As the Sprint vs. AT&T drama heightens, the nation’s 3rd largest wireless services provider may be adding insult to the injury of yet another law suit filed against AT&T with the DOJ this week. The Wall Street Journal has reported that service for the much-anticipated iPhone 5 will be provided by Sprint, who will also get the rights to the iPhone 4.
Sprint, the largest carrier of the WiMAX 4G network, has been mounting a protracted battle against AT&T since the mobile industry giant announced their plans for a takeover bid of T Mobile for a reported $39 billion. Sprint has made the claim that such a move would cripple their business and relegate them to a distant third place in the US cell phone market. Sprint also maintains that the merger is in direct violation of the Clayton antitrust act.
AT&T recently lost their 5-year monopoly of iPhone service when Verizon (currently the largest network in the US) was allowed to release their own CDMA iPhone 4. Come October, it appears a 3rd carrier will be added to the mix. Apple hopes that this move will help it earn back the market share it has lost to Google’s increasingly popular Android Operating System, currently the leading operator.
“Android has benefited greatly from being available in multiple devices across all carriers,” said Alex Spektor, a wireless expert at Strategy Analytics. “Broader iOS availability certainly could be beneficial for iPhone volumes, as higher shelf-share could translate into more visibility with consumers.”
The new iPhone will reportedly sport a larger screen and slimmer design than its predecessor.
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