Should you still buy your next smartphone — or subscribe to it instead?
Apple and Samsung are expanding leasing, subscription and guaranteed-buyback schemes as smartphone makers seek to encourage more frequent upgrades. The approach could make premium devices easier to access for customers who routinely replace phones, while ensuring more used handsets enter the refurbished market.
Apple has launched its Apple Upgrade programme in the US with Klarna, covering iPhones, Macs, iPads and Apple Watches through monthly payments and options to upgrade, return or buy the device. Counterpoint expects the global replacement cycle to reach four years in 2026, up from 3.5 years in 2025, while IDC says US premium-phone owners keep devices for about 42 months. Analysts say leasing may be competitive for people upgrading every one or two years, but buying outright is usually cheaper for those keeping phones for three years or longer.
- Leasing targets frequent smartphone upgraders.
- Longer replacement cycles pressure phone makers.
- Buying outright suits long-term owners.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Subscription or leasing schemes can make high-quality smartphones more affordable in the short term by spreading costs and giving regular upgraders predictable payments. Supporters argue that guaranteed returns can channel more devices into refurbishment, extending their useful life and reducing waste, while allowing customers to use newer technology without the risk and inconvenience of reselling an old handset themselves. For people who genuinely replace phones every year or two, the convenience and included upgrade path may represent good value.
The case against
Buying a phone outright is generally the more economical and straightforward option for people who keep devices for several years, because it avoids ongoing subscription costs and preserves full ownership. Critics argue that upgrade schemes may normalise replacing functioning devices more often than necessary, increasing consumption and potentially obscuring the total cost through manageable-looking monthly payments. They also contend that ownership gives consumers greater freedom to repair, resell, keep or pass on a device without contractual conditions or return deadlines.