Where is the best place to buy an iPhone - AT&T store or Apple store?

I got mine at ATT store. They just handed it to me, they couldn’t answer questions, elaborate on features, or even help with issues (ATT’s, not the hardwares)!
I would suggest go to an Apple store if you can, get a genius to help you, and they can help with any hardware questions/issues, then you can spend all the time necessary with ATT customer service from the comfort of your home. :)
good luck.

Totally agree with @Bagardbilla. AT&T can answer your questions about your account but generally not the phone; at the Apple Store, vice versa.

The Apple Store employs people who know about their technology. AT&T employs cashiers.

I would say the Apple because they can give you more training, and they can work you through the process of getting a free case

Apple store

Plus if you hung on to the $100 credit they gave us dinosaurs who bought gen 1 early on, you can redeem it for 100 bucks off. That’s my plan anyway, although I’m holding out because I see no reason to upgrade until my phone dies because I love having the unlimited data plan for $20.

I got my phone at the ATT store but I WISH I had gone to Apple. So much misinformation from the ATT cashiers ( that’s exactly what they are).

When I upgrade, I’ll definitely go to the Apple store.

No question about it.

@mcbealer You can keep your dataplan when you upgrade. Only new AT&T customers need to choose one of the new limited plans. I just upgraded my 3Gs to a 4, and kept my data plan.

Well, you guys are unanimous. Thank you very much. Apple store it is.
And @MrItty I’m really excited to hear I get to keep my data plan!

I have a few more questions, if you happen to know these answers…

Will my old headset work in the new iPhone 4?
Will my contacts transfer?
Will my paid apps transfer?

Answers.

Pretty sure it’s yes. I don’t see any reason why not since the connection point remains the same.

Yes

Yes

@Trustinglife – If your apps and contacts are on your home computer’s iTunes, it should transfer easily. There might be some upgrading, but that will happen once the computer recognizes your new phone. The Apple store people can walk you through that process. Your headset’s just an ordinary headset and should work fine.

@Trustinglife after I bought my new iPhone 4, but before I synced it for the first time, I synced my iPhone 3Gs one last time, and performed a full backup. Then the first time I connected my new iPhone 4, it asked me if I wanted to format as a new iPhone, or restore from backup. I restored from backup. My apps, my contacts, my layout, my groups, my email and calendar settings, even my wall paper, all transferred to the new phone, exactly as they were on the old phone.

@MrItty ~ some very good news and info. thanks!!

Just for the record, I did indeed buy the iPhone 4, and am very happy with it. It’s much much faster than my original iPhone, and the camera is really cool.

In terms of transferring apps and contacts, after I bought the new phone, I backed up my old iPhone on iTunes. I had to right-click on the iPhone in iTunes to back it up; I didn’t even realize that option was there. Once I did that, I plugged in my new phone and restored it from a backup. That installed all contacts and text messages onto my new phone. I still had to add new apps from the App Store, but when I downloaded paid apps, they downloaded without my having to pay for them again.

I hope this info is helpful to those looking at the same issues later!

thanks for the update… and congrats. I’m very excited about the camera!!