Apple Stuck With AT&T Until 2010
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Sources have told USA Today that AT&T has locked Apple in an exclusive iPhone deal until 2010.
In exchange for its payout, AT&T got a year extension, into 2010, on its exclusive distribution deal with Apple, people familiar with the matter say. Sources asked to not be named because the terms are confidential.
This deal was made to due to the major price reductions brought to the new iPhone 3G (8GB for $199, 16GB for $299). The previous plan for Apple was to let AT&T have exclusive rights to the iPhone till 2009, giving Apple the go-ahead to let T-Mobile USA to launch the iPhone as well as to consider developing a CDMA-based version that could be used with Sprint, Verizon and other predominantly North American carriers.
It’s good to hear an actual expiry date, seeing that nobody has ever disclosed the detail. But what I am really excited for is when this happens:
Verizon and its acquisition target Alltel will also both launch 4G service in earnest sometime in 2010 and will use Long Term Evolution as their standard, a format that will also be shared with AT&T and allow a future 4G-capable iPhone to run on either network.
4G? Better than 3G? I would hope so. I live in Canada, and Rogers is currently lying to its customers telling us we’re getting 3G when it’s actually 2.5G. Anyway, maybe more American will pick up an iPhone come 2010; some have vowed not to buy an iPhone or have unlocked it due to AT&T poor network coverage. Feel free to comment!
One Comment
kiko
August 22nd, 2008
at 12:36pm
AT&T is a rotten, criminal corporation.
beats the hell outta me why Mr Jobs chose to get in bed with ‘em.