Analyst says iPhones on multiple carriers next year: we say, probably not

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has been a leader in nailing Apple (AAPL) news and trends ahead of the Wall Street pack. On Monday, he sent a note to clients stating that Apple will likely be selling its iPhone on other carriers in the U.S. sometime next year, as reported by TUAW.

I think Apple eventually will undertake such a program, but next year seems highly unlikely. For starters, if Apple abandons AT&T (T), it will likely get a smaller subsidy from Ma Bell for each phone that it sells. Exclusivity has a price, and Apple will pay to do business with others.