Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Imo, it's more because of the provider locking scam in the US. Let's compare this to Asia, where contracts exist too, but the phones are unlocked. I have not seen a RAZR in Asia for years. People laugh in disbelieve when I say we are still using the RAZR in the US.
Yeah, people buy phones in my country at electronics dealers. Telcos do sell phones at discounted prices but they are generally unlocked.

The only phones I know are locked at a particular network are the iPhone (1 network) and the BlackBerry (2 networks).
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.