AT&T has done quite well out of having exclusive right to sell the Apple iPhone and have gained in excess of 7 million customers, and in the quarter ending 30th March about 70 percent of AT&T’s new wireless customers where for the Apple iPhone according to an article on businessweek.
So it is no wonder AT&T want to extend their exclusivity deal with Apple, but there is a possibility of that exclusivity being dropped so the iPhone can go with the likes of Verizon Wireless. This would mean the possibility of AT&T iPhone customers potentially being able to switch to other iPhone carriers.
On average, iPhone customers fork out $85 in wireless charges a month which is about double an average package, and then of course there’s Apple’s marketing prowess which could also be lost.
So it would seem AT&T have a bit of an Apple iPhone dilemma, as I’m not too sure what more AT&T could offer to keep hold of that important exclusivity deal.
I agree..it seems AT&T doesn’t have that much that they could do to keep Apple from going to other carriers. Both of the companies AT&T and Apple have complete opposite goals. Apple can make a killing from switching to multiple carriers, but AT&T would lose its biggest selling point. I still think that a lot is dependent on the new iPhone coming this summer. Apple’s competitors are catching up quickly with the technology. Here’s a video I came across about the state of the smartphone market:
http://www.newsy.com/videos/verizon_battles_iphone/
this article is ridiculous. THE VERIZON NETWORK ISN’T COMPATIBLE WITH THE IPHONE ANYWAY. until/unless verizon switches to GSM technology, which would cost them billions and take at least a year, they aren’t able to sell the iphone. the only other nationwide network that would support it is t-mobile’s network. it is GSM and it IS compatible.