4 of the Most Popular Tech Products You Can Rent

Purchasing new technology can get expensive quickly, especially for devices we use every day, like smartphones, which can cost over $1,000 for the latest flagships. Prices for these devices are only likely to continue to rise as we face the ramifications of AI data centers consuming all of our RAM. But you don’t always have to lower the total price of a new piece of technology. Many of the most popular technology products can be rented instead of purchased outright. This allows you to reduce the amount of money you have to pay up front, but it comes at the cost of never owning the device you’re using.

There are benefits to leasing, especially with flagship smartphones, which you’ll probably upgrade every few years anyway. And while it sounds good on paper, there are very real costs to renting technology that you need to be aware of. Still, it can make sense for a lot of people, especially if you have no interest in collecting the items you use and want to upgrade more often (in most cases).

If you want to rent your tech products, your options will vary depending on the type of device you’re trying to recover and where in the world you are. From gaming consoles to smart TVs and, of course, the aforementioned smartphones, here are several popular tech products you can rent right now, along with information on how these rentals work.

Smartphone rental isn’t exactly new. Carriers have been offering rent-to-own programs for years. This allows customers to pay off their smartphone in installments over several months, with the option to refund or exchange it at the end of their upgrade cycle. More recently, we’ve seen smartphone makers like Apple take a more head-on approach to leasing. Apple’s new leasing program does just that by offering users a way to get their hands on the latest iPhones (and other Apple devices) by signing up for a 12 or 24 month lease through Klarna, at least as of this writing.

These systems work by charging you an agreed price for the device each month. At the end of the period, you have the option to purchase it or exchange it for the next device in the range. This is a solid way to get your hands on the latest flagship devices, especially if you don’t want to keep your old devices for whatever reason. This ensures that you will never have old technology lying around collecting dust or ending up in your trash.

iPhones aren’t the only smartphones to offer rental options, either. You can also rent Samsung and Google devices from various outlets, although neither manufacturer offers direct rental options. Depending on where you are in the world, your rental options may vary.

Over the past two to three years, we have seen prices of technology products increase, particularly in the last year as AI data centers have continued to expand and consume much of the manufacturing capacity available for consumer RAM. This has driven up the prices of gaming consoles like the PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series S. But if you want the latest gaming console, you don’t necessarily have to pay full price. Leasing options vary by region, but are nowhere near as numerous as you might find for smartphones or even gaming PCs. Sony offers its Flex program to users in the United Kingdom, which allows them to purchase a PlayStation device on a rolling lease of 12, 24, or 36 months. At the end, you can move on to the next device, continue paying for the device, or return it.

Of course, these types of lease programs aren’t available everywhere, and you might still have to spend a little more money up front if you decide to go with a similar rent-to-own option in your area. It’s also worth noting that rent-to-own is not the same as a lease. However, we’ve included it here because it technically includes a lease, at least temporarily, for the duration of the rent-to-own contract, and these contracts will often (but not always) allow you to return the product instead of purchasing it outright.

Smart TVs are another product, like gaming consoles, that you may be able to rent or at least rent to buy. Again, the options available to you vary greatly depending on where you are, but there are companies like Rent-A-Center that offer rental options for some of the best smart TVs from companies like Samsung. You essentially have the option to make the necessary payments to acquire ownership of the device, or you can even use a qualifying early purchase option or cancel and return the TV completely to end the lease.

The exact terms of your deal vary, and that’s something you’ll need to consider each time you make this purchase. If you want to buy a smart TV without paying upfront, rent-to-own and return it before paying may be an option. Just make sure the rent-to-own agreement allows it.

As with gaming consoles, getting your hands on a laptop or great rental gaming PC will vary depending on where you are in the world and what type of computer you want. For the most part, you rely on rent-to-own situations for laptops and some other PCs. However, some gaming PC companies, like NZXT, offer their own rental programs.

The NZXT Flex program, for example, lets you rent a gaming PC with week-to-week flexibility, depending on the website’s terms. NZXT says users can move up or down if they need more power or want to save money. This requires a one-time fee, but then you return the old PC and NZXT sends you a new one. The company also claims that there are no commitments, so while you’re technically renting, you’re not bound by a contract and can cancel it at any time.

NZXT Flex is more of a subscription than a traditional lease. However, it is an option if you want to get your hands on a gaming PC. It is important to know that the corresponding fees are a bit higher for a high-end gaming PC designed for 4K gaming. You’re looking at a few hundred dollars a month. If you want to go with another brand of PC, you can look at lease-to-own options offered by other companies, although these often go through third-party financial partners like Katapult or Klarna.