New generation of iPhone has been officially available and it comes in two versions this time, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Apart from considering between a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch iPhone, consumers also have to deal with choosing among different models, including A1549, A1586, A1589, A1522, A1524 and A1593.
Read also: Differences between iPhone 6S Models (A1633, A1634, A1688 and A1687)
As VoLTE hasn’t become popular worldwide yet, I’d recommend you to check carefully so that you can purchase the most compatible one. The model numbers of iPhones can easily be found on the box or on the back cover. The amount of iPhone 6’s model numbers is less than iPhone 5S’, then it is much easier for us to pick the right one. So, what are the differences between those iPhone models? Let’s check them out.
iPhone 6
The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 comes in 3 model numbers, which are iPhone A1549 (GSM), A1549 (CDMA) and A1586. Here are details of those models:
1. A1549 (GSM): This model is compatible with 4G LTE networks on some major carriers in the US and Canada like AT&T, T-Mobile, Rogers (Fido). It supports following LTE bands: 1 (2100 MHz), 2 (1900 MHz), 3 (1800 MHz), 4 (AWS), 5 (850 MHz), 7 (2600 MHz), 8 (900 MHz), 13 (700c MHz), 17 (700b MHz), 18 (800 MHz), 19 (800 MHz), 20 (800 DD), 25 (1900 MHz), 26 (800 MHz), 28 (700 APT MHz) and 29 (700 de MHz). Besides, the GSM version also works on UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz) and GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz).
Read also: iPhone 6 A1549 (T-Mobile) Review
Below are some part numbers of the model:
United States:
iPhone 6 16GB Gold (GSM) T-Mobile MG562LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Gold (GSM) T-Mobile MG5D2LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Gold (GSM) T-Mobile MG592LL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Space Gray (GSM) T-Mobile MG542LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Space Gray (GSM) T-Mobile MG5A2LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Space Gray (GSM) T-Mobile MG572LL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Silver (GSM) T-Mobile MG552LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Silver (GSM) T-Mobile MG5C2LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Silver (GSM) T-Mobile MG582LL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Gold (GSM) AT&T MG4Q2LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Gold (GSM) AT&T MG502LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Gold (GSM) AT&T MG4V2LL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Space Gray (GSM) AT&T MG4N2LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Space Gray (GSM) AT&T MG4W2LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Space Gray (GSM) AT&T MG4R2LL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Silver (GSM) AT&T MG4P2LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Silver (GSM) AT&T MG4X2LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Silver (GSM) AT&T MG4U2LL/A
Canada:
iPhone 6 16GB Gold Unlocked MG3D2CL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Gold Unlocked MG3L2CL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Gold Unlocked MG3G2CL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Space Grey Unlocked MG3A2CL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Space Grey Unlocked MG3H2CL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Space Grey Unlocked MG3E2CL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Silver Unlocked MG3C2CL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Silver Unlocked MG3K2CL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Silver Unlocked MG3F2CL/A
2. A1549 (CDMA): This is considered as the world phone version. It supports all the same spectrum frequencies as the A1549 (GSM) and also includes CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (with 800, 1700/2100, 1900 and 2100 MHz bands). Besides, it works on UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) and 4G LTE bands include bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29. The model is compatible with Verizon and Cricket in the US. However, if you buy an unlocked Verizon phone, you will be able to use it on any other GSM networks like T-Mobile and AT&T as well. Here are some part numbers of this model:
United States:
iPhone 6 16GB Gold (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MG5Y2LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Gold (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MG652LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Gold (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MG622LL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Space Gray (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MG5W2LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Space Gray (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MG632LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Space Gray (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MG602LL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Silver (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MG5X2LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Silver (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MG642LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Silver (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MG612LL/A
3. A1586: This version is sold locked on some CDMA carriers in the US like C Spire, Sprint and US Cellular. This is the most versatile version but you won’t be able to unlock it easily in the US. Therefore, you have more chances to buy the factory unlocked A1586 in Asia or Europe. The unlocked version is also available on Amazon through some retailers but it can be a little more expensive. The model works on CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz) and TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A). Compatible 4G LTE bands are FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29) and TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41 which are corresponding to frequencies 2600 Mhz, 1900 Mhz, 2300 Mhz and 2500 Mhz). Along with the iPhone 6 Plus A1524, this model supports both TD-SCDMA bands of China Mobile and band 39 for TD-LTE. The bands 38 and 40 are also available, so you absolutely can use LTE in Europe, Asia and Latin America. The LTE will work on China Mobile Hong Kong, CSL, Hutchison, SmarTone in Hong Kong, Deutsche Telekom, O2, Vodafone in Germany, Optus (Virgin), Telstra, Vodafone in Australia, and 3, EE, O2 (Giffgaff), Vodafone in the UK. Below are part numbers of this model:
iPhone 6 16GB Gold (CDMA) Sprint MG6C2LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Gold (CDMA) Sprint MG6J2LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Gold (CDMA) Sprint MG6F2LL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Space Gray (CDMA) Sprint MG692LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Space Gray (CDMA) Sprint MG6G2LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Space Gray (CDMA) Sprint MG6D2LL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Silver (CDMA) Sprint MG6A2LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Silver (CDMA) Sprint MG6H2LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Silver (CDMA) Sprint MG6E2LL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Gold Sprint Factory Unlocked MG492LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Gold Sprint Factory Unlocked MG4J2LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Gold Sprint Factory Unlocked MG4E2LL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Space Gray Sprint Factory Unlocked MG472LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Space Gray Sprint Factory Unlocked MG4F2LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Space Gray Sprint Factory Unlocked MG4A2LL/A
iPhone 6 16GB Silver Sprint Factory Unlocked MG482LL/A
iPhone 6 64GB Silver Sprint Factory Unlocked MG4H2LL/A
iPhone 6 128GB Silver Sprint Factory Unlocked MG4C2LL/A
4. A1589: This version is available exclusively on China Mobile and you should only buy it if you don’t plan to use it on any other carrier. The iPhone 6 A1589 is compatible with TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A) as well as TD-LTE bands 38, 39, 40, 41, and GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz). Notably, the model also supports UMTS (WCDMA)/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz) and FDD-LTE (band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29) but they apply only to international roaming. That means 3G and 4G LTE of this phone won’t be compatible with China Telecom and China Unicom.
iPhone 6 Plus
At the moment, the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus has 3 model numbers, which are A1522 (GSM), A1522 (CDMA) and A1524. Basically, the A1522 (GSM) bands are the same as iPhone A1549 (GSM), A1522 (CDMA)’s bands are the same as A1549 (CDMA), A1593 is the same as A1589 and A1524 is corresponding to the A1586. Details are shown below.
1. A1522 (GSM): This is the popular iPhone 6 Plus version that can work properly on most GSM carriers over the world, including United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Its compatible bands are GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz) and LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29).
Read also: iPhone 6 Plus A1522 (T-Mobile) Review
Here are some known part numbers of the model:
United States:
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Gold (GSM) T-Mobile MGC12LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Gold (GSM) T-Mobile MGC72LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Gold (GSM) T-Mobile MGC42LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Space Gray (GSM) T-Mobile MGAX2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Space Gray (GSM) T-Mobile MGC52LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus128GB Space Gray (GSM) T-Mobile MGC22LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Silver (GSM) T-Mobile MGC02LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Silver (GSM) T-Mobile MGC62LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Silver (GSM) T-Mobile MGC32LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Gold (GSM) AT&T MGAN2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Gold (GSM) AT&T MGAW2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Gold (GSM) AT&T MGAR2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Space Gray (GSM) AT&T MGAL2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Space Gray (GSM) AT&T MGAU2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Space Gray (GSM) AT&T MGAP2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Silver (GSM) AT&T MGAM2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Silver (GSM) AT&T MGAV2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Silver (GSM) AT&T MGAQ2LL/A
Canada
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Gold Unlocked MG9P2CL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Gold Unlocked MG9W2CL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Gold Unlocked MG9T2CL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Space Grey Unlocked MG9M2CL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Space Grey Unlocked MG9U2CL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Space Grey Unlocked MG9Q2CL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Silver Unlocked MG9N2CL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Silver Unlocked MG9V2CL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Silver Unlocked MG9R2CL/A
2. A1522 (CDMA): This is the world phone version of the iPhone 6 Plus, it is the one you get when you buy it through Verizon. As all Verizon iPhones are factory unlocked, it can work on most CDMA and GSM networks in the world. To know if it is compatible with carriers in your country, check out its radio frequencies: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz) and LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29). Some known part numbers are listed below:
United States:
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Gold (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MGCM2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Gold (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MGCU2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Gold (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MGCQ2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Space Gray (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MGCK2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Space Gray (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MGCR2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Space Gray (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MGCN2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Silver (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MGCL2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Silver (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MGCT2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Silver (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MGCP2LL/A
3. A1524: The model is available via Sprint in the US and it is sold locked to the CDMA carrier. However, you can buy the unlocked iPhone 6 Plus in some countries in Asia and Europe like Singapore, Hong Kong, or Japan. It has a wide range of spectrum frequencies and technically it is compatible with any GSM or CDMA operator. However, the problem is that you won’t be able to buy the version easily in the US. If you want to buy the factory unlocked iPhone 6 Plus A1524 in the US, you can look for it on Amazon but absolutely it will be priced higher than the T-Mobile contract-free version found at Apple Store. Following are its radio frequencies: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz), TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz), FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29) and TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41). You will be able to use LTE in Europe and Asia including countries like China, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Germany, Singapore, Australia and the UK. Listed below are some part numbers:
United States:
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Gold (CDMA) Sprint MGCX2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Gold (CDMA) Sprint MGD42LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Gold (CDMA) Sprint MGD12LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Space Gray (CDMA) Sprint MGCV2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Space Gray (CDMA) Sprint MGD22LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Space Gray (CDMA) Sprint MGCY2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Silver (CDMA) Sprint MGCW2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Silver (CDMA) Sprint MGD32LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Silver (CDMA) Sprint MGD02LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Gold Sprint Factory Unlocked MGAA2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Gold Sprint Factory Unlocked MGAK2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Gold Sprint Factory Unlocked MGAF2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Space Gray Sprint Factory Unlocked MGA82LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Space Gray Sprint Factory Unlocked MGAH2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Space Gray Sprint Factory Unlocked MGAC2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB Silver Sprint Factory Unlocked MGA92LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Silver Sprint Factory Unlocked MGAJ2LL/A
iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Silver Sprint Factory Unlocked MGAE2LL/A
4. A1593: This version is distributed exclusively by China Mobile, the largest carrier in China. Therefore, you shouldn’t buy it if you want to use on other carriers. It supports TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A), TD-LTE (bands 38, 39, 40, 41) and GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz). Some bands of UMTS(WCDMA) /HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz) and FDD-LTE (band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29) are also available but they can’t be used inside mainland China, they work only for international roaming purposes.
Leave a comment below if you have any issue picking a suitable iPhone 6 or iPhone 6S model. I’d love to help.
Elizabeth C says
Hi,
Here is where I am struggling. I live in England and am moving back to the US in June 2015. I would like to get the unlocked iPhone 6 Plus here in the UK and then be able to use it when I am back in the US under AT&T as a carrier. My concern is will this phone work in the US if bought from the UK and will LTE be an issue once I come back. From what I have read if I get model A1524 (which how do I know which model I would get?) will it work on AT&T’s network, will there be an issue of LTE not working to its’ full capacity if at all? I am beyond perplexed, any help would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Elizabeth
Tuan Do says
Hi Elizabeth,
If you buy the sim-free iPhone 6 Plus in the UK, you can be confident that it will be fully functional in the US, either on AT&T or T-Mobile.
If you buy the sim-free version in the US (A1522 GSM), some LTE bands aren’t cover and you may lose 4G signals sometimes. So, go for it.
Hope it helps.
Anthony says
It appears that it USED to be the case that some LTE bands weren’t covered but it seems that that’s no longer the case. If I’m reading this correctly, ALL LTE bands are covered with all models. It’s just the CDMA functionality that’s included with the Verizon versions. Do I have that right?
Tuan Do says
Hi Anthony,
Yes it will be alright if you use it in the US but as some countries in Asia and Europe are using TD-LTE, only the iPhone 6 A1586 or iPhone 6 Plus A1524 has the full compatibility.
robert says
Tuan,
can I use a recently purchased iphone 6 from Usa VERIZON in brazil to given as gift and all features work?
Many thanks
your too kind!
Elizabeth C says
Hi Tuan! Thank you so much for your help. I have one more question and then I hope this will put this to rest. Say if I buy the phone over here in England, how will I know beforehand if it is the A1524? Is the A1524 the only version that England will have?
You are a gem!
Thank you!
Elizabeth C
Tuan Do says
Hi Elizabeth,
I contacted sales team of Apple UK and they have no idea what is the model they will sell on September 19. So I’m not really sure if it is A1524 or A1522. It could be A1522 because the website stated “Unlocked iPhone isn’t tied to one network, so you have the freedom to choose any supported GSM network worldwide.”
I only can confirm my guess after the official release.
NP says
Hi Tuan/Elizabeth,
First I thank you for writing this article. It’s a nice piece of information that connects with the pieces I read from where else.
You probably know this by now–The 6+ GSM sold in the UK is A1524 GSM.
To Elizabeth, yes it will work fine with your US carrier (AT&T) assuming your phone is unlocked.
Cheers,
Antonio says
Dear tuan do,
I bought a sim free iphone 6 16gb in uk from dixons, would I be able to use it in Italy on italian providers such as vodafone,tre,tim ??
Thanks
NP says
Hi Antonio,
First, you didn’t say if your phone is CDMA or GSM. You need to check that first. (If you bought it in the UK, chances are it’s a GSM.) Then, check with your Italian providers if they’re CDMA or GSM. Assuming you’re unlocked, if matched then it will work fine.
Cheers,
steve says
Tuan Do,
I bought an A1524 from Japan (MGAH2J/A) sim free from the Japan apple store.
Will I be able to get T-Mobile LTE when I visit the USA?
Arigato.
NP says
Hi Steve,
Upon my research about iPhone 6/6+ I can confirm that your A1524 (sim free/unlocked) will work fine with T-Mobile LTE in the US.
Cheers,
Sharad says
Hi tuan
I think u r the best person who can help me with my question,
Kindly advice, which model of iphone6 plus cdma work for india.
Awaiting ur reply, rgds
BN Reddy says
I, think A1522(GSM) IPhone 6+ is the best phone to use in the world including India
Please confirm Mr.Tuan
Cheers
bn
vivi says
am planning to buy iphone 6 plus from US to use in india. as far as my knowledge, A1524 works well. but it is hard to find in US. so still confused whether to buy the unlocked T-mobile A1522 ( GSM ) or A1522 ( CDMA ).. any help would be very much appreciated.
Amir says
Dear Guys
I am a UAE citizen, which always traveling between UAE to Japan, USA, China, Iran and some other European countries during each year. It is because of my job. I have decided to buy a new iPhone 6 and got confused about it. After I look around and found this webpage, I have decided to ask a question. Which model of iPhone would be suitable for some body like me that always traveling too many countries? Please help me to find the exact model. Of course I have not any type iPhone model before and this is m first time I used to have apple products.
Sincerely yours
Amir
Ang says
Quick question, i bought an at&t iphone 6 on contract in the USA, but i am plsnning to shift to india soon, so will it work in India with 3G netwrk if not 4g?
Imma says
Wich model is better for MALDIVES
Kürşat says
Hi Tuan if i buy iphone 6 64 gb a1586 or 1589 in the us and if i come to Turkey does that phone work properly?What do you think of it?
Alexandros C says
Hello i am planning to get an iphone 6 16gb from bahrain. Will it work in Europe and more specifically in Cyprus?
Thank you
James says
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paul says
Hello
what is the best model for europe?
Thank you
Tuan Do says
A1586 for iPhone 6 and A1524 for iPhone 6 Plus.
Joan says
Hi Tuan!
I am from Spain, and I am going to live in the US for a short time. My planning is to buy there in the US an iPhone 6 sim-free to use it in Barcelona afterwards. Is it possible, when buying it, to ask for the A1586 unlocked? or I have to go for the A1549 (CDMA) unlocked?
Just in case… I am using Telefonica as my carrier, both A1586 and A1549 (CDMA) would work?
Thanks in advance!
Tuan Do says
Hi Joan,
The iPhone A1586 is available on Sprint only and I guess you won’t be able to buy an unlocked A1586 in the US. You have to be an active Sprint customer for at least 90 days to unlock it. Here are their requirements:
1) The device be currently active on an active Sprint Account for 90 days
2) The account be at least 90 days old
3) The account not be delinquent
4) The account not be on an Account Spending Limit
So, you can buy the A1549 GSM at Apple Store or A1549 CDMA at Verizon.
I just searched for Telefonica in Spain, is it offering GSM 900/1800 MHz and using the 1,800 MHz and 800 MHz frequency bands for LTE? If it is correct, you shouldn’t have any problem. :)
DK says
just bought 2 Sprint version iPhones (A1586) from the Apple Store at full retail price ($750 + tax/each) and popped in my China Mobile SIM and it worked fine. Had the two phones taken to China and they work fine too. My boss on the other hand went to a Sprint retail shop and financed five iPhone 6+ (A1524) from Sprint and took them to China too and none of them worked. I think the key was purchasing from Apple instead of Sprint and paying full retail instead of financing anything and being locked into a contract. Hope this helps others! :)
Nate G. says
Tuan Do, first off, thank you for your extremely informative article. I’m glad to see I have the most capable iPhone 6 (A1586) as I will be living in Korea for several months soon and also enjoy traveling to the UK and Europe as frequently as I can.
My question is with transfering my phone from Sprint to Verizon here in the US. Right now Verizon’s IMEI number checker shows that my device “isn’t compatable” with their network. Is this because my phone hasn’t been unlocked by Sprint yet? Or is it truely not compatable?
In addition to the four criteria you listed for having the phone unlocked, you also cannot have any financing on the phone still outstanding (hence my phone is not unlocked yet,). Once my phone is paid off and unlocked, will I be able to transfer my phone to Verizon’s service and network?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
ROGERS says
i want to know the cost of a housing modelA1586 THANKS I WILL BE GREATFULL TO HEAR FROM YOU
M says
Hi Tuan Do
But what’s the difference for Europe in general and how I choose a model? I am from Bosnia and Herzegovina. I want to take in the USA T-mobile contract free at Apple. How can I be sure it will work here ???
martin says
which version in europe? the a1586 coma or gsm?
zeynep says
If I buy an iphone 6 LTE network in Canada and have it unlocked. Than would I be able to use the phone in France? My provider is free. Please could you tell me how it works. Thank you so much.
Grant says
Hi Tuan Do,
I hope that you can help me. I currently live in the U.S. and use T-mobile, but am moving to China in a three months. I will be living there for the next five years so I would like to buy a model that is fully compatible with Chinese networks. I have a 100 dollar gift card and would like to purchase the unlocked T-mobile version of the iphone 6 while in the U.S., but am afraid of future compatibility issues upon moving to China. But I also know apple products are generally more expensive in China and don’t think I can use my gift card overseas. Should I buy now or wait ’til I’m in China?
Tuan Do says
Hi Grant,
This is not an easy decision. You will have 3 options:
1. Buy the T-Mobile version with your gift card: You still can use your phone but it won’t be able to get TD-SCDMA and TD-LTE on China Mobile.
2. Buy in China: In this case, you can’t use your gift card and as the iPhone 6’s release is being delayed in China. I’m not sure when you can buy it.
3. Buy the Sprint version: The Sprint version will have full compatibility in China, however, you will need to unlock it in the US before traveling. Sprint have some requirements as I mentioned in a comment above, you have to be active for at least 90 days. In case you want to unlock the iPhone 6 before that 90 day mark, you would need to have a case created by a Sprint agent after establishing your account. However, it will be difficult to get approved.
Hope it helps.
Grant says
Thank you very much Tuan Do for your answer. Using the T-Mobile version I know I won’t be able to get TD-SCDMA and TD-LTE on China Mobile , but would I be able to access 3G or 4G data on one of the other networks in China?
Tuan Do says
Sure,
You can’t use 3G on China Mobile because it runs on TD-SCDMA. However, China Telecom and China Unicom are using FDD-LTE on 2.1GHz and 1.8Ghz band respectively, so you shouldn’t have any problem using their 3G and 4G data.
Grant says
Thank you so much for the help! Such a great resource!
Dustin says
Hi,
All I would like to know is if China Unicom and/or Telecom also operate on FDD-LTE or TD-LTE which does not seem to be supported by the a1522 Verizon unlocked iPhone6+. I will only be able to use 3G with these networks or can I access 4G LTE?
Russ says
When I’m buying an unlocked iphone 6 from T-mobile online, how do I do which model I’m buying? For example model A1586…
thank you.
Helen says
I am in US, will be back China soon
What is the best iPhone 6 plus mobile for China mobile 4G TD-LTE?
Even if I bought locked iphone 6 plus sprint contract phone, is it work it in China ? China mobile ?
Thanks.
Tuan Do says
Hi Helen,
I answered a similar question above. Let me know if it helps.
Grant says
Hello,
I live in the U.S. but am moving to China and want to buy the A1586 because it seems that it is most compatible. Since you say the US version of the A1586 is un-lockable, should I should wait and buy in HK or Mainland China?
Thanks for the help!
Tuan Do says
Hi Grant,
According to Apple HK, The unlocked iPhone 6 will not work with CDMA-based carriers, so it can be the A1549 (GSM), so you will still have issues using it in China. I will wait until the official release in the next few days to confirm.
okas says
Pls I want to know why d camera for iphone6 designed by Apple in China assemble in China with model A1586 can’t take good pictures at night…. The picture are always dark, not colourful and I don’t like them…pls what should I do?
Sebastian says
I live in Africa and we have LTE band 3 here, I will however be moving to Germany in 2015, they also have band 3, 7, 20. So there is no problem right, it will all be compatible? However here comes the nut to crack, I will be getting my iPhone 6 or 6 Plus (haven’t decided yet) through a friend in Hong Kong. If he buys a 6/6 Plus from a legitimate Apple Store in Hong Kong, which model will they give him? Please let me know for both iPhone and 6 Plus. Thanks in advance.
Tuan Do says
You shouldn’t have any compatibility issue with the new iPhones. According to Apple HK, The unlocked iPhone 6/6 Plus will not work with CDMA-based carriers, so they can be the A1549 (GSM) and A1522 (GSM). But the A1586 and A1524 make more sense. I contacted Apple’s sales team but they don’t have this info yet. I can confirm with you after September 19.
Sebastian says
Well it would be perfect if they only have the GSM models cause they work on almost all GSM networks in the world right? Buying an iphone from Hong Kong is essentially 3500-4500 ZAR (equal to 300-400 US $) cheaper than in my country South Africa. So that would be quite convenient! Thanks for your quick reply! :)
Bastian says
Well it would be perfect if they only have the GSM models cause they work on almost all GSM networks in the world right??? Buying an iphone from Hong Kong is essentially 3500-4500 ZAR (equal to 300-400 US $) cheaper than in my country South Africa. So that would be quite convenient! Thanks for your quick reply!
Tuan Do says
Bastian,
Actually the other versions work on both GSM and CDMA, that’s why I called them world phones in the post.
Sebastian says
Ok thanks for explaining :) will you please let me know after 19 September which model will I get if I buy from Hong Kong Apple Store? Thanks a bunch! :)
Tuan Do says
I guess you will get the iPhone A1524/A1586 in Hong Kong.
Bastian says
Well i guess since these two models are considered the world models, they are the best models on the market? :D so you say I shoukd go for it and get an unlocked 6/6 Plus from Hong Kong? :)
Tuan Do says
Sure,
Go for it if you can.
Alvin Liao says
The unlocked version of 6/6+ in HK should not be the model A1549/A1522 (GSM), it should be A1586/A1524 (GSM). Since A1549 (GSM) doesn’t support TD-LTE, which comprises part of the 4G LTE network of China Mobile HK. And according to local law, unlocked iPhone must be compatible with all networks of all carriers in HK.
Tuan Do says
That’s really weird,
If it is the A1586/A1524, it should work with CDMA-based carriers. Or are they locking the CDMA portion?
I also think the A1586/A1524 will make more sense.
Alvin Liao says
There is no CDMA carrier in HK, so it’s natural that iPhones sold in HK didn’t work with CDMA before. However, it’s possible things may change from iPhone 6/6+. Apple HK website stated that unlocked iPhone will not work with CDMA, which is exactly what they claimed on other region/country’s Apple site. I guess it’s possible that Apple staffs made a mistake in this.
Plus, I heard rumors the reason why China is not among the first group of countries in which 6/6+ are sold is that Apple’s aim to push world phone strategy doesn’t meet what the Chinese government wants: promotes TD-LTE and slow, even minimize the use of FDD-LTE.
Tuan Do says
Thanks for clarification, Alvin
Your point seems valid. I tried to contact Apple sales team around the world but they have no idea what model will be sold, what a shame.
The statement stayed the same since iPhone 5S which has TD-LTE, so we can be confident that the model in Hong Kong is A1524/A1586.
Chris says
I live in the USA, but my family are in the UK and I visit several times a year. In the USA, my phone is on T-Mobile, and in the UK I use EE. If I get the MG542LL/A from Apple store, will it be unlocked and can I use it on LTE in both countries just by switching the SIM card?
Tuan Do says
Yes Chris,
The T-Mobile version is perfectly fine on EE.
Jamie says
Hi
In relation to your response. I am due to be going florida in two weeks, and would like to purchase an iPhone 6. It seems like the carrier free tmobile iPhone is my only option.
Will it work in the UK on EE, and allow me to get their 4g signal?
Many thanks
Jamie
Sunny says
A1522 (CDMA, Verizon version) is compatible with China Unicom and Telecom? Will it work on 3G & 4G in China Unicom and Telecom?
Tuan Do says
Yes it is fully compatible with China Unicom and Telecom. You just can receive 2G on China Mobile.
joel kaplan says
I apologize but i am still not clear.. i have a verizon iphone 6 plus .. is there a carrier in china that supports the A1522 for 4G, LTE or VoLTE? thanks for your confirming.. It is appreciated.
Martin says
Hi Tuan.
I got a quick question, I’m in Canada right now but sometime I travel back to China for vocation.
If I purchase the ip6s in Canada, will I still be able to have access to the 4G network in China if I use the Canadian version?
Thanks!
Tuan Do says
Hi Martin,
What is your wireless carrier in China? Are you buying unlocked version in Canada?
Martin says
Hi Tuan
I’m guess I will be using the china mobile. And for sure, I will buy the unlocked version in an Apple store in Canada.
Alvin Liao says
You can buy an unlocked 6/6+ (A1586/A1524) in Canada? I doubt that.
Tuan Do says
Alvin is correct,
If you are on China Mobile, you should buy the iPhone in China or Hong Kong.
Rita says
Dear Tuan,
If I pre-order UNLOCK iPhone6 in Canada apple store online, which model will be provided by Apple? I did not see any option in the webpage.
Thank you!
Rita says
Dear Tuan,
If I pre-order UNLOCK iPhone6 in Canada apple store online, which model will be provided by Apple?
Is the model same as the one pre-order UNLOCK iPhone6 in HK?
I did not see any option in the webpage.
Thank you!
Tuan Do says
Hi Rita,
You will get the iPhone A1549 and A1522 in Canada.
They are not the same models that you can buy in Hong Kong, the unlocked versions in Hong Kong are A1524 and A1586.
Rita says
Thank you Tuan! So, is the model buy in Canada cannot use in HK and China?
Tuan Do says
Rita,
You just can’t use it on China Mobile.
Jacques says
Living in the US I travel quite a bit for work. I travel all over the US and at times the world. I’d like to buy a 6+ outright and have whichever carrier unlock it. Being that it’s unlocked I’d also like to be able to use it on AT&T or Verizon if I decide to change carriers in the future. Currently I’m with AT&T but service where I live is sometimes not so good (iPhone 5) where Verizon seems to be better everywhere I go. Would you recommend I purchase one of the Verizon 1522 models Example:MGCN2LL/A or MGCN2LL/A? And buying it outright, will I be able to have them unlock it? For use with any carrier? (well, that it has frequencies for) ? Thanks for your help! This has been a great resource!
Tuan Do says
Hi Jacques,
If you can’t get the A1524/A1586, the Verizon version is good enough. It is factory unlocked out of the box either you are on or off contract, so you can use it with most carriers in the States.
Hope it helps.
luis says
Tuan which model will be the best choice to use with att lte in the us and in world with any sim card or factory unlocked thanks.
Tuan Do says
Luis,
All models work great on AT&T. You might need A1586 or A1524 if you travel to China.
luis says
Tuan iphone 6
osokona says
Tuan, does the T-Mobile and AT&T iphone 6 the same one (apart from carrier lock)?
Tuan Do says
Yes,
They are the same model.
Kevin says
Hi!
I live in the Us at the moment, but are going back to Norway. would the unlocked T-mobile phone work (LTE)(4g) in my country
i did not understand. i know Att phones works fine.
Tuan Do says
Hi Kevin,
I’m not sure about carriers in Norway. If AT&T phone works, so does the the unlocked T-Mobile version.
Lawrence says
Hi!
You give me a exact answer. That is awesome!
My friend want buy an iPhone 6 plus in China. He only can use the model A1586 or A1524 ?
But how to distinguish them?
Thank you very much.
Tuan Do says
Hi Lawrence,
A1586 is the iPhone 6 and A1524 is the 6 Plus with bigger screen. You can locate model number on the box or on the back cover.
rohit says
Hi im going to buy iphone 6 from US and i want to use it in india is there any problem
Alvin Liao says
Yes, you will have some issues buying an iPhone in the States and using it in India, for most of the carriers in India deploy TD-LTE as their 4G network. Unfortunately, the iPhone models sold in the US don’t support TD-LTE. You just need to buy an unlocked model, which is either A1586 or A1524, in Hong Kong or Mainland China.
vivek says
I guess A1524 of US model should work in India .. It supports –
38 (TD 2600)
39 (TD 1900)
40 (TD 2300
which will be supported by Airtel in India.
Regards
Vivek
Fullthrottle says
Hi Tuan,
I am from Brazil and will visit US in a few weeks. I think there won’t have the unlocked one till there, Does the T-Mobile contract-free works on Claro in Brazil?
Tuan Do says
Hi,
The T-Mobile version should work fine on Claro.
Fullthrottle says
Hi,
The T-Mobile Contract free is unlocked?
Tuan Do says
Yes,
It is unlocked as long as you buy it at Apple Store.
VR says
T mobile is unlocked if you buy from Apple? No need to wait 60 days and beg them for a code?
Tuan Do says
Yes,
To confirm the info, I contacted an Apple Store and they told me that the contract-free version comes with a T-Mobile SIM card but it is totally unlocked and can be used with any GSM network.
I bought the contract-free iPhone 5S last year at Apple Store and there is no need to unlock at all.
I will try with iPhone 6 in the next few days to make sure. :)
M says
I bought it last year in the United States in the Apple iPhone 5s in the Sprint network. He works in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I paid $ 700. Is it the same now as with T-mobile contract free. Is this phone unlocked in the world and that’s the difference in these models. How to choose which model to buy. Is it possible that the iPhone 6 is now cheaper than 5s? I read that you say that the A1586 best model for Europe? What does it mean?
Andrey says
Hi Tuan,
Did you buy iPhone 6 T-Mobile and tested with other countries carriers ?
Today I called Apple Store support and one lady confirmed that T-Mobile is unlocked and call was disconnected. I called 1hr later and another lady said that is locked for T-Mobile. So Apple Support ladies don’t know clear answers of their products.
I need unlocked to use any carrier as travel a lot when working.
Still looking for confirmation. Also going to contact T-Mobile and double check with them.
Thanks
Nguyễn Quốc Long says
Chào Đỗ Tuấn
Mình vừa nhờ mua Iphone 6 ( model A 1586) của mạng Sprint của Mỹ. Theo mình được biết thì model A 1586 chỉ sử dụng được đối với mạng CDMA. Nhưng ở Việt Nam hiện nay chỉ có mạng GSM. Như vậy máy của mình mang về Việt Nam sẽ không dùng được, đúng không.
Rất mong nhận được lời khuyên của Tuấn.
Trân trọng cám ơn.
N.Q.Long
sucre says
Hi tuan. Hope you will be able to help me I bought my iphone 5 model in the US I’m now leaving in south africa I don’t have a celluar network signal. What is it that I should do?
VR says
So, Tuan Do, does that mean I can just put in my AT&T sim, or any world sim?
Tuan Do says
Sure, VR
Sameer says
Hi i have ordered the T-Mobile(Contract Free) iPhone 6, will LTE work on it in India. would appreciate some help on this!
Tuan Do says
Hi Sameer,
I’m not sure about your carrier and what 4G bands it is using. You can check and compare the specs above to know exactly if it is compatible.
ofee says
Please which iphone6 do I buy dat will work wit my nigeria carrier network like etisalat, Mtn, glo and Airtel….
Alvin Liao says
I am afraid you will have some issues buying an iPhone in the States and using it in India, for most of the carriers in India deploy TD-LTE as their 4G network. Unfortunately, the iPhone models sold in the US don’t support TD-LTE. You just need to buy an unlocked model, which is either A1586 or A1524, in Hong Kong or Mainland China.
Rahul says
hey buddy can you tell me how much money did you spend to get it..bcoz i’m also getting iphone 6 model 15286 gsm…plz do tell …i’ll appreciate it
Kimmy To says
Hi Tuan,
I live in the Us but my relatives r in Vietnam..so what iphone 6 and 6 plus version should i buy when traveling back to VN??? I checked with the Apple rep..n they said their international version will be released fee months later. I also came to a Tmobile store asking if their new Iphone 6 & 6 plus r unlocked…they said they r locked n only be ulocked after 3 months…some of my friends told me to preorder Verizon. .but verizon uses CDMA network….now im confused…
Tuan Do says
Hi Kimmy,
You can be confident buying the iPhone 6/6 Plus. Both contract-free and Verizon versions work great in Vietnam. The Verizon iPhone is compatible with both CDMA and GSM networks. As popular carriers in Vietnam like Viettel or Mobifone are operating on GSM, both of the versions are perfectly fine.
Just make sure you bought the contract-free T-Mobile version at Apple Store, otherwise, you can be locked to T-Mobile for at least 40 days. I used the T-Mobile iPhone 5S in Vietnam and it is totally compatible.
Hope it helps.
Ti Hoang says
Hi a Tuan,
I just bought a contract free AT&T ip6+ several hours ago..Is it impossible to use in Vietnam? Cause I bought for my father in Vn.
Thanks,
Ti
Tuan Do says
Hi Ti,
You’d better buy the T-Mobile contract-free version on Apple Store. You will have to unlock the AT&T version if you want to use it in Vietnam.
Sue says
I have an exchange student from China. He wants to purchase an iPhone 6 but I am not sure which one will work for him when he gets back to China next year.
Tuan Do says
Hi Sue,
I answered a similar question above. Check it out and let me know if it solves your problem.
Kimmy says
Thanks so much for the reply Tuan. :) :)It does help clearing out all the confusion!!! Apple and Tmobile associates dunt even know their own products….
Have a great day!!
Mark says
Hello Tuan,
I am visiting the US next month and I want to buy an iPhone 6 plus to use back in the UK on the Three.co.uk network. Which model should i get the T-Mobile version? A?
Do you think having a US phone in the UK will cause any restrictions with other features on the phone such as that for internet or apple pay for example?
Thanks in advance
Mark
Tuan Do says
Mark,
Technically the T-Mobile version is compatible with all bands being offered by 3 UK. Just check again with your carrier if they allow to bring your own device.
To answer your 2nd question, the iPhones sold in US and UK are basically the same model and there shouldn’t be any restriction.
Best,
Tuan
Chris says
Hi, I’m also visiting the US next month and wondering what US iPhone to buy for use with the Three network in the UK. From what I understand, the A1586 model is unavailable to buy outright (contract free) in the US. So the only options I have are the A1549 model (GSM) and the A1549 model (CDMA). Will both these versions work with Three UK now and in the future? If I walk into an Apple store in the US and request a contract free T-mobile iPhone 6, which model will I get? Do I get a choice? Does it matter (for use with Three UK)?
Is it true that other than network locking, the only difference between the A1586 and the A1549 is 4 bands? (listed below)
38 (TD 2600)
39 (TD 1900)
40 (TD 2300)
41 (TD 2500)
https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
Will missing these bands have an impact in the UK?
Can/will this be fixed in future with an official update/unlock?
is it true that network locking in the US will have no affect in the UK?
Many Thanks
Chris
Arsenio says
If I want to be able to switch from att to T-Mobile to verizon can I buy the att model since they all have the same model number or should I buy the Verizon model? Thanks.
Tuan Do says
You should get a Verizon model as it’s compatible with all those carriers.
Bill says
Hi Tuan. I am supposed to buy iPhone 6 for my friend in Korea. Which model is best ? In Korea some carriers are CDMA based, some are GSM based.
I got burned once before, when I bought Verizon’s iPhone 5, and then tried to use that with T-mobile. Well, it could only work with 3G data with T-mobile, not LTE, because T-moble is GSM based and my iPhone was for CDMA.
So my question is, which iPhone 6 model would work with both CDMA or GSM based carrier in Korea, without data speed degradation ?
Thanks!!
Bill says
I’m guessing I should buy Model A1586 (GSM) for GSM-based carrier in Korea, or Model A1586 (CDMA) for CDMA-based carrier in Korea. Am I correct ?
Tuan Do says
Bill,
There was a huge improvement in wireless connectivity since iPhone 5S. Now you can use Verizon iPhone 5S or iPhone 6/6 Plus on most major carriers in the States. The Verizon model works on both CDMA and GSM now. That’s great if you can get the A1586 there.
I searched for some carriers in Korea and their 4G bands are totally covered (4G LTE KT 900/1800Mhz; 4G LTE SK Telecom 850/1800Mhz; 4G LTE LG U+ 850/2100Mhz).
Andzhey says
Hello Tuan,
I visit the US next month, and I want to buy iPhone 6 plus contract-free T-Mobile for use in Russia, will it work and will not have any problems with LTE ?
Oliver says
Hi. One clarifying question. I have a iPhone 5 in korea on KT mobile. Can I pop my SIM card into the t Mobile
Unlocked gsm and have it work? Do I need new sim from carrier?
Aaron says
Tuan,
Will the T-mobile iPhone 6 work on the South Korean cell network? I read your reply to Bill’s questions but still a little confused.
Fion says
Hi Tuan,
I am from Singapore and want to buy iphone6 from apple online store later. I need one model which can use in Singapore and in China ( Unicom and Telecom) as well. I heard that i have to get Model 1586*, and I was wondering how to choose the Model which placing my order online??? As i can remember, we are not able to choose Model while placing order online. Please advise. Thanks.
Tuan Do says
Hi Fion,
When you buy the iPhone at Apple Store, you will receive the iPhone 6 A1586 or iPhone 6 Plus A1524. You can use it on any carrier in Singapore or China.
Carol says
Hi Tuan,
I read from the above article that iPhone 6 A1586 or iPhone 6+ A1524 are sell locked to CDMA carrier in US, must we unlock it to use in Singapore?
If we need to unlock it, how do we do that?
Thanks
Carol
Carol says
Hi Tuan,
Do we need to unlock the iPhone 6 A1586 or iPhone 6+ A1524 we buy in US in order for us to use them in Singapore? How do we do it if necessary?
Thanks
Carol
Carol says
Hi Tuan,
Will iPhone 6 A1586 or iPhone 6+ A1524 we buy in US be locked for use in Singapore?
Thanks
Carol
Carol says
Hi Tuan,
I though iPhone 6 A1586 or iPhone 6+ A1524 comes with contract? If we want to buy one without contract & use them in Singapore, which model should we buy?
Thanks
Carol
Ted says
If I buy the T-mobile Iphone 6+ in the USA, will I be able to use it in Singapore?
jace says
Hi, and thank you for your blog.
I’m wondering if the models sold in France are really different.
For example : MGAJ2ZD/A which is the 6+ 64Go Silver
I’ll be in the US within a month and I wanted to get one there.
But all the informations provided here show that the T-Mobile Contract free version sold in the USA won’t be fully compatible with the French bands.
Am I missing something?
Thanks
Tuan Do says
Hi Jace,
I’ve just checked the specs of MGAJ2ZD/A, this seems to be the A1549 (GSM). I see that carriers in France are using LTE bands 3,7 and 20, so you shouldn’t have any problem using it there.
jace says
I didn’t make myself clear enough, sorry.
Yes, the MGAJ2ZD/A works fine in France, it’s the one sold here.
I wanted to buy an unlocked and contract free iPhone 6+ 64 GB in the US that’s also fully compatible with the French 4G LTE bands.
And my guess is that none of the models sold in the US Apple Store meets these requirements. Am I right?
Thanks
Tuan Do says
Jace,
The contract-free version in the U.S. is fully compatible with French carriers.
Franc says
hi,
I ll be in USA in a few days. I want to buy a iphone 6 and use it in ARGENTINA.
Do you know if the T – mobile offered in Apple.com is compatible?
When the Factory unlocked will released?
thanks
René says
Hi
What model is the contract free tele mobile sold in the US apple store?
René
Tuan Do says
That’s the A1549 (GSM)
Stefanos says
Hi Tuan,
I live in Greece and I am wondering if the contract free iphone 6 edition will work fine with the greek carriers. Will there be any differences with the iphone 6 models that are going to be selled here in the future? As long for the 4g speed would it operate well here?
Thanks in advance
Eugene says
Hi Tuan,
If i buy the iphone 6 from T-mobile and get it unlocked after 90 days.can i bring it back to singapore and still be able to use?
Eugene says
Hi Tuan,
This is the specs i copied from one of singapore carrier.”4G LTE service operates on 1800MHz and 2600MHz spectrum. Hence, some overseas 4G LTE mobile devices may not be compatible with our 4G network”.so base on this,which iphone 6 model can i get if i am buying from USA and later bringing to singapore.
Giulio says
Hi Tuan,
I live in Hong Kong and will be travelling shortly to the US.
At the moment its very hard to buy any iPhone in HK as they have exusted supply or there are daily quotas and everyone is trying to buy here to sell in China.
I want to buy a 6 and 6+ [for me and my wife] in the US and bring it back to HK. In HK I currently use Smartone but I’m not tied to them and could change to any of the local carriers.
Can I buy a US iPhone to use here?
Thank you for your help.
Giulio
Tuan Do says
Sure you can use the US contract-free iPhone 6/6 Plus but your 4G LTE connection is limited to some carriers in Hong Kong. You might need to switch to Hutchison.
George Zhang says
i live in Los Angles , you can walk into Any Apple Store in the US and buy any two each time . Tmobile contract free is the choice for you , Apple store said Verizon doesn’t work in China, double check before you buy
Justin says
I feel bad for people dumb enough to buy that garbage Sprint model. Worst carrier in the country, and the only one that locks their phones with no ability to unlock after contract completion. Please Sprint, do the world a favor and go bankrupt.
Tuan Do says
According to FCC, all carriers including Sprint will have to unlock their phones starting February 11, 2015. They can’t lock the phone after contract completion anymore.
Justin says
Wow, really? Didn’t know that. Where did you hear this? If it’s true that’s great news. It’s insane there are carriers who lock out-of-contract phones. These are OUR phones, we should have the right to use them on whatever carriers we want!
Tuan Do says
It is on FCC website, you might want to read this: http://www.fcc.gov/device-unlocking-faq
Both prepaid and postpaid phones have to be unlocked.
Francesco says
Hi Tuan.
I’m thinking about asking a friend of mine to buy me an iPhone 6 Plus in USA, obviously unlocked (only T-Mobile, isn’t it?). My question is: will it works in Italy?
Tuan Do says
Francessco,
I’ve just checked the 3 Italy carrier and the T-Mobile version is totally compatible.
Hope it helps.
michelle says
Hi, I will buy unlocked A1524 iphone 6 plus in Canada. Can it be used in China under China mobile, China unicom and China Telecom (CDMA network)?
Tuan Do says
Yes it will work. How can you buy the A1524 in Canada?
michelle says
I am not sure. If not possible, can unlocked A1522 be used under China mobile, China unicom and China Telecom (CDMA network)? If it is not working for three of them, which one will be working?
Asik says
Hi tuan
Is iphone 6 plus contract free t mobile model no A1524?
Tuan Do says
No, it is the A1522 (GSM) in the US
Ash says
Hi Tuan Do,
I am a UK resident with the 02 network.
I’m going Canada and will be getting the iPhone 6.
I have two questions please:
Which iPhone model do I need for it to run on 02s 4g (LTE) frequency here? 02 have told me it’s 800mhz, 1800 and 1900. Is that correct?
I will be ordering through apple Canada website while there, how will I know they are sending me the right model?
Also, once back in the UK will the apple guarantee apply and will the apple stores here service my phone if anything goes wrong?
Many thanks!
Tuan Do says
Ash,
The Canada is selling A1549 and A1522. The version is compatible with all bands O2 UK is offering.
Apple has global warranty for its products, so you can use the service at any Apple Store.
Hope it helps.
Jim Li says
Hi Tuan,
Thank you for the great information!
I’m currently using T-Mobile in US. From your analyze and Apple’s spec page, My understanding is:
1) iPhone 6 CDMA versions have everything GSM versions have, so if I buy unlocked Verizon version, I should be able to use it with T-Mobile and have full 4G-LTE support.
2) Because Verizon version has both CDMA and GSM, I will have the best international support iPhone can offer when I travel to other countries.
Am I right?
Where do you think I can buy a full-price unlocked Verizon version? It seems Apple online store doesn’t have this option.
Thanks!
Tuan Do says
You are completely right.
You can buy that version at Verizon but you might have to wait a few weeks.
Ray Meron says
Hi Tuan
i just order the I phone 6+ from the us apple store, it’s an unlock sim free t mobile. Should receive the phone after October 13th.
i am traveling to Europe back and forth.
My main concern regarding the LTE reception is as follow:
Does the LTE will work in Europe?
Is there a specific model that will work in Europe?
How would i know which models I am getting?
I know in the 5 models the us t mobile unlock didn’t work with the Europe LTE but i believe in the 5s it was working fine.
Please advice
Thank you
Ray.
Tuan Do says
Ray,
You should be ok with the contract-free T-Mobile version, it will work on majority of carriers in Europe. There are a few carriers launching TD-LTE service but it is not so popular yet.
The model you will receive is A1522, you can check on the back of the box.
Dudiek says
Hi Tuan,
Do you know which Iphone 6 and 6 plus works in Indonesia because I travel a lot to Indonesia?. Thank you
gal says
Hi Tuan!
I am from Israel and I am travel to US next week on suterday for one week congres. i want to buy there an iPhone 6 sim-free to use it in israel. Is it possible, where and when can i buy it? which model willl work at israel?
tnx allot
gal
daisann says
Tuan, I am also from Hong Kong and in US now, thinking about buying the iPhone 6 from T-Mobile. In Hong Kong I have Smartone, and I believe you may have been mistaken about the LTE–Smartone (as well as Three, which is Hutchinson) is using channel 3 for LTE, so it looks like the GSM model will work just fine on that network.
Tuan Do says
Yes,
The T-Mobile iPhone will work on most carriers in Hong Kong, you just need to avoid China Mobile as it is using TD-LTE bands.
daisann says
Here are the specs for the Iphone 6 that Smartone is selling in Hong Kong to its customers. It does not appear to have the TD-LTE, however it does have WCDMA, and that is the only difference in the spec with the US T-Mobile GSM version you have listed above.
smartone.com/en/mobile_and_price_plans/handsets/apple/iphone-6/2823/price/
Madhu says
I want to buy iPhone6 in T-Mobile (contract free) and plan to use it in India. Below are the Bandwidths of India(Taken from worldtimezone.com/gsm.html):
India
GSM – 900 1800
3G – 1900/2100 AirTel; 3G 2100 Aircel; 3G 2100 BSNL; 3G 2100 BSNL; 3G 2100 MTNL; 3G 2100 Reliance; 3G 2100 Tata Docomo; 3G 2100 Vodafone;
4G LTE – Bharti Airtel 2300Mhz; 4G LTE Aircel 2300Mhz; 4G LTE Videocon 1800Mhz- Planned;
a. Does the 2 models A1549 (GSM) and A1586 works in India for Mobile and 3G?
b. Does the T-Mobile iPhon6 works in India for 4G LTE? As I didn’t find the 4G LTE 2300 Mhz in the iPhone6 models.
Thanks in Advance.
–Madhu
Tuan Do says
Madhu,
Bharti Airtel launched TD-LTE service earlier this year, the 2300Mhz frequency is corresponding to the TD-LTE band 40. Therefore, you will need to get the A1586 or A1524, the T-Mobile version won’t work on the new LTE network.
Sanjeev says
Will it work on existing 3G networks in India?
Sudhi says
Yes. It will work on 3G network. I bought iPhone6 in T-Mobile (contract free) from US. And Aritel 3G works.
Sudhi says
Yes. I bought iPhone6 in T-Mobile (contract free) and 3G works perfectly on Aritel.
Neeraj Yadav says
Hi Tuan
I have A1586 which was working fine on Bharti Airtel GSM/LTE will same phone work on TATA CDMA in India
Tai Nguyen says
Hello Tuan, Quick question i like to ask i brought a 128gb gold verizon iPhone 6 plus factory unlocked.. and I’m thinking using on tmobile 4g lte, will it be LTE or 2G?
Tuan Do says
Awesome, it is totally compatible with 4G LTE on T-Mobile. Enjoy your phone.
Marius Secu says
hello,
I have a question for you Tuan,
I want to buy the iphone 6 plus but the A1522 (t-Mobile contract free), Do you think that it will work with LTE in Europe (Romania) ??? Many people said that it will not work
carlo terlizzi says
Hi Tuan: I tried following all the posts, but I want to make sure I have this right. My wife travels back and forth between the USA and Mainland China. In the USA we currently use Verizon with data plan, but she has a voice only data plan phone number with China Mobile over there. What she would like to do is use an iPhone 6 or 6+ in the USA with our VZ data plan and then when she goes to China use her China Mobile number for voice only. She is not trying to use her US number in China or vice versa.
If I read all of this correctly she should be getting either model A1549 (CDMA) for the 6 or model A1522 (CDMA) for the 6+ and that should work because the GSM side is unlocked on the Verizon phones and she just needs to make sure she can get a Nano-SIM vs a Micro-SIM from China Mobile and pop it in and out and she goes to/from China. Does all of this sound correct?
carlo terlizzi says
ouch, meant to say, “but she has a voice only phone number with China Mobile”… no data plan in China
Tuan Do says
Yes you are correct.
She can use voice and data on China Mobile’s 2G network only.
Rita says
Hi Tuan!
If I purchase iphone6 in Canada online store, can I enjoy the warranty service in HK? The Canada version support all LTE bandwidth in HK?
Thank you!
Marcelo says
Hi,
I have a simple question , which model of iPhone 6 i should by in US in order to use it in brazil?
Thank you in advanced
ryan jiang says
hi tuan. My question is simple, which model of iphone 6 or iphone 6 plus is best to use for people travel between U.S and China Frequently. i can not live without internet. So i would like to get the model that can be used on tmobile 4g/lte network, and go to china i can use 4g/lte too. ( In USA, I use Tmobile, and China, i can use any network.)
ALso, if i buy tmobile one, does it mean, the phone is only can be used at tmoible usa. I can not use it for any other network, like chinese network.
Thx
Tuan Do says
Ryan,
China Telecom and China Unicom will operate on dual-mode hybrid networks (FDD-LTE & TD-LTE) while China Mobile is running on TD-SCDMA and TD-LTE already. So you should either buy the phone in Hong Kong or get the Sprint version then try to unlock it.
Andile says
Hii there I’m using the iPhone 6 Plus A1522 . I checked out the regulators and they don’t include South Africa .
I’m currently in China
Is my phone going to work in my country ?
Hanna says
Hi Tuan,
I’m currently in the States but I plan on going back to Pakistan early next year. I currently have an at&t sim. I want to get an iPhone 6, I know factory unlocked versions are not available. So what my best bet? Which iPhone toe should I get and on what carrier? And can I apply for an early unlock if I pay the full price to a carrier?
Tuan Do says
Hanna,
The T-Mobile and Verizon versions are unlocked, so you can use any of them in Pakistan.
RAK says
Hi Tuan,
I recently got an iphone 6 from my family in usa and it have tmobile sim, phone is full paid but still cant use it , calling many times to tmobile even not helped ..
CC says
Hi Tuan,
My friend lives in Hong Kong and would like me to bring him an iphone 6 when I visit next week from the US. I purchased the Verizon iphone 6 off contract at full price. Will he be able to get LTE in Hong Kong? Should I get the Sprint one instead?
Tuan Do says
The Sprint version is locked. You can get T-Mobile or Verizon, it will work on most carriers except TD-LTE on China Mobile.
CC says
Will the Verizon iphone 6 work in China? Are there carriers for LTE other than China Mobile? Or will it be 3G or 4G? Thank you!
Cw says
Will the Verizon iphone 6 work in China? Are there carriers for LTE other than China Mobile? Or will it be 3G or 4G? Thank you!
Stephanie says
Hi
I want to buy the contract Free iPhone 6 in New York.
Will it work in Belgium?
Thanks
Tuan Do says
It won’t work on b-lite
Julie says
Hi Tuan
What do you mean with b-lite ?
If you buy the Tmobile contract free unlocked iphone 6 in the states, will 4G work in Belgium ?
Thanks for your feedback
Julie
Axel says
Yes, the 4G will work in Belgium.
Proximus,base and Mobistar all use band 3 & 7
Gloria Viau says
I am so confused? I am going to purchase the Iphone 6 or Iphone 6 plus. I am currently with TMobile but if I switch carriers at some point later I want to be sure I can use this phone. I just noticed Tmobile has a no contract version i am not sure what that means. So which one should I get?
Tuan Do says
You can check comments above, T-Mobile version is the same as unlocked version.
Juanchi says
Someone knows when I’m going to be able to buy the Sim-Free version of the iPhone 6?
Tuan Do says
The contract-free T-Mobile version is unlocked, I’m using it on AT&T.
Juanchi says
That’s great! Do you know if I can use a Sim Card from Argentina in a T-Mobile iPhone?
suryateja says
I would like to buy an iphone 6 T-mobile contract free phone can i use it in india??because i am moving back to india
Mark says
Hi,
I have an iPhone6+ from ATT. I will do the ETF in two months so it will be unlocked in November. I believe the model number is A1522. I travel for business to Korea and Japan.
Being unlocked, will my iPhone 6 be able to use sim cards from Korea and Japan, because of the ETF unlock? Thanks!
Serban Ionut Andrei says
Hello Tuan a friend of mine is going vacation to the US and i want him to buy me Iphone 6.
Which version is good for romania, below is the provider Vodafone that i use in romania.
MCC MNC Frequency Protocol (Downlink/Uplink speed) Class Notes
226 01 900 MHz GSM/GPRS 2G
226 01 1800 MHz GSM/GPRS 2G
226 01 900 MHz UMTS/HSPA (7.2 Mbit/s/5.76 Mbit/s) 3G
226 01 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (43.2 Mbit/s/5.76 Mbit/s) 3G
226 01 1800 MHz LTE (2×2 MIMO 75 Mbit/s/37.5 Mbit/s) 4G
Thx a lot for your help !!!
Tuan Do says
Serban,
The T-Mobile version is good enough.
Gary says
I am living in Bahrain and travel to Korea often, what model of the iphone 6+ do you recommend purchasing?
edwin says
Hi,
From reading everything on here, i notice the Canadian iphone6/6+ is basically useless in China. Am i wrong?
Tuan Do says
No,
It is not fully compatible but it is not useless. You can use it on many carriers except China Mobile.
edwin says
Thank you.
Saleel dalal says
Hi Than Do,
I am from india and I’m looking to buy the A1586 model. Where can I get it apart from hong Kong? Im traveling to the Netherlands and Switzerland next month. Will it be possible to get one from there? Thanks in advance,
Saleel
DennMenn says
Sales start in Netherlands on september sixth… Best changes are to hit Dixons or MediaMarkt stores in all major cities in the Netherlands ..
DennMenn says
September 26th
Saleel dalal says
But any idea if apple will be selling the A1586 model in Netherlands?
DennMenn says
Sure, those are the models for the European market.
DennMenn says
Hi Tuan Do,
I’m thinking of buying an iphone in US next month…. But is it wise considering that i’m going back 2 weeks later… and getting stuck with an iphone 6 Model A1586 that won’t work in the Netherlands?
Running on SimYo currently…
DennMenn says
Just find out, that if i don’t use the 4G ( TD-LTE) the unlocked iphone 6 that comes with T-mobile also will work in the Netherlands.
Tuan Do says
A1586 is the most versatile iPhone 6 version and it works even on TD-LTE. I’m not aware of any carriers in Netherlands operating on TD-LTE, so I think the T-Mobile version is enough.
DennMenn says
There are currently 3 company’s in the Netherlands that supply 4G on their netwerk. KPN (coverage 98,4%), Vodafone (coverage 87,5%) And T-Mobile (coverage 47,4 %).
Those are the 3 mayor companies in the Netherlands. There are also smaller ones like SimYo, MTV and Hollandse Nieuwe, but they all run on the KPN network… So they also provide 4G.
Serban Ionut Andrei says
Hello Than Do,
Which version of Iphone 6 will work in Romania.?
DennMenn says
Model A 1586 is the model for Europe which also supports 4G / TD-LTE.
Saleel dalal says
Hi tuan do,
You’ve got it wrong. I actually stay in India and will be using the iPhone here and I believe I would need the A1586. I’ll be traveling to Netherlands next month and would try to pick up the iPhone while I’m there. I just need to know if I’ll be able to buy the A1586 there. I’ve read a few posts that mention that the A1586 and A1524 will be sold in Europe and Asia but I’m not too sure about it. What do you think I should do?
Tuan Do says
Yeah I said that you will need to get the A1586 or A1524, the T-Mobile version won’t work on the new LTE network. I will confirm with you when it is official in Netherlands.
Saleel dalal says
Okay thanks a ton. Also, could you tell me if the A1586 is available in Germany?
DennMenn says
Absolutely, since it’s the european version….
Saleel dalal says
Thanks. I’ll be returning to India on 15th October so hopefully I’ll be able to pick one up then if not on the first day.
Angela Hua says
Dear Tuan,
I am going to buy a iPhone 6 in USA, but I will use WIND ( name of telephone company) in Italy … Kindly pls advise which model I shall buy in USA…
Thanks a lot !
Angela
Shrip says
Dear Tuan,
Even I am from India and will be travelling to japan, Korea, Vietnam and Thailand this month.
Can you tell me from where can I get unlock iphone 6plus for India.
Song says
Hi, Tuan.
I have a quick question here. I am buying other’s iphone6 currently. but how could i know if it is unlocked or not? cuz all the model i collected is the same A1549.
Thanks !
Tuan Do says
You can’t determine if it is unlocked or not by looking at the model number. The best way is to test some SIM cards from different carriers by yourself, or you can try checking IMEI numbers with carriers or some online public database.
Hope it helps.
glennpok says
So to summarize and reduce all the questions to a bare minimum, the following will work, as they are unlocked out-of-the-box, in ALL countries, EXCEPT for those ones with carriers using TD-LTE bands:
1. Contract-Free T-Mobile Iphone 6/6+
2. Verizon Iphone 6/6+
Am I correct? If so, the recommendation I should be giving out to my friends with all these similar questions is buy contract-Free T-Mobile or any of the Verizon models.
Tuan Do says
That’s a perfect summary.
Thanks
martin says
Hi I live in the ya butomorrow work in Hong Kong and China. Can u buy an iPhone 6 in Hong Kong and expect no issues in the Uk on O2 net work?
martin says
That should say live in UK but work in Hong Kong and China
Macedo says
Hi tuan,
What you can say about iphone6 and brazil?
Thank you
Earl says
Hi Taun Do,
After being told my multiply employees at the Apple Store in Reno NV Thursday evening / Friday morning that there were no unlocked iPhone 6 plus being sold, I choose the AT&T version.
I paid full price (no contract) for 2 phones so I could sell them on eBay.
I sure now that I should have gone with my original plans and bought the T-mobile version.
From what I have read above, it sounds like I might still have a unlocked version and I will be okay with my full price AT&T phones. A fellow auctioneer on eBay said that he also bought the no contract AT&T phone from an Apple Store and he was able to insert his T-mobile SIM and it worked.
I have Model: A1522 / Part No.: MGAR2LL/A
So is are my iPhone 6 plus phones truly (factory) unlocked? If so, I will update my eBay listings and hopefully get a higher price.
Do you take PayPal donations? The information / answers are very valuable.
Thanks,
Earl
Tuan Do says
Watch out, Earl
I heard many complaints about the full price AT&T iPhone 6. Many people bought this version and they weren’t able to use it on other GSM networks like T-Mobile. You can try requesting an Unlock Code but I’m not sure they can provide it to you at the moment. You probably have to wait for at least 60 days, check out the requirements here: https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/client/en_US/
We appreciate any donation from our readers, you can send it to our Paypal id at [email protected]
Thanks
Giuseppe says
Hi Tuan,i live in italy,in 10 days i go to New York and i like to buy an unlocked iPhone 6.i have to buy A1549(GSM) to work in italy?thanke you
Tomasz says
hi,
I want buy a IPhone 6 Plus 128 gb WHITE from US but I will use this phone In Poland what model I must buy from Apple Store A1524?
Ken says
Hi Tuan
Just a quickie, I am in the US now and have bought the A1549, I’m from the UK and my provider is Tesco mobile, will I be okay with this model.
Thanks in advance
Tariq Islam says
Hi,
Would you please tell me which model will work in GULF region (KUWAIT) for LTE Network..
Regards.
Neil griffiths says
Tuan,
Thanks for your thread, it’s really helpful.
What iphone 6 or 6 plus do I need to buy from US for it to work in UK on 3 mobile or Virgin media. Also will there be any 4G problems?
Thanks
lol says
Hi
I live in India and i am planning to get a t mobile contract free version of iphone 6 plus from the US. does it work in india ?
Michel says
Hi Taun Do,
Where is the best place to buy an iphone 6 plus 1524 model
Michel says
I ment the best region or country to get it
Thanks
Michel says
Can you answer please ?
Thanks
NP says
Hi Michel,
I live in the UK and I know you can buy an A1524 GSM unlocked from Apple Store UK.
Cheers,
Sebastian says
Hi Tuan,
I have a question: i am currently living in the US but will return home to Germany in a GEW months. I just purchased the iPhone 6 A1549 MG4W2LL/A i am a Customer of the Telekom here in the US as well as in Germany. My question is now if my iPhone 6 can be used in Germany as well (LTE?) Or will i have any issues there with Connection?
Thank you so much!
Sebastian says
It is a GSM phone :)
rohit says
Im going to buy iphone 6 from US contract free and want to use it in india
EM220192 says
Hi there,
I am going to America for à trip and I like to buy an iphone 6 there that works in the EU.
Which type do you advice me to buy?
Greets
Tapio says
Hi Tuan,
Thanks for the informative post. I’m going to the States in a few weeks and would like to buy a phone that works in Europe (Scandinavia). I figured that since we only use the bands 1,2,3,5,7,8 and 20, the A1549 GSM model will suit my needs, not to mention that you can’t get the “world phone” version A1586 directly from the shelf (if I understood correctly). Now my question is to you: can you buy the A1549 GSM -model straight from an Apple Store? Or is it only being sold in a T-Mobile store or something?
Thanks in advance,
Tapio
Jamie says
Hi Tuan
In relation to your response. I am due to be going florida in two weeks, and would like to purchase an iPhone 6. It seems like the carrier free tmobile iPhone is my only option.
Will it work in the UK on EE, and allow me to get their 4g signal?
Many thanks
Jamie
Sam Sixtho says
Hi Tuan, amazing post and comments!
I’m a fairly frustrated iPhone 5s user in china. I bought my china mobile 5s from the apple store in shanghai at launch. Since then the only way I could use LTE on China Mobile was by jail breaking the phone. It does work but I have to use an app to switch on LTE all the time and in areas of no LTE instead of automatically switching to gsm I just lose all signal.
I’m traveling in Japan right now and I could buy a 6 here, or in Hong Kong at some point. I could even mind switch carrier in China to Unicom if it is better? (I tried Unicom 4g LTE sim in my 5s, it didn’t work either!). Sorry if that was too long! The TL/DR is: What iPhone 6 is best for me to use in China and where can I buy it?
Thanks so much!!
Tuan Do says
That’s really weird,
Did you buy the iPhone 5S A1530 for China Mobile?
You can buy the iPhone 6 A1586 or iPhone 6 Plus A1524 in Hong Kong or Japan. They will be compatible with all carriers in China.
Sammy Sixtho says
Actually sorry little mistake. It’s the A1528 unlocked from china apple store on launch. Thanks very much for your response! So the A1586 will work for 4G LTE on china mobile and 4G on Unicom out of the box? Thanks again!!!
sandradever says
which models are unlocked out of the box and which models are “sim free”
THANK YOU!
Jclb says
Hi tuan!
I’ve been searching answers on the net for like 2 days already and when i came across your blog, i’m pretty sure that you can answer my question.
I live in the Philippines and currently on vacation here in the US, and I’m planning to buy an Iphone 6 here.
Which model will be the best fit in Manila, Philippines?
Thank you!
Tuan Do says
The T-Mobile version can work on Globe and Smart.
Jclb says
Thank you Tuan! Is it the same model as in Singapore or Asian models? It’s gsm by the way.
Rolf says
Hi Tuan,
I’m currently stauing in Taiwan and hopeing to buy an Iphone 6 or 6 plus. Do you now if the Taiwanese models are suitable for the European network (especially the Netherlands) ?
Thanks!
Aledavidov says
Hi Tuan . I have Verizon iPhone 6 , can you tell it’s going to work at Uzbekistan ?
Thank you
Neil says
Tuan,
Thanks for the blog and all the information.
I am in the US at the moment and wondered if I bought an iPhone 6 or 6 plus whether it would work in the UK? It seems that there might be an issue with 4G?
Which models would be compatible with the UK and are there any networks or carriers that I can or can’t use in the UK?
Thanks!
DAT says
Hi Tuan,
I am from Canada.
Please tell me which model is best to use in Vietnam?
Thanks,
Tuan Do says
DAT,
The unlocked version being sold at Apple Store is enough.
Andew says
Hi Taun
I wish i m on right, the best iphone model is the 1524 which works on all carriers around the world well if i got,this right then this is my next question, where is the best country to get the 6 plus 1524
Please answer
Thanks
Jr says
Iphone 6 model A1549 from verizon is unlocked?work’s in brazil?or another carrier in USA?
Mac says
Hi Tuan,
lots of great help that you are doing for everybody, My question is if I buy the iPhone 6 T-mobil contract free from Apple store, is it compatible with the carriers in Kuwait? you already answer about using it in the Philippines which i travel between these 2 countries frequently. I want to donate but can’t find the section to donate to your PayPal. Please realist your PayPal.
XXXX Thanks a Million XXXXX
Mac says
One of the carrier in Kuwait requires you to have an iPhone 5s model A1457. So is the T-mobil iPhone 6 contract free good enough to use in Kuwait?
Tuan Do says
I just checked some carriers in Kuwait including Viva, Ooredoo and Zain. Any unlocked iPhone can work on those carriers.
We appreciate any donation from readers, you can send it to Paypal id at [email protected]
Thanks
thang says
Hi Tuan,
Could you guess the model of unlocked Verizon, A1549 or A1586? And could I used it in Vietnam as well.
Currently I am living in US and using T-mobile sim card but I’ll come back to Vietnam after 1 year, also sometime i have business trip at Japan and Korea so please advise me which is best mode T-mobile free contract or unlocked Verizon for my job.
Many thank for your support
Tuan Do says
Thang,
It is A1549 (CDMA) like I mentioned in the article. Both of them are not fully compatible with SoftBank in Japan but they should be alright.
thang says
Thank Tuan,
Another question about Verizon unloked A1549 (CDMA) full-priced, could I buy this one in USA and use with T-Mobile or AT&T as well (full 4G LTE), because I already asked Verizon employee about this mode but she said can’t use in T-mobile and AT&T, it is only use CDMA in USA and oversea (support both CDMA and GSM), I more confuse…I ready want to buy Verizon unloked A1549 due to I’m using T-mobile sim card in USA ( but T-mobile iP in Apple store unavailable now) and can use in VN when I come back (sometime go to Korean which used CDMA spect).
Onething; are you vietnamess ???
Many thank
Murat says
Hi Tuan,
Would T-mobile no contract version works on Turkcell in Turkey?
Thanks for your help,
Marie says
Here is my question: the unlocked T-Mobile iPhone 6 sold by Apple is the A1549. This link http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE suggests that only the A1586 will work with UK carries. So if I buy an unlocked iPhone 6 in the US it will be the t-mobile version which is not compatible with UK networks?
Daniel Phuc Nguyen says
Hi, I wanna buy the Unlocked iPhone 6 in US but I didn’t see any Sim-free version! But iPhone 5s has Sim-free version. Can T-mobile version use like Sim-free?? Can you help me to choose the iPhone 6 international version for me please?
PS: I live in Vietnam. Thank you! :)
Sahil says
I don’t have any questions anymore because of all your amazing answers here! I just wanted to say you are really really helpful and doing an amazing job! I know a lot of people who appreciate your help! So thank you very much for all your great help! :) :)
Richard says
Hi Taun,
I see that the best way to get the 1524 model is in japan also it is cheaper, if i got this right then here is my question does an iphone bought from japan differs from an iphone bought in for example Hong Kong, and if it does what are the differences ?
Thaks,
Jybyjv says
Does it differ from where i buy my iphone with same model 1524
Shrip says
Dear Tuan,
Even I am from India and will be travelling to japan, Korea, Vietnam and Thailand this month.
Can you tell me from which country out of this can I get unlock iphone 6plus for India.
Thanks
Shrip says
Also I am using Vodafone carrier.
Tuan Do says
You could get it anywhere because they are selling the same version.
Alan says
Dear Tuan. I live in Ireland and hope to buy Unlocked iPhone 6 online via apple store US. Will 4G/LTE function on our networks.thanks
Mai says
Do you think when Apple store starts to sell the unlocked sim free iPhone 6 Plus in US, would it be the A1524 or A1522. The sales rep at Apple store does not know the differences between models of their products. Thank you!
lisa c says
Dear Tuan,
I happen to be traving in NY right now and am going back to Korea in 2 wks.
Which Iphone 6+ model should i get so i can use it in Korea?
Luxl says
Dear TUAN,
Hi i have ordered the T-Mobile(Contract Free) iPhone 6 and 6 plus from apple store in the usa, will Those phone unlocked and work on it in cambodia?. would appreciate some help on this!
David C. says
I will be moving to Japan in January. I have the iPhone 6+ A1522 (AT&T) will it work there?
Tuan Do says
It won’t be fully compatible with SoftBank because the carrier is using TD-LTE on band 41. Besides, your AT&T iPhone will need to be unlocked.
David C says
So if I get it unlocked I could us it in Japan?
Pedro says
Hi,
I got an iphone 6 A1586 MG4F2X/A unlocked from Australia Apple Store, but it does not work with a China Telecom card in China.
Anybody know the reason? Will China Mobile and/or China Unicom work?
Thanks a lot!
Pedro
billylo says
Hi Tuan,
I’m in canada now and bought iphone 6 A1549. I’m from hk and using smartone. Sometimes i work in china. Is my iphone will work normally in hk and china?
Thank you for your help.
Billy
Mohan says
which model of iphone 6 plus compatible with INDIAN GSM Network.
loi says
Dear Tuan,
I just bought an ATT iPhone 6 and I’m about to go on a vacation in Vietnam. Well my ATT iPhone 6 in Vietnam or I have to unlock it first?
Thank you!
Loi
Andy Wach says
you have to unlock first before you head to VN…..
if you have verizon phone, the phone automatic unlock and can be use in Vietnam, NOT AT&t
Peter says
Hi
I am in Hawaii from Australia and want to know if any of the iPhone 6 versions are compatible with Telstra do they provide 4G LTE coverage. The phones are $400 cheaper. Thanks Peter.
Kuba says
Hi, which model of IPhone 6 Plus will be work in Poland? I’m going to US and want buy iPhone there but I want to have 100 % certainty about good model.
Best regards
Talal says
Dear Tuan,
Can I buy the sim free IPhone 6/6+ from japan and using it in kuwait (Middle East)?
Regards,
Andrei Copaci says
I live in Romania, in Europe. I will get an iPhone 6 (unlocked) from my uncle who lives in Canada, but i want to be sure if it will work with Vodafone Romania and on 4G. What model should I buy?
Serban Ionut Andrei says
L-am intrebat si eu mi a rapuns mai sus…1549 este ok de T mobile sau Verizon.
Eu am un amic care pleaca in vacanta si l-am pus sa imi cumpere.
Spor !!!
Alex says
Sa inteleg ca se poate cumpara de pe site-ul ( cu livrare in USA ) versiunea free contract T-Mobile? Va merge oare pe orange ?
raul says
salutare alex….ai reusit sa intri in posesia iphon-ului 6 adus din america?? functioneaza in romania pe orange??? stima
Ken Fukuda says
Hi Tuan,
Will unlocked A1586 or A1524 work on Verizon network?
Thank you.
Andrew says
Dear Tuan,
Could you tell me please, will contract-free version of iPhone 1586 work in Russia? We’ve got LTE 7 or 38 (2600)/
Anthony says
Hi Tuan,
If a buy an Iphone 6 in Canada, will it work with France 4G?
Many thx !
tuttle says
Great article! Your information is very useful.
I live in Canada. I want to buy an unlocked iPhone 6, primarily for use in Canada (I have not yet chosen a carrier). But, I also want to use local SIM cards in Europe, especially France and Italy.
Which model of iPhone 6 would be the best for me to buy from Apple Store in Canada for those requirements?
Thanks
Tuan Do says
You don’t have a choice when buyint at Apple Store. The unlocked version they are selling can be used in those countries anyways.
Remythe says
Hi Sir,
I’m from France.
I am planning to buy an Iphone 6 plus in the US. I know that the one from T-mobile contract free (GSM) is the “Model A1522 (GSM)”.
However I need the model 1524 I i want to use the 4G i France right ? right? Does the model 1522 will work (4g) in France?
Because here in Frace we use “FDD-LTE”.
Many thanks in Advance.
Aycan says
Dear Tuan,
It is a great article and i know it is hard for you to answer every question. I am in japan right now and i would like to purchase 64 gb iphone 6 plus.
Which model should i go to work it on Turkey/Europe ?(I live in Turkey and i think we are included in Europe region in case of frequencies.)
Tuan Do says
As mentioned above, the unlocked version in Japan can work on most carriers in the world.
Ken says
Verizon?
rajesh says
which iPhone 6+ model would suit me if i buy from singapore to use in India? and if warranty purchased for extra year in singapore would be valid in India? thanks
Tuan Do says
The unlocked version in Singapore is the best one. For the iPhone, there is no obligation to service outside the original country of sale but they might still help you in some cases. You should check it with your local Apple Store.
Mak says
Hi Tuan,
I am on business travel in USA currently living and working in Oman (Middle East).
Could you please advise which model i should buy for Iphone 6 so as to not have any compatibility issues with the Omantel and Nawras carriers there?
regards,
Mak
Alex says
Hy,
I want to buy a iphone 6 from US and i don’t know what model. I want to use it in Orange Romania.
What do you recomand for me?
I saw on apple site it appears only the T-mobile for free contract.
Thx
vk says
I live in India. I am in Japan for 2 more days and want to buy the Iphone 6. Please let me know which model number to buy. I think the safest would be 1549 (GSM) I presume the phone pack has GSM written on it.
GSM – 900 1800
3G – 2100 Vodafone;
Any reason why I should buy the 1586?
I have not mentioned LTE or 4G since Vodafone is not offering 4G service. Please revert soon. Thanks
EMKWAN says
Hi I need advice. Which iPhone 6 model from USA will work for UK three network and UAE etisalat as I travel and use both
Please advise. Looking for SpaceGray
al332 says
I ordered a Verizon iphone 6 (MCG642LL/A) with pre-installed SIM. If I wanted to resale, do I need to remove the SIM? Is this unlocked?
Tuan Do says
You don’t need to if it doesn’t come with your contract.
Emkwan says
Hi. Question which model do you advise which is from USA and will work with UAE and UK ?! iPhone 6
Murilo says
Hello, the big question is, where will I find in the USA, the iPhone versions 6
A1586 and A1524 iPhone 6 Plus Model factory unlocked model. I know that these models are compatible with 4G in Latin America, such as Brazil where I live and also in Europe. You know tell me where I buy these devices, these versions within the USA?
Tuan Do says
You can only buy it through sellers on eBay or Amazon, check these out:
http://amzn.to/Y92Wxl
http://amzn.to/1uHFtxA
Andy Wach says
Tuan,
I have a question for you: Iphone6plus from Verizon and Tmobile, which is the best to use in Vietnam? if you pick, which one is the best choice?
Thanks
Andy Wach says
can you give me your advice as I mention the question above?
thanks
Won says
Hi, I just bought A1522 (iphone 6 plus from Canada Apple store unlocked)
Will this work in China for LTE? or will I only have 2G service?
thank you in advance.
JC Rojo says
Hi Tuan,
I live in the Philippines and I would like to order iPhone 6+ from my relatives in Canada, I know that in Apple Store -Canada they would probably only sell A1522. Reading from your comments above, the best for Asia is A1524. Can I still get good connection of LTE here in the Philippines with the A1522 model? I will be using the iPhone with either Smart or Globe Telecom. Thank you Tuan!
Tuan Do says
Yes LTE will work on both Smart and Globe.
JC Rojo says
Thank you, Tuan! d best techie guy!
Dhey says
Sir, i want to buy iphone6 A1586 In hongkong and use it in the philippines, is it compatible to globe and smart network?
gabriela says
hola Tuan yo vivo en argentina pero tengo un pariente que esta en EEUU y queria saber que modelo de iphone 6 le tengo que pedir para que pueda funcionar en mi pais.
Gracias
Remy says
Hi Sir,
I’m from France.
I am planning to buy an Iphone 6 plus in the US. I know that the one from T-mobile contract free (GSM) is the “Model A1522 (GSM)”.
However I need the model 1524, if I want to use the 4G in France right ? right? But Does the model 1522 will work (4g) in France?
Because here in Frace we use “FDD-LTE”.
Many thanks in Advance.
Tuan Do says
Sure Remy,
A1522 is the iPhone for FDD-LTE networks.
Mohammed Juma says
I’m from Oman near Dubai (Golf County) I want to buy iphone 6 plus. Any recommendations for the one I should take? ???
James Long says
Hi Tuan, I live in Hong Kong and have a contract with 3 (Hutchison). A friend is thinking of bringing me over the US Unlocked iPhone 6 (the T-Mobile one). I think from your posts that I will be able to use my current SIM card (nano) and LTE in Hong Kong on the US unlocked phone. Is that correct? i.e. I’ll just be able to put in my current sim and 4G will work ok? Many thanks, James
Tuan Do says
It is perfect on 3 Hong Kong.
Eric says
Hello Tuan,
I have a quick question. I have iPhone 6 both A1549. Once is tmobile (MG5A2LL/A) and the other verizon (MG632LL/A).
I want to give the verizon one as a gift to my gf in Malaysia. She uses the Maxis network. Per wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxis_Communications) the frequencies listed are also on the A1549 model.
Is there any way to confirm i can gift to her and she will have no issues?
Thank you in advance.
Krasimir says
Hi Tuan
Im living in Bulgaria. Do you know which model will work. Especially for globul.
Thanks in advance
M says
I bought it last year in the United States in the Apple iPhone 5s in the Sprint network. He works in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I paid $ 700. Is it the same now as with T-mobile contract free. Is this phone unlocked in the world and that’s the difference in these models. How to choose which model to buy. Is it possible that the iPhone 6 is now cheaper than 5s? I read that you say that the A1586 best model for Europe? What does it mean?
Ivan says
Hi Tuan,
I bought a iphone6 in ebay US, the part number is MG4Q2LL/A and the packing sealed when delivered to me, the seller said it is from AT&T, how can i know it is locked or unlocked? can i use it in Hong Kong?
Thanks.
Tuan Do says
It might be locked. You will have to try the phone by yourself.
Thang says
Another question about Verizon unloked A1549 (CDMA) full-priced, could I buy this one in USA and use with T-Mobile or AT&T as well (full 4G LTE), because I already asked Verizon employee about this mode but she said can’t use in T-mobile and AT&T, it is only use CDMA in USA and oversea (support both CDMA and GSM), I more confuse…I ready want to buy Verizon unloked A1549 due to I’m using T-mobile sim card in USA ( but T-mobile iP in Apple store unavailable now) and can use in VN when I come back (sometime go to Korean which used CDMA spect).
Onething; are you vietnamess ???
Many thank
Andy Wach says
Hello,
I would say 100% sure, Verizon phone should work in Tmobile or Att network (they work liked charm)
Hope that help u out!!!
Andy Wach says
btw, Verizon’s employees said that because they don’t want you switch to other carriers.
Thang says
thank but Apple’s employees also same answer…I don’t understand why?
Tuan Do says
Apple’s staffs have no idea about the difference among those models. They hardly can give you a correct answer.
Thang says
So how can I get Verizon’s iP6 plus, from Verizon’s store or Apple’s store, nothing difference from 02 places?
Thang says
And also Verizon ip6 will work with Tmobile sim card full 4G LTE?
Q says
Tuan,
Verizon’s iPhone 6 are GSM unlocked, correct? Will the phone work as is in South Korea, Viet Nam, China? Will it work with CDMA in Viet Nam?
Tuan Do says
Yes, partly yes and yes.
kosar says
hi bro
my iphone 6 model are (MG482B/A) can u tell me to which country are Produced؟؟؟
kosar says
any answer of my equ??
Rami says
Hi,
I live in the US and want to buy an iPhone 6 for my sister who lives in Jordan. Which unlocked version can I buy that will work in Jordan?
Tuan Do says
Sorry I have no information about carriers in Jordan. I guess the contract-free T-Mobile version will work.
Andy Wach says
Tuan,
I have a question: Iphone6plus from Verizon and Tmobile, which is the best to use in Vietnam? if you have the option to pick one, which one is the best choice?
Thanks
Krasimir says
Hi Tuan Do.
I’m currently in USA but I’m living in Bulgaria. Do you know which model will be the best for me?
Dhaval Jethva says
Hii Tuan,
I am living in india and planning to buy I phone 6 mobile from US as one of my friend is coming to india next month. i have been struggling which model should i tell him to buy so that i can use it in india.
please suggest,
Regards
Dhaval Jethva
Dolly says
Hey Tuan,
You are really helping people here :)
I wanted to know that if I buy an iphone 6 unlocked from apple store in Australia which model will I get. Will that model work in India as you have mentioned that apple model A1586 would work well in India. Please advice and help. Thanks
M says
Can some help :) I bought it last year in the United States in the Apple iPhone 5s in the Sprint network. He works in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I paid $ 700. Is it the same now as with T-mobile contract free. Is this phone unlocked in the world and that’s the difference in these models. How to choose which model to buy. Is it possible that the iPhone 6 is now cheaper than 5s? I read that you say that the A1586 best model for Europe? What does it mean?
mariano says
I would like to know iPhone6 have to buy in nyc for me to work in Argentina . from already thank you very much.
HERGOT Bastien says
First i’d like to thank you for all of those information you’ve provided to me.
Then i’d like to know which Iphone6 + i have to take in the USA for Belgium, I’m in the US till December 10 as a student exchange so after i need my iphone to work in Belgium.
Can you help me with that?
Thank you very much.
Bastien
Petar says
Hi Tuan Do
i buy Verizon iPhone 6 from Apple store for full price and would like to know if my phone will work in Europe, to another operator?
iPhone 6 128GB Space Gray (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MG602LL/A
Please answer
Tnx
david collins says
I am visiting my son in Chicago 7th to 15th October and would like to buy an unlocked sim free iphone 6 plus there, since Appple do not treat us Uk buyers kindly where price is concerned !
I have read than many purchasers in the US, of the more expensive T mobile contract free iphone 6 from apple, have found they can use it on any network ( including Europe ones) BUT there is one answered question for myself which I wondered if you could answer for a 67 year old non-techie
The link below to the apple website states the US 6plus model is A1522 and the one applicable to other countries including the UK is A1524 which has extra band support numbers listed which I do not know about
https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
So is the A1522 iphone 6 plus the one an Apple store will sell me and will it work fully with my GSM UK sim card ( provided by EE on 4G) – assuming I inset my sim before turning it on as US forums suggest
( cannot imagine an apple store will let me test it first!?)
If not I could end up with a very expensive paperweight !!
Many thanks
Tuan Do says
David,
There shouldn’t be any problem on EE. You can try inserting your SIM card to any iPhone in store to test it by yourself but it is not really necessary.
Best.
david collins says
many thanks for such a quick reply,its appreciated
great site
Heidi says
HI Tuan,
I saw some of your comments above about iphone 6 and its usage in China. I just bought an iphone6 A1586 non-contract Sprint from Apple store in US. I am going back to China in 5 days. I wonder if the phone can be used with China SIM card without unlocking?
Based on what you said, Sprint iphone is locked. Is this correct? But the guy at apple store told me i can insert local SIM card. So I got confused as the they guy may misunderstood my questions. Therefore, I want to double check with you about this whether unlocking is necessary for this model to be used in China. Thanks!
Tuan Do says
Heidi,
I don’t think you can use the Sprint iPhone 6 in China without unlocking. The Sprint iPhones are always locked, you should request the unlock before leaving.
Best
Carol says
Hi Tuan,
May I know how do we go about unlocking the iPhone 6? Can Apple store do it for us?
Thanks
Carol
Spire says
Sprint needs to unlock it.
Carol says
Hi Tuan,
How to unlock it then?
Thanks
Carol
Tache says
Tuan,
Who do you ask to unlock the Sprint A1586 CDMA (Sprint) in California (San Jose Bay area)?
Thanks
Tache says
Heidi,
I’m in the same situation as you are.
I went to the Apple store just now and talked to 3 employee and got the same answer.
I cannot use the phone in US (locked because no contract) but can use it overseas (unlocked) as long as they’re compatible to their local provider.
If you have additional info, would appreciate if you can share it with me.
Thanks
Jane
Lizzie says
Hi Tuan,
This is a fantastic and very helpful article!
I would like to buy the unlocked (T mobile) iPhone 6 in the USA next week and am planning on ordering it online and having it delviered to our hotel.
Will it work in New Zealand on the Spark and or Vodafone networks?
Thanks
Squall says
Dear Tuan,
I have a simple Mobile SIM Card right now and I’m wondering which iPhone 6+ Model I Have to chose while I live in Texas. I don’t wanna buy any of the common SIM’s like AT&T, Verizon,sprint or T-Mobile. I would like to use my own SIM. Thank you.
Carol says
Hi Tuan,
I am living in Singapore and will be traveling to Japan & US in Oct14, I would like to purchase the new iPhone 6 in either Japan or US. Could you advise which model should we buy which would be compatible in Singapore, thank you in advance!
Carol
Carol says
Hi Tuan,
I saw from above comments that iPhone 6 A1586 or iPhone 6+ A1524 will be sold locked, may if know how to unlock them before we head back for Singapore?
Thanks
Carol
Carol says
Hi Tuan,
I read that iPhone 6 A1586 or iPhone 6+ A1524 are the models to buy for use in Singapore but they are locked, aren’t? How to unlock them then?
We only have 6 days in US, wondering how long do we need to get them unlock?
Thanks
Carol
Eric says
Hello Tuan,
I have a quick question. I have iPhone 6 both A1549. Once is tmobile (MG5A2LL/A) and the other verizon (MG632LL/A).
I want to give the verizon one as a gift to my gf in Malaysia. She uses the Maxis network. Per wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxis_Communications) the frequencies listed are also on the A1549 model.
Is there any way to confirm i can gift to her and she will have no issues?
Thank you in advance.
Gysel says
Hi,
Please can I help me?
A friend of mine bought for me a 16GB iphone 6 in space grey from an apple store in Sacramento, USA.
On top of the 650$ shelf price he has been charged another 50$ as ‘tax’ apparently & another 20$ for the t-Mobile SIM card.
Considering that if ordered online, the same item (t-mobile contract free) one doesn’t have to pay anything extra at all on top of the 650$, could you please help me out and explain why the extra costs in store?
Regards
Mario says
Asking questions a few times. Tuan can you help me please. Can some help :) I bought it last year in the United States in the Apple iPhone 5s in the Sprint network. He works in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I paid $ 700. Is it the same now as with T-mobile contract free. Is this phone unlocked in the world and that’s the difference in these models. How to choose which model to buy. Is it possible that the iPhone 6 is now cheaper than 5s? I read that you say that the A1586 best model for Europe? What does it mean?
Tuan Do says
Mario,
No the iPhone 6 can’t be cheaper than iPhone 5S.
The Sprint and T-Mobile versions are different.
The A1586 is compatible with some extra bands in Europe. Please read my article and above comments for more details.
Joe says
mines isn’t on the list. It’s NG4X2LL/A. was a replacement apple gave me when my at&t one was defective. came unlocked too.
Gysel says
Hello Tuan,
Asking questions a few times today ,can I answer me please.
A friend of mine bought for me a 16GB iphone 6 in space grey from an apple store in Sacramento, USA.
On top of the 650$ shelf price he has been charged another 50$ as ‘tax’ apparently & another 20$ for the t-Mobile SIM card.
Considering that if ordered online, the same item (t-mobile contract free) one doesn’t have to pay anything extra at all on top of the 650$, could you please help me out and explain why the extra costs in store?
Please answer Tuan ,thanks
Tuan Do says
That’s so weird.
I’ve never had to pay for the included SIM card. I have no idea why that Apple Store charged for the SIM card.
Tache says
I bought the iphon6 Model A1586 CDMA (Sprint) no contract from Apple store – MG6C2LL/A.
After reading the comment, I’m concerned whether it’s unlocked. I plan to use it overseas in Asia.
Help !! How can I find out if it’s unlocked and if it’s locked, how can I unlock it.
Thanks
Tuan Do says
I posted requirements to unlock Sprint iPhones above. Hope it helps.
Danial says
Hi Tuan Do,
I live in malaysia and im planning either buying the iphone from usa or singapore. May i know which is the best suitable for my country. Which the most compatible. Thanks
Lorenzo says
I d like to buy the verizon 2years agreement iphone6 for 199(16gb). For what I read I will be able to put in it my Italian SIM card from h3g and use it in Italy right? Any issue with the lte or it will only work 2g?? Can you help??
mario says
Thank you for your response. The price is the same, I wrote wrong. Is it possible to choose the model. How to check whether t-mobile to work in Bosnia and Herzegovina? In the apple store when we ask that we sell the unlocked version they do not know much about it. The only thing I can buy the T-Mobile cost $ 649 + tax..How can I be sure that it will work on my sim card in my country? Thanks a lot
Mo says
Weirdly my iPhone 6 A1549 MG3E2CL/A does not connect to the local LTE network while other iPhone 6’s such as as A1549 MG5A2LL/A and A1549 MG4W2LL/A connect to the LTE network
P.S. I am in the UAE and tried both carriers
Sergey says
Hello, Tuan!
I want to buy iPhone 6 (GSM) T-Mobile Contract free, but I don’t sure will it work in Kazakhstan? Can you help me with this question?
Thanks!
V M Rao says
Which model of 6 plus for use in India
Ken D. says
Wow, this is the most detailed technical post about the iPhone 6+ that I want to buy, and I got some ideas what to do.
Please help me see whether I fully understand your article:
I want an world phone that I can use as many countries as possible, more emphasized the U.S. and South Korea. Curently, I’m an at&t customer and would like to buy an unlocked phone to do meet the above requirements.
I can’t buy an unlocked iPhone 6+ from at&t.
(1) So if I buy an unlocked A1522(GSM) iPhone 6+ from T-Mobile at the Apple site, it only works for at&t in the U.S., but not in South Korea.
(2) If I buy an unlocked A1522(CDMA) iPhone 6+ from Verizon, it works for at&t in the U.S. and also in South Korea.
(3) If I buy an unlocked A1524 iPhone 6+ somewhere, not only it works for at&t in the U.S and in South Korea, but also in more countries.
So (1) is not an option for me while (3) would be a better option than (2) if the price is no object.
Did I understand your article correclty?
Javier says
I currently have a sprint iPhone6 A1586 which is not on an account. I’m going to study abroad in China. My iPhone has a clean esn. Will I be able to use it over there?
Dean says
Hi Tuan,
I’m looking to buy an iphone 6 in the U.S and use it in the U.K on o2 mobile network. Which iphone will i need to purchase in order for it to be compatible in the u.k for 3g/4g ect.
Thank you in advance.
Dean
Sid says
Hii Tuan
I live in India. I am going on a vacation to Dubai from where i am planning to buy a iphone 6.
I am very confused as to which model is made for India as it is still to be launched in India.
Hope you will make my mind clear as to which iphone 6 model would be launched in India so that i could buy a compatible one.
Waiting for your reply
Thank you
Sid
Da says
Hi Tuan
I’m from UK traveling to US and canada for holiday, I want to buy the T mobile unlocked iphone 6 from Apple store.
Will it work with my UK carrier three network? Are there any network that the iphone 6 from US not compatible with in the UK?
Thank you in advance
Da
Iphone 6 says
Hi Tuan,
I’m wondering if I buy an iPhone 6 in Japan will it work with my Vodafone sim in the UK? Secondly if I buy one in the US will it work – with my Vodafone sim – in the UK?
Many thanks.
Darren.
Mike A says
Tuan Do,
I live in the US, and my girlfriend lives in China. I want to take her an iPhone 6 Plus. Which carrier should I be buying for her to use in China, on carrier China Mobile? Verizon (A1522 CDMA) or T-Mobile (A1522 GSM)??
Thanks Tuan!!
Tuan Do says
Mike,
I’ve just updated the post with some new info of Chinese carriers. Let me know if it helps.
Bycile says
Hello
can you please tel me something, i want to by 2 iphone 6+ from some carriers for 300$ in US, but i wannt to send one to my son in europe in serbia, so please answer me this, if buy some iphone6+(gsm or cdma) from at&t or verizon,or tmobile will it work in serbia? i heard some LTE phones are unloced,in serbia they use regular sim cards, they dont have LTE, i thing sim cards are 3G(128k)
sorry for my poor english
Yago says
Hi Tuan,
Thanks for a great article. I am thinking of buying my unlocked 64 GB iphone 6 in Australia. I would be interested in it being compatible in Sweden (Tele2) and Spain (Telefonica). The model available in the Australian apple store is MG4F2X/A. Is this a 1586 or a 1549?
My other option would be to buy the T mobile unlocked version in the US. Which model would I get in this case?
Thanks again!
bearmon2010 says
Hi!
I am not sure if I should purchased iPhone 6 plus here with a contract for 2 years? I am a customer of Verizon. Anyway, I want to use it in Portugal with a nano SIM card (Vodafona in Europe) for Viber (Or Whatsapp). Will it remain 3G instead of LTE ?
Ammar Aljuhani says
Hi.
I live right now in US and I want to buy a new iPhone 6 plus, which model you prefer A1522 (GSM) or A1522 (CDMA)?
just to let know, I might use my phone in Saudi Arabia.
Panda says
it’s possibile buy a Iphone 6 model A1586 sim unlocked on USA?
I found this answer on the apple forum:
“…
I had exactly the same thing. I wanted to buy the iPhone 6 model A1586 for use in europe. What you need to do is: Go to a apple store and ask them for the iPhone 6 sprint model for the full price. You will get the iPhone without a contract, simcart unlocked and just for the normal price. The iPhone 6 sprint models are all A1586. I did the same and it worked perfectly.
…”
it’s true?
Tuan Do says
Panda,
I called a few Apple Stores and asked them about the unlocked Sprint iPhone 6. They said that this version is locked to Sprint when buying at Apple Store. So, they recommend to buy it at full price at Sprint. As this is a contract-free version, you can request to unlock the phone and they should do it right away.
You can contact Sprint to verify the info.
Hope it helps.
Peter says
Hi
I am living in Denmark, where we use LTE frequencies of 800(19), 1800(3) and 2600(7) MHz and GSM. I can see on http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/ that Apple say I need a Model A1586 (GSM). However I am travelling to Miami, US in November and an iPhone 6 is approx. 26% cheaper in the US than in Denmark. As I can read of your answers, A1586 (GSM) will be impossible to buy un-locked / contract free in the US.
Will a model A1549 (GSM) work in Denmark as it also supports 800, 1800 and 2600 MHZ? and is it possible to purchase an unlocked/contract free in the US e.g. in an official Apple store?
Thanks
Peter
Tuan Do says
Yes, the T-Mobile iPhone 6 is actually unlocked and you can use it in Denmark.
Peter says
Just to be 110% sure. The T-mobile iPhone 6 sold at Apple Retail stores is a A1549 (GSM) model?
Faye says
Hi tuan,
I hope you can reply and help me, i have an ip6+ mgc72ll/a, model number a1522 bought from tmobile contract free, i will be visiting the philippines next week, will it work using smart/globe telecom there..? Im also planning to hand it over to my daughter i wanna be sure she’ll be able to use it with their network. Thanks !!
Tuan Do says
Faye,
Sure it will work in Philippines. I heard Globe is deploying TD-LTE which is not compatible with this phone but you still can use FDD-LTE bands.
Faye says
Im confused as well coz i went to the tmobile store, they told me i had to wait for 40 days to have the device unlocked and that to unlock it i have to meet the requirements for them to unlock the device,base on what i heard if you bought it straight from apple store with the tmbobile contract free phone, it comes unlocked already. In my case, i bought it at tmobile.. With staggard payment so i think that answers my own question on why i should wait for 40 days before it becomes unlocked
Mary says
Hi faye! Please comment back if the iphone 6+ you bought, contract free t-mobile, worked in the Philippines. I’m planning to buy one at the Apple store and bring it with me to the Philippines. I asked the someone from Apple Store and he said they are not selling unlocked yet. I’m confused.
Thank you! Hope to hear from you soon!
Nelson says
Hi Tuan,
I was wondering what iphone 6 model does the contract free t mobile from the Apple Online Store correspond: A1549 or A1586?
And if i go to a physical Apple Store which model will they give me?
Thanks
Ken D. says
According to the apple website info, you can buy A1586 and A1524 in Japan, but the mobile carriers won’t unlock your phone for other countries.
Monica says
Is the A1549 the same as the T-Mobile contract free version? I have an H2O sim card right now, but I want to use the phone in India on Idea network too. Will this model be okay?
Tuan Do says
Yes, it is the T-Mobile version. I’m not sure about your carrier, I just know that its 4G LTE bands won’t be compatible on Aircel and Airtel.
Monica says
Thanks a lot Tuan! Will it be compatible with existing 3G/2G bands? Or will I have to go for the A1586 model?
Luis says
Hi,
I live in Italy right now if I buy a unlocked iPhone 6+ here will it work in the US when I get back next year. Thanks
Annie says
Hi Tuan, first of all thanks for answering everyone’s questions. Your review is the most complete and thorough out of all that I have read so far. I would like to double check with you on one thing I summarize based on your review: you mentioned that for iPhone 6 plus model A1522 (CDMA) by Verizon all come factory unlocked but the iPhone 6 model A1549(CDMA), however, may not be unlocked unless we buy the unlocked version. Am I rephrasing correctly? In addition, the CDMA unlocked model A1522 should be able to work on China Telecom and China Unicom 3G/4G network?
Thank much!
Tuan Do says
All Verizon phones are sold unlocked and yes, you can use the CDMA A1522 on China Telecom and China Unicom.
Hi Tuan Do says
Hi tuan,
I am in US. I bought a iPhone 6+ from a re-seller . He sold me a phone with Model A1524( Is it Sprint carrier ?) with Part No. MGA92LL/A and he said this phone is Unlocked. I did not see that Part No is current in US. Would you please help me to check it up ? Is that phone unlock or not . Because i was try to use my T-moble but it was not work. Thank You.
Akhilesh Tekchand says
Hey! I wanted to know which one of these models will be fully compatible for use in India.
Thanks :)
Jorge Contreras says
Hello Tuan! I want to know which model will be fully compatible for use in Mexico. My carriers are Telcel and Iusacell. Thanks in Advance!
Harrys says
Hi Tuan, I’m moving to France for two yrs. Could you tell me what is the model I need there (just 6 not 6+)…. It seams that the 1586 is what I need… But there is two 1586 – GSM and CDMA. Up to you, witch one I have to chose? Nothing sure for the moment but I think to subscribe a Free mobile network. Thanks in advance Tuan.
Jon says
Hy tuan , I asked my friend to buy me an iPhone 6 plus, I live in israel
And my provider has umts and gsm
Wich model should I get
Bobby L. says
Hi all,
Good news for people wanting to buy unlocked A1586/A1524 for global use:
Buying a Sprint A1586/A1524 in USA from Apple Store (Retail) without a Sprint contract, then your phone will be unlocked, and NOT be tied to Sprint.
This means that your “Device-Only” purchase will be globally unlocked for use on any carrier, including for use in China (China Mobile, China Unicom, etc). You will have to pay full price, starting at $649, plus local state tax.
I’ve tested this already. Purchased a Sprint A1586 from Apple Retail Store, asked to purchase at full price “Device-Only”, paid $649 plus tax (for 16 GB) model. Then I was able to insert a China Mobile nano-SIM card, and it works. :-)
Therefore, the “Sprint lock” only applies to customers who either:
– buys at discounted $199 price and activates service from Sprint
– buys from non Apple Store, such as BestBuy, Target, RadioShack, etc
– buys directly from Sprint
If anyone disagrees with my above (and has proof), then please discuss with me.
thanks,
Bobby
Alex says
Does this prove that “苹果的高层公开告诉运营商, 美国的iPhone 6和iPhone 6+只有国内锁,没有国际锁”? Could you test whether Verrizon and AT&T’s cards work for your phone to verify whether Sprint phone is domestically locked even it is a full-price one from Apple store?
ian says
Hi Bobby,
When you bought Sprint iPhone from Apple store, is it any Sprint SIM card inside? Did you pull it out before powered it up?
So you tried SIM cards from China and the other US local carriers and they are all working perfectly?
Thanks,
Ian
Bobby L says
I only tried using SIM card from China Mobile, and it works perfectly. I’m back in China, and it all works out, with 4G on China Mobile. I clearly assume that the same would work for China Unicom. (China Telecom is different, as it’s a CDMA provider, and would need the CDMA phone directly provisioned from Apple.)
As for US local carriers, I assume it would work. However, if you actually lived in the USA and want to use a US local carrier, just go buy the phone and try it! Worse comes to worse, just return the phone if it didn’t work! :-)
Alex says
Bobby,
Could you comment on this document?
爱疯6/6+购买攻略—供老中们的简版
iPhone 6和iPhone 6+ 火爆上市了。全世界人民为之疯狂。一方面新一代的iPhone的确招人喜爱，另一方面它又带来了兼容性方面的混淆和困惑。其主要原因是有多达八个型号的新一代iPhone, 包括A1549/A1522(GSM)，A1549/A1522(CDMA), A1586/1524 以及A1589/1593, 供用户进行选择。这香苹果的臭爱疯够坑爹的。看官们别着急。兼容性在不同的型号中实际上是一种简单明了的叠加关系。如果你不想知道技术细节，就无锁的手机而言，下面为大妈级别的爱疯6/6+购买攻略。
iPhone 6 / 6 + 购买全攻略
iPhone6/6+型号 AT&T Verizon T-Mobile Sprint 中国移动 中国联通 中国电信
A1549/A1522(GSM) Yes! Yes! Yes!
A1549/A1522(CDMA) Yes! Yes! Yes! ? Yes! Yes!
A1586/A1524 Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
A1589/A1593 ? ? ? ? Yes! ? ?
A1549/A1522(GSM) [A1549 是iPhone 6; A1522是iPhone 6+。在美国是AT&T和 T-Mobile的官机]: 通吃AT&T 和T-Mobile的所有标准。在中国通吃中国联通的所有标准(不含TD-LTE)。
A1549/A1522(CDMA) [A1549 是iPhone 6; A1522是iPhone 6+。在美国是Verizon的官机]: 在通吃AT&T和 T-Mobile的所有标准和中国联通的所有标准的基础上通吃Verizon和中国电信的所有标准(不含TD-LTE)。
A1586/A1524 [A1586 是iPhone 6; A1524是iPhone 6+。在美国是Sprint的官机。]: 在通吃AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, 中国联通以及中国电信的所有标准基础上通吃Sprint和中国移动的所有标准。真正的全球高大上 – 全球通吃。
A1589/A1593 [A1589 是iPhone 6; A1593是iPhone 6+]:是苹果公司为中国移动定制的手机。手机原设计应该是通吃全世界的所有标准。看官且慢，听说中国移动对其上了锁。 在中国只能在中国移动用。在中国联通和中国电信都不能用。在国外只能用漫游,不能用本地的SIM卡入网。最后的真相要等10月下旬发布后才能大白。
本人没有亲自测试过，但已有很多网友证实后报告说苹果店里的T-Mobile全价机和Verizon合同机(用非Verizon的SIM卡激活时)没有锁。苹果的高层公开告诉运营商, 有锁的美国iPhone 6和iPhone 6+只有国内锁，没有国际锁。有网友证实后报告说苹果店里的Sprint全价机可以用中国移动的微卡。真够乱的。
结论 — 牛气排行榜: A1586/A1524> A1549/A1522(CDMA) > A1549/A1522(GSM) 。
(作者为美国Syracuse大学通信和网络管理专业的Alex Tan教授。更多相关内容请访问www.studentcellplan.com/ch/Resources-ch.aspx)
Tong says
Hi Bobby,
So you just bought the Sprint phone for full price at an Apple store, and you didn’t call Sprint to unlock it, and the phone worked with China Mobile. Is that correct?
Best Regards,
Tong
Mary says
Hi Tuan,
Which iPhone6 model should I buy in US Apple Store to use in the Philippines. Globe Telecom is GSM.
Thank you!
Mohamed says
Hi Tuan Do,
I desperately need an answer!!Can I buy the t-mobile contract free from the US and use in Malaysia?? I will be using the carrier Maxis…thank you very much :)
Saleel dalal says
Hi tuan do,
I am from india. I am purchasing the iPhone 6 from Switzerland next week. Just wanted to ask if this is a good idea. Will there be issues of any kind? Please let me know at the earliest.
Thanks
FredNewengland says
Hi, Tuan,
Paid the full price with contract free iPhone 6 Plus (A1522(GSM)) for AT&T in US Apple store. Do I need to unlocked it even I paid full price in Apple store?
Tuan Do says
After you buy a full priced AT&T phone, you will be able to unlock it after 60 days from the days of the activation.
thang says
Are yo sure because my friend bought AT&T iphone 6 full priced at Apple store, brought to Viet nam, put VN sim card and everything fine without 60 days from AT&T. Could you confirm that?
Neil says
Hi Tuan,
Thanks for a very interesting and informative blog.
I just have a couple of questions about the iPhone 6:
1) I have heard a rumour that if you buy the Sprint phone from Apple (which is the A1586 model) at full price without a contract and take out the sim card before you switch it on, the phone will not be locked to Sprint. Do you know if this is true or not or have you heard anything similar in relation to this?
2) I want to buy an iPhone 6 in the US and take it back to the UK with me. From all the information above, is my understanding correct that it doesn’t really matter which model I purchase as the A1586, the A1549 (CDMA) and A1549 (GSM) models will all work in the UK and that the only differential is that the A1586 is the most versatile (i.e. would work on virtually all carriers), the A1549 (CDMA) the second most versatile and the A1549 (GSM) the least versatile (i.e. would only work on a select few carriers)? Therefore the best option for the UK is to buy the Sprint phone as long as it is unlocked (or able to be unlocked)?
From what I can work out on the Apple website the A1586 is only sold with Sprint, the A1549 (CDMA) is sold with AT&T and Verizon and the A1549 (GSM) is sold with T-Mobile.
Any responses to these questions would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks,
Neil.
Tuan Do says
Hi,
A Sprint representative told me that you can call 888-211-4727 to unlock your device or when you purchase in store, you will need to have the representative unlock your device.
Hope it helps.
Neil says
Hi Tuan,
Thanks for your quick response!
Just to clarify, if I buy the Sprint phone from an Apple store, will I be able to unlock it if I call the number you mentioned on your reply or can it be unlocked by the Apple staff at the Apple store?
Thanks very much,
Neil.
Howard says
Amazing post, in technical content, and practical value. I admire author’s technical knowledge and immense patience in answering hundred of user questions in detail. I just want to express my admiration and appreciation to the author for putting the time and effort in such a professional, useful post.
Ken says
Amen to that, Howard.
If this guy had a nickel (yen, yuan, peso, whatever) for every time he hit (Reply) he’d be a rich man for certain!
Tobi says
Hi there,
I am planning to buy a unlocked ipione6+ in the US.
I want to use LTE in China and Europe.
Which model number and which carrier should I take?!
Best regards,
Tobi
yinx76 says
Hi Tuan,
I live in the UK but have the opportunity to get an iPhone 6 from HK, Malaysia or Australia. I am looking at a contract free unlocked phone, now is the A1586 the same all over the world? As my wife has a HK purchased unlocked iPhone 5C model A1529 which is an Asia/Pacific version which doesn’t have all the 4G LTE bands unlike the UK unlocked A1529.
Regards
Yinx
fouad says
here in middle east we have the A1586 model , the question is that model going to support CDMA ? or maybe its going to be locked to GSM networks ? because here in middle east every country support GSM networks except Yemen !! which has a CDMA network (Yemen mobile )
Ian says
Hi Tuan,
Just let you know I bought a Sprint iPhone 6 in full price but unfortunately there is absolutely no way to unlock it from Sprint network.I think it’s a dead end. Now I have to return it and ask for refund.
Cheers,
Ian
Tuan Do says
Hi Ian,
Have you tried calling this number 888-211-4727 to ask for the unlock code?
Did you buy your phone at Apple Store or Sprint?
ian says
Hi Tuan,
I bought it from Bestbuy. I didn’t take out the Sprint SIM card when powered it up. Not sure if it’s related.
But I can confirm it’s a dead end. 888-211-4727 won’t help. More details can be found http://www.sprint.com/legal/unlocking_policy.html. I would say it’s too much uncertainty for Sprint version iPhone 6. It purchase in US, Verizon is better option for international usage.
Cheers,
Ian
Petar Poposki says
Tuan, i lost Apple account on iTunes and lose contacts. I don’t remember user ID and password.
Help!!
Arthur says
Tuan Do.
I currently live in Brazil and I need an unlocked phone. Looking throught the stocks in the Apple Stores all variants but the sprint one are really low.
Can I buy an Iphone 6 for the full-price directly at a Verizon retail store ? Will it be unlocked?
Saj Khan says
Hi Tuan Do,
Thank you so much for all the above comments and help, I’m sure everyone is a lot more clearer on what to buy. I am very confused please if you can help, Basically I’m form the UK and have iPhone 5s, unlocked I don’t know what model or anything specific. Im now living and working in Saudi Arabia It is working fine for me. This includes FaceTime.
My question is this, a friend of mine is going to Hong Kong and China next week, and i want him to get me the iPhone 6plus unlocked. will this a. have FaceTime? and b. work here in Saudi on their networks like my UK model does?
I ask about FaceTime as i heard and have been told, the iPhone 6 and all other models in the UAE and Saudi do not have FaceTime!
I am really confused and lost so not sure. Because what is better iPhone from China or Hong Kong and if i return to UK will they work?
I will be so grateful if you can help thank you so much..
Saj
Dani says
hi there,
I am AT&T in the USA but traveling to Italy constantly.
would the Iphone 6 work with ether TIM or VODAFONE ?
thanks
Marwan says
Hi Tuan ,,
The new iphone 6 sold here in United Arab Emirates doesnt contain Facetime , its not a Built-in app and you cant download it ..
The models sold in the UAE store are A1586 (gsm) and A1524 (gsm)
My question is .. If i would like to buy one which contains Facetime (suppose from US) ,, which model shall i buy that matches the carriers’ network here in the UAE ?
Thanks in advance
Jose Luis Arellano says
What model will work in Mexico?
bernard says
hi tuan
i wanna get an iphone 6+ as a gift for my girlfriend in south korea…which model is best to buy so it could fonction normally in korea and how do i get to specify the exact model i want to buy,since in apple stores they decided the model for me…..i really need help asap since her birthday is just 3weeks away.
Cliff Schell says
Hi Tuan Do,
I have a question about “locked” iPhone 6’s in general.
I read and have heard that according to the FCC as of a certain date ALL phones using LTE are to be unlocked. So I am confused as to how a company like Sprint can still be so tough to still lock the iPhone 6, seems to me that if you ever pay full price for the phone it should always be unlocked? I just got my Verizon iPhone 6 A1549 (full price) and it is unlocked, Verizon says that as corporate policy (and they quote the FCC ruling) they no longer lock their iPhones. It seems like a good policy to me since if you ever cancel your contract you still owe the vendor a penalty. What does locking a phone really buy the vendor any more? Thanks, Cliff
Tuan Do says
Hi Cliff,
Those six standards regarding unlocking phones and tablets will be fully implemented by February 2015. However, it doesn’t mean that phones will be unlocked at the time you buy it. Those carriers will unlock your postpaid phone only when the terms and conditions of your service contract are met and you are in good standing. They will notify customers when their phones are eligible for unlocking. All Verizon phones are unlocked out of the box because it is forced by FCC after Verizon won the 700MHz block of LTE spectrum.
Lorenzo says
hi Tuan Do, when you say “all Verizon phones are sold unlocked” you meant also those you buy for less on a 2 years agreement??? Answer please, I need to get one!!! Soon!!!
Bryan says
I’m planning on going to China. I see that China mobile gets an exclusive version that they clame is used for China mobile’s exclusive 4g network. Doesn’t the a1586 and a1524 have the same LTE bands. Why would China mobile need an exclusive model when it’s the same as the global model already sold around the world?
Bryan says
What is the point of the China mobile exclusive model? The a1586 and a1524 already support the same bands and frequencies. I’m moving to China soon and I was all set to buy the a1524 unlocked but now China mobile is saying that they have an exclusive model to use on their 4g network. Does this mean they won’t allow the a1524 and a1586 on their 4g network despite it’s capability to run on it?
Tuan Do says
I have no idea why customers would buy the A1589 or A1593 at China Mobile. It has nothing better than the others and some frequencies are locked in China. The A1524 and A1586 are working perfectly there.
Ram says
Hi Tuan
I would like to buy an iphone 6 or 6 plus from CANADA and use it in INDIA .
Which is good to use 6 or 6 plus for arrogant use?
which model would be Perfect for me to use with 3G network in India .?
And Is there option for me to get International warranty or Indian warranty ?
Awaiting for u Tuan,
Thanks in advance.
Ram.
Cliff Schell says
Hi again Tuan Do,
Well the folks above, asked most of the follow up questions I had about buying an iPhone 6 for China Mobile use.
One unlocking question I still had was if you buy a locked Sprint iPhone (need that model for China Moblie) at full price would it have what I had on my 4s which was called an “international unlock”, in other words locked to domestic US carriers but unlocked if you put in a SIM when you travel overseas?
Thanks for your terrific Blog!
Cliff Schell
Bryan says
According to sprint’s unlocking policies, until February 2015, sprint will only unlock the phone for international use if you meet their requirements. One of the requirements is to have the phone paid off, but one of the other requirements is being a customer of sprint. You’ll have to contact sprint to see if they will unlock it for you without being a customer.
jinkazama says
is every a1586 supports both CDMA and GSM ? or they will be limited to one network ( just GSM or just CDMA )
im talking about the Global Version :)
shabnam says
Hi Tuan:
I bought an Iphone 6 (Model MG612LL/A) in the US to take to India and use there. It is the model for Verizon in the US and Apple tells me it is unlocked too. But they are telling me to check with the Carrier in India. can you tell me why that is the case? The model is considered a “world phone” per the information on the internet. let me know please.
ROBERT GUTIERREZ says
I AM NEW AT THIS, I WANT TO BUY AN IPHONE 6 AND SHIP IT TO MY GIRLFRIEND IN kazakhstan, HOW DO I GET ONE THAT WILL WORK THERE???
Carol says
Hey,
where to buy a iPhone 6 (GSM 1586) in Taiwan? I wonder if there´s no Apple Store. I live in germany, but my boyfriends father lives there and would be able to purchase one for me.
In the online Taiwan store there´s no option to say “get model 1586 instead of gsm 1589 or 1549”. I think the 1586 is the ony one that will work in germany, provider O2 . Because I travel a lot, this would be essential.
Would be happy, if you would answer fast :)
Thanks
C.
AJ says
Hi
I have ordered Iphone 6 online from US which i believe would be A1549. My carrier gives the following information for LTE band. Would the version bought from US work with the local LTE or should i get it returned?
“In case you decide to purchase your iPhone 5c and 5s from abroad, and you want to make sure that your phone supports our 4G frequencies, 800 MHz and 2,600 MHz (FDD-LTE Band 7 and 20),”
Alex says
Hi Tuan,
First of all thanks for your great article!
I’m living and working in China. Next week I have to go to Germany and like to buy iPhone 6 there. Will the German version work with China Mobile 4G?
Thanks!
GS says
Hi Tuan,
I read ALL the questions and your comments and I am impressed with your knowledge about the world’s wireless systems. I believe that you are the only person who can answer my questions. I am from San Diego, CA and but my parents recently moved to Japan for business. They plan to stay there for 3 years. My entire family visited them last month and the problem was “no cellphone to communicate”!!! I have AT&T and international plan was too expensive so I looked for SIM card for my iPhone 4 from Japanese carriers but was told that my phone would not work in Japan because it uses GSM. Do you think Sprint has an advantage in Japan since SoftBank took them over? Do you think they will start global wireless network plan in near future since the Olympic is going to be held I n Japan in 2020? If it does, we no longer have to swap the SIM card!!! If Sprint has such a plan, I may switch as they sell iPhone 6 plus A1524. I would like to hear your opinion and thank you for your time.
GS
Melody says
HI Tuan!!
I hope you can help me with this question because I have been asking around and everyone seemed to give me different answers. If I buy an iphone 6 plus at apple store online contract free GSM (T-mobile) version, and send it back to Vietnam for my relative. Will they be able to use it in Vietnam?? Please help..Thanks so much!!
Tong says
Hi Tuan,
I just bought an Sprint iPhone 6 (A1586) from an Apple store in U.S. When I tested it with a China Unicom SIM card, I can get through the phone activation and setup process to a “normal” daily use screen (where you have all the apps listed as icons). The only problem is that on the top of the screen, it says “No Service”, I think that’s because I didn’t add international roaming on this China Unicom SIM. So, does this mean that the Sprint phone I got is working with China Unicom?
Please help me confirm this, as I’ll leave U.S. in 3 days; and I’ll have to return the phone if I can confirm it’ll work in China.
Thanks,
Tong
Bernard says
Hi
so which model of iphone 6 or 6 plus should i get to use in malaysia? world phone version?
Marwan says
Hi AGAIN Tuan .. (Didnt get a reply yet)
The new iphone 6 sold here in United Arab Emirates doesnt contain Facetime , its not a Built-in app and you cant download it ..
The models sold in the UAE store are A1586 (gsm) and A1524 (gsm)
My question is .. If i would like to buy one which contains Facetime (suppose from US) ,, which model shall i buy that matches the carriers’ network here in the UAE ? (Carriers’ networks in UAE should be the same as the one in Model A1586
Thanks again ..
Tushar says
Hi Tuan,
I am residing in India and next month I am going to the US. I want to buy a factory unlocked version of iPhone 6 which will work back here in India. Which one would be the best model? I am using Airtel.
Pedro says
Hi,
I got an iphone 6 A1586 MG4F2X/A unlocked from Australia Apple Store, but it does not work with a China Telecom card in China.
Anybody know the reason? Will China Mobile and/or China Unicom work?
Thanks a lot!
Pedro
Hi Tuan Do says
Hi tuan,
I am in US. I bought a iPhone 6+ from a re-seller . He sold me a phone with Model A1524( Is it Sprint carrier ?) with Part No. MGA92LL/A and he said this phone is Unlocked. I did not see that Part No is current in US. Would you please help me to check it up ? Is that phone unlock or not . Because i was try to use my T-moble but it was not work. Thank You.
Almarz says
i bought an iphone 6+ in japan A1524 can i use its LTE in the Philippines?
Stella Sotirianou says
Hello ,
I live in Greece and I want to buy Iphone 6 on Ebay and I can’t understand what model and carrier I should bye so the phone can work in my country and I can talk with others in Greece . Can you help me please ??
Pugai Pak says
I am doing business in China and frequently traveling between US and China. There are three major carriers in China, namely China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile. I want to have an iPhone 6 plus that can be used on all three Chinese telecom carrier and in the US. Any suggestion which model of iPHone 6 plus I should pick up? Someone said should get the one built for Sprint.
Thanks in advanced.
chanakya says
Hi,
I am in US right now and I am planning to buy iPhone 6 unlocked from T-mobile.
I want to know following things from you and hope to get the best reply and my doubts will be solved as I am planning to take the phone to India forever in few days.
Q.1. Which model of iPhone 6 should i buy in US which will also work in India and i can use 3G or 4G when i take it to India
Q.2 Can you tell me if I will get any type of warranty and what all will be covered in it.?
Waiting for your reply.
Thanks
Amir says
Dear Guys
I am a UAE citizen, which always traveling between UAE to Japan, USA, China, Iran and some other European countries during each year. It is because of my job. I have decided to buy a new iPhone 6 and got confused about it. After I look around and found this webpage, I have decided to ask a question. Which model of iPhone would be suitable for some body like me that always traveling too many countries? Please help me to find the exact model. Of course I have not any type iPhone model before and this is m first time I used to have apple products.
Sincerely yours
Amir
Roelf says
I want to buy the IPhone 6 A1549 in the USA. Will the 4G LTE work in Qatar (ooredoo carrier)?
Lucy Lu says
Hi, I am Chinese, can I buy Iphone6 directly from the U.S and send it to China? I dont use 3G or 4G card, i still use 2G card. Which model can be used in China pls? Thanks
Chris says
I bought A1524 and I’m struggling to get it activated on China Telecom. It recognizes my UIM and connects to the network briefly, but shows 0 bars. It’s not a signal issue because if I put it in a different phone it works fine. It’s model MGAH2ZP/A. Purchased in Singapore. Any ideas? Works fine on GSM network of China Unicom. It appears there is something to do with registration on carrier network.
sahib says
Hi tuan
i live in china and using china mobile…recently i bought 6+ A1522 but its not supporting 3/4 G… is there any way to connect to 3 g with this model…pls help me thanks
Dustin says
Hi Tuan,
I tried following all of the posts and think I have most of my question answered. I am buying the US Verizon iPhone 6+ a1522 and will use it with China telecom or China Unicom. Currently, I have China mobile but am willing to switch services. Anyhow, my question is, is there a disadvantage to the Unicom or Telecom LTE service compared to China Mobile’s? Is it slower since it is a dual hybrid service? Or will I not be able to tell the difference?
Miles Evans says
Hi Tuan,
How are you?
Does the Galaxy Note 4 for Verizon support all the same spectrum frequencies as the factory unlocked iPhone 6 Plus A1524?
Cheers,
Miles
Roy Freeman says
I live in Israel and would like to buy an iPhone 6 or 6+ from the UK or the USA, but I want to make sure that it will work on the LTE networks here. Please can you tell me which model I should buy?
Thanks
Roy
BIll says
HEllo. I have iphone 6 gold 128G with NG4V22LL/A and its A1549 which is listed anywhere? I would like to know if I can use my phone overseas? Will be traveling soon so please reply ASAP. Thank you very much
BIll says
Also I have ME325LL as well.
Chirag yashlaha says
m planning to buy contract free version of iphone 6 from usa . So I want to know wether it will work in India or not ?
Is contract free version unlocked ?
AJ says
Need help, going crazy!
I have 2 sim cards off contract, one at&t in the US the other is Vodafone New Zealand. I need the LTE compatable model for an iphone6 in both countries.
As I understand some verizon and sprint models (CDMA) can also accept a GSM sim card? I dont mind switching to verizon if I have to, as long as my NZ sim will work with it.
Thanks
Faisal says
Please help me
i am buying Iphone 6 in UAE
please tell me which model will be best for cover all bands in UAE
A1549 or something else? please tell me
thanks in advance
Poonam says
Hello..
Kindly let me know if the t mobile unlocked phone will work in india for airtel carrier as i m planning to purchase the same from USA.
Thanks in advance!
Neil says
Hi Tuan Do,
I want to buy unlocked iPhone 6 for me and my family (5 in total). The primary usage will be Japan and the US. 3 of us are living in Japan, two in the US with one traveling to Japan regularly. We also travel to UK and Ireland quite a bit. So, where should I but the unlocked iPhone 6 from? Japan or the US? What model do I need in order to get the full functionality of LTE in Japan and the US; and ideally also in UK and Ireland if that is possible?
Thank you,
Neil
Neil says
Also, I plan on using Bmobile, soft bank or Docomo in Japan and something like Net10, straight talk or T-mobile in the US.
If I read your posts right I should I should get the iPhone 6 A1586 from Sprint or Japan Apple store, or the A1549 CDMA from Verizon as it will get the full functionality of LTE in both the States and Japan.
The only thing that I Am confused about is that in your Article I do not see Japan listed when you discuss the A1549 or A1586 (I only see japan specifically listed for the iPhone 6+), that is the model I am looking for in Japan and is sold in the Japan Apple store correct?
Again, is I read it correctly, the A1549 and the A1586 will get full LTE functionality in UK, Ireland, US and Japan?
Again if I read the thread correctly, I can get an unlocked Sprint A1549 or an unlocked A1586 Verizon from the US, correct?
To be honest ,I read this thread too and I am thoroughly confused.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6531342?start=30
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much, you are awesome.
VR
Neil
Neil says
Sorry, but one more post. This chart had really helped me out: http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
If I am reading this chart correctly, the only version I can buy if the A1586 which is available at Sprint. From your earlier post you said if I go into a store an buy it out right they will unlock it on the spot, correct?
Is the A1586 what is sold in Thailand and Japan?
Prabakaran INDIA says
Does verizon 6+ phone supports indian telephone services like VODAFONE, AIRTEL, DOCOMO please reply
Steph says
Hello, From what I read in the article that the best iPhone 6 plus model to use for china is A1593 exclusive to china or A1522 the world phone? please advise the best choice. Thank you so much
Mahendiran says
Planning to buy unlocked A1586 (GSM) from USA. Is it fully 4G compatible to use in india?
KT says
Can T Mobile GSM unlock phone can be used in Japan Soft Bank?
Pierre says
Hi Tuan,
I am currently in China (from the Philippines) and i was planning to buy the iPhone 6 A1586. I was wondering if iPhone 6 A1586 would work with my Philippine sim cards for texting and for LTE when go back home (like is it possible to unlock it).
Thanks :)
Akshay says
My brother is purchasing a contract free iphone 6 and shipping it to India.
Will it work in India.
Can I get a warranty in India for it?
Please let me know.
Thanks
Confused says
Does the A1524 GSM/A1586 GSM work on T-Mobile’s AWS? If so, why does https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/ not include T-Mobile in the list of supported operators for these two phones?
Thanks.
Robin says
I bought iphone6 plus A1524 factory unlocked model in India..I put cdma sim on it but it doesn’t work..Why?A1524 is GSM & CDMA supported model?????
Ice says
Hi Tuan,
Im planning to buy an iphone 6 from japan apple store, will the lte work here in the philippines or are there any issues? Thanks!
-ice see
Chris says
Hello from Athens Greece
I would like to ask the following
If I buy an iphone6 in Frankfurt Germany applestore
Will it work in Greece (as phone – lte 4g etc)
Rebeca says
Hello Tuan Do,
Thank you very much for this article. Right now I’m living in France, and I want to buy the iPone 6, but I plan to move to USA soon. So, I think here in France they are selling the unlocked A1586 model, so do you know if this model I will be able to use it with a Tmobile or Verizon sim card on USA afterwards?
I’m not sure, and I really prefer to ask you before buying it.
Thank you very much,
Rebeca
Bilal says
Hi Tuan,
I am going to the US tomorrow (Monday and head back Thursday night — quick reply needed please – sorry).
I plan to buy the iPhone6 Plus from the US. My usage for the handset is for mainly UK but will also include travel to Europe and the Middle East. I will want to use 4G functionality in the UK.
From reading this most excellent page and other things on the net it seems the best / universal edition of the iPhone6 Plus is the model: A1524 but that’s locked to Sprint in the States and getting this particular handset unlocked is close to impossible.
However, the A1522 (CDMA) from Version seems to be the next best one? It comes unlocked for all networks outside the US and should work / have the right bands for UK networks — right?
Lastly, if I were to buy the iPhone6 Plus from the Apple store in the US, I would get model number A1522 (GSM) and this would also work in the UK?
BUT my key question is, which model is better for the UK — A1522 GSM or A1522 CDMA?
And what’s the difference between those two models? My understanding from https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/ is that ‘LTE Band Support’ is the same for A1522 GSM and A1522 CDMA.
Please advise.
Thanks,
Bilal
Joseph says
Hi Tuan
Just a quick question. Australian apple store sells model A1524. Would that model be fully functional with south korean networks?
Rodrigo says
Hi! I bought in USA an iPhone model A1586 to use it in Brazil. Sometimes the WhatsApp is very slow to send and receive the text messages, no matter if Im using wifi or 3G. Is that problem due to my iPhone model?
Suresh V says
Hi Tuan,
Thanks for the detailed information on the iPhones.
Does the Verizon iPhone 6 model “A1549 (CDMA)” work in GSM carriers in India?
Thanks,
Suresh V
Ahmer Khan says
No. I am suffering. Bought a A1549 in the states. Been in India three weeks and it is unable to receive signal in India. Now they are asking me to send it back to the states. So wrong. They cheated me into buying a wrong model.
Suresh V says
Thanks Ahmer.
I also visited one of the Apple Store locally and he assured me that it will work in India but I am not buying his word. I went to Verizon store and they told me that it won’t work but the Apple store guy tells differently.
I know for sure AT&T or T-mobile GSM technology phones work in India.
-Suresh V
Ahmer says
My phone is an AT&T phone which was said to be unlocked. Now Apple Store Boston says that Apple is currently not selling any unlocked phones in the states, and if the store people are saying so then they themselves dont know. DO NOT BUY IPHONE 6 FROM APPLE STORES IF YOU ARE TO USE THEM IN INDIA. Only T Mobile has truly unlocked phones, as per rumours. I am suffering now.
Dionisis says
HI Tuan! Hello from Greece!
A friend of mine is visiting New York for a month and i asked her to buy me the T-MOBILE ipnone 6 (GSM). Do you know if it comes unlocked and compatible to work in Greece with COSMOTE carrier? Which specific model i must ask in order my iphone 6 to work here in Greece?
Thanks in advance
Dionisis
Dionisis says
Hi Tuan, hello from Athens Greece!
A friend of mine is visiting New York and she’ll stay there for about a month. I asked her to buy me from the Apple Online store the contract Free T MOBILE iphone 6 GSM. Do you know if it comes unlocked and if it will be compatible to work here in Greece with my COSMOTE carrier? If so, what specific model should i ask for?
Thanks in advance
Dionisis
Aamir says
Hey Tuan Do.
How are you? Is it advisable to buy a Factory Unlocked iPhone 6 from Canada and use it in Tanzania? Will it give me any problems? Will it work? Please need assistance. I’ve been using the iPhone 4s, and i think its time for a change :) would have really appreciate your help. Thanks.
Ahmer Khan says
If this helps anyone…
I am in India and bought an iPhone 6 64GB Black A1549.
It has been three weeks and it is unable to get signal in India. The Apple Store people sold me a wrong phone in their hurry, and are now asking me to send it to the US for service. I am so angry and this, and have nothing I can do. Apple Care India has also denied to help in the matter.
Please please be very careful as to which model to buy. I bought it on Sep 29, where no such blog or information existed. I am repenting now, and blame the Apple Store people because I clearly asked for a phone that will work in India. They lied to me and because of that $800 worth of device is just lying in my drawer.
Ahmer Khan says
I bought it in Las Vegas USA.
fgklhlh says
What happens in Vegas…Stays in Vegas (or in your drawer)
Harry says
Hi Tuan, I read through the article and i’m still unsure about a few things. I live in the UK and i’m on Vodafone. I will be over in Chicago at the end of November and I was wondering if you could just confirm for me which model of the iphone 6 i should buy that will work in the UK on Vodafone 4G etc.
Thanks,
Harry
Maria says
Hi,
I just discovered that I bought a wrong iPhone 6 plus from the States. I needed to use the CDMA networks but the phone I bought was the GSM version. Is there any way to make the phone work on CDMA networks as well? I would appreciate very much for your help!
Rezart says
Hi Tuan,
I’m living in Albania and i wanted to buy an Iphone 6 the contract free version. Will it work in Albania is it unlocked? I would appreciate a response from you thanks.
Best Regards
Rezart
ER007 says
Hi Tuan Do
I scrolled through your entire comments section and found no situation like mine hence my question. I currently reside in Canada and am on Virgin Mobile network. I would like to get the iphone 6 and I’m seeking a finance-friendly option which I found on eBay. However, the phone is being sold from Germany and the following is the information I received from the seller whom I contacted…
“there are UK, EU, US GSM versions with 128GB, 64GB and 16GB memory. Available versions: 6 (A1549, A1586) and 6 Plus (A1522 , A1524).”
I travel between Canada and Trinidad & Tobago often and would like to have an unlocked iphone so my questions are…
1) From the above list, which iphone model should I get that would work both in Canada on Virgin Mobile and in Trinidad & Tobago?
2) Will there be any issues regarding the fact that it will be sold from Germany but to be used in Canada and Trinidad & Tobago?
I really hope to hear from you. Thanks for your help in advance.
Ronie says
Got a A1524 in the US and trying to use in Italy Is this possible??
RJ says
Hi Than,
I am from India & planning to Purchase, iPhone 6 Plus 128 GB, from Dubai (UAE), Please let me know which model l’d buy so that it can support all Major 4G LTE and 3G networks in India?
-RJ
Dan says
Hi Tuan,
please excuse if this question is already answered here and thanks in advance for confirming this:
I want to buy from the Apple store in the US an iphone 6 and use it in Europe with nano-SIM. The guy in store told me that I need to get a Verizon unlocked … it would be this one from your list: iPhone 6 16GB Space Gray (CDMA) Verizon Wireless MG5W2LL/A
could you please confirm this? … I know that in Europe there’s GSM , but this is CDMA, that’s why I’m confused
Thanks, I appreciate your support,
Dan
Thunderhorse says
Hi Tuan,
I just bought a T-Mobile iPhone 6 with sim card in Germany and got ordered back to the US. Will my phone work with Verizon or will I be better off buying a Verizon version? Please excuse if already addressed, but I did not see it. Thanks
Johnny N. says
Hi Tuan,
I have a question about the iPhone 6 A1586 version factory unlocked not from sprint, will it work with T mobile or AT&T? I heard that there is that version but sold only in the Asia country. But I was just making sure it would work for T mobile/At&t or would it be stuck under sprint.
nigam ajmera says
I am from india and right now i am at USA. I am confused that should i buy a1522 or a1524 iphn 6plus 64gb which would work better in india. And gsm/cdma both will work?
Shan says
Hi Tuan,
I got quick question. If I buy iPhone 6 A1586 (gsm) in the Philippines through their Apple Online Store. Will it work in Japan and USA? please reply ASAP
Thank you,
S
Francisco Pizarro says
No se si será un problema en español. Deseo comprar un Iphone 6 o 6 plus, ambos de 128 GB, para usarlo en Costa Rica, centroamerica, viajo mucho, a U.S.A., Europa, Nicaragua, Panamá.
Cual es la versión que se ajusta a mis necesidades.
Aprecio mucho su recomendación. Gracias.
Kyra says
I am going to purchase an unlocked Iphone 6 on the Apple Ireland website, as I live in Ireland will the Iphone 6 support 4G when I get a sim card?
Duong Nguyen says
I bought an Iphone 6 in Apple store, T-mobile, contract free. Can I use it in Vietnam?
Nikos says
Hello there,
i would like to ask you if the iPhone 6 versions- A1586 and A1589- will work properly and without any problems with Greek carriers here in Greece? Also, are they factory unlocked and did they have Greek menu?
Thanks in advance
Nikos says
I forgot to say that my carrier here in Greece is COSMOTE
Philip says
Hi Tuana .
Which model shud I get for iPhone 6 and 6 plus from Hong kong For it to work india with any carrier . And also which version hongkong or Japanese ?
Pls reply . Asap . Am in HK
stanley says
I bought one iPhone 6 64GB Gold (GSM) and one iPhone 6 plus 64GB Silver (GSM) from Apple Store USA both brandnew.
May I ask whether these brandnew iPhones could be activated in Hong Kong and used in Hong Kong telephone and cellular system?
Thank you.
Tim Doyle says
Hi Tuan
Great article, so much detail I am confused, could you help clarify if I was to buy an unlocked Apple iPhone 6 in Japan, would it work in the UK on any network?
Thanks Tim
Jean says
Hi Tuan,
Excellent article!
Same question.
Also, is there any difference between an iPhone 6 A1586 GSM and A1586 CDMA?
Thank you.
Adam says
Hi Tuan,
Thank you for an excellent article!
I have one question. Would an iPhone 6 Plus bought from the Canadian Apple Online store work in China and Thailand?
Thanks,
Adam
Artjon Naumi says
I found an iPhone 6 A1586 form US Cellular that is still new in box unactivated.
I would like to know if the US Cellular iPhone 6 A1586 can be used internationally on GSM carriers.
Please help me as I have someone that sells it and I want to purchase it.
I have read on the US Cellular site that the iPhone 6 is a World Phone and can be used worldwide with any GSM carrier.
Thanks in advance!
Manolis says
Hi there, after reading all this forum, still in doubt…
I’m right now in Canada and I would like to buy from Apple Store, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus for me and my wife. But we are from Europe (Czech Republic) and have SIM cards from O2 and Vodafone CZ. As I understand from above, I don’t have a choice when buying phone from iStore, right? So do you think the version we will get will work in Czech with H+ and LTE network without problems?
Thanks for advice and have good day.
sammie says
Hi Tuan,
Please I recently want to purchase iPhone 6 plus model # is MGC12LL/A can I use it in Nigeria and in Italy or should i purchase T-Mobile A1522(GSM) ,A1549 or better still the But the A1586 and A1524
Hope to hear from you .
Ashish says
I bought apple iphone 6 plus from usa T Mobile A 1522 gsm model but its not working in India can you please tell me what i need to do to activate it…
Lily says
Hi Tuan,
I travel between Taiwan and the U.S. Would you help me with which model of 6 Plus to choose so that I can use it both here in the U.S. and Taiwan?
Thanks in advance!
Jean says
Hi Tuan,
I m a bit confused.
I have just ordered an iPhone 6 A1586 on Japan Apple Store to use in France. The japanese website, unlike UK Apple Store website, doesn’t mention whether it’s an A1586 GSM or A1586 CDMA model.
And on the other hand, according to some forums, A1586 GSM and CDMA models are both identical model.
Is it right?
If not, from your experience, the iPhone i ordered is the GSM or CDMA model?
Thank you
Jesus says
Hello Mr. Tuan I am confused but my question will be so simple I would like to buy an unlocked iphone 6 plus here in USA ( contract free) but I travel to france and live in China so from which carrier should buy it tmobile , verizon or sprint?
Raphael says
Hi Tuan,
I am currently living in China and I am going back to France for a short holiday. I am planning to buy the Iphone 6 in France; do you know which model would be compatible with the Chinese operators (Unicom, China Mobile) in China ? Thanks a lof for your answer, and great blog !
Paolo says
Dear Tuan.
I live and work between Hong Kong, China, Italy, usa and Canada.
I have purchased a iphone 6+ in Hong Kong’s apple store and I am using it happily both in Hong Kong and China. In Hong Kong I use a Csl card enjoying very ultra fast 4G. In China I insert my China Unicom card and it shows 4G too, though at much slower speeds. Anyway I am happy about it.
The iphone 6+ shows, on the back, model 1524, but no mention if it is 1524 CDMA or 1524 GSM…
My questions are:
– How can I tell if it is cdma1524 or gsm1524?
– why my iphone 6 works under 4G with China Unicom and with China Mobile sim cards but NOT with a China Telecom sim? As far as I know the 3 carriers are using TDD LTE now. (China Unicom will implement fdd lte in late 2015, but now they are forced to share the tdd network as far as I was told…)
– under Settings/about I see: Model: MGAC2ZP/A (HONG KONG model)
The Chinese iphone 6+ in the market displays: MODEL: xxxxCH/A
– why the unlocked iphone 6+ sold in apple store in China can work in LTE mode with all 3 Chinese carriers and my cannot work with China Telecom? The iphone 6+ sold in apple store in Beijing and Shanghai also shows as 1524…
– If I buy a Chinese iphone 6+ for my wife will it work in LTE mode in Canada (Rogers)? In Italy (TIM and Vodafone) and in USA (T-Mobile)?
– My Hong Kong iphone 6+ will work in LTE mode in Canada (Rogers)? In Italy (TIM and Vodafone) and in USA (T-Mobile)?
Thank you Bei much!
Paolo
Paolo says
Dear Tuan
I am very grateful to you for your useful info.
I have puchased a 128GB iPhone 6+ in Hong Kong’s Apple store, (model MGAC2ZP/A) and it works perfectly with my Hong Kong carrier (CSL) in super fast 4G mode. On the back cover I see: model: 1524…but no mention whether it is CDMA or GSM.
When I come to China (I work and live between Hong Kong, China, Italy, USA and Canada), I use my China Unicom card and it works rather well in 4G mode, though with slower speeds (probably because it links to TDD network of China Unicom).
I have tried with a 4G China Mobile SIM card and it shows the same LTE speeds as with China Unicom SIM card.
My iPhone 6+ cannot work with the 3rd provider, China Telecom, although China Telecom also uses TDD LTE as the previous two carries. No way to make it work with CT.
Although already awarded, currently there is NO FDD network in China: China Unicom has been obliged to use home-grown, China Mobile supported, TDD LTE and will deploy FDD LTE network only in late 2015 or 2016, if China government will allow it :).
I was told so by many service support customer care people in China Unicom
Here my questions:
1. Is my Hong Kong iPhone 6+ a CDMA 1524? Or a GSM 1524? How can I tell?
2. Why a Chinese iPhone6+ can work on the 3 carriers (including China Telecom)? The chinese model, iPhone 6+, shows, in the settings/about: model xxxxCH/A instead of ZP/A.
The chinese iPhone 6+ is 1524 as mine (one can see the label 1524 the back cover).
3. If I buy a iPhone 6+ in China (Apple store), (a 1524 model), will it work in LTE mode in:
– Italy (TIM, Vodafone)? Italy seems using FDD LTE
– USA (T-Mobile or Verizon or Att)?
– Canada (Rogers)?
4.
I haven’t yet tested my Hong Kong’s iPhone 6+ in USA and Canada and Italy: will it work in LTE mode in the above 3 countries with the above carriers?
Thank you so much!
Paolo
Steven Wong says
Hi Tuan Do,
First of all, thank you for offeing help to dire straits Apple Iphone 6 plus customer like me !
I am from Singapore, due to insufficient supply of iphone 6 /6+ here in Singapore, i went on to eBay US to hunt for one and bought it. The iphone 6+ is now with me here in Singapore but I am not able to activate it with our local telco carrier, this new iphone 6+ comes with a AT&T SIM card. When i tried to activate it using my local SIM card, in the itunes – it prompt to say it is not similar to the given AT &T number, also prompt again when i put in the AT&T SIM card to say – key in your ZIP code & your Social Security number ??
Your expert advise needed here on how to activate this iphone 6+ for local use in Singapore.
I have also written to Apple Support & Care for assistance but, so far, I have not received any reply !
HELP, HELP, HELP ….. PLEASE !!!!
Thank you again !
Claudia says
This one is tricky, but I’ll give it a try: If I buy an unlocked iPhone 6 in Japan, can I use it in Singapore (with M1) and in Portugal (with Vodafone)?
Puvan says
Hi
I am planing to buy Iphone 6 & 6 plus , can you please tell me which model i need to buy ,as currently lives in Maldives, but moving to Sri lanka in a months times , need a phone like which i can use for all world with out carriers problem,
Thx
Puvan
Omar says
Hi there! Some friend wants to sell me a MG4W2LL/A model. I live in Argentina and I need an unlocked iphone. Is this model really unlocked? Thank you!
Rohan jayaswal says
Hi Tuan and Elizabeth I am from India and I want to buy an iPhone 6 cdma 16gb variant please help me in selecting which model will be more suitable the network band is 1x evdo 800mhz
Juan says
Dejar Tuan,
I am currently in the States but moving back to Europe very soon. I Would like to know if I will be able to fully use the T-mobile IPhone plus A1522 (CDMA) with my LTE network of Vodafone in The Netherlands and in Spain or If bu the contrary I will hace some limitations with the phone when I am back in Europe. Thank you very much
Juan says
Dear Tuan,
I am currently in the States but moving back to Europe very soon. I Would like to know if I will be able to fully use the T-mobile IPhone plus A1522 (CDMA) with my LTE network of Vodafone in The Netherlands and in Spain or If bu the contrary I will hace some limitations with the phone when I am back in Europe. Thank you very much
Hisham says
Hi Tuan
I have an iPhone 6, model A1549, part No MG5A2LL/A. I am from Trinidad WI and will depart for Qatar by the end of December.
I would like to know whether this iPhone will work with the cell phone networks in Qatar.
Please advise, thanks in advance..
Dragan says
Can I use iphone 6 64gb A1549 in Macedonia(T-mobile) ?
SHISHIR says
I WAS GOING THROUGH SOME BLOG AND IT SEEMED TO SUGGEST THAT THE VERIZON IPHONE 6 AND 6 PLUS WORKS BOTH WITH GSM AND CDMA CARRIERS. IS THAT POSSIBLE? THANKS.
Pauline says
I want to buy an Iphone in India and use it in Europe (The Netherlands). Can someone tell me which Iphone to buy which makes it possible to use in Europe?
Justin says
Hello Tuan,
I live in the USA, have t-mobile service, and currently a 1549 tmobile unlocked iPhone 6. I travel to China, and spend 4-8 weeks at a time there 2 times per year. I just returned and could only get Edge data on China Mobile roaming, and occasionally 3g (i think on china unicom?). I know I need model 1524 (want the 6 plus). If and when this model is available in the US market, unlocked so I can use my t-mobile sim, will this work the same as a 1549 model in the USA, and give me high speed on China Mobile while in China? I could have bought the 1524 in Hong Kong, but didn’t want to have a phone that Apple wouldn’t service while in the USA, and take a chance it wouldn’t work with tmobile in the USA.
Thanks!
cob says
Hello i am planning to get an iphone 4s 8gb or16gb via ebay from usa. How can i be confident that it will be fully functional in the Greece?
Thanks
–cob
Harry Schneider says
I live in China and I got as a gift an iphone6 MG4F2CH/A (silver 64G)
4G does not work with China mobile – is there any other provider in China with which this Iphone can work in 4G
Thanks
Allen says
Hi Tuan,
I’m planning to buy an iphone 6plus from UAE model A1524(gsm) ..Will it be compatible in INDIA?
-Thnx :)
Steve says
Good Day,
I currently live in Jakarta, Indonesia, I will be traveling to Australia in about a week, my intent is to buy an IPhone 6 while I’m there.
I heard that I may not be able to use LTE here, is this true?
Amongst the models mentioned above, is there one that will work for me? My intent is to buy a sim free phone and purchase a pay as you go sim here when I get back. Or better yet, is it possible for me to just transfer my existing sim right into my new phone? Pls advise.
As well, will the same phone work for when I go back to Canada in 3 years?
Thanks so much.
Steve
Abbasi says
Hi
i have got iphone 6 gold from bahrain viva unlocked model no A1586, and my friend bought unlocked from open market model no A1549 black but my iphone’s more weight and width is bigger then other model, why there is difference? please.
Tony says
Apple yesterday started selling the A1586/A1524 models of the iPhone 6/6+ Unlocked, contract free and SIM free, in Apple stores and apple.com
These are the ‘world phone’ models that have extra LTE bands not found in the other models and, until yesterday, were only sold locked to Sprint in the US since September. These models will solve most of the concerns and issues expressed in the comments above, including, but not limited to, warranty issues for A1586/A1524 models bought unlocked overseas. The unlocked T-Mobile phones sold at apple.com do not have the extra LTE bands. Hope that helps US iPhone 6/6+buyers.
Kürşat says
hi tony i live in Turkey and i want a1586 do you think it will work in here properly?
kilian993 says
Hello,
How can I use a A1549 model in the europe ? Or is this possible ?
Thank you
harsha says
Hi tuan ,
Does the sim free unlocked a1586 which was launched by apple recently will support cdma networks in india . i would like to get one while moving to india in coming weeks .
Tuan Do says
Hi,
I’ve just checked the A1586 and there should be no problem on Aircel and Airtel.
john says
Apple currently sells two unlocked i phone 6 plus models in the U.S.: the A1522 and the A1524. I’m a T-Mobile user but also a world traveler. Which one is the better choice for me?
Tony says
A1524
Damier says
I’m wondering if iphone 6 plus Rogers Canada will work with Verizon USA?
Johnson says
Good day Tuan Do. May I ask if the Apple iPhone 6 (A1586) and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus (A1524) is compatible in the Philippines, Hong Kong and China specially in terms of 4G LTE. Thank you.
Frederick Wong says
Hey Tuan,
Thanks for all the information that you provide. I’m wondering if my unlocked iPhone 6 (A1586 GSM) will be able to get T-Mobile US LTE coverage when I’m in the states. Thanks.
KIM says
Hi,
I would like to buy unlock iPhone 6 in USA.
I am gonna stay U.S. for about 6 mounts and I will go back to South Korea.
I’m curious that which unlock phone (model) should I buy.
GMS? if I buy one then I could use LTE at Korea?
and I also wonder in U.S. which carrier should I choose and how. (ex at&t or Verizon …)
Joan says
Dear Tuan,
Recently it is possible to buy an unlocked sim free iPhone 6, model a1586, at the Apple Store.
For more information http://store.apple.com/us/browse/overlay/iphone/about_unlocked.
If I understand correctly your excellent article this model should work on 4G and volte in the Netherlands?
Regards.
Sam says
I travel the world as cabin crew and I want to buy an iPhone 6 Plus abroad unlocked as it will be cheaper then buying it here in the UK. From looking and reading this article it seems like A1524 may be the best option? I go to Tokyo on Sunday and Miami a week on Saturday so I am trying to work out where is best to buy the phone as they are the same price in the USA and Japan. Any help would be appreciated :D
Sara P says
Dear Tuan,
I tried going through the thread to see if my question was already answered. I apologize if this is a repeat question. I am moving to London in March. I currently have Sprint Iphone 6 Model A1586 MG6H2LL/A. I called Sprint World Wide and they have “unlocked” my phone for international use. Is my phone compatible with the GSM towers in Europe/UK? I’m really worried that I will get there and not be able to use a GSM sim for text/data/calls. Also will it only be able to run on 2g or since the Iphone 6 is a “global phone” it will run at faster speeds?
Thank you so much! I hope to hear from you soon.
Sara
carlo says
Hi Tuan: I had asked earlier about my wife traveling back and forth between China and US and wanting to use a VZW iPhone 6+ in both the USA and China, but now she has a China Telecom voice *AND* data plan account. Is the right choice for her still the model A1522 (CDMA) for the 6+ so she can use her US voice+data plan in the US and a nano-SIM card with the China Telecom voice+data plan in mainland China? Thank you!!
Jay says
Hello Tuan,
I just brought A1549 MG3H2CL/A, can you please tell me if this iphone 6 can be used in china?
please kindy let me know. thanks!
Tom says
Hi, I am an international student from Korea. I am now using an iphone 4 through Verizon. It is very slow and dying quickly even it is fully charged. So I am thinking of upgrading to iphone 6 64gb. I am eligible to upgrade with 2 year contract (then it would be $299.99 not $749). However, I am not gonna stay in the US for another 2 years. I might be going back to Korea in May or June 2015. If I upgrade now, I will either pay the early termination fee or have my friend take over my account so that I do not pay the early termination fee when I cancel my service. I am wondering that if I upgrade now and cancel the service in May, the new iphone 6 64gb device will work in Korea with a local Korea phone career (not Verizon)?
Amy Nguyen says
Hi, I have an iPhone 6 unlocked T-Mobile version….Model A1549. I think it is a GSM from what I researched but not positive. My husband got orders for Misawa ab, Japan and I was wondering if I will be able to use my phone there? Thank you
Sajjad Akter says
Hi,
I am from the UK and I am currently working here in the Middle East in Saudi Arabia Riyadh as an English Language Teacher. I have recently purchased a brand new sealed unlocked iPhone 6 Plus model A1522 (MGAU2LL/A), from a super market here in Riyadh. My concern now only is that will this model work in the UK on 4G when I travel back for my vocation? I have been told that this model was originally assigned to a US carrier AT&T. The network I am using back in the UK is EE 4G which currently uses 800mhz, 1800mhz and 2100mhz and I am unsure if this model is able to work on the EE band on 4G.
Please advice,
Kind Regards,
Sajjad
Irish Capangpangan says
Hi,
I am planning to buy iphone 6 in Saudi and I would like to use it in the Philippines. I was told that iphone in Saudi and factory locked. Will it work in the Philippines?pls i need help because im planning to buy one.. thanks
Mike Tran says
I have Iphone 6 plus from AT&T, model # A1522. Do I need to unlocked the phone to work in Vietnam? Any suggestion what website is free to unlocked?
Umesh says
Just wanted to know what Specifications are different in US and Canadian Models.
Is it Power Plug ? 2 pin or 3 pins or some thing else?
JR says
Hi Tuan Do,
You are missing the A1586 unlocked Sprint models which are the most versatile, or I missed them:
Iphone 6
The factory unlocked models in the US with 16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB of storage, respectively, are MG482LL/A, MG4H2LL/A, and MG4C2LL/A in silver; MG492LL/A, MG4J2LL/A, and MG4E2LL/A in gold; and MG472LL/A, MG4F2LL/A, and MG4A2LL/A in “space” gray.
iphone 6+
The factory unlocked models in the US with 16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB of storage, respectively, are MGA92LL/A, MGAJ2LL/A, and MGAE2LL/A in silver; MGAA2LL/A, MGAK2LL/A, and MGAF2LL/A in gold; and MGA82LL/A, MGAH2LL/A, and MGAC2LL/A in “space” gray.
Tuan Do says
Thanks a lot for your helpful information, I’ve just added those models to the post.
Chrissy says
Hello, I would like to buy an iPhone 6 or 6+ to use in both Singapore and the U.S. Looks like the A1586 (the 6) and A1524 (the 6+) are sold in Singapore and are unlocked. I’m having a hard time figuring out which will work better in the U.S. and with which carrier. I currently have Verizon but will switch if needed. Thank you for your help.
Ana Maria says
Hi Tuan. I’m so glad I stumbled across your site! I am obsessed with finding the best deal on an Apple IPhone 6 64GB to use with Straight Talk. There is so much to learn! I think I need a the A1549. I am watching all the posts that come up on Ebay, Craigslist, Swappa, and Gazelle. Can you tell me if my plan sounds wise? Also, would a phone from Canada work for me here in the states? There’s one up for sale on ebay now that was purchased unlocked straight from Apple. I appreciate all your great information! ~A
Ionut says
HI all. I wanna buy an iPhone 6 128GB Space Grey but I don’t know witch model to choose. Im from Romania, Bucharest! Can you tell me witch model to choose? Witch version is best? THANK YOU SOO MUCH!
Shyam Bhimani says
Hello Tuan Do
I want to buy Iphone 6 16gig or 64gig from USA however i want to use that phone in back home (INDIA) it should work in any GSM network in india so which model I should go for ?
Sharath says
i have recently purchased iphone 6 A1586 in india and using it with GSM carrier. My question is does it also support reliance cdma ??
Darshan says
Hi sir
I m Darshan from India . I have China apple iPhone A1589 . sir asking to this mobile fon to 1 questions ..how mobile data enable???
zidane says
Hi Tuan,
Thank you for the article. I was wondering if you would be so kind to help me. I have purchased the new iPhone 6 in USA (Model: MG5W2LL/A) service is Verizon. I was wondering if I can use this phone in turkey and Germany. If so, what do I need to do? Please let me know. I appreciate your help.
David says
I want to buy a iphone 6 plus from U.S where I am at, but will use it at China, Hong Kong and U.S.
which model I should choose?
Chamode says
Hi Tuan,
I’m gonna buy an iPhone 6 from Canada, but I will be using it in Sri Lanka (where I live) and I’m planning to use the carrier DIALOG. Can you please let me know which iPhone model should I choose? I appreciate your help.
pankaj says
i have i phone 6 plus model no A1524 but i want mobile network code for india so i can operate my phone
Yasith says
Mr Tuan
I am foreign student in China . I need to buy a n i phone 6 for my wife who is in Sri Lanka. Can you guide me which i6 model i should buy to use with dialog Telekom network in Sri Lanka?
bonsen says
hi
i am actually in Cameroon an i got an iphone 6 with an android operating system.it was working well untill i tried reseting d phone when i was unable to download certain apps into the phone due to space problems.probably i deleted some vital setups on in the process.thus the phone has gone off totally an i dont know wat to do.Pls can u help me out
topher says
hi tuan
my frend from saudi arabia is planning to visit here in the philippines and hes asking me if he can use hes iphone here in our country iphone (A1549) in any telecomunications?
Oscar Bernabé says
Hi
I’m Oscar from Argentina
I live in Argentina and am planning to buy (in Dubai or Hong Kong or Dubai) an iPhone 6, 64 GB in order to use it in my country . My carrier is PERSONAL. Which Model do I have to purchase? A 1549 (GSM) or A 1549 (CDMA) or may be 1586 ???
Somebody told me to buy A 1549 (GSM) but he was not sure about that.
Would you mind advice me? Thanks a lot.
Koala says
Hi Tuan, thanks for all the info – it’s helped me navigate quite a way through this maze!
I’m in the UK and am looking to bring back an unlocked, sim free iPhone 6+ from US – model A1524. You’ve helped me to believe there shouldn’t be any compatibility issues when I’m back in the UK and using the Three network. However, am a bit confused with the part numbers associated with this model. If I order it from UK Apple online, it shows part number MGAK2B/A whereas US Apple has part MGAK2LL/A. They should be identical spec (64gb, gold, totally sim free) so not sure why they would have different part number? Does this sound as though they’re not the same and I won’t end up with A1524 model? Many thanks!
Ye Yint says
Hi,how will I know my phone 6+ is standard or second?? I also want to know my phone is from which country??
Justine O'Toole says
great article, well researched & too much for my feeble brain to sort through, so, nice and simple:
which unlocked iPhone 6 Plus do I need to get for Straight Talk – thank you in advance 😘
Osvaldo says
Hola Tuan
Compre un iphone 6 en Canada de la compania Videotron con modelo A1549 LTE pero me mude a Mexico y compre un SIM de Mexico pero no tengo señal entonces esto quiere decir que mi iphone es (CDMA)?
zizz says
I live in Singapore but will be in NY for a few months. I intend to get the prepaid plans either from AT&T or TMobile. My iPhone is unlocked. But will it work on the 4GLTE networks of the US carriers?
What about my kids older iPhone models – iPhone 5, 5s and 4?
Tuan Do says
Yes, the unlocked phone of Apple Store Singapore works on both AT&T and TMobile.
You can check out compatibility of older iPhones here http://www.techwalls.com/iphone-5s-a1533-a1453-a1457-a1530-differences/
Good luck
saima bithy says
Comment:MG492CH/A ,is it any iPhone model number?
Michael says
Tuan, I recently purchased both the Iphone 6 A1586 and the Iphone 6 plus A1524 from the Korean Apple, and I want to make sure that these phones will be fully compatible with T-Mobile 4G LTE when I return to the states. I’ve been reading several articles to find out, and have seen some saying they are compatible and some saying they are not, so I wanted to ask and receive a clear answer if possible.
thinkfire says
hello,i want to ask you :Does Apple iPhone 6 Plus 64GB Space Gray (Factory Unlocked + Verizon) Model A1522 work with China Unicom(network:WCDMA)
Lap says
Hi Tuan,
I have an Iphone 6 with Sprint model MG6C2LL/A, Sprint had unlocked since I purchased and paid full price at local Apple store. Will this phone works with either AT&T or Verizon? also will it works in Vietnam if international unlocked by Sprint? thanks in advance for your help.
Mayuri says
Hi ,I want to know that I have buy MGAW2LL/A iPhone 6 plus, Gold, 64 GB model A1522 is work in India. Please reply soon . Thank you for your answer in advanced
Mike says
1524 (cdma) vs 1524 ( GSM ) what’s the difference in these? And which would work better on straighttalk under verizon.
azlam says
Sir . I have few doubts about iphone 6 t mobile models and sim free models…and i also need a clear information regarding whether buying an iphone6 in zain or Batelco (bahrain) could be used in india? Whether it is compatible with indian sim cards ?
azlam says
Buying an simfree iphone6 in bahrain can be used in india?
Brian says
Hello Tuan
I am in the US, and I bought an A1524 iphone 6plus from the Apple Store, Unlocked. They gave me a Sim Card. They told me to go to AT&T Store to get it activated. The guy at AT&T told me that I need a Sim Card. He gave me one free. Told me that the one that the Apple Store is useless. Am I being taken for a ride here? Who is BS-ing me here?
Jexsquad says
I’m presently in China and i wanted to buy the iPhone 6 plus and i realized that the iPhone 6 Plus made in Hong Kong is more expensive than the iPhone 6 Plus made in the US, i don’t really know why.
Anne says
Hi Tuan, thanks for the informative article. I would like to by the A1524 (Unlocked, SIM-Free) which I know is available on Apple.com. Where I see the model sold on Ebay as ‘fully unlocked’ and ‘will work on any network’, I do not see CDMA listed as a frequency– only GSM/EDGE. Is it a bad idea to by the model from Ebay? If so, perhaps because they pre-date the ones sold currently on Apple.com? Thank you.
Ashish says
I am in india bombay want to use iphone 6 plus cdma model no. A-1549 CDMA on reliance network. I will be importing it from us will it work in india. At What price i can get it.
Rukhs says
Hey tuan,
need your help desperately.I purchased iPhone 6+ A1524 from Saudi Arabia ,now I wil be traveling to India as I have shifted there forever. So wil I be suffering any network problem there.please reply asap.its really urgent
Antonio says
Hi. If I buy an Iphone 6 “SIM free” from de Apple Store in the U.S.A. it will work on any carrier worldwide? (I use Claro from Argentina). Thank you!
amir says
my iphone 6 part naumber is AA/A.do you know this part naumber for which country? pls hlp
Oli says
FYI – I bought a A1586 model iPhone 6 in Saudi Arabia and it does not seem to work in China (No bars, then when it briefly gets one it goes to “No Service”. Chiefly been testing with China Unicom. As far as I can establish, the phone was nominally sold in the US to Apple International Distribution (Ireland) who modified it for sale in the Middle East (Hence Arabic on sticker on box, “AE” in Part Number designation). I understand it is unlocked. That the problem is that the carriers here likely choose not to support it.
[It does not have Facetime… which is I believe a requirement in Saudi Arabia, and also something you cannot use in China]
(I’ll try and remember to post back here if I solve the issue)
Oli says
I learned some more:
Firstly, it is not China Unicom that we cannot get the phone to work with but China Telecom.
(I am not yet convinced that it does not work with China Mobile or China Unicom).
Secondly, it does look like an incompatibility – and the key learning is that you cannot rely on the model number “A1586” alone to identify a phone that will work on all Chinese networks.
I suspect the Part Number would be more useful but this doesn’t seem documented on the web. There also appear to be GSM and CDMA variants of the A1586 where the difference is that the CDMA version includes all the GSM frequencies but also contains CDMA support. I don’t know how to differentiate whether a phone is GSM or CDMA other than that supplied by a operator who have a CDMA network.
The Part Number does include the two letter region designation “AE” which I believe pertains to Middle East versions of the iPhone 6.
The difference in spec of the Chinese A1586 and the AE A1586 can be seen by comparing these two pages:
http://www.apple.com/cn/iphone-6/specs/
http://www.apple.com/ae/iphone-6/specs/
This comparison shows:
(a) AE market has both GSM and CDMA versions while China has only the CDMA variant
(b) All three variants of A1586 support the same bands for TD-SCDMA, GSM/EDGE, FDD-LTE, TD-LTE
(c) The China A1586 supports UMTS(WCDMA) while the AE versions support just UMTS.
(d) The China A1586 supports CDMA-EV-DO Rev.A only, while the AE CDMA A1586 also supports CDMA-EV-DO Rev.B
(e) I don’t know why Facetime is listed in these specs when I believe it is not available in Saudi Arabia and China… perhaps that is a further level of model variation.
I am not yet certain which of these differences is causing the problem. It is possible that this particular area is not served by China Telecom with the TD-LTE technology and so the phone needs to be able to fall back to UMTS(WCDMA). If that is the case then the phone might work in other places with TD-LTE coverage.
Now the Apple page which initially misled me into buying the A1586 for the China Market was:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
This page does not make it clear that the A1586 varies between markets. Nor does it make clear how to differentiate CDMA from GSM variants. (If anyone figures the latter out then please post it).
If you dig deeper at Apple you can find these pages which contain a comment on the usability of phones brought abroad with the Chinese carriers:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202909 (China Mobile)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204430 (China Unicom)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204442 (China Telecom)
Those three links indicate:
Any unlocked A1586 is compatible with China Mobile 4G.
Less strongly worded, but the same seems true for China Unicom so long as the “proper” SIM card is used.
For China Telecom the rider has been added “Only unlocked models purchased in the United States, China, or Japan will work with China Telecom’s SIM card.”
That seems to be the critical sentence for me… at least as far as 4G LTE coverage is concerned. I remain a bit surprised that the phone can’t fall back to an older technology to still give some service. Perhaps it is possible to buy a 2G or 3G SIM that might work.
The huge amount of FUD and confusion involved in determining whether a phone from one market or seller can be used elsewhere is likely something that is in the interests of the carriers who would prefer we buy the phones from them. This increases my negative love for the carriers who do not seem to be customer oriented.
Martin Lago says
Buenas noches, vivo en Argentina y quisiera comprar un iphone 6 de 64gb. Que modelo es el adecuado para el uso en el país y países limítrofes? Gracias
Allen says
Hi . My name is allen and i live in canada. I will be going to Macau (china) this septembre. I wanted to buy an iphone 6plus in canada and to give it to my fiance as a gift but im not sure what model to buy here. Could you recommend me something ? Please and thank you for you help.
Larry says
I bought an A1586 at the duty free in Australia. I gave it to my daughter and we went to a US AT&T store. They installed a sim and the phone worked fine. However it was not finding the AT&T LTE network in Atlanta. They looked at the model number and told me that the Australian phones won’t work on AT&T. If I am ready this blog correctly it should work fine. Can you confirm this before I head back to the AT&T store.
Great column. Thank you.
Kaiqi says
Could anyone help my situation?
I am currently using an A1589, the China Mobile version. I will go to U.S for college. I want to know that can I use T-Mobile’s network on my phone? Thank you!
Oli says
Allen.
I think my problem with China Telecom and the A1586 is that the particular A1586 I got does not support CDMA.
Looking at the Wikipedia entry for Macao – the info looks like it may be stale but talks about Macao going to all CDMA with China Telecom as a prominent and probably lead CDMA carrier. So I think you should be aiming to get the iPhone 6Plus equivalent A1586 with CDMA support.
Looking at what must be the Canadian specs: http://www.apple.com/ca/iphone-6/specs/
The A1524 is the iPhone 6plus equivalent to the A1586 iPhone I have.
Also, that model only seems to come with CDMA in Canada… so my guess is that if you buy one from an official seller (Apple Store may be safest to make sure it is unlocked and not a grey import) then it will probably work in Macao…. but I can’t promise anything.
Jen says
Hi I’m from england currently living in the us I am most often between us and england sometimes france I am looking to buy an iPhone 6 here in the us that will work in england which model will I need?
Pam says
Hi there, i have an iphone 6 plus model A1524. I am in Botswana and i cannot access internet. i am using a 4G nano sim. what could be the problem?
Pam says
hi, i have an iphone 6 plus A1524 and i cant access internet. what could be the problem? i am in botswana and i am using the 4G LTE nano sim
steve says
Hi, I’m on holiday in florida and was going to pick up a new unlocked iphone6s while there as its about $120 cheaper than in the UK. Ive ben told the 4G signal and other parts of the phone will not work in the UK. Is this true? Im currently on Vodafone in the UK.
thanks in advance
Tuan Do says
Can you move your comment to iPhone 6S thread? This is for the iPhone 6.
Thanks
steve says
sorry, will do
Minksy says
Hi, I am thinking about buying an iPhone 6 in Trinidad and Tobago in October this year 2015. Could you advise on the unlocked/sim free model I should purchase. I intend to use it in the United Kingdom on the 3network. Please can you advise.
Tamara says
Hello tuan!
Would much appreciate your help on this since apple and every sund carrier in the U.S didn’t know how to help me. I got an iPhone 6 A1586 as a gift purchased from Jordan ( mide east) it rejects every SIM card from every carrier and no one is able to unlock it for me, from your article it seems like the best and most valuable iPhone model, but I don’t know what to do with it ! I’m hoping you might know what to recommend in my situation.
Thank you so much!!
Tamara
Shaun fernandes says
Hi tuan,
I’m planning to buy the 6s and the 6s+ from America.
And I’m planning to buy the verizon version off contract.
Will it work in india? Or does it have to be jailbreaked?
Adrian says
Hi Tuan,
Silly question here and probably discussed already: Would an unlocked Verizon iPhone 6/6 Plus work in Japan?
Thanks,
Adrian
SANDEEP PAUL says
Hello..I am a cdma-gsm user…i wanna know wether iphone 6 plus A1524 is a single sim based phone aur dual sim based…coz i am in a need of cdma-gsm dual smartphone… and unlocked iphone 6 plus A1524 cdma will work in India or not ?
Neisha says
Hi Tuan,
I live in Trinidad and Tobago. Which of the iPhone 6 models should I get?
Thank you.
albert says
High Tuan,
My name i albert
I Just some some questions for you
1.Im here in japan, cellphones in japan dpn’t use zim card.If i by iphone in japan and request for enabling of zim card, Can i use the iphone when I return to philippines using globe or smart sim cards.
thank you
albert says
Hiigh Tuan Do,
I’m Albert.
If I by iphone6 here and japan and enable the its sim card. Can I use it when i return to philippines using smart or globe zim cards.
thanks
Amaan says
Hi I am in china an iam going to buy a new 6s but I have questions will it work on Indian sim
Sammy says
Is the Verizon unlock iPhone 6s Plus the best iPhone. For any country to use. ?
Sammy says
Please help me. Wish is better the Verizon unlock or the AT&T unlock I need to know which one to buy that wen I travel can be able to use it with any carrier . Please thank you tuan.
chris says
Hi. Can you advise me if an unlocked iphone6 model a1549 will work on the 3 network in Ireland
Chetan says
I ordered a factory unlocked A1586 in the USA. The phone I have received contains model number NG492LL/A which is different from what it is described to be usually i.e. MG492LL/A. What is the difference between M and N. So far I have asked Sprint to unlock the phone but I am curious to find what does N stand for since that model number is something unusual, it seems. Any help would be appreciated. I want to use this phone in US as well as India.
Mauricio says
i would like to know if A1524 works in Colombia with a Movistar Operator
Eric says
Hi, I live in New York and have a locked Verizon iPhone 6+ ( MGCM2LL/A). I plan to travel in Hong Kong in a week . Can I use this iPhone in Hong Kong by simply switching the sim card after the iPhone were got to unlock. I am worry about this because my previous unlocked AT&T iPhone 4S bought in States could not be used in Hong Kong. Thanks in advance.
Erica says
I live in the US and I’m buying an iphone 6+ and bringing it to China. My concern is that if I buy the wrong model, it will not be compatible with China’s phone services. Which model should I buy that would let me use 3G, 4G or LTE with China Mobile?
Lyndon says
Hello.
I bought an Iphone 6S model number A1688, MPN:MKQJ2ZP/A off a seller on Amazon UK.
Seems this is a Hong Kong version, i didn’t know this at the time.
Will it work in the UK?my carrier is o2.
Will i have any problems with Apple warranty?
Thanks in advance.
Sany says
Hello,i liv in Germany , have Smartphone A1586 MG492CH/A.My PC (win7) don’t recognize my phone(no access with pc) and it won’t work with any software (iTunes,Phone explorer,Pc Suite etc…).With my phone I can’t make photo or download something because ”The phone storage does not have enough space”…However there is 63 Gb a free space…Any suggestion for fixing problem?Thank you
Sany says
I tried to reset phone but nothing…Maybe this phone have not enough storage space to do anything except a phone call??
Arun Manohar Manoharan says
Will the Unlocked A1586 work in India?
abbey says
Hi there! I live in canada…is this like verizon but goes all around the world? Cuz if so i am interested in buying a iphone 6s gold with a plan like $27 a month…
DUANE says
Hi Tuan Do
I’d be purachasing an IPHONE 6S (128 GB Silver) from DUBAI around Christmas.
What model should I get so that it works on the AIRTEL network (LTD) in India?
India has both 1800 (Band 3) and 2300 (Band 40) across the country.
With regards
Duane
Brandon says
Hi my name is Brandon and I’m trying to get an iPhone 6 I live in the USA I need a phone that is unlocked and has a sims card for cricket wireless can you tell me the model that will work thanks
Patricia Soto says
I wish to by an I-phone 6 in New Zealand (unlocked). What model number do I need to purchase that will also work with an Australian or an Argentinian sim card so it will be truly international.
Any advise you are willing to provide will be much appreciated. Thank you.
Salim says
Hello I am using iphone model A1586 in china but i am from Ghana.. Is it going to work fine when i move to Ghana-West Africa ? ..
khan says
Tuan Do,
greeting
i am facing problem with model 1524 as it shows the 30 MB space only,what should i do please help me
Charith says
Hi,
I’m planning to buy a IPhone 6s 64GB. but I’m having a problem with regions.
Please can you explain me, what’s the different between Singapore region IPhones and US or UK Region iphones. Is there any differences those region iphones. Specially Quality and options..
I’m waiting for your reply. Thank you.
Dĩnh Dĩnh says
Hi Tuan.
Can you help me ?
I want to use iphone 6 plus A1524. ( CDMA ) and i want to buy it but i don’t know how buy it ! I from vietnam. And How much it costs
Thank you !
Edwin says
Hi Tuan.
I have a question. Is there any difference in an IPhone 6S Plus “factory unlocked” in Europe vs USA? I live in US And I was going to buy one on E bay that I was told has “European specs”…
Any advice?
Holly says
I have an unopened IPhone 6, model #A1549(GSM), purchased from an AT&T store. I want to sell it but need to know if it can only be used with AT&T as the carrier.
Lee says
Tuan, you are awesome for providing your time and answering our inquiries. A lot of people would be lost without your experty. I only have one question for you or anyone that can confirm, if a Verizon unlocked iPhone 6/6plus can work with Globe or Smart in the Philippines? Thank you for any feedback you can provide.
Matt says
Any chance you are able to provide carrier-specific part numbers for the new 32GB iPhone 6s and 6s Plus configurations? Can’t seem to find them anywhere.