[a1studmuffin]

I'd be willing to replace my one-off expensive tech purchases with a subscription model for a specific hardware manufacturer instead. The subscription would get you your device (smartphone, car, fridge etc.) and ongoing support & servicing. You'd be entitled to an upgrade at a predetermined interval.

I'd hope this scheme would be good for the consumer as they'd find it easier to budget (spread out regular payments), good for the environment as manufacturers would no longer have any incentive to make things hard to repair (forced upgrade cycles, ecosystem lock-in), and good for the manufacturer as they could focus less on forced upgrade cycles and more on a quality product to keep the consumer subscribed.

[driverdan]

You're describing the traditional cell phone financing model in the US. It's not good because it costs more and locks you into the provider.