Best iPhone 6 Model for International Travel?

[tangfish]

Does anyone know which model has the most usable bands? I travel a lot and reside overseas part of the year. I've pre-ordered both t-mobile (from apple) and att versions of the phone. Once I figure out if those models are different I'll cancel one set of orders.

What a confusing ordering process yet again. You'd think they'd streamline this by now.

 

[maybeiloveyou]

This might help: http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/...h-best-in-class-lte-and-wireless-connectivity

I have had AT&T for years and have had no issue with international travel at all, FWIW.

 

[tangfish]

This might help: http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/...h-best-in-class-lte-and-wireless-connectivity

I have had AT&T for years and have had no issue with international travel at all, FWIW.

Thank you for that link, my gosh there is a lot of information in there. I still don't know the clear cut answer.

I have a factory unlocked iphone 5S from att. It has some performance issues in Thailand (sometimes in remote areas with only 3G my friends with phones bought locally get connectivity but mine does not), and on the flipside my gf's 5S bought in Thailand rarely gets LTE here in the US- so there is definitely a difference in the models that affect everyday use.

Hopefully someone will know which model provides the best coverage globally and here on AT&T.

 

[ruler22]

https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

Model A1586 (iPhone 6) & Model A1524 (iPhone 6 Plus) have the best support, specifically I believe over in Asian countries, as it supports an additional 4 bands which I believe are commonly used over there.

You'll need to purchase internationally to have the best chance of getting it unlocked though, I've heard it's hard to get Sprint to unlock it.

 

[tangfish]

https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

Model A1586 (iPhone 6) & Model A1524 (iPhone 6 Plus) have the best support, specifically I believe over in Asian countries, as it supports an additional 4 bands which I believe are commonly used over there.

You'll need to purchase internationally to have the best chance of getting it unlocked though, I've heard it's hard to get Sprint to unlock it.

Thanks for this info. Does Sprint unlock phones if bought at full price?

Also, once Apple presumably starts selling a sim-free, unlocked phone like they have in the past, which model is that typically, is it just one of the GSM carrier variants or in the past have they offered a model that has the most bands (Sprint apparently)?

 

[ruler22]

I don't have Sprint, so I can't comment based on any personal experience, I've just read that it's hard, even after paying for the phone in full, to have Sprint unlock your phone for some reason.

I'm actually in the UK at the moment for work (normally in the US), and I've purchased my phone through the apple store here, and it will come to me fully unlocked, so that's an option albeit a very expensive one (buying in UK incurs their VAT, plus shipping from a freight forwarder to the US will have some incurred cost associated with it as well).

 

[tangfish]

I don't have Sprint, so I can't comment based on any personal experience, I've just read that it's hard, even after paying for the phone in full, to have Sprint unlock your phone for some reason.

I'm actually in the UK at the moment for work (normally in the US), and I've purchased my phone through the apple store here, and it will come to me fully unlocked, so that's an option albeit a very expensive one (buying in UK incurs their VAT, plus shipping from a freight forwarder to the US will have some incurred cost associated with it as well).

Yikes.... yes it is usually much more expensive overseas.

Do you happen to know if the ATT and Tmobile models are identical, or different? I have orders for both and would like to cancel one, depending on the bands and also if we find out the tmobile is indeed locked (lots of disagreement there).

 

[KUguardgrl13]

I'm not sure about specific bands, but the Verizon iPhone is unlocked for GSM, meaning it's all set for most of the world's carriers. Just pop in the SIM and go. T-Mobile and AT&T would need to be unlocked. Sprint would need to unlock as well, and it's a different model than VZW/AT&T/T-Mobile.

 

[patrickbarnes]

The only difference between the two models is support for TD bands in China (and obviously the CDMA version is needed for fallback on Verizon).

Last year the Verizon version was the best, this year they're pretty much identical.

 

[tangfish]

Just talked to Apple and they said the T-mobile and ATT phones are the same model and what they recommend for using on GSM networks globally.

 

[kindadukish]

Get it in HK

I think the answer to your question, based on reading this thread, is that you want to try to buy it in Hong Kong if you can.

In the US, you can buy the T Mobile version unlocked, easily. (I've ordered one.) But the T Mobile version (which is the same as the Verizon and ATT version) does not support all the fastest-network bands which the Sprint version does.

The problem is, the Sprint version sold in the US is locked.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1773579/

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If you look at this Apple page you can see that the version with the greatest number of international carriers is the Sprint version.

As mentioned though, it's locked, unlike T Mobile.

I'm sure the T Mobile phone will work internationally just fine. It just might not always be on the fastest network.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

 

[tangfish]

Well, I'm buying the t-mobile version because it's the only unlocked option at present. Who knows, maybe I'll sell it later and buy something in asia if it becomes an issue traveling there. Thanks everyone for the help.