Apple has emailed customers enrolled in its iPhone Upgrade Program with instructions on how to get a head start on the iPhone 8 pre-order process.
Apple advises customers to open the Apple Store app on their current iPhone, choose their preferred iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus model, and get pre-approved for an iPhone Upgrade Program loan. The window to get pre-approved ends tomorrow, Thursday, September 14, at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
Pre-approved customers can then return to the Apple Store app when iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus pre-orders begin on Friday, September 15 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time to complete the process.
This year, it appears that iPhone Upgrade Program members will be able to use a Trade-in Kit with a prepaid shipping label to return their old iPhone to Apple, rather than being forced to visit an Apple Store to complete the upgrade process. The mail-in option should make this year's launch a less frustrating experience.
While the iPhone X is Apple's new flagship smartphone, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus shipping estimates could become lengthy soon after pre-orders begin, so getting pre-approved is highly recommended.
Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program lets customers upgrade to a new iPhone after they have made at least 12 payments towards their current iPhone and trade it in upon upgrading. The full cost of the iPhone and included AppleCare+ coverage is spread out over 24 months with zero percent interest.
Here's the monthly cost breakdown for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X in the United States. The program is also available in the UK.
At this time, the pre-approval process doesn't appear to apply to the iPhone X, which can't be ordered until Friday, October 27.
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Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works.
We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, ...
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It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more.
Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
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Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report said the iPhone 17e will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, so do not expect an event for this device specifically.
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Apple acquired Canadian graph database company Kuzu last year, it has emerged.
The acquisition, spotted by AppleInsider, was completed in October 2025 for an undisclosed sum. The company's website was subsequently taken down and its Github repository was archived, as is commonplace for Apple acquisitions.
Kuzu was "an embedded graph database built for query speed, scalability, and easy of ...
Even though I love tech, at the price these devices now cost, I’ve now decided to just upgrade every 2-3 years. I have the money, but just can’t justify the cost.
If your credit score is so marginal that a credit check is going to be the tipping point that makes you pay a higher interest rate or be denied a loan then you probably don't need to be financing a phone. Buy something decent for $250 outright that will last a couple of years and put the extra money toward paying down the other balances that would be ultimately causing your credit problems.
Ridiculous pricing. I long miss the days of subsidized iPhones. I'm still using my iPhone 5 which I paid $200 for. It has a cracked screen now and not the best battery, but in retrospect, it was the steal of a lifetime.
What gets me is that in the UK, the 64GB iPhone X is £56.45 compared to $49.91 in the USA. I've said it before and I'll say it again - Apple are definitely ripping Brits off!
I cannot fathom why do people fall into Apple's creative-financing rabbit hole.
Maybe I do not understand.
But this is what I have distilled (maybe possibly wrong):
1. The device is financed across 24 monthly payments without interest as a hard loan. 2. The loan is loaded with AppleCare+ and taxes, even though AppleCare+ is neither discounted (B&H) nor fully executed (see No. 5 below). 3. After twelve months (50% of loan) one can opt-in for a new hard loan. 4. But that requires turning-in as trade-in the fully-functioning device. 5. However, the market value of this unit is probably closer to 85% of its original cost (with AppleCare+ remaining for 12 months). 6. The AppleCare+ expense, which still has 12 months before expiration, gets washed-out. 7. The new loan will force another hard entry on your credit report, diminishing your credit score. 8. And, most insulting, if you decide to pay-off early the loan, Apple will pay back your used iPhone with an Apple Gift Card, for a fraction of its value. 9. Of course, you are responsible for the outstanding difference in cold cash.
A great deal for Apple and the financing company; lousy to every one else.
I really cant believe the 8 has those bezels heading into 2018. If not doing the X, at a minimum give it something like the old Xperia XA. iPhone bezels are ancient.
