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T-Mobile USA : We would love to carry the iPhone but not by any cost

Although T-Mobile USA is the only major US network not offering Apple’s iPhone, and is seen to be weaker for the lack of it, the company wont follow Sprint Nextel into offering generous sales commitments to get their hands on the smartphone.

“Make no mistake about it: We would love to carry the iPhone,” T-Mobile COO Jim Alling told Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media & Telecoms Conference. “However, we want the economies to be right for us.”

T-Mobile USA is currently securing permission to buy smaller rival MetroPCS, and the comments will reassure investors that the company wont try to jump into the Apple camp at any price.

Sprint Nextel was criticized for committing itself to over US$15 billion worth of iPhone sales over a four year deal. While sales have helped the company, the cost has been seen as too high.

Despite not carrying the smartphone officially, T-Mobile USA does have around 1.5 million of the handsets connecting to its network, even if the mobile broadband service is slower due to incompatibilities between the smartphone and the network.

T-Mobile USA expects to have a compatible LTE network in the second half of next year, when the allure of the iPhone will become stronger. If Androids haven’t totally eclipsed it by then.

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