According to a Consumerist tipster, AT&T's website won't sell you an iPhone is you are shopping from an NYC zip code.
I was on the AT&T Wireless website trying to get an iPhone. However, when I put in my zip code 11231, the site says the iPhone is unavailable. This seemed a little odd so I started punching in other famous zip codes: 90210, 60609 (spiegel catalog), 02134 (zoom, an old children's show).
For theses cities, LA, Chicago, Boston, iPhone is available. Then I looked up some other zip codes: Dallas, Miami, St. Louis, Philadelphia, San Francisco. All those cities are ok. Then I started putting in more NYC zip codes: midtown, Staten Island, the Bronx...no iPhone available.
This is weird...AT&T has cut off New York City.
This has also been confirmed by an AT&T customer services rep to The Consumerist's Laura Northrup:
Daphne: Welcome to AT&T online Sales support. How may I assist you with placing your order today?
Laura: Hi, I was looking at the iPhone 3Gs and the system tells me that I cannot order one in my ZIP code. My zip code is 11231. (Brooklyn, NY) Is this true? Are iPhones no longer available in New York City?
Daphne: I am happy to be helping you today . Yes, this is correct the phone is not offered to you because New York is not ready for the iPhone.
Daphne: You don't have enough towers to handle the phone.
Laura: Thank you for your help. So the phone is not available to people anywhere in the city?
Daphne: Yes this is correct Laura.
So there you have it folks. No iPhone for you NYC dwellers. If you've already got one, well, I dunno what'll happen next. Maybe Apple/AT&T's mothership will beam it away, or maybe it's rare and you can put it on eBay and retire off the sale. Seriously though, while this might be a proactive approach of AT&T's part, it must suck to know that if you are an iPhone owner living in NYC that you are paying the same bill as everyone else but getting a lesser service.
[UPDATE: NYC dwellers can now buy iPhones from the AT&T website.]