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M5 Studio base pre-ordered using Apple Upgrade lease
- Thread starter 4sallypat
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maflynn
macrumors Broadwell
The other option I considered is using my EDU discount ($200) and then putting it on my 0% balance transfer credit card and paying it off within 24 months accelerating the "buyout end".
$105 vs $49 / month - chose the lower cost option and have the option to buy it out at the end which seems unlikely because the newer M8 or M9 will be out...
maflynn
macrumors Broadwell
Still a sad state of affairs where the price of this is so high that leasing is an option
As I stated in the other thread, the Studio is an awesome desktop, and I was lucky to snag one last year at a relatively low price. Sad to see that the M5 has been priced our of reach for some people (including me)
IMO Apple Upgrade was put into place in order to entice people to upgrade more often. The M series systems are so good it's difficult to justify a casual upgrade. Factor in the summer price increases and keeping an older M series system makes a lot more sense. Easier to justify an upgrade when you pay by the month and can either a) turn it in for something new or b) buy it at the end of the lease (with the total cost being no more than had you purchased it outright).
Apple Upgrade is an attempt to move hardware into the subscription model.
I just ordered the base model with 36 Gb RAM, 1 Tb SSD, but I am buying it on Apple Card 12 month payments. I got $965 instant trade-in for my '24 Mini M4 Pro, so payments are $153. In a couple years I can do the same again if I want, with a trade-in. I don't like leasing anything.
fathergll
macrumors 68020
100%. Smart move by Apple. It's going to be a boiling frog scenario with prices increases on the hardware over time.
Big question is are most people going to pay this off at the end or simply start a new lease?
In this case Sept 2028 rolls around and OP has option to pay $735 for the machine which is going to be 2-3 generations old or start new lease with the M7 or maybe even a M8 Studio at that time. $735 isn't much money so I can see paying that off easy. Real question is the people who are going high end paying $200 a month and then there is a $2,000+ bill for the buyout. I suspect many of these people are just going to start a new lease on a M7/M8.
Issue is it makes sense in theory to do the upgrade program as you should have your capital allocated in areas to make money so paying it off over time without interest is the best way BUT human nature will compel most to purchase higher end configurations negating this and Apple knows this. It's the same reason vehicle prices are out of control.
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Apple fanboy
macrumors Ivy Bridge
- Option 1: Apple lease with option to own/buyout with lowest monthly for 36 months
- Option 2: 24 month 0% credit card with next lowest monthly.
- Option 3: EDU pricing on Apple Card 0% for 12 months but the monthly is too high for me as I am newly retired and have to work with fixed sources of income.
- Option 4: 401b rep said that I could buy it outright from my investment funds since I have not touched these accounts due to current volatility.
Glad my income combines: lifelong pension, lifelong SS and annuity - to keep me straight and level flight (aviation).🤣
I changed my mind, and reordered the 18/40 version of the Max with 48 Gb RAM. It's another $600 over the base model, and over the course of using it for several years I won't notice the extra expense. I don't really need it for any important reason. Maybe I'll get slightly better frame rates when I use Zwift this winter. I retired from software engineering two years ago, but haven't been writing any code since. Maybe I'll get bored and come up with a personal project to work on (decent cataloging software for my vinyl collection?).
Leasing has always been an option, just not directly from Apple.
Best Buy has provided computer leasing for like 20 years now.
No, I don't like to lease anything. Rather, pay cash or low/no interest loan and be debt free afterwards, but still have what I bought. I leased nice cars in the past, but that doesn't work for me now. Lease is more costly than I'm willing to stomach.
I just bought a new car on a 48-month loan. It has a 10 year bumper to bumper warranty. I bought my new Mac Studio using Apple's 12-month no interest loan. I could pay cash for the latter but why take it out of the market if Apple wants to give me a free loan.
To each their own but, if you're responsible with the money, you're not overextending yourself, and you have a viable investment option to use the money elsewhere, you're foolish to pay it all today over a 36 months with 0% interest option.
Take the lump sum you'd be paying and dump it into savings, money market accounts, stocks, bonds, whatever and, by month 36, that money that you slowly paid them versus all at once will have gained you 3, 6, 10% back and effectively reduced the final cost.
Take the lump sum you'd be paying and dump it into savings, money market accounts, stocks, bonds, whatever and, by month 36, that money that you slowly paid them versus all at once will have gained you 3, 6, 10% back and effectively reduced the final cost.
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