A leasing program could help Apple move closer to its goal of creating an iPhone completely sourced from recycled materials, all while convincing users to upgrade their phone every year. More subscribers would equal more revenue for Apple and potentially more iPhones with recycled materials inside.
There are other reasons a program like this could be smart. Leasing iPhones instead of selling them would give fans an easy way to upgrade to the newest model without swallowing the high lump-sum prices Apple charges for phones like the $699 iPhone 13 Mini or $1,099 Pro Max. For Apple, an iPhone subscription offering would likely result in a healthy boost to two of its most important business segments: revenue from the iPhone and digital services like iCloud and Apple TV Plus.
Still, the concept raises many questions.
We don’t know how much Apple would charge for such a program. So weighing whether it’s “worth it” is tough until there’s a price. What would happen at the end of the leasing period is also a mystery. (Apple didn’t immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment about Bloomberg’s report.)
There are also already a dizzying number of purchase options to choose from, between trade-in offers, carrier subsidies and Apple’s existing iPhone upgrade program. No matter Apple’s plan, it would have to be substantially more affordable than these other phone payment options to really catch on with consumers.
Plus, customers are already burned out by the growing number of monthly subscriptions, from streaming services to cell carrier plans to cloud storage. I can think of 10 different digital services I’m currently subscribed to right off the bat, without going through my credit card statements. Are we all willing to add yet another one?
