Maybe a contract-free iPhone is NOT out of the question

Sounds like AT&T and Apple share a common bond--making overpriced proprietary technology that gets their users trapped in.

Who is going to the Arnot Mall in Big Flats to get there iphone?

Where is this California law that says a cellphone provider must offer a phone without a contract?

Greg,

It doesn't matter much what you think when the law says otherwise. It's amusing how much TUAW keeps ignoring it too. I've said it about 4 times here and will say it one more time. The law requires that all cellphone carriers must also sell their phones at a full retail no contract price to anyone who wants it. California, among others, is one of the sates that has this law. It's also law that they provide you with an unlock code should you request it. But hey, "bloggers" like to ignore messy things like facts.

Tricky.

I think AT&T won't sell the phone without a contract. AT&T wants to sign people up to long-term contracts, and the only way they can do that is by baiting you with hardware. If any piece of hardware is going to tempt you to sign that 2-year contract, it's going to be the iPhone. And since they have a captive audience, why wouldn't they?

I'm as enchanted by the idea of a contract-less, prepaid iPhone as the next guy, but I think that's just too good to be true.

they just took that out to make the ads more appealing, they probably will sell the iphone without a contract but get ready to pay at least 200$ more for it, thats they way this cell phone companies work, i think ill just wait and get one on ebay :P

In the UK the iPhone WILL have to go pre-paid (SIM Free) a few months after launch to have any chance on the market.

i actually asked this to the apple rep when i was in the store yesterday, and he said they will be selling it off contract

has anyone noticed it says "MINIMUM 2 yr contract", is that to say that a customer has the option to sign a contract longer than 2 years, say four or five, and get an iphone at a subsidized price?

In addition to the 2-year contract language missing, has anyone noticed that the vaunted "pinch" operation to zoom/unzoom is never used in the commercials? Every zoom op is performed by a single tap on the area to be zoomed.