Apple fans desperate to get their hands on the new iPhone 6 handsets may not be doing so out of love for the handset, but instead out of ‘habit and necessity'.



James Hart, Strategy Director at global media agency Carat, claims that, given the monopoly Apple now has over its customers, the brand’s 'consumer love' is beginning to be replaced by a 'modern form of 'slavery'.

The comments come as a US network operator announced an ‘iPhone for Life’ plan that will offer customers a guaranteed iPhone upgrade every two years - and could be a much more cost-effective option.

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An expert claims that, given the monopoly Apple now has over its customers, the brand’s 'consumer love' is beginning to be replaced by a 'modern form of 'slavery'. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are pictured



Mr Hart told MailOnline: ‘The issue Apple is facing is one of loyalty, where its use of technology and innovation is increasingly creating a reliance on its ecosystem, rather than a genuine desire of its customers to create, connect and consume its products like it used to.

‘The reason for this? A conscious decision by the brand to move into incremental forms of innovation, rather than the disruptive ones it’s famous for.

Mr Hart continued that Apple has reached a 'loyalty ceiling' with its customers, and 'the "consumer love" is beginning to be replaced by a modern form of "slavery" where habit and necessity could start replacing devotion and self-motivation.’

US network operator Sprint's iPhone for Life plan is designed to cash in on this.

The scheme essentially offers users the ability to rent a handset, instead of buying a one, for $70 a month.

APPLE IPHONE 6 AND iPHONE 6 PLUS PRICES The phones can be pre-ordered from AT&T, Sprint and Verizon in the US from Friday 12 September. The phones (picutred) can be pre-ordered from 12 September, and will go on sale on 19 September In the UK, they will be available to pre-order from O2, Vodafone, EE, Three and Virgin Media, plus the Apple Store on the same day. The phones then go on sale the following week, on 19 September. The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will be available, unlocked, directly from Apple for £539 for the 16GB model, £619 for the 64GB model and £699 for the 128GB version. The 16GB version of the larger iPhone 6 Plus will sell for £619, this rises to £699 for the 64GB handset and £789 for the 128GB version. Both handsets will also be available with pay-as-you-go starter packs. The Three pack costs £15 for 300 minutes, 3,000 texts and unlimited data for 30 days. The O2 pack offers 200 minutes, 2,000 texts and 1GB of 4G data a month for £15. As a comparison, Apple's iPhone 5C cost £469 for 16GB and £549 for 32GB when it launched last year. The 16GB iPhone 5S handset cost £549 up to £709 for 64GB.

The cost of getting a new iPhone on a monthly contract in the UK is expected to be announced by the various networks next week ahead of the official sale starting.

In the US, the iPhone 6 will start at $199 on a two-year contract for 16GB, $299 for 64GB and $399 for 128GB. The iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299 for 16GB, $399 for 64GB and $499 for 128GB. As a result of the new launches, Apple has dropped the price of the iPhone 5C to £319 for 8GB, while the iPhone 5S now costs £459 for 16GB and £499 for 32GB. Contracts in the US now start for free for the 5C, $99 for the 16GB iPhone 5S and $149 for the 32GB 5S. Advertisement



The top-end 128GB iPhone 6 Plus (pictured right) will cost £789 in the UK, and $499 in the US, on a two-year contract. Customers have been complaining on Twitter that the new models are too expensive. Apple has dropped the price of the iPhone 5C to £319 in the UK, and free in the US. The 5S is £459 in the UK, and $99 in US

US network operator Sprint is offering a iPhone for Life plan, which essentially offers users the ability to rent a handset, instead of buying a one, for $70 a month. The $70 monthly payment is broken down into $50 for data, texts and calls, plus $20 for the phone, which Sprint claims will save its customers $575 over two years

The $70 monthly payment is broken down into $50 for data, texts and calls, plus $20 for the phone, which Sprint claims will save its customers $575 over two years, compared with a standard two-year iPhone contract.

The deal is available for a 16GB iPhone 6 handset, but there is no information for the larger iPhone 6 Plus model, or iPhone 6 handsets with more storage.

After the two years are up, customers must return their handset in working order to receive the latest equivalent model.

The plan has been branded a ‘gimmick ‘by rival phone operators, Bloomberg reported.

Customers have taken to Twitter to bemoan the prices of the new iPhones

Tweeter @finortte wrote: 'iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has been announced. Just when you thought Apple can't be more expensive...It is simply stupid to make a faster and more powerful smartphone without adding some new features.'

User @rclarke added: 'The highest spec iPhone 6+ is more expensive than Apple's cheapest laptop' and @aulrehpotsirhc added: 'iPhone 6 is the world most expensive thumbdrive with a capacity of 128GB with a reading/writing speed of 30mb/sec.'

Following the announcement of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and the Apple Watch, Apple's share prices jumped by 4.5 per cent before dropping hours later by as much as 2.2 per cent.

Sprint’s Chief Executive Marcelo Claure said: ‘I challenge anyone in this industry to beat this. Nobody is going to do it.’

There are no immediate plans to launch this scheme with a network operator in the UK.

Following the announcement of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and the Apple Watch, Apple's share prices jumped by 4.5 per cent before dropping hours later by as much as 2.2 per cent (pictured)

The devices (pictured right compared to the iPhone 5S left) were unveiled by Phil Schiller, senior vice president of Apple's worldwide marketing, at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts at De Anza College in Cupertino

O2 currently only leases phones to business customers, but its Refresh tariff lets people trade in old phones for the latest models, even if their contract hasn't ended.

This is preferable to leasing because they only swap their phone if they want a new one. If they don't, the handset belongs to them.

Unlocked handset prices for the unlocked iPhone 6 (pictured left), and iPhone 6 Plus in the US haven't been announced. Apple Watch (right) will cost $349 in the US, but UK prices are still unknown

The catch is that they must pay off the remaining value of their handset when they swap, but this still saves money compared to the combined value of handset and airtime they have left.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available on the Refresh tariff.

In the UK, Vodafone, EE, Three and Virgin Media will also sell the handsets on monthly contracts, although full pricing and contract details have not yet been announced.

The phones can be pre-ordered from each of these operators, as well as through the Apple Store, from Friday. Pay-as-you go deals are available when ordering directly from Apple.



They then go on sale the following week, on 19 September.

The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will be available, unlocked, for £539 for the 16GB model, £619 for the 64GB model and £699 for the 128GB version.

The 16GB version of the larger iPhone 6 Plus will sell for £619, this rises to £699 for the 64GB handset and £789 for the 128GB version.

Both handsets will also be available with pay-as-you-go starter packs.

The Three pack costs £15 for 300 minutes, 3,000 texts and unlimited data for 30 days.

The O2 pack offers 200 minutes, 2,000 texts and 1GB 4G data a month.

As a comparison, Apple's iPhone 5C cost £469 for 16GB and £549 for 32GB when it launched last year. The 16GB iPhone 5S handset cost £549 up to £709 for 64GB.

In the US, the iPhone 6 will start at $199 on a two-year contract for 16GB, $299 for 64GB and $399 for 128GB.

While the iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299 for 16GB, $399 for 64GB and $499 for 128GB.

Unlocked handset prices have not been announced.

As a result of the new launches, Apple has dropped the price of the iPhone 5C to £319 for 8GB, while the iPhone 5S now costs £459 for 16GB, and £499 for 32GB.