Originally Posted by
ScottC
Sure you can. Apple already has a very impressive distribution channel in place. They sell more ipods in their own stores than all other retailers put together.
Apple is the king of distribution. It would have been very simple to put them on shelves and include a link or form for people to signup with the provider since the phone is unsubsidized anyway.
Now they have limited their audience to those willing to go to ATT, which rules out everyone that hates ATT or those in contract with another provider.
For the American market partnering with ATT probably
increased their potential market. Sure they cut out a bit of the gadget geeks, but they opened up the "I don't even know what a SIM is" market - a much bigger market (and also one more in tune with Apple products
)
As for rumours - Apple's hype machine thrives on them. Live by the sword, die by the sword.