Report: Sprint to offer unlimited data for iPhone 5 customers

By Andrew Couts September 9, 2011

iphone-4-sprint — Image used with permission by copyright holder

In its battle to hold a competitive edge against wireless Goliaths AT&T and Verizon, Sprint will reportedly maintain unlimited data service plans for customers who choose Apple’s presumably upcoming iPhone 5, reports Bloomberg.

According to “people familiar with the matter,” Sprint, which currently ranks third in terms of customers in the US wireless market, will begin selling the iPhone 5 in mid-October, which is when the device is rumored to arrive for all carriers.

If it offers an unlimited plan, Sprint would be the only US carrier with the iPhone 5 to do so, and could potentially draw customers from AT&T and Verizon, the only other providers to have Apple’s popular handset in their stables of devices.

Sprint currently offers comparable devices, like BlackBerrys and the HTC Evo, an Android-based handset. The company provides unlimited voice and data plans to customers with those devices for $99.99 per month. The cost would likely remain the same for iPhone 5 customers.

AT&T, on the other hand, offers unlimited voice for $69.99 per month, with a $15 a month charge for 200 megabytes of data, $25 for 2 gigabytes or $45 for 4 GB. Verizon’s data plans range from $30 for 2GB a month to $80 for 10 GB, plus the $69.99 for unlimited voice.

In other words, Sprint’s alleged offering would be far more simple and less expensive, at least for heavy data users, than either of the other two iPhone carriers. Good plan, right? Right.

Now the bad news: This is just another tidbit in a relentless series of unconfirmed iPhone 5 reports — a series that is unlikely to end until we get some official word about the device from Apple. Here’s hoping that comes sometime soon, before we all just stop paying attention. (Certainly, some of you already have.)

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…

Mobile

I’ve had the iPhone 15 Pro Max for 48 hours. Here are 3 things you need to know

Someone holding the Natural Titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max.

It's finally here, folks: new iPhone season. Apple's iPhone 15 event wrapped up over a week ago, the first iPhone 15 reviews are trickling out, and it won't be that long before you start seeing the new lineup in every Best Buy and Target you go to.

My iPhone 15 Pro Max arrived on September 20, and at the time of publishing this, I've been using it for just about 48 hours. That's obviously not enough time for a full review, but during that limited amount of time, I've already learned some really important things about Apple's latest entry in the Pro Max family. It's very familiar in a lot of ways, but there are three specific changes that could make it a more worthwhile upgrade than expected — and I'm not talking about USB-C.
Titanium is a game-changer for the iPhone

Mobile

Check out this old news report of when Apple released the first iPhone

Apple's first iPhone.

The first iPhone 15 customers are already heading to Apple Stores in Australia and Asia to pick up the new device, or are having it delivered to their door.

Apple’s new handset range comprises the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Pricing starts at $799 and tops out at $1,599 -- but it’ll cost even more if you opt for a case, a screen cover, and AppleCare.

Mobile

The best iPhone 15 Plus cases in 2023: 11 best ones right now

iPhone 15 color family includes: Black, Green, Blue, Yellow, and Pink.

One of Apple’s latest and greatest, the iPhone 15 Plus, is finally here. Announced at Apple's big iPhone 15 event, the iPhone 15 Plus gives you a huge 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with Dynamic Island, an A16 Bionic chip for fast performance, and a powerful dual-camera system with a 48MP wide and 12MP ultrawide lenses. It has also ditched Lightning for USB-C, and it comes in five fun colors this year.

But considering that the iPhone 15 Plus still starts at a hefty $899 for the base model, that’s some pricey glass and aluminum. You definitely want to protect your investment, and one of the easiest ways to do so is with a good case. Here are some of the best iPhone 15 Plus cases you can buy right now.