Re: Lumia 950 XL confirmed for at&t.
Don't get why att is getting EVERYTHING they're no better than any other carrier as far as updates or support
While AT&T is pretty much as bad as Verizon on the software side (LOL, 830 Denim), they're better than T-Mobile, who repeatedly abandons software support on WP devices. Sprint doesn't even meaningfully acknowledge the WP devices it gets, it seems. While basically anyone on this site has more WP knowledge than the typical AT&T employee, with regards to the platform. AT&T employees at least don't try to sell you the wrong phone (a Verizon employee almost sold my sister a 928 when she went to get her ICON because the guy didn't know the difference). Remember that this isn't a one-way street of bad support, either.
WC just posted an article about how Verizon is ACTIVELY keeping the new Lumias from its network. It's been the aggressor in the Verizon-Microsoft feud, going back to when it wrecked the Kin devices (which sucked anyway), as it put them on the full-on smartphone data plans, making them irrationally expensive. Verizon employees will openly throw at you that they don't know about/sell Windows Phones, almost as a badge of honor or something. Granted, when I got my 920, the AT&T employee told me I knew more about it than he did, though that was partially because we had a college class together shortly before, and they were launch devices I had read about for weeks and months, while he probably got the generic training from AT&T that didn't go much beyond how to activate and power on the phone.
AT&T's easily the best carrier for the platform, even if AT&T employees kind of suck with it. I honestly don't care. If AT&T gets the XL, I'm golden. I just want that thing, but I can't throw down $700 (after tax) on it like it's nothing. I'd rather not end up with the ugly camera ring on the 950, but if this ends up a ruse or miscommunication, then I'll learn to live with it.
Where AT&T really separates itself, particularly from Verizon, it that promotes the hardware, to a degree.