I guess the OP was from the US. Most US providers still seem to live in the mental world of selling SIM-locked phones, they are no smooth experience for customers bringing their own device.
Prices for just a SIM without buying a phone seem to be pretty high.
Here selling SIM-locked phones is not even legal. In most European countries it is legal, but still less common than in the US. So operators have to serve customers not buying a device from them on competitive terms.
> Most US providers still seem to live in the mental world of selling SIM-locked phones, they are no smooth experience for customers bringing their own device.
This was true 5-10 years ago. Nowadays, nearly every mobile network regularly has offers to entice users to bring their device from a different network in exchange for a cheaper monthly plan or similar.
Prices for just a SIM without buying a phone seem to be pretty high.
Here selling SIM-locked phones is not even legal. In most European countries it is legal, but still less common than in the US. So operators have to serve customers not buying a device from them on competitive terms.