This week, Apple is raising the question of whether iPhones will even need to be purchased in the future. A leasing program is about to launch, and the corresponding locking mechanism is already built into the iOS 27 code. Also included are a Mac roadmap to 2028, a fine from Brussels with a prompt response from Washington – and a figure that should give the App Store pause for thought.
The week of July 20-26 unfolded on two fronts simultaneously. On the one hand, software development progressed as planned: the iOS 27 cycle advanced with Beta 4 and a long list of new features, and iOS 26.6 reached its release candidate stage. On the other hand, several issues intensified that extend far beyond the next update – rising manufacturing costs, a fine from Brussels with foreign policy repercussions, and a Mac roadmap stretching to 2028. Almost overlooked amidst all this was a project that Apple has not yet officially confirmed, but whose technical preparations are already underway on millions of devices.
🔥 Story of the week: Apple will no longer just sell, Apple will also rent
A new financing model called "Apple Upgrade" is set to launch on July 28th. It will cover not only the iPhone, but also iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, offering fixed terms and lower monthly payments. At the end of the term, customers will have three options: upgrade to a new device early, pay off the remaining balance, or return the device like a leased car. Klarna is slated to be the payment partner, and the existing iPhone Upgrade Program will be discontinued. Further details can be found in the report on the planned launch of "Apple Upgrade".
The project becomes even more interesting with a second discovery made that same week. iOS 27 includes a locking mechanism for financed devices, internally known as Partner Finance Lock. If payments are missed, an authorized finance partner can restrict the iPhone – and the lock survives a factory reset. Apple doesn't set a fixed threshold; that's up to the partner. Ongoing subscriptions remain active, and the mechanism doesn't access the device's location.
The frameworks will be rolled out worldwide with iOS 27 on all supported iPhones. However, they won't be activated without an authorized partner in each market – and that's precisely where the prospects end for German-speaking countries, at least for now. The iPhone Upgrade Program never existed in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, and there's currently no indication of an "Apple Upgrade" launch outside the US.
📰 What Else Mattered
Brussels has imposed an €890 million fine on Google. The penalty, based on the Digital Markets Act, arrived on Thursday – and went unanswered for less than 48 hours. Donald Trump announced an investigation under Section 301 of the US Trade Law against the EU and threatened tariffs. Apple tops his list with a $15 billion penalty, a sum that has never been imposed by the EU: The €13 billion from the Irish tax case was a payment to Ireland, not a fine to Brussels. The only actual DMA fine against Apple amounts to €570 million.
Chip manufacturing is becoming more expensive. TSMC is increasing prices by up to ten percent starting in 2027. For Apple, which has its most advanced processors manufactured exclusively there, this cost increase comes on top of already rising memory prices – two factors that are ultimately difficult to ignore.
iOS 26.6 is imminent. With the release candidate, development is complete, and the final version is expected next week. At the same time, Apple is closing a loophole in the "Hide Email Address" feature that could have allowed forwarding addresses to be traced.
Apple Maps is becoming a standard feature in cars. Ford will integrate the map service directly into its electric models from 2027 – without an iPhone in the holder, as pre-installed navigation in the vehicle system.
A previously invisible Siri interface has been discovered hidden in the macOS 27 code. The discovery includes 13 voice variations and suggests how far the revamped assistant has already progressed internally.
Apple TV is saying goodbye to a flagship show. "The Morning Show" is ending with its fifth season. Also in development: an AI shopping assistant for the Apple Store app.
💡 Rumor of the week: Eleven new Macs by 2028
A report outlines a Mac roadmap with eleven models through 2028. In the short term, a MacBook Pro with an M6 processor and a successor to the MacBook Neo with an A19 Pro chip are expected; the more affordable notebook will receive regular color updates rather than new technology upgrades. The release dates for the Mac mini and Mac Studio, however, remain open, and the reason is noteworthy: the supply of memory chips is slowing down planning. For some current models, delivery times are now at least three months, because locally runnable AI applications are driving demand for large amounts of RAM. Tim Cook had spoken in April of "several months" until this situation stabilizes.
Further back in the timeline, things get more ambitious: a higher-end MacBook Pro with M7 Pro and M7 Max between late 2027 and early 2028, a MacBook Air with an OLED screen no earlier than 2028, and later an iMac with an OLED panel. As detailed as this sounds, it's based on a single source, and Apple itself ties the timeline to supply availability.
📊 Number of the week: 17.6 billion
The App Store recorded this many downloads in the first half of 2026 – barely more than in the same period of the previous year. In contrast, the number of new apps roughly doubled during the same period, driven by AI tools that lower the barrier to developing your own app to just a few days. So, while the supply is growing rapidly, demand is not. For developers, this means one thing above all: visibility is becoming the real competition, not completion.
👎 Flop of the week: $634 million remains unclaimed
Apple sought a new trial in its patent dispute with Masimo and wanted to overturn the damages award – a US judge rejected both requests. At the heart of the dispute was the question of whether a smartwatch qualifies as a patient monitor under the patent. Apple is appealing, so the case is not yet final. For users in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, nothing will change: the proceedings are taking place in the US, and the blood oxygen measurement function was never deactivated in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.
🔭 What's Coming Next Week
Thursday is all about the numbers: Apple will present its third-quarter results on July 30. Analysts' expectations can be found in the quarterly earnings preview. Before that, "Apple Upgrade" is scheduled to launch on July 28, and the final version of iOS 26.6 is also expected in the coming days. Following the bi-weekly release cycle, the next iOS 27 beta is due in early August.
💬 My Take
A leasing program in itself is unremarkable – installment purchases for technology have existed for decades. What's remarkable is what Apple builds around it. A locking mechanism, embedded in the operating system and surviving a reset, shifts the question of ownership to a technical level. The device then no longer belongs to the person holding it, but to the person who keeps track of the payments.
For Apple, this makes good business sense. Devices are becoming more expensive, chip costs continue to rise, and customers are keeping their iPhones longer than before. A fixed monthly payment model smooths out both of these trends: It lowers the perceived barrier to entry and shortens the replacement cycle. What used to be a purchase every four years becomes a continuous payment stream – the same logic that Apple has long since perfected in its services business, only now applied to hardware.
The price for this is ownership. Anyone who buys an iPhone today can resell it, give it away, use it for years, or pass it on within the family. Those who lease it can't do any of that. The fact that a company which has used control over its own device as a data privacy argument for years can now link this control to a financing partner is, at the very least, a remarkable turn of events. From this perspective, the fact that "Apple Upgrade" isn't yet available in German-speaking countries isn't entirely a disadvantage.
📚 From Our Archive
Mac Buying Guide M4: Mac mini vs. Mac Studio vs. iMac – If the roadmap extends to 2028 and delivery times are three months, the question of the right desktop Mac for today is once again worth a separate answer.
Apple Account Purchase History: Check Purchases, Subscriptions & Costs – Before hardware becomes a monthly expense, it's worth taking a look at what's already being debited from your Apple Account every month.
A week in which Apple talked less about new products than about the conditions under which you get them – and in which politicians reminded everyone that these conditions are no longer negotiated solely in Cupertino.
Until next Sunday, Apfelpatient wishes you relaxing reading and a good start to the week. (Image: Shutterstock / MR SOCCER)
