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Sprint Commits to Buying $20 Billion Worth of iPhones, To Get Redesigned iPhone 5 Exclusively?

Number 41 said:
Sprint could be getting an "exclusive" on iP5 because they're the only carrier with 4G tech (WiMAX) that Apple is prepared to include right now. The other carriers would get the iP5 when LTE chipsets are mature enough for Apple's use.

Completely speculating here.
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Apple wants to make one model, they like simple product lines. It would be retarded to design the iPhone 5 as a WiMax device. No one is using that standard. The iPhone 5 needs to launch on all carriers globally at once, it HAS to do this. Apple's exclusivity to AT&T opened the door for Android they aren't going to hold the door open again for them to support a useless standard that no one else is using. The next iPhone will be GSM & CDMA in one phone, or LTE. You can put money on it.

There is just no way this story is true. They got to many partners lined up release an iPhone that would be limited to one, second rate, American carrier. They are playing the game global.
 
I call BS cause his source states that the 4S will have NFC, and a metal or premium plastic back, and it won't have the assistant feature. If you knew all these specs on "both" the iPhones wouldn't you know the type of back the phone would have.
 
Nachoconqueso said:
A Murdoch sourced piece of information would never be complete BS...

They're as reliable as the Onion. So now we have rumors that say we're definitely not getting a redesigned phone, one thats says we are getting a redesigned phone, and this last minute one to squeeze in there that we're only kinda getting a redesigned iPhone. What else can they possibly come up with? It seems like every angle has been covered. It's top time for advertising.
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Other than the Op-Ed page, the Journal is about as "of record" as you can get for a paper -- especially involving business coverage.
 
Number 41 said:
8.) Sometime in 2012, iP5 is released with LTE chips for AT&T and Verizon
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That would be terrible for us AT&T and Verizon customers.

Not trying to sound ungrateful.

But why would anyone buy a 4S on AT&T and Verizon if Apple announces the 5 on Sprint (which we'll have all the awesome info about tomorrow)?

Thats like announcing the iPad 2 and 3 and trying to sell me the 2?

There's a difference if we EXPECT an update opposed to KNOWING the update.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)

This sounds exactly like something Apple would do.
 
Just a thought

My thoughts are ATT and everyone else gets a new iPhone 5 and sprint gets the New iPhone 4S (the 4S stands for Sprint?)

Just a thought.
 
Guys, calm down!!!! You know very well that on the eve of the event, all kindsa off-the-wall BS rumors start to pop up like mushrooms after the rain. It's normal.

I won't even be surprised if the next thing WSJ reports is that Apple will start selling iHomes in SoHo, iToilets for traveling, and iShelters for the homeless. Today and tomorrow until 1PM EDT, do not take anyone seriously. :rolleyes:
 
Number 41 said:
Other than the Op-Ed page, the Journal is about as "of record" as you can get for a paper -- especially involving business coverage.
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I'd say that the WSJ is about as "of record" as any paper. The Onion, on the other hand, is about as "off record" as you can get.
 
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Otaviano said:
Apple wants to make one model, they like simple product lines. It would be retarded to design the iPhone 5 as a WiMax device. No one is using that standard. The iPhone 5 needs to launch on all carriers globally at once, it HAS to do this. Apple's exclusivity to AT&T opened the door for Android they aren't going to hold the door open again for them to support a useless standard that no one else is using. The next iPhone will be GSM & CDMA in one phone, or LTE. You can put money on it.

There is just no way this story is true. They got to many partners lined up release an iPhone that would be limited to one, second rate, American carrier. They are playing the game global.
Click to expand...

The difference between a WiMAX iP5 and an LTE iP5 would be such a small production difference that you'd never notice unless it was marked for you. We're talking about the carrier chip, not the iPhone hardware.
 
johndoejohndoes said:
But why would anyone buy a 4S on AT&T and Verizon if Apple announces the 5 on Sprint (which we'll have all the awesome info about tomorrow)?
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Same reason people were going to buy the 4S tomorrow before anything broke about Sprint: off contract and need a new phone, Siri-technology, faster processor, etc.
 
I do believe it is possible that Sprint bet the farm on the iPhone. I do not believe they bought exclusivity with their 20 billion.
 
Number 41 said:
The difference between a WiMAX iP5 and an LTE iP5 would be such a small production difference that you'd never notice unless it was marked for you. We're talking about the carrier chip, not the iPhone hardware.
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Nope. There isn't an all-in-one CDMA + WiMax radio solution out there, whereas there will be one for LTE at the hands of Qualcomm next year. The difference would be very noticeable by looking at the logic board.
 
other companies play this short-term ( 6 to 9 months ) exclusivity game but I did not think Apple will. I guess they are going to now. We will see how it is structured. One thing is, it is unusual for a cell phone manufacturer to not have different phones on different carriers. Apple has unusual for 4 years. I guess that is ending now if this rumor is true.
 
$20 billion sounds awfully high to have an exclusive for any phone. Sprint probably just paid upfront to secure enough supply from Apple so they have an adequate amount come launch day.
 
Friscohoya said:
This all makes sense if you dont consider the backlash of the loyalists who want the iphone day one from ATT. Granted they, we, would probably all still buy the new phone in 2012, but we would be unhappy about the appearence of a new commer getting the headstart. If anything, I think they would announce that SPrint comes online in 2012 and wait to launch until ATT/Verzon (certainly ATT) chip sets were ready.
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I know it goes against the trendiness of what most people think being an apple freak means. (not getting the coolest looking device before other people can). But don't you think, they weighed the loss of those ATT customers against what will happen to the customer base if they don't release a LTE device? I think that Apple has never really cared about the short term "feelings" of their customers because they know that in the end people will be satisfied with a better, well-made, product.

The way I see it is Sprint bought themselves a $30B 4 month headstart with an inferior device.
 
Number 41 said:
The difference between a WiMAX iP5 and an LTE iP5 would be such a small production difference that you'd never notice unless it was marked for you. We're talking about the carrier chip, not the iPhone hardware.
Click to expand...

You act is if all chips have the same dimensions and everything isn't packed razor tight in the phone. It's not like changing out RAM, but I've said my piece. Tomorrow evening this will be proven false, it lacks logic and is an awful business move for Apple's part. Apple knows the biggest mistake they made with the iPhone was carrier exclusivity and they won't make that mistake again.
 
Not gonna happen

Android is outselling the iPhone big time, and Apple knows this.

Most people don't care about Sprint, and not having the new iPhone on the 2 largest networks would be suicide.

Let's say your contract is up. You can pay to have the old iPhone (4s), or this shinny new Android phone for free...

Hhhmmmm....
 
I was going to switch from at&t to verizon when upgrading from my 3gs.. but now I have to consider sprint.. Which sucks.
 
Friscohoya said:
This all makes sense if you dont consider the backlash of the loyalists who want the iphone day one from ATT. Granted they, we, would probably all still buy the new phone in 2012, but we would be unhappy about the appearence of a new commer getting the headstart. If anything, I think they would announce that SPrint comes online in 2012 and wait to launch until ATT/Verzon (certainly ATT) chip sets were ready.
Click to expand...

There are people who are loyal to ATT? What a silly thing to be loyal too. ATT treats their customers worse and thinks them more stupid than any company on earth. I'll skip on over to Sprint after my contract is up, gladly.
 
johndoejohndoes said:
That would be terrible for us AT&T and Verizon customers.

Not trying to sound ungrateful.

But why would anyone buy a 4S on AT&T and Verizon if Apple announces the 5 on Sprint (which we'll have all the awesome info about tomorrow)?

Thats like announcing the iPad 2 and 3 and trying to sell me the 2?

There's a difference if we EXPECT an update opposed to KNOWING the update.
Click to expand...

because its cheaper? it's like updating the Macbook lines and the Macbook Pro lines at the same time.
 
With no usable LTE chipsets this makes a lot of sense.

A WiMax iPhone 5 with EVDO Rev. B capabilities would be very compelling to me. Assuming Sprint makes the upgrade to EVDO Rev. B in the very near future.
 
joemama said:
Let's say your contract is up. You can pay to have the old iPhone (4s), or this shinny new Android phone for free...

Hhhmmmm....
Click to expand...

If the other rumors are true, the 4S is not the old iPhone ... it will still be a decent upgrade to the 4 - and millions of them will sell ... look at how many people are hanging on to their 3GSs just to wait to see what is going to be announced tomorrow.
 
If Sprint is getting an iPhone 5 exclusive, doesn't it just meas that LTE won't be available until the iPhone6 next spring or so.

Let the rumors begin ;-)
 
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