Quote:
Originally Posted by journeyscarab
I believe that in Europe and elsewhere it is common for the consumer to purchase the phone outright and then select the company you want service from. Getting the return on investment for subsidizing phones hasn't been as good as companies expected (especially if you're on an unlimited plan). They expect the data usage, purchasing of content and apps will make up for the difference and they've been chasing that dragon for a long time.
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It's much more common in Europe, but the plans are much cheaper in most of Europe. Prepaid is also far more popular there. You can pop into a store, buy a sim, and be set up with phone and data for not much money (or time) at all.
The carrier subsidies aren't that good of a deal for buyers. The problem is that everyone here is used to three prices: $0, $99, $199. Convincing consumers that another world exists will take some effort.
But for anyone that is a technology snob, getting off a contract makes perfect sense. And it could lead to more competitiveness on the unlocked market. Here the Nexus 4 from the play store becomes good value. Might Motorola join the fun?