I have to laugh everytime I see or hear someone tell me they've never paid full retail price for a phone.
Guess what you've probably always paid 20 to 30% over retail price for the phone because your monthly rate always included the subsidy that you couldn't actually see until recently.
so with Verizon - it's at least $25/mo x 24 months or $600. Add to that a typical $200 initial payment and you get a $800 conservative estimate of phone pricing. I say conservative because if it were a true open competition/auction - verizon, at&t and others would probably be selling your data services for half what your paying now.
In anycase, your payinig Full Retail Price whether is says so or not!