Why would anyone want to purchase a smartphone outright when they could instead just rent it indefinitely?
That seems to be the thinking of Apple, which is reportedly working on a hardware subscription service that would allow customers to pay recurring fees in exchange for access to the latest iPhone. So notes Bloomberg in a report that, while admittedly light on specifics, suggests Apple is eyeing a future in which owning an iPhone isn't a prerequisite to getting locked into the Apple apps and services ecosystem.
We reached out to Apple in an attempt to confirm Bloomberg's reporting, as well as with a host of questions about the company's timeline and plans. A company spokesperson declined to comment.
If confirmed, Apple wouldn't be the first tech company to push toward a subscription model. Way back in 2013, Adobe, the maker of the widely popular photo-editing software Photoshop, ceased selling its software outright and began requiring customers to pay a monthly access fee.
Now, it's important to note that nowhere in Bloomberg's reporting does it claim Apple would stop selling phones. Even so, reactions were swift.
"So bringing back iPhone upgrade program? I tried that once and I *hated* paying monthly for my phone and vowed to never do it again," wrote Karissa Bell, a senior editor at Engadget.
Tweet may have been deleted
Others merely bemoaned the general trend away from actual device ownership, which brings with it all sorts of implied right-to-repair issues.
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Apple's exact hardware subscription plans remain a mystery at this point. But perhaps in the face of a viscerally negative customer response, Apple will show some courage and go ahead with it anyway.
TopicsAppleiPhone
(责任编辑：時尚)
Dramatic photo captures nun texting friends after Italy earthquake
GETTR, that site for Twitter rejects, is mad Twitter won't let it import tweets
Snapchat at 10: A decade of deleting photos, scandals, and invention
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 Series aims for an easy AppleFake news reports from the Newseum are infinitely better than actual newsThe five guys who climbed Australia's highest mountain, in swimwear
Climbing a freezing cold mountain is already hard enough work. But in briefs? Nope. 。It's too late fo
...[详细]Say hello to the crowded starscape in NASA's new Hubble image share
Even from our limited view here on Earth we know that outer space is a place of vast emptiness. That
...[详细]Facebook is adding Messenger's voice and video calls to main app
Remember when Facebook spun off Messenger as a separate app back in 2014, and no one really understo
...[详细]How to download Apple's iOS 15 developer and public betas
In June, Apple unveiled iOS 15, its upcoming operating system for the iPhone. The new OS offers a sl
...[详细]Samsung Galaxy Note7 teardown reveals the magic behind the phone's iris scanner
Samsung's Galaxy Note7 is touted by many reviewers as one of the best, if not the best, smartphones
...[详细]Danny DeVito gets his Twitter checkmark back after being temporarily unverified
UPDATE: Aug. 20, 2021, 4:12 p.m. AEST Twitter appears to have reinstated Danny DeVito's blue tick.UP
...[详细]5 TikTok accounts to follow if your houseplants are dying
Not everyone has a green thumb, and some people are more prone to accidental planticide than others.
...[详细]Why the latest Western heat wave will be so oppressive
Climate 101is a Mashable series that answers provoking and salient questions about Earth’s war
...[详细]Nancy Pelosi warns colleagues after info hacked
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi warned fellow Democrats on Saturday to change their cellphone num
...[详细]School board somehow fails to realize it's being pranked
Who could have seen this coming.Readers will be shocked to learn that on Aug. 26, "Phil McCraken," "
...[详细]You will love/hate Cards Against Humanity's new fortune cookies
Tesla wants customers to pay a $200 monthly fee for Full Self
