Differences between iPhone 6S Models (A1633, A1634, A1688, A1687, A1699, A1700, A1690, A1691)

Comments

1. Louie says

   Sep 10, 2015 at 2:23 pm

   Which iPhone 6S and 6S plus will be available contract free, sim free, and unlocked covering more bands for preorder?

   • Tuan Do says

     Sep 11, 2015 at 12:33 am

     The contract-free model will be A1687/1688. The unlocked version will be released later, so we don’t have any info yet.

     • Jeff Miller says

       Sep 12, 2015 at 2:12 pm

       If you had to speculate, what is the potential for the forthcoming unlocked model to be similar to the A1687/1688 but with LTE band 30?

     • Tuan Do says

       Sep 13, 2015 at 1:17 am

       The unlocked model in iPhone Upgrade Program is A1687/1688, so I guess it could be the same one.

     • Ram says

       Feb 16, 2016 at 6:22 am

       I have 6s plus 1687 will work in india

     • IPhone says

       Nov 11, 2017 at 9:17 pm

       A1688 code

     • Dorothy says

       Jan 7, 2017 at 9:41 pm

       I have an iPhone Model A1687, hopefully you can tell me if this is a 6 or a 7?

     • DLeigh says

       Jan 30, 2018 at 12:32 pm

       An A1687 is a 6s Plus.

     • Abdul razaq says

       Feb 17, 2018 at 1:32 pm

       Fast team I will be New iPhone 6s plus 64 GB I hob good phone thanks

     • Abhi Patel says

       Nov 19, 2015 at 8:18 pm

       I HAVE IPHONE 6S PLUS MODEL A1687 UNLOCKED(VERIZON), WILL THIS PHONE WORK IN INDIA WITH INDIA CARIERS???

     • DUANE says

       Dec 7, 2015 at 3:40 pm

       India has both Band 3 (1800)and Band 40 (2300). You need a model to support both these bands

     • Gaivy says

       Dec 27, 2015 at 12:47 pm

       which one is best for India?

     • shelyn says

       Nov 28, 2015 at 12:32 pm

       I just want to know the iphone 6s plus if I buy at malaysia can I used at china for china mobile china telecoms, 中国移动电?

     • Jennifer's says

       Oct 5, 2016 at 7:43 am

       Can I buy from china A1699 or A1700 and use it in the US? Would there be any problem with data ect….

     • Megan says

       Dec 9, 2017 at 8:28 pm

       Hi I am wondering the same thing.Can you use an iPhone 6s model A1700 from china elsewhere in the world?

     • Javier says

       Feb 27, 2018 at 7:59 pm

       What options if do i Have Or Is there any use to my iPhone 6s Model A1688 if activation Lock appears On On the screen And also cant Get in to email address cant remember nor @ address Or @ password…Or do i??

   • Linda says

     Feb 11, 2018 at 12:29 pm

     1633 iPhone 6s will it work in Canada ! Can I put a bell Canada sim in it and will it work in canada

2. Joshua Olsen says

   Sep 10, 2015 at 7:05 pm

   The numbering convention is very different from the 6/6 Plus. In that was it was 1549 for U.S. iPhone 6 and 1586 was the global phone. And for the 6 Pus the U.S. was 1522 and global was 1524.

   Have you fact checked you assertions? This is really important to be as I want to buy the global phone, and don’t mind not having Band 30. Thank you!

   • Tuan Do says

     Sep 10, 2015 at 11:00 pm

     Hi,
     All info in this post has been confirmed by carriers in the US, as well as Apple Store. I will update the post if there is any change.

     • Brenda says

       Jan 8, 2016 at 12:23 pm

       Which model or models have the “new generation LTE Advanced ( LTE-A)?
       Is LTE Advanced the same thing as AT&T’s faster Band 30 LTE Network?
       Don’t you think model A1633 is the superior iphone 6sPlus?

3. James says

   Sep 10, 2015 at 8:08 pm

   Do A1688 and A1687 both be used by any carrier in USA? If I buy a phone from Verizon, can I switch to T-Mo or ATT without a problem? Will I lack LTE speeds on GSM?

   • Tuan Do says

     Sep 11, 2015 at 12:35 am

     The Verizon version will work well on T-Mobile and AT&T, only the new LTE band 30 is missing on AT&T.

     • Andre says

       Sep 23, 2015 at 2:04 am

       What model# is the Verizon version?

     • travis says

       Jul 11, 2016 at 7:43 pm

       a1687

     • Qazi majid says

       Oct 16, 2018 at 4:59 pm

       1687 not working in Pakistan what can I do

     • JimC says

       Feb 6, 2019 at 10:47 am

       I’m looking at my wife’s iPhone right now, and it’s a model A1688. We’re on Verizon.

     • travis says

       Jul 11, 2016 at 7:42 pm

       no cause u cant put apn settings in it for att or t-mobile

   • travis says

     Jul 11, 2016 at 7:41 pm

     no cause u cant put the apn settings in it for att or t-mobile

4. jason says

   Sep 10, 2015 at 8:19 pm

   thanks for your info. as shown on canada’s official website, both A1688 and A1633 will be sold in canada. my question is both of them will sold in apple store? anyway to know bofore order online

   • Tuan Do says

     Sep 11, 2015 at 10:32 am

     I’m not really sure about Apple Store Canada, I will try to get an answer on the upcoming release date or someone here has more info.

5. George says

   Sep 11, 2015 at 2:44 am

   can 1687 use the 2g/3g/4g network for china telecom? This is key for me. And will tmobile unlock a phone for foreign carriers? I was told they could, but want to confirm.

   • Tuan Do says

     Sep 11, 2015 at 3:43 am

     As I mentioned above, Apple confirmed that unlocked models purchased in the US will work with China Telecom’s SIM card. But you should contact China Telecom to make sure they will provide service for iPhones bought outside China. You won’t have any problem on China Mobile or China Unicom. Let me know.

     • amelie says

       Sep 12, 2015 at 4:52 am

       Hello.
       I just bought a contract-free t-mobile version, can I use it in China?
       Is it still locked? Can I use a China Mobile sim card or ATT sim card in it?

     • Roddy says

       Oct 23, 2015 at 12:43 pm

       Yes you definitely can use it. I just came back to China and can assure you your contract free tmobile 6s will work. I have one too! Also have a ATT 1633 and all have 4G reception.

     • Ray says

       Dec 9, 2015 at 11:14 pm

       Hello roddy. I have questions about us based iphone 6s model a1633 sum free. It would be great if we could have a small conversation about this.
       Contact me when you have a chance.
       Whatsapp:1-819-219-1099
       Thx

6. Sanjay says

   Sep 11, 2015 at 2:48 am

   Hi. If I buy contract free A1633 TMobile iphone 6S from Apple Site, (1) Will it have FDD-LTE 1800 Mhz and TDD-LTE 2300 Mhz both? and (2) Will it work (for LTE + Voice purpose ) internationally with local SIM, say in India? Thanks

   • Tuan Do says

     Sep 11, 2015 at 11:15 am

     The T-Mobile version is A1688, it has those bands and it should work in India.

     • Sonora says

       Jan 31, 2016 at 4:57 pm

       how do you know SO much about apple and iOS?

     • Pita says

       Sep 20, 2016 at 3:02 am

       I have 6s model A1688.
       Will it work in Indonesia??
       Thx bfore.

     • simple kanwer says

       Dec 20, 2016 at 10:55 am

       Simple

   • Sanjay says

     Sep 11, 2015 at 11:21 am

     Thanks Tuan. Just one more question. If TMobile model is A1688, than what model is A1633?

7. Daniel says

   Sep 11, 2015 at 3:34 am

   Which one works in Korea?

   • Tuan Do says

     Sep 11, 2015 at 7:38 am

     I checked the 3 carriers, SK Telecom, olleh and LG U+ in Korea. The A1687/1688 will be better.

     • You Mi Nam says

       Sep 29, 2015 at 7:46 am

       Thank you Tuan Do!

8. Daniel says

   Sep 11, 2015 at 4:33 am

   And how is the A1688 a “world phone”? That CDMA EVO Rev A is only used by US carriers, no? So LTE Band 20 is exclusive to US AT&T while CDMA EVO Rev A is exclusive to US Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, no?

   • Tuan Do says

     Sep 11, 2015 at 7:34 am

     EV-DO Rev. A is still being used by some carriers like China Telecom, Orange in Poland or au in Japan.
     And yes, the LTE band 30 is coming soon on AT&T only.

9. Louie says

   Sep 11, 2015 at 5:44 am

   I plan to preorder the phone on the 12th to use abroad right away. Will the Verizon or sprint versions work on gsm straight out of the box? I remember buying the iPhone 5S at launch from t-mobile but it was locked to their carrier and they wanted me to wait 40 days. I am afraid this would happen again with them so wanted to know if Verizon and sprint have the same problem. I will be using the phone in Dubai so which one should I get?

   • Tuan Do says

     Sep 11, 2015 at 7:44 am

     Hi Louie,
     Only the Verizon version works on GSM networks because it is unlocked out of the box. I bought the contract-free T-Mobile iPhone 6 at Apple Store and didn’t have any problem using it overseas. The Verizon phone will work well in Dubai as well.

     • Henzy22 says

       Mar 20, 2016 at 12:37 am

       Hi there please someone teel me I want to buy iPhone 6s Plus please help me to buy rate one I’m going to Bangladesh so i need help which iPhone 6s Plus or iPhone 6 Plus i use in Bangladesh please help me THANK U?

10. steve says

    Sep 11, 2015 at 8:09 am

    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 been 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

      Sep 11, 2015 at 11:07 am

      Hi Steve,
      Some older iPhones might be not fully compatible but the iPhone 6S supports all LTE bands (800 MHz and 2600 MHz spectrum) offered by Vodafone UK. Besides, you will be able to take advantage of LTE-A and VoLTE on the network.

    • Sandeep says

      Oct 8, 2015 at 4:57 pm

      Hello Steve,
      May I know if your phone worked in UK and was it unlocked from the store ?
      I am in a similar situation and your reply will help me take that decision.

11. Juan says

    Sep 11, 2015 at 9:24 am

    Hi, I’m on holiday in new york and plan to buy an iphone 6s, the t-mobile full pay. but i’m from argentina, and of course i plan to use it with my local carreer (movistar) do you think it will work on my country? or is not like.. sim-unlocked. the support of apple say’s yes. but i dont know if ask them right :P
    Thanks!!

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 11, 2015 at 11:09 am

      Hi,
      All of the models are perfect for Movistar Argentina.

12. LazMN says

    Sep 11, 2015 at 12:39 pm

    Have you heard if there’s any way to get the GSM (A1634) model 6s Plus while using the new iPhone Upgrade Program? Sounds like you would normally get the A1687. I’m concerned about the loss of LTE band 30 on the “world phone” if that’s really “AT&T’s newest LTE band”. Tuan, how important is LTE band 30 if you think you’d use AT&T as the carrier longer term?

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 12, 2015 at 12:40 am

      The iPhone you receive in the Upgrade Program is A1687/A1688. The band 30 can speed up LTE significantly in urban areas in the near future but it won’t improve coverage.

13. James says

    Sep 11, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    Does T-mobile version work on Verizon if I’m not happy with their network? What will be their model number? Do I need to specify the model number to T-mobile if I plan to get from them?

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 12, 2015 at 12:06 am

      Hi James,
      Yes it will work on Verizon but you will need to contact Verizon to activate your phone on its CDMA network. It will be easier and safer if you purchase Verizon phone.
      T-Mobile is selling the 1687/1688 models only, so you don’t have to specify the model number.

      • Bo Xu says

        Sep 13, 2015 at 11:00 am

        Sir I think you made it wrong. The Verizon and Sprint are CDMA version while the other two are GMS version. I tried to order online but only T-mobile works since I do not have a phone number with either V or S. When you choose the order as guided, it shows clearly that the phone by choice of T-mobile is GSM version, in other words Model 1633.

      • Tuan Do says

        Sep 15, 2015 at 4:20 am

        That GSM version actually has a CDMA chipset, so you can use it on Verizon.

      • Bo Xu says

        Sep 15, 2015 at 8:55 am

        Thanks for your reply.

        Seems like the apple modified their website. So now both version has CDMA band then with LTE 30. They do not make much difference now. I tried to order CDMA version from Verizon simply to get something compatible for all 3 carriers in China, of course good here in US as well. Now I do not have the trouble since both will do the work.

        For why they name one version GSM and one CDMA, and why I got GSM version with T mobile while the article indicates you would get 1688, it really does not matter much now :P.

        Thanks again.

      • Andre says

        Sep 23, 2015 at 2:53 am

        This response is confusing me a bit, which model# is the Verizon version using?

      • travis says

        Jul 11, 2016 at 7:49 pm

        a1687 and it wont work with att or t-mobile cause u cant put in their apn settings

14. Yuki says

    Sep 11, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    Hi, thank you for your info!
    I plan to buy a iphone6s plus, and my current carrier is T-mobile.
    I have some questions here, can you help me?
    1. I am not sure what is the difference among the four carriers (AT&T, T-mobile, Sprint and Verizon).
    Because I do not know what the models they are, and I cannot even find on Apple’s website.
    2. If I buy AT&T’s version, does it support China Mobile? If not, which version supports it? (T-mobile, Sprint or Verizon?)
    3. I saw you mentioned the contract-free model, which one is it? Since I did not see anything on the Apple’s website.

    Thank you very much!

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 12, 2015 at 12:48 am

      Hi Yuki,
      Yes all of those models supports China Mobile. You can see an option to pay full price on Apple’s website, that’s the contract-free T-Mobile version.

      • Kimmy says

        Feb 15, 2016 at 7:06 am

        Hye tuan do,sorry..want to ask, i bought an iphone 6s from us at apple store..they said it unlocked and i pay full for it,is it available for me to use malaysia sim card? My model is A1633. Tq

15. Roi says

    Sep 11, 2015 at 2:06 pm

    Hi,
    Next week I’m traveling to the US.. And I have few questions…
    Does the t-mobile version 1633 works in Israel?
    Whats the best way to get iphone 6S in NYC? (Pre order?)
    How much it’s usually takes to get the iphone if you do pre order (pickup from Apple Store)?

    Thanks so much
    Roi

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 12, 2015 at 12:11 am

      Hi,
      If you are fast and lucky enough, you can preorder and pick up at Apple Store on September 25.

16. Zoomie says

    Sep 11, 2015 at 5:10 pm

    Have been getting different answers on the Apple Chat regarding the new iphone 6S. I happy with Cricket wireless and would like to pre order a new 6S and pay full price. Since Cricket uses AT&T towers would the A1633 be best or would I be stuck with having to use AT&T as a provider.

    Several reps stated to purchase the A1688 (T-Mobile version) and replace the T-Mobile sim with my Cricket sim. Little skeptical about buying a T-Mobile phone for a Cricket carrier using AT&T towers.

    I also read the LTE band 30 for AT&T would boost strength and speeds for their towers. Will it make that significant of a difference?

17. Voo says

    Sep 11, 2015 at 8:31 pm

    Hi per this article, Apple gives the option to order unlocked now. http://www.techwalls.com/buy-unlocked-iphone-6s-plus-us/

18. Benny says

    Sep 11, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    I’m using AT&T and also would like to join in the Apple upgrade program. So can I do it in the apple store and require a A1634 model for the program?

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 12, 2015 at 12:34 am

      Yes you will get the A1687/1688 with the upgrade program. You will have to join the program at Apple Store but I don’t think you can get the A1634.

      • Chen Ming says

        Nov 8, 2015 at 3:12 pm

        Hey there,

        I would like to ask, if iPhone 6s plus model A1634 supports China Unicom and China Telecom and will also work with China Mobile’s 4G TD-LTE, 3G, or TD-SCDMA networks?

        Thanks,
        ChenMing

19. Ran says

    Sep 11, 2015 at 10:08 pm

    Hi,
    I plan to pre-order AT&T version of iPhone 6s plus in full price. I just want to confirm with you if the version is compatible with China Mobile (Can use China Mobile 4G network) since I just talked to Apple specialist, they told me all the launch tonight will be locked version even if pay in full. So I just not sure if I will pre-order tonight.
    Thanks in advance!

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 11, 2015 at 11:53 pm

      Hi,
      The AT&T version is locked for at least 60 days, even when you buy it at Apple Store. The contract-free T-Mobile version is better in this case as it is fully compatible with China Mobile.

      • Ran says

        Sep 12, 2015 at 12:35 am

        Thanks so much for your response!
        So like after, say 60 days, the locked AT&T version will become unlocked (or I can call AT&T to unlock my phone) then I can use it with China Mobile?

      • Tuan Do says

        Sep 12, 2015 at 12:45 am

        Yes, you will need to contact AT&T to unlock your phone.

20. Geoff says

    Sep 11, 2015 at 10:31 pm

    I live in Papua New Guinea. I was going to order a couple of these phones. The tech specs show they’d work on the cell network here. But I’m confused about whether these phones are ‘locked’ and what that means for me. I don’t want to get a phone purchased, brought over, and then find out it is ‘locked’ and won’t work on our system unless I have it unlocked. From the pricing schemes on apple’s website, they seem to be prices for unlocked phones. Is that correct?

21. Sam says

    Sep 11, 2015 at 10:48 pm

    Do you know which US model is compatible with China Mobile 4G’s network?

22. Frank says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 1:35 am

    I want to pre-order a Iphone6S full price.
    I am using SIM card of H2O wireless, and plan to use it in China with China Unicom.
    Can I purchase the AT&T full price and use the H2O card?

    • Red_A says

      Sep 4, 2016 at 1:59 am

      Frank, H2O uses the ATT network. Its the same signal. your card will work on any unlocked ATT phone. In fact, when you first activate the H2O 4g, you get notifications popping up directing you to call ATT to set it up. However, that’s not what you should do.
      After your sim card, is activated, you’ll get a text telling you to go to a link at H20 to activate the LTE. of course, since your connection isn’t active you need to have wifi access to get the phone online to go to the linked H2O page, enter your information on their profile form and activate the 4G service. When you get there, you have to fill out a profile and then you’re in. It’s lightning fast compared to my “high speed” DSL home network, We haven’t encountered any issues once we figured out how to get connected.
      I live in a rural region where signal frequently drops out on everyone’s calls, especially if there’s a breeze.
      H2O and ATT are the only reliable providers here. Buy an unlocked phone and you’ll be fine.

23. LarzMN says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 3:55 am

    So I just completed my pre-order. My experience was this. I picked my phone, capacity, and color. I was then asked to pick a carrier. Only after doing so, was I given payment options. Those options consisted of Carrier plans OR pay-in-full only. I picked pay-in-full. I then got an option to reserve and pick up in store, which I took since I knew that the Upgrade Program was in-store only. At no point was I offered the Upgrade Program option during checkout. You simply make a store pickup reservation and then apparently talk to the store about the Upgrade Program participation during your appointment.

    Here’s where things got interesting. When I picked T-Mobile/Pay-in-full as the carrier/payment option, my reservation said “128GB Space Gray (GSM)”. When I picked Verizon/Pay-in-full as the carrier/payment option, my reservation said “128GB Space Gray (CDMA)”. Since these reservations result in stock being held at the Apple Store itself, I am left to assume that by specifiying a GSM/CDMA carrier, I will be able to control which model I end up with while still choosing the iPhone Upgrade Program during the appointment. After all, had I made a (GSM) reservation and show up to pick it up stating I want to be in the iPhone Upgrade Program, who’s to say they would even be in a position on launch day to say, “OH, in that case here’s your CDMA phone model A1687 instead”.

    • RR says

      Sep 13, 2015 at 8:00 pm

      Thank you for this. This is exactly what I observed as well. (There was one moment where I did see an option to buy on the apple upgrade program. ) I also wonder how I can ensure I get a model that is unlocked and capable on all 4 major U.S. Carriers. I made two reservations, but unfortunately they are for AT&T and. T Mobile. So I fear I won’t get the upgrade program model that is both unlocked and capable on all models.

      • Tuan Do says

        Sep 15, 2015 at 4:28 am

        Check this out: http://www.techwalls.com/buy-unlocked-iphone-6s-plus-us/

      • RR says

        Sep 15, 2015 at 9:26 am

        It appears, based on that, that choosing the Verizon or T Mobile model gets you the unlocked phone. I’ll see what happens when I attempt to get Apple to tell me if the AT&T model that I reserved is unlocked. (I’ll also see if they can tell me when it would be eligible for unlocking, if it is not unlocked out of the box.) If that fails, I’ll decline to buy it and wait for my T Mobile reservation and ask to be ensured it is unlocked again.
        It’s be nice to get the A1633 unlocked since it has the small bonus of being LTE band 30 capable, and apparently has all of the other carrier capabilities.

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 15, 2015 at 4:26 am

      Yes I also made an appointment for the Upgrade Program and picked the T-Mobile version. I’m 99% sure that the CDMA and GSM iPhones are the same unit, so don’t worry about it.

24. LarzMN says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 4:15 am

    Do you know if it is physically possible to add support for LTE Band 30 to the CDMA phone later or does it need to support it from a hardware-perspective out of the box to make that possible?

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 12, 2015 at 10:52 am

      This is related to LTE chipset and I really don’t know how to add LTE Band 30 to your phone.

25. sagar says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 6:27 am

    If i buy tmobile contract free iphone 6s/6s plus directly from apply, will it be unlocked out of the box like iphone 6/6 plus last year?

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 12, 2015 at 10:59 am

      Last year I received the iPhone 6 Plus A1524 for T-Mobile version and A1586 for the unlocked sim-free version. However, the contract-free and unlocked version of iPhone 6S might be the same this year. The only difference is that the contract-free T-Mobile version comes with a SIM card.

26. Morten Vaagholt says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 8:58 am

    Confused by the model number – you write 1688 and apple 1638 – are you talking about the same model ?

    Did apple misspell the model number

    http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 12, 2015 at 9:54 am

      Hi Morten,
      I don’t have any info of that A1638 model. Maybe Apple misspelled it but I will check with Apple later.

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 13, 2015 at 12:11 am

      Apple made a mistake and corrected the model number.

27. Michelle says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 9:01 am

    Tuan, this is more confusing to me. A1634, A1687 (world ph as u say) and A1699 are three variants for iph 6s +, now all of them have same bands support, except minus band 30 for A1687 and A1699. What I understand is all of them can be used worldwide but A1634 is specifically for US since it is locked to US carriers, A1687 is available as unlocked option right now via T-mobile option so it becomes a world ph. And A1699 seems to be targeted specifically for china. The thing is if you get all these models as unlocked version then you should not face any issue anywhere in the world but you wont get all of them unlocked. For now only A1687 is only unlocked option for frequent travelers like me. Please correct me on this?

    And I happen to travel back n forth to states and India because of my work, so A1687 or A1686 is only my best bet for now. Isn’t it?

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 13, 2015 at 1:06 am

      Yes the A1687/A1688 is a better option for travelers now as it is unlocked out of the box.

28. Teresa says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 10:02 am

    Sorry to be redundant, so if I buy a T-Mobile “paid in full” iPhone 6S now, it will work with China Mobile? And that is the best option to be used extensively in China? what exactly is the difference between a “paid-in-full contract free” with “SIM-free” phones that Apple offers a couple months later then?

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 13, 2015 at 1:13 am

      Hi Teresa,
      Yes it will work on China Mobile. The only difference is that the contract-free T-Mobile version comes with a SIM card. I don’t have any info of the unlocked version yet but I guess they will be the same this year.

29. Sagar says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 11:08 am

    Do all iphone 6s and 6s plus models have band 40 as standard. In india currently band 40 is used for Lte.

30. clayton w says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 1:15 pm

    I remember reports saying that the contract free t mobile iPhone 6 was unlocked when purchased from apple is this true for the 6s as well?

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 12, 2015 at 1:21 pm

      It is true, your T-Mobile iPhone is unlocked when you buy it at Apple Store.

      • clayton w says

        Sep 12, 2015 at 1:22 pm

        thank you for the reply I’m currently on Verizon but I switch carriers and it wouldn’t let me order the Verizon at full price but t mobile and Verizon using the same model so I should be fine?

31. Steve says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 4:03 pm

    Hi Tuan,
    Thanks for the info, to recap as I can see you get lots of messages. I want to use iPhone 6s in uk on Vodafone network and you confirmed iPhone 6s is ok but which version should I buy or does it not matter. I will be buying an unlocked iphone6s from an spple store.

    Thanks

    Regards
    Steve

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 13, 2015 at 1:04 am

      All those models are perfect for Vodafone UK

32. Sean says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 6:31 pm

    The ATT has CDMA mode, I think apple refresh the content of iphone 6s specs:

    Model A1633*
    Model A1634*
    LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
    TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41)
    TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A)
    UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
    CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
    GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

33. Sean says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 6:33 pm

    Apple has updated the tech specs, ATT could support CDMA

    Model A1633*
    Model A1634*
    LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
    TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41)
    TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A)
    UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
    CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
    GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

34. allen says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 7:38 pm

    would you be able to tell me the unlocked A1633 and A1634 would be able to the 4G network in china telecom, china mobile, and china unicom? thanks a lot.

35. allen says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 7:45 pm

    would the unlocked A1633 and A1634 model would be able to access the 4G network on China mobile, china unicom, and china telecom? thanks a lot.

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 13, 2015 at 1:00 am

      Yes

36. Andrew says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    Hi,

    When I was pre-ordering last night I realized that I could not choose AT&T as my carrier and ship the phone to my current mailing address. ( It insist on mailing to the billing address due to AT&T’s policy) which is my cousin’s address all the way in a different state.

    At that moment (it was 2am in the morning), I thought that since AT&T and T-mobile are both GSM phones and I am buying them in full price (unlocked), it shouldn’t have any issue.

    Earlier this morning I came across this website.
    http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

    Does it mean I will be getting the Model A1688 for T-Mobile instead of Model A1633 phone?
    Will my LTE speed on AT&T get affected since I am lacking the 30th LTE band? (2300 MHz)

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 13, 2015 at 12:56 am

      I don’t really understand you. If you bought the AT&T phone, it should be the A1633. Btw, the AT&T phone is locked even when you pay full price.

37. bigoy says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 10:14 pm

    I just check the apple specialist, and ask the if the full pay T-Mobile can use other carrier, he said “The iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, that we offer in the U.S. Apple Online Store, are all locked to the specific carriers.

    You will have to contact T-Mobile and see if they will approve unlocking the device for you. ”
    So I have to contack T-Mobile to unlock to use like other carrier?

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 13, 2015 at 12:49 am

      Apple specialist is a joke. I’ve just contacted them and here is their response:
      “If you buy the iPhone 6s today and you are on AT&T and you decide a month from now you want to go with T-Mobile. You would not need to buy a new phone. You would just change to T-Mobile. One phone is all you need. This is only for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s plus. These phones are different. The iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s plus can be used between the 4 carriers.”
      I bought T-Mobile phone at Apple Store in the last 2 years and never had to contact them to unlock my phone.

      • Berzerker says

        Sep 23, 2015 at 1:28 pm

        T-Mobile locks phones sold from them for 45 days from start of service, when you put the SIM in the phone. If you buy a T-Mobile phone from Apple, full price, it is unlocked unless you put a T-Mobile SIM in it. Once you put the SIM in and it activates, it locks it. After 45 days, you can call and request it unlocked.

38. Len says

    Sep 12, 2015 at 10:46 pm

    Tuan,

    The iPhone 6S specs have been updated today. A1633, A1634, A1688, A1687 all support both GSM and CDMA now.

    Which model iPhone 6S is the best GSM world phone for international roaming now?

    I pre-ordered the AT&T, Verizon, and T-mobile iPhone 6S Plus to ensure I receive the correct unlocked phone for my needs. So now I just need help to understand which version will be the best for living in the USA and international travel.

    Which model do you suggest now that they all support GSM and CDMA? It seems like the AT&T version is now the best option since it supports LTE 30 and CDMA rev A.

    Thanks,

    Len

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 13, 2015 at 12:40 am

      Thanks Len,
      I’ve just updated the post accordingly. The A1633/A1634 is a better version now but you will have to wait a couple of months to unlock it on AT&T.

      • Len says

        Sep 13, 2015 at 9:25 am

        What if I buy the AT&T phone in full and request an immediate unlock? The 60 waiting period only applies to service contacts or installment payments. None of which apply to me.

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 13, 2015 at 10:47 am

      I was told by both Apple and AT&T that the AT&T iPhone 6S is not unlocked. If you choose AT&T as your carrier, that phone is locked to AT&T.
      I heard that some people successfully walked into an Apple Store, bought the device only at full price and it was unlocked.
      Overall, I can’t guarantee the full-price AT&T phone is unlocked.

      • Paul says

        Sep 13, 2015 at 1:58 pm

        If you purchase the 6S/6S+ as device only at AT&T store, yes it will be locked. If you buy the AT&T model at the Apple store and you buy device only then it will be unlocked. This was also the case with 6 and 6 Plus. I purchased AT&T model at the Apple store as device only and got a “Congrats, your phone is now unlocked and can be used on any carrier” message.

      • Len says

        Sep 14, 2015 at 12:36 pm

        Paul,

        Thank you for the information. I did speak with an Apple representative who confirmed the model A1633/1634 is sold locked to AT&T even if I pay in full at the time of purchase.

        This is not a problem because I have also confirmed with an AT&T representative that the phone will be eligible for an unlock request with AT&T on the date of purchase.

        So it seems, either way, that if the AT&T version is sim locked upon receipt that I can still get the phone unlocked immediately by AT&T using their online unlock request form.

        An Apple representative told me this about the iPhone 6S when purchased at full price: The AT&T model is GSM locked, the Verizon model is CDMA locked and GSM unlocked, and the T-Mobile version is GSM unlocked. I did not ask about Spring because I don’t use Sprint.

        Hope that helps!

        Len

39. Andrew says

    Sep 13, 2015 at 2:39 am

    Is Model A1688 dramatically slower on AT&T LTE network compare to Model A1633 phone? (Since A1688 is lacking the 30 LTE band (2300 MHz) if so, how much slower?

    • Tuan Do says

      Sep 13, 2015 at 3:06 am

      The LTE band 30 is not fully rolled out until early next year. It is like an extra lane to add capacity to the current network. There are just a few devices supporting the new band, you might experience a faster LTE speed in dense areas, but no change in suburbs.

40. Booster says

    Sep 13, 2015 at 3:45 am

    are these model numbers applicable to the 6 s plus as well?

    i live in the Philippines, but travel to Europe, US, Australia and other parts of Asia (Hong Kong, Japan etc). I intend to buy a phone for myself and my wife, and have access to the Australian Apple Store and an indirect access as well to the US Store (which is US$ 130 cheaper than Australia). We would need to pay full price for unlocked phones. Where do you suggest we buy our phones and what model would be best?