Those problems are exposing a fundamental schism that's occurring between all smartphone makers and carriers, not just Apple and AT&T. That partnership has lain bare "a fundamental disconnect between phone makers--who want to make indispensable devices that customers use constantly to their fullest capabilities--and carriers, who want to limit the data demands on their networks," Vogelstein writes.
"This dysfunctional relationship is not unique to Apple and AT&T; the tensions that have undercut the iPhone will likely bedevil every manufacturer and carrier," he continues. "And what that means is, at some point, everyone with a smartphone will probably experience the same frustration as AT&T customers."
Not only will all smartphone customers be sharing the frustration of AT&T's iPhone customers, they'll probably be paying more for that privilege as well. "As consumers' appetite for data grows, they will be asked to pay more and more for service that is not likely to be much more dependable than it is today," Vogelstein writes.
"In a fate that will soon befall the rest of the wireless carriers, AT&T has become a mere toll-taker on the digital highway, an operator of dumb pipes that cost a fortune to maintain but garner no credit for innovation or customer service," he continues. "Meanwhile, the likes of Apple and Google will continue to pump out products that push the limits of what the carriers can provide, training customers to use more and more data. The carriers will be locked into a grim series of adjustments continually raising prices or invoking ever more stringent data usage caps."