Sometime in 2013, T-Mobile customers can get themselves an iPhone, according to a for-real official announcement from Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile's parent company. Or at least it sure sounds like T-Mobile will get the iPhone, as part of its new deal to sell "Apple products." Why would that not include the iPhone?
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Another unclear part of today's Deutsche Telekom release to investors: When in 2013, exactly, will these iThings make their way to the wireless company's shelves? Because 2013 is less than a month away. T-Mobile customers, we suppose, could get their hands on an iPhone sooner rather than later — or they could have to wait until next holiday season, when Apple presumably announces that already-rumored iPhone 5S.
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The T-Mobile/iPhone rumor has been kicking so long that it feels kind of weird now that it's true. The reality comes at a decent time for T-Mobile, which really could have used some of Apple's magic of late. DT laid off 1,300 employees earlier this year, followed by the departure of T-Mobile's CEO. The tough times stem partly from the low-cost, pre-paid plans from Sprint's Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile, which had started to undercut the more budget friendly T-Mobile. But everyone knows T-Mobile has never had the most desirable phones, the iPhone being the most desirable of all. Maybe the two companies reached this agreement too late, but we bet some T-Mobile hangers-on will be delighted.