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T-Mobile: Bring us your unlocked AT&T iPhones

T-Mobile sees a fresh business opportunity in AT&T's new unlocking policy for qualifying iPhones.

Jessica Dolcourt Senior Director, Commerce & Content Operations
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Expertise Content strategy, team leadership, audience engagement, iPhone, Samsung, Android, iOS, tips and FAQs.
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Jessica Dolcourt
2 min read

T-Mobile now has a new pool of potential customers to fish in, thanks to AT&T's recent resolution to unlock your device for you, after meeting the right requirements.

It's a position they intend to capitalize on, too. The nation's fourth-largest carrier has GSM micro-SIM cards on hand for compatible phones, including the iPhone. Buying one of these micro-SIMs and signing up your unlocked iPhone for a T-Mobile Value plan is all it takes to get started as a T-Mobile customer on the iPhone.

Although T-Mobile doesn't sell any version of Apple's smartphones, a spokesperson told 9to5Mac that there are "more than 1 million unlocked iPhones running on our network."

This isn't the right solution for speed-demons, however. Customers on unlocked iPhones will ride T-Mobile's 2G speeds.

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It's no secret that T-Mobile has been thirsting for the iPhone, and back in January, T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray told CNET that he thinks an incompatibility with the carrier's AWS wireless network spectrum was the culprit.

After its failed merger with AT&T, the carrier is now touting its aggressive plan to strengthen its existing HSPA+ "4G" network and build a 4G LTE infrastructure. In addition, T-Mobile has been vocal about expanding HSPA+ to its 1,900MHz PCS spectrum, which would make the faster-than-3G data service compatible with the iPhone and other devices.

Article updated at 12:56pm with 2G network details.

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