Frugal iPhone lovers who are hoping to snag a free iPhone 4 this Friday may want to look somewhere other than Sprint. It appears the carrier may be dropping the phone from its lineup.
When Apple introduced the iPhone 5 earlier this month, starting at the usual $199 price point, the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 both received price cuts with an 8GB iPhone 4 going free on a two-year contract. Apple noted in its press release, while announcing the iPhone 5, that the free iPhone 4 would be available through select carriers only. …While the exact reason is unclear, we were sent the Sprint Phone 5 pre-launch materials above —which seem to be authentic— that appear to confirm the carrier will no longer offer the iPhone 4 starting Sept. 21 (iPhone launch day).
Sprint may not feel it makes economic sense to offer the device free on a contract. Possibilities have been floated that the carrier may offer the iPhone 4 as a Virgin Mobile-only prepaid offering, offering the device at the $399 price point. The 8GB device currently sells for $549 on Virgin, as the price has yet to drop following the iPhone 5 introduction.
There is however, still the possibility that the iPhone 4 may still be available with Sprint as a carrier in the Apple Stores come Friday.
UPDATED (09/18/2012)
A Sprint spokesperson has confirmed to CNET that stores will no longer carry the iPhone 4 but customers will still be able to order it online.
“iPhone 4 will become a Web only device effective on September 21. We will certainly still be selling it,”
