Other Do you guys remember when AT&T was the only carrier to offer the iPhone way back when!?

[Dunbar]

I remember having to go from Verizon on my RAZR flip phone back to AT&T to get the iPhone 3G. AT&T had truly dreadful coverage in Los Angeles back in those days. I couldn’t even reliably load the map data in the maps app while driving on the LA freeways. After 4 years of that (back in the contract days) I was thrilled to get an iphone on Verizon.

I bet Steve Jobs really regretted signing that exclusivity deal with AT&T. It probably cost them hundreds of millions in lost profits since so many people were locked into their carrier contracts and/or family plans.

 

[Renho]

I remember having to go from Verizon on my RAZR flip phone back to AT&T to get the iPhone 3G. AT&T had truly dreadful coverage in Los Angeles back in those days. I couldn’t even reliably load the map data in the maps app while driving on the LA freeways. After 4 years of that (back in the contract days) I was thrilled to get an iphone on Verizon.

I bet Steve Jobs really regretted signing that exclusivity deal with AT&T. It probably cost them hundreds of millions in lost profits since so many people were locked into their carrier contracts and/or family plans.

I think he just wanted one carrier to sign with them at that point, they didnt how big it would get.

 

[McPhallus]

I remember getting the 3G, then the 3GS not too long after and realizing how crappy AT&T’s coverage was in the northern Chicago suburbs at the time.

I remember discovering this cool app called TuneIn (which I still use), wanting to listen to it while driving around, and how frustrating an experience that was with the poor coverage.

I remember.

I remember all the issues with data on AT&T and their network being unprepared. I remember AT&T blaming it's customers for using data.

Yeah. I remember.

 

[Evangelistman]

I remember getting the original iPhone in 2007 on AT&T for $500. Back then I thought I was going to die spending that kind of money, now...seems like a steal.

 

[OTACORB]

I remember getting the 3GS and I returned it within 4 days.... heck I had no service except in isolated spots. In my area the A carrier at the time (which AT&T eventually bought) had fantastic coverage in all the rural areas and in the bigger towns/cities. I had ported my number and went crawling back into that Centennial Wireless building begging them to port my number back. I was eventually assimilated by AT&T when they purchased Centennial, but fortunately they kept all the towers so I have the same great coverage today.

 

[Dunbar]

I think he just wanted one carrier to sign with them at that point, they didnt how big it would get.

Don’t forget that we’re talking about Steve Jobs here. AT&T was paying Apple royalty fees each month in exchange for the exclusivity. I don’t think the margins on iPhones were that great back in those days. What probably seemed like a shrewd deal to Jobs ended up weighing down their sales until the exclusivity agreement expired.

 

[bruinsrme]

Yeah now att is the leader in sticking it to their customers to absorb fraudulent sales.

 

[Renho]

Don’t forget that we’re talking about Steve Jobs here. AT&T was paying Apple royalty fees each month in exchange for the exclusivity. I don’t think the margins on iPhones were that great back in those days. What probably seemed like a shrewd deal to Jobs ended up weighing down their sales until the exclusivity agreed expired.

They still sold 6.1 million units of Gen 1... that is a whole heck of a lot for ur first launch...

 

[goobot]

Don’t forget that we’re talking about Steve Jobs here. AT&T was paying Apple royalty fees each month in exchange for the exclusivity. I don’t think the margins on iPhones were that great back in those days. What probably seemed like a shrewd deal to Jobs ended up weighing down their sales until the exclusivity agreement expired.

Verizon didn’t want to give up control of the phone. They wanted their branding and pre-installed garbage to be on every phone on their network. Att was willing to work with Apple and Verizon realized they ****ed up.

 

[Renho]

Yeah now att is the leader in sticking it to their customers to absorb fraudulent sales.

Well they just doubled a BS tax that none of us knew about to make an extra 600 mill a year! Went from $.79 to $1.99

 

[bruinsrme]

Well they just doubled a BS tax that none of us knew about to make an extra 600 mill a year! Went from $.79 to $1.99

Yep.
Scammers walk away with new phones and legit customers end up paying for them.

 

[Renho]

Yep.
Scammers walk away with new phones and legit customers end up paying for them.

Grrrrr

 

[bruinsrme]

Grrrrr

Yup they walk out of store with multiple phones, just paying tax.
Sell them overseas

When I was waiting in line the specialist was walking towards me and a scammer.

The specialist introduced herself.
The scammer said he was next in line.
She looked at her device and said.
OMG you are right. So sorry. Then continued working with me.

I nearly peed my pants laughing.

 

[Martyimac]

I remember getting the first iPhone from AT&T. Problem was, AT&T coverage at my house was AWFUL! Bad to the point I couldn't use it inside my home. I even tried their extender but even then couldn't get a strong enough signal to be used. AT&T and I went around so often that I was finally denied service from AT&T do to being a "nuisance". That's when I switched to Verizon and haven't left them. That was 11 years ago.