When every major and regional US carrier moved away from subsidized two-year contracts a few years ago, I always wondered if this would be the end result.
About 5-10 years ago, almost everyone I knew (including myself) had the newest phone every 18 months. It was like clockwork. Because why not? The flagship phones were only $200.00, and the older models were only slightly cheaper.
Compare that to flagship prices today which can start at $800-900! I know that this was the "real" price of subsidized devices, and carriers covered the subsidies by charging more for service, but it did get the newest devices in the hands of regular people. Never before have I seen so many off-brand/cracked/falling apart phones being used as daily drivers.