If this were literally any other phone, talk of a rebate and/or instant discount at the time of purchase with a new contract would be a foregone conclusion; in fact, customers wouldn't tolerate it any other way. But this is the iPhone, after all -- and according to an analyst with American Technology Research, Apple is just now getting around to considering such a deal. Word on the street has Atlanta and Cupertino considering a rebate in the $50 to $150 range (presumably based on the model purchased) which could definitely make the 8GB version's $600 price point just a touch easier to swallow. Did Apple determine through extensive market research that consumers like it (gasp!) when things cost less? From its perspective, it may not matter either way because the same analyst is reporting that the company will be paid a "bounty" for each and every new AT&T customer it signs up in its brick and online stores. A good deal for Apple? Indeed.

[Thanks, Raphael D.]

Cingular rebate forms circulating over the past couple days are indicating the presence of three devices -- HP's hw6920 / hw6925 and HTC's Star Trek, offered here as the 3125 -- and while too much time has passed for us to get too worked up at the thought of putting our hands on any of these, they're worth noting nonetheless. Now, the popular rumor says that since these puppies have shown up with rebates, they're in the pipeline for delivery next week. While we're hoping that's true, we're not betting on it. Cingular has a reputation for placing rebates on phones ages before their retail availability -- heck, it's not even unheard of for rebates to expire before the phone even drops. So if next week comes and goes and one, two, or all three of these handsets are nowhere to be found, just remember: a pessimist is never disappointed.