There is a lot of talk at the moment about the iPhone being made available on the Sprint network through Virgin Mobile on June 29. However some are saying that this date could also mark the announcement for the next generation iPhone i.e. iPhone 5.
iPhone 5 release date tied with iPhone 4S going pre-paid? (rumor)
Sprint is by no means the only carrier to announce they will offer the iPhone on pre-paid as Cricket Wireless has also made the announcement that they will do the same. This is thought to bring a change about for prepaid wireless as prior to this it was only the higher end and more expensive providers that offered the high end phones. Now those wanting the iPhone no longer have to be tied into a contract and instead go for an all-inclusive deal which in the long run may work out cheaper.
Sprint will offer the pre-paid iPhone via Virgin Mobile from June 29th and it could attract a lot more customers to Virgin Mobile. With a lot of people waiting for the latest model of the iPhone (iPhone 5) to come out it could mean that that if offered on prepaid, major wireless carrier could become worried.
Sprint, along with Virgin will have the iPhone 4, along with the 4S on offer. The iPhone 4 will go on sale at $569 USD and the iPhone 4 for $649 USD. The plans would come with limited messaging and data for another $35 USD with a discount of $5 USD for those who pay by direct debit. Those wanting unlimited call time could also add this on for $50 USD.
With no mention at the WWDC of the new iPhone 5, rumours are now going around that we could see the iPhone 5 announced as a special event dedicated solely to it very shortly. With the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 prices slashed via 3rd party retailers already (Walmart, Target, etc) and both flagship phones going prepaid this month, we wouldn’t be surprised if Apple has an iPhone 5 announcement in queue as early as the end of this month.
We’ll keep you posted as more develops.
