company teamed up with the financial service Klarna to run background credit checks and handle the monthly bills. When you check out on the website or in the store, you can now pick the leasing option. Klarna does a soft credit check that does not hurt your credit score.
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Once you are approved, you manage all your bills and due dates directly through the Klarna app. Users can trade in old gadgets, including older iPhone models or Android phones, to lower the monthly cost of the new lease. At the end of your term, you can turn the device back in, pay off the remaining balance to keep it, or upgrade to a newer model.
Monthly plans cover most popular gadgets in the store
The new program is not just for phones anymore. You can now get monthly plans on almost everything the store sells. The iPhone and Apple Watch leases run for either 12 or 24 months. Meanwhile, leases for an iPad or computer run a bit longer, offering terms for 24 or 36 months. This makes it easier to get a high-end device like a MacBook Pro without a huge down payment.
Here is how the base pricing breaks down for the main categories:
- iPhone 17e: Leases start at $17.99 per month
- iPhone 17 Pro 256GB ($1,099): $31.99 for 24 months or $45.99 for 12 months
- Apple Watch Series 11: Leases start at $11.99 per month
- Apple Watch Series 11 GPS, 42mm ($399): $11.99 for 24 months or $21.99 for 12 months
- iPad Air: Leases start at $11.99 per month
- iPad Pro 256GB ($1,199): $24.99 per month for 36 months or $31.99 for 24 months
- MacBook Air: Leases start at $24.99 per month
- MacBook Pro 16GB RAM/1TB storage ($1,999): $38.99 for 36 months or $53.99 for 24 months
The old upgrade program shuts down for new buyers
With this new lease option going live, the company is officially shutting down the older upgrade program. It will no longer accept new sign-ups for that older service. However, if you are already enrolled in the previous plan, you can stay on it until you are ready to upgrade your phone. Once you upgrade, you will need to transition into one of the new options.
It is also worth noting that the new Apple Upgrade plan does not include AppleCare by default. You have to add that protection plan at an extra monthly cost if you want it. This leasing model gives everyday users a simple way to keep their tech fresh without dropping a huge pile of cash all at once.
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