How so? If they were through carriers, you probably still paid for part of it through your monthly bill, and part of it was subsidized by your carrier.
Either way cmdrfred's
> An Android phone costs less than the dongle.
is incorrect. Most people are paying for their phones in some way, whether Android or iOS, whether directly or via their carrier, and the dongle is free with the phone.
Unless these were gifts, you paid for them. If the phones were "free" or just a penny from a mobile carrier, the real price of the phone was hidden in the monthly service charge. That's why you had to sign a long-term service contract to get the "free" phone.
Thank goodness the carriers have been moving away from that kind of deceptive pricing.
