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Apple Upgrade program: is it worth it?

safetyobc

safetyobc

macrumors 6502
Sep 6, 2007
480
27
Arkansas
If I do the AUP and trade in my iPhone 6 Plus (which is not on AUP) the website says I will get $250 credit. Will that $250 be taken off the new phone under the AUP? If so does that mean less payments or lower payments?

Thanks for any information
 
S

Steviejobz

macrumors 68020
Jun 19, 2010
2,122
363
SoCal
Citizens bank does do a credit check. For that reason I'm just doing the AT&T Next plan. Only difference is you would need to order Applecare separately and pay for that entirely up front rather than monthly. I prefer this all to be on one bill rather than have another charge from Citizens Bank on my bill. Plus Citizens bank service sucks.
 
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rmcnelly

macrumors regular
Jul 23, 2011
119
112
Portsmouth, VA
I'm still confused about the credit card thing. Is the monthly payment charged to my credit card? This would seem to defeat the purpose.
 
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MrMister111

macrumors 68040
Jan 28, 2009
3,895
381
UK
This is available in UK this year and interested to.

Apple say you can upgrade after 11 months but how? Let's say I get the 7, presume the 8 won't be available until same time next year, so after the required 11 months the 8 won't be here so effectively its upgrade after 12 months, and another payment required...

So it's really £49 upfront + (12 x monthly fee) is it not?

Also on this upgrade do US users who are upgrading have to pay the upfront fee again?

Also what condition does the iPhone you are returning have to be in? Presume screen can't be smashed but what about scratches and bumps and dents on the casing?

Thanks
 
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mtcowdog

macrumors regular
Jul 17, 2010
239
176
The problem is the the "small print" with carrier costs is hard to calculate accurately. A "independent" phone on a network may or may not be cheaper over time. Calculating the real cost is stupidly difficult. Taxes and fees are not advertised, and things like "line charges" are purposefully hard to figure out. Apple's installment program is zero interest, and their upgrade program, AppleCare+ included, is cheaper than buying outright. But the carrier piece is a puzzle where the subsidization cost is not fully removed from their pricing plans. It is really confusing, apparently by design.
 
nwlondonlad

nwlondonlad

macrumors 65816
Sep 20, 2007
1,015
729
UK London
MrMister111 said:
This is available in UK this year and interested to.

Apple say you can upgrade after 11 months but how? Let's say I get the 7, presume the 8 won't be available until same time next year, so after the required 11 months the 8 won't be here so effectively its upgrade after 12 months, and another payment required...

So it's really £49 upfront + (12 x monthly fee) is it not?

Also on this upgrade do US users who are upgrading have to pay the upfront fee again?

Also what condition does the iPhone you are returning have to be in? Presume screen can't be smashed but what about scratches and bumps and dents on the casing?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yeah you raise an interesting point about the 11 payments as a new iPhone will be 12 months and god forbid possibly longer. The time between the apple watch and series 2 has been over 16 months. You might want to consider waiting the full 20 months before upgrading if an iPhone release goes more than 14 month.

If i'm not mistaken iPhone launches weren't always in September
 
M

MrMister111

macrumors 68040
Jan 28, 2009
3,895
381
UK
Don't quite get the AppleCare+ either. It's cheaper for a screen repair £25 but another incident is £79?!? So what's the £119 that you pay upfront for?

Also suppose I won't bother with a screen cover his time as imagine screen scratches are ok then for when you hand in? Not sure on scratches on body though?

I've always kept my iPhone in a case and/or Zagg shields on screen and body, so do I have to now?

If Apple when you upgrade aren't happy with condition could you get a "repair" for £79 then? and then not have to "baby" it so much through the year as I normally always have to sell on in a year?
 
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sjsharks13

macrumors regular
Jul 15, 2008
162
26
frozencarbonite said:
I just spoke with someone at Apple. When you pre-order through Apple's website, they will be shipped to your home. If you apply for the AUP, that will ask for a scan of your IDs.





The person I spoke with said you pretty much find out instantaneously if you are approved or not.
Click to expand...

The credit check can be done online this year instead of in store? (for apple upgrade program)
 
GnrlyMrly

GnrlyMrly

macrumors 6502a
Apr 23, 2006
567
71
Atlanta, GA
Has there been any changes in regards to utilizing the Apple Upgrade Plan if you're on a pre-paid sim plan with Cricket, etc? Could you simply tell them you want an AT&T phone which will work with Cricket? Or would you need to provide At&T account details?
 
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twowinns

macrumors regular
Jun 10, 2010
101
9
McKinney, Texas
Seems redundant or unnecessary to run a credit check on someone who is paying for the installments on a credit card. I guess they have some people who might later have their credit card maxed-out or declined, and want to make sure you can make the remaining payments without the credit card.
 
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budselectjr

macrumors 65816
Oct 6, 2009
1,008
1,857
Minnesota
Did this last year for the 6s+. Didn't have any issues with extra fees or anything else. Your credit card will be billed for the first month but you just create an online account through Citizens and you can change it your bank account.

As for the credit check, it didn't seem to be a hard pull as I didn't notice any change in my score.

If you upgrade your phone every year and like the idea of 0% APR its a pretty good deal.

The real test will be how the in-store upgrade deal goes for the first upgrade cycle. Last year the Citizens bank servers crashed earlier on launch day. By the time I went later that day things were working though.
 
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DMVillain

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2011
624
382
safetyobc said:
If I do the AUP and trade in my iPhone 6 Plus (which is not on AUP) the website says I will get $250 credit. Will that $250 be taken off the new phone under the AUP? If so does that mean less payments or lower payments?

Thanks for any information
Click to expand...
Did this when I traded in a 5C for a 6s in March. That $250 will be applied to whatever credit card you use for IUP.
[doublepost=1473369186][/doublepost]
Neebee said:
What's the catch? Apple makes it sound like you pay a monthly fee, say around $40 for 12 months and then you get a new iPhone each year.

Is it better than selling it on Craigslist when the new iPhone launches? Link is here: http://www.apple.com/shop/iphone/iphone-upgrade-program
Click to expand...
I've used IUP for a 6s and 6s Plus. Sold the 6s, but will be upgrading the 6s Plus to a 7. The only "catch" I've found is less-than-modern use of credit verification from Apple/Citizens. However, (if you can afford a hard credit pull and are approved) once you're past the approval, this program is just like buying outright with Apple care, but cheaper.
 
safetyobc

safetyobc

macrumors 6502
Sep 6, 2007
480
27
Arkansas
DMVillain said:
Did this when I traded in a 5C for a 6s in March. That $250 will be applied to whatever credit card you use for IUP.
[doublepost=1473369186][/doublepost]
Click to expand...

Applied to my current credit card? Or the credit line opened specifically for the phone?

Thanks
 
ashton18

ashton18

macrumors regular
Apr 12, 2014
195
78
Atlanta / Los Angeles
Will we be able to enroll in the program from the apple store app and be approved from there or do we have to walk in the store so they can run our credit?
 
THE JUICEMAN

THE JUICEMAN

macrumors 68020
Oct 3, 2007
2,371
1,122
This is too much. What i'm doing is going into the store tomorrow to reserve an iPhone for the 16th. Then once I pick it up on the 16th I'll enroll in the Apple upgrade program. I'm doing this mainly because I'm on T-Mobile and that's the best way that I have found after talking to several Apple employees
 
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sjsharks13

macrumors regular
Jul 15, 2008
162
26
THE JUICEMAN said:
This is too much. What i'm doing is going into the store tomorrow to reserve an iPhone for the 16th. Then once I pick it up on the 16th I'll enroll in the Apple upgrade program. I'm doing this mainly because I'm on T-Mobile and that's the best way that I have found after talking to several Apple employees
Click to expand...

you can't pick up and THEN enroll in the AUP.
 
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shaunp0327

macrumors member
Sep 11, 2015
57
26
Can Anyone break down the difference between the Apple iPhone Installments compared to the Apple iPhone upgrade program? Im leaning more toward the iPhone installments because i don't care for the apple care. Want to really know with the iPhone installments program can you pay off the phone whenever you want like the iPhone upgrade program?
 
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