Apple Upgrade lets you lease an iPhone for 12-24 months with Klarna, starting at $18/month for the iPhone 17e, and buy it out later. Verizon offers 'free' phones like the iPhone 17 and 17e but requires a 36-month Unlimited plan costing $65-$95/month. For a 256GB iPhone 17 Pro with no trade-in, Apple Upgrade totals $768 over 24 months plus $331 to own ($1,099 total).

Verizon charges $2.77/month for the phone ($100 over 36 months) plus $3,420 for Unlimited Ultimate, totaling $3,520. Apple Upgrade avoids long-term plan lock-in; Verizon ties savings to specific plans and lines, risking loss of credits if you cancel or change numbers. Both require eventual ownership consideration for fair comparison.