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Unlocked GSM iPhones on T-Mobile could get LTE with carrier update

T-Mobile customers that brought their iPhones over to the carrier will see feature enhancements and perhaps even a data speed boost when the carrier rolls out an update on Friday.

TmoNews on Tuesday carried an image of a leaked screenshot showing a carrier update set for April 5. The update will bring features like Visual Voicemail, and MMS Settings, as well as "Network/Device optimizations that customers do not have access to today."

While unconfirmed, it is possible that these "optimizations" will give current iPhone owners on T-Mobile access to the network's LTE network. Currently, data speeds for iPhones on T-Mobile's network top out at 2G EDGE levels. The iPhone 5, when it reaches T-Mobile, will be able to take advantage of the carrier's new high-speed network.

Apple's iPhone 5 will make its official debut on T-Mobile on April 12, for $99 on the carrier's new UNCarrier payment plans. The OTA update for current T-Mobile iPhone users will go out to devices running iOS 6.1.x or higher beginning April 5.

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9 Comments

apple ][

said about 11 years ago

Some people think that the T-Mobile iPhone 5's that they will be selling are unlocked, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I did some quick research into the T-Mobile iPhones, and it seems that they are not unlocked, until somebody has fully paid them off.

So, if a person needs a fully unlocked iPhone from T-Mobile, it looks like they have two choices, either pay the full amount for the phone up front, or wait 2 years until the phone is fully paid off, then it can be made unlocked.

Dan_Dilger

said about 11 years ago

LTE support for existing, unlocked iPhone 5 phones would be sort of useful (T-Mobile only has LTE up in a very few markets right now), but if this update also provides the new firmware to enable 3G over AWS it would make the existing (pre-T-Mobile deal) iPhone 5 far more useful on the T-Mobile network. AWS is T-Mobile's oddball frequency used for 3G. The carrier supports fast 3G in many markets that is comparable to LTE (which is why T-Mobile has marketed this as 4G). It appears Apple designed support for Tmobile AWS/LTE into iPhone 5 and you just need the new firmware to activate these features (along with Visual Voicemail and support for its MMS, etc.)

muadibe

said about 11 years ago

[quote name="Apple ][" url="/t/156776/unlocked-gsm-iphones-on-t-mobile-could-get-lte-with-carrier-update#post_2303800"]Some people think that the T-Mobile iPhone 5's that they will be selling are unlocked, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I did some quick research into the T-Mobile iPhones, and it seems that they are not unlocked, until somebody has fully paid them off. So, if a person needs a fully unlocked iPhone from T-Mobile, it looks like they have two choices, either pay the full amount for the phone up front, or wait 2 years until the phone is fully paid off, then it can be made unlocked. [/quote] Actually, you can pay off the phone at any point over the two year period, even after just one month, at which point you will still have saved $70 off the full price from Apple.

muadibe

said about 11 years ago

"Currently, data speeds for iPhones on T-Mobile's network top out at 2G EDGE levels." This is a totally false statement. I have been using an unlocked iPhone 4S on TMO and getting as much as 10 Mpbs down. TMO has HSPA+ and HSPA+42. It is the faster HSPA+42 network that current iPhones (including my 4S) cannot access. To be clear, that's 10 Mpbs on their SLOWER HSPA network. I imagine the speeds will be greater on their HSPA+ 42 and LTE networks.

apple ][

said about 11 years ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by muadibe

View Post

Actually, you can pay off the phone at any point over the two year period, even after just one month, at which point you will still have saved $70 off the full price from Apple.

I agree that the T-Mobile iPhone 5 is definitely a better deal than getting it directly from Apple, since you're paying about $580 instead of $650.

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