Several MacDailyNews users have reported that AT&T stores have been hiding the iPhone from the public, keeping them in stock rooms unless specifically requested in the event of a sale. Why would AT&T do such a thing?
Some have suggested that since AT&T doesn’t get as big a cut from iPhone sales as it does other cellphones—when asking to see the iPhone, some customers have reported being told to check out a BlackBerry Curve instead because it’s “better”—AT&T has no incentive to push Apple’s wunderphone. That seems a little too “Ides of March” to me—conspiratorial, I mean to say—but reports are reports. And it’s the Internet; everything here in 100 percent truthful.
Now, if true, this certainly seems to be a case of cutting your nose off to spite your face. Cliché aside, I’d like to know whether or not this a real problem or an exaggerated one generated by a bloodthirsty media. (See global warming.) If even remotely true, Apple will certainly be nonplussed.
Some AT&T stores refusing to show customers Apple iPhone? [MacDailyNews via iLounge]
“spike your face”?! How sub-culture…
Out here in Levittown / East Meadow (Long Island) NY the local ATT store does not have any iPhones out on display. They are in the back and you have to ask for them. The iPhone accessories are also located in the back of the store. The only hint of iPhone in the front of the store is the iPhone poster hanging from the ceiling.
I went into a att store today and the clerk would only discuss the new tilt. Stated they were out of the iphone and would not carry anymore until they got 3g. He listed all the usual faults including lack of physical keyboard and slow network speeds. I went to the apple store and bought (3) for my wife,mom and sister for christmas.
Please check your global warming opinions at the door.
I just switched to AT@T due to coverage issues with big red last week, and over the phone they were pushing the Curve 8310 and Pearl hard, to the exclusion of any other phone unless specifically asked. The local store I stopped by also didn’t want to talk about the iP3G at all, other than to say they were out permanently.