{
  "id": 14039163,
  "title": "The Apple Upgrade program is great for consumers and Apple, but bad for carriers like Verizon and AT&T — here's why",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/the-apple-upgrade-program-is-great-for-consumers-and-apple-but-bad",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-12T20:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechRadar",
    "slug": "techradar",
    "url": "https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/19-years-ago-the-iphone-broke-the-cell-carrier-business-and-built-what-we-have-today-and-apples-new-upgrade-program-could-break-it-all-over-again"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Apple Upgrade program, launched by Apple earlier this year, is a leasing program that allows customers to lease a new iPhone, Mac, iPad, or Apple Watch and pay monthly over a fixed period of 12 to 36 months. The program, offered in the US, boasts 0% financing, allowing customers to pay no more than the outright purchase value of the device. This move by Apple gives it considerable power over its carriers, as customers are less loyal to carriers and more to the brand behind their favorite phone. While the Apple Upgrade program is a great deal for consumers and Apple itself, it could also prove detrimental to carriers like Verizon and AT&T, who previously held significant power in the industry.",
  "summary": "The original iPhone transformed the way carriers like AT&T operate — and the Apple Upgrade program is Apple's next big power play.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}