There is some big news here. I’ve been pretty clear how much I like Wind Mobile and everything that they stand for. For a long while they have refused or simply haven’t been able to offer up the iPhone. Although they have the Samsung Galaxy S4, there are still many people who might use Wind Mobile, but their lack of iPhone support is costing them customers. I’m pretty happy to say that starting now, you can use an iPhone with Wind Mobile. There are a few technical details you need to understand first, but those are minor details. The fact is you can buy an unlocked iPhone 5 and use it at Wind Mobile. Before you go buying that unlocked iPhone, check out what you need to be buying first. Details are in the next paragraph!
What you need to know about getting a Wind Mobile iPhone 5:
- understand that you will not be getting 4G LTE speeds. You will get HSPA+ data speeds instead. If you are concerned about this difference or don’t know the difference between what 4G LTE vs. HSPA+, then check out this article here. There is some debate about speeds, but HSPA+ is considered to me more than enough for a fantastic internet experience on your mobile phone. There are factors of course in terms of congestion and location, but in some cases it can be faster than your home network. If you feel you have additional insights, please add a comment below.
- you need to buy an unlocked iPhone AWS version which you can get from an Apple Store.
- you need to buy the $25 nano sim card from Wind Mobile
- this is the official comment from Wind Mobile on their Facebook page regarding iPhones – “you are responsible for verifying network compatibility, and that the device is unlocked.”
What model iPhone 5 to buy for Wind Mobile:
- The iPhone 5 must be purchased AFTER April 11th, 2013
- Model number A1428
- Serial number must contain the following sequence:
- Black 16GB -FH19
- White 16GB -FH1C
- Black 32GB -FH1D
- White 32GB -FH1F
- Black 64GB -FH1G
- White 64GB -FH1H
- unofficial details of compatible iPhone models: GSM model A1428*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 4 and 17) – NOTE: I WILL UPDATE AS CONFIRMED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. VERIFY WITH WIND MOBILE FIRST BECAUSE THEY HAVEN’T OFFICIALLY POSTED DETAILS ON THEIR SITE. SEE THE FACEBOOK POST HERE.
Updated iPhone Compatability 2015 – Including iPhone 6 and 6+ Plus
iPhone 6 – Model(s): A1549 (GSM); A1549 (CDMA) A1586
iPhone 6 Plus – Model(s): A1522 (GSM); A1522 (CDMA); A1524
iPhone 5s
Purchase Date: After September 20th, 2013
Model Number: A1533
iPhone 5c
Purchase Date: After September 20th, 2013
Model Number: A1532
iPhone 5
Purchase Date: After April 11th, 2013.
Model Number: A1428
Serial Number: Must contain the following sequence
White 16GB – FH1C
Black 16GB – FH19
White 32GB – FH1D
Black 32GB – FH1F
White 64GB – FH1G
Black 64GB – FH1H
How much does a new iPhone 5 cost that will work on Wind Mobile?
The safest option is to buy an iPhone from the Apple Store. The iPhone 5 comes in a variety of different storage capacities including: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. You can buy either a white or black model. The price for a 16GB model is $699, 32GB model is $799 and the 64GB model is $899.
You may be stumped on storage capacity and what’s right for you. Something to consider is the ever growing free online storage market. Just look at Google and Microsoft and see their offerings for free! Online or cloud storage is only going to get cheaper in my opinion. My point is storage for photos and videos takes up a lot of space on your iPhone. It’s easy to dump those onto cloud storage and free up space on your phone for games, apps, etc. In fact putting things like photos and videos in cloud storage makes it a whole lot easier to share and they are safely stored online and not on your device should you ever lose it.
How good are the Wind Mobile plans?
The biggest issue is coverage area and whether you will be using your iPhone in those “Wind Zones” or if you will be outside of the Wind coverage areas. Check their coverage map here. Forget about data if you’re outside of their coverage area. You will pay $1/MB for data roaming. Roaming rates for talk is $.20/minutes and text is $.15/text. You have to pay for voice mail which isn’t great, but from time to time they have promotions that will include free voice mail. I’m not suggesting that you wait for that deal because who knows when or if it happens again. That’s the bad news out of the way. If you have 2 lines you save $5/month, if you have 3 lines you save $15/month, if you have 4 lines you save $20/month and if you have 5 lines you save $25/month. Here is a rundown on their plans.
- Wind40 Plan – $40/month: unlimited Canada-wide calling, text, and data
- Wind30 Plan – $30/month: unlimited Province-wide calling, text and data
- Wind20 Plan – $20/month: unlimited local talk and text
i bought the unlocked iphone 5 from apple but it was before april and at the back it says a1428 but does not say 1700/2100 it instead says 1900/2100 and 1800/2100..serial number ends in DTTP would this still work?
Hello and thanks for your comment!
It’s really hard for me to say whether your model will work. I would imagine if it’s not a precise match on the info Wind Mobile has provided so far, it’s unlikely to work. Personally I would take it to their store and ask in person just to make sure. Good luck with it. Thanks for visiting the site!
moghid,
did u check? did it work? let us know please
Thanks for posting link to map; I see it’s fine for people in the Vancouver/Burnaby/Surrey strip, but I notice no coverage in Ladner/Tswassen, S. Langley, and Crescent Beach
Yes, WIND Mobile doesn’t work everywhere in Canada. But…I have good news for you, they are expanding rapidly and they are working on expanding to the area’s you mentioned above. The reason they don’t have coverage all over Canada is because in order to expand they need to buy spectrum from the government. They share it with the big three and it’s only sold once a year. So it may be very hard to expand everywhere in one year. It takes time. They will eventually expand all over Canada.
If i buy the unlocked iPhone 5 AWS version that works on Wind, and since it’s unlocked, can I still use it on Rogers or Bell? For example I’m buying a prepaid card from Rogers in case I’m in a location without a Wind coverage.
It might!
Maybe paji.
Great article.
hi, would the iphone 5 still work the $30 plan, and whats the deal with the nano sim ?
Thanks for you comment and visiting the site. Here is a pretty good tutorial/guide for creating a nano sim. http://www.migratorynerd.com/travel/tips/how-to-cut-a-sim-into-a-nano-sim/
Yes, ALL the WIND Mobile plans work on the Iphone 5.
The Iphone 5s and Iphone 5c will most likely work on WIND as well.
Hi I have iPhone 5 serial number end with fh1c can this work on wind
Probably not but go to a WIND Mobile store and try it. It’s worth the time!
Does it have too be iPhone 5 or can it be an iPhone 4 ?
It has to be an Iphone 5 or Iphone 5s or 5c!
But, does Wind support Visual Voicemail?
Yes…WIND supports Visual Voicemail. But you have to ask for MessageMe Plus™ when you go to the WIND store.
I can confirm that it works with $30 plan. I have iPhone 5 white 32gb with serial # ending as above. However I did go to the store to double check it and it worked. So I am more then happy to pay $30 for 5GB THEN $60 for 2GB. 🙂
Note that there is no LTE. Internet is slower especially upload speeds.
I got an iPhone 5 & got the $30 plan. I got the data working but I can only make calls.. Not receive. Also I can’t receive or send text messages. Please help me fix this! The serial number does have FH1F @ the end of it.
DId you go to the WIND Mobile store already?
I have the correct model of iPhone 5. I entered all the info Wind gave me, and i installed the nano and yet no Internet. I can get email no problem. No Internet signal is found by safari. Very wierd! Any solutions out there?
Again, have you gone to the WIND Mobile Store? If you don’t want to call them by dialing 611 on your WIND Mobile Phone (Iphone or whatever it is).
Make sure 3G is set to on under Settings-general-cellular.
Hello, great, informative article. I like Wind as well. However, all Wind lovers should continue to post their messages on Facebook and Twitter on getting the IPhone on a WIND TAB. They will get so many new clients. Thanks.
Will the new iPhone 5S work on Wind Mobile? and which Model is it? http://www.apple.com/ca/iphone-5s/specs/
Thanks
Hey guys. Some questions answered – it MUST be AWS compatible. There is no option here, WIND only runs on the AWS (1700/2100) frequencies.
If you get an early model it will only connect to WIND Away (roaming).
The phone itself supports all the frequencies to work on every carrier in Canada now – including all LTE networks (as of Sept. 2013).
Honestly the biggest issue here is going to be the unlocked cost – but if it’s worth it to you then do it!
which model will it work for? Model A1533 (GSM)* or Model A1533 (CDMA)*?
One of the reasons circulating on the internet that Wind does not have the Iphone available yet. Apparently Apple dictates the price point range for plans for their phone. This means that if Wind wanted to have the Iphone they would have to align their monthly plans accordingly. Since Wind pricing is very competitive I would not think they would hike their prices just to make Apple happy. And I for one am glad about that.
hi, would the iphone 4 work on wind??
I have the right model iPhone, but it is locked to Rogers, can I unlock it and then go to wind? And if I do get it, does it support apples FaceTime and iMessage?
And I have and iPhone with FH1C serial number but the model is not A1426, it is Model: NE487LL/A. Will this still work???
No, the model number is located on the back of your iPhone, just under the word iPhone, you will see some small text, look for “Model” and it will show the model number. Ex. “Model: A1428” is the GSM iPhone 5.
Thought I’d share some insight for anyone that has questions regarding WIND and what works with what iPhone.
1. Any iPhone 5S and 5C are compatible. Any iPhone 5 manufactured after 12 April 2013 is compatible (there is a selected range of serial numbers that relate to these devices — check WINDs Facebook for a complete list)
2. iMessage and FaceTime both work. The only caveat to this is that you cannot use your cell number for activation; which means you’ll need to activate it using your Apple ID and assign an email address (works pretty much the same way)
3. You’ll need to set the correct APN information. WINDs website FAQ are not accurate to how these are set however a quick google search will yield positive results.
I can honestly say this: not being able to activate iMessage and FaceTime are the only issues I have with WIND and if that’s the only annoyance, I’ll continue to save a ton of $$.
i bought an iphone 5c but for some reason it is not compatible i got totally screwed over in this case considering wind is the only carrier i can go with considering my credit. any suggestions ?
I need a new phone compaible with Wind. I travel to the U.S. often and have been told that a T-mobile phone with AWS, with bands 1700/2100 MHz; will work. Is it better to buy in Canada or can I save a few dollars and get a t-mobile phone in the U.S? What do you suggest. I have a Google NEXUS 7 ” and will want compatibility. thanks for your help.
Hi, a question from a totally inept guy when it comes to this kind of technology. I have telus set up for internet and email at home, as well as on iPhone for both my wife and I. I recently purchased an iPhone 5c for my daughter and set up a plan through WIND. Am I able to configure my email settings on the iPhone to utilize a “telus.net” email even though Telus will not be the provider for my daughter’s mobile services? Thank you in advance
hi i have an iphone 5 white with the serial number FH1C at the end,but i bought it on april 3,2013,would it work on wind mobile,please help
But once you unlock iPhone 5S, it becomes a GSM phone and you are free to make use of the SIM card
of the carrier of your choice.
Informative post! Will the new Nexus 6 be compatible on Wind?
And, is Wind Mobile likely to sell the Nexus 6?
When you have a compatible iPhone 5, do you always have to be on wifi to use imessage and all your other apps? Or does it work on the wind network like it would with other phones? And is there any possible way to use your cellphone number instead of an apple ID?!
I have iphone 4 or 4s. How i can use the wind sim card in this phone