‘You’ll Own Nothing And You’ll Be Happy’

Chance Miller, reporting for 9to5Mac:

Apple has officially announced Apple Upgrade, a new product leasing program available starting today in the United States. Apple Upgrade, which is backed by Klarna, lets users lease iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, and iPad purchases, with the option to easily upgrade at the end of the lease term. Here’s how it works. Apple Upgrade is available across Apple’s product lines, including the latest iPhone 17 lineup, MacBook Air, Apple Watch Series 11, and much more. iPhone and Apple Watch are available with 12-month and 24-month leasing terms, while Mac and iPad are available with 24-month and 36-month terms.

• iPhone leases start at $17.99 per month for iPhone 17e
• Apple Watch leases start at $11.99 per month for Apple Watch Series 11
• Mac leases start at $24.99 per month for MacBook Air
• iPad leases start at $15.99 per month for iPad mini

On the surface, this looks like a great deal. People can now lease any Apple product — including Macs with custom specifications — and upgrade their device at the end of the lease. They can also buy it, but then they’ll have to pay the remaining cost: Leasing a $2,000 MacBook Pro for 36 months only costs $39 a month, meaning someone would have to pay nearly $600 at the end of their term to own the product. At that point, you might as well just upgrade at no cost. These leases accrue no interest, either, so it seems like a win to lease a product like this and invest the money somewhere. That’s the pro-Apple Upgrade argument, at least.

I don’t like these leasing programs. I never used the now-discontinued iPhone Upgrade Program, despite buying a new iPhone every year, and this is the same reason why I encourage everyone I know to never purchase an iPhone through a carrier contract, even if they’re “handing them out for free.” There’s a monetary aspect to this — people living above their means; this program will make some people likely to purchase a device they can’t afford and become delinquent on their…