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.
I see a lot of people buy iPhone 6 in the U.S. or on eBay with global shipping but many of those phones couldn’t work in their countries because there are some iPhone models manufactured for different wireless carriers and markets. They have almost the same tech specs but there are some differences in cellular connectivity. The situation is much better this year as the new iPhone 6/6 Plus features new VoLTE (Voice over LTE) technology, which means you can buy a GSM version and still can use a full range of services on CDMA networks. For example, you can buy a sim-free T-Mobile phone and completely avoid CDMA to use it on Verizon. Some carriers offering VoLTE are T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon in the US; Hutchinson Telecom (3), CSL and SmarTone in Hong Kong; SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ in South Korea and StarHub in Singapore.
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
Buy Factory-Unlocked Apple iPhone 6 on Amazon
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. 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.
United States:
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
Buy Factory Unlocked Apple iPhone 6 Plus on Amazon
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.
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.
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 :)