The phone market is really weird. Carriers aren't exactly retailers, Samsung et al aren't exactly OEMs... and it feels like somebody should be guilty of price-f

The phone market is really weird. Carriers aren't exactly retailers, Samsung et al aren't exactly OEMs... and it feels like somebody should be guilty of price-fixing. It reminds me of when I was a kid. We had phones hardwired to our house, which we leased from Bell Atlantic for an obscene price. In 8th grade, I pointed out to my parents that for less than a month's lease, we could buy touch-tone phones at the local strip mall that were much better. I got a couple of RJ-11 wall plates and installed them in less than an hour. Somehow I knew the lines supported touch-tone and we didn't need to ask the phone company for permission.