At 01 Feb 2007 10:10:24 -0500 Don Udel (ETC) wrote:

> And there is no real evidence of a "bidding war" either, is there?

No, there isn't. More likely, since this was two years ago, I'm guessing
that Apple approached both carriers (and probably others) in the
"concept" phase of design to gauge the carriers receptiveness to Apple's
unconventional marketing ideas. Seemingly, Verizon all but slammed the
door on them, leaving Cingular as the carrier to negotiate seriously with.

I assume Apple only went the "exclusive" route as a bargaining chip to
getting their demands. They could have also sold it unlocked via their
existing sales channels, or else went the MVNO route a la Amp'd or Disney
Mobile. I'm assuming they considered those options as well.

People shouldn't forget that this was a pure business decision- it had
nothing to do with who's the "best" carrier or even the best "fit"
technologically. It was all about who gave Apple the best deal _for
Apple_, and that, apparently, was Cingular.