iPhone 5 may feature T-Mobile ’4G’ compatibility, still no T-Mobile availability

By on Oct 3, 2011 at 10:01 AM
mobile October 3, 2011

The “iPhone 5″ may or may not exist following Apple’s event on Tuesday, but if it does, it could end up being the biggest smack to the face that T-Mobile USA has ever had the pleasure of receiving from a smartphone vendor. Over the weekend, a Cincinnati Bell customer supposedly discovered a pair of placeholder entries for upcoming Apple smartphones. One listing mentioned the oft-rumored iPhone 4S and the second listed a $639.99 iPhone 5 with an 8-megapixel camera, a 4-inch display and “4G Data Speeds.” The listing certainly raises eyebrows, but sites reporting the snafu missed a potential tearjerker that could rival Titanic. Read on for more.

Last week, T-Mobile USA chief marketing officer Cole Brodman issued a public plea that likely told us two things: 1) T-Mobile will not be carrying an iPhone when the new models launch this month and 2) T-Mobile really, really wishes that wasn’t the case. Following Brodman’s comments, some speculated that the main reason T-Mobile wouldn’t get the next-generation iPhone was Apple’s refusal to make a second iPhone model with AWS or cover the cost associated with bringing a penta-band GSM phone to market.

Presuming for a moment that Cincinnati Bell’s iPhone 5 listing is accurate — which is anything but certain — we’re looking at an iPhone 5 that supports, among other things, AWS “4G” connectivity. The same AWS used by T-Mobile here in the U.S. Ouch. AWS compatibility in an iPhone would allow a handful of carriers to offer the device on their 3G/4G networks, but as much as we love Cincy Bell, Cricket, Canada’s WIND Mobile and Chilean carrier VTR Banda Ancha, we’re not sure why Apple would bother with AWS without plans to launch a T-Mobile iPhone.

Apple will unveil one or more next-generation iPhone models at a press conference on Tuesday.

Thanks, Will

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  • http://www.droiddoes.com/ Norm

    Congrats tmobilers! You guys will finally have the potential to use a good phone on your network at full potential. Btw it’s confirmed via Engadget that Cincinnati Bell is getting the iPhone 4S. They use tmobile 3G. You heard it here from NGR, Norm Genius Report.

    • Anonymous

      I liked your comment but are you crazy? I almost got the impression that you’re rooting for Apple! Keep working on NormOS Edition 1.01 4G, turbo speed w/ 3d cameras and charm bracelet.

      Please make the OS pink and kick-ass so the girls will know it’s for them. Can you have those girls kicking robots on the green screen? It makes me feel like a man.

      • http://twitter.com/romanlx Roman

        I like Android and I like iOS, I don’t see the crazy thing about it? iOS exceed in polishness while Android exceeds in openness. Would love to see the day that Android feels as snappy and polished as iOS, maybe that day I won’t have to struggle deciding which one to use…

      • Anonymous

        You sound reasonable so I will give you a reasonable answer:

        What you’re really hoping is that Google can copy Apple’s design enough where it you can have the advantage of openness. That won’t happen because Google isn’t capable. What you saw with Honeycomb is Google’s arrogance. Everyone that used the OS hated it and this was the arrogance of the Google engineer to think that they could equal Apple’s OS design because they were smarter. Those that are cool know they can’t but they aren’t behind the Google initiatives.

        I should know. I’ve dated them, dumped them and my kid sister worked for Google as a student and wants to work for them in the future. The robot is more symbolic of the people than Android. Why do you think that Google can’t understand social?

        I couldn’t care less about openness. My device is just a means to an end.

    • Plazmic Flame

      I look forward to an iPhone an true T-Mobile 3G!! Dont’ care how much it cost, I will buy it outright!!

  • Anonymous

    Subpar phones for subpar network – a perfect match!

    • Pucky61

      Go suck ur mother

    • somedude0123

      That’s old news, they already stock Android phones.

      • Anonymous

        lol

      • Plazmic Flame

        BOOM!! Hahaha

  • Bringit

    There are three types of smartphone people in the world.  Those who want an iPhone and have one, those who want an iPhone but their mom won’t pay for one and make them get a cheap Android phone (and then they have to pretend like Android ruuuules!!, and then people who want an iPhone but their company gives them a Blackberry.  That’s it.

    • Anonymous

      you should settle down. I am fairly certain that jizz on your iphone is considered liquid damage. 

      • Bringit

        Androidnerds love to post about cocks and jizz.  That’s a fact proven over and over again.

      • MrHaroHaro

        And calling people/things/ideas they don’t like ”gay”

    • Snake36

      Really, thats how you feel?  Your time may not be worth anyting to you but please don’t wast other peoples by posting such useless crap. 

      • Bringit

        You can’t handle the truth.  And why would you respond to something you find to be “useless crap”?  Because you know it to be true.

      • Gregjaehn

        How is it true?  Many android phones cost more than the iphone?  You’re an idiot.

      • Bringit

        @685608a13d7f8ff8a8957728e40b6ee2:disqus  – you are.

    • Anonymous

      your coming close to being the biggest idiot on this site…first place Scroat

      • Bringit

        I’ll keep trying.

      • Anonymous

        ahh good old confuse troll Norm cant make up his mind if he droid or os….well we know he is a fruity troll anyway

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZETAEC2YUIDZN23QRSD6NC46NU INtrepid_BearCub

      I’ve always thought that there were three types of iPhone users in the world. (1)Those who buy them because they are the only device that suits their needs, (2) those that buy them because they don’t know any better (aka old people), and finally (3) those that buy them because “everyone has an iPhone” and they want to be one of the cool kids.

      Type 1 barely exists and no one cares about type 2. Sadly type 3 still rules the iPhone customer base and that is NOT a testiment to the quality or usefulness of the product. Type 3 people only prove that sheep exist, but we all already knew that.

      • Bringit

        You’ve thought wrong.

      • Anonymous

        Actually, Android is more popular with the kiddies now. They’ve done the research. Couldn’t be because you can buy one get 5 free could it? While the more professional crowd uses iPhones. The iPhone is an Audi in a world full of Honda Civic garage built Android phones.

      • Snake36

        It depends what professional crowd you are talking about.   As a software engineer almost everyone in my company has moved from their iphone to android phones.

      • http://twitter.com/NICKVALENTIN0 Nick Valentino

        @Snake36 Your company must not be doing very well.

      • Anonymous

        Wrong.

        When I see little kids say they want an iPhone for Christmas, it reminds me that they’re wanted by small children so they can play Disney games. 

      • Anonymous

        “…buy one get 5 free…” lol

      • Cyberstoic

        You forgot about the aging pony tailed baby boomers who buy them because they think it makes them hip and cool to their aging peers and their children.  Their kids are switching to android because they recoil at the fact that their lame aging hippie parents are using iphone and it is no longer cool.

    • Anonymous

      Where is your 4G bitch?  Just stare at your kid-like icons tiled across your 3 dinky homescreens and tell yourself how good your phone is.  You have an iPhone and are one of the cool kids.  

      • Bringit

        fast crap is still crap, don’t fool yourself.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Fuller/584626026 Mike Fuller

      See… the Thing is that Iphones were cool.. I had the 3g,3gs and 4.  But after awhile i realized that i wanted a phone that could make call reliably and not have my voice drop out in calls.. 

      Iphones are sales are going to come down to earth in the future because it won’t be cool anymore when everyone and they 12 year old sister can walk in and buy one.  

      Just as Rim was a status symbol before, the Iphone has been the last couple of years, but now everyone can get one easily and people are moving on.

      I settled with BB for now after playing with HTC Evo (which is super cool) but The new BBs work really well and are fast and the browser is on par with my old iphone 4 and even though i didn’t think i wanted a keyboard the 9900 is too good to put down.

      • Bringit

        you and your writing “skills” are representative of the BB/Android world.

      • Anonymous

        Interesting point. I have one good friend with an iPhone, and he’s the only person who drops my calls and cuts out frequently.

  • Anonymous

    Will it be available as unlocked with 900/AWS/2100, or it may be possible to have 850/AWS/1900/2100?
    Certainly, it’s perfect to have all 5 HSPA bands.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_HK7ALWU4PMZC7SUZ4NZLXDT6R4 Chad

    I just find it funny on all these tech blogs how people are so “ride or die” about their choice of phone, seriously people no one cares whether you like Android, iPhone, Windows or Blackberry it all comes down to personal choice whatever works for you, works for you..it’s not like phones indicate your living status like a car or house would anyone can get any type phone these days lol everybody take a chill pill there are actual real issues in the world that directly effect me and you that sadly get less attention

    • http://www.droiddoes.com/ Norm

      DROID FTW!!!!

      • FatherHarold

        Droid isn’t an operating system. It’s just a small line of phones from Verizon. Do you know anything about Android? Have you ever owned one?

        iOS FTW!

      • Shawnh91

        Clearly you’re new here. This is norm everybody, let him be please.

      • http://www.sakurawalker.com iEric

        Actually isn’t Droid a small line of phones from Motorola, carried on Verizon?

        Not that I care, Android OS still sucks.

    • Anonymous

      Some people believe a smartphone is an end to justify the mean, meaning it is purely a utility…

      Others take it as a status symbol…

      Your view is likely of the former. ;)

  • sirpaul

    OH please please please, tell me Wind Mobile is getting the iPhone!

  • Moose357

    Thanks for quoting me on pointing this fact out, BGR. And, really? Apple would make a compatible device and not sell it to t-mo? If they make it they’re not going to stiff the company that could sell the most. I love you guys, but this post is pretty stupid, maybe you should delete it and try again.

  • Anonymous

    iPhone = android killer. Android will be dead in two years  true story™©®

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Fuller/584626026 Mike Fuller

      Right… Because the os is dying even though they launched android AFTER iOS and still growing in OS market share?

      Take off you apple glasses and look again.

      Rim is supposed to be dying too… But yet the 9900 is out of stock with most carriers and on back order for atleast 10 days… 

      • Anonymous

        I still cannot believe that BB is still going strong… IMO the only thing keeping RIM going is BBM and a physical keyboard. That’s it.

  • Anonymous

    If it happens I’ll probably give it a try. The only issue now is money. It would be cool if T-Mobile would give u some kind of rebate for getting the unlocked iPhone and signing up for a 2 year contract on their network.

  • Anonymous

    And nobody cares honestly when we know these reports on here are never true

  • http://twitter.com/mbeem Micah Beeman

    Doesn’t this mean that even if T-Mobile doesn’t get the new iPhone officially that it will be able to use the 3G/4G on a jailbroken/unlocked device instead of just Edge?

  • Henry Earl

    I thought the mdm6600 or whatever it was in the verizon iphone was already a 5-band radio chip compatible with AWS?

  • Anonymous

    Best rumor/news so far .. now i can buy a factory unlocked iPhone and use it with T-Mobile and get 3G/4G speeds.

  • Enoel69

    Just maybe Tmo was not ready to buy 30 million iPhones like sprint in the tune of billions of dollar. Yes it is a good device desired by some but at what cost? Lets not forget the precarious financial situation that Tmo USA is in..with DT reluctant to invest more in Tmo USA. Probably when a sensible deal is offered by Apple they will be ready to deal.. who knows?

    • Anonymous

      When (or now “if”) ATT buys them out… That has to be the main reason Apple didn’t sell to TMo… They would all become ATT phones.

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