T-Mobile joins Sprint, AT&T in offering prepaid iPhones

T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) announced it will sell the iPhone on its prepaid plans. Further, the carrier said that, for a limited time, customers who purchase a new iPhone with prepaid T-Mobile service at an Apple store can get $50 off the device, and customers who buy a new iPhone with a T-Mobile Simple Choice postpaid plan can get a $50 iTunes gift card.

Finally, T-Mobile also said that Costco store are now selling iPhones and iPads with T-Mobile service.

"T-Mobile is giving you more freedom to purchase your new iPhone how you want and where you want--with unbeatable benefits that only America's Un-carrier can offer: zero annual service contracts, zero overages, zero hidden device costs, and the world as your network in 120+ countries & destinations," the carrier wrote on its site.

T-Mobile's prepaid iPhones maneuver comes shortly after the carrier announced a "test drive" program that gives prospective customers the opportunity to get an iPhone 5s loaner phone and week of free T-Mobile service in order to test out the carrier's offerings. Shortly after launching the program, T-Mobile said it counted 12,000 people signed up to take the test drive.

T-Mobile's prepaid iPhone is available on its $50 per month (with 1 GB of high-speed data) and $70 per month (5 GB of high-speed data) prepaid plans. Other smartphones available through T-Mobile's prepaid service include the Samsung Galaxy Light, the Google Nexus 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Although T-Mobile is offering the iPhone through its T-Mobile-branded prepaid service, it appears that the iPhone is still absent from T-Mobile's MetroPCS prepaid brand.

T-Mobile joins AT&T Mobility (NYSE: T) and Sprint (NYSE: S) in selling the iPhone in a prepaid scenario. According to 9to5Mac, AT&T's GoPhone service is now available through Apple's retail stores. AT&T also sells the iPhone through its Cricket prepaid subsidiary. 

Sprint sells the iPhone through its Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile prepaid brands. Sprint also sells a used iPhone through its Sprint Prepaid brand.

For more:
- see this 9to5Mac article
- see these two T-Mobile releases

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