X

Unlocked iPhone 4S now working in some T-Mobile network pockets

According to a support thread on T-Mobile's troubleshooting site, an unlocked iPhone 4S could be used on T-Mobile's network, utilizing the iPhone 4S UMTS 1 band.

Joe Aimonetti MacFixIt Editor
Joe is a seasoned Mac veteran with years of experience on the platform. He reports on Macs, iPods, iPhones and anything else Apple sells. He even has worked in Apple retail stores. He's also a creative professional who knows how to use a Mac to get the job done.
Joe Aimonetti
2 min read

According to a support thread on T-Mobile's troubleshooting site, an unlocked iPhone 4S could be used on T-Mobile's network, utilizing the iPhone 4S UMTS 1 band.

This theory has been backed up by a report on an unofficial T-Mobile blog, claiming that an unlocked iPhone 4S, in certain parts of the country, can run on T-Mobile's 3G network.

Apple

iPhones have been a part of T-Mobile's landscape since the beginning. In fact, T-Mobile offers a quite nice support community for iPhone users, despite not officially offering the product.

Now, as TmoNews reports, T-Mobile has begun reframing some of its spectrum in certain parts of the country. In areas of Nevada, Northern California, and the Pacific Northwest, T-Mobile has begun using the 1,900MHz band (the same one that an iPhone would use) for HSPA+.

T-Mobile's normal spectrum is 1,700/2,100, which is not supported on the iPhone 4S.

How it all breaks down is this: T-Mobile is working on rolling out a reframed spectrum for PCS HSPA+ that could support Apple's iPhone. Currently, iPhone users who have unlocked their phones for use on T-Mobile's networks can only get 2G access. In the aforementioned parts of the country, users who have an unlocked iPhone 4S are finding that 3G is working (with download speeds in the 3G range to prove it).

Of course, this could be taken to mean that T-Mobile is trying to prep its network to add the iPhone, which I am sure the company would love to do, given its support of it over the years. But, this is still in its infancy and not a nationwide thing.

Still, it gives hope to T-Mobile users who have been holding out despite the allure of using their iPhone on AT&T's superfast data network or Verizon's far-reaching talk area.

Are you a T-Mobile user waiting for an official T-Mobile iPhone? Let me know in the comments!