Apple Expands iPhone Installment Plan, Drawing Affordability Criticism

Apple has introduced a program called Apple Upgrade that allows customers to pay for iPhones through monthly installments. The plan is designed to make Apple's devices more accessible by spreading out the cost over time. However, critics have raised concerns about the approach, arguing it represents a financialization of what is fundamentally an affordability problem. Rather than lowering device prices, the program effectively locks consumers into ongoing payment cycles. Detractors warn that such installment schemes may worsen financial strain for consumers rather than genuinely addressing the high cost of smartphones.