In order to differentiate itself from its rivals AT&T and Verizon, Sprint Nextel has planned to offer the next generation iPhone from Apple with unlimited data usage plans when it is released next month, according to sources from inside the company. The third largest wireless service provider in the US, Sprint, is expected to begin the sales of the smartphone starting from mid-October after it struck a deal with Apple Inc. for the new model of the device, the iPhone 5, stated the sources who refused to be named as the matter is still officially undisclosed.
It is being said that being the one and only wireless carrier in the US which will offer the next iPhone bundled with a plan for unlimited internet usage for a flat fee could help Sprint compete effectively with the other two carriers, AT&T and Verizon, which currently offer the device.
The Overland Park, Kansas based Sprint is currently struggling very hard to compete against the much larger wireless carriers and has resultantly gone into a loss consecutively for as many as the last 15 quarters. An analyst named Matthew Thornton said that after the addition of the popular Apple smartphone in its handset range, Sprint is in a better position to win more customers.
He said that the two larger rivals had a competitive advantage when they exclusively offered the iPhone; however, now that gap has been narrowed for Sprint. A Sprint spokeswoman, Michelle Leff Mermelstein, said that the company will not release any comment on the services and products which haven’t yet been announced. Natalie Harrison, who is a spokeswoman for Apple, too, declined any comment on the speculations and rumors.
Sprint is already offering its users unlimited data plans for other smartphones such as the HTC Evo, which runs on Google’s Android platform, and RIM’s BlackBerry devices. The unlimited data and voice services from Sprint cost a monthly fee of $99.99. Verizon and AT&T, on the other hand, charge separately for data services over the voice charges.
AT&T offers an unlimited voice service for &69.99 every month, offers 200MB of internet usage for $15 per month, 2GB for $25 and 4GB for $45. The data plans offered by Verizon for the iPhone begin from 2GB every month for $30 and go on to 10GB per month for $80, along with the unlimited voice plans for $69.99 each month.
September 13, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Why wouldn’t they offer it with an unlimited plan. It isn’t as though the iPhone can magically suck more data from the network compared to any other smartphone.
September 13, 2011 at 4:11 pm
It is true. The iPhone magically sucks. not data. just sucks.