In my unceasing desire to purchase an iPhone, I've been doing a bunch of research to understand exactly how this is going to impact me near term and long term. Here is some of the research I've done that may surprise you.

You Loose Any Discount on Existing AT&T Service Contracts

Adding the iPhone to an existing AT&T contract negates any and all corporate discounts you may already receive on that AT&T contract. For me, this equates to loosing a 15% across-the-board discount on my entire monthly AT&T bill, or approximately $15 a month.

Basic iPhone Data Plan is Cheaper Than PDA Data Plans

The most basic iPhone data plan from AT&T is actually cheaper by around $6 ($10 after I loose my 15% discount) than my existing unlimited PDA plan used by my Windows Mobile device. The basic data plan provides for 200 SMS messages each month, well below my current SMS usage.

You Can Use Your Existing Voice Plan

If you're an existing AT&T customer and either adding the iPhone as an additional line or replacing an existing phone, you can use your existing voice plan without any changes other than the loss of the corporate discount mentioned above. All you need to do is add an iPhone data plan which varies in price from $20 to $40, with the only difference being the number of SMS messages included (200, 1500 and unlimited.) This may be the single largest benefit of being an existing corporate customer in that I have a very good voice rate plan.

No Corporate or Government Discount on iPhone Hardware

The iPhone is not eligible for any corporate or government discounts; disappointing as I was hoping to leverage my 10% discount on Apple hardware; however, it makes sense when you consider that AT&T is selling the same device and by negating any discount, everyone pays the same amount. Other than shopping for an extensive amount of iPhone or iPod accessories, there's really no reason to shop for an iPhone at the Apple Store. Your local AT&T Wireless store is likely all you need.

Replacing a Broken iPhone

If you break your iPhone, Apple will apparently replace it for $250.00. When I called the Apple Store, getting this straight answer was a tad difficult as the sales person did not want to disclose the replacement price without having a technician on the phone. However, plenty of Google results show a recurring theme: $250.00 to replace a broken iPhone - and a not-so-insignificant number of people unhappy that their screens broke without even dropping the phone. On the upside, there's no need to purchase another AT&T service contract. Furthermore, there are a number of business out there that claim to repair iPhones for fees far cheaper than $250.00. Just be sure to remove your existing SIM before sending in your broken iPhone for service.

I'm still struggling with the current lack of accessibility to my corporate Exchange server. I know these features are coming and I'm balancing waiting against having it right stinkin' now. Fortunately I am fully unified communications enabled with Exchange, and I can dial in and use Outlook Voice Access and have my e-mail read to me. Regardless, it's no substitute for having new e-mail pushed to the device and, more importantly, having immediate access to new

As such, I haven't yet purchased my iPhone. I was in the car after having bought beer and on the way to the Apple Store when my disciplined side kicked in and I turned around to come home. But the day isn't over yet and my current conference call ends within the hour ...