Apple’s new iPhone 11 units are yet to arrive in the Philippines officially. Those who can’t wait for the local availability opted to buy in other countries like Singapore and Hong Kong, where it’s nearest. However, you have to take note of the model’s LTE bands as not all iPhone units support the LTE bands in the Philippines. Here’s how to check before buying.
The quickest way to find out if the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max, support LTE Band 28 (700MHz) is to look at the model number and cross-check it with Apple’s list online. You can do that by checking the back of the box. It starts with the letter A followed by four numbers. Also, check if it’s a GSM model. Check the photos below.
If you have already bought it, just go to Settings -> General -> About. In this case, the iPhone 11 we bought in Singapore has a model number A2221 (GSM). Basically, you just have to look for these iPhone 11 model numbers that support LTE Band 28:
• iPhone 11: A2221 (GSM)
• iPhone 11 Pro: A2215 (GSM)
• iPhone 11 Pro Max: A2218 (GSM)
Alternatively, you can go to www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/ 172 and search for the model number. Once you found the model number, you should see a list of LTE bands beside it. If you see Band 28, then your unit is good. The only iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max units that don’t have LTE Band 28 are those that are sold in the United States, China, and Hong Kong, so stay away from those units if you need the said band.
And that’s it. We hope that this guide helped you pick the right market to buy the new iPhones that support LTE Band 28.
Hi! Great topic. Is the LtE band the inly thing to worry? I mean how about 2g 3g network will there be no problems as well if te band 28 is compatible?
Hello Yugatech, let’s say my iPhone don’t have LTE Band 28 (700MHz) as I got it from US. Magwo-work pa din ba and what will be its adverse effect if I used it sa Smart or Globe network? Thanks in advance.
Yes it will.
Same question here. Would it work okay here in the Philippines? Thanks Yugatech!
What are the down sides of having an iphone 11 not supporting band 28 (700)???
So whats the advantage of band 28 considering both telcos – globe and smart have at least 3 other bands that is being used by them for lte/4g and supported by the usa and china/hk models?
The hk/china model have dual physical nano simslot though so its a nice tradeoff for band 28 since globe and smart have band 1,3,5,7,41 between them.
700Mhz is faster and penetrates denser population
Band 28 is good for coverage and indoor signal penetration which can help you in certain areas and buildings. In some areas, it also is faster. It’s also good additional band for LTE carrier aggregation with FDD bands 1 and 3 (along with its theoretical upload speed advantage compared to TDD bands)