Consumers face a world in which very little is actually “owned.” Many of us still rent homes and subscribe to streaming services for media, leasing cars is now a common practice, and there’s a good chance future gaming consoles may not support physical media. However, one of the few items we can still lay claim to is our smartphones — though that may soon change.Last month, Apple rolled out its Apple Upgrade program, a hardware-as-a-service model that allows users to rent their devices with a predictable monthly payment over a period of their choice. After that lease period ends, users can upgrade their device and continue the cycle. This essentially turns device ownership into a monthly utility payment, like gas or electricity, while making it far easier to keep up with annual device upgrades.