Smartphone Thoughts: Would You Pay More for a Device - If it Offered an OS Upgrade?

Mauricio has posted a nice rant over at GeekZone about the upgradability (is that even a word?) of our devices. He brings up a lot of good points, and as we are all aware, the operators don't seem to like to go down the upgrade path. This brings up an interesting thought that I've had tumbling around in my head while I was on vacation last week. I would gladly pay a premium for a device if I was assured that it would get at least 1 OS upgrade. Would you? Here�s a hypothetical situation for you. Think about it and vote Yes or No in the poll. Be sure to share your thoughts on it in the forums too.

Let�s say you could buy a Windows Mobile Smartphone that had all the bells and whistles you could ask for. In fact it was more than the average device on the market. Let�s say it�s 128/256MB RAM/ROM, with Bluetooth 2.0, a 2 MP camera, WiFi, and Quad-Band radio with 3G. From a hardware view, it�s the best of the BlackJack and the Excalibur. In fact, it�s better than those devices. Let�s say that this device would sell for $599 � no contract, no carrier. That price is a little more than what you would expect, but then again, this is a bleeding edge device and along with that price comes at least 1 OS upgrade at a cost of $40 when it�s released. The real advantage here is that the user doesn�t have to part ways with their device every year or so, and the manufacturer can still make a little money off the upgrades so they don�t feel like they are forced into anything. If they can manage 2 or 3 OS upgrades, then everyone is happy. I would buy a device like this in an instant. What do you think?