Here ’s what we have it off about a Modern alliance between Apple and T - Mobile : Not much .

Yes , T - Mobile is the last major wireless carrier that does n’t conduct iPhones and iPads in its Cartesian product line , and yes , T - Mobile has expend recent month trying to make that not matter withspecial appeals to the owners of unlocked iPhones . And yes , somethingis upbetween T - Mobile and Apple .

But that newsworthiness conk out Thursday with the simplest and vaguest of statements , to be attributed only to an anonymous T - Mobile spokesman : “ T - Mobile has entered into an agreement with Apple to bring Cartesian product to marketplace together next year . Additional detail will be made available at a later date . ”

That ’s it . No press release came from Apple , T - Mobile , nor T - Mobile ’s parent company , Deutsche Telekom , to flesh out the annunciation . It does n’t seem to be an luxuriant put-on , but you ’d be excuse for thinking that .

The most obvious news would be that T - Mobile will in conclusion carry the iPhone next year . The carrier has certainly made fast-growing move to get into the iPhone grocery store even without an prescribed partnership with Apple : In September , the company pronounce it wouldmake a manoeuvre for possessor of unsecured iPhonesby offer in - computer memory assistance to assist get those phones onto the companionship ’s internet .

Additionally , the troupe allege at the clip it was “ turning up ” its HSPA+ Robert William Service in the 1900MHz spectrum in the Seattle , Las Vegas , Washington DC , and New York City metro markets , with more areas schedule to see the upgrade over fourth dimension . That move seemed aimed at improving T - Mobile ’s appeal to iPhone customers , because the young net will finally be able to offer iPhone owner data speeds corresponding to those offered by AT&T and Verizon . While T - Mobile uses the same GSM standard as AT&T , it antecedently relied on a radio frequency not affirm by the iPhone , limitingusers of the handset to the much slower bound speeds .

The company estimated at the time that there were already 1 million unbarred iPhones on its web . But in quarterly fiscal program line liberate in November , T - Mobile also acknowledgedthat the release of the iPhone 5 caused it to see a increment in the loss of customer contracts over the year before . A report from The Verge about Thursday ’s press conferencesaid that the number of iPhones on the carrier ’s mesh is now at 1.7 million .

All Things Digitalsaid T - Mobile ’s substructure upgrade — along with the company ’s acquisition of Metro PCS wireless table service — is turning out to be very pricy .

“ Hesitation now think playing snap - up after , ” Deutsche Telekom Chairman René Obermann said in a Thursday press argument , cite by All Things Digital . “ We are commit in the hereafter – with firmness of purpose and a clear scheme . ”

The Verge also reported on Thursday that Deutsche Telekom executives said that the troupe is planning a large advertising campaign next twelvemonth , the centre of which is “ You have it off your iPhone , but you detest AT&T. ”

But though the iPhone 5 , or its successor , would be the logical product in interrogative , there are other hypothesis . The iPad and iPad mini both boast LTE connectivity with AT&T , Verizon , and Sprint ; it would n’t be surprising if T - Mobile wanted a piece of that Proto-Indo European as well . The mail carrier has n’t yet rolled out its LTE web , butit ’s scheduled for 2013 and should use the same Band 4 as AT&T. That could afford the door for both the iPhone and the iPad to come to T - Mobile .

And of path , there ’s always the chance that the plan go around around or include some as - yet unreleased product or product .

Of course , T - Mobile playing coy could serve a miscellany of rationale , include not spill the attic on whatever Apple ’s work on , as well as stem any tide of client spring ship to other carrier for iPhone compatibility . But one way of life or another , 2013 ’s sure to bring some changes .