Johannesburg - Apple users may soon be able to subscribe to an iPhone as if it were a paid app or streaming service.
The rumour was first published in the Power On newsletter by Apple aficionado Mark Gurman who speculated that Apple could be extending subscription options to the iPhone.
Gurman, who has built a history of accurate speculation around Apple launches, also said in the newsletter that the new iPad Pro, which is expected to be announced later this year, could be powered by Apple’s M2, among other plans by the company.
“Apple is working on another way to buy an iPhone: subscriptions. The company plans to eventually let users subscribe to hardware and pay monthly – in the same fashion as iCloud, Apple Music or TV+,” Gurman said.
He added that the plan would probably be available from the Apple online store and brick and mortar retail stores at checkout.
Users will also likely be able to trade in their current iPhone annually for the new model.
“The pricing structure won’t simply be the price of the iPhone split up over 12 to 24 months like standard carrier or Apple instalment plans. It will be more like the subscription that Peloton Interactive Inc is testing out for its bikes or a car lease," Gurman said.
The subscription is also expected to offer Apple customers bundled services of the company’s other offerings such as Music, Fitness+, News+, Arcade and iCloud storage.
Meanwhile, the soon-to-be-launched Apple iPad Pro may include the company’s new M2 chipset, expected to bolster the device’s processing power.
Gurman speculated that the new iPad Pro, which is expected to be announced later this year, will be powered by Apple’s M2.
Speculation around the new M2 is that the chip will contain the same 8-core CPU as the M1 with significant processing improvements. The M2 is also expected to feature 9 and 10 CPU core options, up from 7 and 8 GPU cores in the M1.
The current M1 chipset powers devices such as the current model of the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the Mac Mini, the iMac 2021 and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2021.
If rumours are believed, the new generation of iPads and Mac devices will feature faster processing speeds through the new chip.
IOL Tech