T-Mobile Next U.S. Carrier To Get iPhone Love, Not Verizon?

Here we go again…yet another analyst has predicted a T-Mobile USA iPhone. The lastest comes from Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu who claims that Magenta is a more likely fit for the iPhone’s next home in the U.S. rather than Verizon Wireless, because T-Mobile’s 3G network wouldn’t require Apple to build a separate iPhone to support it. “Currently, T-Mobile’s 3G service (UMTS/HSPA) supports 1700 MHz and 2100 MHz frequencies while AT&T supports 850 MHz and 1900 MHz frequencies,” Wu wrote in a note to clients today. “Interestingly, both the new iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS support 3G at the 2100 MHz frequency and, from our understanding, the technical hurdle to support T-Mobile is minor compared to supporting CDMA technology at Verizon and Sprint.” Shaw Wu also believes that Apple is eager to “attack Android more directly” and argues that Apple would need to get the iPhone into the line-up of carriers that currently support  Android. Additionally, Wu adds that, “we are picking up that T-Mobile views the iPhone as key in winning back lost customers and as such could be more likely to agree to Apple’s terms.” Wu states that the iPhone may come to T-Mobile USA as early as this fall. If you may recall, earlier this year, Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann hinted in an interview that its T-Mobile USA branch is indeed hoping to land a deal for the iPhone as soon as late 2010 or 2011.

It’s quite ironic that this claim is made just days after Apple’s unveiling of the new iPhone 4 at WWDC. How convenient to say it after the announcement? But, nonetheless the iPhone would definitely be a nice addition to the T-Mobile lineup and as well as bringing in a slew of new subscribers that are frustrated with AT&T. What say you?

AllThingsDigital

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