Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

T-Mobile LTE works on AT&T Unlocked iPhone 5 CONFIRMED

I

iPhoneTech

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 26, 2013
15
0
So I recently had a conversation with a T-Mobile Customer Service rep via live chat and was told that Unlocked AT&T iPhone 5's will support T-Mobiles LTE. Heres the chat convo below:


You have been connected to Raymond A.
Me: Will an Unlocked AT&T iPhone 5 work on T-Mobile's new LTE?
Raymond A: Hi there! How are you today?
Me: I'm fine, how are you?
Raymond A: I'm doing great thanks for asking, let me go ahead and check on the compatibility of the iPhone 5 for you
Me: Because I heard that you guys will be releasing the new iPhone on April 12, so I was wondering if an AT&T Unlocked iPhone 5 would work.
Me: on LTE
Raymond A: We have recently come up with an update that yes we'll be able to support iphones this coming April 12, 2013. We would be able to guarantee the functionality of iphones purchased from our T-mobile stores/website however I'm sure your phone should work fine
Me: I was reading a blog online and it said that Apple will be releasing a different model for T-Mobile
Raymond A: According to our systems I found this message: "To enable LTE for customers using an officially unlocked AT&T iPhone 5 will need to accept an iOS software update, which will enable LTE on the device."
Me: different hardware.
Raymond A: So its just a matter of software , other than that everything should be great.
Me: would I get the same speed as a regular purchased tmobile iphone?
Raymond A: The iPhone 5 is equipped with an LTE modem capable of theoretical download speeds up to 100 Mbps
Me: I seen 21mbps (AT&T) and 42
Me: for tmobile
Raymond A: Yes you would be able to get the said speeds on our largest 4G network.
Raymond A: The iPhone 5 will be available online at www.T-Mobile.com, at T-Mobile retail stores and through select dealers and national retail stores for $99.99 down with 24 equal monthly payments of $20
Me: So it totals out to be $579, but if I updated this iPhone via a software update LTE should work fine
Raymond A: Correct.
Me: and if I upgraded a data plan on this AT&T unlocked iphone 5
Me: it will work on LTE
Raymond A: Yes our data plans are now unlimited for the lowest prices available on the market
Me: I will have to wait, I'm waiting until the LTE software update is out
Me: once it's out, I will call and talk data with you guys.
Raymond A: Okay thats definitely understandable. Would there be other inquiries I could answer for you today?
Me: no thank you very much raymond.
Raymond A: You're welcome I was glad to be of service to you today. Thank you for choosing T-mobile we appreciate your business and have a blessed week.
Me: thank you, good bye.

Just thought i'd share with you guys wondering. Since I've read blogs / forums saying that LTE for T-Mobile won't work on AT&T models.
 
Current unlocked iphone 5: HSPA+21 1900mhz (with firmware update and refarm)and LTE 1700mhz

New tmobile AWS iPhone: all of above plus HSPA+42 1700mhz
 
iPhoneTech said:
lol my bad, so LTE on an AT&T unlocked iPhone is the same as LTE on a T-Mobile iPhone. Correct?
Click to expand...

No, AT&T LTE > tmobile LTE

but who's counting if we're talking about LTE speed... At that point you'll be blazing enough to satisfy ur data needs
 
Appl3FTW said:
No, AT&T LTE > tmobile LTE

but who's counting if we're talking about LTE speed... At that point you'll be blazing enough to satisfy ur data needs
Click to expand...

I'm saying if I used T-Mobile's service on an AT&T unlocked iPhone would I get the same speed as if I used T-Mobile on T-Mobiles iPhone?
 
iPhoneTech said:
I'm saying if I used T-Mobile's service on an AT&T unlocked iPhone would I get the same speed as if I used T-Mobile on T-Mobiles iPhone?
Click to expand...

Tmobile lte network right now is faster than both att and verizon. I almost guarantee it.

Simple reason. If u have access to it. Very few customers using lte on tmobile. It's wide open lte.

Same with att and verizon when their lte networks were brand new.
 
The ONLY difference is in the 3G speeds. T-Mobile uses HSPA+ speeds which is 3G+ somewhat. The current iPhone 5 will only max out at 21 megs. The new AWS iPhone 5 will max out at 42 megs on HSPA+ 3G. Which to be honest, you will not get close to.

The LTE bands and speeds will be the same. Just wait for LTE. No need in buying another iPhone 5.
 
aneftp said:
Tmobile lte network right now is faster than both att and verizon. I almost guarantee it.

Simple reason. If u have access to it. Very few customers using lte on tmobile. It's wide open lte.

Same with att and verizon when their lte networks were brand new.
Click to expand...

but would it matter which phone you use T-mobile for or on both devices t-mobile delivers equal speeds?
 
iPhoneTech said:
but would it matter which phone you use T-mobile for or on both devices t-mobile delivers equal speeds?
Click to expand...

Ugh

Think of a highway that's brand new. No one on highway.

Tmobile LTE is wide open. If u are first to use it. It will be super fast.

Any tmobioe LTE phone will get similar speeds on new LTE network.
 
aneftp said:
Ugh

Think of a highway that's brand new. No one on highway.

Tmobile LTE is wide open. If u are first to use it. It will be super fast.

Any tmobioe LTE phone will get similar speeds on new LTE network.
Click to expand...

But AT&T LTE is far superior... It doesn't matter if u have a new bridge, an old well structured bridge is better
 
Appl3FTW said:
But AT&T LTE is far superior... It doesn't matter if u have a new bridge, an old well structured bridge is better
Click to expand...

Trust me on this one I wasn't saying which network is better. The poster asked which LTE network is fastest. That's all.

When verizon launch in Orlando in Jan 2011. I routinely got 30-40mpbs cause the highway was brand new and open. Now I get between 15-20 mpbs.

Same thing with AT&T LTE which launched in October 2011 in orlando. Crazy 40-50mpbs speeds. Now get about 15-30mpbs.

Same thing will happen to tmobioe LTE speed. The OP asked which will be fastest. I said tmobile will be fastest at first since highway is wide opened.
 
You're both wrong. He's not asking about the difference between AT&T LTE and T-Mobile LTE. He's asking about the difference between using an AT&T iPhone on T-Mobile's LTE network vs. using a T-Mobile iPhone on T-Mobile's LTE network. The answer to THAT question is that both phones would archive the same speeds as long as you had an LTE signal. Once you lose that signal, then any iPhone without support for the AWS band (anything sold before 4/12) will be slower for reasons RotaryP7 explained.
 
Wow:)
First thing you can't trust whatever a random customer support reps tells you. And then post things like confirmed and such.
And second he's talking about their hspa+ network and you assumed true LTE.
Big difference.
Even Apple and Tmobile said that there will be a new i5 to take advantage of tmobiles LTE.
 
Appl3FTW said:
No, AT&T LTE > tmobile LTE

but who's counting if we're talking about LTE speed... At that point you'll be blazing enough to satisfy ur data needs
Click to expand...

I've actually seen TMOs HSPA+ run faster than AT&Ts LTE in a side by side test.

----------
RotaryP7 said:
The ONLY difference is in the 3G speeds. T-Mobile uses HSPA+ speeds which is 3G+ somewhat. The current iPhone 5 will only max out at 21 megs. The new AWS iPhone 5 will max out at 42 megs on HSPA+ 3G. Which to be honest, you will not get close to.

The LTE bands and speeds will be the same. Just wait for LTE. No need in buying another iPhone 5.
Click to expand...

Actually for some people there is a reason to buy the TMO iphone 5 like myself. I live in a suburb of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and while the reframed network gives some nice 3G download speeds on a current iPhone 5 the range of the 3G leaves something to be desired. Literally, the 3G coverage ends about one street over from where I live and my house is stuck on Edge.

When using a TMO Android that has the AWS I'm still able to get the HSPA+ speeds at my house and through the rest of my town that also would only be on Edge on the unlocked iPhone.

The TMO iphone 5 with the tweaked settings that include AWS will give people access to the full HSPA+ network and give us a broader range of 3G coverage.
 
Just because some areas tmobile beats AT&T, u can't say it's generally better. Maybe that place has a sucky AT&T service. U can't generalize
 
parseckadet said:
You're both wrong. He's not asking about the difference between AT&T LTE and T-Mobile LTE. He's asking about the difference between using an AT&T iPhone on T-Mobile's LTE network vs. using a T-Mobile iPhone on T-Mobile's LTE network. The answer to THAT question is that both phones would archive the same speeds as long as you had an LTE signal. Once you lose that signal, then any iPhone without support for the AWS band (anything sold before 4/12) will be slower for reasons RotaryP7 explained.
Click to expand...

Thank You. That's what I was wondering.
 
T-Mobile Ready Tweaked iPhone 5: A1428 AKA AT&T/GSM Model
- 850/900/1700/1900/2100 HSPA+ & DC-HSDPA (Aka 4G/3G)
- LTE T-Mobile USA, AT&T, Rogers (Fido), Telus (Koodo), Bell (Virgin Mobile Canada), Wind Mobile Canada, Mobilicity
- Will Get 3G/4G Everywhere T-Mobile has coverage on 1700MHz AWS & in 1900MHz Refarmed areas (Not Limited to 1900MHz HSPA+ Reaffirm) & World Wide 3G on all other bands

Current iPhone 5: A1428 (GSM model)
- 850/900/1900/2100 HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (Aka 4G/3G)
- LTE T-Mobile, AT&T, Rogers (Fido), Telus (Koodo), Bell (Virgin Mobile Canada)
- No AWS T-Mobile 3G/4G Support!
- Will Only get 3G while on T-Mobile (Incl. MVNO's) in 1900MHz Refarmed areas & 2G/EDGE everywhere else
- Apple Will issue a software update to enable LTE Access....Everyone on T-Mobile (Incl. MVNO's) Can already access 1900MHz HSPA 21+ Network.


(I took this from another posting)
 
I cant switch to tmobile, but.....

Will the tweak enable me to use Tmobile LTE in Phoenix when ATT LTE is not available and vice versa? I mean with an ATT sim card, etc. Would it connect to the stronger signal?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back