No iPhone 5 for T-Mobile This Year

T-Mobile appears to be the only major wireless carrier in the United States still unable to get its hands on the iPhone, as a recently leaked internal memo revealed the company will not carry the upcoming iPhone 5 in the near future.

The memo, obtained by unofficial T-Mobile blog TmoNews, quoted T-Mobile chief marketing officer Cole Brodman as saying, "We are not going to the iPhone 5 this year," during a September 15 town hall meeting.

If true, T-Mobile will be the lone standout among major U.S. wireless operators, as AT&T, Verizon and newcomer Sprint are all expected to carry the Apple smartphone.

However, this does not mean T-Mobile hasn't struck a deal with Apple for a different phone, or even a later date. As TmoNews pointed out, T-Mobile may be planning to offer an older version of the iPhone this year. The company may also be working on bringing the iPhone 5 on board in 2012.

The absence of the iPhone could turn out to be an Achilles heel for T-Mobile, as the smartphone is quickly becoming the preferred mobile handset among enterprise users. According to a recent Intermedia report, 61 percent of its customers use the iPhone, while just 17 percent use Android-based devices.