The concept of renting items that are too expensive to purchase is as old as Ancient Rome, when commoners rented living spaces from wealthy landowners.

In modern times, gamers rent consoles by the hour, and Apple iPhones have recently joined the rental trend.

One of the most advanced, fashionable and expensive smartphone brands, there are many reasons why someone might rent an iPhone. These can include trying to appear to be from a high social class and simply having access to what many believe is the best smartphone camera.

Edgar Bayu Refansyah, 23, a sociology postgraduate student at the University of Indonesia and a tutor, pointed out that there were two sides to the iPhone rental phenomenon.

"The iPhone can be seen as a tool to boost the quality and productivity of certain tasks, knowing the brand's capability to facilitate such things,” said Edgar.

“Moreover, the iPhone is known for its quality camera. The iPhone rental business can be an alternative for photographers or content creators to produce quality visual content at an affordable price.”

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