I can't speak for where you are, but here in North America (well Canada & the USA) to go from [cell phone customized for service provider] to [cell phone customized for you with apps that you selected to use] was never a simple process - perhaps easier on a blackberry but not simple.
The device makers simply didn't have enough leverage to make the process simple.
I am in the USA and IIRC there was no "process" with my T-Mobile Blackberry; I could install any app I wanted directly from the Web browser. Maybe that's some kind of exception since T-Mobile is the least evil carrier.
The device makers simply didn't have enough leverage to make the process simple.