苹果公司推出名为「Apple Upgrade」的全新硬体租赁服务，与金融公司Klarna合作，让使用者能以按月付费的方式租用iPhone、iPad、Mac或Apple Watch。这项服务提供无锁版手机与旧换新折扣，使用者可在一年或两年后换取新机，进一步强化了苹果生态系的订阅制愿景。（关键数字： two years）

尽管每月租金看似不贵，但使用者并未真正拥有该设备，且必须在租期结束时将设备以初始状态归还，否则可能面临额外收费。维修倡议者认为，这种商业模式将消费者从拥有者转变为承租人，不仅削弱了消费者的自主权，也让苹果得以在二手市场中实现利润最大化。

专家警告，这类租赁或先买后付的模式反映了更广泛的负担能力危机，虽然能暂时缓解物价上涨带来的经济压力，但长期下来可能引发更大的财务问题。对于追求性价比的消费者而言，购买二手翻新机、尽可能延长使用寿命，并在汰换时转手卖出，依然是更为明智的选择。

Apple has launched "Apple Upgrade," a new hardware leasing service in partnership with the financial company Klarna, allowing users to rent devices like iPhones, iPads, Macs, or Apple Watches for a monthly fee. This service offers unlocked phones and trade-in options, letting customers swap for new hardware after one or two years, further solidifying Apple's vision of a subscription-based ecosystem.

Although the monthly payments may seem affordable, users do not actually own the devices and must return them in their initial condition at the end of the term to avoid extra wear-and-tear fees. Repair advocates argue that this business model shifts consumers from owners to renters, stripping away their agency while allowing Apple to maximize its profits in the secondary market.

Experts warn that such leasing or buy-now, pay-later schemes reflect a broader affordability crisis, temporarily easing the financial strain of rising prices but potentially leading to larger debt issues over time. For consumers seeking the best value, buying refurbished devices, using them for as long as possible, and reselling them remains a wiser financial choice.