There are applications that will allow a user to remotely kill/lock/erase the phone. I think Apple has one for its iPhone.
The thing is that this "kill switch" would be controlled by the phone carriers...and, consequently, the government.
There are two different issues - closing your account, and bricking the phone. All of the providers will let you close your account, and all of those that are using SIMs will let you unregister the SIM. Either of these will prevent thieves from using your phone on your dime. But they won’t prevent a thief from installing a new SIM.
I have an “application” I can “press” which allows me to remotely kill the guy who just grabbed my cell phone - but it didn’t come from Apple.