Apple iPhone subscription — here's how much it could cost

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How much is the iPhone subscription likely to cost you in the long term?

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max in box
(Image credit: Future)

Rumor has it that Apple is working on developing an iPhone subscription service, allowing people access to devices in exchange for a monthly fee. Naturally, one question a lot of people have is how much this might cost, and how that affects how much you pay for an iPhone in the long term.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has been speculating about possible iPhone subscription pricing in the latest edition of his ‘Power on’ newsletter. 

If you subscribe to the iPhone upgrade program in this scenario for three years, you would end up paying $1,260 for an iPhone 13, $1,620 for a 13 Pro and $1,800 for the 13 Pro Max. Those phones cost $799, $999 and $1,099, respectively, should you buy them outright. Like the iPhone Upgrade Program, this wouldn’t include the cost of your usual call and data plan.

The usage of terms like “subscription” also suggest that users will essentially be renting their phones from Apple — rather than buying ownership over an extended period of time. So the longer you keep an older iPhone, the worse off you might end up being. Then again, this means there is no downside to upgrading as soon as you can, provided the cost of renting the latest iPhone is around the same or not too much higher.

Gurman makes it clear that these figures are “just back-of-the-envelope math," but notes that they’re not beyond the realm of possibility. Unfortunately, we can't say for sure how much of a good deal the rumored iPhone subscription plans will be without some sort of announcement from Apple.

We’ll bring you more on the alleged iPhone subscription plan when we hear it.

Tom Pritchard
Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.