Redakcja Choose TV
Apple has introduced a new financing option for iPads equipped with cellular connectivity. Customers buying the device directly from the Apple Store can now spread the cost over up to 36 months by using offers from carriers AT&T or Verizon. The option covers all cellular-enabled models, from the basic iPad to the flagship iPad Pro. The new option appeared just weeks after a significant price increase for Apple's tablets. With this move, the company is trying to make it easier to buy increasingly expensive devices without having to pay a large sum all at once.
Apple extends iPad financing to three years
Until now, the primary way to spread iPad payments in the Apple Store was 12-month installments through Apple Card Monthly Installments. Now users on AT&T or Verizon can choose 36-month financing. The offer is available to existing customers who decide to add a new cellular line to their account. The program covers all iPad models with LTE or 5G modems, including the iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. In practice, that means much lower monthly payments for the hardware. For example, the 11-inch iPad Pro with cellular currently costs $1,399, which with Apple Card financing works out to about $116 per month for a year. With carrier financing, the monthly device payment drops to about $39. The tablet charge is added to the monthly cellular bill. Apple sells the device up front, while the carrier gains another subscriber on its network.
Rising electronics prices are changing how devices are sold
The new financing option is no coincidence and coincided with recent iPad price increases. Apple attributes the higher costs to increasingly expensive RAM and storage media, whose prices are rising because of huge demand from companies developing artificial intelligence. Data centers running AI models consume enormous amounts of memory, which limits component availability for consumer electronics manufacturers. Apple apparently assumes this situation will persist for the foreseeable future. Spreading payments over three years helps ease the impact of higher prices and makes the purchase seem more affordable. However, it's worth remembering that ending your carrier contract early or porting your number to another network requires immediate repayment of the remaining balance on the device. Only after settling the full obligation and meeting the carrier's conditions can the iPad be unlocked.
Apple is responding to rising iPad prices by offering customers the option to pay for devices over 36 months through mobile carriers. Lower monthly payments may encourage purchases of more expensive models, but they come with a long-term commitment and the need to keep an active service plan with the carrier. All signs point to similar financing options extending to other Apple devices with cellular connectivity in the future.
source: digitaltrends
