Image: Apple
The beginning of September marks one of the most important times of the year in the smartphone world: It's new iPhone season. In just a few days, we'll get to see what Apple has been cooking up in the labs at Cupertino and decide if it's finally time to upgrade our old phones.
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This year, in addition to getting the new iPhone from your carrier or buying it outright, there is a new option available called Apple Upgrade, which is Apple's new leasing program.
On paper, Apple Upgrade sounds like an incredible deal. It promises that you'll get the newest iPhone every 12 or 24 months for a flat monthly rate. After you join, there's also no more worrying about device installment plans, early upgrade fees, or the value of your trade-in. In short: Think of this as essentially an iPhone subscription plan. You're paying a monthly fee for access to the newest Apple hardware every cycle, but you'll never own the phone.
I suspect Apple will push the new Upgrade program hard after this year's iPhone 18 series launch. A lot of people are also going to see the terms and pricing—which are honestly generous for a new phone every year—and jump to sign up.
However, I think virtually everyone should avoid Apple Upgrade. It's really only worth considering if you already buy the new iPhone every year. For the rest of us, the math is not as friendly as you think, and most iPhones are simply not worth a yearly upgrade these days.
Hi there! I'm Max, and I'm a wireless industry expert. What does that mean? For one thing, I get paid to play on my iPhone. But more than that, it means I've spent years reviewing carriers, testing smartphone hardware, and reporting on the news that impacts your phone bill.
Smartphones and wireless plans are some of the most important pieces of technology in most people's lives, but you probably don't think about them until your plan is too expensive or it's time to upgrade to the newest phone. Unfortunately, that means you miss a lot of interesting and important stuff that can affect your life and wallet. The WhistleBlower is our way of cutting through the noise and flagging the things we think you need to know about.
Let's dive in using the standard iPhone 17, which starts at $830 if you buy it unlocked from Apple or on a carrier installment plan.
AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are now all using three-year installment plans. This puts the cost of the iPhone 17 at right around $23.05/month for 36 months from all three major carriers.
Apple Upgrade's cheapest yearly iPhone 17 plan leases the device for 12 months for $32.99/month. You'd keep it for a year, then automatically get the iPhone 18.
On its face, that seems like a solid deal. You'd get the newest iPhone every year for just an extra $10/month over what carriers charge. The problem is how this adds up over time and what you're actually getting for your money.
Customers generally keep their current devices for at least three years now. Some of this is due to rising smartphone costs and the length of installment plans, but part of it is also because of how similar devices are across generations.
Most new smartphones only get incremental updates, meaning they're only slightly better than the previous year's model. They may only get a new camera lens, slightly faster processor, or larger battery. It's much harder to justify paying that new-phone price every year, and this issue plagues virtually every smartphone manufacturer from Apple to Samsung and Google.
So, back to the math. Let's assume you're a normal customer who wants a new iPhone 17 and is considering three years of installment payments versus a new phone every year with Apple Upgrade. Here's how it would work out over three years, assuming that Apple maintains a similar pricing structure (which it probably won't due to price increases):
| Total paid w/ carrier installments |
Total paid w/ Apple Upgrade |
|
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $276.60 | $395.88 |
| Year 2 | $553.20 | $791.76 |
| Year 3 | $829.80 | $1,187.64 |
Over a standard three-year term, Apple Upgrade is $357 more expensive, and you don't own the phone at the end. Instead, you'll have to take a brand-new device with a whole new year of payments.
Meanwhile, finishing payments on the carrier plan means you now own your phone and can keep it as long as you want. While three years is the average, it's not unusual to keep smartphones for four years or more for the exact reasons I described above. I've personally had an iPhone 14 Pro for four years now because I haven't been impressed with any of the more recent releases. Here's how the iPhone 17 plan would shake out with a fourth year:
| Total paid w/ carrier installments |
Total paid w/ Apple Upgrade |
|
|---|---|---|
| Year 4 | Still $829.80 | $1,583.52 |
Over four years on Apple Upgrade, you'll have almost paid enough to buy two iPhone 17s. Yes, you've technically gone through four different iPhones by now, but remember there's a good chance that most of those devices will only be slightly updated from model to model. That's just not a great deal for what Apple is actually offering you.
All of this feeds back into why I described Apple Upgrade as an iPhone subscription plan. The idea is that since you get a new phone every year, you won't actually do the math to look at what it's costing you over time. You're simply paying for the newest phone and not worrying about the rest.
To be clear, Apple Upgrade does have its uses. If you are the kind of Apple freak superfan who already buys the newest handset every year, this is genuinely the cheapest way to do it. Additionally, its 24-month plans are a bit more affordable when compared to carrier pricing, but you still run into the same problem of being stuck in an eternal, expensive leasing plan that's more expensive over the long run because you'll never own your phone.
For most of us, the best option is still to stick with carriers or buy the new iPhone outright from Apple instead.
More from WhistleOut on this iPhone season:
Interested in this year's newest iPhone? We've got you covered with everything you need to know, from the event itself to finding the best deal.
- iPhone 18: Everything We Know About Apple's 2026 Lineup: Wondering what the new iPhone is like? We've rounded up the top rumors and leaks on Apple's next devices.
- iPhone Release Dates: When Will the Next iPhone Come Out: We've tracked every iPhone release date all the way back to 2007. Here's when we think the next series will come out.
- Best iPhone Deals: We've found the best deals on top iPhone models like the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air. Plus, we'll also update them with deals from every major carrier when the newest models come out.
Max McCaskill
Sr. Staff Writer
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