> > it makes sense for users because they don't see it as a phone subsidy, they see it as 'getting a free phone"
> They are just naive .. there is no such thing as a "free phone".
It has been my experience over many years that most people prefer a fixed monthly charge over a large upfront cost and low monthly cost even when the former version costs a great deal more over any period longer than about a year.
Posted Jan 4, 2013 17:49 UTC (Fri) by shmerl (guest, #65921)
[Link]
It depends on users' expectations. If they plan to change their devices every year or two - then subsidized method can look attractive, but if they plan to use devices longer (and in many cases people do), then there is an obvious benefit in paying more upfront and getting a lower monthly fee for several years.