woah, paying that price for a phone and STILL have to stick with a 2yr contract. Ok, that's new (to me) ....

Some companies (Xerox comes to mind)invent super products, but they couldn't sell eternal life. What Steve Jobs can do is sell. He could generate excitement about yesterday's news. I want to see how long the enthusiasm lasts once the iPhones are actually tried by paying customers.

Nothing but an overpriced, overhyped phone that requires using a carrier with inferior data services.

And they'll be making a killing on it considering the cost to produce on these can't be much more than the video iPods which they already make a nice profit off of. The only real thing they're adding is a little bigger screen, touch screen controls, a microphone, and the send/receive chip for calls.

Is a cult leader. No more, no less.

it has GPS, Camera, Video Campera, Games, MP3, Speaker Phone, etc...

and it only cost me $40 used.

4GB sd card.

yadadadada.

Iphone: $500

If ATT can play their cards right, it might recreate the hype that made the RAZR such a success. Let's recall, that was a pretty expensive phone at the time too and sold mostly due to the slick design. (Technology had nothing to do with it.)

Yet the iPhone may be different since Smartphones require data service to make sense. That's currently an add-on to your monthly plan and where the money is really spent. This is my main argument why the iPhone may be less "popular" since calculating customers (at home) may shy away from the extra expense. Without data, the iPhone is a slick brick that doesn't easily fit in tight spaces (pockets). This was the main reason I dropped my Treo in favor of a RAZR.

But rest assured, the hype will make this an initial success. ATT may even get a few new customers. (GSM has always been more attractive to me since it also works outside the US!) And paying customers will have bragging right. The mass appeal though eventually comes down to simple math: What's the extra expense really buying me? (If you think your phone bill is too high already, the iPhone may not be the answer.)

Anyone else think that the iphone news is getting old?

I think Joz hit the nail on the head. Devices that perform the same tasks already exist, and some for cheaper than the iPhone.

When iPhone turns out to be really crap those 2000 employees would be the next to be fired.

thats why they are called temps. they are there just to help out and then they let them go when they are done with them. there maybe a few that are really good and get hired by at&t.

may be not greatest device ever made, but mac hatters must admit it is darn cool thing. the other side of story, look steve jobs is marketing genius. he made apple famous, he brought it back to life again and their computers have better parts and better built then most of PC units today. He is marketing and techno genius like it or not Ipone will be great success and every new smart phone will be measured in comp-erasing to this device.
Sorry truest hurts but it is done deal...
Finally at least wont give you blue screen of death like windows wm5...

"blue screen of death like windows wm5"

Huh? I've never seen a blue screen of death on my Cingular 8125 or 8525. Both trump the iPhone hardware spec wise. The only thing the iPhone may have going for it is possibly an easier to use interface (sorry... still not worth $500 or $600 to me).

Really, is there any real news of a real Rush anyplace?

I like the comment that says we have an exclusive contract to sell this phone for 2 years......Its actually more like 5Yrs