Sprint scores iPhone 5 exclusivity?

[ROUSH8692]

http://www.bgr.com/2011/10/03/sprin...rom-apple-launching-the-iphone-5-exclusively/

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sprint has entered into an agreement with Apple to purchase over $20 billion worth of iPhones over the next four years — that’s around 30 million iPhones. It’s said that Sprint won’t even break even on the transaction until 2014, which is surely a huge risk on Sprint’s part, but why? I have been going back and forth for weeks with one of my incredibly solid industry contacts on a piece of information that I couldn’t really process at first — information that is so unbelievable, even from a source this solid, that I couldn’t report it. With this new WSJ report on an Apple/Sprint deal, however, it doesn’t look so crazy. Hit the break for more.
I have been told that Sprint will be getting the iPhone 5 — yes the real iPhone 5, not the iPhone 4S — as an exclusive. And it will be a 4G WiMAX device. AT&T and Verizon would launch the iPhone 4S and get the iPhone 5 some time in the first quarter of next year as an LTE device. Globally, the iPhone 5 might be available as a 4G HSPA+ device.
In this scenario, the iPhone 4S Apple will introduce tomorrow will feature the following:

• A low voltage Apple A5 CPU (it won’t be the same as the iPad 2 chip, clock for clock).
• Updated front and back camera sensors. FaceTime HD in the front, 8-megapixel 1080p HD video recording in the back.
• Multiband 3G Qualcomm chipset — North American & International GSM/UMTS/HSPA bands for AT&T and Global carriers, North American CDMA & International GSM/UMTS/HSPA bands for Verizon and Sprint.
• NFC support.
• Metal or “premium” plastic on the back case.

And here is what my source said about the iPhone 5 that will launch as a Sprint exclusive:

• Faster CPU.
• Larger 4-inch screen, similar to LG’s NOVA display but with a higher resolution.
• 1GB of RAM.
• Slightly larger design overall, but thinner and with a larger battery.
• 32GB of storage.
• iPhone 5 exclusive software and APIs (Assistant).
• Dedicated Assistant button, possibly integrated with the new home button, “think gestures or a two-stage button like a camera shutter key).

For more click the link.

 

[Dallas]

Sprint is banking its entire company on a 20 billion dollar order of iPhone 5's.

 

[ROUSH8692]

Sprint is banking its entire company on a 20 billion dollar order of iPhone 5's.

yup, its not like Sprint wasn't already going down the tubes

 

[trickblue]

This isn't going to go over well with ATT iPhone customers if true...

 

[casmith07]

This isn't going to go over well with ATT iPhone customers if true...

It should. WiMax is a joke.

4G LTE is the future. And Sprint's fallback network for standard coverage is iffy at best.

 

[Jenky]

It should. WiMax is a joke.

4G LTE is the future. And Sprint's fallback network for standard coverage is iffy at best.

Sprint is going to 4G LTE.

 

[kmp77]

Oh it better not be exclusive to sprint...that will #%#@!$@ suck

 

[Jenky]

Oh it better not be exclusive to sprint...that will #%#@!$@ suck

It would be brief if it was. Like Thunder Bolt for Apple?

 

[Cowboy Brian]

Not sure if it's so smart.. If Sprint got exclusivity for the entire run of the iPhone 5 then I said alright, good idea. Or if it is for every new iPhone for the next 4 years for the first few months, good plan. If it's only for the iPhone 5 for 3 months, what the hell where they thinking.

 

[Hoofbite]

Why would apple hitch their wagon to any specific company at this point?

 

[YosemiteSam]

30 million phone promise for just a couple of months exclusive to Sprint? Most people will just wait for their preferred company to get it.

Sprint is grasping at straws here.

 

[Hoofbite]

30 million phone promise for just a couple of months exclusive to Sprint? Most people will just wait for their preferred company to get it.

Sprint is grasping at straws here.

I won't get one if it doesn't come to ATT.

Unless Sprint can find a way to match my 24% monthly discount, I'll keep what I have.

iPhone is sweet but I'm not going to be switching carriers and bending over on a monthly basis to worship the thing.

 

[Cowboy Brian]

Why would apple hitch their wagon to any specific company at this point?

20,000,000,000.

 

[CowboyStar88]

I won't get one if it doesn't come to ATT.

Unless Sprint can find a way to match my 24% monthly discount, I'll keep what I have.

iPhone is sweet but I'm not going to be switching carriers and bending over on a monthly basis to worship the thing.

depends who you work for they offer a ton of discounts for companies. I love my sprint service I love UNLIMITED everything and I get 24% off of my bill. Basically I get 3 phones for about for 120 bucks a month unlimited everything except land lines. Also where my house is all carriers get terrible service so sprint sent me a tower for my house and now service is perfect. I will be getting the Iphone when it comes out for sprint I have been waiting for them to step up.

 

[Hoofbite]

20,000,000,000.

They'll make that regardless of which service provider they choose.

If they choose them all, they'll probably make 10X more than that.

The article says 30M iPhones on a 4 year exclusive contract. Unless we're to believe that Apple won't come out with a new one by now and then, Sprint somehow managed to get an exclusive deal for the iPhone 6 and likely iPhone 7. That or they somehow managed to commit to buy phones that will be generations old by the time the 4 years is up.

Doubtful.

In fact, I'm going to say damn near impossible.

Knew it. Impossible.

I just read NYCs post and the article. It's a 4-5 month head start. Makes sense because there's no way in hell that Apple is going to lose that kind of money.

They sold 20M in the 3rd quarter of 2011 alone.

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/07/19Apple-Reports-Third-Quarter-Results.html

The Company sold 20.34 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 142 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter.

In the last 4 years, they've solid 130M iPhones.

I'll impatiently wait for ATT to get it.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

I'm calling BS on this.

 

[Jenky]

News is coming around 1 P.M. EST. I think this Rumor is going to be true.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I'm calling BS on this.

Believe it.

 

[bsheeern]

Considering I was working for AT&T when the original iPhone launched just over four years ago, I can't see sprint doing this just to grab millions of new subscribers as much as I can see them doing it to maintain a steady base and also use it as a bargaining point for lending. Hence the not making money unil 2013-2014 era.

They are tied to the hip with Clearwire/clear and they own almost all of the coverage. They are both hitched to wimax and owning it is huge! Regardless of what you have read or heard owning wimax coverage will make them relevant again. It just will take time.....

 

[TheCount]

I'm going to guess what Sprint has an exclusive on is the 4S, which is akin to to what the 3GS was to the iPhone 3G. I think there will still be a legit iPhone 5... or at least I hope so.