Both sides, in good faith

The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.

The case for

Supporters of Apple Upgrade see it as a sensible modernisation of how people afford premium technology, spreading the cost of an iPhone, Mac, iPad or Apple Watch into manageable monthly instalments with a straightforward soft credit check rather than a hard inquiry. They point out it gives customers genuine flexibility, letting them keep the device, settle the balance early or trade up to a newer model, which suits people who like to upgrade regularly anyway. Coming after price rises driven by genuine component shortages, the scheme can be seen as a practical way to keep Apple products within reach rather than pricing ordinary buyers out altogether.

The case against

Critics argue the scheme risks normalising debt-based consumption for what are, in effect, everyday consumer goods, with the timing alongside recent price increases suggesting it may be designed to soften the appearance of rising costs rather than genuinely help affordability. The absence of AppleCare is seen as a meaningful gap, since a financed device left without accidental damage or battery cover could leave a customer paying monthly for years on a phone that stops working properly. Most seriously, reports of code that could lock a financed iPhone out of apps if payments lapse raise concerns about a company exerting remote control over a device a customer is paying for, blurring the line between ownership and rental in a way that disadvantages those who fall on hard times financially.