“In the wake of yesterday’s report that Sprint will begin offering the iPhone in the United States with the launch of the iPhone 5, apparently scheduled for ‘mid-October,’ MacTrast now reports that T-Mobile USA will also be gaining access to the iPhone,” Eric Slivka reports for MacRumors.
“The addition of T-Mobile, which AT&T has announced its intent to acquire, alongside Sprint would bring the iPhone to all four of the major U.S. carriers,” Slivka reports. “T-Mobile USA claimed earlier this year to already have one million iPhones running on its network, despite the devices being limited to EDGE speeds and missing other features.”
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Slivka reports, “Apple and AT&T have reportedly been testing iPhone prototypes compatible with the carrier’s 3G network, making a deal to bring the device to T-Mobile a realistic possibility.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
If the SEC allows ATT to “acquire” TM, we’re truly being screwed. And I’m a Verizon cust – so I’m an expert…
Agreed. Down with the AT£T merger!
Consider yourself screwed. And you won’t even get kissed!
…Or get a reach-around…
(from Cubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket”: “I bet you’re the kind of guy that would fuck a person in the ass and not even have the goddamn common courtesy to give him a reach-around.”)
sorry to be that guy, but I couldn’t help myself….you mean Kubrick, to Cubrick.
An all network Iphone! Awesome.. I as a consumer will be allowed a choice of which Mobile operator will screw me less.
I find it absurd that I’m forced to buy a data plan with an iPhone. I’m in wifi coverage 85-95% of the time. The 15% of the time I could go without.
Tmobile will currently allows me to buy a phone plan without a data plan. Kiss that goodbye if the merger happens and expect your forced data plans to increase in price.
I’m almost considering an iPod touch with a $3 dollar a month (unlimited minutes USA & Canada) Skype out plan and about a $6 a month Skype in number.
$9 per month vs $79-$100+
An iPad with the $30 per month data plan is a good alternative also. Just wish they offered the same plan for the iPhone.
Can’t you get a non-contract phone and just get a voice plan for it? The reason they make you buy a data plan is so they have more revenue to subsidize the phone.
According to AT&T. All iPhones require a data plan and if/should they catch you using an iPhone on their network they will start billing you the voice plan with the additional cost of data plan.
One of the reason’s they require the data plan is because visual voice mail needs it.
Ummm… It is the same plan.
My monthly iPhone data on AT&T is $30/mo.
Last time I checked all smartphones required data plans, right?
That $50/month unlimited data package from T-Mobile seems very attractive. However, it is at EDGE speeds which really blow compared to 3G. What are they doing about the speed?
The slow, $50 unlimited plan might be good enough for the kids. I don’t think I could live with it.
The $50 per month unlimited prepaid (no-contract) plan at T-Mobile gives you 4G speeds for first 100MB of data every month. It only drops after you have burned through those 100MB. If you don’t download apps or stream YouTube on your mobile network (and instead do that on WiFi), those 100MB (at 4G speeds) will likely serve you well. In worst cases, you may have a few days of the month (towards the end of the month) with EDGE-only speeds.
For frugal types, T-Mobile has $30 per month plan with 1500 minutes/texts (either/or), plus 30MB of data. This gives you enough minutes to talk comfortably (50 mins per day on average), with some texting (if you don’t use all minutes), plus a little bit of data, for emergency Google Maps, e-mail access (car rental confirmation, airline ticket booking code, etc), at a rock-bottom rate. WiFi of course works wherever available, for all other fun stuff.
This is all assuming one is ready to pay $650 for an unsubsidised iPhone and put it on a subsidy-free monthly plan.
Thanks Predrag.
I think I’m sold. Now I need to jailbreak/unlock my contract free, still locked to At&t iPhone, that I fully paid for.
I recently switched my wife to that T-mobile plan. She was on AT&T’s voice-only $40 per month plan (with subsidy for a dumbphone, two-year contract). The original plan had limited minutes, no text and no data. The $30 plan allows sharing minutes with text, plus gives some data for occasional MMS, e-mail etc. She is still using a dumbphone, though (an old Sony-Ericsson walkman phone), since she refuses to learn to use a smartphone…
As for me, I recently switched to Virgin Mobile’s $25 per month plan (some minutes, unlimited text and data), with a cheap (and rather crappy) Android phone (LG Optimus).
We used to pay north of $80 every month for our family plan (both were on cheapest voice plans, nominally at $60 plus taxes and fees). We now pay a total of $55, both have enough minutes, plus we can now text, and I have unlimited data on my Android. I simply can’t justify going for another subsidised phone and plan, even if it is an iPhone…
Let’s see. Consolidated rumors would have us believe that the iPhone 5 will have an auto-banding WCDMA radio that supports both European and North American HSPA+ carrier frequencies. In addition, it will have this magical auto-banding LTE radio that solves the voice/data incompatibilities between at&t, verizon, and Sprint (Clear/LightSquared). And when bored, it falls back to EVDO Rev A or 0 to play nice in the sticks.
One would have to be a life member of the Optimist’s Club to buy into this fantasy. Would be wonderful, but …
Which leads those club members to the fall-back position that there will in fact be two devices (just as there are today): a CDMA device (for Verizon and Sprint), supporting both LTE and WiMax, and GSM devices that works on all frequencies in US and EU, supporting LTE and HSPA+…
This would make me SOOOO happy! I have been wanting an iPhone on Tmobiles network (without an unlock) for ever! I really wanted to take advantage of 3g instead of being stuck with edge! Hopefully the iPhone 5 will have at least 4g and it comes to tmobile, that would be awesome! But I’m not holding my breath.