iPhone 5C carriers

[swarmster]

There's been a lot of speculation over what the off-contract iPhone 5C price will be, but what I haven't heard anyone discuss is who will actually be carrying it off-contract in the US. A lot of the MVNOs and regional carriers jumped on board with the iPhone this cycle, but don't usually get new phones for months or years after release. Even Apple itself doesn't usually/ever offer their phones off-contract at launch. Then you have carriers like Sprint's Virgin Mobile which won't allow you to use Sprint phones anyway.

If the 5C is going to enable people to afford to go off-contract with the iPhone, is Apple going to strike some new sorts of deals to make it possible in the US, or will the toxic carrier environment really hurt its market here?

(Disclosure: wanting to buy one as a gift for someone on Virgin Mobile, and the launch is timed perfectly with their needs, so it's a little irritating that I have no confidence anyone will be willing to take my money for it.)

 

[boomhower]

I think the reason the flagship phones aren't offered off contract at launch is to make more money. At launch they can sell everything they can produce due to supply and demand. So everyone can be attached to a contract which I bet they kick a piece of, at the very least if it's sold at an Apple store or their website. When sales start to slow down they open up and sell them outright. 5C may be similar, especially the first year as I imagine it will be very popular for price and color options.