AT&T takes another stab at the iPhone 3G S upgrade
As excited as the world is over the iPhone hardware update, the service providers seem less than enthusiastic about the whole thing.
Both AT&T and O2 have taken a hammering in the popularity polls, particularly from existing iPhone users due to the excessive costs of upgrading their handsets (and, more poignantly, and their contracts).
In an effort to reclaim lost ground, AT&T put out an open letter tempting to placate its wounded iPhone 3G customer base.
"Were now pleased to offer our iPhone 3G customers who are upgrade eligible in July, August or September 2009 our best upgrade pricing, beginning Thursday, June 18," it rather cryptically says.
Exactly what AT&T has in mind isn't really all that clear, but at least it shows some effort on the service provider's part to build bridges with its increasingly less loyal customers.
In the UK, no such sign has been seen from iPhone exclusive holder O2. The costs for UK customers to buy their way out of existing contracts and upgrade to the iPhone 3G S can reach to almost £500, and has received proportionally excessive backlash from existing users.
So far, only the Carphone Warehouse has shown any interest in helping iPhone owners to get their hands on the latest model. Hopefully the gesture shown by AT&T will encourage O2 to do likewise.