heh.. I chortled, indeed is it only the U.S. that does this free phone lock in contract scheme? I simply buy my phones outright (Nexus 5 atm) and hook it up with an MVNO (Simple Mobile atm) that works with sim cards.
In Mexico it is done but usually the carriers without interference from the manufacturers. For example, I can pay a different price for the iPhone upfront depending on whether I want a contract for 12, 18, or 24 months. Of course you can always buy the phone at full price.