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Five US States Charge No Sales Tax on an iPhone, and Only Three Are Tax-Free Everywhere
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Five US States Charge No Sales Tax on an iPhone, and Only Three Are Tax-Free Everywhere

Mike Peterson · September 10, 2026

Five American states charge no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. On a $1,199 iPhone 18 Pro, an 8 percent rate comes to $95.92, so where no sales tax is charged the saving is roughly the same size as the $100 Apple added to its older iPhones this month. iPhone 18…

Apple Trade In, Carrier Credit or Selling It Yourself: What Your Old iPhone Is Really Worth Now
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Apple Trade In, Carrier Credit or Selling It Yourself: What Your Old iPhone Is Really Worth Now

Mike Peterson · September 10, 2026

Your old iPhone is worth three different numbers this week, and only one of them is money that comes off the price of an iPhone 18 Pro on the day you buy it. Apple credits $175 to $885 instantly, a US carrier advertises up to $1,200 but pays it as bill credits over 24 to…

What iPhone Duo Really Costs Over Three Years: $1,999 Is Where the Bill Starts
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What iPhone Duo Really Costs Over Three Years: $1,999 Is Where the Bill Starts

Mike Peterson · September 10, 2026

iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, and that is the smallest number in this article. Add the case Apple sells for it and three years of the only Apple coverage carrying a published price, and a 256GB Duo reaches about $2,798 before any sales tax, by our arithmetic on Apple’s published figures. iPhone Duo starts at…

iPhone 18 Pro Carrier Credits: What You Forfeit If You Leave Before 36 Months
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iPhone 18 Pro Carrier Credits: What You Forfeit If You Leave Before 36 Months

Mike Peterson · September 10, 2026

A carrier credit on an iPhone 18 Pro is not a discount you receive at checkout. It is a queue of monthly bill credits, and the ones that have not arrived yet are exactly what you leave behind if you switch carrier, change to a plan that no longer qualifies, or settle the phone early.…

0% Finance on a $1,999 iPhone: When It Really Is Free, and Where the Cost Hides
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0% Finance on a $1,999 iPhone: When It Really Is Free, and Where the Cost Hides

Mike Peterson · September 10, 2026

When Apple quotes $83.29 a month for a $1,999 iPhone Duo at 0 percent APR, the finance charge really is zero. Twenty-four of those payments come to $1,998.96, which is the list price to within a rounding error, and nothing is added for the privilege of paying later. iPhone Duo at $1,999, or $83.29 a…

Apple Killed the iPhone Upgrade Program: What the $34.99 Apple Upgrade Lease Drops
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Apple Killed the iPhone Upgrade Program: What the $34.99 Apple Upgrade Lease Drops

Mike Peterson · September 10, 2026

The iPhone Upgrade Program does not exist any more. Apple retired it on July 28, 2026, telling customers in its own announcement that it “will no longer offer the iPhone Upgrade Program and iPhone Payments in the United States”, and replaced it with Apple Upgrade, a lease provided by Klarna Inc. that starts at $17.99…

Trading In a Cracked iPhone: What Apple Publishes, and When Free Recycling Is the Only Route
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Trading In a Cracked iPhone: What Apple Publishes, and When Free Recycling Is the Only Route

Mike Peterson · September 10, 2026

Apple publishes no payout for a cracked iPhone. There is no figure for a broken screen, a swollen battery or a failed diagnostic anywhere in what Apple states about Apple Trade In, and anyone quoting you one is not quoting Apple. iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, the phones a damaged trade-in would go toward.…

Apple Trade In Explained: How the Estimate Is Produced and Why the Final Credit Can Differ
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Apple Trade In Explained: How the Estimate Is Produced and Why the Final Credit Can Differ

Mike Peterson · September 10, 2026

Apple Trade In does not start with a price list. It starts with a short set of questions about the device you are handing over, and the figure it returns is an estimate that Apple confirms only once it has the phone and has checked it. iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, the…

Apple Watch Ultra 4 at $799: Every Published Way to Pay Less, and Why Best Buy’s $325 Is Not One of Them
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Apple Watch Ultra 4 at $799: Every Published Way to Pay Less, and Why Best Buy's $325 Is Not One of Them

Mike Peterson · September 10, 2026

No retailer has published a discount on Apple Watch Ultra 4. The one confirmed launch promotion in this category is Best Buy’s, and its listing applies it to Apple Watch Series 12 pre-orders, not Ultra 4: up to $325 off with an eligible Apple Watch trade-in, expiring 9/18/2026. Amazon lists Ultra 4 at $799 with…

The Cheapest Way to Buy Apple Watch Series 12: Best Buy’s $325 Trade-In, and When SE 3 Saves More
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The Cheapest Way to Buy Apple Watch Series 12: Best Buy's $325 Trade-In, and When SE 3 Saves More

Mike Peterson · September 10, 2026

The largest published saving on an Apple Watch Series 12 does not come from Apple. Best Buy’s listing takes up to $325 off a Series 12 pre-order when you trade in an eligible Apple Watch, and that offer expires 9/18/2026. Apple’s own price is From $399, and Apple is not discounting it. Series 12 in…

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