We also use US Mobile, works really well and we are paying $34/month for 3 lines total...
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Apple Card Monthly Financing No Longer Available for SIM-Free iPhones
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I would love to be able to go that low, I end up using a lot of data each month and unlimited is just about the only fit.
Terrible advice. Closing a credit card lowers your credit score. Opening a new credit card… lowers your credit score. Stability, on time payments, and average age of credit increases it. Don’t listen to this guy, do not go open and close cards left and right.
My point here was that some are harshly criticizing Cook/Apple for no longer allowing customers to use the Apple Card installment plan on SIM-free phones which is pretty insignificant compared to the early years of the iPhone when Apple (and CEO Steve Jobs) limited iPhone customer options much more by forcing/pushing them to use AT&T (in the U.S.) and sign up for a 2 year contract.
I don't know how much of a role inflation had. There was much higher overall inflation last year yet Apple (Apple Card) didn't drop the SIM-free 0% offer nor did they even raise iPhone prices in the U.S. (prices did go up outside the U.S. but that was largely due to the stronger USD).
Interest rates are definitely up and that can be a factor. 0% has obviously been a "promotional" rate and Apple Card/GS may have felt that it was no longer worth it unless someone else (like a carrier) was willing to help subsidize it one way or another.
So, what happens if/when Apple eliminates SIM cards all together? With ESIM, isn’t that the way of the future? I can see Apple scrapping the SIM card and using the space in the phone for some new capability.
Don’t most of the major carriers support ESIM anyway also?
I’m really not understanding this, other than it’s a money grab.
Don’t most of the major carriers support ESIM anyway also?
I’m really not understanding this, other than it’s a money grab.
We don't know if Apple specifically excluded other carriers. Maybe they opened it up to everyone and only AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon agreed to the terms. Apple Card also only offers 3% cash back with select merchants but that doesn't mean others couldn’t participate.
Secondly. there are several places where an iPhone can be purchased or financed. The other carriers could try to make similar arrangements with different credit card/finance companies, retailers, etc. if they wanted to.
Thirdly, exclusive or near-exclusive deals/contracts are not necessarily illegal. Fast food restaurants, for example, often have contracts with soft drink companies. The legal issues can come down to the type of arrangement and how dominant a company may be in the particular market.
I've read all previous 182 comments. We're (just about) all united in saying this is a bad move from a consumer perspective. We don't know (all) the reasoning behind it, but Apple sure does. Let's see if they reverse this decision in the future. My guess is they don't, and they've now alienated a lot of their customers.
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Apple already eliminated SIM cards some time ago. iPhone 14 onwards only have eSIM:
Apple Removes SIM Card Tray on All iPhone 14 Models in U.S.
Apple today announced that all iPhone 14 models sold in the U.S. do not have a built-in SIM card tray and instead rely entirely on eSIM technology. ...
www.macrumors.com
I’m just saying that at least in that case there was a reason, and it was partly outside Apple’s control. This is inside Apple’s control and taking away something good for seemingly no good reason.
Don’t be rude. And yes, I did. But you don’t because you don’t understand ATT and Verizon’s policies. 60 days locked for VZW, bruh. Have the day you deserve.
A lot of people seem to think they should be entitled to free financing. How dare reality show its face. Much ado about nothing.
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Only US 14 series phones have eSIM. The rest of the world 14 series phones still have the SIM tray.Apple already eliminated SIM cards some time ago. iPhone 14 onwards only have eSIM:
Apple Removes SIM Card Tray on All iPhone 14 Models in U.S.
Apple today announced that all iPhone 14 models sold in the U.S. do not have a built-in SIM card tray and instead rely entirely on eSIM technology. ...
I don't have an Apple card, I prefer paying with the AMEX, which gives me automatic insurance. But what's the problem with using the carrier's monthly payment plan? I have been with T-Mobile for 15 years. I get each year a new phone and monthly installments.
I would say be careful about this sort of thinking. Not one of the millionaires I know borrows money to buy an iPhone. And they probably never have. They may leverage debt for business purposes or to generate income (eg I have two rental properties that are mortgaged) but I don’t know of anyone with a substantial net worth who takes out a loan for an iPhone.
There’s lots of bad information on social about this, and it’s getting people into trouble. Defaulting and selling debt will raise the cost of future borrowing. Why risk that for an iPhone?
If you can use debt to generate income then sure. Taking out a cheap loan to get that latest iPhone won’t make or keep anyone rich. The cheap loans simply encourage folks who can’t really afford one to buy it on credit.
While new inquiries - such as for a new card - can temporarily lower the score, there's also the positive impact of lessening your credit utilization (ratio of balance to available credit).
This all becomes a bit moot once your score is into "excellent" territory.
If your provider is ATT, then your device is "SIM Restricted" - IE: "locked". On the secondary market, that device will not sell for what an unlocked device will sell for.
This could've been partly out of Apple’s control too. For example, GS may have been partially subsidizing the 0% SIM-free phone offer and chose to stop doing so. With GS no longer participating, Apple then decided that the only way it was worth continuing the 0% offer was with "help" from carriers and to do so had to make the offer exclusive to them.
It can make sense to finance an iPhone at a low rate even if you have more than enough cash available. Some people buy things on credit because the loan interest rate is lower than what they can get in return with the cash.
If someone took $1,000 and put it in an interest-bearing account (or other type of investment) and then financed a $1,000 iPhone for 24 months at 0% APR, they can come out better than if they had paid the full $1,000 up front.
Besides the insurance, what percent back do you get. Apple gives you free financing and 3% back but no insurance.
This is all very true. However, despite best intentions, only a very small percentage actually keep the money in the interest bearing account for the full duration of the loan. Something always comes up, they need to repair the car, they have to pay school fees, the rent is due, the dog gets sick, it's their mom's birthday, the kids need clothes etc.. I have seen this with friends and family, over and over again.
The truth is that encouraging people to buy their devices on credit is Apple's way of maintaining sales while keeping prices high.
I mean, as long as we’re talking future, all carriers will have adopted eSIM by then.
For all new tech standards, there’s a transition period and folks will eventually look back on the time when folks shuffled myriad physical SIMs and wonder how they managed!Looks like ATT is like Verizon now. If device is paid off, one can get it unlocked.
I don’t know how “new” this is, though, because I remember going through the process to unlock an iPhone awhile back. Not because I needed to, but just to see the process work.
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t do that. Every wealthy person I know ranging in financial ability from writing a check for a new loaded Escalade to a new Gulfstream is perfectly happy not laying out the cash for something they don’t have to and they are always looking for a deal. They don’t let it or things like it, make the decision for them. But they absolutely always take advantage of it unless there is a reason not to.