Andre Yoskowitz
20 Jul 2010 1:04
Wired has written a very interesting exposé this week on the relationship between AT&T and its star player in the smartphone market, Apple, with the site claiming Apple actively considered pulling the iPhone from the carrier at least five times.
In 2007, with the launch of the original iPhone, AT&T asked Apple to start limiting use of the YouTube app via 3G, asking them to limit it to only Wi-Fi. Apple refused, saying it would not "gimp" its device to help the overburdened network.
That fight was the first of many, and allegedly Apple CEO Steve Jobs began looking into a jump to Verizon at that point, very early into the relationship.
While the company looked into Verizon "seriously," the move would have required developers to build the smartphone "from scratch" all over again, moving from GSM to CDMA. There was also, of course, the exclusivity pact with AT&T.
Additionally, there were other battles, such as over tethering, where AT&T wanted to charge, and Apple wanted it included in the monthly data plan. The ability to tether now costs $20 extra per month.
There is a lot more to the story. Finish it here: Bad Connection: Inside the iPhone Network Meltdown