14 DAY TRIAL // Apple's iPhone is the most popular mobile phone currently available on the market, and it seems that also the most wanted one. The handset is available on a wide range of markets around the world, and can be purchased in the US via wireless carrier AT&T, yet it seems that other operators might also start offering it to their users. While Verizon Wireless was for a long time rumored to be the second candidate for the iPhone distribution in the country, it seems that T-Mobile might also take part in the action.
According to the latest reports around the Internet, some analysts already predicted that T-Mobile could receive the iPhone in the near future. One analyst from Thomas Weisel even stated that T-Mobile would be the more likely suitor for the iPhone than Verizon is. Since AT&T has been rumored a few times now to be loosing the iPhone exclusivity sometime in mid-2010, it might not come as a surprise for some people if Magenta will pick up the Apple device and not Big Red.
While we might find it hard to believe that Apple would consider T-mobile a suited partner for the distribution of iPhone, and not Verizon, especially after all the rumors on the matter, a Kaufman Bros. analyst comes to say the following: “While we believe VZ is likely inevitable at some point when 4G technology rolls out in 2012 or so, we believe Sprint and/or T-Mobile are more willing partners for Apple in helping maintain margins and customer controls. From a technology perspective, we believe T-Mobile may have an advantage with a similar 3G UMTS/WCDMA network as AT&T.”
For what it's worth, this seems to be a valid argument when it comes to the availability of the iPhone via T-Mobile. Moreover, one might also take a look at the fact that Apple hasn't partnered with the largest carriers in all markets where the iPhone is available, and KT in South Korea is an example in this direction. On the other hand, these are only previsions for the time being, and nothing is yet solid or official, so we'll take it with a grain of salt. Stay tuned to learn more on this.