> getting the free phone as part of a 24/36 month agreement ended up being cheaper than many alternatives
This is generally strictly true, but most people don't move on to the next deal once they've paid off their device, and end up paying more than they would have had they bought the device outright, device+plan cost considered.
"Imagine if we could place ourselves 100 years from now and still have access to photos shared by millions of people on Flickr…
We’re working on it."