If you’ve heard that iPhone-is-coming-to-Verizon rumor too many million times, how about this? T-Mobile might be lining up to be the second major U.S. carrier to sell Apple’s jewel.
That’s according to the site Cult of Mac, which quotes a “highly placed source" at T-Mobile, saying that talks have advanced and the chances of T-Mobile nabbing the iPhone are about 80, yes, 80 percent — not next year, not in 2012, not at the end of time … but actually in Q3. Yes, that’s now or before September 30.
Is this rumor more believable than all of those Verizon-iPhone rumors? Hard to say, because of course, the source refuses to be quoted and neither T-Mobile or Apple are saying anything official.
We’ve heard many things over the past several months about how long the Apple-AT&T contract is supposed to last; how an Asian manufacturer is prepping for a CDMA iPhone; how Santa and his elves are on the cusp of delivering a non-AT&T iPhone; etc., etc. etc.
T-Mobile might be a better fit for Apple in terms of technology. Although it’s just the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S., T-Mobile operates on GSM, like AT&T does. And T-Mobile hasn’t spent millions of dollars bashing the iPhone, like Verizon has. Analysts from both Kaufman Brothers and Thomas Weisel have both said T-Mobile would be the best new corporate partner for Apple, based on these factors. So there is some backing in the industry for such an idea.
The CEO of T-Mobile USA parent Deutsche Telekom wants the iPhone, having previously said T-Mobile “is hoping" to sell it later this year or next.
