CellPhoneBurn

If you're not an AT&T wireless customer here in the states, and you're hoping the iPhone is coming, you're going to have to wait another year, at least.

According to an article in the USA Today yesterday, AT&T (NYSE: T) added another year on its exclusive distribution deal with Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) for the iPhone, bringing the agreement into 2010.

The article does a good job explaining the Apple-AT&T relationship and how AT&T's risky move a few years ago to lock-up exclusive distribution of the iPhone has paid off handsomely.

AT&T's CEO, Randall Stephenson, is a happy guy these days. He says "the iPhone is central to what he sees as an ongoing transformation of AT&T. His goal: Turn the iconic company into a wireless goliath with global reach and intense customer loyalty."

"The iPhone has repositioned AT&T as the premier wireless brand in the world," Stephenson says. He quickly adds, for emphasis: "We're all about wireless."

What most consumers don't realize (and what the article does a good job pointing out) is that this was a very risky move for everyone involved:

"The iPhone might seem like a no-brainer now, but back then it was little more than a concept, with no name, design plan or software operating system. And it was offered by a computer company that had zip experience in wireless.

But the idea did have one thing going for it: Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The Apple chief was convinced he could design a better smartphone, one that would make it easy — and fun — to use the mobile Web, which was just emerging. Stephenson says that's all he needed to hear.

"We're not betting on the handset," he says, reflecting on that fateful 2005 decision to lock arms with Apple. "We're betting on Jobs."

Pretty incredible stuff - in 30 years when the PC is all but gone, and all we have is a smartphone, we'll be looking back on these days and remembering how it all started.

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