T-Mobile's "4G" monicker the reason Apple won't give them the iPhone 5?

[ThomasJL]

T-Mobile USA has been aggressively calling their HSPA+ technology "4G" when in reality, it is not a true 4G technology. Is this the reason Apple won't give them the iPhone 5? The iPhone 5 is alleged to be an HSPA+ device, and if T-Mobile USA gets it, they would likely advertise it as running on their "4G" network. Apple probably does not want people to think that the HSPA+ iPhone 5 is a 4G device.

I mean, Apple will likely include LTE in 2012's iPhone 6. Perhaps at that point, Apple will want carriers to use the term "4G" in describing the iPhone 6 as a 4G device. Maybe Apple is concerned that if carriers call this year's iPhone 5 a "4G" device, it will confuse customers when the LTE iPhone 6 comes out, and also the LTE iPhone 6 won't make that much of a splash upon its introduction.

A large percentage of iPhone 4 users have very little knowledge about their device. Some statistics have shown that a large percentage of iPhone 4 users never sync their phones, and also mistakenly believe that their iPhone 4 is a 4G device. Apple probably knows that a large percentage of iPhone 4 users are not too tech savvy, and therefore Apple would likely be highly against their HSPA+ iPhone 5 being referred to as a "4G" device.

What do you folks think?

 

[mkrishnan]

AT&T substantially muddies the same water by repeatedly talking about both HSPA+ and LTE as delivering 4G speeds and being part of their 4G rollout.

I would guess that T-Mobile roll-out is limited by (1) their being the smallest carrier, (2) their 3G using different frequencies than have traditionally been supported on the iPhone, and (3) the up-in-the-air status of the AT&T merger, in that order.

I think (1) alone explains why Sprint is a more active rumor than T-Mobile.

If Apple's priority were to work with a carrier that provided no-nonsense service to its customers and minimized confusion, I don't think they would be with AT&T to begin with....

 

[Pyromonkey83]

Normally I'd say you hit the nail on the head, but the only problem is that AT&T is doing the same thing (Think Samsung Infuse 4G), and I have no doubt in my mind they will do the same with the iPhone 5. Therefore I think Apple will allow it to be called a 4G device, and then go for a more specific iPhone 6 LTE moniker. The only thing that I can imagine is holding the T-Mobile iPhone back is their stance with Android (and their iPhone bashing commercials) and their upcoming merger with AT&T. Or of course it could just be that Tim Cook simply doesnt like T-Mobile USA...

 

[parseckadet]

AT&T substantially muddies the same water by repeatedly talking about both HSPA+ and LTE as delivering 4G speeds and being part of their 4G rollout.

I would guess that T-Mobile roll-out is limited by (1) their being the smallest carrier, (2) their 3G using different frequencies than have traditionally been supported on the iPhone, and (3) the up-in-the-air status of the AT&T merger, in that order.

I think (1) alone explains why Sprint is a more active rumor than T-Mobile.

If Apple's priority were to work with a carrier that provided no-nonsense service to its customers and minimized confusion, I don't think they would be with AT&T to begin with....

You've hit all the reasons that I had in my mind. I think the only reason we'll see an iPhone on Sprint is because they're riding Verizon's coattails. Sprint and Verizon use the same technology and the same frequencies. Apple went after Verizon to effectively double their market in the US, and Sprint comes along for the ride.