Counterpoint Research

Smartphone makers push leasing and subscription ownership

As premium smartphones become more expensive and replacement cycles lengthen, manufacturers including Apple and Samsung are expanding leasing, subscription and guaranteed buyback programs to make upgrades more attractive and to secure a steady stream of trade-in devices for refurbishment. Apple launched an Upgrade leasing program in the U.S. with Klarna, while Samsung runs Galaxy Forever in India. Analysts and market firms (Counterpoint Research, IDC) report longer replacement cycles and higher average device lifetimes, which is driving experimentation with alternative ownership and financing models. Startups such as BytePe, Raylo, Grover and Cashify are also building subscription and refurbishment businesses around this trend. Industry voices note these programs support secondary markets and customer retention, but whether leasing is financially better depends on individual upgrade frequency and device resale values.

Meta's Influence in India Surges, Draws Government Scrutiny

CNBC's Inside India newsletter reports that Meta has become the dominant social media force in India after Gen Z-led protests widely used Instagram to organize and document events. Data from Sensor Tower shows large daily active user bases for Meta properties in India, with WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook ahead of rivals such as Google’s YouTube and Elon Musk’s X. The spike in Instagram usage — including a selfie-style video by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that drew hundreds of millions of views — has strengthened Meta’s reach but also intensified government scrutiny over content moderation, compliance with India’s Information Technology Rules, deepfakes and other issues. Experts say the platform’s prominence boosts long-term monetization opportunities and ad spending in India while exposing Meta to regulatory and political risk. The newsletter also notes related business items including a large IPO by Temasek-owned Manipal Hospital and comments from Indian pharma executives.

Tim Cook’s Final Earnings Call as Apple CEO

Tim Cook’s final earnings call as Apple CEO coincides with Apple reaching a $5 trillion market cap and surpassing Nvidia, even as the company faces a global memory shortage that has forced device price increases. John Ternus will take over as CEO on Sept. 1. Apple has raised iPad and Mac prices and announced an iPhone leasing program with Klarna starting at $17.99/month. Investors and analysts are watching how higher prices will affect demand, Apple’s capital spending (just over $11 billion forecast, $3.4 billion last quarter), and its AI strategy, which relies on licensing technology from Google after a frayed partnership and a July 10 lawsuit with OpenAI alleging trade-secret theft.