Equally significant may be the alterations to the ad graphics, observers note. Beginning with the airing of the fourth ad on TV, the end sequence no longer contains the "use requires 2 year activation plan" message that had accompanied the AT&T logo. Apple has also retroactively erased the notice from its earlier three ads.

The motivation behind the sudden change is unknown but may indicate either simple preference to remove the disclaimer or a new expansion of payment options beyond the two-year contract agreement that would otherwise be necessary to use the iPhone with AT&T's service. The carrier has just recently introduced a data option to its GoPhone pre-paid service but has made no indication that the Apple handset would qualify for such packages. [via Flickr user Andreas]