U.S. Regional Carriers Announcing October 1 Launch Date for iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c [Update: Canada Too] - MacRumors
Skip to Content

U.S. Regional Carriers Announcing October 1 Launch Date for iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c [Update: Canada Too]

by

While Apple has yet to announce a schedule or country list for its second major round of iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c launches, the company does appear to be coordinating a minor expansion of availability for Tuesday, October 1, with a number of smaller regional U.S. carriers announcing plans to launch the devices on that date.

iphone_5s_october_1
Carriers involved in the October 1 launch include:

- Appalachian Wireless
- Bluegrass Cellular
- C Spire
- Cellcom
- GCI
- MTA
- Nex-Tech Wireless
- Ntelos
- Strata

Several other regional carriers have announced that the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c are "coming soon" and some of those carriers may also be participating in the October 1 rollout, but they have not announced their exact launch dates yet.

Apple has gradually expanded availability of the iPhone on regional carriers throughout the United States in recent years, with over 25 U.S. carriers now offering the device.

Update: Canadian regional carriers also appear to be participating in the October 1 launch, with MTS announcing its launch a short time ago. SaskTel lists the new iPhones as "coming soon", but representatives have so far only said on Twitter and Facebook that the carrier is still working out launch details.

Update 2: SaskTel has now officially announced that it too will begin selling the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on October 1.

Update 3: Alaska Communications has also announced that it will begin selling the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c beginning on October 1.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Apple Card Promo to Offer Free AirPods Pro 3

Friday May 15, 2026 8:59 am PDT by
Starting as early as next week, customers who sign up for an Apple Card at Apple's retail stores in the U.S. will receive $249 cash back when they purchase AirPods Pro 3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The promotion has yet to be officially announced by Apple, so exact terms and conditions are not available at this time. AirPods Pro 3 are priced at $249 in the U.S., so customers who...
Read Full Article • 55 comments
airpods pro 3 pink

New Apple Card Holders Can Get Free AirPods Pro 3, But There's a Catch

Monday May 18, 2026 8:11 am PDT by
Apple today launched a new promotion offering new Apple Card holders the chance to earn back the cost of AirPods Pro 3 through monthly cash rebates, but there is a recurring spend requirement attached. Customers who open a new Apple Card account and purchase AirPods Pro 3 directly from Apple by June 15 will qualify. Starting July 1 and running through April 30, 2027, cardholders can earn $25 ...
Read Full Article • 73 comments
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Foldable iPhone Production Stalls Amid Hinge Issues

Monday May 18, 2026 7:29 am PDT by
Trial production of Apple's long-anticipated foldable iPhone, likely called the "iPhone Ultra," has run into a significant engineering hurdle centered on hinge reliability, according to a known leaker. The leaker known as "Instant Digital" posted on Weibo that the foldable device's hinge is consistently failing to meet Apple's quality control standards under conditions of prolonged,...
Read Full Article • 116 comments

Top Rated Comments

szw-mapple fan Avatar
szw-mapple fan
165 months ago
Don't count on getting any iphones. They are non-existent. Apple produced very few around the world and is now taking your money for a phone that may come out in November. This sucks and Apple sucks.:mad:

So... very few=9 million in your mind?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D
darkslide29
165 months ago
I received an iMassage this morning from the Apple Store informing me that my iPhone 5s is scheduled for delivery later today. I guess I'm lucky.
:rolleyes:

Lucky you. It sounds like you get a happy ending. ;)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrisbru Avatar
chrisbru
165 months ago
Don't count on getting any iphones. They are non-existent. Apple produced very few around the world and is now taking your money for a phone that may come out in November. This sucks and Apple sucks.:mad:


That's weird, I'm using one right now that I purchased by walking into a Best Buy 20 minutes after it opened. And my friends that ordered on the 20th that were quoted October shipping dates received theirs yesterday.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
P
PeterQVenkman
165 months ago
Can't tell if your sarcastic but not the case at all. My Apple store in St Louis, MO got over 2000 iPhone's at launch then the following Monday they got another shipment and the employee who was selling me my wife's 5s said the shipment was pretty close to the launch shipment. He said there was a line all day (I got there at 4pm) and they still had them in stock.

3 people in my office have their iPhone 5s already.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
E
everything-i
165 months ago
Don't count on getting any iphones. They are non-existent. Apple produced very few around the world and is now taking your money for a phone that may come out in November. This sucks and Apple sucks.:mad:

Right 9 million sold in 3 days, a very small number. :rolleyes:
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D
dvoros
165 months ago
iphone launch

Don't count on getting any iphones. They are non-existent. Apple produced very few around the world and is now taking your money for a phone that may come out in November. This sucks and Apple sucks.:mad:
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments