Aussie providers have both the ACMA and the Ombudsman breathing down their necks if they get too customer-hostile. And both of those have teeth. And we went GSM earlier than the US so sneaky tricks don't happen much. Basically, no-one wants to be the first to screw the customer down. SIM-only contracts are easy to get here and it's even okay to buy import phones - the carriers don't like it, but they aren't allowed to complain.

My current phone is a HTC Desire, subsidised by Telstra. Prior to that I had a HTC Hero bought outright and retail. Because of the latter market, contract phones Down Unda are only lightly customised. AFAIK there's nothing my Desire can't do that HTC originally provided.

Wade.