by Kevin Fitchard
Verizon's new pricing plans mean phone contracts and subsidies are now taking their last dying breaths, which is great news for consumers.
On Friday, Verizon made a big change to how it prices mobile services, which will have significant repercussions throughout the U.S. mobile industry. Last week, in an unexpected move, the company decided to eliminate service contracts. Verizon wasn't the first to do so - T-Mobile took that step two years ago - but it's one of the biggest names in the mobile business to make that change.