iphone 5 from the US

Limestone1

Apparently Verizon and AT&T are selling (GSM) unlocked iphone5s in the US that cannot be used on each others LTE networks. Does anyone know how they have achieved this - have Apple produced two different devices ?

The AT&T one can be unlocked via itunes and the Verizon comes unlocked. Verizon are selling at $649 with no contract which is a hefty discount to the Irish price - so has anyone out there bought one and confirm if they can be used freely on our 3G networks over here ?

squonk

Limestone1 wrote: »

Apparently Verizon and AT&T are selling (GSM) unlocked iphone5s in the US that cannot be used on each others LTE networks. Does anyone know how they have achieved this - have Apple produced two different devices ?

The AT&T one can be unlocked via itunes and the Verizon comes unlocked. Verizon are selling at $649 with no contract which is a hefty discount to the Irish price - so has anyone out there bought one and confirm if they can be used freely on our 3G networks over here ?

You'd have to take into account the contract price as well wouldn't you on top of that $649? It mightn't be such great value in the end.

coylemj

Limestone1 wrote: »

The AT&T one can be unlocked via itunes and the Verizon comes unlocked. Verizon are selling at $649 with no contract which is a hefty discount to the Irish price - so has anyone out there bought one and confirm if they can be used freely on our 3G networks over here ?

You'd be taking a risk buying an iPhone5 and bringing it home to Ireland because whatever variant you buy may not work with the 4G/LTE technology that gets rolled out over here which may or may not happen in 2013.

If you're only worried about 3G compatibility then I'd say buy an iPhone 4S in an Apple store for $549 which even with NYC sales tax (8.875%) would be roughly €100 cheaper than an iPhone4S purchased in Ireland and €200 cheaper than an iPhone5.

Limestone1

coylemj wrote: »

You'd be taking a risk buying an iPhone5 and bringing it home to Ireland because whatever variant you buy may not work with the 4G/LTE technology that gets rolled out over here which may or may not happen in 2013.

.

Can't see it being any different than buying one in Ireland now and expecting it to work when 4G gets rolled out.

Johnmb

Limestone1 wrote: »

Can't see it being any different than buying one in Ireland now and expecting it to work when 4G gets rolled out.

I love the optimism
4G won't be rolled out for quite some time, so chances are it'll be a couple of years away, just in time for an upgrade! And the even sadder thing is that when they do roll it out, thanks to the incompetence of Comreg, it'll be a half-assed version, that won't give anything like 4G speeds that every other country will have...

coylemj

Limestone1 wrote: »

Can't see it being any different than buying one in Ireland now and expecting it to work when 4G gets rolled out.

Fine, then perhaps you'd like to advise the OP which of these three US models of iPhone5 he should buy...

• GSM model A1428*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 4 and 17)
• CDMA model A1429*: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25)
• GSM model A1429*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5)

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone/iphone5

Limestone1

coylemj wrote: »

Fine, then perhaps you'd like to advise the OP which of these three US models of iPhone5 he should buy...

• GSM model A1428*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 4 and 17)
• CDMA model A1429*: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25)
• GSM model A1429*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5)

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone/iphone5

Tks - I can see it now and compare what is available here. The Verizon and AT&T phones seem to cover all 3G bandwidths over this side so should be good to go.
$649 all in but no delivery until 26th Oct - probably will be available unlocked from apple by then.
Interesting point raised here is that these phones may not work on the 4 G networks rolled out in Ireland (taking Johnmb's point that they have not even auctioned the bandwidth here). I'm surprised there hasn't been more commentary on this. The iphone5 which are advertised as 4G in the US are referred to as 3G and wireless only on the UK and Ireland site.
If you are taking the US route the CDMA phone has the best chance of working on LTE here as it has the most and most relevant bands

godtabh

I didn't think the Verizon phone would work over here at all? I thought it used completely different technology

Zapp Brannigan

godtabh wrote: »

I didn't think the Verizon phone would work over here at all? I thought it used completely different technology

That used to be the case, but since the 4S the Verizon model also has a sim card slot.