iPhone XR Apple iPhone upgrade programme

[bulldoze]

I was passing the Apple store today and although I had initially decided to pass on upgrading my 6S in October due to the cost of the new phones I decided to drop in and have a look.

The Apple guy was pushing the upgrade programme fairly hard. £43 pound a month for an XR 128GB complete with Apple Care and the option to upgrade to a new phone every year.

On the surface this seems like a reasonable deal and has the advantage of taking all the bother out of owning an iPhone. Is this a popular option? what do other people think of this deal?

 

[BigMcGuire]

Assuming this is similar to the Apple Upgrade Plan in the USA, my wife and I have been doing this for the last several iPhone generations that we own. We love it. It's still owning the phone though, just basically a $0 loan. You don't have to upgrade after 2 years, and after 2 years of making the monthly payments, you own the phone. Every time they come out with a new phone, if you've owned the phone for a year, they give you a nifty link to upgrade via pre-order and mail you a return box for your current phone so upgrading is super painless. My wife and I have done this but we are going to be keeping our current phones for 3 years, but we're still on the AUP.

 

[bulldoze]

Assuming this is similar to the Apple Upgrade Plan in the USA, my wife and I have been doing this for the last several iPhone generations that we own. We love it. It's still owning the phone though, just basically a $0 loan. You don't have to upgrade after 2 years, and after 2 years of making the monthly payments, you own the phone. Every time they come out with a new phone, if you've owned the phone for a year, they give you a nifty link to upgrade via pre-order and mail you a return box for your current phone so upgrading is super painless. My wife and I have done this but we are going to be keeping our current phones for 3 years, but we're still on the AUP.

If an upgrade is available for no cost after a year why would you not take them up on the offer though? I don't quite understand.

 

[BigMcGuire]

If an upgrade is available for no cost after a year why would you not take them up on the offer though? I don't quite understand.

Because you have to turn in your phone. They make money on this vs you keeping your phone for two years then selling it back to Apple for $. But the difference isn’t terrible. I’ve upgraded after one year. Went from 8+ to Xs Max.

 

[skillwill]

If an upgrade is available for no cost after a year why would you not take them up on the offer though? I don't quite understand.

Another reason is that it’s just for the phone, you have to buy a phone plan on top. Most people go through their carrier. Eg in the UK the cheapest upgrade plan is £41 a month. Most people could get that 64gb XR on an OK-ish contract plan for that monthly cost.

I’m only on the upgrade plan because my sister works at a phone network and gets a massive family discount, so I only pay for my phone.

 

[Azathoth123]

It isn’t a bad deal but it isn’t killer either. I upgraded from the X to the XS mostly because I thought that I should try out the IUP that I was on (US). You have to pay tax, one payment, and activation fee (unless you can get it waived). That came to around $200. I think I’d rather just buy SIM free outright even though the charge is all up front. No activation fee and no payments. I don’t buy iPads or Macs on payment plans, so why not do the same with the phone?

BTW, love the XS, definitely a cut above the X in speed, smoothness, and camera dynamic range.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

I would never hand the phone back. Sell it on yourself and pay off the Barclays loan. Whatever extra is in your pocket not Apples