Apple Offering Pre-Approvals to iPhone Upgrade Program Customers Ahead of iPhone 8

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

The bad thing is that every year under the iPhone Upgrade Program, there will be a HARD credit check on you. I am seeking advice on how to best upgrade from iPhone 7 Plus 128 GB Verizon to iPhone 8 Plus 256 GB Verizon. I am currently on the iPhone Upgrade Program, but was unaware I would be subject to an annual hard credit check every year under that Upgrade Program. The Verizon Device Payment Plan with AppleCare+ offers the exact same agreement for the exact same price without the annual hard credit check. I would like to switch to this plan, but Apple will not pay off my outstanding balance on my Citizens One loan if I do so. Instead, they would give me an Apple Store credit for the trade-in value. This value is less than the outstanding balance on the loan. So I am faced with paying the difference (approx. $75), or having a hard credit check. What should I do? Are there other options?

A hard credit check shouldn't a big deal for most. Even if you're actively home shopping or looking to buy a car, it's not going to impact your credit score. You act like a credit check is some kind of death blow. It shouldn't matter to anyone with decent credit.
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Curious to see how this works out for us T-Mobile customers. It looks as if T-Mobile customers can add their SSN to get pre-approved but will still have to activate in-store.

Will apple be shipping T-Mobile IUP phones or will they have to schedule an in-store appointment?

In the past they had to go in to get their phone. As there have been no changed stated, it would seem T-Mobile customers are still going to have to go in to get their new phones.

 

[TrueBlou]

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!

At current rates that’s, £44.64 when VAT is added, then there’s at least £9 a month for the AppleCare option, takes it to 54.56. And that’s not taking into account import duty which would shove it well over £60.

Doesn’t look so bad when you run the numbers. Not that I’m saying it’s cheap.

 

[WannaGoMac]

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.

I feel the same. My 6+ is still working fine, do wish it was faster. Too bad they didnt improve the 8+ design a bit, like reduced sized bezels, or just one bezel on the bottom for the button.

 

[TrueBlou]

Looks as though this doesn't count for UK customers. I received an email saying I should check my eligibility, and then set a reminder for when pre-order begins.

Yeah, we’re just getting the standard first come first served reservation style upgrade. Maybe next year we’ll catch up.

 

[jlseattle]

I know this is probably a dumb question. So if I sign up for the program to buy a iPhone 8 and make 12 months of payments and then upgrade to the iPhone X (next year when upgraded model might be announced) what happens to my payments I've made? Can I upgrade to the more expensive iPhone X for 10 a month more but I'm only making the payments of my iPhone 8? So through making lower payments each month I'm really recouping the lost $$ from the previous year?

I'm coming from having an iPhone 6 that I bought outright for $600 4 years ago and have gotten all realized value from it over the 4 years (I feel). I'm just thinking I won't get my $50 realized value each month from my new phone. But that money is gone forever. And really I'm stuck making payments for the rest of my life on a phone until I just stick it out with one phone.

Is this like car leasing? So confusing.

 

[a.gomez]

Right, appears to be for 'normal annual upgrades' only.
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Did you really not pay all/most of the difference on your carrier's fees?

Nope. My girlfriend finally got a letter from Verizon taking her off after this upgrade from her old subsidized account. Any way we sliced it, with an iPhone she got a better deal on her old 2 year subsidized account.

She changed jobs - so she has no need for an iPhone at the new place - so timing works out.

 

[WannaGoMac]

I'm coming from having an iPhone 6 that I bought outright for $600 4 years ago and have gotten all realized value from it over the 4 years (I feel).
Is this like car leasing? So confusing.

Your iphone is 3 years old . And yes, this is pretty much like car leasing without any interest.

 

[MBPnoob]

Biggest question for me is.... will this apply to Tmobile?

I have an amazing plan ($80 per month for three, full HD phone lines) that I don't want to lose, but I'm going to go with whatever carrier is the most Apple friendly.

 

[semka]

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!

In the USA, this is the price before taxes, btw. But yeah, for Apple £1=$1.

 

[rtomyj]

I am beginning to feel the phones will not be the only creative endeavor taken here. Creative ways to finance or buy a very expensive phone are sure to be implemented as well. I feel sorry for consumers. We are being lead down a rabbit hole of expensive products that we will be making payments on for years to come.

Wait do you feel bad for people who are stupid enough to buy something they can’t afford or do you feel bad for people who don’t need a new phone every year and go into debt because of it?

 

[zapm]

$56 a month for a 256GB iPhone X....How is anyone gonna be able to afford this?!?!?



/s

 

[Jmausmuc]

The bezels really aren't that bad... people are dramatic about it. The difference between the X and the 8's bezel is minimal.

Are you being serious? What a joke. The X has a bigger screen than the Plus while almost as small as the 8. I can’t believe what you are saying.

 

[jbachandouris]

All set for my Space Gray 8 Plus 256GB.

 

[Vanilla35]

$50 per month for X vs $35 for the 8. Even when you look at the monthly payment it's starting to look like a bad deal...

 

[a.gomez]

The bezels really aren't that bad... people are dramatic about it. The difference between the X and the 8's bezel is minimal.

na, that is just the random excuse people do for (place whatever gadget made in china person likes here) and help justify their purchase. This is their 2018 phone and at 700 dollars - Edge to Edge should be a minimum.

 

[5630745]

It does say in the Apple Store app "If you prefer to upgrade to iPhone X, you can do so at a later date".... also says in the footnote "You can only be pre approved once per phone number. Multiple attempts may cancel your pre approval". I'm taking that to mean that if you're wanting the X, then don't go through the pre approval process before that becomes available.

This is in the app, itself? I could care less about the 8. My sole goal in life is to secure a X 256 Black.

 

[slippery-pete]

They do necessarily... Call Citizens One or Apple... they will confirm that every year, when you get a new phone, you are taking out a new loan on that phone, and there will be a hard inquiry every year before you are issued the new loan.

I called Citizens and was told they don't do a hard inquiry unless you had issues with the previous loan, I.E. late payments, missed payments.

 

[quinneverett]

Are you being serious? What a joke. The X has a bigger screen than the Plus while almost as small as the 8. I can’t believe what you are saying.

I mean yeah there is still the chin and forehead but the side bezels didn't really come down much... look at the difference on the sides... it's minimal.

 

[fjfjfjfj]

I'm not clear on something...isn't it true that on Verizon, if you are on a device payment plan they give you like a $20 discount on their data plan? So switching to the iPhone Upgrade Program would cost $20 more a month than the similar Verizon upgrade program (plus the cost of Apple Care)? I've long wanted to switch to the program directly with Apple but didn't want my data plan to go up by $20. Do I understand the difference correctly?

 

[WannaGoMac]

$56 a month for a 256GB iPhone X....How is anyone gonna be able to afford this?!?!?

People spend far more than that at starbucks in a month.

 

[LotusLord]

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.

Same. Luckily(?) for me I've held off since getting the 6 Plus and am more than ready for all the new features I'll be getting. Now I just debate the 8 Plus or the X.

 

[GetSwole37]

Wait do you feel bad for people who are stupid enough to buy something they can’t afford or do you feel bad for people who don’t need a new phone every year and go into debt because of it?

Let me ask you a Q. I can give you $1000 now, or I can give you $1000 in a year. What will you take?
Now is the right answer. You always want to have money now.

The pricing to buy outright or payments was the same. So why would I give my money now when I can pay as little as possible interest free and extend it out for as long as I can?

Buying it this way is not "someone who can't afford" it's someone that understands economics and knows how to play the game. Now, if someone doesn't pay off the balance and let's interest build up on them, that's another story

 

[carpleror]

I am beginning to feel the phones will not be the only creative endeavor taken here. Creative ways to finance or buy a very expensive phone are sure to be implemented as well. I feel sorry for consumers. We are being lead down a rabbit hole of expensive products that we will be making payments on for years to come.

Customers can choose whether or not to buy expensive products, no one is leading you down anything. You should only be blaming yourself for buying an expensive product you can't afford.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

$56 a month for a 256GB iPhone X....How is anyone gonna be able to afford this?!?!?

$50 per month for X vs $35 for the 8. Even when you look at the monthly payment it's starting to look like a bad deal...

Different people have different budgets and Apple has a wide range of available phones starting with the iPhone SE at $349 up to the fully loaded X at $1149. To many people (myself included) $56 is nothing and more is spent on much less useful things all the time. We're talking about a premium brand's flagship device, this is not the economy phone meant for people with tight budgets.

 

[78Bandit]

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.