AT&T is considering a rate cut to its monthly service plans for the Apple iPhone—a move that could bring the cost of an iPhone data plan through AT&T down to as low as $20 a month, according to reports.
Business Week cited unnamed sources Monday that it says are familiar with AT&T's thinking, suggesting the move might help AT&T continue to leverage its status as Apple's exclusive iPhone carrier in the U.S.
AT&T already offers a $30-a-month unlimited data plan for iPhones, and the Business Week report said in a proposed version its new plan will cut $10 off that. As it stands, the $30-a-month plan is a mandatory add-on to AT&T's iPhone subscription, which along with taxes often pushes the monthly cost of iPhone ownership above $70. AT&T might unveil the new pricing as early as Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in a few weeks.
It's one more piece of speculation on what's next for the iPhone and Apple itself in advance of the WWDC—speculation that's always at critical mass when rumors of new phones, gadgets and multipurpose tablets are flying through the air.
Last week came hot rumors from a variety of sources saying Apple was at work on three new iPhones called "Project Charlie," and that new versions of the iPod Nano and iPod touch would this fall come equipped with cameras like the iPhone has.
But maybe, just maybe, the next great Apple iPhone frontier is games? No gaming announcements are rumored for the WWDC, at least that we've heard. But plenty of observers have mentioned in recent weeks that the success of Apple's wildly popular App Store will position it as a competitor to Nintendo, Sony and other console giants in the handheld gaming field—not the least for how cheap ($9.99 on average) and easy the App Store makes it to acquire games.
Business Week's Arik Hesseldahl had an interesting take over the weekend, writing that his meetings with Social Gaming Network CEO Shervin Pishevar convinced him that the iPhone was as viable a handheld gaming platform as anything else. Hesseldahl said he also connected with Electronic Arts founder and Digital Chocolate CEO Trip Hawkins, who's clocked 20 million Digital Chocolate game downloads through the iPhone App Store. Obviously, not a number to sniff at.
