The iPhone 12 is in stores today, and you want to get one. Unfortunately, you don’t have a thousand dollars to drop on the model you want. Cupertino has your back, though. If you take advantage of Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program to purchase iPhone 12, you’ll be using those new features quickly. The best part is that it won’t take a huge bite out of your wallet.
The First Step is Pre-Approval
Since the iPhone Upgrade Program is a loan, Apple has put a pre-approval feature in place so you can make sure you qualify before going to the store. Just visit Apple’s page for iPhone Upgrade Program, and click on Join Now or Check your upgrade eligibility to get started. You can also enroll from the Apple Store app.
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One thing you should know is that the bank Apple uses to process the loans, Citizen One, will pull a credit report to pre-approve you. This will usually mean a soft pull, but might require a hard pull if Citizens One needs to research further into your credit data. If you have a credit freeze, you should have it lifted.
Next Steps in Using Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program
If you’re upgrading from an older iPhone, you should back up your device and then wipe all of your information. Next, before heading to the Apple Store, get everything together that you’ll need.
- Your iPhone previously purchased through the iPhone Upgrade Program
- Two forms of identification (only necessary for in-store re-enrollment)
- A valid credit card (not a debit card)
- Your Social Security number (there’s no need to bring the actual card)
- Your carrier’s account login information (username and password)
Decide If It’s Time to Switch Carriers
If you’ve been unhappy with your current cellular provider, this may be a good time to switch. You can do so in person at the Apple Retail store, but not through the online upgrade page.
Once you have your brand new iPhone 12, you can restore your personal information from iCloud backup or set your device up as new. Remember, any information stored through iCloud will be there whether you restore from backup or not. This includes things like contacts, calendars, bookmarks, notes, reminders, voice memos, messages in iCloud, iCloud Photos, and shared photos.
Next, just enjoy your new iPhone 12 and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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I think you’ll need to have your Apple ID info as well.
(I don’t have mine memorized. Especially after Apple required more character types in the code.)
From what I was told, you don’t necessarily need that information.