For the last three years there have been many rumors that the iPhone will eventually be available on Verizon’s network. Apple has Verizon cell-sites in its Cupertino HQ, it has CDMA iPhone prototypes, and most of all, it has the will. Yet, it just hasn’t happened so far. There are some plausible explanations, but we really don’t know why for sure.
However, Verizon is not the only other American wireless carrier that could be carrying the iPhone soon. According to Cult of the Mac‘s high-placed source at T-Mobile:
“Talks between Apple and T-Mobile are at an advanced stage, our source says, and it’s 80 percent likely that the iPhone will be coming to T-Mobile in Q3.”
It’s not the first time we’re hearing this, as T-Mobile’s parent company Deutsche Telekom, already carries the iPhone in a number of other countries and had mentioned in the past T-Mobile US’s iPhone desires. However, all we have here from Cult of the Mac is their word on it. As for the 80% probability, it sounds very much like the kind of statistical BS many companies are fond of, it doesn’t really confirm anything.
Furthermore, this could just be some sort of negotiation tactic. I really don’t see how this would help T-Mobile though, from what I’m hearing, people are not too crazy about their network either. Are they just trying to test AT&T’s reaction to the rumor? It’s widely believed that the exclusivity deal is now over, but who knows?
Lastly, there is also a technical issue. While unlockers have been putting the iPhone on T-Mobile for a while, the two are not fully compatible. Indeed, T-Mobile’s 3G network is a bit different from the standard one used by AT&T and the rest of the world. This means that Apple would have to ship an iPhone equipped with a slightly different chip or have T-Mobile change its infrastructure. The latter being rather implausible at a time where all that matters is the transition to next-generation 4G networks. Another possibility would be that the new iPhone is T-Mobile capable already, but Apple hasn’t revealed it yet.
All in all, this doesn’t sound very likely either. It just doesn’t seem that it would be interesting enough for Apple to make such an effort. Yet, it just might be a first step towards getting the iPhone on the big red. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.
What’s your take on this one? Or, do you just want your Verizon iPhone and don’t care?
just for the record THIS is how you report a rumor. the idiots over at cult of mac had the headline “iPhone Is Coming To T-Mobile USA In Q3″. I swear it’s like they have no idea what they are doing over there. This site is not only more acurate (and less misleading) but also much more professionaly written (and there’s no stupid typos). Well done App Advice. If you guys posted more about Apple as a company and what’s going on with them, I would ditch those idiots at Cult of Slack.
80% of statistics are made up on the spot.
Sounded interesting until I saw that it was “reported” by Cult of Mac. Those guys are a bunch of hacks. Completely unprofessional, post nothing but sensationalist headlines based on basically nothing, poorly edited, etc. I stopped reading them a week or so ago when one of their authors posted a whiny rant about Steve Jobs “hating” the press. Thanks for giving a more balanced take on this RUMOR than they would have.
You guys are awesome, even if this is most likely bogus.
@Ronald: literally laughing out loud. Impeccable comic timing, sir.
Yes, great article and I am not familiar with the other site but I will add this. Most GSM phone makers these days make all their phones what is known as “World Phones” which means they are capable of all four GSM frequencies. It is entirely possible that the same is true for the iPhone. In the US, AT&T uses 850 and 1900Mhz in Europe and elsewhere they use 900 and 1850Mhz. Since the iPhone is sold in many countries I would say they have probably made the iPhone a “World Phone”. Whether or not they included the odd 3g frequencies that T-Mobile US uses who knows but it’s certainly logical that it’s there and just not activated by the software currently.
Apple has had to deal with enough complaints about inferior reception and lack of coverage wit AT&T, so to address this they’re going to give the iPhone to T-Mobile, the only ISP with worse service than AT&T? I don’t see it happening (unless Steve has gone senile),
But here is the magic question. If all of these iPhones on AT&T is taxing their system what makes anyone think the iPhone will work better on Verizon’s crappy network?
I say this because Verizon’s 3g is about 1/3 to 1/2 as fast as AT&T’s and Verizon is famous for lying about their network. Case in point, I used to run a computer/cell phone store in PA where I am originally from. I sold GSM phones through a small carrier who was later bought by CellOne and then AT&T. The town my store was in had no Verizon coverage and had 100% AT&T coverage.
I would have customers come in because they wanted to switch to AT&T and Verizon, to get them to stay would say, “We are in the process of building towers in your town and will have them on-line in 1-2 months.” These customer would come and see me because I am FCC licensed and they knew the FCC co-ordinates cell towers. I would call the Commissioner in Gettysburg, PA and ask him with the customer in the store listening on speakerphone and he would tell them the truth, “Verizon has not made any applications to place towers in your area and they have to file with us before they can build anything. Minimum time from filing to actual approval and build is 6 months to one year.”
I am not totally happy with AT&T espeically on their plan pricing but their coverage is far better than Verizon’s nationwide and their 3g is considerably faster. An FYI, Verizon has also claimed for years they have 100% coverage in PA and I can tell you to this day they actually only have about 50% coverage in that state.
I had a T mobile G1for a while and now I switch carriers to get this I phone 4 … T mobile Internet may not b the fastest one But , the drop calls were never an issue as they r now for me ..4 to 5 a day ?!?! And it’s not my I phone… It’s AT&T :-/ !