iPhone 5 Rumor: Releasing On Sprint With Unlimited Data Plan?

Today’s iPhone 5 rumor bypasses the “if” it’s going to launch on Sprint question and jumps right ahead to specifics of that launch.

According to sources “familiar with the matter” as quoted in Bloomberg, the iPhone 5 will most definitely be arriving on Sprint. And when it does, it will come with an unlimited data plan.

This move would make Sprint the only wireless carrier to offer the iPhone with an unlimited, flat-rate data plan. Carriers like AT&T used to offer the unlimited plan, but have since moved to a tiered data structure.

The sources also confirmed the mid-October release date, the most widely accepted rumor nowadays regarding the upcoming device. To prepare for the iPhone 5 launch, they said, Sprint has postponed the debut of a rival 4G phone that was supposed to launch this month.

It’s pretty easy to understand why Sprint would take this step. They are in 3rd place among wireless carriers, a good deal behind AT&T and Verizon. This kind of offering could make a splash right when the iPhone 5 drops, but could it really draw a significant amount of customers away from the big two?

CNET quotes an analyst who thinks the unlimited offering, if accurately predicted, would only last for a brief time.

“There’s a good chance they will use this to pull subscribers from AT&T and Verizon,” said Maribel Lopez, an analyst at Lopez Research. “After a certain time, they won’t offer the unlimited option any more.”

It remains to be seen if that would actually be an effective strategy.

Here’s everything we know about the iPhone 5 coming to Sprint:

Early reports indicate that the phone will launch sometime in mid-October. That source named an actual date – October 7th.
Late last month, an internal memo leaked that showed Sprint upper management directing employees to keep mum regarding the iPhone 5 release. They were specifically instructed to give a “no comment” response when any customer asked them directly.
Earlier this week, a Best Buy document surfaced detailing a probable early October release date for the iPhone 5 as well as a release on Sprint.
Last, we heard that Sprint was installing network repeaters in Apple stores in order to boost signal quality for next month’s release.

There are 6 Comments. Add Yours.

James
September 11, 2011 at 10:42 am

What difference would it make if Sprint offers the iPhone or not. I have had their service for over 5 years and their coverage just sucks. I only stayed because I was on company plan. An iPhone would not make their service that much better.
Phillip
September 11, 2011 at 11:44 am

That Sprint are installing network repeaters in apple stores is rather telling of the quality of their service, not to mention the repurcussions to their reputation after the customer buys the phone (with good service in the store) and then can barely use it in norma day life (and renders the uncapped data plan usless anyhow!)
JP
September 11, 2011 at 11:49 am

I hope so! Given the political bents of ATT & Verizon, and AT&T’s spotty service (both customer and coverage) opening iPhone to ALL other carriers will only benefit Apple, and maybe, just maybe wake up the carriers to a little competition.
ginfs
September 11, 2011 at 2:53 pm

Sprint was the frist carrier from the gorund floor up with Lucent technonlgy-crystal clear signal-they were truly the first nationwide system and servcie by design and bundles of spectrum-setbacks might have been the Nextel move which is a good service but very dated use of spectrum convetring old cb radio to voice-my company has use their servcie since Dec 1999 abd have a rate plan for voice and data that none of the other carriers can match including T-Mobile-Thanks-At our copmpany we will likely be IPhone customers with unlimited data***
steven Davoust
September 27, 2011 at 8:33 am

Look let’s be real sprint still has best the best customer service .yes I get upset with them ill call 95% of the time they make me fill better they try to help. thing happen if they keep this kind of customer service up they will move from number #3 to number one #1111 fast it what keep the good from the bad and it called job security .
steven Davoust
September 27, 2011 at 8:39 am

Look let’s be real sprint still has the best customer service .yes I get upset with them ill call 95% of the time they make me fill better they try to help. thing happen if they keep this kind of customer service up they will move from number #3 to number one #1111 fast it what keep the good from the bad and it called job security .