The iPhone belongs to ATT. The fact that it has a fruit logo on it is irrelevent...

unalone · on July 29, 2009

If you think that, you haven't seen the way Apple works deals with companies.

AT&T is leaning heavily on Apple because it's scared, rightly so, that they'll lose a lot of money when the iPhone goes to Verizon, which it will.

I also don't approve of that snide little comment at the end. If you've got something to say, say it, and leave the snark somewhere that isn't here.

philwelch · on July 29, 2009

I really don't see Apple jumping into another carrier-exclusive deal, especially not with phone-crippling shitheads like Verizon.

netsp · on July 30, 2009

Why is Apple signing exclusivity deals at all in the US? Down here (Australia) they just go with everyone. The do make them bend and turn and invent new plans that include a calls/texts/data package that's more to Apple's liking, but they go through everyone.

drewcrawford · on July 30, 2009

I suspect they had to, initially, and the only terms they could get were for several years (basically until now).

Every US phone is aligned with a carrier. It's not immediately clear to me why that is, but there you go. When the contract is up, Apple has a serious opportunity to shake that notion, but I'm not sure if they will.

philwelch · on July 30, 2009

Many phones pass out of exclusivity and are offered through multiple carriers. The RAZR used to be Cingular only--then, every carrier had them.

jonknee · on July 29, 2009

They'd have to redesign the whole thing for Verizon, T-Mobile's a better bet if exclusivity ends.

gamache · on July 30, 2009

Only if coverage doesn't matter. Verizon has very good coverage, T-Mobile not so much.