I guess if you like their OS and/or other Apple specific software enough then maybe it is worth it.

There are many people I know that are basically incapable of using anything else and I am not going to get on their case about that because if you hand me a mac or an iPhone, I have no idea how to get it to work. So it is understandable that the reverse would also be the case. I do think that Apple does a magnificent job of making it very difficult for people to leave their products if they want to and while this is a bit devious it is actually a brilliant marketing strategy.

In the meantime I still laugh at anyone that has airPods because I've tried them out and they are NOT worth what is being charged for them... not even close.

It's been while since I have been exposed to those contract phones but I do remember that being the case when I was last living in the USA. As far as I know nothing like that exists or ever did exist in either Vietnam or Thailand.