A Bit Of Advice Needed For The Iphone...thanks

[lalana]

Hello there,

I just bought the new iPhone 5 (model A1429 GSM) in Central,in Pattaya and am happy with it. This is my first Apple product

purchase and I am a bit of a newbie to all the technology,terminology etc... etc...

I did a bit of reading and I "hope" I bought the correct model that will also enable me to get coverage,if and when I

go to my 2 frequently visited countries of Germany and the UK. .

So....here is my query that I would greatly appreciate feedback on!! Thanks....

(1) I notice that in my settings>general>cellular section there is only an enable 3G setting!!

There is no LTE/4G set-up?? Is this simply because I am in a geographical area that does not have this

option??. 'IF' I go to a country that DOES HAVE 4G/LTE as an option,will my iPhone pick up on this and will

my settings menu automatically change?? or....do I have to do some sort of changing/updating on my iphone right now???

I am a bit clueless,to be honest.

Many thanks.

[crazygreg44]

hint: google a lot for answers to your specific problem. You can find EVERYTHING relating questions with iPhone on the internet.

I started a search under "iPhone 5 lte setup" in google and there are lots of results which could be interesting for you.

For example:

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2012/09/21/how-to-turn-off-4g-lte-on-the-iphone-5/

[lalana]

hint: google a lot for answers to your specific problem. You can find EVERYTHING relating questions with iPhone on the internet.

I started a search under "iPhone 5 lte setup" in google and there are lots of results which could be interesting for you.

For example:

http://www.gottabemo...n-the-iphone-5/

Thanks for taking the time for a response.

A reciprocal hint....I am well aware of the plethora of info. available on the web.I was fishing for a fellow expat living in Thailand who may have

come across this issue already. I did indeed read the link you kindly submitted,and this link refers to "turning the LTE off"

As my o.p. indicated.....I am not getting an LTE prompt in the first place,lol,never mind wanting to switch it off!!(refer to my original post for details).

I have already done internet searches on this issue,but have found no concrete,uniformly decipherable answer.

The very first line of the link refers to ....."iphone ships with 4G LTE..",but I digress. In the "comments" section in your link 2 people are posing questions

with the very same issues/problems/queries that I am expressing,but nothing is clear.

I'll make another seperate post here,perhaps taking a new tack and being more concise.

Cheers.

[lalana]

Here is a thought/question....??

Is whether or not you get "3G" OR "4G" or "LTE" (or whatever) on your "settings>general>cellular dependent on your Cellular Provider/Location?????

or should that matter?

I am hoping/guessing? that I would see LTE or suchlike if I went to a European country?? I "could" ask the staff at Central in Pattaya,but I would

not think they would be perhaps hugely knowledgeable in this area.

[qdinthailand]

I'm thinking its a function of your Sim chip. Here in Thailand, with no 4G or LTE yet, your sim chip conveys that info, iPhone touch options change as a result.

If you switch chips in Germany or England to a local telecom, you'll pick that service up thru the sim. (you are going to swtich sims, aren't you? - otherwise, you can't afford the international roaming charges!)

[aidenai]

(1) I notice that in my settings>general>cellular section there is only an enable 3G setting!!

There is no LTE/4G set-up?? Is this simply because I am in a geographical area that does not have this

option??. 'IF' I go to a country that DOES HAVE 4G/LTE as an option,will my iPhone pick up on this and will

my settings menu automatically change?? or....do I have to do some sort of changing/updating on my iphone right now???

You most probably run iOS 6.0.1. Upgrade to iOS 6.1 which was launched today. LTE is supprted in iOS 6.1 and will work if your ISP provides it.

[aidenai]

Apple has updated its iOS mobile operating system to version 6.1 to expand iPhone LTE support around the world and to add privacy and e-commerce features.

iOS 6.1 extends LTE capabilities to Apple-friendly mobile carriers in various countries, providing carrier customers using iPhones and iPads with faster cellular wireless connectivity. Apple maintains a list of these carriers on its website.

Apple doesn't specify how fast LTE connections will be because wireless performance depends on factors outside the company's control. But speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to 20 Mbps are common, with highs reported around 50 Mbps.

Apple suggests that speedy wireless connectivity can enhance Web browsing, FaceTime video calls, iCloud services and downloads from its iTunes App Store. Heavy LTE usage can also increase data bills.

http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/apple-ios-61-expands-lte-support/240147169

[BuddhistVirus]

Here is what I found at apple.com

To see if iPhone 5 works with LTE networks in your country, refer to the chart below (click the supplied link). For more details, contact your carrier.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

Model A1429

(GSM model)

Germany - Deutsche Telekom

United Kingdom - EE

Edited January 29, 2013 by BuddhistVirus

[johnnynmonic]

LTE support just came out with iOS 6.1 (released last week). Upgrade, you'll be able to use it if your carrier supports it. Also, buying an unlocked phone here, you should have no issues putting UK or German sim cards in it when you travel.

[twr404]

Hello,

My first thought: did you buy an official carrier "unlocked" phone? These phones are the only way to go for people who want to use them in several countries. You would also want to make sure it is a GSM phone since the vast majority of networks around the world are GSM. if your phone has a SIM card, it is GSM. Yes to both questions? then lets move on to the answer of your question..

Simple answer, the GSM iPhone 5 only shows the data Network available to the phone. You phone can only connect to 4G, LTE data networks if the carrier provides it.

The iPhone 5 (as all iPhones ) shows in the upper left corner of the screen which carrier and what kind of data network the phone is currently using. There is a 0-5 bar symbol for signal strength, followed by the name of the carrier, and next to that, the type of data network which can be nothing, GPRS, EDGE, 3G, 4g, LTE or WiFi. Since I am a True-H subscriber, my iPhone shows 5 bars signal strength (not always 5 bars), followed by the text "True-H", and the type of data network I am connected to which is 3G. It would show 4G or LTE if that type of data network was available here in Thailand, but unfortunately it is not. When I am at home, the type of data network automatically switches to WiFi and I can tell by the WiFi logo instead of 3G text.

The iPhone automatically switches the the best data network available to your phone in that geographic area. When I travel, my phone will switch from 3G when available and down to GPRS or EDGE (where 3G coverage is not available) and to blank when no data network is available (when traveling in more remote areas of Thailand). In this situation I might still have a carrier signal and can still make and receive phone calls, I just can not access the internet via the a data network. When I get home it automatically switches to my WiFi network (after you sign in the first time ). It phone deals with the tasks of seeing what is available and switches to the best option available so you don't have to.

Cheers

Edited February 3, 2013 by twr404