This wasn't limited to carrier phones before the Apple card, it's how I bought my current always-unlocked iPhone 8 - using Apple's financing for interest free 24 month payment rather than going through my carrier... is this option only limited to apple card holders now?
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SIM-Free iPhones Now Qualify for 24-Month Interest-Free Financing With Apple Card
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alexandr
macrumors 603
have they? i got the xs and i don't remember that. of course i got it through the upgrade program which wouldn't allow for an unlocked model, so i could've missed this.
dumastudetto
macrumors 603
I think it's really poor advice when something as amazing as iPhone 11 Pro is available right now.
alexandr
macrumors 603
it was limited in the sense that you couldn't get a sim free - you could still get unlocked from t-mobile, for example, and it would still come with a t-mobile sim inside.
alexandr
macrumors 603
seriously? the amazing, hardly different from the iphone x/xs 11 pro? have you not been following this site for all of the expected upgrades coming in the next model?..
zed1291
macrumors regular
All phones sold on iUP are unlocked; however, none of them are SIM-free. Because all SIM-free iPhones are unlocked iPhones these terms sometimes get mixed up (as you did). Your phone sold to you via iUP was unlocked.
thejadedmonkey
macrumors G3
Why don't you just put your sim card into the new phone? That's what my wife does, and there's never been an issue.
Stromos
macrumors 65816
Hmm the referenced Reddit discussion is now saying that you still have to activate with one of the big three.
If you are part of the upgrade program they require you to provide your carrier information. They make you activate the new sim. So yes that's why I want sim-free so I can sim swap.
If you are part of the upgrade program they require you to provide your carrier information. They make you activate the new sim. So yes that's why I want sim-free so I can sim swap.
alexandr
macrumors 603
funny - i corrected someone else, and used the term wrong myself)
are all of them in fact unlocked? i was told it was just the t-mo ones. but everyone has a different story...
GLS
macrumors 6502a
I bought two unlocked 11 Pro's in December with the card; I waited until the 6% cash back started up, then found out I couldn't do those (sim free unlocked) phones interest free. As one of them was a gift, I went ahead with the purchase.
Now, a month later, I could have gotten the 0%. Wish they would have done this at the time.
Nice timing, Apple.
Now, a month later, I could have gotten the 0%. Wish they would have done this at the time.
Nice timing, Apple.
If you can't afford one at 24 months then you sure as heck can't afford one at 36 months.
Just because the monthly payment is less, it doesn't make it more affordable.
Greenmeenie
macrumors 68020
Besides not having to be locked into any one carrier(which is great), it is different in the fact that you cannot upgrade to the next iphone before you pay off this one. Meaning after 24 months...OR...if you pay it off all at once. Then you buy your new iphone. There is no transfer of monthly payments of the old & new iphone. So technically no upgrade path. You HAVE to pay off the old phone first. Or be stuck with two payments for two phones. So lets say a year into using the iphone 11 you want to upgrade...with the upgrade carrier plan you just trade in your old phone for a new one and your contract gets extended. Youre perpetually locked in...but able to keep upgrading. With the apple card payment plan...you are not locked into a carrier....but you are locked into that phone. Meaning when a new one comes out you cant just trade in the old phone & transfer monthly payments to the new one extending your payment plan. You either have to trade in your old phone for a reduction in the new phones price...or pay off the balance of the old phone before financing the new one. Two separate contracts i believe. Somebody correct me if i am wrong.
Hazmat401
macrumors 6502
While I agree with your sentiment... your crazy if you think the carriers don't have leverage in that argument
Apple would lose out on billions
One thing is that Apple collects a commission from the carrier when you upgrade and activate on a line, which is used in part to pay for iUP. Some carriers then turn around and bill you an upgrade or activation fee, also depending on your plan or account type. It's fine, but you just have to be aware of this cost.
gixxerfool
macrumors 65816
You’re not wrong. I did the same, only not realizing until a few days ago it didn’t apply to sim free phones. After a lot of back and forth with Apple they opened up my return period for me so I could purchase under a carrier locked device. My return just arrived to Apple today and then I found this article. They had to have known this was going to happen and they could have told me to wait, so now, I need to go back and purchase another sim-free phone for no reason other than being tight lipped about this stuff.
"technology of the future" ?! with present Intel modem and without 5G it is better wait for iPhone12.
Next year I wait for this payment option to avoid At&t activation fee. It was hard to have it waived this year.
Just got an email from BestBuy Credit Card with 24 months no interest iPhone offer. BB CC doesn’t offer any cashback with the offer.
CarlJ
Contributor
Do you have any idea how hard it is for a server to replace one string with another string in a database? The agony involved? Won't someone think of the servers?
sbuntin
macrumors regular
They've expanded it to unlocked non-carrier-specific phones. You cam use those on MVNOs.
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Why not just swap the old SIM into the new phone?
My wife was pissed when she bought my unlocked iphone pro and then found out she couldnt put it on interest free financing on her Apple card.
I dont understand what the big deal was, its an Apple direct purchase why needed phone carriers???
I hope it isnt a trend in the future to wait several months before the unlocked one qualifies for interest free financing.
I dont understand what the big deal was, its an Apple direct purchase why needed phone carriers???
I hope it isnt a trend in the future to wait several months before the unlocked one qualifies for interest free financing.
it’s likely related to their agreement with the carriers.
HiVolt
macrumors 68020
I wish they expanded it outside the USA. I'd love an upgrade program here in Canada.
Apple does so many things in USA only.