At a press conference at CES today we learned that Cingular intends to initiate its rebranding to AT&T (not AT&T Wireless) by mid-year -- in time for the iPhone launch. While they weren't entirely certain of an exact date, they definitely seemed determined to make sure the AT&T branding was firmly in place by the time the industry-changing device was announced. Cingular couldn't officially confirm whether Apple could or couldn't make an identical device without a cell radio (i.e. the "true" video / widescreen / WiFi iPod), but they stated "Apple can build [their] devices." Other interesting Cingular / Apple bits:
- It was again confirmed that customers must agree to a two year contract, even if that requires customers to renew their current service.
- There is no iTunes revenue sharing.
- There will be no physical branding on the iPhone but Apple branding. The only AT&T / Cingular branding will be on-screen where the carrier readout is shown.
- Although nothing was confirmed, Cingular made it sound as though users might be able to expect a specially bundled data plan for the iPhone.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Matt B @ Jan 10th 2007 4:00PM
Who the hell wants the same phone for 2 f'n years??? It's a nice phone but its forcing a 2 year commitment on something I guarantee only has a 1 year warranty.Yes, it is common, but still a complete rip off.
No thanks, I'd rather spend an extra $100 for full retail and get a 1 year contract after the stampede.
Rick Lyon @ Jan 10th 2007 4:19PM
It's the contract that is two years, not the phone usage. If 1 year, you buy the latest iPhone, or whatever, take out your SIM card from the old phone, pop it into the next phone and enjoy your contracted second year with a brand new phone.
I just did the above, with T-Mobile, so I won't be getting an iPhone unfortunately.
Bobby @ Jan 10th 2007 4:43PM
I don't know why everyone hates cingular so much. They're the number one US GSM Carrier. I've never had service problems or customer service problems wit them. Also, they have the best selection of phones all the time. Nokia, Sony Ericcson, and others will only play in the GSM field and release the hottest phones for the GSM carriers only.
It's all relative. (Insert name here) Carrier will always suck or be the best. It all depends on your own experience.
That's why every carrier gives you 30 days to try out their service or get a full refund!
Leonard Nimrod @ Jan 11th 2007 12:08AM
@Matt B
"No thanks, I'd rather spend an extra $100 for full retail and get a 1 year contract after the stampede."
Cingular isn't subsidizing only $100 for this phone. Try $350 to $500. I may just wait for someone to unlock it and for Apple to sell it at full price. I hope by then, other carriers offer RAV (Random Access Voicemail).
@Rick Lyon
"It's the contract that is two years, not the phone usage. If 1 year, you buy the latest iPhone, or whatever, take out your SIM card from the old phone, pop it into the next phone and enjoy your contracted second year with a brand new phone."
And then add 2 more years to your Cingular contract. No thanks!
"Is is true that you have to keep your phone for 2 years?? I always thought the contract was only for just the service. Like if you had a 2 year contract and wanted to switch to Verizon after 1 year then you'd have to pay a large fee."
The contract is for the service, not the phone. The problem comes when you wish to get a new smartphone and have to either pay the full retail price or pin a couple extra years to your contract.
@Alcaron
"Industry changing? It doesn't even have 3G and its just a touchscreen...how is this any more industry changing that a touchscreen phone running an embedded MS os?"
- Random Access Voicemail (RAV)
- Multi-touch screen
- Accelerometer, Proximity & Ambient Light sensors
- OS X (i.e.: Award winning User Inferface)
- auto syncing of Calendar, Photos, Contacts, Bookmarks, Mail.
- Seamless and automatic switching from EDGE to Wi-Fi
- Full internet browser functionality
(I could keep on going but these are he first to com to mind)
M @ Jan 20th 2007 7:36PM
What's with all the grumblings? Either buy it or don't buy and be happy with your RAZR's. Enough already with the petty complaints...trying to find one thing you don't like about the phone or the provider just so that you can hang on to some flimsy reason not to buy the iPhone?!
JinKazama @ Jan 10th 2007 4:05PM
"Although nothing was confirmed, Cingular made it sound as though users might be able to expect a specially bundled data plan for the iPhone."
Deal breaker! I love the device but I think if apple let's them Cingular will systematically kill this thing if they choose to attach some crazy rate plans to this thing. I'd be willing to plunk down the loot for the device, but I'm not gonna pay $150.00 bucks a month to be able to use it.
Fraser Drew @ Jan 10th 2007 4:13PM
I don't know about you, but when i read this my first thought was, o, great, cheap internet etc. and cheap stuff for the good of the phone! I hope i am right, and you are wrong (in the nicest way) but i fear you will be correct!
Karl @ Jan 10th 2007 4:22PM
I'm a current Cingular customer and have no idea why Apple chose Cingular as its exclusivity vendor. Cingular's customer services is horrible and pricing practices are not any better. I was going to swap back to T-Mobile or to Verizon upon my Razr 2 years commitment.This will create a lot of problems for Apple in the long run.
j0nkatz @ Jan 10th 2007 4:06PM
No thanks. I'll keep T-mobile.
Cardbored @ Jan 10th 2007 4:10PM
wow lets put a sweet phone out on a piece of shit carrier... way to go apple! idc this phone seems extremely pointless whether its apple or anyother company. Cell phones are jsut that, phones.
P.S. What's with engadgets love for the iphone?!? theres been like 12-15 posts about it since it was announced
steve @ Jan 10th 2007 4:15PM
considering the fact that it is the most hyped/talked about release for like the past 2 years, yea it deserves some posts
Ken @ Jan 10th 2007 4:31PM
Why Cingular?
Why not?
Who would want to make a phone for Verizon's network. Once made it can only be used on thier network. At least, with Quad band GSM, Apple could sell the phone to other markets in the world. And who is the largest american GSM carrier?
steve @ Jan 10th 2007 4:11PM
this is starting to sound worse and worse. Looks like this thing is going to have a lot of strings attached. I myself have about 1 1/2 years left on my cingular contract, will I be adding on another 2 years when I buy the iphone, or does it just reset my contract to 2 years. Do you have to aggre to a 2 year special data plan as well before they will sell you this thing? If so, how much is this going to friggen cost? 69.99 a month to use a $600 phone for 2 years?! If that is the case, my hopes are squashed and you all can count me out. Though I doubt apple will stand buy and let cingular force this type of crap down prospective apple custumers. (especially if they want that 1% market share)
paul @ Jan 10th 2007 4:13PM
how much money did they spend marketing the Cingular name?
"steve,can we at least put 'cingular' on the bottom of box next to the upc............no"
Chris Herzog @ Jan 10th 2007 4:23PM
Wow. Yesterday I was all gun-ho to drop Verizon for this. Today, I am not as excited. Looks like a great phone too bad that it sounds like a deal with the devil to get it. NO SPECIAL PRICING, MUST have a 2 YEAR AGREEMENT, and DATA PLAN. They might make a big change to cell phone indy, but it sounds like Apple is only supporting the BS I hate about the cell phone indy.
Zac @ Jan 10th 2007 4:17PM
Why does AT&T continue to think that it's a great idea to rebrand all of their subsidiaries as "AT&T". All it does is create confusion, especially when it comes to customer service. Already I have to call 15 different AT&T numbers, each of them telling me I have to call a different number for service with TV, internet, etc.
Michael @ Jan 10th 2007 10:27PM
That's a no-brainer. As a monopoly AT&T can charge you whatever they want and you have no choice but to take it if you want service. There are laws against monopolies in the US but for some reason we keep finding ourselves back in these situations because of new laws and loopholes. So of course they want to come back together. It's all about that 4% of rich old men getting richer. And although some people hate to realize it, Mr. Jobs is part of that club.
Alcaron @ Jan 10th 2007 4:17PM
Industry changing? It doesn't even have 3G and its just a touchscreen...how is this any more industry changing that a touchscreen phone running an embedded MS os?
csjk789 @ Jan 10th 2007 6:20PM
as a diehard mac fanboy, i'm going to have to agree with you. the new uses for the touchscreen are amazing, but lack of 3g KILLS this phone...
Caleb @ Jan 10th 2007 4:27PM
I wonder if Cingular/ATT will suck any less. I had cingular for four years. Service was dismal, but they were cheap.
Jeff Foster @ Jan 10th 2007 4:28PM
i think the "specially bundled data plan" thing might be a *positive* - as in the iPhone will get a cheaper unlimited data plan or something to the effect. I highly doubt they'll try and charge a premium for service, or if they were, they wouldn't mention it until the last minute.
announcements THIS early in the game are meant to be selling points, not warnings. ...that's my assumption.
however it ends up, i dont care, and unfortunately, i WONT care until Apple releases a CDMA/EVDO version (sooner rather than later i'm hoping) because not even APPLE will convince me to go to GSM, much less Cingular. I'll be a happy camper when the CDMA version finally hits. (MacWorld 2010? i'd hope sooner.)
DMcGrew @ Jan 10th 2007 4:29PM
Is is true that you have to keep your phone for 2 years?? I always thought the contract was only for just the service. Like if you had a 2 year contract and wanted to switch to Verizon after 1 year then you'd have to pay a large fee.
DMcGrew @ Jan 10th 2007 4:29PM
I'm still getting one no matter what.
D_McGrew @ Jan 10th 2007 4:31PM
Does that 2 year contract really make you keep the same phone the entire time??? I thought the contract was only for switching carriers. Like if I had a 2 year contract with Cingular, then switched to Verizon after only 1 year I would have to pay a large amount of money. Atleast thats how I always thought it was.
Why would they not want you to buy a new phone if you wanted one? Wouldn't that just potentially mean lost business?
ShortFuse @ Jan 10th 2007 4:31PM
i don't understand how you guys can be so cheap. what's wrong with $20 for unlimited data? on my pda i surf the web all day. i racked up 40MBytes this month. yes i have cingular. no I don't have the PDA plan, i have the Media Max 1000 plan. i don't need VPN for the extra $20 a month on the PDA Plan ($40)
Media Max 1000 ($30) - Unlimited Data and 1000 Messages (3cents overage) and access to Cingular Video (3G/3.5G phones only)
Media Max 200 ($20) - Unlimited Data and 200 Messages (5cents overage) and access to Cingular Video (3G/3.5G phones only)
Media Works ($15) - 5MB Data (1cent per KB overage) and 1000 messages (5cents overage)
Media Basic ($10) - 1MB Data (1cent per KB overage) and 400 messages (10cents overage)
Every MMS counts as one text message. How ever big (in KBytes) the multimedia is, that much is charged (or deducted from plan)
*rounded up all $0.99 to $1.00
duffyblue @ Jan 10th 2007 4:34PM
Yeah, the phone sounds cool, but my brand new 3G Blackjack is almost the same, minus the touch screen, minus the X os, and minus the movies. But then again with 3G and the lovely, so far, WM5, I stream 500 gigs of movie and music joy, straight to the blackjack. Too bad Apple - computer, Inc. doesn't have anything on that. I laugh at 4 gigs, and 600 bones for 8 is absurd
D_McGrew @ Jan 10th 2007 4:41PM
I bet your blackjack's UI doesn't look anything near as cool as the iPhone's! All anyone needs to see are the demonstrations at www.apple.com/iphone
Pedro @ Jan 10th 2007 4:35PM
I want it, but I don't want cingular/att
ShortFuse @ Jan 10th 2007 4:37PM
before you guys misunderstand
Cingular Video is exclusive to 3G/3.5G phones only
the plans themselves aren't exclusive
duffyblue @ Jan 10th 2007 5:12PM
thanks for hyping apple again, i bet no one on this site knew where to look for iPhone pics and demos. And the Blackjack's UI probably isn't o par but I'm not going to pay 500 + 2 year contract for a phone that doesn't have 3G and a pathetic 4 gb. HA. It's people like you that make apple successful. If I cared how my phone looked instead of how it performed I'd go with the iPhone. Just like my computer. I don't care how it looks, all i know is it kicks macs' A$$E$
Wonderer @ Jan 10th 2007 4:41PM
Yay for telco monoplies!! Ma Bell is back in action!
Chris Herzog @ Jan 10th 2007 4:43PM
We won't see this on Verizon for a very very long time. Verizon has it's own music store that they have sunk millions into building. Verizon will not give up that revenue to get this phone. Plus, Cingular isn't getting a dime from the Itunes sales, so that would mean Verizon would straight lose on that. Their only chance of making that up would be a whole line of customers buying data plans.
Nic @ Jan 10th 2007 5:06PM
Agreed with Bobby. I personally have had Cingular 1.5 years now. Had issues with original phone and Best Buy (horrible customer service) wouldn't even talk to me. Talked with Cingular and they hooked me up with a new phone, twice!
My experience with Cingular: customer service is fine
Xinyu @ Jan 10th 2007 4:44PM
For people who apparently have no clue as to why iPhone is revolutionary, industry changing. Please go to Apple.com and check out the iPhone sites, and watch the live demo by Steve during keynote. Then you can come back and ask more questions.
D_McGrew @ Jan 10th 2007 4:46PM
EXACTLY! Everyone needs to see the demos at the apple iphone site. http://www.apple.com/iphone/
duffyblue @ Jan 10th 2007 5:13PM
oh my god! you're so right, apple is sooo cool...not
ShortFuse @ Jan 10th 2007 4:48PM
@Bobby
Because Cingular was crap from 2003-2005. I had them and left. I switched back and they're doing great now. The merging process was killer on them. Even outsourced to India for customer service. Things are better now though, but the complications of the merger really hurt their image.
ShortFuse @ Jan 10th 2007 4:53PM
@J B Lawrence
I think it's a well known fact the "Microsofts" of the cell phone industry is VZW. They're even teamed up with Microsoft for a bunch of things. They're restrictive. I won't go into more about details because we know how Verizon Wireless is.
Cingular is more like the bumbling fool, but so much potential. Video Calling in 2007. But I think, from the experience of leaving them and coming back, they've cleaned up their act.
ShortFuse @ Jan 10th 2007 5:06PM
The phone costs $499 and $599. Those are full, retail prices. Apple said Cingular is not to discount the phone.
Cingular has exclusivity. I think the reason they state the 2 year contract thing, is to say, you need to be a cingular customer to get the phone. You don't have to be a Cingular customer to, let's say, get a the LG CU500. You have T-Mobile, walk into the store, and get the phone at a Cingular store(paying full). Then get it unlocked, and put it in your t-mobile phone (or sell it on ebay).
I would think that if you are a Cingular customer, you can get the phone. I think we should wait a bit until this is all finalized. I don't think Cingular will say to their customers. Hmm, you can't upgrade your phone, so we don't want your $600.
Joseph @ Jan 10th 2007 5:07PM
I jsut dont get why we dont just DROP THE CRAP PHONE thing... and make this a I-pda. IF you give it wireless, make it VOIP, put a video camera on the front for Skype and Ichat, bigger FLASH harddrive, better battery, and runs OsX then your talking about a device that might just be a PDA, MP3, UMPC killer. Partner up with Google to create the same great map applications and push for Wireless coverage in major city areas. Cheap VOIP phone plans with convergence with internet and desktops and Then your starting to make a truly revolutionary device. I use to just think it was hardware limitations that was keeping apple from the next great device, but now i see its just a push for what people want "an Iphone". APPLE PLEASE MAKE A NEW IPOD/PDA device and stop trying to push a phone onto everyong. Make the Video IPOD/PDA and I would surely buy it knowing i won't have to subject myself to a two year contract with a new phone.
Otsego @ Jan 10th 2007 5:14PM
"There will be no physical branding on the iPhone but Apple branding. The only AT&T / Cingular branding will be on-screen where the carrier readout is shown."
HELL YES!
I've had Cingular for 6 years. Worked for them for 1 (after i got service). Thought about switching recently, but the reality is (at least in WA State), there is no better carrier. T-Mob service is mediocre at best in WA, and for apple to consider any CDMA carrier would be stupid since GSM is the world standard (and the iPhone is a true world phone with all 4 GSM freqs).
Anyone can claim faults of the iPhone now, but this thing is guaranteed to be better than anything on the market now by leaps and bounds. Sure Cingy has really crappy cust. service (i know from expereience on BOTH sides), but OVERALL they have the best cell service in the USA (thats not saying a whole lot).
This is how it is:
Apple knows what they are doing. Once your friend gets one, you will want one too.
ShortFuse @ Jan 10th 2007 5:21PM
that's a nice long article, where the author didn't stop to think Apple didn't mean 10million phones in the US only. Even Xbox360 already hit 10million worldwide with its pricetag. I don't see why not the iPhone which (as the new iPod) has a greater demand
DWWD @ Jan 10th 2007 6:06PM
What if the battery stops working before 2 years?
Goodman @ Jan 10th 2007 6:15PM
Here in Austin, Cingular already offers 3G phones for as little as $50 (such as the Cingular Sync, which supports music subscriptions and streaming music... unlike the iPhone). You'd have to be really gung-ho into Apple to spend $500 for a non-3G phone now, with a two-year committment. I can't say that a virtual keyboard with no tactile feedback excites me. The screen will get scratch to hell (unless you cover it with ugly plastic). There's no indication you can shoot video, or that it even comes with a calendar, or calculator, or chat support. The web browser doesn't reformat pages into a single column, so you'll spend all your time scrolling all over the place (when you're not waiting for pages to load). Sounds like a bad deal.
Ray @ Jan 10th 2007 6:25PM
The iPhone!!!!!
Gerardo @ Jan 10th 2007 6:26PM
Finally someone got it right! *Otsego*
Seriously, if we want the iPhone, whether we like Cingular or not, we'll get it. Sure there are some good and bads about Cingular - but let's not forget all phone companies are the same in more ways than we can imagine. The only thing that most people care about is what network their friends/families are on. Or if they can get some kind of discount from their company or whatever. In the end, what goes around in one phone company, eventually hits the other.
Gadget Chick @ Jan 10th 2007 6:52PM
verizon could never have the iphone because they would want put their god awful propriety software on it and steve jobs would not have that, i really hate verizon because of their penchant for dumbing down their phones.
Andy Keck @ Jan 10th 2007 6:57PM
"I don't know why everyone hates cingular so much. They're the number one US GSM Carrier. I've never had service problems or customer service problems wit them. Also, they have the best selection of phones all the time. Nokia, Sony Ericcson, and others will only play in the GSM field and release the hottest phones for the GSM carriers only.
It's all relative. (Insert name here) Carrier will always suck or be the best. It all depends on your own experience."
Seconded
Anonymous @ Jan 10th 2007 6:57PM
Looks like it will be two re-brandings since Cisco just sued Apple over the iPhone trademark...
wsj.com
Jeff @ Jan 10th 2007 7:11PM
I think Cingular is going to kill the iPhone for Apple! Cingular is using it as a trojan horse to get people to sign up for two year contracts. What is Apple getting out of the deal? Apple already has stated that they "expect" people to upgrade their iPods every year, so wouldn't restricting people's ability to upgrade their iPhone hurt Apple's buisness? Honestly, I would never agree to a two-year contract (one is enough)and I can't believe the American people continue to buy into this. If people will pay $100 or $200 extra for a 1 year or no contract, wouldn't it be in Apple's best interest to let them?