Networks aren't a global problem
The mobile phone networks don't dictate terms everywhere in the world. In India, the buying process is: 1. buy phone from whichever manufacturer you want. 2. Choose network provider/Use existing. Ofcourse Prepaid accounts have always been more popular.
So I always find the American/UK situation quaintly messed up, cause I have both the network and manufacturers falling over themselves to get me as a customer. Nokia rules here BTW and its low-end phones are easy to use with good battery life.
In this situation, Apple has gone ahead and tethered itself to postpaid accounts of two networks. The price doesnt seem subsidized to the least (even that's an alien concept here) and the handset is mostly available in the network's showrooms. Apple has made it hard for people, who pay that much for high-end Nokia handsets anyway, to buy the damn iPhone. So most people I know buy the prison-breaked version from the black market. Way to go Apple, for complicating things!
Biting the hand that feeds IT
