Overview
- Apple’s new Apple Upgrade leasing program, reported Monday, says you must enroll an iPhone with a postpaid AT&T, T‑Mobile, or Verizon account when you sign up.
- Apple’s terms also state leased iPhones are unlocked after activation so customers can switch carriers later, subject to the carrier’s rules.
- Reporting from former Apple staff links the requirement to annual, high-value contracts Apple negotiates with the Big Three that win carriers special placement and financing concessions.
- Former Apple retail employees and reporters say the rule also serves as fraud and credit-risk control because the Big Three perform pre-activation checks that deter identity- and financing-based theft.
- Apple offers other financing paths with different rules — for example, Apple Card Monthly Installments includes Boost Mobile for unlocked iPhones — and larger MVNOs could try to negotiate similar access over time, which would affect who can use special financing.