If you are one of the many who wants an iPhone but doesn't want to be on AT&T, at least one analyst thinks that you may get your wish soon. According to an analyst from, Piper Jaffray the iPhone may be on other networks soon.
Gene Munster expects the iPhone to hit other carriers in the U.S. within the next year. We may well hear more about the future of the iPhone in September at the Apple event.
Munster wrote, "For various reasons the company moved from an exclusive relationship with French wireless carrier Orange to a multi-carrier model. In France, the company now enjoys dramatically higher market share (in the 40 percent range vs. about 15 percent in ROW) than in countries with exclusive carrier agreements (such as AT&T in the U.S. where the iPhone has market share in the mid-teens). We believe Apple is seeing the increased unit sell-through more than offset the slightly (~10 percent) deteriorated economics per unit involved in non-exclusive agreements.” I have always said Apple needs more than one carrier in each country if it wants to grab lots of market.
[via ZDNet]
There is allot of work to be done before this actually happens due to the fact that some telephone companies are CDMA, while others (including AT&T) use GSM. Another model may have to developed by Apple in order for other carriers to get a look in. So while it is hopeful that it will happen it is going to take a while.
I would expect current, dissatisfied (is that everybody?) AT&T users to show no loyalty to that carrier if a choice existed. I would barely pause to pee on AT&T’s grave if I were walking by.