Apple plans to launch a hardware rental program this year
A 2021 Statista report indicates that Apple’s iOS share of the Australian mobile operating system market has surpassed 55 percent. That means that more than half of the mobile devices in Australia are Apple products. Compare that to Samsung which holds just over 20 percent of the market.
Apple’s iOS continues to command the mobile operating system market in Australia with a market share of over 55 percent. src
None of these stats should come as a surprise. After all, we see it everyday – most Aussies you run across have an iPhone in their hands.
However, we also know that Apple devices come with premium price tags. If you want to stay up to date with the latest Apple iPhone 13, for instance, you should be ready and willing to dish out thousands of dollars or hefty monthly payments along with a compulsory SIM plan for your iPhone from one of the major telcos. Also, because Apple launches a new iPhone version every year, you’d have to spend those thousands of dollars every year just to keep up with the trend.
But what if you could rent the latest Apple iPhone with no strings attached? After all, you only plan on keeping it for a year and purchasing the latest flagship whenever it gets launched. Renting an iPhone for a year, and then renting the latest version for another year when it launches, seems like a great idea.
If you agree, then you should know that Apple could allow you to do just that by the end of this year. And while there are third party iPhone rental companies in Australia already, renting directly from Apple comes with a ton of extra benefits that third party renters simply do not provide.
In this post, we’ll tell you all about Apple’s upcoming hardware rental program. Read on to find out how Apple wants you to rent the iPhone 14 and beyond.
Apple iPhone rental: how it works
Bloomberg recently reported that Apple plans to launch a hardware subscription program. While there isn’t much detail about the rental plan yet, there are some rumours that the program will be similar to subscribing to Apple One, where you pay a flat monthly fee for subscription services. Other rumours suggest that Apple One may even be bundled into the hardware rental plan.
While most people are excited about the idea of being able to rent an iPhone, Apple likely won’t limit the program to iPhones alone. We expect other Apple hardware to qualify, but we can only wait and see. The rental program is expected to go live by the end of this year or early next year.
Benefits of renting an iPhone from Apple
Renting anything implies that you have to return it eventually. However, renting also implies that you can rent that product again, or perhaps even an upgraded version whenever that product becomes outdated.
This pretty much summarizes one of the main benefits of an Apple hardware rental program. Because Apple products are quite expensive, being able to rent one for as long as you want (or as short as you want) will cut down on huge upfront costs.
This also adds the benefits of upgrades. Renting a phone means that you can return the phone whenever you want, and rent a newer version whenever it launches. For tech enthusiasts who like to keep up with the trend, this is a major benefit.
Another benefit stems from the rumours about bundling Apple services. If you can bundle services such as Apple One and Apple TV to your hardware rental plan, we can expect Apple to offer a discount to make it even more attractive to do so.
And if Apple includes Apple Care+ like they do with their upgrade program, that would be all the convincing you should need to rent an iPhone 14 instead of buying one outright.
While there are already companies in Australia that rent Apple iPhones, none of them will be able to bundle the aforementioned services. This alone will make Apple the go-to rental service for consumers.
Apple’s upgrade program: An alternative to renting an iPhone 14
Apple already has an upgrade program which allows customers to upgrade to the latest iPhone device. This program is a great alternative to renting a phone if you want the option of owning the phone after a certain amount of time. However, this upgrade program is only available in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Apple upgrade program requires a credit check because it is financed by a third party service. However, the monthly payments are interest-free so you don’t pay any more than you would if you purchase an Apple device outright.
However, Apple’s upgrade program requires a 24-month contract. This isn’t such a huge drawback though, because you can trade in your device after 12 months and upgrade to the latest model. Keep in mind, however, that each upgrade requires a new 24-month contract. If you decide not to upgrade, you can keep the phone and own it after 24 months.
Final words
If you like to keep up with the trend, then Apple’s hardware rental program is a great idea. Why pay a premium price tag for an outright purchase this year, just to do it again next year? A rental program will charge flat monthly rates and might even bundle some coveted Apple services. And the best part: you can opt out of the plan for your current device, and then rent the latest model to stay in trend.