handset

O2 told its customers they had 30 days to leave their contracts without any termination charges - though if their plan included a handset, they would still have to pay that off in full.

Currently it is only possible to use it to text emergency services from newer iPhone and Android handsets.

That is likely to keep Apple’s share of the smartphone market steady at around 19.5%, but new launches and services, tied to its Apple Intelligence strategy, will see it squeezing more cash from each handset.

Earlier this month the force made 18 arrests and seized 2,000 handsets in what the Met claimed to be the UK's largest-ever operation targeting phone thefts.

It claims the firm forced Apple and Samsung to pay inflated prices and licensing fees for essential handset components, which then pushed up the cost of those smartphones for consumers.