How Does IPhone Upgrade Program Work,

Apple runs an iPhone Upgrade Program exclusively in its Apple Stores in the UK - you can't join online. It's a way to pay a set monthly fee and get the latest iPhone (you'll have to buy a SIM card and plan separately). Instead of buying an iPhone outright, or buying one as part of a deal with phone company, you buy the new iPhone directly from Apple and pay for it in monthly installments.

Then when a new iPhone is released you hand back your old iPhone to Apple and get the new model. So rather than buying a new model every year, you pay a monthly fee and always have a new iPhone. So is the Apple Upgrade Program a bargain, Is it worth joining the Apple Upgrade Program,

Whether the Apple Upgrade Program is a bargain depends on your intentions. Here is a little more detail on the way it works. 1. You pay £69 to join the Apple Upgrade Program. 2. Apple takes the cost of a new iPhone and splits it into 20 equal monthly payments.

3. You pay Apple 1/20th of the cost of the iPhone every month. 5. You carry on paying the installments until month 20. At which point you keep the iPhone. If your intention is to carry on to Step 5 then it's not actually a bad way to buy an iPhone. Apple states that it's an interest-free loan, but you have to take into account the £69 upfront payment.

That's not a bad rate to get the latest iPhone. Of course, the real idea is to hand your iPhone back to Apple once a year and get the new model from them. Is it worth it, After you've paid for the joining fee you will effectively pay half the price of an iPhone every year, but always have the latest model. You won't, however, have an old model to sell.

Mind you, the iPhone is typically worth half its price when the new model comes out. You can get a little more for the iPhone by selling it privately, but the Apple Upgrade Program makes the whole process easier. The programme is only available on the premises at an Apple Store.

This may make this an inconvenient option for some buyers. It also warns you to back up your data before joining the programme. What are the down sides, Heads are going to roll at @Apple. Congrats on relying on @Barclays for the upgrade program. Do I need to pay for AppleCare,

Yes, AppleCare is a compulsory component of the Apple Upgrade Program. But it's included in the cost. AppleCare gives you two free repairs for accidental damage (a £25 charge applies to screen damage) and costs from £129 when sold separately. See also: Is AppleCare worth it, But, as a reader points out in the comments below, this is in fact a monthly-payment financing scheme that is similar to the Upgrade Program, splitting the cost of a new iPhone across 20 months, but doesn't include future upgrades.

Maybe one day when you receive one of those chargers you can make a comparison between the two. Excellent product review, Ken. Who would have thought that this small power supply included a controller IC with a feedback circuit for adjusting the output voltage, That's amazing in this form factor - a tip of my sombrero to Apple, but another to you Ken for nice analysis.

It's a very interesting study. I used to take stuff apart, down to the basics, like that. Now I'm an electrical engineer, and don't have time, but I was admiring my charger, and wondered how they got so much into that small package - very good ! I'm skeptical. Yes, it'll probably "work" but depending on the actual power supply design, could it cause damage to the device/battery, Have you gotten a chance to look into that, Thanks. I will have to say that this is one of the most professional review that i have ever seen.