The official press release as been issued. T-Mobile (USA) will finally be getting its very own iPhone. Staring on April 12th, you will be able to walk in to any T-Mobile store and pick up your very own shiny new iPhone, packaged with T-Mobile sim, ready to go. There is one interesting difference though when you compare the T-Mobile iPhones, to other carriers… the price.
When attempting to purchase an iPhone from TM, you will be presented with two options:
- You can pay the full unsubsidized price for the iPhone, and sign up for their spiffy new discounted rate plans.
- You can opt for the installment agreement, composed of a $99 down payment, and a $20 per month installment for 24 months.
While it is yet unclear as to what would happen if you chose to upgrade early, or switch to a new carrier before your phone was “paid off,” one would assume you would simply have to pay the remaining balance on the phone.
The carrier will also be selling the 4, and 4S models as well in limited markets, with a buy in price of $69, but due to hardware they will still be restricted to the carriers edge and 3G services where available.