IIRC, Sprint has a contract with Apple to purchase a certain amount of iPhones due to its smaller subscriber numbers and specialized network bands (?) (how'd T-mobile get the iPhone without resorting to a contract?). Perhaps, he's in contract renewal talks -- at least, Sprint can leverage Softbank's user base for extra buying power. Might be wise considering Sprint's subscribers numbers are dropping - just to minimize the amount of defections and keep Sprint out of a tailspin. On the downside, Sprint would have less $$$ for network buildouts.