Let the hive mind of Engadget get that for you.
"I'm in the market for a new phone and money isn't a limitation. I'm also not partial to any particular US carrier, but here are some of the features I'd like to have: WiFi, GPS, good coverage in lots of places, push Gmail (a must!), physical keyboard (a must!), a touchscreen, decent battery life and a relatively slim body. And please, nothing that has a fruit logo on it. No offense to the fruit fans, though. Thanks!"
In Sweden most operators have gone down a different path - subsidies have turned more transparent, as when you choose to get a phone with your plan, you get $10-30/month added to your bill for X months, kind of like a payment plan. This means that you can still get a phone with close to no up-front payment, but if you choose to buy an unlocked phone on your own, you're not screwed out of the money your operator has set aside for subsidies.