If I buy an ipad mini for ATT, can I use it with T-mobile?

You read my mind. I did a chat session with a tmobile rep. Here you go:

T-Mobile: We have received your information and will connect you with a T-Mobile Chat Specialist soon.

Luluvel F: Hi Donald! Thank you for chatting with us. I will be more than happy to help you by answering all of your inquiries for today.

Luluvel F: Do you already have an account with us?

You: Hi...I am interested in bringing a tablet to tmobile for a data-only 500mb account

You: no

Luluvel F: Thank you for that information.

You: If I purchase a refurbished ipad mini from apple that says at&t, will it work on tmo's network?

Luluvel F: Yes, it will work as long as the tablet is completely unlocked from AT&T.

You: Ahh...but that would mean I will need to activate with them first?

Luluvel F: That I cannot guarantee you for each service provider has it's own policies in unlocking the device.

You: I know they offer 2 unlocks per year to customers and I have an iphone with them

Luluvel F: Thank you for that information. For us to be sure of the AT&T's unlocking process, I would recommend that you contact AT&T, Donald.

You: Fair enough...thank you for confirming that it will work otherwise

Luluvel F: Do you have any other questions at the moment?

You: No sir that was it

Luluvel F: Alright, Donald. It's my pleasure to answer all of your inquires for today. I'm Luluvel and you can always count on us. Bye for now and have an amazing day!

You: Thanks you too

if you buy a unlocked at&t ipad mini and put a tmobile sim in it, it will only work at 3g speeds. or it might be worse and work on 2g / edge speeds.im not sure. the ipad mini 2 at&t model will work with both at&t and tmobile LTE / 4G networks

Apparently yes, you can use the AT&T iPad mini on T-Mobile. If you're getting a non-Retina, just make sure you're that getting the iPad mini A1454 or A1455 (which I think is either cellular model, which surprised me).

Double check here:

http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-9700

Eligible phones, tablets, and internet devices

You get 200MB of free 4G LTE data each month for as long as you own your tablet. On certain HP devices, you get 200 MB of data every 30 days for 24 months (see list of HP devices below this table).

Brand	Device	Model
Apple	iPad 1	A1337
	iPad 2	A1396
	iPad 3rd Gen w/ Retina display	A1403
		A1430
	iPad 4th Gen w/ Retina display	A1459
		A1460
	iPad Air	A1475
	iPad mini	A1454
		A1455
	iPad mini w/ Retina display	A1517

Although strangely it's got the 1 on there, which doesn't have LTE, correct? So I'm not sure what that means, exactly. Probably worth calling and asking if the model number you're getting will work with LTE.

AT&T model will work with every carrier including T-Mobiile and Verizon although Verizon will say they won't be able to activate it, it will work with an already activated Verizon sim.

The AT&T Retina model will work perfectly with T-Mobiles LTE system.

I bought the Retina iPad Mini Verizon model and am using it on T-Mobile and get faster speeds than I ever could with AT&T and Verizon combined.

Even the AT&T original Mini will work on T-Mobiles LTE network but it will not get the coverage that the Retina Mini will get. I found that when I used the orginal Mini on T-Mobile, it was good on LTE as long as I was at home. When out driving, it spent more time on edge then on LTE.

The Retina Mini in my area spends more time on LTE on T-Mobile and now only has one small area where I get edge.

Hi Gala_Apple...

Well, if you are to believe the (stunningly-not-very-helpful) "Genius Bar" staff at the Apple Store in Portland, Maine the Ipad Mini CANNOT connect to T-mobile's connection because it was not designed with the correct antenna to connect to T-Mobile's LTE or 4G frequencies.

There must have been a change in the design since Apple is now advertising T-Mobile as a carrier for the ipad mini (both the G1 and the G2 (retina display)).

The same problem happened with the very first batch of iPhone5 phones but with them Apple is at least honoring its AppleCare warranty and replacing the devices with ones that have the updated antenna so users aren't trapped with AT&T but, apparently, the same does not apply with the IPad Mini. If the Genius Bar staff are to be considered as being Apple's official spokespeople on the matter users are being told to sell their devices on Craiglist and repurchase new ones if they want to be on T-Mobile.

Frankly, this appears to breach Apple's own warranty but I haven't yet had time to go through it line-by-line, as a manufacturing fault (because I haven't seen anywhere that says that you're forced to remain with the carrier). Even if it isn't a breach (and they've managed to fine-print around it) its still a pretty abysmal customer-service response for something that, ultimately, is an oversight in design and manufacturing on their part (and one that they apparently have a fix for).

So, in my case, I'm stuck with a brand new ipad mini (because the replacement ipad mini they just presented me under the AppleCare warrenty also cannot connect with the network) that can't connect with T-Mobile so I'm forced to buy AT&T's service.

Shame on you Apple.

could you please post more information about this antenna problem?

the iphone 5 and ipad mini was not able to connect to tmobole's 4g LTE network because it doesnt have the updated LTE chipset that is in the 5c or 5s. what your basically saying is that people who bought the original iphone 5 can suddenly trade it in to get more lte channels ???

this is the same deal as the ipad air / ipad mini retina vs last years model. last years model did not support as many lte channels as the new models do. if you want LTE speed on tmobile you have to own a ipad air, ipad mini retina, iphone 5c or iphone 5s. anything less then those models may be limited to either 3G on or 4G depending on your tmovile area

iphone 5, last years ipad and ipad mini

• GSM model A1428*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 4 and 17)
• CDMA model A1429*: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25)
• GSM model A1429*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5)

iphone 5s, 5c , ipad air, ipad mini retina

I had the AT&T original Mini that I was able to use to connect to T-Mobiles LTE network. It wasn't as good as the Retina Mini of course and spent most of it's time while out driving on edge/4G. The original Mini was blazingly fast on LTE when I was at home. Data speeds were the same as my current retina Mini.

i guess when Tmobile rolls out the 700 mhz that it pruchased from verizon recently ( 700 mhz band 12 ) you will say that the 5c, 5s, ipad air and ipad mini retina are now defective , and applecare will replace my iphone with an iphone 6 or an iphone 7 that has band 12 supporrt ?

Current iOS devices are not compatible with the 700MHZ frequancy thst T-Mobile is purchasing. T-Mobile has stated that they will have phones that are compatible later in 2014.

Apple will exchange your iPad/iPhone with the same exact model that you brought in. They were still replacing the original iPhone with original iPhones up till last year.

yeah the only time i ever got lucky was when i returned a mouse under applecare for a brand new mighty mouse, thats the only time i ever got apple to give me a free upgrade.

when my iphone 4 went bad on me under appplecare for battery issues, they wouldntt even switch the color for me

A few years ago, I exchanged an 160GB iPod Classic under warranty. They had none in stock to replace it with so thety ordered one for me. Took about two days and it was identical to the one I brought in.