AT&T has been exploring the possibility of heavily subsidizing the cost of netbooks by bundling 3G data contracts. The sales model has been well established amongst mobile phones, including Apple's own iPhone 3G. Consumers who agree to the two-year 3G data contract could find their netbooks discounted to $99 or less. AT&T explored this model in a deal with Radio Shack who offered an Acer netbook for only $99 over the holidays:
As president of AT&T's new Emerging Devices division, [Glenn] Lurie hopes to do a lot more of those deals. His mission is to get just about everything except phones connected to AT&T's broadband network -- laptops, GPS devices, cars, games, medical equipment, "all the way to dog collars," he quips.
AT&T's Lurie reports that they are in talks with "lots of folks" and specifically says that he "would very much like to do more business with Apple."
While AT&T presently provides exclusive service to Apple's iPhone 3G, Apple has yet to support any built-in data services with their notebooks. If Apple were to introduce a netbook (a possibility they've downplayed) with built-in 3G networking, such subsidies could bring customers' up front costs down by several hundred dollars.
Sunday November 8, 2026 7:42 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his Power On newsletter today, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where...
Monday November 9, 2026 4:22 am PST by Tim Hardwick
The Apple launches keep coming! The company is set to release two new products on Friday, November 13: the all-new Apple HomeView and the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, both of which have been available to pre-order since mid-October.
Apple HomeView: Apple's new smart home display, powered by Apple Intelligence with Siri AI, for entertainment and managing the home. Available in tabletop and...
Friday November 6, 2026 3:27 pm PST by Juli Clover
When the iPhone Duo launched, we shared a list of some of the fun apps developers created for the new form factor. Two weeks out, developers are continuing to come up with fresh ideas, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites.
Games
Marbles Unhinged ($2.99) - Marbles Unhinged is a marble maze designed for the Duo. When you fold it, the floor turns into a ramp. If you stand the top...
