If the cell phone biz in general has adopted the "give away the razors but sell the blades" model (i.e. cheap-to-free handsets locked into long-term contracts), the iPhone –never "given away" to begin with — is about to become the world's most expensive razor.
Starting this week, you'll be able to buy an iPhone without that whole two-year-data-contract-with-AT&T thing.
The bad news? The phones will run in the US$599.00 to US$699.00 range.
The worse news? They'll only run on AT&T's network.
Raise your hand if this makes no effing sense whatsoever. Yeah, we thought so, too. Unless you're clever — and we mean Dev-Team clever — enough to unlock the phone for use on other networks. What would actually make more sense would be to shave a hundred bucks off the iPhone's MSRP, so the monthly data-plan charges don't seem quite so onerous.
[Via CNet]
Accessories & Apps: Beta Testers Wanted
iOS Firmware/IPSW Download Guide
Legacy iTunes Download Archive
App Store Top Charts
iPhone and Android Resale Value Charts
USA iPhone Carrier Plans Compared
Complete iPhone Jailbreaking Guide 
Complete iPhone Specification Matrix 
I agree 100%! Why should we be forced to buy either new phones that are signed to contracts costing us a heck load of money or buy crapy, cheap phones that have normal costs for a phone.
I WANT NEW PHONES WITHOUT CONTRACTS AND EXTRA CHARGES!