Is Apple's iPhone Headed to T-Mobile?
The raging rumor that just won't die is that Apple's iPhone is destined for Verizon, no matter what AT&T's exclusivity agreement says. But as long as Apple is supposedly seeking greener pastures, why stop there? Why not, say, T-Mobile as well? As it turns out, T-Mobile might be exactly where the iPhone is headed, at least if the latest Internet chatter holds any water.
Citing an anonymous "highly placed source at the wireless company," (as if there's ever any source other than 'anonymous' and 'highly placed'), Cult of Mac reports that it's almost a foregone conclusion that Apple and T-Mobile are going to hook up.
"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," Cult of Mac reports.
The third quarter is just around the corner, and as hot and heavy as the Verizon rumors have been for the past several months, the front-running wireless carrier wasn't expected to get its hands on Apple's prized possession until the first quarter of 2011. Could T-Mobile really swoop in from seemingly nowhere and score a major win for itself?
"Most pundits expect Apple to add Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest mobile phone provider with 92.8 million subscribers," Cult of Mac explains. "The major problem is hardware: Verizon's network is based on incompatible CDMA technology. AT&T and T-Mobile are the two primary GSM carriers in the U.S., and the iPhone wouldn't require major hardware changes. Indeed, many T-Mobile customers already use unlocked iPhones on the company's network."
Cult of Mac brings up a valid point, but there is some question as to whether or not the iPhone 4 would work on T-Mobile's network. T-Mobile's 3G network operates on the 1700/2100MHz bands, and while Apple did add the 2100MHz band to the iPhone 4's spec sheet (not present on the iPhone 3GS), there's no listing of the 1700MHz.
Well documented iPhone 4 issues aside, which network would you rather see the iPhone migrate to, T-Mobile or Verizon?
Citing an anonymous "highly placed source at the wireless company," (as if there's ever any source other than 'anonymous' and 'highly placed'), Cult of Mac reports that it's almost a foregone conclusion that Apple and T-Mobile are going to hook up.
"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," Cult of Mac reports.
The third quarter is just around the corner, and as hot and heavy as the Verizon rumors have been for the past several months, the front-running wireless carrier wasn't expected to get its hands on Apple's prized possession until the first quarter of 2011. Could T-Mobile really swoop in from seemingly nowhere and score a major win for itself?
"Most pundits expect Apple to add Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest mobile phone provider with 92.8 million subscribers," Cult of Mac explains. "The major problem is hardware: Verizon's network is based on incompatible CDMA technology. AT&T and T-Mobile are the two primary GSM carriers in the U.S., and the iPhone wouldn't require major hardware changes. Indeed, many T-Mobile customers already use unlocked iPhones on the company's network."
Cult of Mac brings up a valid point, but there is some question as to whether or not the iPhone 4 would work on T-Mobile's network. T-Mobile's 3G network operates on the 1700/2100MHz bands, and while Apple did add the 2100MHz band to the iPhone 4's spec sheet (not present on the iPhone 3GS), there's no listing of the 1700MHz.
Well documented iPhone 4 issues aside, which network would you rather see the iPhone migrate to, T-Mobile or Verizon?
