Whether you're an Apple devotee or a not, it's difficult to argue Apple's iPhone 5 hasn't been a tremendous success for the company; Apple's latest model of its smartphone sold out its initial shipment of pre-orders in under one hour. And it looks like T-Mobile was paying attention to the public's excitement. The mobile company is finally interested in getting in the iPhone business with Apple, according to a report from CNET.

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Until now, T-Mobile has been the only one of the four major U.S. carriers who doesn't carry Apple's iPhone. That could change in a matter of months. An analyst with Morgan Stanley predicts T-Mobile "could" announce iPhone distribution in "early 2013." The analyst also said that such an announcement would mean one or two million more iPhone 5′s sold in the first quarter of 2013.

According to CNET, T-Mobile is already known to be developing iOS versions of its smartphone software. Just last month, T-Mobile began an ad campaign to persuade consumers to buy unlocked iPhones for full price and use them on its network. Though the upfront cost is high, T-Mobile emphasized that its less-expensive plans would save users money over time.

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With analysts predicting that Apple could sell as many as 250 million iPhone 5 smartphones over the next few years, it's no surprise T-Mobile wants in on the company's popularity. Apple has said its new iPhone 5 sold faster initially than any other iPhone.

T-Mobile also revealed earlier this month that it plans to merge with MetroPCS. MetroPCS has reportedly been building its own LTE network, and as T-Mobile CEO Neville Ray recently told CNET, he thinks the merger will help boost the reach of LTE to its customers.

Apple may have sold 25 million iPhones in the third quarter with the launch of the iPhone 5, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty said in an investors note yesterday. And that's a conservatie estimate, she added, so total sales could be even higher.

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Huberty thinks one of two scenarios will play out for the iPhone 5 this fall. One: Apple continues its unrivaled dominance of the market, and with increased growth in China, sells as many as 247 million iPhones. Or Two: Apple is unable to cut a deal with China Mobile to sell the iPhone 5 -- one factor that leads to iPhone sales of only 180 million for the year.

It's hard to say how Apple's iPhone 5 will continue to fair into the holiday shopping season, but if T-Mobile does indeed add the device to its network, it certainly wouldn't hurt.

Sales have been extraordinary for the iPhone 5 thus far, but they have fallen short of some analysts' expectations due in part to supply shortages.

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Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., a Chinese company producing the iPhone 5 credits the smartphone's innovative technology and design as the reason behind shortages.

"The iPhone 5 is the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled.  To make it light and thin, the design is very complicated," said an official at the company who declined to be named. "It takes time to learn how to make this new device. Practice makes perfect. Our productivity has been improving day by day."

The executive said Hon Hai has taken steps to improve its productivity and address scratches on the metal casings of some new iPhones that were shipped. Hon Hai has recently implemented a new quality check procedure to reduce the chance of damages.  But he noted the iPhone 5 uses a new coating material that makes it more susceptible to scratching.

"It's always hard to satisfy both aesthetic needs and practical needs," said the executive.

Hon Hai currently assembles the iPhone 5 for Apple at its plants in Zhengzhou, central China, and in Guan Lan, in southern China.

Apple iPhone 5 Features

Height: 4.87 inches, Width: 2.31 inches, Depth: 0.30 inch, Weight: 3.95 ounces.

4-inch (diagonal) Retina display, 1136-by-640 resolution, 326 ppi, GSM model: GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, CDMA model: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n; 802.11n on 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and GLONASS, 1GB RAM, SoC: A6 Chip, Nano-SIM, three-axis gyro, dual-mic noise suppression, assisted GPS and GLONASS.

Front and back facing cameras:

Front: 1.2MP photos, 720p HD video, Backside illumination sensor;

Back: 8 megapixel Autofocus Tap to focus, LED flash, Backside illumination sensor, Five-element lens, Face detection, Hybrid IR filter, ƒ/2.4 aperture, Panorama,

Video: 1080p HD video recording, 30 fps, Tap to focus while recording, LED light, Improved video stabilization, Take still photos while recording video, Face detection.