(Updated) Will T-Mobile Be The Only Big Four Carrier Without The iPhone?
Update: Apple fan site MacTrast has just posted their own rumored information regarding the arrival of the iPhone 5 on T-Mobile according to their own source. So there you go, maybe it will happen after all.
Further elaborating on the matter, the informant suggested that T-Mobile USA expects the iPhone 5 to launch sometime in early to mid October, whichcorresponds nicely with current speculation. He also expects the iPhone 5 to make a significant financial difference to T-Mobile. Our source was quoted as saying the following.
While the iPhone is a love it or hate it device the rumor mill went into a short tizzy yesterday after the Wall Street Journal reported that Sprint would be among the iPhone 5 launch partners along with AT&T and Verizon. T-Mobile has been conspicuously absent from recent rumors listing iPhone 5 launch partners and we have to wonder why. Now before the Android fanboys get themselves all worked up into a frenzy we must remember that there are currently over one million unlocked iPhone’s currently being served on the T-Mobile network. Clearly there is demand for the device and we imagine (reasonably so we believe) that a T-Mobile iPhone that actually works on 3G would be in hot demand.
Now we understand the argument all too well that Apple may not want to supply an iPhone for T-Mobile given that they may not be around this time next year. However, given that it has long been rumored that Apple has considered a pentaband iPhone it would entirely possible and feasible for Apple to provide this and thereby allowing current iPhone owners to make a jump to AT&T with the same device if that became necessary in the next few years.
The bottom line is that T-Mobile shouldn’t be left out of the iPhone game no matter what the company’s future looks like. There is demand and and marketshare to be gained by Apple from a T-Mobile iPhone and we hope come September, October, December or whenever the iPhone 5 is finally launched that T-Mobile is among those who will see their names behind Steve Jobs during the keynote. Even if the iPhone is your sworn enemy T-Mobile customers deserve to have all the same choices their competitors have.