What’s the catch with the Apple Upgrade program?
What’s the catch with the Apple Upgrade program?
Apple 升级计划有什么猫腻？
We did the math on Apple’s new device leasing program so you don’t have to. 我们已经为您算好了苹果新设备租赁计划的账，您无需再费心计算。
Apple’s new Upgrade program is here, allowing you to lease select models of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Watches with a relatively low monthly payment. The company promises you won’t pay more than the full price of the device over the course of the one- to three-year lease, and in some cases, you’ll pay hundreds of dollars less. 苹果全新的升级计划现已推出，允许用户以相对较低的月供租赁部分型号的 iPhone、iPad、Mac 和 Apple Watch。苹果承诺，在为期一到三年的租赁期内，用户支付的总费用不会超过设备的零售全价，在某些情况下，甚至能比全价购买节省数百美元。
The basics of the program make it sound like an amazing deal… so surely there must be a catch, right? 从基本规则来看，这听起来是一笔非常划算的交易……但肯定有什么猫腻，对吧？
The answer basically depends on how you use the Upgrade Program. At least with current pricing, a diligent user really should be able to make a monthly payment, swap in their phone a year or more later, and move along. But like any program involving monthly payments and trade-ins, there are caveats to be aware of — the most important of which is your ability to keep paying on time throughout the length of the contract. 答案主要取决于你如何使用该升级计划。至少以目前的定价来看，一个精明的用户确实可以通过按月支付费用，在一年或更久之后更换手机，然后继续使用。但就像任何涉及月供和以旧换新的计划一样，有一些注意事项——其中最重要的一点是，你是否有能力在整个合同期内按时还款。
The basics of the program work like this: You’ll pay the same monthly fee throughout the course of your contract. At the end of your lease, you have three choices. One of those options is to purchase the device by paying the difference between what you’ve paid and its remaining cost. For example, if you pay $695.76 to lease an iPhone Air for two years, you’d have to pay an extra $303.24 to purchase it at its $999 price tag. 该计划的基本运作方式如下：在合同期内，你每月支付固定的费用。租赁期满后，你有三个选择。其中之一是补齐已付金额与设备剩余价值之间的差额，从而买断该设备。例如，如果你支付 695.76 美元租赁了一台 iPhone Air 两年，那么你需要额外支付 303.24 美元，才能以 999 美元的原价将其买下。
Then there are the other two options. At the end of your lease, you can also choose to simply end the contract there, though you’ll then have to return the device and lose any potential resale or trade-in value. Or you can upgrade to another device immediately and switch to whatever monthly payment that new device demands. 另外还有两个选择。租赁期满后，你可以选择直接终止合同，但必须归还设备，这意味着你将失去该设备潜在的转售或以旧换值。或者，你可以立即升级到另一款设备，并切换到新设备对应的月供方案。
The single biggest catch of the Upgrade Program is that it’s ultimately just a loan, and like any loan, there’s a contract, along with possible fees and terms you have to abide by. 升级计划最大的猫腻在于，它本质上只是一笔贷款。和任何贷款一样，它包含一份合同，以及你必须遵守的潜在费用和条款。
Apple says there aren’t any late fees or interest on the loans, which are offered through the buy now, pay later service Klarna. In a statement to The Verge, Klarna spokesperson Clare Nordstrom says if a person misses three payments in a row, the company “will terminate the lease agreement and the customer will need to pay the full outstanding balance.” 苹果表示，这些通过“先买后付”服务商 Klarna 提供的贷款不收取任何滞纳金或利息。Klarna 发言人 Clare Nordstrom 在给 The Verge 的声明中表示，如果用户连续三次逾期未还款，公司“将终止租赁协议，客户需要支付全部未结清余额。”
Klarna doesn’t say what will happen if you don’t pay the outstanding balance. However, a support page about payments with Klarna says if a payment “is not registered by the last reminder due date, the debt is transferred to debt collection,” though it’s unclear whether this applies to the Apple Upgrade program. The Verge reached out to Klarna for more information but didn’t immediately hear back. Klarna 没有说明如果你无法支付剩余余额会发生什么。不过，Klarna 的支付支持页面显示，如果付款“在最后提醒截止日期前未登记，债务将被转交给催收机构”，尽管尚不清楚这是否适用于苹果升级计划。The Verge 已联系 Klarna 寻求更多信息，但未立即得到回复。
And while 9to5Mac spotted code that suggested Apple could put your phone in “Restricted Mode” for missing payments, Apple spokesperson Brian Bumbery confirmed that “there will be no limitations put on device functionality due to missed payments or default with the Apple Upgrade program.” 尽管 9to5Mac 发现的代码暗示苹果可能会因逾期付款将手机置于“受限模式”，但苹果发言人 Brian Bumbery 证实：“苹果升级计划不会因逾期付款或违约而对设备功能施加任何限制。”
Apple Upgrade payments can also pile upon the other bills and subscriptions you probably have. The possibility of accruing debt is a major issue with BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) services like Klarna, with nearly half of all users paying late on one of their loans in 2025, according to LendingTree. Klarna also uses customer data to sell personalized ads. 苹果升级计划的月供可能会与你现有的其他账单和订阅费用叠加。对于像 Klarna 这样的“先买后付”服务，积累债务是一个主要问题。据 LendingTree 数据显示，2025 年有近一半的用户在贷款还款上出现过逾期。此外，Klarna 还会利用客户数据投放个性化广告。
During the lease, Klarna owns your device. You’re responsible for any damage, and will get charged a fee if you don’t return the device in “good condition.” That’s why Apple is encouraging customers to sign up for an AppleCare subscription that could drive up the cost of your lease even more. AppleCare costs $9.99 / month and up to protect iPhones, while iPad protection starts at $5.49 / month; Mac coverage starts at $3.99 / month; and protection for the Watch Series 11 and up is priced at $4.99 / month. You can also pay $19.99 / month to protect up to three devices. 在租赁期间，设备的所有权归 Klarna 所有。你需要对任何损坏负责，如果归还时设备状况不佳，你将被收取额外费用。这就是为什么苹果鼓励客户订阅 AppleCare，但这会进一步增加你的租赁成本。AppleCare 保护 iPhone 的费用为每月 9.99 美元起，iPad 为每月 5.49 美元起，Mac 为每月 3.99 美元起，Watch Series 11 及以上机型的保护费用为每月 4.99 美元。你也可以支付每月 19.99 美元来保护最多三台设备。
Apple also notes that you’ll have to pay an early termination fee if you want to return the device before your lease ends or if you want to upgrade early. Additionally, Apple says that you’ll have six months to decide whether you want to upgrade and return your current device after the loan, exit the program, or buy your device outright. You’ll still be charged your monthly payment during this period, which makes the program less of a good deal if you don’t choose an option right away. 苹果还指出，如果你想在租赁期结束前归还设备或提前升级，则必须支付提前终止费。此外，苹果表示，在贷款结束后，你有六个月的时间来决定是升级并归还当前设备、退出计划，还是直接买断设备。在此期间，你仍需支付月供，这意味着如果你没有立即做出选择，该计划的性价比就会大打折扣。
But even with the lower monthly payments for leasing a device, you’ll likely be losing out on some extra cash if you choose to upgrade your device instead of purchasing it outright. 即便租赁设备的月供较低，如果你选择升级设备而不是直接买断，你很可能会损失一部分额外的资金。
Let’s say you lease the iPhone 17 and pay $551.76 over the course of a two-year lease. If you choose to upgrade to the next iPhone instead of paying the additional $247.24 to buy the iPhone 17 at its original price of $799, you’d be missing out on the cash you could earn by selling the device or trading it in. 假设你租赁了一台 iPhone 17，在两年租赁期内支付了 551.76 美元。如果你选择升级到下一代 iPhone，而不是支付额外的 247.24 美元以 799 美元的原价买下 iPhone 17，那么你将失去通过出售或以旧换新该设备本可以获得的现金。
Data from the price comparison site SellUp suggests that iPhones lose around 35 to 40 percent of their value two years after they launch. If we apply that logic to the iPhone 17, that means you could resell a used, two-year-old device for around $520 if it loses 35 percent of its value. In other words, you would’ve only spent $279 to use the phone for two years. You would get a little less back from trading in a device through Apple or Back Market, but… 价格比较网站 SellUp 的数据显示，iPhone 在发布两年后通常会贬值 35% 到 40%。如果我们将这一逻辑应用于 iPhone 17，这意味着如果贬值 35%，你转售一台使用两年的旧设备可以获得约 520 美元。换句话说，你使用这部手机两年的实际成本仅为 279 美元。通过苹果或 Back Market 进行以旧换新回收的金额会少一些，但是……