The Galaxy S III showed that exclusive deals aren't necessarily the best way to go.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
The era of exclusive smartphone deals may soon be over.
That's according to Sprint product chief Fared Adib and device executive Ryan Sullivan, who believe the industry is slowly getting away from the practice of locking up smartphones for a single carrier.
Ideally, this means consumers will eventually be able to pick any phone they want on any carrier.
"We in the industry have focused too much on this concept," Adib said.
"It makes less sense for exclusive deals," Sullivan said.
That goes against the longtime tradition of a handset manufacturer striking a deal to run on a single carrier in exchange for marketing support. AT&T's deal with the iPhone is the most famous example of such a deal, leaving customers on other carriers for years eyeing the phone with envy.
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by Roger Cheng via CNET
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