As AT&T (T), Verizon Wireless (VZ) and Sprint (S) prepare to sell as many iPhones as they can manage to get their hands on in the coming weeks, T-Mobile will once again be forced to sit on the sidelines and watch from the bench. With no LTE network to support the next-generation iPhone’s new 4G connectivity and an incompatible (for the most part) 3G network, T-Mobile will once again miss out on the biggest smartphone launch of the year. The carrier won’t be sitting completely idle, however, as it has reportedly informed retail staff to prepare for battle.
According to a purported internal memo published by TmoNews, T-Mobile has informed retail workers that they should brace for Apple’s next iPhone launch beginning September 21st — the rumored date that Apple’s “iPhone 5” will go on sale. Sales associates will be provided with new materials that will apparently arm them with convincing arguments that might sway customers from heading elsewhere to purchase the new iPhone.
For those who cannot be swayed, TmoNews also reports that T-Mobile will offer new “Monthly4G Micro SIM” kits that will allow users to purchase a sixth-generation iPhone elsewhere and use it on T-Mobile’s network. Service speeds in most areas will pale in comparison to 4G LTE or even AT&T’s 3G HSPA+ service, but T-Mobile does have some compelling arguments to make — especially considering how expensive owning a smartphone can be with carriers like Verizon Wireless, which now charges $90 per month for its cheapest smartphone plan.
Apple’s next iPhone is expected to feature a 4-inch display, 4G LTE, NFC and a completely redesigned case that is just 7.6 millimeters thick when it is unveiled during a press conference on September 12th.