Sprint set to discontinue iPhone 4 on Sept. 21st
updated 09:40 am EDT, Tue September 18, 2012
Carrier makes itself exception to normal iPhone sales
Sprint is planning to halt its sales of the iPhone 4 come the launch of the iPhone 5 on Friday, a leaked document reveals. "iPhone 4 will be removed from Planogram on 9/21/12," the document indicates. The decision makes Sprint an exception in terms of iPhone sales, since a number of carriers will be offering the iPhone 4 for free on contract, much as they did the now-defunct iPhone 3GS.
At the time of the iPhone 5's announcement, Apple hinted that the iPhone 4 would only be available through a select group of carriers, but didn't name them. Sprint could still conceivably sell the iPhone 4 through Virgin Mobile, but since Virgin is a prepaid carrier, there the device would likely cost several hundred dollars. Virgin has yet to announce any plans regarding the iPhone 5 despite the device being offered by one of its main rivals, Cricket.
