It's iPhone Friday, hope you're reading this online in line

If you weren't up at oh-dark-thirty, chance are your chances for that new iPhone may be pretty slim. And, maybe, that's a good thing. Even though that new 3G iPhone is $200 cheaper than the original, your new contract won't be the "deal" AT&T gave you last time. The new rates put the iPhone on a level playing field with AT&T's other smartphones so you'll pay an extra $360 for your two-year-contract-minimum to save that $200.

AT&T's cut-rate price offering could cost it up to $2 billion-yep, $2 billion-over the next two years, a gamble the carrier is willing to take for what it sees as a "sure thing" down the road as millions of new customers join its network. Analysts, like Sur Terre Research's  Todd Rethemeier agree. "This is going to bring more customers in the door," he said.

For more:
- See this Detroit News story [1]
- and this MarketWatch story [2]

Related articles:
AT&T rides wireless to 22% Q1 profit bump Report [3]
AT&T bidding landline business adieu; all in with AT&T iPhone bet Report [4]