I have a factory unlocked iPhone 5 that I got from an apple store but it does work with T-Mobile's new LTE network

Did Apple make any representations to you when you bought your iPhone that it would work with T-Mobile? If not, then you got exactly what you paid for and have not been ripped off.

Okay, I'll bite. How were you "ripped off"? Did an Apple Rep point a gun at you and order you to buy the iPhone?

No, because I've been buying cell phones for a long time and have yet to find one that works with EVERY network. Considering the iPhone 5 was designed prior to the implementation plans for T-Mobiles network how would Apple design their phone for that?

If you purchased it within the past 30 days return it and get your money back.

DevilNURO wrote:

No, but come on, if it was you, you'd be ****** off too that they can't make one model that works with every network.

It is me, and no, I'm not *** off. I understand how difficult it is for any cellphone manufacturer to provide support for all or even a majority of carriers when the carriers use so many different technoligies, frequencies and bands. Nor do I expect any company to provide more than what they say the product will do. That's just being realistic.

That's nice for you. Unfortunately, it's probably not true.

He's probably asking how to enable LTE in general on a factory unlocked iPhone 5. I right now have a factory unlocked iPhone 5 and a non ATT or TMO sim in it and it does not show any LTE settings. The carrier updates will do no good unless you have an ATT or TMO sim card. So how can users who spend 650 bucks for a phone with LTE just enable it? Without a jailbreak that is?

Grandmstrbud wrote:

So how can users who spend 650 bucks for a phone with LTE just enable it? Without a jailbreak that is?

You can start by choosing a carrier that supports LTE on the iPhone. In the US, the GSM carriers that support LTE are AT&T and T-Mobile. That's it. All the other carriers that support LTE in the US are CDMA carriers and you will need one of their iPhones in order to use them.

So only T-Mobile and AT&T are the only GSM carriers in the US currently deploying LTE? You may want to hire another fact checker

Sorry Grandmstrbud but your misunderstood or are simply reading between the lines.

All iPhones display LTE when connected to an LTE network.

All iPhones display 3G when connected to a 3G network.

AT&T (and apparently TMO) have requested that Apple setup the iPhone to display 4G when connected to their HSPA+ networks.

Of the 4 major carriers in the US only AT&T and TMO have HSPA+ networks in the US. There is no such thing as HSPA+ (or 4G) on the CDMA carriers. Most carriers do not refer to LTE as a 4G network, even though that is what it truly is.

There are some regional carriers that soon have LTE so why doens't the stock factory unlocked version have these options? I know of a carrier in my area that will be deploying LTE and I have their SIM but no options to change any LTE settings.

5 carriers now have LTE (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and USCellular), but some are using different frequency bands than others, T-Mobile is using AWS, which the newest GMS unlocked iPhone supports but the other one didn't, and Verizon and Sprint need a fallback to CDMA. The unlocked iPhone sold at an Apple Store in the US now will support AT&T and T-Mobile.