[ Thanks to Ron
Miller for this link. ]
“The Rest of The World Doesn’t Operate this Way
“If you go to Europe, you’ll find network stores similar to
AT&T and Verizon, but you are hardly limited to these options
as you are for the most part in the US. Instead, you can walk into
just about any department store and find a variety of unlocked
phones available for sale without restriction. There are plenty of
reasonably-priced choices and when you walk out, you can go to one
of the many kiosks that sell SIM cards, plug it into the phone and
you’re good to go. No contract, no hassles, no problem.”