Apple iPhone 7 Model Numbers & Differences (A1660, A1778, A1779)

Apple iPhone 7 is made available in the market and just like last year, you are looking at two iPhone 7 options – the flagship Apple iPhone 7 and the larger iPhone 7 Plus, which is not just bigger in size but is a lot better with the specifications as well, including a higher battery life as well. Before we talk about what are the models, let’s see what is new and attractive in the new iPhone 7.

The new A10 Fusion chip assisted by the M10 co-processor is what powers the new iPhone, and one of the biggest and new things about the new phones is the inclusion of a water resistant design, which was never a case with the iPhone earlier. Also, one of the major upgrades seen in the two models of the new iPhone is with the cameras, where you would see a dual-lens camera on the back of the iPhone 7 Plus, while the iPhone 7 has the standard single camera.

Just like how it is every year, Apple has launched the iPhone in several countries with different carrier support, thus making it confusing for users on which one to choose, especially when you are a traveler and are unsure whether the iPhone 7 you are going to purchase will have a support for the network providers internationally. So, let’s check out the different iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models and the differences between them. You should be careful about the model you are choosing because every model has some carrier restriction, and if you don’t want to see these restrictions on your device, the SIM-free version is what you should get.

Now, you might also be wondering what is the reason for this different model structure from Apple when they could have one model across all regions. The reason for that is, Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have model chips from two manufacturers, Intel and Qualcomm, and their performance comes at a question with all the network carriers, thus Apple has to launch different models for a perfectly working model for a specific carrier.

Let’s check out the different models and the differences between them.

A1660 | A1778 | A1779

iPhone 7 Model Numbers and Differences

There are three model numbers for the iPhone 7 – A1660, A1778, and A1779.

Check out: iPhone 7 Plus Model Numbers

iPhone 7 A1660 details

This one is said to be the global variant having both CDMA and GSM support. The markets where this model is available include United States, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong and China. The SIM-free version will also have this model number, while in the U.S., Verizon and Sprint offer the iPhone 7 with A1660 model.

Network bands supported by iPhone 7 A1660

• The FDD LTE bands supported are as follows: FDD-LTE bands 1 (2100 MHz), 2 (1900 MHz), 3 (1800 MHz), 4 (AWS), 5 (850 MHz), 7 (2600 MHz), 8 (900 MHz), 12 (700 a MHz), 13 (700c MHz), 17 (700b MHz), 18 (800 MHz), 19 (800 MHz), 20 (800 DD), 25 (1900 MHz), 26 (800 MHz), 27 (800 SMR), 28 (700 APT MHz), 29 (700 de MHz), 30 (2300 WCS)
• The TD LTE bands supported are as follows: TD-LTE bands 38 (TD 2600 MHz), 39 (TD 1900 MHz), 40 (TD 2300 MHz), 41 (TD 2500 MHz)
• TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A)
• CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
• UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)

The part numbers based on the color options on network providers, are as follows.

iPhone 7 A1778 details

This model is not very different but there is a lack of support for TD-SCDMA and CDMA EV-DO Rev. While the A1660 worked with Verizon and Sprint, the A1778 model of iPhone 7 works along with T-Mobile and AT&T. You can still make calls through VoLTE on Sprint and Verizon but it is a model that is meant to be sold with the other two. The markets where the iPhone 7 A1778 model is made available include European and Asian countries like the UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Singapore, and Australia.

Network bands supported by iPhone 7 A1778

• LTE bands 1 (2100 MHz), 2 (1900 MHz), 3 (1800 MHz), 4 (AWS), 5 (850 MHz), 7 (2600 MHz), 8 (900 MHz), 12 (700 a MHz), 13 (700c MHz), 17 (700b MHz), 18 (800 MHz), 19 (800 MHz), 20 (800 DD), 25 (1900 MHz), 26 (800 MHz), 27 (800 SMR), 28 (700 APT MHz), 29 (700 de MHz), 30 (2300 WCS)
• TD-LTE bands 38 (TD 2600 MHz), 39 (TD 1900 MHz), 40 (TD 2300 MHz), 41 (TD 2500 MHz)
• GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
• UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)

iPhone 7 A1779 details

This model is made only for the Japanese market and the reason for that is, Apple wanted to have the FeliCa Type-F NFC contactless technology in the device, which would help them have the Apple Pay service in Japan. Available through AU, Docomo, and Softbank networks, the iPhone 7 with this model has all the band support for them.

Network bands supported by iPhone 7 A1779

• FDD-LTE bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
• TD-LTE bands 38 (TD 2600 MHz), 39 (TD 1900 MHz), 40 (TD 2300 MHz), 41 (TD 2500 MHz)
• TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A)
• CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
• UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)

So, these were the models and the sub models, i.e. the part numbers for the each model of iPhone 7. Do comment below if you have any doubt regarding these iPhone models.

Source: Apple.com