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.
Apple Upgrade is integrated into the checkout flow on Apple’s website alongside other purchasing options. You can also trade in an existing device during the process to lower the lease payments over the initial lease term. This includes Apple devices and Android phones.
After you configure your device and choose Apple Upgrade, you’ll then check your eligibility with a soft credit check that doesn’t impact your credit score.
The program is backed by Klarna, which will manage payments and credit approvals on Apple’s behalf. Once you are in the Apple Upgrade program, you’ll manage all payment information, due dates, and other details in the Klarna app.
Apple Upgrade does not include AppleCare by default, but you can add it at an extra monthly cost. You can also add your device to one existing AppleCare One bundle.
You can view all the pricing information on Apple’s website, but here are the highlights on what specific Apple devices will cost via the Apple Upgrade program:
At the end of your lease, you can choose to upgrade to a new device, buy your current device outright, or return your device and exit the program entirely. If you choose to buy the device outright, you’ll pay the difference between the payments you made and the list price of the product.
Those three options are also available from day one. For instance, you can upgrade early or exit the program early by paying the remaining balance of the payments you haven’t made yet. There are no other fees or interest of any type.
Here are the devices that are not available as part of the Apple Upgrade program:
Here are a few other tidbits about Apple Upgrade:
Finally, as part of the Apple Upgrade launch, Apple is discontinuing the iPhone Upgrade Program and iPhone Payments financing. Existing iPhone Upgrade Program customers can stay until they’re ready to upgrade, then transition into one of the new options.
Apple Upgrade is available starting today on Apple’s website, in the Apple Store app, and in Apple Stores.
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