T-Mobile USA will finally start selling Apple devices in 2013, a move that could put the carrier on a more even playing field with market leaders Verizon and AT&T.
T-Mobile's deal with Apple was announced Thursday in an investor note from T-Mobile's parent company Deutsche Telekom, which said the company "has entered into an agreement with Apple to bring products to market together in 2013."
The announcement was light on details and made no mention of which specific Apple devices T-Mobile would be selling. But T-Mobile CEO and President John Legere confirmed Thursday at an investor conference in Germany that Apple's iPhone will definitely be added to the line-up.
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According to a report from CNET, Legere promised T-Mobile's iPhone experience will be "dramatically different" from those of its competitors.
Legere was mum on whether Apple's iPad will also be available on T-Mobile's networks. A spokesperson for the company told CRN "additional details will be made available at a later date."
The inclusion of Apple products in T-Mobile's line-up is a move poised to give the carrier a competitive boost. T-Mobile is the fourth largest carrier in the U.S. behind rivals Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, all three of which already offer Apple products.
Both Apple's iPhone and iPad shine in their respective markets, with analyst firm IDC projecting that the iPhone will account for 18.8 percent of the global smartphone market in 2012 and the iPad will nab 53.8 percent of the global tablet market.
Deutsche Telekom also said Thursday it would invest heavily next year in T-Mobile's 4G LTE wireless network, an initiative that will be fueled by T-Mobile's planned merger with rival carrier MetroPCS, one of the first U.S. carriers to support 4G.
"Our enhanced spectrum position will be the foundation for a faster and more reliable network, and will allow us to deploy a deeper and more robust LTE rollout, particularly in major metropolitan areas," Legere said in a statement when announcing the deal with MetroPCS in October.
PUBLISHED DEC. 6, 2012
