The move is due in large part to AT&T just wanting to be a friendly company that saves people money. OR – another thought- and this sounds crazy, I know – maybe they’re trying to grab one last round of 2-year commitments in the next week or two before Apple rolls out the Verizon iPhone that we all assume is about to show up. A $49 price point also points the 3GS in competition with the cheapo handset phones and low-end Androids.