How AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) Made T-Mobile’s iPhone a Reality

The big presumption there was that Apple was unwilling to cater a slightly reengineered device for T-Mobile’s network, a somewhat reasonable notion because the Mac maker had demonstrated as much for years. Well, Apple quieted the doubters: It slightly modified one of the GSM variants (model A1428, the same one used on AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)’s network) of the iPhone 5 to add AWS support (1700 MHz and 2100 MHz frequency bands). To be clear, this is an actual hardware modification that Apple has made, and existing A1428 models can’t simply receive software updates to add AWS support, and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will be phasing out the old version. Out with the old A1428 and in with the new A1428.

Finally, T-Mobile can officially offer an iPhone at respectable HSPA+ speeds (which it markets as 4G). All it took was a failed takeover attempt from AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), a motivated spectrum swap with Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), and nearly six years of waiting for Apple to feel like it was worth it to engineer a device compatible with the fourth-largest domestic wireless network.

The article How AT&T and Verizon Made T-Mobile’s iPhone a Reality originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, owns shares of Apple and Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ). The Motley Fool recommends Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple.

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