When I am dead, I hope it is said;

Even with some of the cheapest plans, that makes the phone effectively free. Probably to the point of also buying out my Verizon penalty.

Then again, 18 months is about a generation in cellphones. The 2-year contract is sort of optimal w.r.t. cellphone life cycle.

So, what happens at the end of two years when you have to get a new iPhone and there's no free ride?

Also, 18 months is plenty of time to get you hooked on all sorts of pricey "services".

So is there an process for certification of software add-ons?