Apple doesn't give iPhones away for free

摘要

As I decided to take the leap from the iPhone 3Gs to the iPhone 4G (yes, all at the urging of my children who actually understand the difference between the two!), I thought that I would negotiate with AT&T and Apple for the best price. I was a faithful, long-term customer, and would certainly be able to dangle the "threat of leaving"-both AT&T and Apple-in an effort to get a better deal. Although the iPhone is the market leader, the world is full of Blackberrys, Androids, and other smart phones. Certainly, they would cower to my threat to leave, and even though they DO offer a premium product, I was sure that I would get a big discount-or at least, a significant incentive to stay as their custom-er.