No. First, a subsidy can exist in many ways. It's not explicitly "when someone gives you money". It's often the case that phones are discounted through deals s

No. First, a subsidy can exist in many ways. It's not explicitly "when someone gives you money". It's often the case that phones are discounted through deals such as buy one get one (BOGO), for example. When you purchase those two phones they are tied to a contract that states you'll carry new lines of service through the carrier that subsidized the phones for a period of time. That's one example of a common US carrier subsidy. Second is when costs of a phone are spread out over a contract period it is credit, not a subsidy. The carrier gives the phone to the buyer on credit since they haven't paid for it up front. This is often done now so people can buy phones they may not have the capital for up front. In this way the carrier lessens churn by locking buyers into a continuous upgrade cycle. If they want out of their contract they have to pay the balance of the phone and any early termination fees (ETFs). To imply these are "hidden installments" is disingenuous as the terms are laid out in the contract.