FCC clears T-Mobile's iPhone 5 for AWS bandwidths
AppleInsider StaffFCC test photo of T-Mobile's iPhone 5. | Source: FCC
Coming on the heels of T-Mobile's "Uncarrier" event, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission published its report of the new A1428 iPhone 5 model bound for the carrier's network, complete with Advanced Wireless Services support.
First spotted by Engadget, the FCC report details the T-Mobile iPhone 5, including RF exposure and performance. Photos of the device are also found in the document, though the handset is cosmetically unchanged from current iterations.
It was reported earlier on Tuesday that, while still bearing the A1428 model number as the AT&T version, T-Mobile's iPhone 5 will support HSPA+ on AWS bandwidths, a feature not activated in Apple's existing handsets. The smartphone supposedly come modified straight from the factory, meaning AT&T iPhone 5 owners are unable to activate AWS capabilities with a firmware update.
However, once the phone launches on T-Mobile's network on April 12, Apple is said to be replacing the older A1428 with the new AWS-supporting model.
T-Mobile is the last of the "Big Four" U.S. wireless telecoms to become an Apple partner carrier, and will feature the handset as a flagship LTE smartphone for its new 4G network. As part of a no-subsidy pricing scheme, the 16GB iPhone 5 will be sold for a $99 up-front fee, with the remaining price spread out over 20 additional monthly payments of $20.
The iPhone 5 goes on sale on April 12 in T-Mobile's retail stores, while preorders kick off on April 5.
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