iPhone 5 dials up discount for regional carrier debut
Some smaller carriers will trim $50 off the normal retail price for Apple's next-generation smartphone when they begin selling it tomorrow.
A week after the iPhone 5 made its debut with the major carriers, Apple's new smartphone is going on sale tomorrow at regional wireless carriers -- with some offering a $50 discount.
Regional carriers Cellcom, nTelos, Appalachian Wireless, C Spire, GCI, and Leap Wireless' Cricket Communications will join AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint tomorrow in selling Apple's new smartphone, PC Magazine reports. But in a bid to attract the undecided, Cellcom, nTelos, and Appalachian plan to cut $50 off the normal retail price, bringing carrier-subsidized purchase prices down to $149 for the 16GB version, $249 for the 32GB model, and $349 for the flagship 64GB model.
"We've seen the anticipation for iPhone 5 grow and are excited to soon offer our customers this fantastic phone on our network," Cellcom CEO Pat Riordan said in a statement.
For users more interested in an off-contract purchase, Cricket will offer the iPhone 5 at $499.99 -- a full $150 off the price AT&T charges.
The iPhone 5 recorded 5 million units sold in its opening weekend, but it has since logged a handful of consumer complaints, including purple halos on photos, light leaks, static lines on the keyboard, and scuffs along the edge of the phone.
