They’re building into iOS the ability to limit your use of the device and what apps you can run. Of course this is for leasing now, but what about later with digital ID and a social credit score? It reminds me of the people that tolerate being banned on social media for legitimate posts and topics, not to mention people in the UK that have police show up on their door. In the future, will that ban come to your device and limit what apps and activities you can engage in? Time to move to opensource operating systems on all your devices, and I’d drop those toxic social media megacorp platforms too. Also worth noting, as people struggle with just living under banker induced inflation, they’re working on ways for you to keep getting those overpriced smartphones, as long as you pay your bill. As the WEF said, you’ll rent everything, own nothing, and be happy?
By Marcus Mendes
Code found in the iOS 27 beta suggests Apple has built a system that could restrict leased devices when customers fall behind on payments. Here are the details.
A bit of context
Earlier today, Bloomberg reported that Apple may soon debut a new “Apple Upgrade” leasing program in the US, allowing customers to make lower monthly payments for hardware purchases.
According to the report, Apple is partnering with Klarna to finance the program, which would cover most iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch models. Leases for iPhones and Apple Watches would reportedly run for 24 months, while Mac and iPad leases would last 36 months.
Bloomberg says customers would be able to pay off their device or upgrade to a new model before the lease ends, potentially for an additional fee. At the end of the term, they could either keep the device or return it, much like a car lease.
What iOS 27 reveals
9to5Mac can now confirm that code found in the iOS 27 beta appears to reveal a broader system for managing a financed iPhone, including the ability to restrict apps and services when payments are missed.
The code describes a system called App Managed Features, which allows an authorized financing or provider app to enroll an iPhone and perform ongoing status checks.
If the contract is no longer in good standing, Apple’s system services can place the iPhone in “Restricted Mode,” which blocks access to most apps until the payment or contract issue is resolved, while keeping a small set of apps available. The fixed allowlist currently found in the iOS 27 beta includes:
- Accessibility Reader
- App Store
- Health
- Magnifier
- Phone
- Clock
- Settings
- Wallet
- Passwords
- The Restricted Mode interface itself
Apps that can send critical alerts, such as Messages, Home, and certain medication or safety apps, may also remain accessible. However, the provider appears to have some control over those exceptions.
The code does not appear to cancel, suspend, or otherwise modify App Store subscriptions associated with blocked apps. As a result, a subscription could continue billing even while access to its app is restricted.
Additionally, there isn’t a fixed number of missed payments that automatically triggers the restrictions. The financing provider’s app decides when to lock the device based on its own policies.
Finally, the new framework also introduces a new type of activation lock called “Partner Finance Lock,” which is meant to prevent users from erasing, reselling, or stripping a restricted device for parts.