William Gallagher
Electronics retailer Best Buy has launched a Mac equivalent of Apple's iPhone upgrade program, letting users lease a laptop over a three-year period.
As rumors persist that Apple is looking to introduce a hardware subscription service, Best Buy has partnered with finance firm Citizens Pay to do it. The new Upgrade+ service is specifically meant to finance Mac laptop computers for monthly fee.
"Apple continues to be a major innovator in the tech space, and their products have helped transform the way people use technology in their everyday lives," Jason Bonfig, Best Buy's chief merchandising officer, in a press release. "By introducing Upgrade+, we're bringing customers an affordable and approachable way to get their hands on some of the most exciting technology available."
Best Buy says that Upgrade+ works like a 36-month lease. For a $999 MacBook Air, qualifying users pay from $19.99 per month for 36 months, followed by an potential $280.35 final payment in month 37.
Instead of buying their laptop in that 37th month, however, users can return the machine and continue in the program with a new one. Of course, if an upgrade option is chosen, monthly prices will be higher.
Plus, the company says that whichever option they choose, they will not be required to make the final payment.
"If they choose to either upgrade to a newer Mac laptop model, or to return the original product," says the company, "Best Buy will make the final payment on behalf of the customer."
Buyers have the option of getting AppleCare+ for the device, plus selected — and as yet unspecified — Apple accessories. These are all financed over 36 months.
The service is similar in principle to Apple's own iPhone Upgrade Program.
In Best Buy's case, the company says that this is a limited-time promotion, though it currently gives no end date. Discounts and Best Buy Totaltech member pricing do not apply.
The amount paid per month for the first 36 months is based on creditworthiness, and also on the "original, non-discounted price" of the device. Further limitations are details on Best Buy's Upgrade+ page.
Malcolm Owen
Oliver Haslam
Andrew O'Hara
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Christine McKee
9 Comments
No thanks. I would rather own my laptop.
Actually, it makes sense to just lease it because we keep upgrading every few years. What's the point of having a laptop outright if you just keep upgrading your new hardware every two years to get ahead? You can always buy it full with partial payment if you decide to keep it.
This is kind of dumb, because they remove the option to use the program, as soon as you choose 16 Gigs of RAM on the air and 13" Pro.
Interesting. Looks like you can buy the machine at lease-end (and have spent about the same as the list price). Or, turn it back in (and have spent less than the un-discounted price). Maybe BBY assumes they can make money on difference between wholesale and list price, plus any services they sell, plus selling returned off-lease refurbished units? If machine was reliable at end of lease, I'd likely buy-out the lease for the 37th payment, and keep the unit for a few more years. Only quibble I can think of is that BBY typically only sells a few configurations, usually not the custom order configurations available from Apple on-line or certain other on-line stores.