T-Mobile USA inks deal with Apple, will offer iPhone in 2013

Fourth-ranked US wireless carrier T-Mobile has announced a new partnership with Apple, which should allow it to begin offering the iPhone on its network sometime next year. The company dropped the bombshell in a notice to investors on Thursday, saying only, "T-Mobile USA has entered into an agreement with Apple to bring …

[David Kelly 2]

I left T-Mobile for iPhone 5

12 years with T-Mobile with a plain jane simple voice phone. Jumped to a Mobile Sharing plan at AT&T when the iPhone 5 was announced. Cost less than $15/mo more to have unlimited voice and text at AT&T than 500 minutes, no text , and no data at T-Mobile. And that was supposedly on a special deal grandfathered plan. Plus I get a share of the data quota on the Mobile Sharing plan. Was not unsatisfied with T-Mobile but the current announcement is a day late and a dollar short.

[Kar98]

Re: I left T-Mobile for iPhone 5

Strange plan you've got there, Davey. I'm paying $30/month for unlimited data and texts, and 100 minutes of talk. Perfect for my usage pattern with T-Mobile US.

[Dire Criti¢]

Oh you poor T-Mobile USA users.

I bet you thought you'd been saved from the evil Apple corporation!

[Bob Merkin]

All the 2G you can eat

An unlocked iPhone doesn't operate on the 1700 MHz UMTS band, so it will be limited to EDGE on T-Mobile. I'm not clear what the incentive would be to pay for an unlimited data plan for 236 kbit/s. Does this mean Apple will start making T-Mobile versions of their phones with crippled chipsets like Samsung does?

[Kar98]

Re: All the 2G you can eat

A, T-Mobile US is currently in the process of refarming their 3G/4G network to the 1900 Mhz band which will allow, for instance, an unlocked iPhone 3GS to connect to the net at 3G speeds.

See airportal.de for updates on the refarming process. Big cities like Dallas and Houston for instance are getting just slathered in 3G coverage as we speak

B, some people just want to have a nice phone and not pay an arm and a leg in monthly fees for the privilege.

[Michael Jennings]

Re: All the 2G you can eat

On top of that, T-Mobile is finalising a merger with MetroPCS, which will gain them an already operating LTE network on iPhone compatible frequencies (which they can augment with LTE on their existing 1700MHz spectrum, which is supported by the iPhone) plus more 1900MHz spectrum for more 3G. By the end of 2013 T-Mobile should have an excellent iPhone compatible network - sooner in the big cities

[Wanda Lust]

Sooooo......

why is this worth writing about?

[Kar98]

Re: Sooooo......

Because T-Mobile USA was the only major American carrier that did not offer the iPhone yet, lagging behind telco behemoths like Alaska Wireless and BFE Telecom.