T-Mobile USA is said to be in discussions with Apple to bring the iPhone to the wireless carrier fall, ending AT&T’s exclusive hold on the handset, according to a new rumor.

Citing a “highly placed source” at T-Mobile, Leander Kahney at Cult of Mac reported Wednesday that the wireless carrier and Apple are in “advanced talks.” He placed an 80 percent likelihood that the iPhone will become available on T-Mobile’s network this fall.

Apple became interested because of the influence of T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom, the source indicated. T-Mobile is the smallest of the four carriers in the U.S., with 33.7 million customers.

As it currently is, the iPhone 4 is not compatible with T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network in the U.S., as the carrier uses the unique 1700MHz spectrum. The iPhone is compatible with UMTS/HSDPA 3G connections at the frequencies 850MHz, 1900MHz and 2100MHz. In other words, the handset would need a new internal radio to work with T-Mobile’s network.

Apple and AT&T originally agreed to an exclusive deal through 2012, though it’s believed the terms of that contract likely changed over the years.

The latest rumor comes as most expected the iPhone to first head to Verizon, as both The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reported this year that Apple is working on a CDMA iPhone that would be compatible with Verizon’s network. Unlike T-Mobile’s network, which uses the same technology but operates on a different frequency, Verizon is a completely different technology, which would require a more drastic redesign of the iPhone.

Via appleinsider.com

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An Apple engineer warned the company’s executives last year that the design of the iPhone 4 could lead to reception problems, and a carrier partner also expressed concern about its external antenna before the June launch, according to a new report.

Citing an anonymous source, Bloomberg reported on Thursday that last year Ruben Caballero, a senior engineer and antenna expert with Apple, told management at Apple that the design of the iPhone 4 could cause reception problems. Specifically, it said that Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs was warned of the issues during the design phase of the iPhone 4.

In addition, an unnamed carrier partner allegedly expressed concern to the company before the device’s launch on June 24.

Apple declined to comment for the story, and would not make Caballero available for an interview. The media outlet also attempted to e-mail Caballero directly, but the engineer did not respond. The company also declined to reveal what it will discuss at a press conference scheduled for 10 a.m. Pacific Time Friday.

The rumor casts doubt on speculation that Apple’s secrecy may have caused the company to be oblivious to the issues experienced when the iPhone 4 is used without a case. A prototype device being tested by an Apple engineer that wound up being publicly disassembled was shielded by a case that made it look like a previous-generation iPhone 3GS.

“Apple’s industrial design team, led by Jonathan Ive, submitted several iPhone designs before Jobs and other executives settled on the bezel antenna, said the person familiar with the company’s design,” the report said. “Caballero, the antenna expert, voiced concern in early planning meetings that it might lead to dropped calls and presented a serious engineering challenge, the person said.”

Specifically, Caballero allegedly voiced concern that if a user used their hand to bridge the gap between the cellular and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/GPS antennas on the exterior of the device, it could interfere with the signal. That’s exactly what independent wireless experts and the nonprofit Consumer Reports have said occurs with the final product.

By covering the bottom left corner of the device, users can bridge the phone’s two external antennas by using their skin as a conductive agent. Doing so can cause signal to drop by as much as 24.6dB, tests have shown, which could result in slower data speeds and dropped calls in areas with poor reception.

appleinsider.com