t mobile usa logo
As highlighted by AllThingsD, T-Mobile USA acknowledged yesterday in discussion of its third quarter earnings that the lack of an iPhone 4S offering for the carrier may have an impact on customer retention, labeling churn rates as an "area of concern".

“Earnings improved as we continued to focus on making smartphones affordable to all Americans through our unlimited Value plans, improvements to our 4G network, and an expanding portfolio of 4G devices,” T-Mobile USA CEO Philipp Humm said in a statement. “Discipline on the cost side contributed to year-on- year margin improvement, while postpay churn, in particular related to the iPhone 4S launches by competitors, will continue to be an area of concern.”

With Sprint adding the iPhone last month, T-Mobile is the last of the four major U.S. carriers to not offer the device, putting it at a significant disadvantage due to the iPhone's popularity. T-Mobile USA has issued several public statements about its lack of an iPhone offering, acknowledging that the decision on a T-Mobile iPhone is up to Apple while touting other smartphone devices it does carry.

The iPhone's absence on T-Mobile is due in large part to the carrier's network technology, which while being the same GSM standard used in the rest of the world, runs on different frequency bands from most other GSM carriers. Consequently, Apple would have to develop modified hardware to support T-Mobile's network, something the company has so far declined to do on more than a prototype basis.

Also likely affecting Apple's plans are questions over the long-term fate of T-Mobile, as AT&T is currently in the process of trying to acquire the carrier. Should the acquisition be approved, AT&T would in time merge the networks of the two carriers and with the move to LTE, a separate iPhone supporting T-Mobile USA's current standards would eventually become unnecessary.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

cvaldes Avatar
178 months ago
Those gray-market iPhones have voice service as well as the slower EDGE data, not 3G data.

The MacRumors article is incorrect. T-Mobile USA uses the same GSM frequencies as AT&T. It's the UTMS/HSPA frequencies that are non-standard.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
andiwm2003 Avatar
178 months ago
i hope the FCC allows them to use the other GSM frequencies. It's absolutely anti free market to have a monopoly of ATT on these frequencies. As customer you have no choice than to sign up with ATT as soon as you have a GSM phone.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dodge this Avatar
178 months ago
I just left T-Mobile after 13 years for Verizon and an Iphone 4s this week.

I left Verizon for T Mobile after floating along for months post contract, hoping they would get the iPhone.

They didn't.

Just got done paying my ETF with TMobile after going into a Sprint store last night and getting an iPhone 4s. If they were concerned with churn, they sure didn't sound like it. When i was on Sprint before and jumped to Verizon, Sprint offered me everything and the kitchen sink to stay with them. Tmoble - not a single fluck was given.

I will miss seeing the T Mobile hunny everywhere. I won't miss the crappy reception tho...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kwikdeth Avatar
178 months ago
I have not seen any confirmation that the iPhone 4S has a baseband processor that supports the AWS frequency. Please cite a source if you think otherwise.

In addition to a compatible baseband that supports the AWS frequency, the handset would also need a power amp for that frequency.
well the original suspicion was that the 4S would carry the same chipset as the Verizon 4, which is the Qualcomm MDM6600, which does have baseband support for AWS frequencies:

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1701388-New-Gobi-chip-in-Verizon-s-iPhone-4-supports-1700Mhz

You can clearly see AWS as available in WCDMA section.
Now, two things, you are correct in that its useless for the baseband to support it if there is no radio hardware to go along with it. Secondly, the 4S uses the undocumented "MDM6610" variation, and who knows if it covers the same breadth of bands that the 6600 does.
My suspicion is that if they wanted to enable an iPhone 4S for tMobile, it would come at the cost of some other bandwidth, as in, it would be a phone that only worked with ATT and tMobile but not CDMA, or CDMA and AWS. It might have been too cost prohibitive to develop a phone that could work on all three technologies simultaneously.

[edit] i think my suspicion is confirmed by text on the bottom of that graphic, "Only specific band combinations are supported by each software build"
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
carlvz Avatar
178 months ago
Ask Apple to offer T-Mobile the next iPhone

Hey all. I am also a T-Mobile customer.

Do you want Apple to offer T-Mobile the next iPhone? Tell them.

Go to
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

Tell them you would buy a new iPhone if it was offered for T-Mobile.
It's important that they know that their customers want this.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cvam1985 Avatar
178 months ago
Really makes you wonder if it was some sort of conspiracy involving AT&T's acquisition plans. Then again , doesn't TMo WANT to be acquired?

How hard really would it have been to include AWS support? And has it been officially proven that the 4S doesn't ? Thought I read somewhere a software patch could theoretically enable it as some thought the 4S has the right hardware
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...