@ Ryan .....(and)...... AT&T always seems forgotten.
I am a US mobile user. For years I used Verizon and was bound to only phones that they sell. In the market I'm in there are all the major players, Verizon, US Cellular, Sprint, AT&T, and T-mobile. To be honest I thought the same as you for the longest time. "I'm always bound to the carrier by my phone"................ Then I did my homework about 6 months ago.....................
I talked to all of the operators. Researched the different cellular technologies and phone manufacturers. I even polled my friends who used the different services.
In the end I found out that AT&T really did have an open network. They broadcast on all 4 of the GSM bands and are working on getting the HSDPA (3G) band in my area. The only hurdle is configuring the phone on the network.......... That is where you need to buy from a reputable manufacturer. Knock offs won't cut it, your support will be hit or miss. I buy through SE and they provide simple steps to configure my phone. Needless to say, I will be getting the X1, which is a windows mobile device.
The point is that AT&T, though it's one of the largest carrier here in the states, always seems forgotten. Even in this article...... no mention of AT&T. AT&T did win part of the block in certain markets. Why not mention it??