Apple iPhone center stage in 'AT&T Mobility' brand

With the Cingular brand in the midst of transitioning to the new old new AT&T brand, will Apple's iPhone cement AT&T's mobile brand again? While were just now weaning ourselves from the term "Cingular," we're ready (sigh, we guess) to start seeing AT&T re-emerge as the mobile phone brand of the telecom behemoth. But wait -- AT&T wants to call its mobile brand "AT&T Mobility" now. With brands like AT&T Wireless and Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems being bones in AT&T's closet, we were wondering when the term "mobile" in some form would return. Well, lookie -- here it is, and the iPhone will ring in the new brand like a new year in Times Square (or so AT&T believes). With all this branding and re-branding and merger activity, no wonder customers are confused. We were at first also, but we've written it on the virtual chalkboard over 100 times now, heh, so we're used to it. Cingular as a brand has so many billions of dollars in consumer sentiment and investment that it won't die easily. But the hope is that the impending release of the iPhone will help get the "AT&T Mobility" branding underway more than it has been thus far. Some customers, though, are already yawning.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2007 7:27AM]

r u fukkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkking seriouzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

WTF r they thinkingggggggggggggggggggg?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2007 7:44AM]

Dude, this phone can't compare to the Nokia N95!! This phone is way to heavy and is going to do terrible! Whoppy it has an Apple name. Anyone who is smart and knows about "Great" Phones which this is not, knows about that Outstanding Nokia N95. If your going to pay for a phone this expensive and can't barely do half what the N95 can. Why waste ur time on a phone like this and just get the Crown Jewel which GSMarena calls the "Nokia N95".

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2007 7:52AM]

Corporate branding...when switching to an even more iconic brand has risks. I imagine that AT&T wishes they could keep both brands, without losing any recognition or having them compete against each other. Tough thing to do, but maybe they could have brought in "ATT Mobility" as a premium brand and then re-formed Cingy as their consumer brand. One road takes the low volume / high margin route, while the other takes the high-volume / cutthroat margin route.

Who knows, but it seems a bit incongruous to have such premium phones sitting next to whatever it is they're giving away for free this month.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2007 7:53AM]

i agreeee

the iphone iz gonnna be a piece O shit!!!!!!!!!

i wauz just trying to point out the that cingular wantz to change there NAME AGAIN!!!

WHY?????????

at&t iz fine!!!

at&t mobility iz just plain fuKKKKKKKKKKKing retarded!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2007 8:15AM]

AT&T will never advertise the name "AT&T Mobility". It is the internal name to recognize the wireless division of AT&T. To the public, AT&T will be branded as your one stop shop for communications across 3 Screens: T.V., Computer, Phone.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2007 10:54AM]

Worst. Marketing Department. Ever.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2007 11:21PM]

Like JMan said, AT&T mobility is the internal name for the wireless unit (cingular) You will never see "AT&T Mobility" engraved on a handset. Not sure where you guys get this info from. And Roe, the N95 gets its ass kicked by the HTC Hermes (AT&T 8525) in the US, since its 3G is useless outside of Japan/Europe which utilize the 2.1ghz, such great phone but useless in the US besides the excellent camera.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2007 8:21PM]

In my humble estimation many of you are missing the point. The superior technology (Nokia N95, HTC, whatever) is irrelevant in the face of superior marketing. The world is littered with the roadkill of superior technologies that didn't prevail due to ineffective marketing campaigns.

Apple has consistently knocked the cover off the ball during the past several years with their marketing. The iPod, for example, is certainly not a technological masterpiece (although I've owned several and have the latest version now it could stand some improvement in a few areas) but the tie-up of iTunes, the dancing silhouettes, the TV ads, etc, have combined to make the iTunes a textbook example of masterpiece marketing. iRiver, Sansa, etc., may all offer more technology, but they won't sell more. 100 million units, anyone? 2 billion songs sold? Case closed on superior technology.

Finally, in regards to the ATT/Cingular/Mobility issue - I personally think that ATT shareholders should rise up and revolt against the obscene amount of money that was essentially wasted in morphing ATT to Cingular and now will have to be deprogrammed from America's collective consciousness.

On a final, more personal note, using repeeeeaaaating letters and ALL CAPS or obscenities in comments immediately brands you as an imbecile or an uneducated moron. If you can't bring yourself to use some intelligence to write your commentary perhaps you can spare the rest of us the pain of your immaturity. Your parents must be so proud.

[(Unverified) Posted May 8th 2007 10:30PM]

Well said WirelessWizard. However about the name changing and branding: while very confusing, if it could have been done differently, it would have. Remember Cingular used to be owned by SBC communications (60%) and BellSouth (40%). SBC wanted to purchase old AT&T for some time, but with old AT&T having a finacial intrest in AT&T wireless, it would prove to be a conflict of intrest to be finacially backing opposing wireless carriers. So they had to purchase AT&T wireless first. In that agreement they only had rights to the AT&T wireless name for 6 mths after purchase, hence the branding plan to Cingular. Some time Later SBC purchases the old AT&T as planned and keeping the better brand equity in the AT&T name, they create the new AT&T. a few months later the "new AT&T" (which is really SBC communications with a new name) buys out its partner BellSouth. Now Cingular is owned 100% by one communications company "The New AT&T". Bundling all of the New AT&T's communications services under one name, only makes sense. So while very confusing, and some might think a waste of about 500 million to fully rebrand Cingular. It was a ness. evil.