Comment by joe_the_user

I would expect that being a computer company gave Apple more leverage than the handset makers. Apple could afford to have none of the providers say yes.

Moreover, Apple had prestige. It wasn't that big but it already the high-end computer maker. And Apple had the already successful ipod which served as the basis for the original iphone. And the handset makers had been fundamentally dependent on carriers in determining what features made it to the final phones - which would have had to made them essentially weaklings.

Which is to say, I think there's reason to think Apple had strength in it's negotiation position relative to a random handset maker.