T-Mobile

3G is better than 2G, and according to the latest Apple rumor T-Mobile iPhone users may be getting an upgrade in October. A T-Mobile employee told MacTrast that Apple is developing an iPhone that would operate at 3G speeds via T-Mobile USA's network.

In June, a T-Mobile spokesperson said they were carrying more than a million unlocked iPhones on their network. The unlocked devices are stuck using T-Mobile's EDGE network, and can't access T-Mobile's faster 3G or 4G speeds.

You can stop cutting your SIM cards, because T-Mobile if offering free micro SIMs for Apple smartphones via their website. All you have to do is sign a two-year contract and enjoy the EDGE network. Doesn't sound like such a great deal if you ask me. The T-Mobile online ad reads:

T-Mobile has been rumored to be preparing to offer the iPhone on their network for awhile now, and even though Apple is trying to buy the carrier, some analyst believe that 2011 will be the year it actually happens. While regulatory authorities examine the possible AT&T/T-Mobile deal, AT&T is claiming that the companies would operate separately for several years. If true, this would make a T-Mobile iPhone still desirable.

Those "well placed and anonymous sources" are at it again. The tech blogs Chip Hazard and West Coast Gadgets have kicked off a whole new set of rumors by claiming that the iPhone 5 is in the hands of AT&T and Sprint beta testers. Chip Hazard's "well places sources" in AT&T mobility revealed that beta testers have been testing the iPhone 5 since July 6. Citing no sources, West Coast Gadgets announced that Sprint beta testers will be spotted in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, New York City, and Chicago starting this Monday.

Why is Apple purportedly using 3rd party testers? According to another tech blog, AT&T and Sprint are ensuring another Antennagate doesn't happen by checking for reception and connectivity. The author also points to Apple's own internal testers losing an iPhone last year, but wouldn't giving out more devices to 3rd parties increase the chances of a repeat, and more leaks? With all the so-called "inside sources" releasing so much information, it seems like Apple is having a hard enough time keeping their own people quiet these days.

We've heard it all before, Apple is adding T-Mobile and Sprint to its roster of iPhone carriers, but Piper Jaffray analyst Chris Larsen and analyst Shing Yin of Citadel Securities believe 2011 is the year Apple will actually make the move.

Most analysts seem to agree that if Apple wants to compete with the growing Android Market, they will have to make their products more accessible. The days of Apple exclusivity are over, and Larsen's crystal ball says the iPhone being offered by all four national carriers will increase Apple's market share by 30 percent.

"While we remain uncertain regarding the next-generation iPhone's specs and features, we believe the most noteworthy change could be the device's ability to run on more networks, specifically Sprint and T-Mobile in the U.S.," Larsen wrote in his analyst report.

A T-Mobile spokesperson told 9to5Mac they are carrying more than a million unlocked iPhones on their network. When asked how, the spokesman said people with older iPhone devices had “taken the scissors” to their T-Mobile SIM cards. T-Mobile doesn't offer MicroSiM cards for iPhones, so people had to create their own. Owners of the new unlocked iPhone 4 can't access T-Mobile’s 3G or 4G data speeds, so they will probably want to stick with AT&T.