The End of iPhone’s Exclusivity, Finally?

By: Angela Soric

The mystical tablet may not be the only big news coming from Apple this Wednesday. There is increasing speculation that Apple and AT&T’s exclusive arrangement may finally be ending. Over the weekend, HotHardware reported that an inside source has led them to believe that Apple and AT&T would end their monogamous iPhone relationship.

HotHardware has raised many interesting questions surrounding this possibility.

  • Will existing iPhone users on AT&T run in droves to switch, regardless of the early termination fee?
  • Will existing AT&T iPhone users stick with their plan?
  • Will Apple simply see a new influx of iPhone users, as customers who were always wary of AT&T finally make the jump now that the phone is a on a network with better perceived quality?


The end of iPhone exclusivity has been an unavoidable conclusion for some time. Last October, analysts predicted that the end of AT&T’s exclusivity could double iPhone’s sales in the United States. This tactic certainly worked in France and the UK.

Posted Monday, January 25th, 2010 under Mobile retail.