How to get an Apple Watch on an installment plan

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If you don't want to pay the whole cost of your Apple Watch up front, you can optionally get it on an installment plan through your cellular carrier.

If you don't want to pay full price up front for your new Apple Watch, you can get it on an installment plan from your carrier. While Apple doesn't offer its own Apple Watch installment plan (or an upgrade program, like it does for the iPhone), these plans are available from the four major U.S. cellular carriers: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile.

These plans allow you to spread out the cost of your Apple Watch over anywhere from six to 24 months. This is especially helpful if you've got your eye on the more expensive stainless steel models. Each carrier has its own setup for their Apple Watch installment plans. Here's how they stack up.

Verizon

Whlie in previous years Verizon has opted to offer the Apple Watch at a higher monthly cost in exchange for a shorter overall payment period, for the Apple Watch Series 5, the carrier has opted to join the 24-month bandwagon. This brings down the cost of the monthly installments, though you'll still have paid full price for your Apple Watch when all is said and done.

Verizon offers most cellular models of the Apple Watch Series 5, including both the aluminum and stainless steel versions, as well as the Nike+ model. The Hermès is not available from any carrier.

Here's what Verizon's Apple Watch Pricing looks like:

40mm Aluminum: $20.83/mo.
44mm Aluminum: $22.08/mo.
40mm Stainless Steel: $29.16/mo.
44mm Stainless Steel: $31.24/mo.
40mm Stainless Steel w/Milanese Loop: $31.24/mo.
44mm Stainless Steel w/Milanese Loop: $33.33/mo.

Unless otherwise noted, these watches all come with either a Sport Band or a Sport Loop.

AT&T

AT&T offers lower monthly payments than Verizon, but you'll be paying off your watch over the course of 30 months. For the Apple Watch Series 5, AT&T offers the 40mm watch in both aluminum and stainless steel in all available colors.

The pricing breaks down like this:

40mm Aluminum: $16.67/mo.
44mm Aluminum: $17.67/mo.
40mm Stainless Steel: $23.34/mo.
44mm Stainless Steel: $25/mo.
40mm Stainless Steel w/Milanese Loop: $25/mo.
44mm Stainless Steel w/Milanese Loop: $26.67/mo.

Sprint

Sprint asks you to pay for your Apple Watch in 24 monthly installments. The carrier is currently offering 50% off of your monthly watch installment payments when you activate a new watch plan on an account with at least one active handset. The offer evidently does not extend to the 44mm stainless steel Apple Watch with Milanese loop, which is the only version of the Stainless Steel Apple Watch Series 5 currently sold by Sprint.

40mm Aluminum: $10.42-$20.84/mo.
44mm Aluminum: $11.04-$22.09/mo.
44mm Stainless Steel w/Milanese Loop: $33.34

T-Mobile

T-Mobile's payments work a bit differently compared to those from other carriers. While you still pay a different amount per month depending on the size of your Apple Watch, if you pick up a stainless steel watch, you will pay the same each month for both the 40mm and 44mm models. This also probably has to do with the up-front payment you'll also need to make when buying a stainless steel Apple Watch, which is $171.99 for the 40mm watch and $221.99 for the 44mm version.

40mm Aluminum: $20.84/mo.
44mm Aluminum: $22.09/mo.
40mm Stainless Steel: $22/mo.
44mm Stainless Steel: $22/mo.

Be aware that if you purchase your Apple Watch through T-Mobile, you won't be able to get the model that comes with the Milanese Loop band, you'll need to purchase the band separately.