Apple Testing iPhone on T-Mobile USA (Photos)

When the iPhone launched four years ago, in June of 2007, it was exclusive to AT&T. That exclusivity was supposed to last for five years, but it ended earlier this year when Verizon announced that the iPhone 4 was arriving on Big Red’s network. However, it seems Verizon’s run as ‘the other iPhone provider’ may be short-lived as pictures surfaced over the weekend to suggest the Apple smartphone could soon be headed to T-Mobile.

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Jane McEntegart works in marketing communications at Intel and was previously Manager of Content Marketing at ASUS North America. Before that, she worked for more than seven years at Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware, holding such roles as Contributing Editor and Senior News Editor and writing about everything from smartphones to tablets and games consoles.

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12 Comments Comment from the forums

house70

I wonder what the 3G bands of ATT will look like after they integrate T-mobile's network. That means either they'll keep all the 3g bands, pretty much adding the AWS 1700 to their line-up, or they will eliminate the AWS altogether and just expand the current 3G. Either way, the phones with AWS radios will be limited to current T-mob coverage, which does not make much sense... If you have a 3G phone with ATT they need to provide same 3G coverage regardless of the radio inside.
Wait and see, I guess..
Reply
memadmax

Why the proto?
Change of SIM would work right?
They should know how to "jailbreak" their own phone right?
Reply
house70

memadmaxWhy the proto?Change of SIM would work right?They should know how to "jailbreak" their own phone right?Is a proto, means not yet in production.
no jailbreak needed, the phone is factory-unlocked. and no need for third-party apps. They're just testing the radio.
Reply
sabrex

house70Is a proto, means not yet in production. no jailbreak needed, the phone is factory-unlocked. and no need for third-party apps. They're just testing the radio.
A change of SIM does not work because T-Mobile runs on AWS1700, and AT&T doesn't. It's the same reason Canadian Wind and Mobilicity customers cannot currently use the iPhone on their respective networks whereas Rogers, Bell, and Telus customers can since they use the standard UMTS/HSPA network that most of the rest of the world, including AT&T, uses. I may be mistaken, but I believe that if Apple wanted to, they could use the current 1X/EVDO iPhone 4 used by Verizon for Sprint as well without modification.
Reply
saxplayingcompnerd

toms, every article has spam for comments GET RID OF THE SPAMMERS BEFORE YOU LOSE YouR READERS

FYI everyone, the report spam comments box has no word limit.
Reply
TheKurrgan

This is probably not really a good move on Apples part.. Seeing as how the smartest thing for AT&T to do when they acquire tmobile is to combine their coverage, and in essence buying the spectrum.. so a Quad band radio for 850/1700/1900/2100 HSPA in an iPhone 4 GSM would make since, as it would be a single production unit for ALL GSM carriers at that point.. but this would make too much sense
Reply
nebun

AT&T or T-Mobile is the same network...just wait untill AT&T take over T-Mobile, they will destroy that company and it's customers, lol.....Verizon all the way
Reply
house70

sabrexA change of SIM does not work because T-Mobile runs on AWS1700, and AT&T doesn't. It's the same reason Canadian Wind and Mobilicity customers cannot currently use the iPhone on their respective networks whereas Rogers, Bell, and Telus customers can since they use the standard UMTS/HSPA network that most of the rest of the world, including AT&T, uses. I may be mistaken, but I believe that if Apple wanted to, they could use the current 1X/EVDO iPhone 4 used by Verizon for Sprint as well without modification.you quoted the wrong comment, dude... lol
Reply
feeddagoat

Didn't at&t buyout t-mobile US?
Reply
toastninja17

Well I mean, Sprint sucks so..
Reply

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