There was a kind of behind the scenes ecosystem building in terms of AT&T's giving Apple an unusual (for the time) level of direct and complete customer/device

There was a kind of behind the scenes ecosystem building in terms of AT&T's giving Apple an unusual (for the time) level of direct and complete customer/device control. The iPhone wouldn't have been the iPhone without the work to create that wider context. The better user experience that enabled Apple to give customers counted for a lot. The easy to use, free of telecom interference, App Store is a prime example that the unusual Apple/AT&T relationship allowed, even if it was not v1.0.