Then there is the idea that before AT&T and the iPhone, AT&T wasn't liked, they're still not liked That simply isn't borne out by numbers. Before the iPhone,

Then there is the idea that before AT&T and the iPhone, AT&T wasn't liked, they're still not liked That simply isn't borne out by numbers. Before the iPhone, AT&T was adding customers at a rate comparable to Verizon. AT&T's churn rate (the rate that customers leave) is the second best in the industry (marginally higher than Verizon). What are you going off of? Vocal detractors? Heck, even going back to the 4Q 2006 (before the iPhone was even introduced), AT&T was having greater net additions than Verizon. That doesn't mean they're "better". Just that they are perceived as the company that customers want to sign up with and stay with more than any other company (combining the two metrics there). Arguably [widgets were] a good thing I totally agree that widgets are better for certain apps than applications. However, the iPhone can do both. And it's true that there is a buildup time. However, that makes the Pre's case worse. If the argument is that it took Apple 6 months to really get apps, then the Pre is even further behind given that their delay will probably be even longer since they're a smaller platform to develop for. Pricing a plan at cheaper than the entry level iPhone plan would definitely leave more people wondering if getting the iPhone is worth it This is what Sprint needs - at least initially. They won't draw people from what is seen as a superior device on a superior network by charging the same. If they sell the Pre at $200 and service at comparable pricing, they won't sell many of them. However, to undersell the iPhone would be hard for management to stomach. The Pre is unlikely to cost less to manufacture - in fact, scale would probably make the iPhone a good deal cheaper. If the Pre can get up to the status of the iPhone, then they could sell it at parity, but it has a long way to go that includes proving its reliability, getting applications, etc. I like Apple, but I'm starting to dislike them more as they become more powerful. I wouldn't trade my MacBook Pro for a PC and the iPhone is just so nice, but I'm getting tired of how they try to tie everything together to rake in more money. I'll be really glad if the Pre evens the playing field a bit and provides Apple with competition they never saw in the MP3 player arena.