New every year program w/o picking a carrier.

Because not all models support all LTE bands.

This is why they make you choose a carrier or the SIM free version, which is the only one guaranteed to both be unlocked and support all LTE bands.

https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

This is a user community technical support forum. Nobody here can answer “why” Apple does anything they do. You’d need to ask Apple Corporate about why their finance programs and policies are what they are.

In the USA all Apple finance options (including the iPhone trade up protr am) are interest free if paid in full within the term limit. So they are not subsidization programs. They are effectively nothing more than an installment plan.

Even the carriers offer almost no true subsidization programs anymore - just installment options.

But there is no point comparing finance options in the USA to Canada or anywhere else. Every country is different in what is legal, what is allowed, what Apple negotiates with the finance company that offers the 0% loan, and the law dictates to those finance companies and what they are willing to offer for terms.

Same thing goes for car loans, mortgages, store offers, and other finance offers. It’s pointless to compare one nation to another if for no other reason than very different state and federal laws, rules and regulations concerning consumer finance offers. Other laws also come into play - in the USA there is no law that requires cellular carriers to offer devices unlocked at the time of purchase when purchasing from the carrier (whether financed or not)

"I guess what I should have asked was, why can’t we finance a SIM Free iPhone? I have to pay full price to get a SIM free iPhone. Why are they discriminating the peeps who want a SIM free phone?"

I find it extremely hard to justify discrimination in this case. In Canada, all phones, including iPhones must come SIM Free (unlocked) from providers (they already come SIM Free from Apple) after December 1st. Up here it's the Big 3 (Freedom Mobile is considered the 4th player. Possibly Videotron Quebec. I dunno).

But I know where you're coming from. It's not discrimination. If you want the latest and greatest, your only option is to subsidize it. Or "finance" it as you say. But that probably carries some sort of interest rate. This too is banned in Canada if you subsidize it from a provider.

Michael Black's reply is the way I'd go, if you don't want to get your iPhone outright. My 6S Plus and 8 Plus were bought at full retail price from Apple in Toronto, Ontario. As you know, that wasn't cheap and it was also 7 months inbetween purchase times. Even though the iPhone will last into perpetuity (it seems), the basic upgrade cycle is 24 months, and this is based on the maximum time allowed by regulation in Canada for subsidizing devices. I say upgrade because that's what most people do. Some keep their devices until it fails, and then start the process over again.

On a humourous note from your bilingual member here, at least in the 8 Plus's case (256GB version), I'll probably die before the phone ever does (The 6S Plus is 128GB). Both of them are encased in Otterbox Defender cases, with the screen protector punched out and one applied by Apple instead (and yes this added to the cost, by $80.00).

In Canada, it's completely different. Regulations state that all cell phones subsidized after December 1, 2017 come unlocked. The carriers claimed it was "their property". The Government of Canada disagreed. Plus to unlock a phone, the providers were asking for outrageous amounts of money. This too, got banned after December 1, 2017. If it's "clear" carriers must unlock the phone for free. Apple Canada doesn't offer the "financing" option, it's either outright or zero. When I bought my 2 iPhones, I was never asked about that question. It's probably banned, but that's my guess.

Installment options? I'm reading it the same as "subsidizing", but I could be wrong. But I'll agree with you on car loans and of the like. At least we don't have to deal with predatory lenders here, because the Feds set the interest rates, not the banks. So you'll never see a $445,000 house mortgaged for 30 years at 26% interest up here. Whatever the rate the Feds set here, is what the banks have to charge. There is no out of control stuff like it is down there. If the kind of stuff that happened in the States happened here, you would not be seeing buyouts, you'd be seeing jail time, in a Federal Pen. Perp walk for sure. Shaming? Yep. Lots of it.

I would day just get the phone outright, skip the number and not have to worry about anything since apparently iPhones last into perpetuity.

And as usual Mr. Black, with all due respect.

Just get an unlocked iPhone. Apple stores here in Canada are forbidden to ask you to pick a carrier. But Pancho is right. My suggestion is to look at what Bands the carrier you are on or are choosing uses, and then compare it to the Tech Specs of that particular phone.

Real life example: I'm on Freedom Mobile (owned by Shaw). They use Band 4 UMTS, Band 4 LTE, Band 7 LTE, Band 13 LTE and Band 66 LTE. On my 8 Plus, I can get all of those. On my 6S Plus, I can get every one of them, except for Band 66. Tech spec sheet for both show all those bands supported.

Anything below the 8 Series or X will not have Band 66 LTE. Keep that in mind.