If Apple manages to force the carriers to compete on features and price of the their services and stop the subsidy loansharking, they'll deserve a massive pat on the back.
Why would they? Apple benefits immensely from subsidies, as an end user pays the same amount as they would for any other phone, but they charge the carrier $100 more (iPhone 5 16GB unsubsidized - $649, Galaxy S III 16GB unsubsidized - $549)
I don't know where you get your numbers phone but Samsung devices are as much or more than Apple's. The S3 just went down slightly in a few cases because the S4 was announced.
"If T-Mobile manages to force the carriers to compete on features and price of the their services and stop the subsidy loansharking, they'll deserve a massive pat on the back."
I fixed that for you. Not sure how you were crediting T-Mobile's strategy to Apple. It's part of their whole "uncarrier" effort, and doesn't revolve solely around the iPhone 5 or any single device from Apple or anyone else. I hope it works and we get similar contract free offerings from the big 3, but Apple hasn't exactly been breaking the mold here for the last 5 years with AT&T/Verizon/Sprint.
You seemed to have missed the part where that has no relevance to breaking the subsidy stranglehold the big carriers have on America. I'm fully aware that it will be the same phone, and I'm fully aware that the hardware is the same as the old (AT&T) phone. Why would Apple make multiple models with radios that support the same bands? If they could have made one model that supported every band they needed across the globe they would have. That doesn't have anything to do with Apple (not) paving the way for the end of highly subsidized contracts here. Apple is not a carrier. And Apple has never stipulated to AT&T/Verizon/Sprint that in order to sell the iPhone they had to offer contract free pricing. If you want to point a finger at someone in the same space that has actually made real attempts to disrupt the subsidy model here it is Google with the cheap unlocked Nexus line, not that the exercise has been enormously successful so far.
It will. The short version of the difference is that the new model supports HSPA+ 42Mbps (on 1700MHz), but the old one will cap out at HSPA+ 21Mbps (on 1900MHz). Both new and old will support LTE.
Are you certain...? I was told by an Apple 800# rep via chat that the old A1428 will support HSPA+14.4 and not T-Mobile's faster HSPA+42...
There still may be confusion. For those with unlocked AT&T iPhone 4 & 4S that want to churn for the cheaper $50/mo unlimited 3G/throttled LTE on T-Mobile, it would be cool to know the full answer. ;)
Yup, and that's how it's been reported everywhere after the dust settled. TMO has single carrier 21Mbps on PCS which the AT&T iPhone 5 can use. Their dual carrier (42Mbps) is all AWS, which is what's not going to work unless they change their mind and offer a firmware update. I imagine some creative folks will come up with a way around the lack of an official baseband update though.
This is particularly relevant in Canada, where adding support for AWS spectrum will bring the iPhone to at least three carriers, two of them national new-entrants (recently entered the market, WIND and Mobilicity), and one of them a regional incumbent cableco (Videotron). Getting the iPhone to these new carriers has the potential to shake up the market, since the lack of an iPhone has certainly not been helping the new carriers compete against the incumbents.
Yeah, i was wondering if this would enable WIND/Mobilicity to start carrying the iPhone, as that was one of things that has kept me from going to the new cheaper carriers. :S
I am curious to know if Apple will update unlocked iPhones with the new firmware.
I bought an unlocked iPhone 5 in December for use on T-Mobile. I am not that interested in LTE, I just want to maintain a solid 3G connection. T-Mobile's 1900 MHz update has been great, when I have it but it is very annoying to fall back on EDGE.
I agree. If it's not even a hardware change just software, why can't I get it on the 32GB iPhone 5 I bought unlocked at an Apple store + AppleCare for $900?! I mean COME ON! That's horrible customer service. When the new version ships I'm going to go to the Apple store and demand the software update or ask for an exchange for a new model 32GB phone that will have software to take advantage of the carrier I am using.
Thank you Brian, not the answer I wanted to hear but T-Mobile has been moving rather quickly with the 1900 MHz upgrade. I really have no choice but deal with it. I will however be sure to voice my displeasure over this matter to Apple.
I'm guessing Apple and T-Mobile reached an agreement in which Apple would not release a firmware update enabling the DC-HSDPA AWS bands on the existing iPhone 5s. After all, Apple usually requires each carrier to purchase a minimum number of iPhones, and T-Mobile probably prefers that people coming to them buy new iPhones rather than take unlocked AT&T versions.
Seems doubtful. T-Mobile is quite happy to have you bring your AT&T iPhone over to their network. They just went through a huge refarming of their 1900MHz network to give AT&T expats 3G on their existing devices. They've openly bragged about how many iPhones they've had on their network for a while now, and those users were suffering with edge up until the refarm.
But that was before they made a commitment to sell the iPhone. Now they have a quota, and as C-Spire found out, meeting it can be easier said than done.
Last week I traveled from Raleigh NC to Washington DC to Philly, PA. I have a gsm phone on the t-mobile network and never once had a 3g connection on the 1900mhz band. I stood on the Washington mall, right in front of the capital, I also ran to the top of the art museum steps in Philly (yeah, all Rocky-like) and all I ever got was EDGE. So much for their huge refarming effort.
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RyanM - Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - link
If Apple manages to force the carriers to compete on features and price of the their services and stop the subsidy loansharking, they'll deserve a massive pat on the back.jeffkibuule - Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - link
Why would they? Apple benefits immensely from subsidies, as an end user pays the same amount as they would for any other phone, but they charge the carrier $100 more (iPhone 5 16GB unsubsidized - $649, Galaxy S III 16GB unsubsidized - $549)gonzopancho - Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - link
On T-Mobile, the iPhone 5 16GB is $580, while the Galaxy S III 16GB is $600.darwinosx - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link
I don't know where you get your numbers phone but Samsung devices are as much or more than Apple's. The S3 just went down slightly in a few cases because the S4 was announced.Bob Todd - Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - link
"If T-Mobile manages to force the carriers to compete on features and price of the their services and stop the subsidy loansharking, they'll deserve a massive pat on the back."I fixed that for you. Not sure how you were crediting T-Mobile's strategy to Apple. It's part of their whole "uncarrier" effort, and doesn't revolve solely around the iPhone 5 or any single device from Apple or anyone else. I hope it works and we get similar contract free offerings from the big 3, but Apple hasn't exactly been breaking the mold here for the last 5 years with AT&T/Verizon/Sprint.
gonzopancho - Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - link
You seem to have missed the part where the same iPhone model will be available for both AT&T and T-Mobile.Bob Todd - Wednesday, March 27, 2013 - link
You seemed to have missed the part where that has no relevance to breaking the subsidy stranglehold the big carriers have on America. I'm fully aware that it will be the same phone, and I'm fully aware that the hardware is the same as the old (AT&T) phone. Why would Apple make multiple models with radios that support the same bands? If they could have made one model that supported every band they needed across the globe they would have. That doesn't have anything to do with Apple (not) paving the way for the end of highly subsidized contracts here. Apple is not a carrier. And Apple has never stipulated to AT&T/Verizon/Sprint that in order to sell the iPhone they had to offer contract free pricing. If you want to point a finger at someone in the same space that has actually made real attempts to disrupt the subsidy model here it is Google with the cheap unlocked Nexus line, not that the exercise has been enormously successful so far.darwinosx - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link
Everyone benefits from subsidizing. But lets pretend like its only Apple because you have an Android phone. Loansharking..right.jeffkibuule - Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - link
A real shame about the lack of AWS WCDMA. Oh well. Hopefully AWS LTE will still work with the current A1428 models.Bob Todd - Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - link
It will. The short version of the difference is that the new model supports HSPA+ 42Mbps (on 1700MHz), but the old one will cap out at HSPA+ 21Mbps (on 1900MHz). Both new and old will support LTE.guju - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
Are you certain...? I was told by an Apple 800# rep via chat that the old A1428 will support HSPA+14.4 and not T-Mobile's faster HSPA+42...There still may be confusion. For those with unlocked AT&T iPhone 4 & 4S that want to churn for the cheaper $50/mo unlimited 3G/throttled LTE on T-Mobile, it would be cool to know the full answer. ;)
Bob Todd - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link
Yup, and that's how it's been reported everywhere after the dust settled. TMO has single carrier 21Mbps on PCS which the AT&T iPhone 5 can use. Their dual carrier (42Mbps) is all AWS, which is what's not going to work unless they change their mind and offer a firmware update. I imagine some creative folks will come up with a way around the lack of an official baseband update though.Brian Klug - Wednesday, March 27, 2013 - link
AWS LTE will work on both Old and New A1428 models as soon as Apple begins exposing the TMOUS LTE .ipcc-Brian
IHateMyJob2004 - Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - link
Where is the front page Blackberrry Z10 review?gonzopancho - Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - link
in my pantsdarwinosx - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link
Yeah there are at least 3 people who care about a Z10 review. Maybe 2.r3loaded - Wednesday, March 27, 2013 - link
So....is there a way to flash the updated baseband onto existing A1428 iPhones?Guspaz - Wednesday, March 27, 2013 - link
This is particularly relevant in Canada, where adding support for AWS spectrum will bring the iPhone to at least three carriers, two of them national new-entrants (recently entered the market, WIND and Mobilicity), and one of them a regional incumbent cableco (Videotron). Getting the iPhone to these new carriers has the potential to shake up the market, since the lack of an iPhone has certainly not been helping the new carriers compete against the incumbents.coldpower27 - Wednesday, March 27, 2013 - link
Yeah, i was wondering if this would enable WIND/Mobilicity to start carrying the iPhone, as that was one of things that has kept me from going to the new cheaper carriers. :Snrm590 - Wednesday, March 27, 2013 - link
I am curious to know if Apple will update unlocked iPhones with the new firmware.I bought an unlocked iPhone 5 in December for use on T-Mobile. I am not that interested in LTE, I just want to maintain a solid 3G connection. T-Mobile's 1900 MHz update has been great, when I have it but it is very annoying to fall back on EDGE.
bh661 - Wednesday, March 27, 2013 - link
Same here. I hope Apple comes out with an update for current A1428 users. If not, hope it's something the dev community can provide a fix for.hfm - Wednesday, March 27, 2013 - link
I agree. If it's not even a hardware change just software, why can't I get it on the 32GB iPhone 5 I bought unlocked at an Apple store + AppleCare for $900?! I mean COME ON! That's horrible customer service. When the new version ships I'm going to go to the Apple store and demand the software update or ask for an exchange for a new model 32GB phone that will have software to take advantage of the carrier I am using.I just don't get it.
darwinosx - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link
Thats because you didn't read and comprehend the article.Brian Klug - Wednesday, March 27, 2013 - link
Apple has stated there will be no software update for existing users to enable AWS WCDMA.-Brian
nrm590 - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
Thank you Brian, not the answer I wanted to hear but T-Mobile has been moving rather quickly with the 1900 MHz upgrade. I really have no choice but deal with it. I will however be sure to voice my displeasure over this matter to Apple.darwinosx - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link
Because that won't fix the issue.KPOM - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
I'm guessing Apple and T-Mobile reached an agreement in which Apple would not release a firmware update enabling the DC-HSDPA AWS bands on the existing iPhone 5s. After all, Apple usually requires each carrier to purchase a minimum number of iPhones, and T-Mobile probably prefers that people coming to them buy new iPhones rather than take unlocked AT&T versions.Bob Todd - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
Seems doubtful. T-Mobile is quite happy to have you bring your AT&T iPhone over to their network. They just went through a huge refarming of their 1900MHz network to give AT&T expats 3G on their existing devices. They've openly bragged about how many iPhones they've had on their network for a while now, and those users were suffering with edge up until the refarm.KPOM - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
But that was before they made a commitment to sell the iPhone. Now they have a quota, and as C-Spire found out, meeting it can be easier said than done.stencil - Monday, April 8, 2013 - link
Last week I traveled from Raleigh NC to Washington DC to Philly, PA. I have a gsm phone on the t-mobile network and never once had a 3g connection on the 1900mhz band. I stood on the Washington mall, right in front of the capital, I also ran to the top of the art museum steps in Philly (yeah, all Rocky-like) and all I ever got was EDGE. So much for their huge refarming effort.