Apple Upgrade Program - Is it worth it?

[Deleted member 209350]

Was thinking about getting on the apple upgrade program, just makes sense as it seems cheaper on the whole and allows me to get the latest iphone every year. Its not so much about the new upgrade every year, as ill happily be on a 2 or even 3 year cycle with no big issues, but from a money saving point of view is it worth it?

I dont really fancy spending £1k minimum on a new phone, when instead I can just pay monthly.

Anyone already on the plan that can provide any further insight, pros and cons maybe?

 

[Junglist]

Pros - you get the phone and AC+ at monthly installments without any interest.
Con - if you do exercise your right to upgrade you hand the phone back for what was essentially an expensive rental period.

I'm on it and have upgraded every year. It could potentially be cheaper if you buy outright and sell yourself but that comes with an added hassle, in my opinion.

 

[Squink]

I considered the upgrade program recently and while it isn't particularly cheaper than any other option, it isn't significantly more expensive. Last Black Friday saw some pretty good contract deals on iPhones - if you can hang on for another month, that might be the most cost-effective method (though I can't guarantee it).

 

[Deleted member 209350]

Pros - you get the phone and AC+ at monthly installments without any interest.
Con - if you do exercise your right to upgrade you hand the phone back for what was essentially an expensive rental period.

I'm on it and have upgraded every year. It could potentially be cheaper if you buy outright and sell yourself but that comes with an added hassle, in my opinion.

Thats exactly what I was thinking tbh, the apple care is quite a nice thing to have as it pretty much allows you to carry your phone without a case and can get it repaired free if its damaged.

Whats the monthly payment like? I know it depends from phone to phone, but how much we talking roughly?

 

[Deleted member 209350]

I considered the upgrade program recently and while it isn't particularly cheaper than any other option, it isn't significantly more expensive. Last Black Friday saw some pretty good contract deals on iPhones - if you can hang on for another month, that might be the most cost-effective method (though I can't guarantee it).

Was thinking the same, I may just wait it out until next years iphone and then go with the upgrade plan then. But just wanted to see how it ends up costing. Also applecare I wouldnt usually pay for, but its nice that it comes with it

 

[Squink]

Also applecare I wouldnt usually pay for, but its nice that it comes with it

It comes with it, but it's not free and you don't get any reduction in the price. You're paying full whack for the phone and the insurance, spread over a longer period. Also, Applecare has an excess and limits on the number of claims so it's not perfect.

 

[Junglist]

Thats exactly what I was thinking tbh, the apple care is quite a nice thing to have as it pretty much allows you to carry your phone without a case and can get it repaired free if its damaged.

Whats the monthly payment like? I know it depends from phone to phone, but how much we talking roughly?

Just a FYI there is still a fee when repairing with Apple Care. I think it's £25 for the front and £75 for the back. At least that was the prices with the X and XS Max. I'm yet to break the Pro Max so I am not sure on repair costs. It's much easier to stomach than the Out-of-AppleCare prices!

I think I pay something like £63 for a 11 Pro Max 64GB which was cheaper than the XS Max 256GB I had prior to this. That's the main reason I upgraded, saved myself about a tenner a month.

 

[Deleted member 209350]

It comes with it, but it's not free and you don't get any reduction in the price. You're paying full whack for the phone and the insurance, spread over a longer period. Also, Applecare has an excess and limits on the number of claims so it's not perfect.

Ahhh bummer!

lets just say for example, I drop my screen and crack it and want it replaced. I should be able to get it replaced for free right? Of course I dont expect to get my screen replaced every week but surely if its just a 1 time thing in the space of a year, maybe twice, it shouldnt be a problem should it?

 

[Deleted member 209350]

Just a FYI there is still a fee when repairing with Apple Care. I think it's £25 for the front and £75 for the back. At least that was the prices with the X and XS Max. I'm yet to break the Pro Max so I am not sure on repair costs. It's much easier to stomach than the Out-of-AppleCare prices!

I think I pay something like £63 for a 11 Pro Max 64GB which was cheaper than the XS Max 256GB I had prior to this. That's the main reason I upgraded, saved myself about a tenner a month.

What the hell, really? S whats the point of apple care then if i still need to pay when my phone is damaged? I assume its just a cheaper cost of getting it repaired as usually im sure the prices are far pricier.

Ah £63 a month is actually not all that bad, Ive heard its only for about a 11 month period, and then you get the new phone the following year correct?

 

[Junglist]

What the hell, really? S whats the point of apple care then if i still need to pay when my phone is damaged? I assume its just a cheaper cost of getting it repaired as usually im sure the prices are far pricier.

Ah £63 a month is actually not all that bad, Ive heard its only for about a 11 month period, and then you get the new phone the following year correct?

Yeah it takes the sting out a bit but not completely. When I broke the back of my X I had to pay ~£75 to get it repaired but if I didn't have Apple Care I was looking at around £500. The front for the XS Max was £25 and I think again without AC it would've been around £350 - not sure if those figures are spot on but you see the savings you have by having it.

Something like that. I think you're eligible to upgrade after the 12 month/payment. Had to pay an extra month when i upgraded from the X to the XS Max due to the X releasing a few months after the 8 which effected the upgrade date.

 

[Deleted member 209350]

Yeah it takes the sting out a bit but not completely. When I broke the back of my X I had to pay ~£75 to get it repaired but if I didn't have Apple Care I was looking at around £500. The front for the XS Max was £25 and I think again without AC it would've been around £350 - not sure if those figures are spot on but you see the savings you have by having it.

Something like that. I think you're eligible to upgrade after the 12 month/payment. Had to pay an extra month when i upgraded from the X to the XS Max due to the X releasing a few months after the 8 which effected the upgrade date.

Oh fair enough that is a pretty big saving I guess, and definitely a lot more reliable than going to some dodgy shop to get it fixed.

That still seems a pretty good deal I guess, you're paying around £750 for a year usage, and then you carry on paying a similar amount (might be a bit more) for the following year

 

[Squink]

That still seems a pretty good deal I guess, you're paying around £750 for a year usage

I'm not sure many people would agree that it's a deal, since you aren't getting a penny off the asking price. It is convenient if you don't want to pay upfront. And £750 for a year's phone usage (not ownership) is hard to justify as anything other than premium price. However, it is what it, Apple will charge what they like and plenty of people will pay it.

 

[Deleted member 209350]

I'm not sure many people would agree that it's a deal, since you aren't getting a penny off the asking price. It is convenient if you don't want to pay upfront. And £750 for a year's phone usage (not ownership) is hard to justify as anything other than premium price. However, it is what it, Apple will charge what they like and plenty of people will pay it.

This is why im torn! On the one hand it does make things very easy, but on the other you're paying essentially almost the same price of the phone + apple care for just a year, and then you carry on paying that the following year and so on..

The real best way to do would be to just buy the phone outright, use it carefully for the year and if you really want the next years model you should sell the current phone for as high a price as possible and pay the extra amount to get the new phone.

Im still torn on whats the best thing to do, but as im not actually interested in updating phones every year as most apple products are pretty incremental, I think I may just hold out with my current 7 Plus, and buy the iphone 12 pro max next year.

 

[LiE]

You can always sell privately or use a phone recycle website when it comes to upgrade. Usually you'll get more than the outstanding balance of your iUP finance. With phone recycle websites you can lock in a price for 14 days normally, so doing this a week or so before the new iPhone drops should give you the best price.

 

[Deleted member 209350]

You can always sell privately or use a phone recycle website when it comes to upgrade. Usually you'll get more than the outstanding balance of your iUP finance. With phone recycle websites you can lock in a price for 14 days normally, so doing this a week or so before the new iPhone drops should give you the best price.

Dont most recycle sites offer you very little?

I personally would just sell it normally online on a site like ebay, you're almost guaranteed a sale on there

 

[ChrisD.]

Dont most recycle sites offer you very little?

Carphone Warehouse gave me £460 via BACS for my iPhone X.

I personally would just sell it normally online on a site like ebay, you're almost guaranteed a sale on there

You're a braver man than me selling a phone on eBay. It's absolutely full of scams and more often than not once you factor in eBay and Paypal fees, you rarely get more than the likes of CPW would give you anyway without the additional stress of potentially getting scammed.

 

[Deleted member 209350]

Carphone Warehouse gave me £460 via BACS for my iPhone X.



You're a braver man than me selling a phone on eBay. It's absolutely full of scams and more often than not once you factor in eBay and Paypal fees, you rarely get more than the likes of CPW would give you anyway without the additional stress of potentially getting scammed.

£460 is decent I suppose, was it this year you sold it?

And im talking about selling on ebay, not buying! How can you get scammed selling? Though the ebay and paypal fees are very annoying though.. 12% of whatever you get down the drain

 

[ChrisD.]

Yes I sold it after I took delivery of my 11 Pro.

Just google it, it's extremely prevalent when selling a phone on eBay. I know a few people that have been stung!

 

[LiE]

£460 is decent I suppose, was it this year you sold it?

And im talking about selling on ebay, not buying! How can you get scammed selling? Though the ebay and paypal fees are very annoying though.. 12% of whatever you get down the drain

Have a look at the plethora of examples in GD, people having all sorts of trouble on eBay.

I sell on here using members market (I have an iPhone 8 for sale right now for example) or use recycle websites.

 

[Squink]

How can you get scammed selling?

Someone buys the phone and you send them it. The buyer receives the phone, but rings up Paypal and tells them you sent a pile of horse manure and some used jazz mags instead of the phone. Paypal refund them for the price of the phone and take it from your account. The buyer keeps your phone free of charge.