August 25, 2011, 11:19 AM —
Source: TheDarkThing/Flickr
The iPhone rumor mill is churning about the long-awaited new model, iPhone 5, being available from Sprint, along with AT&T and Verizon. This will give Sprint the chance to sell the most popular phone and perhaps help the #3 carrier stay competitive. Or it could be a political ploy by AT&T to share the iPhone so Sprint looks stronger, so the courts will let them buy T-Mobile. Such machinations are sometimes hard to decipher.
No matter the reason, folks are thrilled, or depressed, that the iPhone will be available just about everywhere this fall, or at least in 2012 (T-Mobile is supposedly getting into the iPhone game as well). The Wall Street Journal points out that Verizon sold 4.5 million iPhones in the first half of this year, so the pressure on Sprint to match that will be high. But since carriers have to pay an average of $650 per phone, then subsidize the customer cost down to $199 or $299, selling a lot of iPhones will cost Sprint some big bucks. Yes, your data plan costs so much so the carrier can recover the money they spent keeping your phone (relatively) affordable.
Good news for Sprint
Oh this is awesome! I have an iPhone 4 now with att! I would love to switch to sprint for their amazing price plans! Go apple!
Benitez Burns on slashgear.com
I always liked Sprint when I was with them but for a long time their choice of phones sucked. I switched to the Iphone because of it. I would consider switching back to Sprint now.
Brian Hess on wsj.com
I hope so, I like the service and would hate to leave because they don't have the phone I like.
Patrick McCutchan on techcrunch.com
Sprint + iPhone + Unlimited data = paradise
Sprint here I come!! I am only hoping for unlimited data....unlimited everything plan!! ATT can kiss my a$$!
Brett Radler on techcrunch.com
I am sure alot of people will go to sprint with the iPhone esp till they have unlimited data plans.
Vikram Dhani on techcrunch.com
I'll tell you what, if Sprint does get the iPhone and keeps their current data plans in place (i.e. unlimited), this AT&T sub is gone and never looking back. This could be a goldmine for Sprint if they can attract iPhone users who are fed up with getting gouged by AT&T and Verizon and their tiered plans.
Joel Craig on wsj.com
NO Please don't do it! The Android phones sprint offers are great phones and we don't need all the iphone fans jumping ship and screwing up the one good network left. Keep screwing up AT$T & Verizon.
Shawn Vieira on techcrunch.com
Sprint still doomed
BIg deal! Sprint sucks!
Grenplen on slashgear.com
NOOO! Apple users are going to kill the only solid network left...go back to AT&T.
Brian Kramer on techcrunch.com
Are you thrilled the iPhone will come to Sprint? Or are you hoping the Android phone you really want will drop in price to compete with the new iPhone?
