I also believe iPhone6 will be very well received, and help give Apple a boost in market share, however with rumblings of the carriers' desire to
gradually get rid of subsidies, in the long term I see clouds on the horizon for Apple's iPhone growth.
There's little doubt the flagship iPhone is a premium product sold at a premium price, and on contract, that is not so much of a disadvantage but when, in the absence of subsidies, consumers have to shell out $650-$850 up front for the latest model (and significantly more in some countries in the developing world, where subsidies even now already are almost non-existent), that may become an issue for Apple on their home turf.
With compelling features and technology, Apple needs to persuade the carriers that keeping subsidies is in the best interests of both themselves and Apple.
The alternative and best option imho, from a consumer's point of view, is something along the lines of the T-Mob model, where upfront cost would be low, while the service plan could be
completely separate from the device cost, and payments for the latter portion of the monthly bill would cease, once the device is paid for.
