The Federal Communications Commission is letting Verizon lock phones to its network for longer periods, eliminating a requirement to unlock handsets 60 days after they are activated on its network.
The change will make it harder for people to switch from Verizon to other carriers.
Honestly…buying phones through the carrier is one way to stay poor (or at least get stuck in an overly-expensive cycle). So more accurately, it’s a case where “having more money available makes it cheaper”.
Almost always, carrier subsidized phones do so with statement credit that keeps you tied to that carrier/plan for 2 years or more.
You could pay off early, or you could switch carriers…but then you’re missing out on that subsidy.
Alternatively, if you buy through OEMs, especially for flagships, they often have trade-in deals for previous phones, and often times they are quite good.
And if you aren’t looking for a plan with phone subsidies, you can find much less expensive service.