Apple has retired its iPhone Upgrade Program — a 0% loan with AppleCare included — and replaced it with Apple Upgrade, a Klarna-financed lease. While the new plan appears cheaper at first glance ($552/year vs ~$684/year for an iPhone 17 Pro), AppleCare is no longer bundled. Adding it back brings the cost to $720/year, or $624/year if you have AppleCare One covering three devices. The author argues Apple is strategically pushing users toward AppleCare One because insurance margins are roughly 2x those of hardware. Despite feeling slightly worse than the old deal, the author plans to stick with the new plan plus standalone AppleCare, citing Apple's historically smooth upgrade process as a key intangible benefit.
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