AT&T to Lose Its Death Grip on the IPhone

The never-ending Apple rumors continue. Last week, it was reported that Verizon and AT&T may be sharing coverage of the Apple tablet. Now it appears likely that that isn’t the only Apple device they’ll be sharing. A freshened round of rumors indicate that AT&T will lose its exclusive coverage of the iPhone. The announcement is expected at Wednesday’s big event.

While the name of the other carrier(s) weren’t part of the rumors, it’s long been speculated that Verizon is getting prepared to carry the iPhone. Now that the carrier is likely to get a stab at the tablet, it’s looking more and more probable that a Verizon iPhone is also on the way. Apple may release a separate CDMA version of the iPhone or a version compatible with both Verizon and AT&T networks.

The availability of a second iPhone carrier will be nothing but positive for consumers, especially those unhappy with AT&T. More robust maps could be in the very near future.

AT&T is expected to bounce back with five new Android handsets this year, including the Dell Mini 3. [via eWeek]