Apple Details iPhone 5 LTE Carrier Compatibility - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Details iPhone 5 LTE Carrier Compatibility

by

In order to help customers understand which iPhone 5 models will support LTE in which countries and on which carriers, Apple has posted a new guide outlining the three different model variants and their compatibility.

The North America-focused GSM model is compatible with LTE service on AT&T in the United States and Bell, Rogers and Telus in Canada. The CDMA model is compatible with LTE on Sprint and Verizon in the United States, as well as KDDI in Japan.

iphone 5 lte compatibility
For the international-focused GSM model, LTE is supported on ten different networks in Germany, the UK, Australia, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

This information is for the first round of launches taking place on September 21, and Apple will presumably be updating this page with additional entries for later markets that are also rolling out LTE on frequencies compatible with these devices.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

chrmjenkins Avatar
182 months ago
Do your research and stop spreading false information.

What he said is a subset of the information you presented, meaning it is logically correct by extension. At no point did he say those were the only networks/standards it would roam on. Get off your high horse.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
182 months ago
Aaaaanyhoww..... here is another confirmation of what I already said

And what he already said, since everything in your post agreed with what he said. Still can't figure out what the "no" was about with all your info confirming what he said.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrmjenkins Avatar
182 months ago
Aaaaanyhoww..... here is another confirmation of what I already said: http://gigaom.com/apple/4g-fragmentation-forces-apple-to-build-3-separate-iphones/

And a confirmation you're not actually reading my comments. No one said you were wrong, ever.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
182 months ago
I'm currently living in Germany, using Vodafone. I'll probably be moving back to the states in a year or so, and will probably go with T-Mobile's unlimited 4G plan. So which unlocked GSM version should I get??? Or do I buy the unlocked CDMA version? Thanks in advance. I suppose sprint's unlimited pan is an option too...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
John.B Avatar
182 months ago
Just to note that if you want global LTE coverage (sans Canada), get a Verizon LTE unlocked phone. You are covered wherever you are WITH LTE not only HSPA.

AT&T's unlocked version will get you covered globally on HSPA, and potentially on T-Mobile's LTE once they launch since it's also band 4, as well as MetroPCS Band 4. Also Canadian LTE carriers use the same LTE bands so that's covered.

And that Global version, I honestly have no idea why anyone in the US would buy knowing that Verizon iPhone give you all those bands and more.

But Verizon's LTE fallback is to slow-as-**** EVDO.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrmjenkins Avatar
182 months ago
No.
1. All phones roam on GSM/HSPA

2. AT&T only roams on Canadian LTE. HSPA it'll roam globally.

3. Verizon roams in Europe, Asia, Australia on LTE (no Canada) and globally on GSM/HSPA/CDMA.

4. All phones use SIM cards. Required for LTE.

What he said isn't incorrect. You just provided a more detailed version (adding locales other than Japan where Verizon version roams on LTE).
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Rumored Colors

What's Coming in September: New iPhones, Apple Watches and More

Thursday August 13, 2026 4:20 pm PDT by
Apple will introduce at least five new devices at its iPhone-centric event next month, and it's also possible we'll get devices waiting on Siri AI like the Apple TV. iPhone 18 Pro The iPhone 18 Pro is going to look like the iPhone 17 Pro, but with a smaller Dynamic Island. It's getting some internal updates, including a new Wide camera with a variable aperture for more control over lighting ...
iPhone 17 One Year Later Thumb 1

Should You Buy an iPhone 17 Now or Wait for iPhone 18?

Friday August 14, 2026 12:15 pm PDT by
For the first time since Apple started selling standard and "Pro" iPhones, we're not going to get an entry-level iPhone model this fall. Apple doesn't plan to release an iPhone 18 in September, and will only launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra. The lower-cost iPhone 18 won't come out until spring 2027. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Everything New Your iPhone Can Do on iOS 27 Feature 1

30 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27

Friday August 14, 2026 6:24 am PDT by
Apple will release iOS 27 in September, and despite the company's focus this year on refining its flagship operating system and nixing bugs, there are still many additional features on the way, not least of which is Apple's new context-aware Siri, re-tooled for the generative AI era. This year's major iPhone software update isn't all about AI, though, as the following feature list...