With the launch of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, Apple introduced an iPhone Upgrade Program in the U.S. designed to let Apple customers pay a monthly installment fee for a new iPhone and trade it in after 12 months of payments to get the next-generation iPhone.
When it debuted, the iPhone Upgrade Program required customers to purchase their iPhones within an Apple retail store to take advantage of the service, but as of today, the iPhone Upgrade Program is also available as an option when purchasing an iPhone from Apple's online store.
Apple's iPhone purchasing pages have been updated to reflect the change, with Apple's own pricing listed as a payment plan option instead of the carrier pricing options that were previously listed when purchasing an iPhone.
With the iPhone Upgrade Program, installment pricing on the entry-level iPhone 6s begins at $32.41 per month while pricing on the larger-screened entry-level iPhone 6s Plus begins at $36.58 per month. Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program is unique compared to carrier installment plans because it includes AppleCare+ in the monthly price.
The iPhone Upgrade Program is available for devices purchased with AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint service.
Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store.
The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump.
...
Wednesday November 5, 2025 11:57 am PST by Juli Clover
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google.
For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more.
Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features.
Liquid Glass Toggle
iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass.
In the Settings app, under Display...
Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences.
The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
Friday November 7, 2025 6:40 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag.
This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked.
Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report.
Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...
Thursday November 6, 2025 4:08 pm PST by Juli Clover
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered.
There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
Wednesday November 5, 2025 3:54 pm PST by Juli Clover
It's been over a decade since Apple's HomeKit smart home platform launched, and it is overdue for an update. HomeKit and the Home app can no longer keep up with AI-powered solutions from other companies like Google and Amazon, but that's set to change with a smart home revamp that Apple has planned for 2026.
Home Hub
Apple is working on a home hub or "command center" that will serve as a...
American economics at its finest. You are a complete loser if you cannot afford to pay $649 + taxes up front for a smartphone. Sorry if you need to finance a smartphone then you really need to go back to school and learn how to count. This is how Americans get in debt. You buy something you cannot afford.
Either pay for it in full or SAVE UP until you can afford it. These programs have ludicrous interest rates and their entire objective is to trap you paying interests because you miss payments/stop paying. There is no "free" service to the general public on helping you buy anything.
I'm a bit confused. Apple's upgrade program has 0% interest and the payments happen automatically. What kind of trap do you think they are setting?
American economics at its finest. You are a complete loser if you cannot afford to pay $649 + taxes up front for a smartphone. Sorry if you need to finance a smartphone then you really need to go back to school and learn how to count. This is how Americans get in debt. You buy something you cannot afford.
Either pay for it in full or SAVE UP until you can afford it. These programs have ludicrous interest rates and their entire objective is to trap you paying interests because you miss payments/stop paying. There is no "free" service to the general public on helping you buy anything.
What interest rate? A 64GB iPhone 6s+ is $850. Applecare+ is $129. That's a total of $979. The iPhone upgrade plan for that phone is $40.75/mo over 24 months. $40.75 x 24 = $978. The interest rate is 0%.
* Credit Card Interest and other fees. You will be charged 0% APR on the Installment Loan. However, the issuer of your credit card may charge you interest or other fees under the terms and conditions in your cardmember agreement. This may include any applicable interest on unpaid balances or late payments. Your card issuer may not provide certain benefits in connection with loan payments charged to your card.
Do you not understand how a credit card works? You don't pay interest if you pay your bill on time in full. My credit cards actually pay me to use them with cashback.
Everyone should read the fine print. Those that cannot read obviously are the ones who believe love to finance cellphones. Stop financing a cellphone so you can look cool. Either pay for it in full or save your money. Learn how to save up and not use financing for stupid stuff like cellphones. This is the biggest issue with american's who cannot afford to buy stuff but yet want to do it thru financing programs.
