T-Mobile USA may be setting its sights on Apple's iPhone as part of its turnaround efforts, according to a report in the Financial Times.
As part of a broader report on how Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann sees the company's U.S. unit trending, the British newspaper reported the carrier is looking to sell the iPhone this year or next year, though it didn't cite the source of the information.
"AT&T's problems stem partly from its status as the exclusive network for Apple's bandwidth-hungry iPhone," the report stated. "The iPhone has provided AT&T with strong revenue growth, and T-Mobile USA is hoping to start selling the popular smartphone later this year or next year. In the meantime, it will focus on smartphones powered by Google's Android."
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment and a T-Mobile spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Obermann recently said T-Mobile would focus on pushing more smartphones, and that the mobile Internet will continue to be a source of growth for years to come. It is unclear if Obermann made any comments to the FT specifically about the iPhone.
AT&T Mobility is Apple's exclusive U.S. carrier for the iPhone, and most of the speculation about another U.S. vendor for the popular smartphone has centered on Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile, meanwhile, has been a strong supporter of Google's Android platform. However, T-Mobile and Apple have partnered together in Europe for the iPhone.
For more:
- see this FT article
- see this Silicon Alley Insider article
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