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Apple is reportedly giving up on plans to turn the iPhone into a subscription

Apple has reportedly abandoned plans to offer the iPhone as a subscription over potential regulatory scrutiny.

The hardware subscription was rumored to work in a similar way to existing options like the iPhone Upgrade Program or Apple Card Monthly Installments, where you pay off a new phone or other Apple device with monthly payments, and in some cases get the option to upgrade to a new device without changing your subscription fee. Apple’s expectation was that if it fronted the cost for an iPhone directly, people would upgrade more often and increase the company’s recurring revenue. Apple’s hardware subscription was never officially announced, but it reflects what could be a larger retreat from the headaches of financial services.

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