Apple seems to be rebranding itself as a subscription service. I wish it wouldn’t.

In 2026, life feels like one big rental: music, films, TV – all are quietly shifting from something you buy to something that empties your bank account monthly. And now, Apple is giving hardware the same treatment, launching a new upgrade programme where users can ‘lease’ their iPhone or Mac through Klarna.

We're living in an age of access rather than ownership. Subscriptions make sense: they’re convenient and spread costs. But there’s a cultural cost rarely mentioned – stop paying for Spotify, and that carefully curated music collection is gone. And even when you pay, it can change at any moment. Apple has been embracing this world for years, turning everything from Music to TV into subscriptions. Even their creative software leans on the Adobe model.

The company’s obsession with subscriptions isn’t new, but the fact that they want them so integral to its offerings – even extending to hardware – seems alarming. This is a company built on objects and design: the iPod and iMac were genuinely wanted by people. Now, subscriptions are never going to inspire any kind of affection; nobody gets nostalgic about a monthly bill.