Background
Apple released the iPhone in the US with a software "lock" so it could only be used on the AT&T Mobility network. After purchase, buyers activated their iPhone's AT&T service contract using the Apple iTunes software, during which buyers had the ability to choose their billing preference; however, if no option was specified during activation, AT&T defaulted to detailed billing. Detailed billing itemized every data transfer, including background traffic for e-mail, text messaging, and Web browsing, even when the phone is off. This generated a large number of entries on the detailed bills.
After a month's time, as early adopters started receiving their first monthly bills, stories of unusually large and expensive iPhone bills began to circulate. The 300-page bill was exceptional, but other heavy users received 50- to 100-page bills. One of the first to attract wider attention was from Ben Kuchera, gaming editor for the technology-related website Ars Technica, who described his 34-sheet, double-sided bill and another 104-page bill sent to a colleague, writing, "While many of us have had smart-phones for some time, we’ve never seen a bill like this." However, it was the release of Ezarik's video that acted as a catalyst to bring widespread media attention to this aspect of the iPhone story.
Read more about this topic: 300-page I Phone Bill
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