Whether it was Apple’s, AT&T’s, or both’s decision to basically alienate the fanboys early adopters, which made the iPhone 3G such a big hit, the taste left in their mouth is quite sour, and that is putting it lightly.  The many hours spent standing in line waiting in the hopes that your local AT&T or Apple store wouldn’t run out before you reached the counter were only faint memories until the news today.  Finding out that because you were such a loyal minion to the Apple machine would only doom you (your wallet) in the coming June has not sit well with current iPhone 3G owners.   AT&T has announced that customers who took advantage of the subsidized price of the iPhone 3G (mostly brand new customers) would not be eligible for the subsidized price of the new iPhone 3GS.  Last year, an exception was made allowing owners of the OG iPhone to purchase the 3G at the subsidized price; no such exception revealed this time around.  Basically, if you were one of the smart ones, those who decided to skip the 3G in wait of the now 3GS, are the only current AT&T iPhone customers being offered the $199 16GB and $299 32GB iPhone 3GS, otherwise you are forced to pay the full price of $399 and $499 respectively.  Current iPhone 3G owners, myself included, are in an uproar about this.

The lack of presence from AT&T heads and obvious disdain from Apple regarding the unpreparedness of AT&T for major features such as MMS and tethering at the WWDC points towards the root of the problem.  Follow the smell and you will find the rotting carcass.  AT&T may be writing themselves out of the upcoming iPhone exclusivity contract that should be coming up in the next year or so.  AT&T must remember who runs the show here, Apple their customers!  If AT&T casts a dark shadow on Cupertino they have all the clout to take there ball and play in another stadium, IE. T-Mobile or Verizon.  As a loyal iPhone user I would have no problem moving to another carrier next June when my AT&T contract is up.  They must realize that cell phone data and bandwidth is an intangible product that can be attained from a number of other suppliers.  The iPhone on the other hand is a physical device that can only be purchased from one company, Apple.  iPhone users that have grown to love and depend on it’s functions will follow it anywhere it goes.  Where will you, AT&T, be left at that point?  The iPhone has made what the modern day AT&T Mobility is; when that is gone what are you left with, just another cell provider with an array of sub par devices.  Don’t even get me started about the mandatory iPhone plans, that’s enough for an entire other article.

Wake up and smell the roses AT&T; start treating your customers with the respect they deserve or have fun watching your subscriber base drop 30% in the course of a couple months.

For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar’s angel.
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar lov’d him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all;
For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors’ arms,
Quite vanquish’d him: then burst his mighty
heart. . . .

Julius Caesar Act 3, scene 2

William Shakespeare

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