Verizon abandoned the device agenda in February of 2012. Next year there's talk of offering payment plans on phones and cheaper plans if you don't do a contract. Similar to how tabs dropped to $10 a month ($20 of you add 2 more gigs) with no contract and a loan program if you can't afford the phone full price. Verizon really likes how the UK phone system works. No subsidies would mean they could lower plans say $20 a month but in reality they'd make more.
Part of the problem in the US is that as long as the major carriers do not give significant incentive to buy off contract (such as cheaper prices and unlimited or much higher data caps), it will be much more expensive because they will be a minute market for off contract phones. Thus, with a small market for off contract phones, there will be higher prices and little incentive to buy.
Another option is to make the gap between off contract and on contract smaller by eliminating free smartphones and increasing prices across the board on contract. The only problem with this is that people may switch carriers for a cheaper phone they want in particular, though I think more likely people will just get a lower spec'd phone. This includes raising prices (or keeping them high, at least) both at Verizon stores and third party (i.e. Amazon, Walmart) plus through black Friday, etc. Instead of making phones free on black Friday, throw in free accessories etc.
Finally, if buying off contract is Verizon's agenda, Windows phone should be their #1 investment. There is a very simple reason for this: competition resulting in lower phone prices combined with users willing to spend more money.
* With Apple, there is no competition and thus they can charge ridiculous prices Therefore getting iPhone users to pay more upfront will be unlikely as it simply will be too much money. Plus, Verizon themselves gets to pay the "Apple tax."
* With Google, there is lots of competition, but the userbase on average is used to getting free phones and free apps (Google's Play store makes something like 1/10th of apple's comparing the top 100 apps). Heck, even the OS is free for the phone manuf. Therefore getting Android users to pay more upfront will be unlikely as quite simply they are used to getting stuff for free and will probably continue that trend. And Verizon gets to pay the support costs that go along with a wild-wild-west free and openly modifiable OS.
* With Windows Phone, you have the multi-manufacturer competition, but the phones and apps are NOT geared towards getting everything for free. Therefore, you get devices priced lower than Apple and users more likely to buy them as they are used to spending money for stuff. No Apple tax, no wild wild west, either.
* With BlackBerry, the brand is simply too tarnished now (think where Microsoft was with Windows Mobile 6.5), and it will take a long sustained effort to change that. Frankly, I'm not sure RIM has the resources to turn it around. And I don't think anyone would take a large financial risk on a BB10 for that reason.
So, that is why Verizon should be putting Windows Phone center stage. It may take some time, but in the end I believe Windows Phone is the most healthy for Verizon overall. You just need to show it to people and sell them on why its better for them, too.
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