The country's first mobile rental service has been launched for customers who want to change their handsets every year.

The service is provided by Yuemmai (Thailand) Co. High-end cameras, computers, electric cars and electric motorbikes are also part of the company's rental plans within the next 90 days.

"We spent 14 months seeking strategic partners to offer Thailand's first smartphone rental services for customers wanting the latest technology," said Sutikiat Kittipattrakul, chief executive of Yuemmai.

According to global research firm Canalys, Thais usually change their smartphones every 18-24 months.

The Yuemmai application can be downloaded via iOS and Android operating systems and users needs to have credit cards for smartphone rental fees to be deducted every month, stretching for a year.

The company offers only new smartphones for users with or without SIM cards provided by AIS.

They can be delivered to customers in Bangkok within 2-3 days and in provinces across the country within five days.

The firm also has a call centre to provide assistance regarding data transfer from existing mobile phones to the new handsets, as well as how to delete data before customers return the phones.

The company initially offers four iPhone models for one-year rental: iPhone XS MAX, XR, 8 Plus and 7 Plus.

For example, an iPhone XR rental fee -- a monthly cost of 2,199 baht -- with an unlimited SIM card would cost over 20,000 baht a year, while buying the same device worth 29,000 baht with a 12-month mobile internet plan would cost over 37,000 baht, he said.