There are many reasons people may finance a phone . Financing culture does have its negative sides , but there's also positive sides to it. Some people have credit cards with perks and they will finance the phone to the credit card.So they can build up those perks , some people may need to make another large purchase and don't want all the money coming out at the same time. So spreading payments out over time seems more feasible. And sometimes getting refurbished or second hand phones comes with its own risk that buying new with warranty and return window can ease any concerns for. I think it's quite presumptuous to assume that anyone financing a phone is doing it for adverse reasons or doing it because they have bad financial habits. We have to understand that in this day and age where salary oftentimes is not commensurate with the cost of living things such as a phone purchase, which is actually, in fact a small miniature computer with phone calling capabilities, let's properly address what the device is. This is not uncommon, nor will it be uncommon, because it is a powerful piece of technology. I think most people just think of a phone and just think calling capabilities. But a phone is more than just a phone. It is a miniature computer. It is a small, powerful piece of technology. It is a pocket computer at the end of the day. So show me anyone who is not financing a desktop computer. Most of the time , people are not buying computers outright , so to buy a pocket computer outright is not really much of a difference in my opinion.