iPhone SE - difference in models

[Paul S]

Looks like there is a couple different models: Model A1662 and A1723. Is there any real advantage of going with A1723? I will be using it on AT&T, but wondering if resale would be better on A1723. I am buying the phone outright.

Thanks.

 

[Rigby]

For AT&T, you might be better off with the A1662, because the A1723 doesn't support the 700 MHz lower D and E spectrum (band 29), which AT&T utilizes (although I'm not sure about the status of the rollout).

 

[dave006]

Well the A1662 model is listed for AT&T and also listed as the SIM free offering from Apple for the iPhone SE here in the US.

On a side note there is also the A1724 model which is listed as covering China Mobile. Of the three models, I would go for the A1662 since you are using AT&T as mentioned by Rigby.

Source: http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/#iphone-se

Dave

 

[asleep]

The iPhone SE Is Not Carrier Agnostic
PCMag

There are two models of the iPhone SE sold in the U.S., and none of them work well on all four U.S. carriers.

The iPhone SE comes in two hardware models in the U.S., and neither one will work on all four U.S. carriers. That means you need to be aware of which smaller iPhone you buy, based on your carrier of choice.

The problem, as it is with so many phones, is support for different LTE bands. You can see Apple's official band list on its website.

The AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon units, as well as the unlocked unit, do not work well on Sprint or on Canadian carriers. These units are model A1662. It has the LTE bands for AT&T (2/4/5/17/29), T-Mobile (2/4/12), and Verizon (4/13), but not all of Sprint's bands. Sprint's high-speed Band 41, also known as Spark, is missing. While you will get some Sprint LTE signal on bands 25 and 26, it won't be the best speeds.

Some international roaming bands are also missing from that unit. The A1662 model doesn't have Band 7, which is used for high-speed networks in Canada and Russia, among other places. A1662 will get LTE signal globally, but won't hit its maximum speeds in some of those countries.

Sprint users and Canadians will get model A1723, but that won't solve all of Americans' problems. While A1723 has a wider range of LTE bands, including seven for roaming and 41 for Sprint Spark, it lacks band 13, so it won't work on Verizon's LTE network. It also lacks band 29, so it won't get the best possible speeds on AT&T. It's fine for T-Mobile.

That puts Americans who want to carrier-hop—or border-hop—in a tough position, as no one unit will work ideally on every U.S. and global carrier. This is different from the Apple iPhone 6s, where all the currently sold models support all of the U.S. carriers equally.

When I asked Apple about this, it pointed out that this is a lower-cost iPhone. The modem speeds in the iPhone SE are also in between the 5s and the 6s—they're more like the iPhone 6, according to Apple.

That said, Sprint and T-Mobile users will see dramatic improvement in their network connections with the iPhone SE over the iPhone 5s. The SE supports T-Mobile's Band 12, which greatly improves LTE range and wasn't present on the 5s. It also supports Sprint Spark, which greatly improves speed and wasn't on the 5s. According to our tests, if the SE has the same characteristics as the iPhone 6, it should be about 50 percent faster than the iPhone 5s on Sprint.

Just make sure to get the model that's right for your carrier.