In a blog posting to its customers, T-Mobile' s chief marketing officer Cole Brodman noted that many of its customers are "disappointed that we don’t carry the iPhone," answering that "Apple knows that we’d like to add it to our line-up" while offering Android-based alternatives in the meantime.
Brodman stated that T-Mobile now hosts over one million unlocked iPhones on its network, but because it is unable to officially sell Apple's popular smartphone, it recommends Android alternatives, which it says it is confident will "rival or beat any smartphone out there in terms of functionality, speed, overall experience and features – including the iPhone."
T-Mobile specifically recommends Samsung's Galaxy S II or HTC's Amaze, both of which support T-Mobile's 4G service plans. None of Apple's existing iPhone models support T-Mobile's 4G or even its non-standard 3G service in the US, leaving its million iPhone users stuck with EDGE-style mobile service.
Apple has filed for worldwide injunctions barring the sale of Samsung's Galaxy S II, and has already won a preliminary injection in the Netherlands, on the basis that the Galaxy S II appears to violate Apple's proprietary patents related to how it displays and navigates photos.
"Android is rivaling and even outpacing the iPhone," Brodman wrote, "including consumer adoption, market share and capabilities like support for faster 4G networks. Moreover, Android offers consumers the freedom of choice. You can choose from a variety of colors, screen sizes, slide-out keyboards, price points and customization options, as well as enjoy the numerous benefits of open source innovation, cloud services and amazing apps."
If Android's freedom of choice were actually winning over T-Mobile's customers, Brodman wouldn't have needed to beg his customers to consider the alternatives his company can actually sell as opposed to the iPhone, which T-Mobile can't currently sell via its official sales channel.
While Apple is rumored to soon bring the iPhone to Sprint, America's third largest network, there have been no credible reports of an iPhone model that will support T-Mobile's non-standard UMTS 3G frequencies, which are unique to T-Mobile's US market and not used by any other GSM-type carrier worldwide.
AT&T hopes to acquire T-Mobile and repurpose the fourth largest US carrier's radio spectrum to deliver LTE service in the US. Apple's existing iPhone do not yet support 4G but will likely adopt the new "4G" LTE networks being rolled out by Verizon and AT&T over the next year.