said by en103:Admit it AT&T - you don't want customer's to purchase iPhones as the profit is very low, and since many still will purchase them, this is your recourse on how to recoup any cost, and bring it up to the profit model of your other devices.
ATT wants usage of their network at the highest profitability. I doubt the phone matters (apple will sell because it is apple). Not sure I agree they will kill iphone sales...foolish people are completely convinced that the fruit is the only way to go (right or wrong, they will pay a fortune for what they perceive is "trouble free" regardless of the carrier). Pps I talk to think phone OS before phone (apple = iphone) before vendor (apple, htc, moto, samsung, etc) and then consider the carrier and price and internally weight accordingly according to the options available.
Nevertheless, the iphone thing should die at some point...a brand with one product (just like MAC vs PC war of the past)