the iPhone 3GS looks awesome...improved camera, built in compass, hell of a lot faster, voice dial and app access. I was prepared to stand in line next week to buy one the day it launches.... except that AT&T has decided to prevent me from doing so.

The fine print: existing AT&T customers who want to upgrade from another phone or replace an iPhone 3G, the price with a new two-year agreement is $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB). (http://www.apple.com/iphone/compare-iphones/)

They didn't have this constraint in the past and it encouraged people to continue upgrading their devices and lock themselves into perpetual contracts. Now, even as an aspiring iPhone developer, the price is too steep for me to bother. I haven't looked in a while, but I think that a contract buyout + phone at reduced price is actually cheaper. epic fail.

Fortunately even with my inferior 3G, I'll still be able to get all the added features with the firmware upgrade to 3.0. I will have to admire the 3GS from afar and wait for next year's upgrade. At that point there may even be more carriers to choose from, at which point I'll gladly say goodbye to AT&T.