Apple is working on a subscription hardware service to purchase some of its products, reports Mark Gurman (Bloomberg), one of the most reliable sources on future products from the Cupertino company. The proposal, which is still in the planning stage, will allow you to get an iPhone or iPad by paying a certain monthly amount.
If materialized, it would be Apple’s biggest bet in terms of the recurring sales model that it has successfully promoted in its service division. Let us remember that the latter has become an important source of income for the company in recent years. However, this division is currently based on entertainment services and work tools.
It is worth mentioning that Apple already has some experience with similar put options. In the United States, it is possible to purchase any device from the company by paying an amount each month, all thanks to the Apple Card. In addition, in many countries there is also the iPhone Upgrade Program, with which those interested can obtain a new iPhone at 12 fixed monthly payments – and renew it every year. Both have been possible thanks to the association of Apple with several banks.
How will the subscription hardware service differ from the alternatives described above? Basically, the hiring would be directly with Apple, without intermediaries in the process. It would be almost as simple as subscribing to Apple Music, for example. In addition, those directed by Tim Cook would have the possibility of including other services in the package; such as AppleCare and AppleOne (which bundles Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, and Apple Fitness+).
Although the company is still analyzing and planning how the subscription will work, Gurman believes there is a chance to see it soon. end of 2022. However, he does not rule out that its launch will be postponed until 2023. Another question that remains in the air is: in how many territories will it be available? Seeing the strategy they followed with some software services, it would not be surprising if the availability, at least during the first months, was limited to the United States.
We still have a lot of details to learn about Apple’s subscription hardware service. However, from now on it is interesting to see how those from Cupertino devise new ways to boost their services division. The growth of this has been constant but, at the present time, there are still many areas of opportunity to explore.
Sure, a hardware subscription would be ideal for people who, for one reason or another, can’t afford to pay full price for an iPhone or iPad up front. In many countries, mainly in Latin America, where the prices of smartphones have skyrocketed, customers resort to financing from banks, or to operator plans that lighten the initial cost. Apple would be covering the needs of that market, which is very large.