When the fifth-generation iPhone launches later this year, with it may come its third U.S. carrier, as sources now report that a Sprint iPhone is in advanced testing.
The device is currently being tested in Apple’s “black labs,” as well as with Sprint’s research & development department, and looks identical to the iPhone 4, according to sources for 9to5 Mac.
When it arrives on Sprint it will be capable of the same 3G wireless standards used in the iPhone today, and while the sources claim that Apple is currently developing an iPhone compatible with 4G networks, this is unlikely to launch before 2012. This ties in with previous rumors that the fifth-generation iPhone – due to launch later this year – will be labelled the iPhone 4S and will carry a wireless chip capable of connecting to multiple carriers.
Apple reportedly set up Sprint-compatible cell towers at its Cupertino campus in late 2010, and a recent indication that the company was working with Sprint came from an Apple job listing based in Kansas City – the hometown of Sprint’s headquarters.
In addition to these claims is a rather peculiar report from Talk Android, which claims that a Sprint iPhone is on its way and that it will be dual-band with support for T-Mobile. This is where it gets weird, however: The report also claims that Apple will alternate iPhone releases between carriers so that with every generation there is support for different networks. For example, the iPhone 5 may support AT&T and Verizon, the iPhone 6 may support Sprint and T-Mobile… and so forth.
That last bit is pretty hard to believe, and not just because the information was obtained from “people in the Sprint store,” who doubtlessly know nothing about the matter. In every other country in the world, Apple releases the new iPhone on all the carriers. Why would Apple change their focus for America only… and worse, guarantee it so that customers locked into two year contracts could only get a new iPhone every three years? Does that make a lick of sense?
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
13 responses to “iPhone 4S Could Launch Simultaneously On AT&T, Verizon… And Sprint!”
Weird. Â Interesting tho
I hope it comes onto sprint
but that alternation? total bull
Just because they are testing doesn’t mean it will happen. Or even any time soon. This could be something being aimed more at the iphone 6 than 5
As for the ‘changing years’, doubt it. Apple makes too much money off folks that don’t mind paying the extra money to get the new stuff. And if someone drops a phone and breaks it they wouldn’t have to be making the old phone still so the person can buy a replacement at full price. And that seems contrary to the idea that they are trying to make one iphone to rule them all rather than several model lines.
It really makes no sense to have an iPhone that works on T-Mobile and Sprint. It would make sense for it work on both ATT and T-Mobile:
-Both are GSM systems
-Most likely they will be one company in about seven or eight months.
so they deifnitely are pproducing an iphone 4s
In order to give the smaller wireless vendors like Sprint a fighting chance and put some competitive heat on AT&T and Verizon in the major cities, Apple could preference newer releases to Sprint. Â I think that would be a good strategic decision. Â If Sprint dies, than Wireless prices will go through the roof.Â
Where’s T-mobile? I mean, come on. If apple is going to expand, they need to expand to every corner of the mobile service industry.