AT&T Playing Hardball With Apple?

[j__1]

http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/12/01/0555258

"There's some interesting speculation from Cringley on why AT&T chief executive Randall Stephenson let drop that a new version of Apple's iPhone will be introduced in 2008 (http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2007/pulpit_20071129_003521.html). The announcement is sure to cut into Apple's Christmas sales and could also cost ATT a million new customers and at least $1 billion in market cap, says Cringley. 'It is no coincidence that Stephenson made his remarks in Silicon Valley (http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=204301051&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_News), rather than in San Antonio or New York,' says Cringley. 'He came to the turf of his 'partner' and delivered a message that will hurt Apple as much as AT&T, a message that says AT&T doesn't really need Apple despite the iPhone's success.' What may be troubling the relationship between AT&T and Apple is the upcoming auction for 700-MHz wireless spectrum and AT&T's discovery that Apple may be joining Google in bidding."

http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/12/01/0555258

[cwilliams706]

http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/12/01/0555258

"There's some interesting speculation from Cringley on why AT&T chief executive Randall Stephenson let drop that a new version of Apple's iPhone will be introduced in 2008 (http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2007/pulpit_20071129_003521.html). The announcement is sure to cut into Apple's Christmas sales and could also cost ATT a million new customers and at least $1 billion in market cap, says Cringley. 'It is no coincidence that Stephenson made his remarks in Silicon Valley (http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=204301051&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_News), rather than in San Antonio or New York,' says Cringley. 'He came to the turf of his 'partner' and delivered a message that will hurt Apple as much as AT&T, a message that says AT&T doesn't really need Apple despite the iPhone's success.' What may be troubling the relationship between AT&T and Apple is the upcoming auction for 700-MHz wireless spectrum and AT&T's discovery that Apple may be joining Google in bidding."

http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/12/01/0555258


I was assuming when AT&T acquired the exclusive carrier deal for the Apple iPhone, that meant all revisions to the handset during the duration of the contact as well. I guess Apple has their own plans though, oh well AT&T. I'm wondering if Apple will try again with "the network," lol.

[Galvatron]

what relation ship apples ben using the deathstar as a tool an eljobso has been stbbing them in the back att's ceo need to pull a bill gates

[cwilliams706]

Some I'm assuming we'll see a multi-carrier launch for the "iPhone 2"? That is on GSM network of course, it'll be a while before we see a CDMA version of the iPhone (if Apple manufacturers a model before Verizon makes the move to LTE that is).