UPDATE: As of right now, SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone is ranked #9 on the Top Paid Apps list on iTunes. A $29.99 app. Imagine if it had 3G?

ORIGINAL: Gizmodo has a source claiming that while AT&T may have legitimate concerns about their networks ability to handle millions of iPhone users trying to stream long-form video over 3G, they also may have far more self-serving, and perhaps anti-competitive reasons to block SlingPlayer’s access:

AT&T’s working on their OWN application code-named i-Verse, one that performs a similar task as SlingPlayer Mobile. AT&T’s “i-Verse” app works with their U-Verse TV solution that can either load DVR’ed shows from your U-Verse recorder into your iPhone at home, or stream shows across the net over their 3G network.

Which makes little sense to us as not everyone has or wants, or even lives in an area where they can get U-verse. Never mind people in countries where AT&T doesn’t exist. (Though, again, we suspect international carriers are in agreement with this type of arrangement, may have their own services in the pipe, and are gleeful that AT&T takes the heat).

As opposed to SlingBox, of course, which anyone can buy and drop into their setup regardless of service.

The whole situation make us think that maybe Jeremy was on to something when he wondered out loud about AT&T exerting too much control over the App Store…

With all of these rumors about about AT&T interfering with Slingplayer getting into the App Store and changing their ToS to simply retract it the next day, it has to make a person think… What is AT&T up to?

Could the next iPhone be headed in the direction of some other smartphones by having AT&T bloatware thrust upon it? Would Apple even allow AT&T to restrict or replace 3rd party apps with their own carrier branded, white-label built-in options that perform similar functions at premium service prices?

Skype and Ustream are already not allowed on 3G, only WiFi. We’ve also heard rumors that AT&T was working on a U-Verse application for the iPhone. Features such as programming shows to record, using the iPhone as a wireless remote, ability to allow iPhone voicemails to be managed and controlled through the U-verse interface, etc… On top of all of those features it may be possible they want to add some sort of SlingPlayer-like capabilities such as streaming channels directly to your iPhone. Granted, you would have to be a subscriber of their U-Verse service but never-the-less, could it be a sign of things to come as carriers desperately try to avoid becoming “dumb pipes“?

AT&T’s Chief Technology Officer John Donovan had the following to say:

“We’re looking at the whole landscape, of what people use, and what’s out there in the home”

So what do you, our readers, think about all of this ? Is it possible that AT&T is trying to steal some control back from Apple? Trying to get their same-old bloatware onto our iPhones?

AT&T has high hopes for their U-Verse service, which is AT&T’s fancy term for their high speed internet, TV, and voice telephone package. It all works over the Internet and some believe that this is the direction that television is headed. So how does the iPhone fit into all this?

Well, obviously we all know that AT&T is the exclusive carrier for the iPhone, so some high ranking suit probably thought it’d be a great idea to create synergy with their most popular phone and their next big money maker. How well will they play together? The iPhone’s U-Verse features will include having Visual Voicemail play through your TV, the option to download shows from your DVR to your iPhone, using the iPhone as a true remote, and even for giggles like hurling virtual tomatoes at the screen.

Sure, it may sound gimmicky but it looks to be good business for AT&T. And hey, throwing tomatoes? That’s always fun.

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