> Who cares?

People who prefer truth in advertising.

> Why be so argumentative over something so stupid?

I don't want people to believe untrue marketing statements and make poor financial decisions without actually bothering to read the fine print.

> some companies run free promotions

This just isn't true. They're not really "free". They come with lots of financial commitments.

> Apparently Verizon ran some promo in the past and may again in the future giving away iPhones

They still say they do on their website. If you're getting one "free" iPhone it comes with a commitment to spend at least $65/mo for 36 months. A commitment to spend $2,340 is a lot different from $0.

These are far from "free" phones. Can I go into a Verizon store, not give them a dime or sign any contracts and walk out with a phone free and clear to do whatever I want? No? Sounds like it's not really free then!

My point is if you're poor/homeless you're probably not looking to sign a 3-year commitment to spend a few grand to get a "free" phone. A lot of those people won't even pass the credit check to qualify to even sign up for one of these post-paid plans required to get the "free" phone. If you're really broke you would probably be looking at signing up for a lifeline plan and get yourself a cheap used iPhone instead of signing up for a $2,340 contract.