Why is it that when you wish to switch cellular phone service providers, more often then not, you are required to purchase a new handset? This is a waste of money, time and resources.
A universal handset would be ideal, one that allows you to change carriers as you wish. The next best thing would be to modularize the network-specific components of a handset to be interchangeable so you could just switch out the carrier specific piece of the phone and not the entire handset.
So, you can take your phone number from one cell provider to the next -- why not your handset ?
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Mostly because the FCC didn't have the foresight to enforce a standard, and let the industry choose to use different systems.
A universal handset would work, as much of the world uses GSM exclusively, which means you can pretty well can use one particular handset amongst providers.
For a modular handset, while at a certain level I think could technically work, I do think it woild be impractical, for the mechancal interface would add bulk to a phone, plus as the needs of newer phones put more demands on the network, and older "Network Interface Unit" might not meet the newer standards, and ergo need replacing to take advantage of features on a new handset, which in short, means you are probably just as well off buying a whole new phone.
This idea doesn't seem to have a problem to solve. Only this week I purchased a new phone, unlocked, and popped my extant sim in it. It's easy, many people do it, and it goes on all the time.
They do have "dual" handsets that include CDMA (Verzion and Sprint) and GSM (AT&T and T-Mobile) radios. The problem is, they are bigger and cost more. It's a tradeoff. If you travel internationally, get AT&T. If you stay in the US, Verizon or Sprint are the way to go.