Cingular Followed Apple's Rules

From an article published in the San Francisco Chronicle we learn a bit more about Apple iPhone development and how apple was dealing with its main partner over the last months.

Here's some other stuff we learned about the Apple iPhone at the Cingular presser with Glenn Lurie, Cingular's president of national distribution:
-- The phone can only be bought with a two-year contract. Existing Cingular subscribers will have to re-up for another two years to get one.
-- The exclusive agreement with Cingular is a "multi-year" deal, so don't expect to see this on any other carrier in the near future.
-- Who set the price for the iPhone? It was all Apple.
-- Apple owns distribution rights to the iPhone, so expect to see it only in Apple and Cingular stores and on their Web sites. No big-box retail plans for now.
-- The iPhone won't support third-party applications. Why? Ask Apple.
-- The phone will remain unlocked.
-- No word on HSDPA high-speed data service for the iPhone, although Lurie said Cingular's partnership with Apple extends to other devices in this line, alluding to the potential for a faster device. While it runs on EDGE data access, the device has been "optimized" to perform Web functions better.
-- Aside from the visual voice-mail feature, which was jointly produced, all iPhone features were developed by Apple.
-- Steve Jobs was the one who approached Cingular about extending the relationship to the iPhone after partnering on the Rokr phone.
-- The phone hardware won't be branded with the Cingular name at all, but Cingular or AT&T's name will appear on every screen on the phone.
-- When it finally appears in June, Cingular will be in the process of changing its name to AT&T following the completion of AT&T's purchase of BellSouth, which owned a stake in Cingular.
-- Over-the-air downloads? Not now. It's an iPod.

So in summary, while teaming up with Cingular, Apple remains the main player about its iPhone business plan and development. However, current limitations: impossible to get it available as a carrier-free mobile phone and the long-term exclusive deal with Cingular, might impact the availability and sales of the iPhone from the beginning on. Apple keeps its hands on the "iPod/iPhone/iTS" ecosystem.