Apple teams up with Klarna to launch a lease-to-own program for iPhones, iPads, and Macs

苹果联手 Klarna 推出 iPhone、iPad 和 Mac 租赁购买计划

Apple is reportedly teaming up with deferred payment processor Klarna to launch a new lease-to-own program for its devices. Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the program — dubbed Apple Upgrade — is set to launch next Tuesday, July 28. It will allow consumers to pay for their purchases over multi-year periods, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches. 据报道，苹果公司正与延期支付处理商 Klarna 合作，为其设备推出一项全新的租赁购买计划。彭博社周二报道称，该计划名为“Apple Upgrade”，定于下周二（7 月 28 日）正式上线。它将允许消费者通过多年分期付款的方式购买 iPhone、iPad、Mac 和 Apple Watch 等产品。

Bloomberg writes that the lease term for iPhones and Apple Watches will be up to 24 months, while leases for Macs and iPads will be up to 36 months. The devices can either be kept or returned at the end of the leasing period, while upgrades to new devices will also be available (hence the name of the program). The report notes vaguely that, in some cases, “transactions will incur an additional fee.” 彭博社指出，iPhone 和 Apple Watch 的租赁期限最长为 24 个月，而 Mac 和 iPad 的租赁期限最长可达 36 个月。租赁期满后，用户可以选择保留或归还设备，也可以选择升级到新设备（这也是该计划名称的由来）。报告模糊地提到，在某些情况下，“交易将产生额外费用”。

Apple already has a similar program called iPhone Upgrade, although the company plans to stop allowing new customer sign-ups to instead build out the broader, more inclusive Apple Upgrade program, the report said. A leasing program is an obvious strategy for Apple at this point. The iPhone maker has been battling supply chain issues wrought by “RAMageddon” — the industry-wide shortage of memory chips that is driving up the price of hardware. 报告称，苹果此前已有一项名为“iPhone Upgrade”的类似计划，但公司计划停止接受新用户注册，转而打造覆盖范围更广、更具包容性的“Apple Upgrade”计划。对于目前的苹果而言，租赁计划是一项显而易见的策略。这家 iPhone 制造商一直受到“内存危机”（RAMageddon）带来的供应链问题困扰——全行业范围内的内存芯片短缺正在推高硬件价格。

Those shortages have been driven largely by the AI industry, which is gobbling up so much memory that it’s not leaving much for the rest of us. To deal with these issues, Apple recently announced that it would be raising prices, and Upgrade clearly seems designed to make those hiked prices more palatable to consumers. TechCrunch reached out to Apple and Klarna for more information. 这些短缺主要由人工智能行业造成，该行业消耗了大量内存，导致其他领域所剩无几。为了应对这些问题，苹果最近宣布将提高价格，而“Upgrade”计划显然旨在让消费者更容易接受这些上涨的价格。TechCrunch 已联系苹果和 Klarna 以获取更多信息。

Overall, the new program seems like a shrewd move for Apple, which is currently facing a hectic transitional period. As new CEO John Ternus takes the reins, the company also entered into a legal battle with AI startup superstar OpenAI — suing the company for alleged trade theft. In short: The company has its hands full, and anything that can shore up sales and keep the business headed in the right direction is worth trying. 总的来说，对于正处于繁忙转型期的苹果而言，这项新计划似乎是一步妙棋。随着新任首席执行官 John Ternus 接掌大权，公司还与人工智能初创公司巨头 OpenAI 陷入了法律纠纷，起诉该公司涉嫌窃取商业机密。简而言之：苹果目前正忙得不可开交，任何能够提振销售并保持业务朝着正确方向发展的举措都值得一试。