T-Mobile is joining the ranks of its rivals Verizon, Sprint and AT&T, as the U.S. carrier is expected to introduce its version of the iPhone 5 on Tuesday, March 26.
The iPhone 5 has been long awaited on the carrier and now, per reports, the wait is over as T-Mobile launches the Apple smartphone at its UNcarrier event in New York. Early in December 2012, rumors were rife that T-Mobile had an iPhone in the pipeline. At the time, its parent company Deutsche Telekom disclosed that T-Mobile USA would start retailing Apple products in 2013.
According to a CNET report, a source who is "familiar with the launch plans" let the cat out of the bag and confirmed that T-Mobile will show off its version of the iPhone 5 on March 26.
"Yep, T-Mobile will finally get the iPhone. Apple's flagship device, long a gap in T-Mobile's smartphone lineup, will play a prominent role in tomorrow's 'Uncarrier' event, according to a person familiar with the launch plans," reports CNET.
The iPhone 5 is expected to "figure prominently in T-Mobile's event" but according to AllThingsD, there is no word on the carrier having the iPad on board as well.
"We're hearing T-Mobile is expected to soon have a full lineup of iPhone devices, though no announcement of a T-Mobile-equipped iPad is expected on Tuesday. Even the iPhones may not be immediately available," notes AllThingsD.
Currently, it is not known when the iPhone will be made available to consumers, but likely not immediately. The pricing of the smartphone is not known either.
The iPhone 5 packs in LTE capabilities and will likely steal the limelight from other products in T-Mobile's 4G LTE network line-up. The carrier is slated to officially launch its 4G LTE network from March 26. In addition to the iPhone 5, T-Mobile will also have the BlackBerry Z10 and the LTE-upgraded Galaxy Note 2 as part of its LTE push.
Even though the pricing of the iPhone 5 is not yet known, going forward, T-Mobile will employ a down-payment scheme and ask consumers to pay off the device monthly with the help of its Equipment Installment Plan (EIP).
With the Apple iPhone 5 in its portfolio, T-Mobile will be able to draw in more subscribers and retain the existing ones.
