What are all the differences between the iPhone 5 models?

Although it would be easy to assume that there is only one iPhone 5, there actually are five distinct models.

EveryiPhone.com refers to each as the iPhone 5 (GSM/LTE 4, 17/North America), iPhone 5 (CDMA/LTE, Sprint/Verizon/KDDI), iPhone 5 (GSM/LTE 1, 3, 5/International), iPhone 5 (CDMA China/UIM/WAPI), and iPhone 5 (GSM/LTE/AWS/North America) to help with differentiation. Please note that the iPhone 5 (GSM/LTE 4, 17/North America) has been discontinued.

The iPhone 5 models are quite similar to one another, but there are critical differences in network support. As a result, identification differences are particularly important, too.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (White & Silver iPhone 5)

External Similarities & Differences

All iPhone 5 models share the same 4" (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch IPS LED-backlit 1136x640 native resolution (326 ppi) "Retina" display, which has "integrated touch technology" so the pixels themselves act as the touch-sensitive digitizer, which means the display is thinner and has "more clarity" than it would if the digitizer was a separate layer over the LCD.

The iPhone 5 models all use a largely aluminum body -- a mere 0.30 of an inch (7.6 mm) thick -- with a "diamond cut" chamfered "band" around the sides and an aluminum back. They are offered in two colors -- "Black & Slate" and "White & Silver." The black option has a matte black aluminum back with black glossy "pigmented glass" portions on the top and bottom of the rear for antenna reception and a glossy black glass front. The white option has a matte silver aluminum back with white glossy "ceramic glass" portions on the top and bottom of the rear for antenna reception and a glossy white glass front.

All iPhone 5 models also have dual cameras -- a rear 8 megapixel, 1080p "iSight" camera, which includes support for HD video recording and Panorama shots up to 28 megapixels, as well as a front 1.2 megapixel, 720p "FaceTime HD" camera intended primarily for use with FaceTime video conferencing.

All iPhone 5 models have a bottom mounted headphone jack, designed for use with the included "EarPod" headphones, said to provide better sound as well as better fit than earlier iPhone earbuds, and a new, smaller USB 2.0-based "Lightning" port to connect the iPhone 5 to a computer via USB or a power adapter (an adapter is needed to connect the iPhone 5 to accessories that use the older "Dock Connector" port), as well as built-in speakers and three noise canceling microphones.

All five iPhone 5 devices, even the "CDMA" models -- the iPhone 5 (CDMA/LTE, Sprint/Verizon/KDDI) and iPhone 5 (CDMA China/UIM/WAPI) -- have an access panel on the right side of the metal band for the enclosed tiny Nano SIM or "UIM" card for the China-only model.

As first discovered by iDownloadBlog, the Verizon model is sold unlocked, albeit bound by a contract, but this still made it the clear choice for Americans interested in traveling outside of the US. More recently, however, the iPhone 5 (GSM/LTE/AWS/North America) is offered on T-Mobile unlocked but bound by a contract, as well.

Identification Differences

One simple way to externally identify other iPhone models is by the model number printed in small type on the back of the phone. Unfortunately, for the iPhone 5, this identification method is not fool proof as four different iPhone 5 configurations share two model numbers.

In the short term, geographic distribution and carrier support initially will mitigate some of this confusion, but as time goes on, and iPhone 5 models find their way around the globe on the secondary market, it no doubt will become more of an issue.

Nevertheless, the model number on the back of the original, now discontinued, GSM configuration for the North American market -- the iPhone 5 (GSM/LTE 4, 17/North America), intended for use with AT&T in the US and Bell, Rogers, and Telus in Canada (as well as the Virgin, Fido, and Koodo affiliates of each company, respectively) -- is A1428. The iPhone 5 (GSM/LTE/AWS/North America), which was introduced on March 26, 2013 by T-Mobile in the US -- but also became available on AT&T and other carriers starting April 12, 2013 -- likewise uses the same A1428 model number.

The model number on the back of the CDMA configuration for the US and Japan -- the iPhone 5 (CDMA/LTE, Sprint/Verizon/KDDI), intended for use with Sprint and Verizon in the US and KDDI in Japan -- is A1429.

Just to keep things interesting, the "International" GSM model -- the iPhone 5 (GSM/LTE 1, 3, 5/International), intended for the UK, Germany, Australia, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and a variety of other markets -- also is the same A1429 model number as the CDMA version for the US and Japan.

Thankfully, the China-only iPhone 5 (CDMA China/UIM/WAPI) has a distinct A1442 model number.

EMC numbers and even the serial number are not externally listed. Consequently, if the iPhone will boot, the most convenient way to conclusively identify a specific A1428 or A1429 iPhone 5 model is with the order number -- which Apple refers to as the "Model" within the iOS -- or the last four characters of its serial number listed in software.

To find this information, click the "Settings" icon on the homescreen and select General > About and then scroll down until "Model" or "Serial Number is visible. If the A1428 or A1429 iPhone 5 will not boot, you will have to refer to the serial number listed within the Nano SIM carrier.

Once you have located the "Model" or the last four characters of the device serial number, EveryiPhone.com's Ultimate iLookup feature -- as well as the EveryMac app for the iPhone -- can identify it precisely.

Network Connectivity & Carrier Support Differences

All iPhone 5 configurations support 802.11n Wi-Fi, on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies, as well as Bluetooth 4.0. Network support is quite different for different configurations, however.

Specifically, the original GSM A1428 iPhone 5 (GSM/LTE 4, 17/North America), now discontinued, supports LTE bands 4 and 17, as well as UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), and GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz). The current GSM A1428 iPhone 5 (GSM/LTE/AWS/North America) still supports LTE bands 4 and 17 as well as the same network support as the original model, but adds AWS (1700/2100 MHz) support for T-Mobile and other carriers that support the AWS standard.

The CDMA A1429 iPhone 5 (CDMA/LTE, Sprint/Verizon/KDDI), supports LTE bands 1, 3, 5, 13, and 25, as well as CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), and GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz).

The "International" GSM A1429 iPhone 5 (GSM/LTE 1, 3, 5/International), supports LTE bands 1, 3, and 5, in addition to UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), and GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz).

The China-only A1442 iPhone 5 (CDMA China/UIM/WAPI) does not support LTE or 2100 MHz CDMA EV-DO. It does support CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), and GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz). It also supports the "WAPI" Wi-Fi standard as required by the Chinese government.

For complete details regarding LTE support, or the lack thereof, it will be necessary to refer to the carrier or carriers of interest in a particular country.

Battery Life Similarities

Officially, Apple reports the same battery life numbers for all iPhone 5 configurations -- "up to" 40 hours of audio playback, 8 hours of talk time on 3G, 8 hours of Internet use on 3G, 8 hours of Internet use on 4G/LTE, 10 hours of Internet use on Wi-Fi, and 10 hours of video playback. Apple also reports 225 hours of standby time.

Internal Similarities & Differences

Internally, all iPhone 5 configurations are powered by a dual core "Apple A6" processor, and have 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB of flash storage. AnandTech first determined that the processor is custom and has a three core graphics processor, most likely a a 266 MHz PowerVR SGX 543MP3.

Early Geekbench software evaluation reported that the processor ran at 1 GHz, but a later version of the software more accurately determined that it has a variable speed processor with a top speed of 1.3 GHz and that it commonly runs at 1 GHz.

iPhone 5 Comparison Chart

These differences -- availability, identifiers, network support, and target countries -- along with pricing information are summarized below for your convenience:

	Orig. GSM	CDMA	International	China CDMA	GSM AWS
Intro Date:	Sep. 12, 2012	Sep. 12, 2012	Sep. 12, 2012	Dec. 14, 2012	Mar. 26, 2013
Disc Date:	Apr. 12, 2013	Current	Current	Current	Current
LTE Bands:	4, 17	1, 3, 5, 13, 25	1, 3, 5	No	4, 17
GSM/EDGE:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
UMTS:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HSPA+:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
DC-HSDPA:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
CDMA/EV-DO:	No	Yes	No	Yes (800/1900)	No
AWS:	No	No	No	No	Yes
WAPI:	No	No	No	Yes	No
SIM Card:	Nano	Nano	Nano	Nano (UIM)	Nano
Countries:	US/Canada	US/Japan	Global	China	US/Canada
Model No:	A1428	A1429	A1429	A1442	A1428
Intro Price:	US$199* US$299* US$399*	US$199* US$299* US$399*	£529† £599† £699†	5,288 RMB†† 6,088 RMB†† 6,888 RMB††	US$99** US$199** US$299**

* These prices all require a two-year contract in the US and are locked to a carrier. Unlocked and contract free models are available in the US for US$649, US$749, and US$849.

** In the US, the "AWS" iPhone 5 model is available on T-Mobile for US$99, US$199, or US$299 -- with 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB of storage, respectively -- unlocked, but with a two year contract. Locked to AT&T and with a two year contract, it is US$199, US$299, or US$399 with the same respective storage.

† Prices vary depending on country and carrier, but in the UK, this iPhone 5 is offered unlocked for £529, £599, and £699 with 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB of storage, respectively.

†† These prices are without a contract, but the device is bound to China Telecom's network.

Also see: What are all the differences between the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 4? Which one is best for my needs?