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Apple launches iPhone ‘Trade Up With Installments’ plan from $15/mo, yet another way to buy a new iPhone in the US

IPhone-lineup-2016

Apple is today rolling out another new way to buy an iPhone at an Apple Store, a combination of its existing iPhone Upgrade Program and trade-in offers. Right now, on the normal iPhone Upgrade Program, customers can pay about $32 a month for a brand new iPhone 6s on a two-year agreement with an annual trade-in option.

What the ‘Trade Up With Installments’ offers is a reduction of that monthly fee, in exchange for a trade-in of your existing smartphone. For example, you can trade in your current iPhone 6 to get a new iPhone 6s with a 2-year payment plan of $15/mo. What’s interesting is that you can trade in an Android device, not just iPhones — Apple will give up to $300 in trade-in value for Android handsets.

Exact pricing varies based on the age of the device being traded in and the new phone you are looking to buy. Moving from one iPhone generation to another works out to a monthly price of about $15 for 24 months, but moving from an iPhone 4 to a 128 GB iPhone 6s Plus will result in a $35.37 monthly bill, via USA Today.

You can trade in an iPhone dating back as far back to the iPhone 4. You’ll pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $15 a month for each step up in model, with the interest-free term again lasting for 24 months.

For example, if you step up from an iPhone 4 to an iPhone 5S, you’ll pay $14.58 a month for 24 months. If you move from an iPhone 6 to a 6S, the monthly tab is $14.54. To take the most extreme example, to move from the iPhone 4 to the largest-capacity (128 GB) iPhone 6S Plus, you’ll pay $35.37 a month.

Effectively, the new program is an interest-free loan with credit handled by Citizens Bank. It’s an alternative option to the existing iPhone Upgrade Program and trade-in Apple Store credit opportunities the company offers at its stores. On Apple’s most recent earnings call, Tim Cook said that 60% of the install base prior to iPhone 6 has still yet to upgrade … this new plan seems like a targeted move on incentivizing some of this existing user base to upgrade.

For now, the Trade Up With Installments plan is only available at Apple Retail Stores in the United States. In most cases, buying an iPhone outright is still the cheapest way of buying a new device in the long run, but many iOS customers are unable (or simply do not want) to pay >$650 as a lump sum at once. Hence, Apple and carriers now offer a plethora of interest-free-loan smartphone payment plans just like this one.

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Comments

  1. minieggseater - 8 years ago

    Any idea when these sorts of deals are going to appear in the UK ?

    • William D - 8 years ago

      the US love these financial instruments. the UK personal debt is higher than most in europe, but it’s not at US levels yet.

      • minieggseater - 8 years ago

        Why would you not want “interest free” credit. I appreciate it is built into the price but as they are always the same price regardless of where you buy them from it seems a better deal than stumping up £600 up front all the time

  2. Doug Bixler - 8 years ago

    Not impressed by the lack of diverse pricing based on capacity. Same $$$ no matter if it is a 16GB or 128GB? No thanks.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      Gazelle also gives little or no extra for different capacities. Gazelle gives $240,$245 and $250 for the 3 storage capacities of a 6 plus.

    • chrisl84 - 8 years ago

      This may be because you believe Apple when they tell you the storage tiers actually cost $100 each……they dont.

  3. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    I’ll be glad when Apple brings this and the iPhone upgrade plan online and not just Apple Stores.

  4. JT - 8 years ago

    With which interest-free loan does it cost more to buy an iPhone than “buying an iPhone outright”? $649 (paid outright) = $649 (paid over 24-monthly installments with Apple Upgrade Program, AT&T Next, Verizon’s 0% financing)

  5. Chris Vaccaro - 8 years ago

    does this mean I own the phone once the payments are finished?

  6. cxpblg - 8 years ago

    Is this limited to “Big 4” carriers like the Apple iPhone Upgrade Program is, or can I buy the phone sim-free and keep carriers completely out of the picture? I use a prepaid carrier. (Yes, I realize that some iPhones are or can be unlocked and could be moved to another carrier mid-term, but Apple requires you to activate on a major carrier in order to *start* an iPUP plan)

  7. Seenu Putta - 8 years ago

    While the new iphone is coming out, apple fans might be disappointed because they have to pay so much for a small upgrade, why not just buy the older version? Find out where you can buy the Apple iphone 5 online and know where to get the iphone delivered to your home. Visit: http://www.bleutronics.com/product-category/mobile_phones/iphone/

Author

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.