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Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 07:25 AM

I know we need another iPhone thread like a cop needs a jelly donut, but I thought the timing of this news was poorly thought out.

AT&T Prepares to ‘De-Brand’ the Cingular Wireless Name
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/12/te...l?ref=business

One of the biggest “de-brandings” in advertising history is to begin Monday when AT&T, now the sole owner of Cingular Wireless, starts changing all Cingular marketing to adopt the AT&T name.

This couldn't have been announced 3 days ago?

Oh, and how much does it suck to be a former AT&T Wireless / presently Cingular customer right now?

His Dudeness · Jan 12, 2007, 07:42 AM

About as much as it sucked to be a Cingular customer before?

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 07:44 AM

Oh, I'd think more.

stevesnj · Jan 12, 2007, 07:51 AM

The phone will still work just the name is changing...no big deal

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by stevesnj

The phone will still work just the name is changing...no big deal

I certainly don't think this is earth shattering information -- but it does seem incredibly stupid since it negates whatever publicity Steve gave Cingular at MWSF.

Angus_D · Jan 12, 2007, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

I certainly don't think this is earth shattering information -- but it does seem incredibly stupid since it negates whatever publicity Steve gave Cingular at MWSF.

But that other dude started harping on about it when he was reading from cards...

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 08:02 AM

I didn't watch video, you'll have to explain.

Montezuma58 · Jan 12, 2007, 08:04 AM

No big deal. Seems silly to me though. This company seems to change names as often as most people change pants. Just a couple of years ago Cingular & AT&T Wireless merged and they dropped the AT&T name and called everything Cingular. I had BellSouth Mobility several years ago. That morphed into Cingular.

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by Montezuma58

No big deal. Seems silly to me though. This company seems to change names as often as most people change pants. Just a couple of years ago Cingular & AT&T Wireless merged and they dropped the AT&T name and called everything Cingular. I had BellSouth Mobility several years ago. That morphed into Cingular.

That's why I don't understand the transition. WOuld have made sense to this the other way when they merged a few years back.

scottiB · Jan 12, 2007, 08:48 AM

I was an AT&T cell phone customer, then Cingular, now at&t. The cost to redress all of the stores and kiosks--yikes.

macfantn · Jan 12, 2007, 08:57 AM

they would have stuck with ATT from the get go, but Cingular didn't own the ATT name, ATT Wireless was just a wireless company who was paying to use the ATT name. SBC bought the ATT name last year to rebrand the entire company.

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 09:02 AM

Ah, thanks.

His Dudeness · Jan 12, 2007, 09:10 AM

ExxonMobil is buying Cingular and Sprint/Nextel. The new name is going to be ExxonMobilATTSprintNextel. Then they will merge with BPAmoco, and then with NorfolkSouthern.

Gossamer · Jan 12, 2007, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

I know we need another iPhone thread like a cop needs a jelly donut

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 09:29 AM

Mine was news related!

(Shouldn't you be off somewhere picking on Salty?)

Gossamer · Jan 12, 2007, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Mine was news related!

(Shouldn't you be off somewhere picking on Salty?)

It was, and I think I'm a couple days late with the picture, but it needed to be made. I predict it will have a long and glorious future here. Then everyone will get tired of it, and a week later I'll figure that out and feel bad because people on the internet think less of me.

Kerrigan · Jan 12, 2007, 09:33 AM

What does AT&T do these days? Other than own Cingular?

osiris · Jan 12, 2007, 09:38 AM

I wonder if AT&T and Cingular were watching the keynote when they discovered the need to announce this.

turtle777 · Jan 12, 2007, 09:44 AM

That's news ?

TIMELINE !!!

It was widely known that AT&T was gonna rebrand Cingular, way before the keynote.

Here an article from 2005 !!!
Cingular to re-brand as AT&T [updated] - MobileTracker
Here a week before the keynote:
AT&T to finally re-brand Cingular as AT&T Wireless in 2007 | Gadgetell

-t

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 09:54 AM

Well apparently Steve Jobs missed it as well.

Calimus · Jan 12, 2007, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Well apparently Steve Jobs missed it as well.

The AT&T logo was in the keynote...

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 10:29 AM

Ok, then I'm confused why people keep saying its going to Cingular when I doubt Cingular will be Cingular when it comes out.

Wasn't there Cingular branding at the top of the phone screen?

Calimus · Jan 12, 2007, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Ok, then I'm confused why people keep saying its going to Cingular when I doubt Cingular will be Cingular when it comes out.

Wasn't there Cingular branding at the top of the phone screen?

Yes, and they talked about it as going to Cingular. I don't think he said "AT&T" but I haven't watched the whole thing. There was a slide I saw a photo of that had the cingular and AT&T logo up side by side.

I think the reason they didn't say it's going to AT&T is that it would confuse most people. People would want to know how they sign up with AT&T. By saying it's cingular, people are familiar with where to look up information, and where stores are. Even if the AT&T switch is complete before June, people will still think "Oh, there is a cingular store down the street from me where I can pick up an iphone". Plus, most people probably don't know that AT&T wireless was folded into cingular previously, and without the name switch commercials running yet, they would be even more confused.

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 10:43 AM

I'm being too intelligent for my own good, aren't I?

turtle777 · Jan 12, 2007, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

I'm being too intelligent for my own good, aren't I?

By your feeble standards, yes

-t

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 10:59 AM

Oh yeah?! Well...

Uh...

I had sex with your wife!

turtle777 · Jan 12, 2007, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Oh yeah?! Well...

Uh...

I had sex with your wife!

You had sex ?

Well, by your feeble standards, probably yes

-t

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 11:05 AM

Hey man, a hole's a hole.

Gossamer · Jan 12, 2007, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Oh yeah?! Well...

Uh...

I had sex with your wife!

turtle777 · Jan 12, 2007, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Hey man, a hole's a hole.

Proves my point.

-t

Dakar² · Jan 12, 2007, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Proves my point.

-t

Last word.

::maroma:: · Jan 12, 2007, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Wasn't there Cingular branding at the top of the phone screen?

Yep there's the Cingular logo on the top of the screen, but its in software so they will be able to change it to whatever ATT decided they want to call their wireless company that day. I see it as like a little game. You never know what the name will be at the top of your iPhone each day! How fun is that?