US Cellular have today announced that they will begin to sell the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C in their stores from November 8th.
US Cellular are the fifth biggest carrier in the US and are a regional carrier based out of Chicago, who interestingly have more subscribers already than some other regional carriers who already sell the iPhone.
This moves comes somewhat surprisingly, given back in 2011 US Cellular decided not to stock the iPhone due to what they claimed were economic reasons. More to the point, they just didn’t like the contract terms Apple proposed at the time.
U.S. Cellular turned down Apple’s iPhone because it did not make sense for the company economically, CEO Mary Dillon said on the company’s third-quarter earnings conference call.
Dillon said that the carrier had the opportunity to sell the iPhone but that Apple’s “terms were unacceptable from a risk and profitability standpoint.” Dillon added that the potential strain on the company’s network was not a factor in the decision, and that U.S. Cellular remains open to carrying the iPhone in the future.
US Cellular Too Little Too Late?
US Cellular clearly have come to their senses and decided to stock a device that will undoubtedly help their customer base grow. Whilst Apples’ iPhone is probably the only device on the market where carriers cannot negotiate with their customers to secure their business, simply because there is no margin given from Apple, it still sells in its millions so it’s hard for a carrier to not take notice of the sheer demand the device has.
Pricing for the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are yet to be announced, but a spokesperson for US Cellular said that user should check their website for more information.
The question is, have US Cellular waited too long to stock the device? Let us know in the comments below.