Apple Card Monthly Financing No Longer Available for SIM-Free iPhones

[mingoglia]

I'd imagine they're getting a kick back from the carrier of choice to offset the zero percent financing. It sounds like you can still switch carriers without worrying about having the phone unlocked, like a subsidized phone used to work in the U.S. They are just banking, quite literally, on someone sticking with whatever carrier that person chose when they bought the phone. Regardless the reason, I find this annoying and I rather pay up front for a "non-carrier specific" version than play into these games. I'll likely not even use my Apple Card for the purchase in hopes that if enough people reject this ploy of theres that they'll change back.

 

[AbSoluTc]

Jesus, I’m sitting here with my Apple Card anxiously awaiting the new phones to replace a backup 6 I’ve been on for the last month, and Apple pulls this? The Apple Card just lost a ton of value to me, personally.

This was announced months ago. It's being repeated again and put in place now. This is not new.

That’s a really stupid move, have been buying unlocked phones for a long time…

You still can. You just can't finance it lol.

 

[webkit]

I'll likely not even use my Apple Card for the purchase in hopes that if enough people reject this ploy of theres that they'll change back.

It's not necessarily any more of a "ploy" than various other types of common co-marketing activities. Just as Apple Card's 0% SIM-free offer is meant to encourage AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon purchases, the card's 3% (or more) cash back offers are meant to encourage purchases from participating merchants like Panera Bread, Nike, Walgreens, etc.

 

[imtoretto]

This is really frustrating. Us prepaid users always get the bottom of the barrel when it comes to stuff like this. Reminds me of when sim-free iPhones weren’t available until a month or two after launch. What’s the logic behind this i amn ot

 

[imtoretto]

This is really frustrating. Us prepaid users always get the bottom of the barrel when it comes to stuff like this. Reminds me of when sim-free iPhones weren’t available until a month or two after launch. What’s the logic behind this move?

1) i do not own an Apple Card but this is really awful for Apple Card users. Bad move.
2) i started to think about moving to a prepaid service like Cricket Wireless, i believe is more efficient.
3) also thinking about buying a future mobile device paying full up front, so me and my fiance don't have to worry about extra monthly payments anymore.

 

[MrENGLISH]

WTF Apple!!! I've been using Verizon PrePaid for at least 6 years now because financially it just made more sense than to throw away so much money on a PostPaid plan with them.

Purchasing an unlocked iPhone 14 Pro Max using the Apple Card Monthly Payment Plan was such a smooth experience last year.

I've been making double monthly payments just so that the iP14PM would be paid off by the time the new iPhone 15 Pro Max released in case I wanted to make that purchase this year.

I just tried the new checkout process and of course Verizon is acting like I don't have an account with them because they don't acknowledge their PrePaid customers as real customers.

So now someone like me won't be able to order the new iPhone 15 using the 0% Apple Card Monthly Payment Plan when it releases all because the carriers have to be complete d*cks about it.

Guess both Apple and Verizon helped to make up my mind for me and I'll just skip my iPhone purchase this year.

 

[Sgtkeebler]

Crazy that the carriers have this much pull with Apple.

That was my biggest fear with Apple switching to eSim. I don't know what provider you have but Verizon makes it incredibly difficult to switch back and forth between android eSim and iPhone eSim. The attempt that I did try resulted in two 3-hour long calls with customer service, and two support tickets being put in to tier 3 Verizon tech. All because I had bought unlocked phones. None of my unlocked phones were in Verizon's system, and my iPhone was showing as a 5g router in their database. Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile they don't want you buying unlocked phones they want you buying phones tied to their phone plan. It's more profitable for them to lock you into a two-year contract, that way you are guaranteed to remain a customer.

 

[deeddawg]

1) i do not own an Apple Card but this is really awful for Apple Card users. Bad move.
2) i started to think about moving to a prepaid service like Cricket Wireless, i believe is more efficient.
3) also thinking about buying a future mobile device paying full up front, so me and my fiance don't have to worry about extra monthly payments anymore.

Don't fool yourself, the money's gotta come from somewhere.

Whether you save up the money in advance or whether you use the carrier's financing, you're still (effectively) making payments until you've either saved enough for the purchase or paid off the financing.

 

[deeddawg]

It's more profitable for them to lock you into a two-year contract, that way you are guaranteed to remain a customer.

Lock you in? How are you prevented from paying off the phone, getting it unlocked, and switching to wherever?

 

[Dan in VA]

Is the "all phones are unlocked" statement a new thing? Because ATT was most definitely locking iPhones on their network that they had no other entitlement/right to lock as late as last week because mine I purchased using this option was most definitely locked and would not accept another SIM without calling ATT to get them to follow the rule (and law in this case, you cannot market a phone as unlocked and then SIM lock it).

ATT has consistently been very aggressive about locking phones they have no actual right or business locking IME. They will unlock it when you call them out on it, but, really, that is unethical and sleazy to say the least.

This has been my experience. Beginning with the 4s, and then the 6s, and 11ProMax, I have purchased ONLY SIM-free phones directly from Apple and added AT&T SIMs. And ATT has the gall to tell me that I have the option to request an unlock...

 

[CarAnalogy]

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.

Yeah of course I don’t know why and very few people ever will. I guess I’m just annoyed at something I used being taken away. And that the mobile market in America is what it is, being so captive to the telcos.

 

[Djones96]

And the value of having the Apple Card goes down the drain with this change.

 

[Betterinperson]

The carriers are behind eSIM-only iPhones too. Think about US travelers, pretty much forced to use international roaming and paying astronomical fees for doing such. Most of the time it costs more per day than a whole month especially in developing countries. I had to buy an Android for travel along with my iPhone. It sucks. This is the carriers pushing Apple to get ridiculous fees from their own customers.

Sometimes I wonder, am I truly Apple’s customer, the one Apple cares about? Or more likely that no the carrier is the only customer Apple cares about. I don’t care about interest free as much as I do the ability to have an iPhone that is a true world phone. Buying my next iPhone in Asia perhaps Hong Kong where they still sell dual-sim iPhones. The great thing is they also use eSIM. The only knock is losing the UWB mm-wave 5G. That’s almost nonexistent anyways.

It would be nice if Apple actually told the carriers where to go and cared about the end customer instead of the extra few bucks they get from the carrier.

You can just buy an international esim online and add it to your phone. I just travelled to the uk and paid about $50 for a month of unlimited data. You just disable data from your main Usa sim.

 

[akhedraki]

When is this supposed to go into effect? It’s still an option as of today.

 

[ThailandToo]

You can just buy an international esim online and add it to your phone. I just travelled to the uk and paid about $50 for a month of unlimited data. You just disable data from your main Usa sim.

Again, the UK isn’t a developing nation. What would it take to get through to some of you? You need to go travel the real world. Not just the developed countries to see how badly the issue sucks!

 

[ThailandToo]

WTF Apple!!! I've been using Verizon PrePaid for at least 6 years now because financially it just made more sense than to throw away so much money on a PostPaid plan with them.

Purchasing an unlocked iPhone 14 Pro Max using the Apple Card Monthly Payment Plan was such a smooth experience last year.

I've been making double monthly payments just so that the iP14PM would be paid off by the time the new iPhone 15 Pro Max released in case I wanted to make that purchase this year.

I just tried the new checkout process and of course Verizon is acting like I don't have an account with them because they don't acknowledge their PrePaid customers as real customers.

So now someone like me won't be able to order the new iPhone 15 using the 0% Apple Card Monthly Payment Plan when it releases all because the carriers have to be complete dicks about it.

Guess both Apple and Verizon helped to make up my mind for me and I'll just skip my iPhone purchase this year.

Apple needs to be willing to cover some of the costs, as I agree the issue of the thread sucks bad. I use Visible and Mint Mobile in the USA. I will be purchasing my next iPhone outside the USA so I can get a SIM slot. They just keep taking away stuff that was good and helped them sell more iPhones. I have read that Apple expects to sell less iPhone 15 models and it’s their own fault. They’re cutting users out. In the end, when you cut enough the “ecosystem” effect will not be enough.

I am sure the carriers love this. Again, the carriers seem like Apple’s real customers not the people buying the iPhones.

 

[iGeneo]

I've never seen so much complaining over what is mostly a very small percentage of users affected.


The Apple Card holds great value... if you want a phone just buy the damned thing outright. So much complaining over interest free. if you don't have the cash, how about going "old school" and put a little aside every pay period until you have enough to buy the phone.

 

[seanbperiod]

Couldn't you juswt sign up for a plan - use apple card to to pay for the phone, then cancel the plan within the first 14 days? Then you won't be charged for, or receive a prorated refund for the first few days of service, and keep the phone..

yes, no?

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Respectfully, I disagree. Buying on credit is paying for something with money you don't have. Sure - you can make the payments each month, but that isn't the right way to think about money. What if something happens to your job, or if you have unexpected expenses.

When you buy it from money you have saved, you never need to think about the payment again. If you haven't saved the money then you can't purchase the phone.

But you are making a broad statement there as in, if you have to make payments then you are poor. I recently paid cash for a car and it cost me $20K. I also have more money in the bank. Why would I pay upfront for something I can pay spread out for 24 months with no interest? If you plan on keeping the phone for 2 years then putting other peoples money to work for you is the smarter way to do things.

 

[Djones96]

I've never seen so much complaining over what is mostly a very small percentage of users affected.


The Apple Card holds great value... if you want a phone just buy the damned thing outright. So much complaining over interest free. if you don't have the cash, how about going "old school" and put a little aside every pay period until you have enough to buy the phone.

Maybe consumers are also unhappy about losing the ability to finance the phone, and getting 3% cash back, on top of the interest free payments. Just a thought.

 

[CalMin]

But you are making a broad statement there as in, if you have to make payments then you are poor. I recently paid cash for a car and it cost me $20K. I also have more money in the bank. Why would I pay upfront for something I can pay spread out for 24 months with no interest? If you plan on keeping the phone for 2 years then putting other peoples money to work for you is the smarter way to do things.

Hey look you're right. I did not really mean to make sweeping statements, or enter into a wider debate about financial management - there are many other places on the internet for that.

I bolded your last sentence because it's something that I keep hearing. Like everyone else, I have read Rich Dad, Poor Dad and have seen all the 'ballers' on social telling folks to leverage debt this way. But, this only works if you actually put the "other people's money" to work. And too many people who intend to use the 0% financing and then keep the cash in some interest bearing account, fail to do so because... life happens. Then they're just in debt for phone which no-one needs to be.

 

[iGeneo]

Maybe consumers are also unhappy about losing the ability to finance the phone, and getting 3% cash back, on top of the interest free payments. Just a thought.

Then don't get the latest and greatest shiny item...

I'll use the Apple Card to get my 3% and be happy with that. I may just use the interest from my Apple Savings to pay it off.

 

[ctjack]

Couldn't you juswt sign up for a plan - use apple card to to pay for the phone, then cancel the plan within the first 14 days? Then you won't be charged for, or receive a prorated refund for the first few days of service, and keep the phone..

yes, no?

You can, but that is a hassle.

 

[webkit]

When is this supposed to go into effect? It’s still an option as of today.

It has already gone into effect. When you select "Finance" and then "Apple Card Monthly Installments", your only next option is either AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon. "Connect to any carrier later" is no longer an option here.

 

[webkit]

I am sure the carriers love this.

Maybe the carriers are able to "love this" because they were willing to pay up in some way to participate.

Again, the carriers seem like Apple’s real customers not the people buying the iPhones.

If you feel that the 0% Apple Card offer only being available with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon means those carriers are Apple’s only "real customers", do you similarly feel that Panera Bread, Nike, Walgreens and a few others are also Apple Card's only (other) "real customers" since purchases through them are the only way for users to get 3% cash back?