iPhone 5 Is

Sprint is trying all it can do to differentiate itself in the cell phone market from giants like Verizon and AT&T.  And the upcoming iPhone 5 might be just the ticket they’ve been looking for to give them an edge and distinguish themselves in this highly competitive environment.

Sprint said that it plans on offering unlimited data packages to iPhone 5 customers once the phone is released sometime in October.  This would allow Sprint to become the only iPhone 5 carrier in the United States with an unlimited data package.

Currently, if all pricing remains the same with the iPhone 5, AT&T and Verizon charge for both data service and voice- service plans.  AT&T has unlimited voice service for $69.99 a month, and offers 200 megabytes of data for $15 a month, 2 gigabytes of data for $25 a month, or 4 gigabytes of data for $45 a month. Verizon’s data plans for the iPhone start at $30 a month for 2 gigabytes and rise to $80 for 10 gigabytes, in addition to unlimited voice service for $69.99 a month, this according to Bloomberg.

And in the first quarter of 2011, iPhone users consumed on average 492 megabytes of data, according to Nielsen Co.’s analysis of nearly 65,000 cell-phone bills.

So with Sprint offering an unlimited data plan for iPhone 5 users, this is definitely an offer for the higher end consumers of data – not the average users.

The iPhone 5 is expected to be released sometime in mid-October, with pre-orders opening up at the end of September, 2011.

Although Apple’s online store seems to be live right now, there are reports that the store was offline earlier this morning which has added fuel to the theory that Apple is readying itself for the iPhone 5 launch.  As is common with the Apple online store prior to a product launch, the site had a note saying: “We are busy updating the store for you and will be back shortly.”

This exact process has happened each time Apple launched a new iPhone, and it’s giving all of us reason to believe that iPhone 5 is about to be unveiled.

As I peruse Apple’s online store right now, there’s no hint of the iPhone 5.  However, behind the curtains of html code is believed to be the imminent iPhone 5 device – just waiting to come forth and make its grand entrance.

Along with the iPhone 5 being available on the Apple online store, the device will reportedly be launched at AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile.

via IBTimes