Brian S Hall to begin selling iPhone 5 in mid-October, people familiar with the matter said.

Why not? It worked out pretty damn well for Sprint. As PED notes:

Sprint ($S) soars 10.12% on report that it's getting the iPhone.

"Sprint Nextel Corp. will begin selling the iPhone 5 in mid-October, people familiar with the matter said, closing a huge hole in the No. 3 U.S. carrier's lineup and giving Apple Inc. another channel for selling its popular phone."

So begins the report in the Wall Street Journal -- Apple's (AAPL) current favorite backchannel outlet for releasing unofficial product news -- that sparked a rally in Sprint's (S) beleaguered shares. The stock soared $0.33 (10.12%) to close Tuesday at $3.59.

 Yes, the overall market was up today -- about 3%. But it's the iPhone 5 news, alone, that put many more millions into the pockets of Sprint shareholders.

This happen when *any* other phone or phone maker offers its phone to a carrier? Even half as much? A quarter as much?

That, my friends, is why Apple still commands a $400 subsidy on iPhone.