Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

iphone 16 apple intelligence
Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain access to a device for the subscription period.

The subscription-based ‌iPhone‌ offering would make it easier for customers without the funds for an expensive ‌iPhone‌ to make monthly payments rather than purchasing upfront. Apple already has the ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program that splits the cost of a device across a 12 or 24 month period, but the planned subscription service would have been an ongoing monthly fee rather than payments over a set number of months.

After two years of work on the project, Apple apparently ceased development in recent months due to regulatory concerns, software bugs, and other issues. The team that was developing the subscription service was disbanded and reassigned to other projects. Apple has done some streamlining of its payment offerings this year, shutting down the Apple Pay Later pay-in-installments option that was available for less than a year.

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More

Thursday January 15, 2026 11:19 am PST by
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 United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased. iPhone ...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...
Verizon New

Verizon Offering $20 Credit After Major Outage, Here's How to Get It

Thursday January 15, 2026 7:37 am PST by
Verizon today announced it will be offering customers a $20 account credit after a major outage on Wednesday, and action is required to receive it. The carrier said affected customers can accept the credit by logging into the My Verizon app, but it might take some time before this option shows up in the app. Affected customers will receive a text message when the credit is available. On...

Top Rated Comments

SanderEvers Avatar
14 months ago
Very good "you'll own nothing and be happy" really is not something I want in any future.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iZac Avatar
14 months ago
you mean ... this?

https://www.apple.com/shop/iphone/iphone-upgrade-program
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
StuBeck Avatar
14 months ago
What software bugs would a subscription service like this have?
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sahajesh Avatar
14 months ago
MacRumors - where all the people who think “It’s not for me, so nobody should have it” go.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mrkevinfinnerty Avatar
14 months ago
Nobody:

Apple: Here's an identical financing plan to allow you to pay for the identical iPhone we just announced in convenient installments




Attachment Image
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ApostolisApo Avatar
14 months ago
I bet the "regulatory concerns" were the biggest factor of them all
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)