{"id":648835,"date":"2013-03-26T11:42:01","date_gmt":"2013-03-26T15:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gigaom.com\/?p=624369"},"modified":"2013-03-26T11:42:01","modified_gmt":"2013-03-26T15:42:01","slug":"its-finally-here-t-mobile-iphone-5-goes-on-sale-april-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/648835","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s finally here: T-Mobile iPhone 5 goes on sale April 12"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s official: T-Mobile has the iPhone. On Friday, April 12, the magenta-tinged operator will start selling the iPhone 5 nationwide and the iPhone 4 and 4S in select markets.<\/p>\n

T-Mobile now not only has the iconic device it has so long craved, but it\u2019s offering it with compelling service pricing. Under the new plans unveiled over the weekend<\/a> you can pay as little as $50 a month for unlimited voice, text and 500 MB of data, and you can use your phone as a hotspot \u2013 something most carriers charge you extra for doing on an individual data plan. For $70 a month, you can upgrade that data plan to unlimited, though hotspot usage is limited to 500 MB a month. All of these plans are available without a contract.<\/p>\n

But T-Mobile is demanding you make a trade-off<\/a>. Its cheap rates mean it will no longer subsidize its devices<\/a>, meaning customers will have to buy their iPhones up front, enroll in a financing plan, or bring an unlocked device to the network.<\/p>\n

The reason we\u2019ve waited so long for the elusive T-Mobile iPhone is a combination of physics and economics<\/a>. Since T-Mobile first launched its 3G mobile broadband network, it\u2019s set itself apart from the other major carriers on the electromagnetic spectrum. Apple didn\u2019t make an iPhone that tapped into the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) band used by T-Mo\u2019s HSPA+ network, and it showed no inclination of custom-designing a device<\/a> for a specific carrier.<\/p>\n

That all changed last year when T-Mobile undertook an ambitious plan to reconfigure its networks<\/a> and clear up spectrum for LTE. It began moving its HSPA+ network into the 1900 MHz PCS bands used by most U.S. carriers for 3G, and in the gaps that opened up it began deploying its LTE systems.<\/p>\n

Last summer, T-Mobile began inviting unlocked iPhone users to test out its network, but it hadn\u2019t reached the point where it could support all of the new iPhone 5\u2019s most advanced features<\/a>. The missing component was LTE, which T-Mobile launched today in an iPhone-friendly band.<\/p>\n

Will the iPhone be T-Mobile\u2019s savior? It\u2019s tough to say. T-Mobile will finally have the most sought-after smartphone in its arsenal, and T-Mobile has readily admitted its lack of the device has hurt it with consumers. It will also be able to offer that device at very low pricing. But pricing and variety don\u2019t always sway consumers. Verizon Wireless may be the most expensive carrier in the business, but its coverage and customer service have kept it on top of the heap.<\/p>\n

This post will be updated as we get more information.<\/em><\/p>\n

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