U.S. military members will now be able to use the iPhone 5, along with the Samsung Galaxy S4and BlackBerry 10 devices.
The U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has approved the use of Apple iOS 6 devices on the Defense Department's networks, the agency said in a statement Friday.
That means the DOD can provide iPhones and iPads running iOS 6 to its employees, though employees cannot use their own devices on the military network, a DISA spokeswoman told CNET.
"It doesn't mean [Apple is] getting a contract with us or anything like that," DISA spokeswoman Alana Johnson said. "It just means that specific operating system, Apple iOS 6, is approved as long as they have that particular operating system."
Samsung and BlackBerry received security clearance earlier this month. The nod from the Pentagon means that iOS 6 devices, Galaxy S4, and BlackBerry 10 devices can be used by U.S. government and military departments that tap into the Department of Defense networks. Access to these networks requires high security standards and could clear the way for lucrative contracts with the government.
Source: CNET