According to an “inside source”

Jan 25, 2010 08:33 GMT  ·  By

Cupertino-based company Apple is getting ready to make an announcement on January 27, and most of the rumors around the Internet are suggesting that a much-debated tablet is set to be unveiled at that media event. However, while there is no solid proof for that, the same applies to some other rumors that just emerged around, such as the fact that AT&T is expected to lose the exclusivity on iPhone's distribution in the United States on the very same day.

The news on the near end of AT&T's exclusivity on the iPhone comes from an “inside source” with the carrier, as hothardware reports. It seems that the iPhone is a reason for trouble within the company, even if AT&T has been reported quite a few times before to be actually fighting hard to extend its exclusive rights on the handset's distribution.

This is not the first time when rumors on the upcoming end of AT&T's marriage with the iPhone emerge, that's for sure. During the second half of the last year reports on this matter surfaced more often than before, mainly due to rumors related to the possible launch of an LTE-based iPhone with Verizon. AT&T itself said at one point that the exclusivity wouldn't last forever, yet the actual time frame for its end was believed to be mid-2010 rather than early 2010.

Issues with AT&T and the iPhone have been around since almost forever, that's for sure. There have been a wide range of complaints regarding dropped calls, slow transfer speeds and more. The carrier worked hard over the past couple of years on upgrading its network to meet the growing demand of data connectivity among iPhone users, yet it seems that it has not been able to satisfy all of its users so far, as the complaints still continue.

In case AT&T loses the iPhone exclusivity, other carriers are expected to try inking a distribution agreement with Apple, yet no exact details on the matter emerged for the time being. One candidate is Verizon Wireless, which said a few times before that its network was capable of carrying the iPhone and that it could meet the high demand for data connectivity usually showed by iPhone users. Moreover, the availability of Apple's device on a CDMA carrier, especially the largest in the country, would result in an increased market share, and it would make sense for the Cupertino company to approve it.

For what it's worth, the matter is still in the rumor side for the time being, and it will probably remain so until one of the involved parties makes an official announcement. AT&T is getting ready to launch its first Android phones in the first half of the ongoing year, and there have been also rumors on it looking to add Palm's new smartphones to its offering, so it will try to compensate the iPhone loss with other high-end, appealing devices.