They'll end up adding a note like last year's model.
"Models A1633 and A1634 also support LTE networks listed for models A1688 and A687."
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iPhone 6s LTE 30 Band and CDMA Version Megathread
- Thread starter milaround
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They'll end up adding a note like last year's model.
Just don't used the word "unlocked" around them. Just tell them you want a Verizon phone "device only" and they should sell it to you. I did that for the 5s and the 6.
That makes sense. Let me ask you this, since the Verizon and T-Mobile 6s's are the same model, aren't they the same phone? I can preorder the full-price T-Mobile version and have it sent to my home and not have to drive 45 miles and deal with all the comes with buying the reserved Verizon-labeled one.
They are the same phone. As long as you buy the T-Mobile version from Apple, it will work with Verizon.
Thanks. I wonder why they label them under different carriers and won't allow you to order a particular carrier, outside of T-Mobile, for even a full-price phone.
Check out this link. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2491013,00.asp . Now if I pick up my ATT 6s full price, device only on the 25th and pop in my Verizon sim am I good to go?
Yes, you should be good to go. All of the phones should work with all of the networks if paid in full. The only difference is what that article mentions, the ATT version supports band 30.
The only question is what will apple do. Will they let you walk out with the ATT iPhone without activating it on ATT on launch day. In the past it is a hit or miss. The article mentions verizon not letting you buy the verizon phone without verizon service, but the same may be true across the board.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2491013,00.asp Now if I pick up my ATT 6s full price, device only on the 25th and pop in my Verizon sim am I good to go?
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Each carrier has committed to sell a certain number of iPhones. At launch date, each carrier gets an allocation of the initial stock, and sales of the respective models count against its commitment.
Updated: AT&T Has a Faster iPhone 6s
Sascha Segan
www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2491013,00.aspSep 16th, 2015
Editor's Note: This story was updated on Sept. 16 with new information.
If you're buying an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus and want to have the option of changing carriers to AT&T, you need to keep an eye on the model number. Apple is selling two different 6s models here in the U.S., one of which supports AT&T's new, faster Band 30 LTE network.
The AT&T model, which will also be sold by Boost, Cricket, U.S. Cellular, and Tracfone brands such as Net10 and Straight Talk, is A1633/1634. It supports all the major U.S. carriers including Verizon (and, in fact, all global carriers) except for one major catch: you may not be able to get it unlocked. None of the larger U.S. carriers listed as carrying the A1633 model will unlock the phone on purchase. AT&T, for instance, requires an account to be active for 60 days before the phone can be unlocked.
Everyone else is getting model A1687/88. (I've confirmed this with the three other carriers.) This is identical to A1633/34 except for Band 30 (which I've confirmed with Apple.) Both models work ideally on Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. Model A1687/88 will work fine on AT&T—it'll get LTE and everything—but as time passes and Band 30 is more heavily built out, it will show somewhat slower LTE speeds than the A1633/34 model.
Apple didn't comment on why there are two models, as apparently, it could have sold A1633/34 to everyone and had them be perfectly happy.
For the record, Verizon phones are unlocked if purchased at full price. T-Mobile iPhones are unlocked if purchased at full price directly from Apple (as opposed to from T-Mobile.) AT&T and Sprint phones are not unlocked by default.
Unfortunately, it also sounds like Apple is making you select a Verizon service plan if you choose the Verizon phone, so you can't just buy that for use on a different carrier.
There are two more sets of models that may be in play. Model A1699/1700 will only be sold in China. It appears to be identical to A1687/88. FCC documents also show that there is an A1690/91 model, which Apple has not yet discussed.
Band 30, also known as WCS or 2300MHz, accelerates LTE performance in some urban areas. According to Fierce Wireless, AT&T has already launched it in "a handful of markets" and plans to deploy more later this year.
If you want to pre-order an iPhone 6s, you have to choose a carrier unit. Choose the one for the carrier you intend to start with. If you switch to AT&T with the A1687/88 down the road, it'll still work.
If you really want the freedom to switch between carriers, wait a few weeks for the formally unlocked phones to appear. Right now, Apple tells me it is not selling formally unlocked iPhones by pre-order. "Apple may add it, but as of right now it is not available," a retail rep said.
Note: The history of this story is that Apple posted some erroneous spec sheets last week, confusing everybody. We wrote a story based on Apple's original spec sheet, and then updated the story periodically as Apple revised its website. I'm pretty sure we've reached the final state now.
This is what I wanted to post, had to try a few times to get it right
Sascha Segan
www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2491013,00.aspSep 16th, 2015
Editor's Note: This story was updated on Sept. 16 with new information.
If you're buying an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus and want to have the option of changing carriers to AT&T, you need to keep an eye on the model number. Apple is selling two different 6s models here in the U.S., one of which supports AT&T's new, faster Band 30 LTE network.
The AT&T model, which will also be sold by Boost, Cricket, U.S. Cellular, and Tracfone brands such as Net10 and Straight Talk, is A1633/1634. It supports all the major U.S. carriers including Verizon (and, in fact, all global carriers) except for one major catch: you may not be able to get it unlocked. None of the larger U.S. carriers listed as carrying the A1633 model will unlock the phone on purchase. AT&T, for instance, requires an account to be active for 60 days before the phone can be unlocked.
Everyone else is getting model A1687/88. (I've confirmed this with the three other carriers.) This is identical to A1633/34 except for Band 30 (which I've confirmed with Apple.) Both models work ideally on Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. Model A1687/88 will work fine on AT&T—it'll get LTE and everything—but as time passes and Band 30 is more heavily built out, it will show somewhat slower LTE speeds than the A1633/34 model.
Apple didn't comment on why there are two models, as apparently, it could have sold A1633/34 to everyone and had them be perfectly happy.
For the record, Verizon phones are unlocked if purchased at full price. T-Mobile iPhones are unlocked if purchased at full price directly from Apple (as opposed to from T-Mobile.) AT&T and Sprint phones are not unlocked by default.
Unfortunately, it also sounds like Apple is making you select a Verizon service plan if you choose the Verizon phone, so you can't just buy that for use on a different carrier.
There are two more sets of models that may be in play. Model A1699/1700 will only be sold in China. It appears to be identical to A1687/88. FCC documents also show that there is an A1690/91 model, which Apple has not yet discussed.
Band 30, also known as WCS or 2300MHz, accelerates LTE performance in some urban areas. According to Fierce Wireless, AT&T has already launched it in "a handful of markets" and plans to deploy more later this year.
If you want to pre-order an iPhone 6s, you have to choose a carrier unit. Choose the one for the carrier you intend to start with. If you switch to AT&T with the A1687/88 down the road, it'll still work.
If you really want the freedom to switch between carriers, wait a few weeks for the formally unlocked phones to appear. Right now, Apple tells me it is not selling formally unlocked iPhones by pre-order. "Apple may add it, but as of right now it is not available," a retail rep said.
Note: The history of this story is that Apple posted some erroneous spec sheets last week, confusing everybody. We wrote a story based on Apple's original spec sheet, and then updated the story periodically as Apple revised its website. I'm pretty sure we've reached the final state now.
This is what I wanted to post, had to try a few times to get it right
From the updated piece in the PC Mag article, it sounds as though it does not matter whether the 1633/34 is full paid or not:
The AT&T model, which will also be sold by Boost, Cricket, U.S. Cellular, and Tracfone brands such as Net10 and Straight Talk, is A1633/1634. It supports all the major U.S. carriers including Verizon (and, in fact, all global carriers) except for one major catch: you may not be able to get it unlocked. None of the larger U.S. carriers listed as carrying the A1633 model will unlock the phone on purchase. AT&T, for instance, requires an account to be active for 60 days before the phone can be unlocked.
If it under contract it will be locked, but you can get contract pricing only at an AT&T store. I don't know about the AT&T Next plans. The Apple Upgrade Plan phones are unlocked as they are technically paid in full.
If you are using a Verizon MVNO or even a GSM MVNO, does Band 30 really come into play. The data for Verizon MVNOs is throttled anyway and, of course, do not have access to Band 30.
Is data throttled for GSM MVNO's by AT&T? If so, again it doesn't seem as though Band 30 comes into play.
Is data throttled for GSM MVNO's by AT&T? If so, again it doesn't seem as though Band 30 comes into play.
But that's only if you buy them from the carrier. T-Mobile and Sprint are the same way. If you buy them from Apple then they are unlocked. I have a Verizon SIM as well as an AT&T and can show everyone on the 25th after I get my "AT&T" iPhone 6S that it will work.
Even if you are capped, if you are on an AT&T MVNO, Band 30 might mean the difference between being on a frequency with lots of users vs. one with fewer users.
Does it make any difference if I order it directly from Apple ? I am seeing that some people claim that it does
If you finance through carrier, it will be locked until it is paid off.
If you purchase full price from Apple, it will be unlocked.
If you use the Apple Upgrade Program, you can finance the phone and it will be unlocked.