Apple just quietly killed one of its most popular programs and replaced it with something that might sound better but might actually be worse.

Apple just quietly killed one of its most popular programs and replaced it with something that might sound better but might actually be worse. Here's everything we know about Apple Upgrade for those who don't know, Apple just shut down the iPhone Upgrade Program, the one that's been around since 2015 and replaced it with a new thing called Apple Upgrade. It's already live in the US as of this week. So if you've been on the old program, pay attention because this affects you and me. Here's what matters most. The old program was basically a loan through Citizens Bank. Your payments were chipping away at actually owning the phone eventually. Apple Upgrade is a lease. Klarna, yes, the buy now pay later company technically owns your device the entire time you're paying for it under Apple Upgrade. You're not paying it off, you're renting your iPhone. So just sit with that. Now, here's where it gets a little confusing for dummies like me because the pricing of it does look good at first. Apple Upgrade starts at $17.99 a month for an iPhone, which is way cheaper than what people were paying before. But that new lower price doesn't include Apple Care anymore. I think that used to be bundled in, but now it's a separate add-on. So once you add that back, the real total cost is the same or more than before. Classic. When your lease term is up, you get three options. Upgrade to the newest device, buy your current one outright with one more payment, or just return it and walk away completely, which I think a lot of people are doing. You actually get six months after your term ends to decide, which is more flexible than before, not gonna lie. But here's something that I think is kind of shady. If you miss three payments in a row, the lease ends immediately and you owe the entire remaining balance, and it can go to collections, which I know is valid. The device itself won't get remotely disabled, so that's good. But you're still on the hook for the full amount. This isn't like missing a phone bill. So please print. Also not everything even qualifies for this program. You can't use Apple Upgrade for the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, Apple Watch SE, the MacBook Neo, Mac mini, or the entry A16 iPad. Those are excluded entirely. You also can't use it for student pricing and you can't buy refurbished devices. So if you're a student trying to save money, this program isn't even for you. So to Best Buy. And one more thing that's genuinely going to annoy people is that Klarna doesn't accept certain credit cards or payments, including American Express, Chase and Capital One. So depending on what card you use day to day, you might not be able to pay for it the way you want to. And some of you are probably wondering, well, what if I'm currently in the old iPhone Upgrade Program? You're not getting kicked off that. You'll keep your current plan and payments as is until your next upgrade window hits. At that point, you'll either have to switch to Apple Upgrade, Apple Card installments, buying outright, or carrier financing instead. So you've got time, but the clock is ticking. Let me know in the comments. Are you guys gonna switch to this or does owning your phone feel like a red flag? And as always, stay up to date.