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Sprint to T-Mobile

J

Jimmy Guphanti

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 29, 2011
341
8
Hello,

Sprint agreed to let me out of my contract since the coverage in my area is kind of bad, yet they claim it is fully "built-out." I have the Sprint iPhone 5S and I am considering going to T-Mobile with it. I did this one time before, but it was with a Verizon iPhone 5 going to T-Mobile, and the iPhone 5 did not have the T-Mobile LTE bands in it, and I was always on either "4G" or "E" despite living in an LTE area. The Sprint iPhone 5S has every band in it, so I am figuring that I can just put a T-Mobile SIM card in it, and it should work just like a T-Mobile iPhone.

My questions are:

1.) Will this work?
2.) Does Sprint need to unlock the phone first?
3.) Will I experience sub-par service as compared to someone with a T-Mobile iPhone 5S?
4.) A friend of mine said he used to have an Android phone and got excellent service in a certain area. He now has a 5s like me, and also has bad service. Is it possible that an Android phone and an iPhone could have different service on the same provider in the same area?

Thanks.
 
Jimmy Guphanti said:
Hello,

Sprint agreed to let me out of my contract since the coverage in my area is kind of bad, yet they claim it is fully "built-out." I have the Sprint iPhone 5S and I am considering going to T-Mobile with it. I did this one time before, but it was with a Verizon iPhone 5 going to T-Mobile, and the iPhone 5 did not have the T-Mobile LTE bands in it, and I was always on either "4G" or "E" despite living in an LTE area. The Sprint iPhone 5S has every band in it, so I am figuring that I can just put a T-Mobile SIM card in it, and it should work just like a T-Mobile iPhone.

My questions are:

1.) Will this work?
2.) Does Sprint need to unlock the phone first?
3.) Will I experience sub-par service as compared to someone with a T-Mobile iPhone 5S?
4.) A friend of mine said he used to have an Android phone and got excellent service in a certain area. He now has a 5s like me, and also has bad service. Is it possible that an Android phone and an iPhone could have different service on the same provider in the same area?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I'm a T-Mobile customer and here is what I understand. Yes, Sprint will need to unlocked the device and yes you will not receive the best service with T-Mobile because your device does not contain AWS compatability with it. Having access to T-Mobiles AWS specturm basically extends your service area when LTE isn't available for lack of a better way to explain it. I live in an area where AWS compatibility was crucial before they launched their LTE network. My unlocked iPhone sucked without it.
 
rockitdog said:
I'm a T-Mobile customer and here is what I understand. Yes, Sprint will need to unlocked the device and yes you will not receive the best service with T-Mobile because your device does not contain AWS compatability with it. Having access to T-Mobiles AWS specturm basically extends your service area when LTE isn't available for lack of a better way to explain it. I live in an area where AWS compatibility was crucial before they launched their LTE network. My unlocked iPhone sucked without it.
Click to expand...

But according to http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

The sprint phone has that, and all other bands. Is the AWS band different?
 
CEmajr said:
Correct. You can't use your Sprint 5S on tmobile at all. You'll need to sell it or trade with someone.
Click to expand...

Even though the phone has GSM capabilities and the T-Mobile bands, I still can't? Have they changed it from the iPhone 5? What is it about the phone that prohibits that?
 
Jimmy Guphanti said:
Even though the phone has GSM capabilities and the T-Mobile bands, I still can't? Have they changed it from the iPhone 5? What is it about the phone that prohibits that?
Click to expand...

It was the same on the iPhone5. Even if Sprint unlocks the phone for you, it still won't accept any GSM carrier in the US. For some reason, the unlocked Sprint iPhone 5 can only use GSM outside of the US. I am not sure what exactly causes this restriction, but it's there. An unlocked Sprint iPhone 4S can use tmobile, but the iPhone5 cannot. I assume the iPhone 5S is like the 5 in this respect.

As far as I understand, Verizon is different because of some specific regulation on a specific band they use that forces them to be more open.
 
oneMadRssn said:
It was the same on the iPhone5. Even if Sprint unlocks the phone for you, it still won't accept any GSM carrier in the US. For some reason, the unlocked Sprint iPhone 5 can only use GSM outside of the US. I am not sure what exactly causes this restriction, but it's there.
Click to expand...
Because Sprint, as a matter of corporate policy has decided that it will not unlock ANY phone for domestic use ever. It's not a hardware issue, it's not a compatibility problem, it's not anything other than Sprint saying so and giving the customer the middle finger just because it can.
oneMadRssn said:
An unlocked Sprint iPhone 4S can use tmobile, but the iPhone5 cannot. I assume the iPhone 5S is like the 5 in this respect.
Click to expand...
Not technically true. There was a very small slice of time when Sprint introduced the 4s that it publicly stated that the 4s was being sold as completely unlocked. Sprint changed it's mind very shortly after that and started locking the phones. But any phone sold during that small amount of time was and remains unlocked.
oneMadRssn said:
As far as I understand, Verizon is different because of some specific regulation on a specific band they use that forces them to be more open.
Click to expand...
As a matter of FCC policy, the FCC has forced Verizon to provide unlocked iPhones using that LTE band. Verizon must unlock them if it wishes to use the band.

----------
ravenvii said:
This, friends, is why Sprint sucks.
Click to expand...
I thought it was because Sprint data sucked? :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
I'm going to put a T-Mobile SIM in and see what happens. I GOT THE SCREEN PROTECTOR ON PERFECTLY. I don't want another phone.
 
Jimmy Guphanti said:
I'm going to put a T-Mobile SIM in and see what happens. I GOT THE SCREEN PROTECTOR ON PERFECTLY. I don't want another phone.
Click to expand...
Your MEID on the iPhone is paired with the Sprint SIM. The best you'll get on T-Mobile is 3G, if anything at all.
 
oneMadRssn said:
An unlocked Sprint iPhone 4S can use tmobile, but the iPhone5 cannot. I assume the iPhone 5S is like the 5 in this respect.
Click to expand...

That is false.
An unlocked sprint 4S cannot use Tmobile USA.
No sprint iPhone version can be used with any other carrier in the us.

----------
Jimmy Guphanti said:
I'm going to put a T-Mobile SIM in and see what happens. I GOT THE SCREEN PROTECTOR ON PERFECTLY. I don't want another phone.
Click to expand...

Good luck with that:D
Obviously you won't listen to anyone you have to find out on your own.
Enjoy that screen protector:)

----------
eyoungren said:
Your MEID on the iPhone is paired with the Sprint SIM. The best you'll get on T-Mobile is 3G, if anything at all.
Click to expand...

He will get nothing if he sticks a Tmobile sim inside a sprint iPhone period:)
 
A useless screen protector on a useless phone. When you put your tmobile SIM card in it you're just going to get kicked back to the 'activation required' screen and it's not going to activate. Guess some people have to learn the hard way.
 
Along with the fact that Sprint phones are locked down domestically, going from Sprint to T-Mobile is like asking to get stabbed in the hand instead of the foot. Both have abysmal rural coverage. It's ******, but in the US if you want "good" coverage you're stuck with Verizon or AT&T. Look in to AT&T's prepaid options - ie AIO Wireless.
 
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