I've noticed a frame narrative over the past few months that crawls out of the woodwork whenever Apple's dealings with the carriers is discussed. Apple is frequently held up, either explicitly or implicitly, as the company that fights the carriers. In this superhero-esque tale, Apple goes to bat for the little guy whenever they are forced to talk to the scum at Verizon or AT&T. They are the chosen one, the one that will free us from the overhanded reign of the carrier and finally turn our networks into the dumb pipes they really are. Need evidence? Look no farther than the lack of carrier branding or software. Apple really, really cares.