Apple has introduced Apple Upgrade, a new leasing program that makes it easier to get an iPhone, Mac, iPad, or Apple Watch through monthly payments. The program also gives customers more flexibility to upgrade to newer devices over time.

Apple Upgrade replaces new enrollments for the iPhone Upgrade Program with a single offering that covers four product categories. Apple partnered with Klarna to power the service.

Customers can lease an iPhone or Apple Watch for one or two years. Mac and iPad leases are available for two or three years.

At the end of the lease, customers have three options. They can upgrade to a newer device, purchase the leased device by paying the remaining balance, or return it with no further obligation.

Monthly payments start at US$17.99 for iPhone and US$24.99 for Mac, depending on the selected model and configuration. Customers must also qualify through Klarna before enrolling.

More than iPhones

Apple Upgrade expands beyond the company’s previous iPhone-only financing program. It brings iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch under one leasing service, making upgrades more consistent across Apple’s hardware lineup.

Customers can manage their lease through Apple, while Klarna handles financing and lease administration. They can also pay off their device early, although additional terms and fees may apply depending on the agreement.

Apple Upgrade is currently available only in the United States. Apple has not announced plans to expand the program to other regions.

August 12 cannot come soon enough. On that date, Google is set to launch the upcoming Pixel 11 series. There isn’t much to indicate that the brand is changing the formula this year. Now, a rampant rumor, now seemingly confirmed by Google’s own ad, is hinting that a popular feature from Nothing is making its way to the Pixel.

Besides the transparent rear, Nothing prides itself with numerous iterations of the Glyph interface, a lighting system that serves as customized notifications for your phone. It’s mostly a novelty, but the feature is a unique take in a smartphone market plagued with too much sameness. It looks like Google wants to take a page from that same notebook.

For a while now, it’s been rumored that Google is adopting a version of the feature for the Pixel 11 series. The so-called Pixel Glow will reportedly add a light-based notification feature. Now, Google itself has seemingly confirmed the rumors.

In a new ad, titled “The Obvious Next Move,” Google is teasing a new feature coming to the flagship series. Though the ad leaves the feature untitled and without a description, it’s clear that it’s a circular glowing thing similar to Nothing’s take. The glowing thing is right on the Pixel’s iconic camera bar, just like Nothing.

But again, Google didn’t name the feature. However, if it helps, the ad says that we already use the Pixel for Gmail, Maps, Search, Calendar, and Docs, so the next evolution is whatever is depicted in this ad. August 12 really cannot come soon enough.

SEE ALSO: Google will host its Pixel 11 event on August 12

Ahead of the launch of its Robot Phone, HONOR has revealed a refreshed brand identity, including a new logo and the slogan “Dare to Be.”

The brand new logo represents breaking through an endless circle, as mentioned on the description in HONOR’s posts.

It’s about forging a path unlike any other, and continuously innovating instead of settling. This way, it also represents HONOR’s long-term vision for the AI era and its ambition to build an intelligent ecosystem that extends beyond smartphones.

The HONOR Robot Phone is set to launch in China on August 12. It will officially bring an entirely new form factor for smartphones, designed to redefine the relationship between AI and mobile devices.

More recently in Hengdian, China, HONOR hosted the HONOR Imaging Technology Launch where the company introduced its latest mobile imaging technologies.

During the event, HONOR introduced the Optics-Intelligence Evolution principle behind its imaging strategy.

It also showcased its HONOR AiMAGE chip-device-cloud imaging engine, and announced a joint imaging technology lab with ARRI.

New AiMAGE imaging engine

Instead of only focusing on camera specifications, HONOR is building a more complete mobile imaging technology system across professional image capture, AI-powered processing, cinematic color science, and creator-focused workflows.

To support such workflows, HONOR has built a chip-device-cloud AiMAGE imaging engine. This connects the full imaging chain from physical capture to intelligent creation.

HONOR is developing a self-developed Transformer-based native AI ISP to reconstruct the image processing pipeline from the ground up.

This works alongside a next-generation pixel array and EVS sensor technology, designed to improve original image capture.

On the device side, HONOR is combining physical imaging hardware with real-time algorithms. As with the upcoming HONOR Robot Phone, there’s a titanium alloy three-axis gimbal, precision sensing hardware optical technologies, and real-time image processing algorithms.

Lastly, on the cloud side, HONOR is expanding imaging capabilities through RAW-domain image enhancement, spatial imaging technologies, and Imaging Agent tools.

ARRI image science, professional workflows for mobile creation

Furthermore, the partnership with ARRI enables HONOR to integrate selected elements of professional cinema workflow into mobile imaging.

This includes ARRI LogC3, ARRI Wide Gamut 3, and ARRI Looks. These bring a more professional color and workflow foundation to the Robot Phone.

Unlike simple filters, LogC3 and Looks are part of a professional imaging workflow. The former is designed to preserve more brightness and color information for post-production.

Meanwhile, Wide Gamut 3 provides broader color space. ARRI Looks, on the other hand, helps creators apply controlled cinematic styles.

Together, these add-ons support a workflow that gives creators greater flexibility from capture to editing, while helping mobile footage retain more creative information.

To deepen the connection, HONOR and ARRI have also announced a joint imaging technology lab.

This will focus on three key areas:

• sensor-level optics and dynamic range;
• end-to-end cinema industry workflow from capture to post-production; and
• imaging realism and aesthetic standards in the AI era