Wesley's Tool-Box

LTE frequencies tend to be quite varied because it has to be either laid alongside or replace the existing 2G and 3G networks. Even so, Apple tries to support as much frequencies as possible because it will reduce the number of region-specific models. Unfortunately, iPhone 5S and 5C each sprawled to five different models, so people asked around whether their iPhones would work on another country's LTE network. I even wrote about iPhone 5S's LTE network compatibility last year, and it has the longest comment thread in this website.

This time around, though, the number of models were reduced to a much more manageable two for both iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The massive 20-band support did the trick. The good news here is that, if you bought an unlocked iPhone 6 or 6 Plus anywhere in the world and come to Korea, the LTE will work with all three local carriers. Korea should get A1586 / A1524 models on sale in a couple of months, but A1549 / A1522 models often found in United States or Canada should work, too.

After I brought the A1524 iPhone 6 Plus from Japan to Korea, I put the SIM card from my 5S and turned it on. The device had no problems connecting to SK Telecom's LTE network right away. I've confirmed that the situation is the same when you're on KT's network, as well. It seems that the network no longer goes into 3G mode when it sees an unrecognized LTE device, which used to be the case when I brought the iPhone 5S from United States last year.


Meanwhile, the top speed for LTE data on iPhone 6 series was pushed to 150Mbps from 100Mbps of 5/5C/5S. The bleeding edge phones in Korea are always a step ahead - 150Mbps was possible when iPhone 5 came out and the recent models can do 225Mbps - but with low monthly data caps, they are little more than technology show-off right now.

In any case, I wanted to see how fast the iPhone 6 Plus can do LTE data in real life, so I ran a speed test app. As you can see here, it can go almost up to 100Mbps. Pretty good, but that's how fast an iPhone 5S could supposedly do, as well. Obviously, a side-by-side test was needed.

Some interesting claims have been raised about various things related to iPhones on a local forum, so I'd like to lay out what I know of this subject.

On the eve of the official sale of iPhone 6, there was a claim that the differentiating factor of the two different models (iPhone 6+: A1522 & A1524, iPhone 6: A1549 & A1586) lied in whether it was unlocked in the first place or not. The A1586 and A1524 models were supposedly the unlocked ones, as it basically covers all LTE bands around the world, and thus being a "world phone" of sorts.

The truth is, iPhones being locked to a carrier or not never really depended on a specific model number. Let's see the A1584 / A1524 first. They're going to be sold by the three telecom companies in Japan.

[iPhone LTE Information]

The Japanese carriers are known to apply carrier locks to the models sold on contracts, while the Japanese Apple Stores also carry the unlocked ("SIM-Free") versions as well. So, those models would have both carrier locked and unlocked versions.

Now let's take a look at the A1549 / A1522.

Verizon and T-Mobile in the United States have the phones unlocked, in terms of GSM/WCDMA. For AT&T, if you're buying at a discounted price on contract, carrier lock will apply. In Canada, the Apple Stores have the unlocked versions.

So the iPhones may be locked or not regardless of the model number. Model numbers are tied to what carriers they will be sold from.

As for Korea, I predict that the A1586 / A1524 will be the ones to be released, if iPhone 5S is any indication. For the 5 and 5S models, the ones released in Hong Kong subsequently saw light in Korea. A1586 / A1524 are to be released in Hong Kong in the cases of iPhone 6/6+.

The models released in Korea have been unlocked since iPhone 4S regardless of whether it was sold by a carrier or not, so iPhone 6/6+ will be no different.

As for the Korean wireless certification issues in terms of import regulations, some considerations are needed. The certification is done by the model number, so once the process completes (Apple Korea applied for the certification on September 11), the iPhone 6/6+ models sold in places like Japan or Hong Kong should technically be certified as well.

But since the KCC certification logo may be missing on the back, you may have to provide the proof of the certification and the model number on the phone should import process stall. There's an exemption for personal import of one uncertified device per person, but this is indeed for the uncertified ones, so it couldn't be used against importing a certified one. But if this doesn't solve the issue, it's not clear how to go about it since there aren't many reports relating to this.

For service & repair, iOS devices come with local warranties by default. This is pointed out on the warranty itself.

[Apple iOS Hardware Warranty]

"Apple may restrict warranty service for iPhone and iPad to the country where Apple or its Authorized Distributors originally sold the device."

This appears on the other countries' versions as well. In fact, even the Hong Kong versions of iPhones, which bear the same model numbers as the Korean counterparts, have often been reported to have the repairs turned down in Korea.

There is a mention on the information on the unlocked version that, if you want to use it overseas you should get that version. But this is because you can use the local SIM card while traveling. Carrier-locked version prevents that. The Japanese version of the information was less than clear on that, but the Canadian version was better worded.

About the Unlocked iPhone (Japan)

"複数年のサービス契約を結びたくない場合や、海外で地元の通信事業者を使いたい場合は、SIMフリーのiPhoneを選ぶことをおすすめします。"
"If you don't want a multiyear service contract, or if you want to use a local carrier overseas, the SIM-Free iPhone is recommended."

About the Unlocked iPhone (Canada)

"If you don’t want a multiyear service contract, or if you prefer to use a local carrier when traveling abroad, the unlocked iPhone is the best choice."

In other words, Apple never said "if you bought the phone from overseas and bring it home, you can ask for a repair locally" on that page. If you could get one repaired, then you were lucky, not because the policy allowed it to happen.

Over the past 30 days of using the iPhone 5S, I've written several reviews of the phone on various aspects, as one of the first person to use it in Korea. I believe all the major points have been covered, and since the phone has been officially released in Korea last Friday, Here's a quick summary and link to each of the aspects that I took a look at.

1. Exterior [Click to Read]
Almost identical to iPhone 5 except the home button, flash, and colour.
The packaging box is smaller due to smaller charger.

2. Network Compatibility [Click to Read]
Unlocked iPhone 5S bought overseas will fully work in Korea, including LTE.

3. "Wideband" LTE Compatibility [Click to Read]
Yes, it's compatible.

4. Camera Speed [Click to Read]
At least twice as fast as iPhone 5. Slo-mo and burst modes work well.

5. Camera Quality [Click to Read]
Smoother photos, improved low light performance, and more natural flash.

6. Biometric Feature [Click to Read]
Convenient, fast, and moderately secure. Works with several body parts.

7. Motion Coprocessor [Click to Read]
Tracks your movement well without battery penalty. Great for fitness apps.

8. Performance Tests [Click to Read]
Twice as fast as iPhone 5 in CPU and GPU tests. LTE speeds remain the same.

9. Sensor Issues [Problems in iOS 7.0.2] [Fixed in iOS 7.0.3]
Accelerometer had calibration problems, but it was fixed in iOS 7.0.3.
Other sensors worked fine within margin of error.

10. Battery Performance [Click to Read]
Lasts slightly longer and charges slightly faster than iPhone 5.

These screenshots tell you about the reality of SKT (Korea's #1 mobile carrier by subscriber count) LTE network working on iPhone 5S.

First of all, the so-called "wide band" LTE does work on it. In the "Serving Cell Info" within Field Test app, "Download Bandwidth" shows 20MHz, which is twice as wide as the regular LTE service. "Freq Band Indicator" says 3, which means it's operating at Band 3 (1800MHz). This is SKT's secondary LTE frequency, as well as where the wide band service is provided.

SKT's cell towers with Band 3 support, let alone being wide band, is currently limited largely to Seoul metropolitan area. In fact, these screenshots were shot at Samseong subway station in Gangnam district (yes, THAT Gangnam), the area which can arguably be called the central business center of Korea.

SKT has just started bringing wide band support to Band 3 towers last month, with 10 districts (out of 25) in Seoul getting the treatment as of today. Nationwide deployment is said to be done by mid-2014. So while SKT is blasting away advertisement about how it has both LTE-A and wide band LTE, the people who can enjoy them is pretty limited, to say the least. KT (#2 carrier) is said to be slightly ahead, as it claims full deployment in all of Seoul at the end of last month.

The screenshot on the right shows the speed measurement, showing 33.1Mbps down and 5.30Mbps up. iPhone 5S can do 100Mbps downstream given the wide band support, but it only gets 1/3 of that. Of course, getting this much speed in the bustling commute of a large business zone is not unimpressive. But unless conditions are perfectly met, you won't see anything like the speeds that the ads are so proud to show you. Of course, you knew that already.

What it also means is that the maximum speeds that wide band LTE can supposedly provide, 150Mbps, isn't really going to be missed by iPhone 5S supporting "only" 100Mbps max. So prepare to enjoy your iPhone 5S - Apple says it'll be coming to Korea on October 25th.

Over the past four years, I have bought all the iPhones that had been officially released in Korea on the first day of domestic availability, starting with iPhone 3GS. iPhone 5S is the first one that I didn't wait. Of all those phones, iPhone 4 is currently on leave (dad is using it), so I have 3GS, 4S, 5, and 5S for simultaneous performance testing.

This may be something a lot of people would be curious about and I hope to give you a good basis in considering an upgrade for your previous generation iPhones. Read on and let's get started.