It's time for us die-hard T-Mo customers to face the music and move on if we ever dream about owning a fully functional iPhone. According to this leaked T-Mobile employee training memo, it looks as though the phone carrier will not be graced with the new iPhone 5.


T-Mobile is training its employees to "sell against the iPhone" with special emphasis on the date of September 21, which has been the rumored release date of the long-awaited iPhone 5 (does T-Mo have inside information or are they just speculating like the rest of us?). This doesn't actually come as a surprise to any one, however those of us who have still stuck with T-Mobile were hoping for a miracle.

For quite some time now T-Mobile has offered its customers the ability to use an unlocked iPhone and it looks as though they will continue to provide the microSIM cards needed to support T-Mo service according to TmoNews.

Is the effort to compete against the iPhone a little too late? Shouldn't T-Mobile focus on what they CAN offer their customers rather than what they CAN'T? No one is going to go into a T-Mobile store wanting an iPhone and expecting someone to sway them in another direction... especially on the day of the (expected) launch of the iPhone 5. T-Mobile has some great phones and (I can't believe I'm saying this) there are other great phones besides the iPhone, so why are they so hung up on this one?

I do have to admit that I have been using a factory unlocked iPhone 4 for over a year on the T-Mobile network and I am less than satisfied. Despite not being able to send picture text messages to anyone that doesn't have an iPhone, not having visual voicemail, and only being able to access the 2G network, I am still the happiest I have ever been with T-Mobile in the 8 years I've had service with them. It's this realization that has lead me to believe that is was not T-Mobile that caused me to fight with them weekly over the entire duration of my contract, it was the phones that caused me to be unhappy.

I went to T-Mobile 8 years ago to live out the Sidekick dream, I moved from one crappy SK model to the next, until some T-Mo rep in shining armor told me about a wondrous land called Android where I could run free with a cute little green fellow to lead the way. I tried several models and was still unhappy. Androids are great, I just don't have the patience for them. My life is complicated enough and I just wanted something simple. Straight forward. At any cost!. I'd loathed iPhone users out of pure envy until I finally realized I could have one too!

I am waiting for my contract with T-Mobile to expire so I can move on to greener pastures... pastures that include the highly anticipated iPhone 5. I thought there might be a chance they were able to get a deal with Apple for the new device, however this training memo crushes any hope of that. I'm thankful T-Mobile has been so accommodating to those of us who have iPhones on their network now but it's time to live the dream.

Although nothing is official yet and everything is purely speculation, here are a list of all my favorite iPhone 5 rumors and concepts:

A better camera, bigger screen, and sans home button (via unwir3d)

Metal back made of a lightweight metal, possibly aluminum, there have also been rumors of Liquidmetal, a futuristic substance that’s as easy to mold, lightweight like plastic, but as strong as aluminum (via DMA Central).

Tear drop shape? An already thinner iPhone will taper as it nears the bottom (via digitaltrends).

iPhone 5 shaped like the Magic Mouse (via CiccareseDesign)

A clear iPhone? Possibly...

Other rumors include:

• Redesigned look - As the concept images above say, we're guaranteed a redesigned look for the newest iPhone model.
• Larger screen - This one is almost guaranteed, along with an edge to edge screen. The common rumor is that we should see a increase to a 4 inch screen.
• Near-field communication (NFC) - This technology has been rumored for some time now. It would allow users to make payments iwth their handset just like they do now with credit cards. Some Androids already have NFC but NFC adoption is still low and could be years away from gaining in popularity. Would Apple waste their time with this? Or could it be Apple that will bring NFC to the mainstream?
• 4G connectivity - Another long-standing rumor. But who knows? In the past, Apple has been slow to connectivity changes. Afterall, Apple did wait a full year to jump on the 3G bandwagon. There's a greater possibility Apple will wait until carriers have opened more 4G networks.
• Liquidmetal - Several rumors state that several components of the iPhone 5 will be made out of a super-strong metal alloy called Liquidmetal that are extremely lightweight.
• Additional carriers - iPhones have been about exclusivity but will they branch out to include other carries? Perhaps Tmobile due to its large 4G network?

What other rumors have you heard? Which are your favorites? And which can't you live without?