iPhone 5 era sees AT&T in pole, Verizon close, T-Mobile hanging

The race to dominate the iPhone 5 era is already underway in earnest despite the fact that the iPhone 5 has yet to gain a release date or a single official feature. Whether it be longtime hanger-on AT&T, shiny new partner Verizon, existence-pending T-Mobile, or even outsider Sprint, the carriers are already jockeying for position to see who's going to be in the pole when it comes time for Apple to launch the iPhone 5 this year. As of today, here are the prospects for the four major U.S. carriers in terms of the position they'll be in at the time the iPhone 5 is ready to reach your hands.

AT&T in pole position: This of course has little to do with who offers the best network or service. At the time the iPhone 5 launches it'll assuredly be available on both AT&T and Verizon. But AT&T has tens of millions of iPhone users already locked into contracts who would have to pay a financial penalty in order to switch to Verizon for their iPhone 5. Some will, but most won't. It's a temporary hold (and a different landscape altogether by the iPhone 6 era), but consider the iPhone 5 release to be AT&T's last hurrah from a position of pure leverage.

Verizon closing in: Verizon is generally perceived to have a superior network to AT&T. But part of Verizon's iPhone 5 problem is that with so many Verizon customers opting for the just-launched Verizon iPhone 4 now, relatively few of them will turn around and replace it with a Verizon iPhone 5. So Verizon is counting on its existing customers switching over from phones like Android or BlackBerry, as well as AT&T defectors – but again, the latter is still an expensive proposition until those two-year contracts begin expiring. Still, the iPhone 5 will bring Verizon closer to parity on the iPhone front than it is currently.

T-Mobile in the balance: Now that T-Mobile is about to become part of AT&T, questions abound as to whether this means T-Mobile will automatically get the iPhone 5 at launch or whether the two will still be sufficiently separate carriers by then such that T-Mobile would need to make a separate deal with Apple. And if it's the latter, would doing so make sense with T-Mobile about to eventually become part of AT&T anyway?

Sprint on the backstretch: On the one hand, Sprint is about to become both the smallest U.S. carrier and the only one without the iPhone – not an ideal combination. But whether that'll motivate Sprint to push Apple for an iPhone 5 deal could depend on Apple's willingness to embrace Sprint's 4G network, which is a core part of the carrier's marketing efforts.

Here's more on the iPhone5.

iphone 5, iphone5, iphone 5 rumors, iphone 5 2011, iphone 5g, i Phone 5, os 5, iphone 5 cases, jailbreak iphone 5, i phone 5, white iphone 5, iphone 5g release date, iphone 5 review, iphone 5 white, unlock iphone 5, iphone 5 price, iphone 5 unlock, iphone 5 accessories, iphone 5 bumper, iphone 5 deals, white iphone 5 release date, iphone 5 canada iphone 5 weiß, iphone 5 reviews, iphone 5 wallpaper, iphone 5 release date, buy iphone 5, best iphone 5 apps, iphone 5 covers, iphone 5 news, iphone 5 uk, iphone 5 specs, iphone 5 cover, iphone 5 wallpapers, iphone 5 australia, unlocked iphone 5, iphone 5 unlocked, iphone 5 g, iphone 5 pris, iphone 5 screen protector, iphone 5 32gb, iphone 5 bluetooth, iphone 5 kopen, iphone 5 antenna, iphone 5 white release date, iphone 5 battery life, Verizon iPhone 5, iPhone 5 in 2011, singtel iphone 5, iphone 5 dock, iphone 5 sim card, cheap iphone 5, iphone 5 resolution, iphone 5 update, iphone 5 manual, iphone 5 themes, iphone 5 features, iphone 5 pay as you go, free iphone 5, comprar iphone 5, best apps for iphone 5, iphone 5 wiki, iphon5, best iphone 5 cases, iphone 5 tethering, new iphone 5, incase iphone 5, problems with iphone 5, iphone 5 for sale, iphone 5 prices, iphone 5 cena, iphone 5 bumpers, iphone 5 vs samsung galaxys, iphone 5 availability, digi iphone 5, iphone 5 cost, iphone 5 camera, how much is the iphone 5, cases for iphone 5, iphone 5 battery, iphone 5 insurance, iphone 5 issues, iphone 5 skins, iphone 5s, iphone 5 tricks, rogers iphone 5, refurbished iphone 5, iphone 5 tips, iphone 5 reception, iphone 5 sim free, iphone 5 verizon, cheap iphone 5, iphone 4 vs iphone 5, iphone 5 resolution, iphone 5 prix, test iphone 5, iphone 5 features, iphone 5 pre order, free iphone 5, comprar iphone 5, etui iphone 5, best apps for iphone 5, phone 5, best iphone 5 cases, iphone 5 tethering, movistar iphone 5, new iphone 5, incase iphone 5, problems with iphone 5, case iphone 5, how to activate iphone 5, iphone 5 for sale, iphone 5 sim, ipone5, digi iphone 5, iphone 5 cost, how much is the iphone 5, forfait iphone 5, cases for iphone 5, iphone 5 t-mobile, iphone 5 battery, iphone 5 insurance, liberar iphone 5, iphone 5 vertrag, iphone 5 issues, cheapest iphone 5, blackberry torch vs iphone 5, iphone 5 in India, iphone 5g movistar, precio iphone 5, iphone 5 tricks, iphone 5 malaysia, iphone 5g white, refurbished iphone 5, iphone 5 tips, iphone os 5 release date, iphone 5 uk price, iphone 5 reception, iphone 5 sim free, iphone 5 games, iphone 5 without contract, iphone 5 user guide, iphone 5 os, iphone 5 release, iphone 5 plans, iphone 5 buy, iphone 5th generation, activate iphone 5, facetime iphone 5, tomtom iphone 5, iphone 5 problem, iphone 5 vs htc desire, iphone 5 clone, apps for iphone 5, top iphone 5 apps, downgrade iphone iphone 5 flash, unlocking iphone 5, iphone 5 youtube, iphone 5 applications, iphone 5 stock, iphone 5g unlocked, iphone 5 prijs, iphone 5 rogers, review iphone 5, iphone 5 contract, iphone 5 screen resolution, best iphone 5 deals, ifone 5, iphone 5 wifi, price of iphone 5, jail break iphone 5, android vs iphone 5, iphone 5 in Canada, iphone 5 antenna problem, iphone 5 car mount, acheter iphone 5, iphone 5 sales, pre order iphone 5, iphone 5 micro sim, iphone os 5 download, iphone 5 screen, iphone 5 processor, white iphone 5 release, iphone 5 theme, iphone 5 skin, iphone 5 upgrade, iphone 5 car charger, iphone 5 armband, iphone 5 preise, iphone 5 no contract, iphone 5 activation, iphone 5 comprar, iphone 5 spec, iphone 5 china, iphone 5 antenna fix, iphone 5 firmware, iphone 5 abonnement, iphone 5 singtel, iphone 5 screen size, jailbreaking iphone 5, samsung galaxy vs iphone 5, buy iphone 5g, iphone 5 proximity sensor, iphone 5 accessoires, iphone 5g 32gb, sim free iphone 5, iphone 5 pricing, griffin motif iphone 5, iphone 5 dimensions, blackberry vs iphone 5, iphone5 apps, accessories iphone5, accessories iphone 5, iphone 5 download, download iphone 5, download iphone5, iphone5 download, unlock iphone 5, iphone 5 unlock, unlock iphone5, iphone5 unlock, iphone 5news, iphone 5new, iphone5 new, iphone5 news, news iphone 5, news iphone5, iphone 5 covers, iphone 5 cover, jailbroken iPhone 5, iPhone 5 jailbroken, iphone 5 app