you are paying the same amount for the phone regardless. you're either paying for it all upfront or spreading it out by paying an extra $10 every month for the

you are paying the same amount for the phone regardless. you're either paying for it all upfront or spreading it out by paying an extra $10 every month for the duration of the contract. with the new plans, you can buy their phone upfront and then sell it on ebay/craigslist and move to another provider without worrying about breaking a contract, or you can just bring your own phone.