A lot of cell phone purchasers can't front the $199 up front. The amount of money you need to plonk down on day one is a big factor for a lot of people (usually

A lot of cell phone purchasers can't front the $199 up front. The amount of money you need to plonk down on day one is a big factor for a lot of people (usually people with low incomes). Of course, generally these "0-down" types of pricing models are basically scams that prey on people who can't pay large sums up-front. It's a shady business model that, unfortunately, works well for the businesses that use it.