Apple preps subscription service for iPhone, Mac and more

Apple preps subscription service for iPhone, Mac and more

Would you want to a Mac monthly subscription? What if it offered a new Mac every year?
Photo: Apple

Apple might soon give customers the option to get a Mac or other device with monthly fees, rather than paying the full cost up front. The company is working on a hardware subscription service, according to a reliable source.

Software subscriptions are common, but hardware is a different business. Even so, Apple has already dipped its toe into this market.

Sign up for a 12-month subscription to Mac

“Apple Inc. is working on a subscription service for the iPhone and other hardware products, a move that could make device ownership similar to paying a monthly app fee,” reports Mark Gurman in Bloomberg.

There are few details available, as the the report is based on unconfirmed information that leaked from Apple. Still, Gurman has very good sources inside the Mac-maker. He earned an 86% accuracy ranking from AppleTrack.

Get a new Mac every year with a subscription?

Apple already offers the iPhone Upgrade Program. This allows users to get a new iPhone every year by paying a monthly fee. Perhaps the plan is to extend this to iPad, Mac and other hardware.

The cost of the iPhone Upgrade Program depends on the price of the handset. It’s likely the same would be true if it was extended to other computers. That means a subscription to a basic Mac mini would cost far less than for a tricked-out Mac Studio.

The program will launch in late 2022 or early 2023, according to Bloomberg.