Sprint iPhone 5 still on table, but T-Mobile waves white flag for 2011 .
T-Mobile will not offer the iPhone 5 in 2011, although momentum behind the Sprint iPhone 5 is undeterred. Even as Apple gears up to launch its new iPhone in the United States with existing partners AT&T and Verizon, mounting evidence has pointed to Sprint joining the fray. But amid a startling lack of evidence pointing to a T-Mobile iPhone 5, the carrier itself confirmed today that it won't be offering the iPhone this year. Those paying attention shouldn't be surprised, as we've pointed out all summer that the stalling of the merger talks between AT&T and T-Mobile were likely to sabotage the latter's chances of having the iPhone 5 available at launch. However, Sprint has no such restrictions. As of the launch of the Verizon iPhone 4 early this year, which made clear that the five year iPhone exclusivity deal between Apple and AT&T had ended early, a Sprint iPhone has been a mere matter of negotiation and network compatibility. Both those issues appear to have been squared away
Sprint itself has made vague comments making clear that its network is ready to handle the iPhone 5, in apparent reference to longtime criticism from iPhone users that rival AT&T has been unable to handle iPhone user base growth, along with fear expressed by some Sprint customers that their carrier might succumb to the same fate. Sprint also made reference to a lower-margin iPhone model which would end up paying for itself in terms of customer loyalty, in a seeming nod to the popular expectation of a new budget iPhone 4S to accompany the iPhone 5 and replace the iPhone 4 on the low end; both iterations of the current iPhone 4 are incompatible with Sprint's network
T-Mobile is in limbo regarding any major moves until the carrier's overall fate is determined. It had been widely assumed that the merger with AT&T would deliver the iPhone 5 to T-Mobile customers by default, via AT&T's existing deal with Apple. But the merger has been sidetracked by issues ranging from the stock market correction which devalued AT&T's marketcap to the decision the part of the DOJ to contest the merger. Sprint has subsequently sued to block the merger as well. If T-Mobile were to strike its own iPhone deal with Apple now, that deal could make it less attractive of an acquisition target if the potential acquirer doesn't like the specifics of the deal or happens to be an Apple competitor. There's been outside talk of either Apple or Google acquiring T-Mobile, but either deal would face significantly regulatory scrutiny, as the two companies control the two most popular smartphone operating systems. But the plight of T-Mobile customers aside, all signs are a go for the iPhone 5 arriving on the nation's other three carriers before the year is over
While observers had been expecting the iPhone 5 to arrive this summer in line with Apple's longtime tradition of summer iPhone generational turnover, the release of the white iPhone 4 at the end of April was a sign that Apple didn't expect the iPhone 5 to be ready by its June WWDC date. As much was confirmed when WWDC saw a preview of the iPhone 5 operating system known as iOS 5, with the promise that it would arrive in the fall. Apple has remained silent regarding iPhone hardware, which is in line with its stated policy to never discuss unannounced products. However, there are reports that the iPhone 5 is already in production, along with various other pieces of anecdotal evidence pointing to a 2011 launch. Here's more on the iPhone 5.
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