Original plans for Apple’s recently implemented Apple Upgrade leasing program almost offered a “white glove” option that would have loaded a customer’s data onto their new iPhone, but the idea never made it past the planning stage, reports Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
The new “Apple Upgrade” program launched in the U.S. on Tuesday, July 28. The plan allows buyers to finance most most iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models, giving them 24-months to pay off new iPhones and Apple Watches and 36-months to pay for new iPads and Macs. Customers are allowed to pay off the device early during the term, upgrade early to a newer device, or keep the existing device after it is fully paid off.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says the concept was first discussed years ago, and Apple also considered having each year’s device arrive at the customer’s door ready to use, restored from their iCloud backup before it shipped. The final version of Apple Upgrade does not include that option.
While such an option may have proven popular among Apple customers, as setting up a new iPhone or iPad can often be a long drawn-out process, Gurman believes Apple didn’t abandon the idea over technical issues, but instead were concerned about possible privacy optics. Receiving an iPhone with thier personal account data pre-installed, may have made some customers uncomfortable, raising questions over who handles the data and how it is protected.
