SUMMARY:
So you’re buying one of Apple’s newly unlocked iPhone 5s.
Now you just need to figure out what carrier to take it to. If you want LTE
your only current option is AT&T, but there are plenty of 3G options out
there.
Apple started selling unlocked versions of the iPhone 5 in its
online store last night, allowing the contract-averse to pay full
price for their device and then take it wherever they damn well choose.
Assuming you’re willing to shell out the $649 to $849 necessary to buy the
unsubsidized device, what exactly are your carrier options?
Apple produced
three versions of the iPhone 5 for different carriers and global
regions, but the only unlocked version it appears to be selling is the GSM-LTE
device for AT&T and the Canadian operators’ networks. That means you won’t
be able to bring your pricey new gadget to a CDMA carrier like Verizon, Sprint,
Cricket, MetroPCS or US Cellular. But the device will work on the networks of
almost any GSM operator globally, whether AT&T, T-Mobile or Cincinnati
Bell, Vodafone, Softbank or Telefonica. You just need to plug in the carrier’s
SIM card.
There’s one big caveat though: While GSM (i.e. voice and 2G
data) will work fine on the iPhone 5, more advance, faster data capabilities
are a toss up, especially here in the US. If you’re hoping to get LTE access
here in the States, then I’m afraid you’re out of luck. For now there’s a
single US operator that has an large LTE network supporting this version of the
iPhone, and that operator is AT&T. But that situation is changing as I’ll
discuss more below. And there are definitely some decent carrier options for 3G
out there.
Straight Talk
If you haven’t read my colleague Kevin Tofel’s definitive
post on the virtues
and vices of Tracfone’s SIM-card smartphone service Straight Talk,
well, then you should. Straight Talk is a mobile virtual network operator
(MVNO) that uses AT&T and T-Mobiles’ networks, but far undercuts both
carriers in price. For $45 a month you get unlimited voice, SMS and roughly 100
MB a day of data.
For the iPhone 5, you’ll want to get a Straight Talk
AT&T SIM, since you’ll have access to far greater 3G HSPA coverage. And
while the iPhone 5 could technically access AT&T’s LTE network, Ma Bell
hasn’t started offering up 4G access to its MVNOs yet so you’ll get HSPA
speeds.
There are several other
AT&T MVNOs that offer similar bring-your-own-iPhone plans: H2O
Wireless and Red Pocket are two. Another MVNO you might want to look at in the
future is FreedomPop. It is developing a WiMAX sleeve for the iPhone 5, and
will eventually offer a VoIP service. Once those pieces are in place, it
will basically turn the iPhone 5 into a data-only softphone.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile has been preparing
for the unlocked iPhone 5 since it was announced – it may not sell the
device, but it’s welcoming unlocked iPhone owners onto its network with open
arms. The problem is T-Mo’s current funky
network configuration means that it can only offer 2G data speeds on
the device in most parts of the country. T-Mobile is in the process of
reconfiguring its network, though, and hasiPhone-friendly
HSPA+ networks in 15 cities already.
In the next six months, its entire 3G network will be iPhone
ready. So if you can wait a few months for mobile broadband — or live in one of
the areas that already support faster HSPA+ speeds on the 1900 MHz frequency —
signing up for one of T-Mobile’s
value plans could give you a boatload of data for much cheaper prices
than AT&T and Verizon are offering. Plus, since the iPhone 5 supports
dual-carrier HSPA+, T-Mobile’s 3G network will be able to deliver
near LTE speeds.
There’s another advantage to going with T-Mo. It’s LTE
network will go live in the second half of 2013 over 1700 MHz/2100 MHz
Advanced Wireless Service (AWS) band, which the unlocked iPhone just happens to
support. The iPhone’s data capabilities may be limited on T-Mobile today, but
it will be fully
compatible next year.
AT&T
This may seem like a strange option, since most people
buying an unlocked iPhone are trying to get away from the big carriers and
their contracts, but the fact remains that AT&T is the only operator that
can support the GSM iPhone 5’s full complement of 3G and 4G data connections.
The advantage of using AT&T off contract is that when better options
emerge, you’re not tied down to a two-year commitment. You can start off with
AT&T, and when Straight Talk or T-Mobile gets LTE you can make the switch.
One final word of warning. To support the iPhone 5, your
carrier will need a nano-SIM card, which is smaller than the standard micro-SIM
most carriers use. Check to make sure your chosen carrier offers it before you
take the plunge. Otherwise you’ll be forced to perform surgery on your SIM to
get it to fit.
source: http://gigaom.com/2012/11/30/what-can-you-do-with-an-unlocked-iphone-5-here-are-3-options/
by Kevin Fitchard
http://www.buyetail.com
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