Yesterday, T-Mobile announced that it will begin selling the iPhone on April 12, we are working on a further phone comparison chart to include the iPhone. In the meantime, readers want to if you have an iPhone 5 from the AT&T network and want to put a T-Mobile NANO Sim will it work?
First, you will have to have an unlocked iPhone 5, which AT&T will unlock when your contract is finished or when you pay in full for it.
Although the T-Mobile iPhone 5 has the same model number (A1328) it has a radios in it to connect to both 21Mbps and 42Mbps data networks along with LTE.
Unlocked iPhone 5's sold by AT&T and Apple will only be able to work with T-Mobile's 21Mbps data networks with a software update, but will never work with T-Mobile's faster HSPA+ 42. Depending on your location, you may not have access to best data speed in your area. The unlocked AT&T iPhone 5 will connect to T-Mobile's LTE network that is only deployed in few cities.
You will have buy an iPhone 5 sold by T-Mobile to get full access to all of its high speed data at first.
Unlocked iPhone 5 units made for AT&T will have limited high-speed data options until T-Mobile deploys LTE to the whole country.
Currently, T-Mobile sells a Nano SIM for iPhone 5 ($10) and notes that the you can use it with any unlocked iPhone 5 that is GSM compatible.
Here's how one forum member put it
T-Mobile uses 4 different "frequencies" EDGE, 1700 AWS, 1900 PCS (HSPA+ 21), LTE Band 4. The current unlocked ATT iPhone will only work on EDGE, 1900, LTE Band 4.
The new iPhone being released 4/12 will include EDGE, 1700 AWS, 1900 PCS and LTE Band 4.
You really want the new iPhone that's compatible with T-Mobile 1700 AWS because that is their nationwide 4G network.
1700AWS is the T-Mobile native network. It has way more coverage than the refarmed 1900 PCS and much more coverage their new LTE network for a while.
The problem with just replying on 1900 MHz is the building penetration doesn't work well and you'll be stuck on EDGE more than you like.
If Apple wouldn't have tweaked the iPhone to use T-Mobiles native 1700 AWS frequency the experience would have been horrible because the 1900 Mhz wouldn't cut it.
I wouldn't suggest anyone get a 4 or 4s with T-Mobile because those lack the 1700 AWS frequency and you'll be stuck using EDGE because the 1900 MHz isn't all that great