I totally agree with you about contracts being shortened! To give a frame of reference, I am a current Apple enthusiast and former Android user. I believe the 2 year contract effects the Android users much more than the iOS users. It seems as though Samsung pumps out a new smartphone for each network about every three months. The Android platform is updated just about as often too. And unlike the iPhone, these Android-running devices cannot keep up with the software updates. After having my Samsung Galaxy S I for approximately 9 months, it began to lag severely, freeze often and crash continually. I found myself restarting it sometimes twice daily. Under contract, I was required to wait more than a year for an upgrade. AT&T had already replaced the phone with a refurbished model twice. I toughed it out for a total of a year and a half. At this point, the phone was barely functional. The alarm would refuse to go off. Text messages would come a day late. Phone calls proved to be silent when the phone was set to ring! This is when I bought an iPhone 3GS from a friend. That is the phone I am currently using. It is a whole year older than my Galaxy S and is still performing well. However, I am quite exited for the upgrade to the iPhone 5. For my situation, the contract was quite inconvenient. I can imagine the trouble others go through with their tempermental Androids. Now that I am on the Apple bandwagon, I don't for see the contract being an issue. Apple has made a trend of creating a new iPhone design then improving it a year later in the same case. iPhones are functional for much longer than two years and I don't think I will be feeling the need for a new one before my two years are up. Moral of the story: Apple products are worth the money. "Pay me now or pay me later"