I still remember the early iPhone days when german providers heavily subsidized the device. With a simple 30-50 EUR/month plan you paid about 50 € for the devic

I still remember the early iPhone days when german providers heavily subsidized the device. With a simple 30-50 EUR/month plan you paid about 50 € for the device upfront and that's it. Sure, you might argue that the price might be hidden in the monthly fees, but it would have been the same 30-50 plan regardless of if you opt for the iPhone or your run of the mill Motorola, Nokia or Samsung device. Basically the iPhones were sibsidized by all customers and you'd be a fool to select a cheap phone. Also note that these iPhones were unlocked and ready to be sold on eBay once it was time to upgrade. These days you pay full price stretched over 24 months.