Well let me explain. At the time I was gung ho about Windows Phone and the Galaxy Nexus was not being sold for the price it is today and I wasn't a big fan of Android because Ice Cream Sandwich hadn't really reached mainstream yet (still hasn't actually). So I was going to get a phone on contract either way and seeing that a premium Windows Phone handset was free I went for it. The other reason I went with ATT was to lower my wifes stupid iPhone bill by doing a family plan and getting the 11% discount. Really, even if I did drop my plan now and pay the early termination fee, in the long run I'd still be saving BUT the wife would still be paying primo for her iPhone and the amount of minutes she uses.
Sorry, wasn't meaning to say you made the wrong decision, it's just after calculating costs of 18/24 month contracts with "free" handsets they aren't really free in the end and you are often paying more for the handset overall. Not a definitive rule but true in most deals. Recently checked out an HTC V on Vodaphone for my fiancée and paying £99 for the handset upfront and then £20 a month instead of "free" handset at £29 a month (24 month contract) works out around £120 cheaper. It all varies with the amount of minutes used by the user but with deals like those from Giffgaff.co.uk (o2 subsidiary) (250mins, unlimited text, unlimited data for £10 a month, but non contracted) I can't really convince myself to ever get a contract again unless I don't have the budget for a particular handset.