AT&T Wants to Keep iPhone Exclusivity Until 2011

The 4.7.0.113 update will also bring a much-wanted feature to Storm users: a full QWERTY keyboard to use in portrait mode. So far, the BlackBerry Storm allows the use of a full QWERTY only in landscape mode, while a SureType keyboard is used in portrait mode. In total, over 30 bugs will be fixed, with stability and speed issues addressed in this firmware update as well.

Some BlackBerry forums and Web sites already offer various versions of this update for download. If you know what you're doing, you can try an unofficial update at your own risk. However, I would recommend you wait until the official version from Verizon will be released.

This might well be the last firmware update RIM will offer for the Storm, as the company is already working on the Storm 2. The second iteration of RIM's flagship phone is said to add Wi-Fi, a 5-megapixel camera, and a new touchscreen technology called TruePress.

But from AT&T's point of view, the privilege of selling the iPhone is worth the cost. The big telecoms are moving away from landline service and looking to wireless as the industry's future. The WSJ says AT&T has already spent $18.8 billion in purchasing wireless spectrum and smaller wireless companies as it prepares for the coming years. AT&T may also cut out the requirement that you be an AT&T landline customer to qualify for discounts on TV or broadband service.

While holding onto the iPhone may make sense for AT&T, an extension isn't in the best interests of the consumer or Apple. Let's face it, millions of people around the U.S are salivating over the iPhone, but aren't switching over to AT&T. This can be for a variety of reasons like being locked into a contract, availability of AT&T service in certain areas, and even plain old brand loyalty. Apple needs to reach out to this much larger base of customers, especially with competition coming from the Palm Pre and an anticipated slew of devices coming loaded with Google's Android platform.

Opening up the iPhone to other carriers also has the potential to reshape the American wireless market. With so much hype behind it, Apple is in a position to dictate terms to service providers. Carriers could end up offering competing rebates, free devices, or other goodies in order to satisfy your iPhone lust.

I hope AT&T's time in the iPhone limelight is fading. It's time Apple unshackle the so-called "Jesus phone" from AT&T so we can see some iPhone competition in the U.S. marketplace.