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T-Mobile will talk iPhone at tomorrow's event

CNET has confirmed that the iPhone will play a part at T-Mobile's "Uncarrier" event.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
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  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
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Roger Cheng
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Yep, T-Mobile will finally get the iPhone.

Apple's flagship device, long a gap in T-Mobile's smartphone lineup, will play a prominent role in tomorrow's "Uncarrier" event, according to a person familiar with the launch plans.

A T-Mobile representative declined to comment to CNET.

The iPhone is critical to T-Mobile's plans to remake itself as the "different" carrier. It will be the marquee product illustrating its new no-contract, no-subsidy rules, where a customer pays a small fee upfront and pays a monthly charge on top of the service plan to cover the phone costs.

Catch our live blog from T-Mobile's "Uncarrier" event on Tuesday, March 26, starting at 10:45 a.m. ET / 7:45 a.m. PT

The iPhone will also help shore up the company's subscriber defections, giving them one less reason to leave the carrier. While it has shifted its focus to a no-contract model, its existing base of contract subscribers continue to flee at an alarming rate.

Lastly, the iPhone 5, with its LTE capabilities, will be a showcase product for T-Mobile's 4G LTE network, which is expected to officially launch tomorrow. Other devices such as the BlackBerry Z10, which launches tomorrow, and the recently LTE-upgraded Galaxy Note 2, will also figure prominently in its LTE push.

There are no details yet on whether pricing or availability information will be provided. The iPhone won't be immediately available, according to the person.

While the iPhone is expected to figure prominently in T-Mobile's event, Apple's tablet is not. A T-Mobile-equipped iPad is expected make an appearance tomorrow, according to AllThingsD.

T-Mobile is one of the last carriers in the U.S. to get Apple's smash-hit smartphone, with every other national carrier, and several prepaid and regional carriers already offering the device.

Apple and T-Mobile said in December that they would be bringing out products this year. T-Mobile CEO John Legere was more forthcoming, promising that it would bring a different customer experience with its iPhone, hinting at a new way of purchasing the device.