T-Mobile rules out iPhone post-merger

T-Mobile in an FAQ quickly talked down any immediate plans to carry the iPhone following the takeover by AT&T. It stressed that the deal wouldn't take effect for at least a year and that, as a result, no deal with Apple was automatic. The language conspicuously left room open for an iPhone deal pre-merger but for now steered customers towards what it already had on sale.

"T-Mobile USA remains an independent company," The acquisition is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. We do not offer the iPhone. We offer cutting edge devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and coming soon our new Sidekick 4G."

The absence of an immediate plan was expected through the nature of the current GSM iPhone itself. Without 1,700MHz 3G support, the iPhone 4 would be limited to 2G (EDGE) for data, leaving the phone at a disadvantage compared to the same device on AT&T. Rumors have surfaced of T-Mobile getting the iPhone 5, but if so it would get just a one-off device before the merger made it unnecessary.

T-Mobile has recently become elusive on the iPhone, refusing to either confirm or deny intentions. It has used the same language that Verizon used when it had a deal but didn't want to publicly acknowledge plans and risk losing sales of existing Android phones.

AT&T said its buyout of T-Mobile would help customers from both networks once closed, including improving coverage and giving T-Mobile users a path to LTE-based 4G.

By Electronista Staff