Four More Small U.S. Carriers Launching iPhone on May 18 with $50 Discounts - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Four More Small U.S. Carriers Launching iPhone on May 18 with $50 Discounts

iphone 4s boxLast month saw six small U.S. carriers begin offering the iPhone for the first time, and it appears that another round of expansion to similar carriers is coming on May 18. Four new iPhone carriers, all operating CDMA networks, have rolled out their announcements so far today:

- Bluegrass Cellular (Kentucky)
- Golden State Cellular (California)
- Nex-Tech Wireless (Kansas)
- Pioneer Cellular (Oklahoma)

As with other regional carriers, the new entrants will be offering the iPhone at $50 below the standard pricing available through Apple and the major carriers. Under the discounted pricing, the iPhone 4S will be priced at $149/$249/$349 and the iPhone 4 will be available for $49.

Given the small nature of the carriers announcing their iPhone launches, publicity is somewhat unorganized and we're asking readers to let us know if they spot word of any others involved in this round of launches.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 27 on iPhone 17 1

iOS 27 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday May 2, 2026 8:43 am PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8, and there are already many rumored features and changes for iPhones. The first developer beta of iOS 27 will likely be available immediately following the keynote, and a public beta typically follows in July. Following beta testing, the software update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Accessory

Monday May 4, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today released a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. The new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available to order now on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 40mm, 42mm, and 46mm sizes, and it will be available at Apple Store locations starting later this week. In the U.S., the band costs $49. There...
Apple Announces 2026 Pride Band Watch Face and iPhone Wallpaper Article 2

iOS 26.5 Coming Soon With These New Features

Monday May 4, 2026 8:40 am PDT by
iOS 26.5 is expected to be released next week, following more than a month of beta testing. The update is relatively minor, but there are a couple of new features and changes across the operating system that we have recapped below. iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app, and it will include a new Pride wallpaper and a...

Top Rated Comments

183 months ago
Now that Steve Jobs is gone it seems like Apple is willing to send the iPhone to any and every carrier. What a shame, should have stuck with the best.

unlike original release, iPhone is not that unique or percentage of smartphone users.

What is the issue bringing the technology to all?

I would like to see more Unlocked iPhones with much better price point may be $450 to $500???
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
183 months ago
Now that Steve Jobs is gone it seems like Apple is willing to send the iPhone to any and every carrier. What a shame, should have stuck with the best.

More money for Apple. Is there something wrong with that? Plus it's an easy way to close the gap with Android phones right???
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
183 months ago
I hope this trend continues.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
croooow Avatar
183 months ago
Now that Steve Jobs is gone it seems like Apple is willing to send the iPhone to any and every carrier. What a shame, should have stuck with the best.
What a shame that Apple is getting their products out to more people? Didn't Steve talk about what a good market there would be in mobile phones (I remember him comparing it to the game console market, this is before the app store and all those iOS games, when the iPhone was mostly a phone) when he introduced the original iPhone?

Elitist attitudes like that are what give Apple users a bad name. Apple should not be trying to limit who buys their products, they should work on making the best products.

----------


- Bluegrass Cellular (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bluegrass-cellular-to-offer-iphone-4s-on-may-18-150592585.html) (Kentucky)
- Golden State Cellular (http://thepinetree.net/index.php?module=announce&ANN_user_op=view&ANN_id=30233) (California)
- Nex-Tech Wireless (https://www.facebook.com/notes/nex-tech-wireless/nex-tech-wireless-to-offer-iphone-4s-on-may-18/10150785758458015) (Kansas)
So do iPhones on these small carriers say "Bluegrass," "Golden State," etc instead of "Verizon"/"AT&T"/"Sprint" or do they have a more generic carrier signal listing like some of the iPhone promo shots (that will say "3G" with no company listed as carrier)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
183 months ago
he has handling it better man.

Hope to see more good steps from him ...

What does Tim Cook have to do with this story?

----------

Now that Steve Jobs is gone it seems like Apple is willing to send the iPhone to any and every carrier. What a shame, should have stuck with the best.

Lack of competition hurts only one group, us, the consumer.

Your absurdly closed-minded attitude is disturbing.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
183 months ago
I'm suprised US Cellular hasn't added it yet.

They declined the chance due to apple's terms
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Related Apple News: South Africa | Business | Buyers Guide | World News | Education