iPhone SE (2016) GSM CDMA Confiusion

[theIdance]

I have an iPhone SE ( A1723) and an iPhone 5s (A1530) I both bought them in Asia and will need to use them both in US for a few weeks.

I'm confused as with SIM card provider I should get since one seems to be GSM and the other CDMA

Does it still matter? Anyone has experience with this?

Each provider seems to be either GSM or CDMA but not both.

What is the easiest way of going about this?

Thanks guys,
Ben

 

[chscag]

Are you sure the 5s is CDMA? The data I have read on the A1530 would seem to indicate that it is used only in SE Asia and Australia, New Zealand. Also it appears to be GSM. I don't know about SE A1723 but I would wait until you arrive in the States before getting SIM cards for either phone.

 

[Joe h]

The 5s has to be on a gsm network, preferably AT&T or a prepaid company piggy backing off at&t.

The se can be on any network.

 

[theIdance]

But the SE seems to be CDMA so a GSM sim won't work on that right?

 

[Joe h]

But the SE seems to be CDMA so a GSM sim won't work on that right?

Doesn’t matter with the se, since it should work with every frequency except two of t mobiles.

 

[chscag]

But the SE seems to be CDMA so a GSM sim won't work on that right?

Why do you think the SE "seems to be CDMA"? All indications are it that it will operate on GSM networks here in the US. As reported, there may be some frequencies that it won't support (such as those from T-Mobile).

 

[kevink2]

Why do you think the SE "seems to be CDMA"? All indications are it that it will operate on GSM networks here in the US. As reported, there may be some frequencies that it won't support (such as those from T-Mobile).

I suspect he saw in some specs that it has CDMA support. Which, on the SE, does not prevent it from being used on GSM/LTE as long as it isn't locked.