The US"s third largest wireless carrier, Sprint, may finally allow its customers to sell Apple"s iPhone. The Wall Street Journal reports via unnamed sources that Sprint will start selling the best selling smartphone beginning with the upcoming iPhone 5. The story claims that the phone will be on sale in-mid October from Sprint along with Verizon and AT&T. If true, this means that the next version of the iPhone will be released in the latter time period of predictions by various industry sources. Some have predicted that Apple will announce the iPhone 5 in a press release in September ahead of its October launch date.
Getting the iPhone would be a big help for Sprint which would give the wireless carrier access to the highest selling smartphone worldwide. Sprint is also the only company to offer a truly unlimited data plan with no data caps or overage fees. Both Verizon and AT&T have ditched unlimited data plans for its new customers (existing customers are grandfathered in) so having an iPhone 5 with an unlimited data plan could cause some people to purchase their next version of the phone from Sprint instead. Currently, Sprint has 52 million wireless subscribers.
If Verizon, AT&T and Sprint all have their own versions of the iPhone on sale later this fall, that could leave T-Mobile holding the bag. The US"s fourth largest wireless carrier could lose even more market share to the "Big Three" if they all sell the iPhone 5. T-Mobile is in the middle of being acquired by AT&T, but that may not happen for months, if at all.