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Switching to Tmo: need new iPhone for 1900 MHz support?

R

Retired Cat

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 12, 2013
1,210
380
I have an unlocked iPhone 5, model A1428.

Apple says it supports LTE bands 2, 4, 5, and 17: https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

I saw that Tmo has a new coverage map and that there's growing 1900 MHz LTE coverage in previously EDGE only routes. It's probably going to be enough coverage that I could leave AT&T for Tmo.

I though my iPhone 5 would support the 1900 MHz Tmo LTE, since Band 2 is 1900 MHz, but the people on Howard Forums say that Tmo's 1900 MHz is actually Band 25:

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1855857

Tmo's website says the CDMA iPhone 5 w' Band 25 works on their 1900 MHz LTE. It doesn't have Band 4(AWS) though so it doesn't work on most of their 1700/2100 LTE.

Is Tmo's 1900 MHz really only Band 25?

Anyone know if there's any possibility my iPhone 5 works on 1900 MHz Tmo? I can buy a new phone if necessary but I'd rather keep my existing phone if possible.
 
Can't answer your question precisely, but had a similar situation when I brought my unlocked AT&T iPhone 5 to T-Mobile. Mine was not one of the ones from later in the model year that had the additional bands to support TM, and I was told by several sources that I wouldn't be able to get LTE speeds on it.

I figured it was worth a try, at least. Instead of doing TM's test drive with their phone, I opted to pick up a SIM during one of their sales and activated it on their pay as you go setup. And I found myself pulling down LTE at literally four times the speed I had on AT&T. I was also able to test what kind of coverage I got with my existing phone over the areas I typically go, and found it was excellent.

Moral of the story: you might be better off experimenting on your own than listening to the Internet on this one. I switched a week later, and the 5 ran very well even without those extra bands until I replaced it with the 6 so I could benefit from wifi calling.
 
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Problem is that the iPhone 5 introduced a midcycle production change when Apple added T-Mobile as an official carrier. The early production GSM models do not support T-Mobile's main LTE band, while the later production models do. Anything designated as a T-Mobile iPhone will support that band. Other GSM models (particularly those designated for AT&T) are more of a crap shoot.
 
Retired Cat said:
I have an unlocked iPhone 5, model A1428.

Apple says it supports LTE bands 2, 4, 5, and 17: https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

I saw that Tmo has a new coverage map and that there's growing 1900 MHz LTE coverage in previously EDGE only routes. It's probably going to be enough coverage that I could leave AT&T for Tmo.

I though my iPhone 5 would support the 1900 MHz Tmo LTE, since Band 2 is 1900 MHz, but the people on Howard Forums say that Tmo's 1900 MHz is actually Band 25:

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1855857

Tmo's website says the CDMA iPhone 5 w' Band 25 works on their 1900 MHz LTE. It doesn't have Band 4(AWS) though so it doesn't work on most of their 1700/2100 LTE.

Is Tmo's 1900 MHz really only Band 25?

Anyone know if there's any possibility my iPhone 5 works on 1900 MHz Tmo? I can buy a new phone if necessary but I'd rather keep my existing phone if possible.
Click to expand...

It depends on when you got your iPhone 5.

If you got one before Spring of 2012 when Apple released the AWS compatible A1428, then you'll be missing AWS HSPA+. It can still get Band 2 and 4 LTE (both of their LTE bands).

If you got the one that released after Spring 2012 then it will support AWS HSPA+ as well as Band 2 and Band 4 LTE.

So depending on which one you have, the only thing you might be missing is AWS HSPA+. The iPhone 5 has both of T-Mobile's LTE bands.
 
CEmajr said:
It depends on when you got your iPhone 5.



If you got one before Spring of 2012 when Apple released the AWS compatible A1428, then you'll be missing AWS HSPA+. It can still get Band 2 and 4 LTE (both of their LTE bands).



If you got the one that released after Spring 2012 then it will support AWS HSPA+ as well as Band 2 and Band 4 LTE.



So depending on which one you have, the only thing you might be missing is AWS HSPA+. The iPhone 5 has both of T-Mobile's LTE bands.
Click to expand...


I bought mine in late May 2013. I'm not so concerned about HSPA+ on AWS as the new Tmo rollout appears to skip HSPA+ and goes right to 1900 MHz LTE.

The problem is I don't know which 1900 MHz band Tmo uses: 2 or 25. If it's 2, I'm good to go, but Tmo's website doesn't say.
 
Retired Cat said:
I bought mine in late May 2013. I'm not so concerned about HSPA+ on AWS as the new Tmo rollout appears to skip HSPA+ and goes right to 1900 MHz LTE.

The problem is I don't know which 1900 MHz band Tmo uses: 2 or 25. If it's 2, I'm good to go, but Tmo's website doesn't say.
Click to expand...

It's Band 2. So that means your iPhone 5 will work.
 
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