Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Buy US iPhone 6 Plus and use in UK?

B

BluePhilG

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 29, 2010
40
7
I know this has been asked before wrt iPhone 5, I am wondering if anything has changed with the 6/6+

Aside from the tax/import/vat stuff, this is an operational question.

If I buy an iPhone 6 Plus in the USA, will I be able to use it on all 4G networks in the UK?

I'm going there in 2 weeks, for 6 weeks, and I guess it's unlikely there will be stock here in the UK of the 6+ 128G before I leave...
 
Aha, perfect, thank you.
I'd be buying it from an Apple Store, so good to know the exact model number I'd need.
 
If you look real close at the BIG WRITING on the linked page, you'd see it says this:

iPhone 6
Model A1586

iPhone 6 Plus
Model A1524
Click to expand...

Just go in and ask to buy an off-contract Sprint iPhone 6/6+

Also just noticed, you could buy it depending on the frequency that the network you want to be on uses. For example, I'm with 3 who use the 800Mhz and 1800Mhz spectrum bands. I could buy any GSM iPhone 6 in the US for it to work on those bands.
 
BluePhilG said:
Aha, perfect, thank you.
I'd be buying it from an Apple Store, so good to know the exact model number I'd need.
Click to expand...

Just so you know, you won't be able to buy one of the phones used in the US, in the UK, or vice versa. However, you'll easily be able to use a US phone (depending on the model you choose, of course) in the UK, with a UK sim, as the majority of bands they cover are exactly the same.
 
jonnyb said:
Take a look at this page from Apple. If you want a 6 that works on UK networks it'll need to be the Sprint version, by the looks of things.

https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
Click to expand...

Are we sure they are unlocked though?

Also if I check on the online Apple Store it does seem to require to create a Sprint account associated to a 2 years contract to order the phone (I can't see a non subsidized option for Sprint - only T-Mobile). Is it different at the brick and mortar stores?
 
I don't think you need the Sprint version to use in the UK, the additional bands that are on the Sprint version I believe are really only useful for Asian countries as those bands are used there. From my own research, the bands that are used in the US and UK are on all GSM models of phones I believe.
 
ruler22 said:
I don't think you need the Sprint version to use in the UK, the additional bands that are on the Sprint version I believe are really only useful for Asian countries as those bands are used there. From my own research, the bands that are used in the US and UK are on all GSM models of phones I believe.
Click to expand...

You are right, UK uses bands 3,7 and 20. I think all US models cover those bands.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks#Europe
 
When I went to NYC a few years back I bought an apple tv and the apple sales person told me that all products have international warranty apart from iPhones so worth asking about that.
 
guicane said:
When I went to NYC a few years back I bought an apple tv and the apple sales person told me that all products have international warranty apart from iPhones so worth asking about that.
Click to expand...

I'm moving to the UK this winter and I added Apple Care+ to my new phone. I made to ask multiple times from different staff and the all confirmed that Apple Care+ is international if you decide to go that route.
 
As the OP, I want to thank you for the great info here. I actually managed to get myself an iPhone 6 this morning in the UK, after securing a reservation in the early hours. Loving the phone :)

Thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back