- Kyle Chua
Apple Could Soon Let You Purchase iPhones, iPads Via New Hardware Subscription Service
Apple wants to change the way you purchase and upgrade your devices, with the company reportedly planning to launch a hardware subscription service as soon as later this year.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the new program lets you get your hands on the latest iPhones and iPads for a yet-to-be-determined monthly fee. Instead of splitting the cost of the device you want to get across 12- or 24-month instalments, you’ll just have to keep paying a subscription fee to keep enjoying your benefits – the same way you would with the Cupertino company’s other services like Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade and Apple Music. And your subscription will be similarly managed through your Apple account.
The program could also offer you the option to swap the model you have for a newer one when it releases. Apple refreshes its lineup of offerings annually, so if this is ever implemented, you can carry and use a new iPhone every year.
The technical details of the program are still unknown, with it still being in early development. But it’s already shaping up to be “Apple’s biggest push yet into automatically recurring sales,” as the report underlines.
If it’s priced reasonably, it could allow Apple’s products to be accessed by more consumers. Someone who, for instance, can’t afford an iPhone can now use one without, technically-speaking, needing to own or pay full price for it.
Gurman notes that the program could launch in late 2022 or early 2023. But there’s still the chance that Apple could scrap it entirely if it changes its mind mid-development.
The iPhone maker currently offers customers instalment payment options for its products using accredited cards. The company also has the iPhone Upgrade Program, which allows you to pay for an iPhone for over 24 months, with the option to trade in your existing device after 12 months of payments.
Apple has yet to comment on the news. What seems clear though is that the company is finding ways to expand its subscription offerings, perhaps have them rival, if not one day overtake its hardware sales in annual revenue.
Apple wants to change the way you purchase your devices, with the company reportedly planning to launch a hardware subscription service as soon as later this year.
The new program lets you get your hands on the latest iPhones and iPads for a yet-to-be-determined monthly fee.
It could also offer the option to swap the model you have for a newer one when it releases.