Sprint Getting Ready for iPhone 5, Installing Signal Repeaters Around Apple Stores

A recent report from The Wall Street Journal said that Sprint will definitely be getting the next iPhone this Fall. The publication stated that Sprint would begin selling the device in mid-October.

After the report, Sprint told its staff to not discuss the iPhone rumors with customers. The carrier also scheduled a “Strategy Update” event on October 7th, hinting at an iPhone announcement. The carrier’s ETF was also raised to $350 — all of this activity pointing towards a partnership with Apple.

Now, the most boldface piece of evidence for the Sprint iPhone has surfaced…

Beatweek reports:

“Sprint is installing cellular network repeaters in and around Apple retail stores ahead of the iPhone 5, according to a source which offers the strongest evidence that a Sprint iPhone is on the verge of arriving. Steve Jobs once famously gave away the fact that the iPhone was coming to Verizon when he mentioned that Apple had a Verizon tower on its Cupertino campus, which could only have been there for iPhone testing purposes. Now there’s evidence that Apple is beefing up Sprint signal quality at its own stores so that would-be iPhone 5 buyers will be able to put the device through its paces on the Sprint network in quantity while still in the store.”

The source in question works for an electrical contractor in Austin, Texas. He says that Sprint is installing multiple repeaters in and around Apple stores. The equipment is CDMA-based.

AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile has been subjected to opposition from the US government, although it’s expected that the deal will pass through. This would leave Sprint to face AT&T and Verizon alone in the US. Adding the iPhone to its roster is an obvious move for Sprint to maintain relevancy moving forward.