{"id":13577,"date":"2026-08-04T14:59:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T14:59:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advisorator.com\/members\/?p=13577"},"modified":"2026-08-04T15:19:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T15:19:38","slug":"beware-of-apple-upgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advisorator.com\/members\/2026\/08\/04\/beware-of-apple-upgrade\/","title":{"rendered":"Beware of Apple Upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A message from Jared<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hey folks, quick note before we get to the newsletter: I’m running a rare sale on Advisorator memberships<\/strong>. Use this link<\/a> to get your first year for $37.50, which is 25% off the regular price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the state of technology, I think you’ll appreciate the in-depth advice I provide just for members. Recently, for instance, I’ve written about cutting down on unwanted email<\/a>, easy ways to free up phone storage<\/a>, how to prevent AI from lying to you<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also run a discussion forum for Advisorator members<\/a>, including monthly Q&A threads where I try to solve folks’ everyday tech problems. As AI slop overruns the web, it’s my way of providing a welcoming outlet for human expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advisorator wouldn’t exist without the support of paying members.<\/strong> I don’t run ads or accept sponsorships, as I’d rather put that time and energy into the newsletter itself. So, if you value what I’m doing and want to see it grow while sharpening your own tech skills, now’s a great time to get aboard. Learn more here<\/a>, or head straight to the sign-up page<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Subscribe<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for hearing me out. Now, onto this week’s newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Apple’s new upgrade program is full of gotchas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plus: Robot vacuum ban, free PDF tools, and a cheap portable power bank<\/h3>\n\n\n
Jared Newman<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>August 4, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
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No paywall on this week’s feature story. Enjoy, and consider an Advisorator membership<\/a> if you find columns like these helpful.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Apple has a new way to buy its products, and it looks a bit like leasing a car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of having you pay the full cost up front, the new Apple Upgrade<\/a> program sets you up with monthly payments for a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. Apple’s partnering with Klarna to lease out its products, with zero-interest loans followed by an option to trade up to a newer device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am instinctively skeptical of any program that promises to ease the pain of buying something expensive, so I started looking for the trade-offs. Sure enough, Apple Upgrade is full of them. While spreading out the cost of Apple hardware may look attractive, it’ll likely cost you more in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s another kind of lock-in<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Because Apple Upgrade’s monthly payments don’t cover the full device cost, you don’t actually own the device when the loan period is up. With an iPhone 17 Pro, for instance, you’ll pay either $46 per month over one year ($552 total), or $32 per month over two years ($768 total), leaving you with an unpaid balance of $547 or $331 toward the full $1,099 purchase price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that point, you can either pay the balance to avoid further monthly payments or trade in for a new phone to start the cycle over again. If you do nothing, you’ll pay an inflated monthly cost for another six months (Apple doesn’t advertise how much), followed by one final payment to cover whatever’s left. While the total cost isn’t any higher than paying full price up front, it also encourages you to stay on a perpetual upgrade cycle, regardless of how much the products improve year-over-year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheap wireless isn’t allowed<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Apple Upgrade is only available for iPhones serviced by AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon. If you’re using a lower-cost provider or bundling cellular with home internet from Comcast or Spectrum, Apple won’t lease you a phone. (Here’s an explanation<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve done the math on my US Mobile plan<\/a>, and it’s about $40 per month cheaper than a comparable plan from T-Mobile. You’ll find similar savings from other alternative providers like Mint Mobile, Tello, or Visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Apple Upgrade, you’ll be locking yourself into higher prices for wireless service until the loan period is over, and again, the point of the program is to keep you on an endless upgrade cycle. Each time you spin up a new lease with Apple, you’ll also be recommitting to the big carriers that charge more for monthly service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ll pay more for the hardware, too<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Apple Upgrade’s lease payments are based on full retail prices at the Apple Store, which are often higher than what you’d pay at third-party stores<\/a> like Amazon and Best Buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I write this, Amazon is selling the M5 MacBook Pro with 2 TB of storage for $2,499<\/a> ($500 off the list price), while Apple Watches are $100 off<\/a>. That doesn’t even account for additional savings from buying refurbished or open-box devices<\/a>. On a monthly lease program, you’ll never see those savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ll also miss out on subsidies toward a new iPhone from the major wireless carriers. As Apple’s own website points out<\/a>, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon will all give you a free iPhone 17 in exchange for a trade-in and multi-year service agreement (two years for T-Mobile, three years for the others). They also offer early upgrade programs for an extra fee if you insist on having a new phone every year. If you’re committing to a major carrier, you might as well have them pay for your phone instead of funneling that money to Apple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why pay to lease an iPhone when your carrier will cover the cost itself?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So who’s it for?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Apple Upgrade can seem appealing for the same reason as any other loan: A big up-front payment could put too much of a strain on your finances compared a monthly bill, even if that bill adds up to more in the long run. (I’ll note, though, that Amazon’s fee-free Prime Visa lets you pay off large purchases in 12 monthly payments<\/a> without the perpetual upgrade cycle.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But more than anything else, Apple is selling a kind of simplicity. Instead of figuring out when to upgrade, what your old device is worth, and whether to reevaluate your wireless carrier in the process, you just put the cost of hardware on your monthly tab and forget about it. Just be aware that this convenience comes at a cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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News in brief<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Robot vacuum ban (sort of):<\/strong> Citing security concerns, the FCC is banning new foreign-made robotic devices in the United States<\/a>, a move that will primarily affect robot vacuums in the near-term. But as with the FCC’s router ban<\/a> earlier this year, the impact is being a bit overblown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robot vacuum makers can keep importing and selling products that are already on the market, and they can launch new products by getting the government’s approval. (Like with routers, this requires a commitment to U.S. manufacturing investments, but no extra security promises despite the ostensible reasons behind the ban.) It’s a hassle for robot vacuum makers, but not something that should prompt you to panic-buy a Roomba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More notable news and reads:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n