T-Mobile mentioned almost en passant that it will finally start offering Apple iPhone in 2013. Now, that is newsworthy. The carrier has tried for years to give its customers access to Apple’s smartphone. What does it mean for T-Mobile and its customers?
First of all, this is one more arrow in the quiver of T-Mobile against the ATT’s for the world. Customers can move from ATT to T-Mobile without having to purchase outright the still very expensive device.
Second, the deal involves an new, unannounced iPhone model. If we dare to speculate then this will be in all likelihood an LTE ready iPhone 5. This move would fit nicely with the company’s overall strategy. As T-Mobile prepares for its merger with MetroPCS the company is upgrading its LTE infrastructure heavily. The idea is that both companies will upgrade their existing client basis aggressively to the new network. The iPhone 5 fits perfectly in this picture.
All in all this is good news for consumers. More choices, more competition and the hope for more speed in 2013.