> I equate it to partnering with AT&T on the first iPhone. Very inconsistent with Apple’s preference of owning the entire stack

They went to Verizon first but were turned down. Apple needed distribution, which meant partnering with an established carrier.

Regarding "owning the entire stack" didn't make any sense in 2007, especially for a company that was new to the cell phone business.

Three years later, the first iPhone with Apple's silicon was the iPhone 4 with the A4 processor.