Many of you geeks out there can easily tell if your iPhone is a GSM or CDMA model. However, vast majority neglects some minor technical details of their iPhone that, in fact, can reveal much more about your iPhone. For example, the iPhone model number printed on the back of your iPhone can tell you if your iPhone is a GSM model or a CDMA one.
For most of the users, knowing if the iPhone is a GSM model or a CDMA model is not important. But if something has gone wrong with your iPhone and you want to download iPhone iOS (IPSW file) to restore it, that’s where you need to know if it’s a GSM iPhone or a CDMA one.
It’s as easy as pie to check if your iPhone is GSM or CDMA model, all you need to do is to look at the model number of the device. To find out if you have a GSM or CDMA iPhone model:
Look at the back of your iPhone, you should find “Model” printed at the back. Locate the string number next to “Model” e.g: A1428 and compare it against the list of iPhone GSM Models and iPhone CDMA Models below…
iPhone GSM Models
- iPhone 7 Plus – Model A1661 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 7 Plus – Model A1784 – GSM and CDMA (not fully compatible with Verizon and Sprint)
- iPhone 7 Plus – Model A1785 – (Japanese market)
- iPhone 7 – Model A1660 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 7 – Model A1778 – GSM
- iPhone 7 – Model A1779 – (Japanese market)
- iPhone 6s Plus – Model A1634 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 6s Plus – Model A1687 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 6s Plus – Model A1699 – for China (China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom)
- iPhone 6s – Model A1633 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 6s – Model A1688 – GSM and CDMA (no LTE band 30 deployed by AT&T)
- iPhone 6s – Model A1700 – for China (China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom)
- iPhone 6 Plus – Model A1522 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 6 Plus – Model A1524 – Global/Sprint
- iPhone 6 Plus – Model A1593 – China Mobile
- iPhone 6 – Model A1549 – CDMA and GSM
- iPhone 6 – Model A1586 – Global/Sprint
- iPhone 6 – Model A1589 – China Mobile
- iPhone 5S – Model A1433 – GSM
- iPhone 5S – Model A1453 – Global/Sprint
- iPhone 5S – Model A1457 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5S – Model A1518 – China Mobile
- iPhone 5S – Model A1528 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5S – Model A1530 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5S – Model A1533 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5C – Model A1456 – Sprint/Global
- iPhone 5C – Model A1507 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5C – Model A1516 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5C – Model A1529 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5C – Model A1532 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5 – Model A1428 – GSM
- iPhone 5 – Model A1429 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5 – Model A1442 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 4S – Model A1387 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 4S – Model A1431 – China
- iPhone 4 – Model A1332 – GSM
- iPhone 3GS – Model A1325 – GSM China
- iPhone 3GS – Model A1303 – GSM
- iPhone 3G – Model A1324 – GSM China
- iPhone 3G – Model A1241 – GSM
- iPhone – Model A1203 – GSM
iPhone CDMA Models
- iPhone 7 Plus – Model A1661 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 7 Plus – Model A1784 – GSM and CDMA (not fully compatible with Verizon and Sprint)
- iPhone 7 Plus – Model A1785 – (Japanese market)
- iPhone 7 – Model A1660 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 7 – Model A1779 – (Japanese market)
- iPhone 6s Plus – Model A1634 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 6s Plus – Model A1687 – GSM and CDMA (no LTE band 30 deployed by AT&T)
- iPhone 6s Plus – Model A1699 – for China (China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom)
- iPhone 6s – Model A1633 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 6s – Model A1688 – GSM and CDMA (no LTE band 30 deployed by AT&T)
- iPhone 6s – Model A1700 – for China (China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom)
- iPhone 6 Plus – Model A1522 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 6 Plus – Model A1524 – Global/Sprint
- iPhone 6 – Model A1549 – CDMA and GSM
- iPhone 6 – Model A1586 – Global/Sprint
- iPhone 5S – Model A1453 – Global/Sprint
- iPhone 5S – Model A1457 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5S – Model A1528 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5S – Model A1530 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5S – Model A1533 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5C – Model A1456 – Sprint/Global
- iPhone 5C – Model A1507 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5C – Model A1516 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5C – Model A1529 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5C – Model A1532 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 5 – A1429 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 4S – A1387 – GSM and CDMA
- iPhone 4 – A1349 – CDMA
You can see that some iPhones, such as iPhone 5 (model A1429) and iPhone 4S (model A1387), have both GSM and CDMA capabilities. Even some GSM models are country specific.
Knowing the model number of an iPhone is always guaranteed because it’s printed on the back of the phone, best for those that won’t turn on. USA iPhone users can also find out if the iPhone is GSM or CDMA by knowing the carrier it uses. In the USA: AT&T and T-Mobile are GSM-only networks while Verizon and Sprint are CDMA-only. However, the carrier is not always a reliable method to check if an iPhone is CDMA or GSM or a dual-band world model (GSM + CDMA) especially when the iPhone won’t turn on.