Every time I read about a phone launching "on" some carrier, I can't help but scoff... when will Americans realize they're being swindled? The rest of the world doesn't equate phones with a contract. Makes for a much healthier market.
What you're saying doesn't really affect us that much. For one thing there's nothing stopping you from buying off-contract phones in the US. They have a wide range of devices, and several carriers offer cheaper plans for those without a contract. I could pick up that new LG Lancet on VZW for cheap and run on their Edge plan. If Verizon has the best coverage in my area, that's who I would get service from.
Even if everyone woke up tomorrow and said "I'll never buy a phone on contract ever again!" it doesn't change our market all that much. We have a lot of area to cover and you use whatever carrier is best suited to your needs. If you live in a city with excellent coverage by the smaller carriers, don't need the fastest data, and you don't travel a lot, you can save a lot of money. For many other Americans, you want coverage wherever you go, fast data, etcetera, and that means big carriers.
Plus keep in mind certain devices only work on certain networks. Regardless of whether or not you as an individual buy on or off contract doesn't affect what deals OEMs strike with carriers (who then push these products at their stores). You can buy a phone off-contract anywhere but it's only guaranteed to work with certain networks. It's easier to get a phone from your carrier directly for most people anyway, even if you buy off-contract. That way if there's any issues they can handle it at your local branch. I've dealt with independent shops and they suck.
TLDR: You have options either way here depending on what you want and need. It's not a big deal.
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