AT&T losing iPhone exclusivity this Wednesday?

Wednesday the 27th figures to be a big news day. Apple is supposed to debut its stunning new tablet and also discuss some news of interest regarding the iPhone. One of those news tidbits might have to do with AT&T's exclusivity to sell the Apple touchscreen device in the U.S. For according to an inside source, Hot Hardware is reporting that on Wednesday, the iPhone becomes a free agent. If true, this could play out in many ways. Will Verizon, the nation's number one carrier with what many feel is the best network, snap up the phone that has been a thorn in its back ever since Steve Jobs was supposedly shown the door? Of course, that would mean a CDMA version would need to be produced. Would T-Mobile be interested even if it meant competing against its upcoming stunner, the HTC HD2? And while it doesn't actually sell the Nexus One, until March, the only place to get 3G on the flagship Android phone is T-Mobile. What about Sprint? Would AT&T still want a piece of the action even if it sharply increases the demand for bandwidth? According to the story, AT&T is not happy with the data hog that is the iPhone and could let it go while compensating by offering a range of new handsets.

If this turns out to be true, Verizon could be a big winner Wednesday. Many potential iPhone buyers have shied away from the phone because they are loyal to what they perceive to be Big Red's outstanding cellular network and have been waiting for a Verizon branded iPhone. And while it is true that Big Red had presented the device as a toy during the holiday season, Verizon could up the specs and features in certain areas, similar to what it is doing with the Palm Pre, which is now the Pre Plus at Verizon. We also previously reported that it could be Verizon that gets the Apple tablet to sell. The excitement is building and we are only a few days away from having many of our questions answered.

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source: HotHardware via BGR