T-Mobile is carrying more than a million unlocked Apple iPhones on its network, according a report by 9to5Mac.
Most of the iPhones on the T-Mobile network are pre-iPhone 4, a spokesperson for the carrier told the Apple watcher. Apple only began making unlocked iPhone 4s available in the U.S. this month, but they are unable to link to T-Mobile's 3G and 4G networks due to radio frequency compatibility issues.
Apple's unlocked iPhones require a micro-SIM card from a supported GSM wireless carrier. Purchasing one means avoiding a multiyear service contract, but that comes at a price. The 16GB unlocked iPhone 4 is priced at $649, while the 32GB version is $749—both $450 more than it costs to those products at subsidized pricing from exclusive iPhone carriers.
In the U.S., AT&T was the exclusive carrier partner to Apple for the first several iterations of the iPhone, but Apple added Verizon in February.
AT&T, of course, is in the process of acquiring T-Mobile USA. Should the deal pass regulatory review, T-Mobile customers would likely need to replace their smartphones because the two companies run their wireless networks using different radio frequencies.
But even if the merger does go through, it's not clear whether Apple will be willing to let T-Mobile carry a subsidized version of the iPhone as an AT&T subsidiary.