In America you'd have to buy it off contract or through Sprint, in the rest of the world, it would be subsidized just like any other iPhone...
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Sprint Commits to Buying $20 Billion Worth of iPhones, To Get Redesigned iPhone 5 Exclusively?
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In America you'd have to buy it off contract or through Sprint, in the rest of the world, it would be subsidized just like any other iPhone...
Agreed....and the amount of it they would lose by cutting customers of the two biggest US carriers out of the loop is what makes this rumor so unbelievable.
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Hmmm.... Sprint exclusivity did wonders for Palm. /s
(But then again, the iPhone is a product that consumers actually want.)
Hmmm.... Sprint exclusivity did wonders for Palm. /s
(But then again, the iPhone is a product that consumers actually want.)
So then how many iPhones is Apple supposedly having in their lineup now?
$0 iPhone 3GS 8GB (All GSM carriers)
$99 iPhone 4 minor refresh N90A 8GB Black and White (Everyone)
$199+ iPhone 4S with HSPA+ 16GB/32GB/64GB Black and White (AT&T, Verizon, Global)
$199+ iPhone 5 with WiMax 16GB/32GB/64GB Black and White (Sprint)
$199+ iPhone 5 with LTE 16GB/32GB/64GB Black and White (AT&T and Verizon) delayed launch
$199+ iPhone 5 with HSPA+ 16GB/32GB/64GB Black and White (Global)
So much for a simple product line. The number of SKUs to manage would be staggering.
$0 iPhone 3GS 8GB (All GSM carriers)
$99 iPhone 4 minor refresh N90A 8GB Black and White (Everyone)
$199+ iPhone 4S with HSPA+ 16GB/32GB/64GB Black and White (AT&T, Verizon, Global)
$199+ iPhone 5 with WiMax 16GB/32GB/64GB Black and White (Sprint)
$199+ iPhone 5 with LTE 16GB/32GB/64GB Black and White (AT&T and Verizon) delayed launch
$199+ iPhone 5 with HSPA+ 16GB/32GB/64GB Black and White (Global)
So much for a simple product line. The number of SKUs to manage would be staggering.
Thank God!
If this is true, congrats, Sprint! You get to keep our office's business.
Too bad it will cost us an extra $10 per phone (bare minimum).
If this is true, congrats, Sprint! You get to keep our office's business.
Too bad it will cost us an extra $10 per phone (bare minimum).
I'm with Sprint and I'm getting an iPhone no matter what since I've never had one, but if this turns out to be true...oh my God, I'll pee my pants with joy.
the 3GS is disapperaing as of tommorrow... and the rest of the phones would be WORLD PHONE... no such skus. god man.
Exclusively usually means less choice and higher price for us and more profit for them. I hope it's a no go.
Actually this could work out really well for Apple and if WSJ reports it then it has credibility. Here is the scenario!:
Apple gets guaranteed sales for the next 2-4 years from sprint. Sprint gets iphone 5 exclusive for 3-5 months then 2012 all carriers get iphone 5 along with the iphone 4s that will be released next week. I would give some company this small window of exclusiveness for 3+ years of guarnateed sales!
Apple gets guaranteed sales for the next 2-4 years from sprint. Sprint gets iphone 5 exclusive for 3-5 months then 2012 all carriers get iphone 5 along with the iphone 4s that will be released next week. I would give some company this small window of exclusiveness for 3+ years of guarnateed sales!
There may be a reason that even though I bought my iPhone 4 back in August 2010 I am being offered an upgrade as of yesterday.
IF Sprint comes on board to the iPhone fold, I have to consider a mover seriously. At least here in the DC Sprint piggy-backs on the Verizon network for coverage. And IF Sprint allows for voice and data at the same time; then a no brainer for those of us on AT&T.
Seems like a lot of speculation but I do hope it to be true.
If true, it could really bring competition into the mobile phone environment which is really needed.
It will help balance the market so that the providers will have to reduce pricing, increase coverage, bring faster connections and bring up reliability.
Isn't that what we want?
If true, it could really bring competition into the mobile phone environment which is really needed.
It will help balance the market so that the providers will have to reduce pricing, increase coverage, bring faster connections and bring up reliability.
Isn't that what we want?
LOL spot on! As time nears the event the rumours get even more ridiculous.....by 6pm tomorrow apple will be releasing 20 different iPhones....
But hey Al Gore did say "iPhones" in plural LOL
Anyone who is a current Sprint customer will tell you their 3G network is on it's last legs. It lags constantly, download speed is the worst in the business. Unless they're capable of pulling magic bandwidth from the air, there's no way in hell they're going to be able to support such an increase in usage.
Putting $20B into this phone alone would be single dumbest decision a cell phone carrier has ever made. It will destroy Sprint, it will destroy their network and drive all of their existing customers away.
I've been with Sprint for 5 years and will jump ship tomorrow if this is the announcement.
...let me clarify, that is if they're trying to get exclusive rights, if they're just another player in the iPhone game, they should do alright, but if they are the only provider of the iPhone 5, without major overhaul to their network, they will be dead within 12 months.
Putting $20B into this phone alone would be single dumbest decision a cell phone carrier has ever made. It will destroy Sprint, it will destroy their network and drive all of their existing customers away.
I've been with Sprint for 5 years and will jump ship tomorrow if this is the announcement.
...let me clarify, that is if they're trying to get exclusive rights, if they're just another player in the iPhone game, they should do alright, but if they are the only provider of the iPhone 5, without major overhaul to their network, they will be dead within 12 months.
When AT&T had the exclusive, it was only in the USA. If Sprint got an exclusive, it would also be limited to the USA.
Interesting rumor.
Sprint is known for committing to short term exclusives as with the EVO and Palm Pre.
Sprint also likes big screens. If nothing else, it would let Apple know how to judge actual desire for such.
Makes you wonder...
How many MacRumors readers read this article and instinctively considered the feasibility of switching to Sprint?
I'm betting at least a few, maybe there's something to this.
I wonder if it would simply have the overall effect of lowering the total number of iPhones sold.
How many MacRumors readers read this article and instinctively considered the feasibility of switching to Sprint?
I'm betting at least a few, maybe there's something to this.
I wonder if it would simply have the overall effect of lowering the total number of iPhones sold.
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so Sprint iPhone 5
ATT & Verizon + Rest of the world 4S
did i read that right? sounds like a slap in the face of the customer
so Sprint iPhone 5
ATT & Verizon + Rest of the world 4S
did i read that right? sounds like a slap in the face of the customer
There is no way Apple would do this.
AT&T and Verizon have way too many iPhone customers who would NOT upgrade because its on Sprint. To top that off, Apple would lose loyalty on other products if they do this to their consumers. I would be angry and probably stop buying other Apple products (iPod, iPad, etc) which in the end = money to them.
AT&T and Verizon have way too many iPhone customers who would NOT upgrade because its on Sprint. To top that off, Apple would lose loyalty on other products if they do this to their consumers. I would be angry and probably stop buying other Apple products (iPod, iPad, etc) which in the end = money to them.
Throw some to the Virgin Brand and watch them make some money.
To the nay-sayers, look how popular the Android phones have become on prepaid. I probably don't even have to cite a reference for that. I will cite a reference for iPhone4/5 phones rumoring to show up on prepaid.
http://gizmodo.com/5845785/will-the-iphone-5-be-available-on-prepaid-plans
*This is rumor, a reference to a rumor. But a good one nonetheless.
If the iPhone was introduced to the Virgin Unlimited plan.. then omg the Optimus V would be blown away. It's only a matter of time before iPhones are on every prepaid time, that much can't be doubted.
To the nay-sayers, look how popular the Android phones have become on prepaid. I probably don't even have to cite a reference for that. I will cite a reference for iPhone4/5 phones rumoring to show up on prepaid.
http://gizmodo.com/5845785/will-the-iphone-5-be-available-on-prepaid-plans
*This is rumor, a reference to a rumor. But a good one nonetheless.
If the iPhone was introduced to the Virgin Unlimited plan.. then omg the Optimus V would be blown away. It's only a matter of time before iPhones are on every prepaid time, that much can't be doubted.
Just this rumour article mentions an iPhone 4S, and a WiMax iPhone 5 for Sprint, a LTE iPhone 5 for AT&T and Verizon, and a HSPA+ iPhone 5 for the rest of the world. Plus, we are fairly certain there will be a basic 8GB iPhone 4. Even if the iPhone 3GS is eliminated, it doesn't really help much.BGR said:
