But the phones are more expensive, the contracts are just as bad as AT&T’s, you have to get a new SIM for every country if you travel (forget about CDMA – it sucks, plus a lot of times the networks won’t activate your phone anyway), network representatives don’t even know what a data plan is, etc. etc.

Best and cheapest way is to get an unlocked phone from the US and use it on Orange or Vodafone…

It’s too much to hope that Google will grow a pair then kick some ass at Motorola by killing Motoblur once the acquisition’s complete. Make Motorola pure Android then sell bloat skins to tools who like clogging their systems and delaying development.

Your first complaint about manufacturers being held by the balls due to a lack of discounts for bringing your own phone is senseless. Why would they provide a discount for that? They are a service probser…not phone vendor. They allow you to have no contract when you bring your ow phone, giving you the freedom to leave when you feel you are being “f#8!ed”.

Your second argument about loving the 2 year contract to screw the customers all that want is also an ignorant statement….the 2 year contract is a cost recover method. Not to say phone prices aren’t inflated….but when a customer like yourself walks in and gets a phone for $199 ( a healthy sum of money in and of itself)………or better yet you get it for $100 or free with an Amazon price match, the company takes an up front loss for that device….so to recoup their costs AND turn a profit (imagine a publicly traded company trying to turn a profit in a capitalist country……crazy right?….not zo much) companies like Verizon and AT&T etc ASK you to sign a 2 year contract…..you are not obligated to do so as you can pay the full no commitment price and maintain the freedom to come and go as you choose when they “f&^*” you as a consumer.

Lastly….the phones don’t need to be unlocked…while it would be desirable for us as consumers does not need to happen. What is the backlash? You buy your phone on eBay and at&T loses money? Nope they are a service provider and that still get that revenue. Where will you go? VERIZON….nope never unlocking their phones either…..next T-Mobile? While decent in some markets it’s not a comparable experience to Verizon or At&t in many places sogood luck with that. And if they were that great you would be there now instead of complaining.

I will agree that the carriers should continue to improve their networks but at this point that takes two things….spectrum and time. SCHOOL got in the way of a big move for T-Mobile and At&T customers but hey life goes on. The only thing we can do is enjoy the phones and stop expecting EVERYTHING FOR FREE……I call it the Napster effect.

The carriers LOVE these 2 year plans and having these “specific” phones because they can f&^* the consumer all they want.

What HAS to happen is that phones need to be unlocked.  This will allow for better pricing on phones. So, no outrages prices on phones.  secondly this FORCE the carriers to improve their networks greatly and not nickel and dime us.  But the carriers, especially the big ones, have essentially paid off the government to make sure that never happens because if it does, THEY will be the ones who will suffer  the most.  Simply put nobody is going to go with at&t, when you can pick the phone you want and stick in a T-mobile sim card that cuts your at&t monthly bill in half.