AT&T may have extended its iPhone exclusivity via an iPad data deal that Apple couldn’t refuse and competitors wouldn’t match.
“AT&T had to do something dramatic to get the iPad,” says Brian Marshall, a Wall Street analyst at BroadPoint AmTech. Read more…
With their upcoming tablet, Apple may be offering the flexibility that many prospective U.S. iPhone owners have wished for: carrier independence. According to a Broadpoint AmTech analyst, Apple will be offering 3G wireless data networking on their Tablet with multiple providers with Verizon support a “certainty”.
This would mean that customers will be able to choose from a number of mobile providers for their Tablet’s data service when not near a Wi-Fi hotspot. This would allow Tablet users to browse the web, check their email, and more wherever there was 3G service. Such connectivity is taken for granted on mobile phones such as the iPhone, but is increasingly expected for other mobile devices. Read more…