It is almost impossible to tell the difference between China Telecom and China Unicom, at least from the product packaging. The only way is to compare the back of the two versions of the packaging box to see which one is Telecom and the other is China Unicom. In fact, this also shows from another aspect that the two versions of iPhone 4S only have different network standards, and their own hardware configurations are exactly the same, corresponding to mobile phone users in GSM and CDMA networks respectively.

A comprehensive comparison between China Telecom and China Unicom iPhone 4S
The model of standard telecom iPhone 4S is A1387, which is consistent with the international version of iPhone 4S, while the model of standard Unicom iPhone 4S is. Up to now, there is still no official explanation to explain the difference, but the signal problem of WCDMA bare-metal iPhone 4S using mobile cards has basically come to an end with the official release of iOS5.1. At least the signal blind area that I once thought is now completely no problem.

Telecom & Unicom iPhone 4S boxes are marked with different models.
As for accessories, Unicom and the telecom version of iPhone 4S also presented microUSB adapters in addition to direct charging plugs, 30pin data cables, wire-controlled headphones and micro-SIM card slot pins. Compared with the international version, both versions of the licensed products have all given such an adapter, which is still very gratifying.

Telecom & Unicom iPhone 4S accessories are exactly the same.

The only difference between Telecom and Unicom iPhone 4S fuselage
Whether it’s China Telecom or China Unicom’s iPhone 4S, there is no difference in the body of the mobile phone, except, of course, the "cdma2000 digital machine" logo on the back of the telecom version. The cell phone signal column shows "China Unicom" which is different from "China Telecom", but it also shows "3G" after cellular data is turned on.
Many people are saying that the telecom signal is good and the Unicom signal is poor. To be honest, from the author’s personal experience, there are indeed many signal blind spots in the use of Unicom 4 and Unicom in Beijing’s Fourth Ring Road, especially in office buildings, bathrooms, elevators and relatively remote open places, which are directly "no service", but most of the time it is acceptable. So we had the idea that we wanted to test whether telecommunications could be plugged into China Unicom and mobile cards, but it turned out that it was not possible.

Telecom & Unicom iPhone 4S signal bar display

Telecom Unlocking Interface/Drop-down Menu

Telecommunication setup
Although the two versions belong to different networks, the system version is the latest iOS5.1. So under the same system, are there differences in specific settings? The answer is yes.
Telecom 4S cancels the choice of "operator"
In fact, this can’t be blamed on telecommunications. It’s hard to win this straw. No one would want to make a wedding dress for others. As a result, Telecom canceled the "Operator" option in the "Settings", and even when China Unicom or a mobile card was inserted, the option reappeared only in a flash.
Telecom adds "roaming" function
We all know that in iOS5.1, the "Enable 3G" switch cancelled in 5.0.1 has been re-added, perhaps because of the method of weighing signal and power consumption, and this option reappeared in version 5.1. However, in telecommunications, this switch does not appear, only the "cellular data" switch. However, if you gain something, you lose it. Telecom added the function of "roaming", echoing the text annotation of the product packaging box:This iPhone also supports UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA and GSM/EDGE bands outside Chinese mainland..

Telecom cancels "3G enabled" and adds "roaming"
Telecom burned MEID code.
In telecom’s "Settings"-> "About", there is one more MEID code than Unicom.MEID is the only 56-bit mobile terminal identification number in the world. The identification number will be burned into the terminal and cannot be modified. It can be used to identify and track mobile devices. MEID is mainly distributed to CDMA mobile phones.. It seems that the telecom still burned the number and did not pass this trouble on to the users.

Telecom burning MEID code
We choose the free test Speedtest in App Store to test the upload speed of China Telecom and China Unicom 4S in CDMA2000 and WCDMA networks respectively. Unfortunately, the mobile EDGE network can’t be tested smoothly, and it can’t pass in the first ping stage.

Comparison of network speed test between China Telecom and China Unicom (left: China Telecom/right: China Unicom)
According to the test results, the EVDO network of China Telecom is slower than China Unicom in the ping stage. In terms of download speed, China Unicom beat China Telecom’s 0.81Mbps; with 2.02Mbps. In terms of upload speed, Telecom’s 0.20Mbps won Unicom’s 0.10Mbps with a slight advantage.

Comparison of network speed test between China Telecom and China Unicom (left: China Telecom/right: China Unicom)

Comparison of network speed test between China Telecom and China Unicom (left: China Telecom/right: China Unicom)
Of course, such a test is influenced by many factors, such as the test environment, network environment, itself and so on. At least in terms of servers, the conditions of the two tested mobile phones are the same (both are changchun, Hosted by:China Unicom), and the test results can actually show the respective advantages of China Unicom and the network.
Since the telecom 4S I got was an in-store display machine (not for sale), I decided to brush the official firmware of iOS5.1 myself. On the one hand, it can show the original face of telecommunications, and on the other hand, it wants to test that telecommunications can identify Unicom and mobile SIM cards.

Telecom iPhone 4S connection

Telecom manually brushes the official firmware of iOS5.1.

Telecom successfully refreshed iOS5.1.
The process of brushing the phone is not complicated. After restarting, we can see the familiar activation interface again. At this time, whether you choose Wi-Fi or iTunes, you can activate it smoothly, but the brushed telecom will no longer have additional data such as demonstration videos built in.

ITunes activation failed when telecom inserted Unicom card.

ITunes activation of telecom insertion mobile card failed.
Next, we test the identification of Unicom and mobile cards, and the situation is better than before. After inserting the non-telecom SIM card, the "operator" option will disappear in the system "Settings", but it is still a flash in the pan. Surprisingly, the refreshed telecom can correctly identify "China Unicom 3G" and "China Mobile".

Telecom’s "operator" option is short-lived.

Telecom can briefly identify Unicom 3G and mobile GSM networks after refreshing iOS5.1.
However, the good times did not last long. After the signal bar flashed the non-"China Telecom" logo in a hurry, the system entered the "Activation Required" interface. At this time, if it is a China Unicom SIM card, it will prompt that only compatible SIM cards provided by supported operators can be used to activate the iPhone;; If it is a SIM card of China Mobile, it will be prompted: Your connected iPhone may be damaged and cannot be activated.

Telecom is plugged into Unicom and the mobile card needs to be reactivated.

Telecom inserted into Unicom and Wi-Fi activation of telecom card failed (left: Unicom/right: Mobile)
From this, it can be inferred that the hardware level of telecom supports GSM, WCDMA and CDMA2000, but the customized version of telecom should add a network judgment program at the level, so that the above-mentioned "flash-by-flash" test results will appear.
Telecom 4S, China Unicom, and bare metal, no matter who owns it, as long as it is, all have back-illuminated CMOS sensors and 3.5-inch Retina displays, so there is no need to compare photos, and the effect is still excellent.

Telecom supports HDR photography and simple photo editing.

Telecom real shot proof

Telecom real shot proof

Telecom real shot proof

Telecom real shot proof

Telecom real shot proof (HDR off)

Telecom real shot proof (HDR turned on)

Telecom real shot proof

Telecom real shot proof
For 16GB Telecom and Unicom 4S, let’s calculate the following two accounts:
1. If the minimum package is promised, how much will it cost for Unicom and Telecom to sign the contract for two years?
2. If you want to buy a machine in 0 yuan, and promise to access the network for two years, how much does it cost for China Telecom and China Unicom?
First, let’s calculate the first account. The first is telecommunications. The minimum package threshold is 24 months’ monthly phone bill in 49 yuan. The preferential purchase price is 4,499 yuan, and the prepaid phone bill is 1,281 yuan. It will be returned to 53 yuan in the first 23 months and returned to 62 yuan in the last month, that is, you need to spend 4,499 yuan to buy a telecom, and the prepaid phone bill is 1,281 yuan. Since the amount returned in 24 months is above the promised 49 yuan package (the difference between 4 yuan and 13 yuan), there is no need to pay more. Of course, the premise is that you can’t exceed the limit of call duration and Internet traffic per month.
Let’s take a look at Unicom. It is also a 24-month contract, with a preferential purchase price of 3,999 yuan, a prepaid phone bill of 1,881 yuan, and an equal amount of 78 yuan will be returned monthly, but 78 yuan’s x24 months = 1,872 yuan < the prepaid deposit of 1,881 yuan (the difference is 9 yuan). However, it should be noted that Unicom’s entry package is 66 yuan per month, which is also lower than the amount returned by month (the difference is 12 yuan).

Comparison of China Telecom & China Unicom iPhone 4S Entry Package (2 years online, 16GB version)
To sum up, in this link, China Unicom’s minimum 2-year package for iPhone 4S is 5,880 yuan, which is more expensive than the minimum package for China Telecom by 10 yuan. The monthly return amount of both packages is above the package, which means that if it does not exceed the amount in the package, there is no need to spend extra money. Now you can refer to the specific contents of these two packages, and personally think that Unicom has more advantages.
Then there is the second account. Let’s look at telecom first. The minimum commitment package for purchasing a machine in 0 yuan for two years is 389 yuan. At this time, the prepaid phone bill is 5,780 yuan, which will be returned to 240 yuan in the first three months and 260 yuan in the last month. In other words, users need to pay 389 yuan -240 yuan =149 yuan, 24 months is 149 yuan x23 months+129 yuan (389 yuan -260 yuan) of the difference of the last month, totaling 3556 yuan.The actual minimum consumption of telecom in the network for two years is 5780 yuan +3556 yuan =9336 yuan..

Comparison of Telecom & China Unicom’s "0 yuan Purchase" Package (2 years in the network, 16GB version)
The situation of China Unicom is that the minimum threshold for accessing the network for two years is the promised monthly consumption of 386 yuan, and the total purchase price is still 5880 yuan. 245 yuan will be returned in 24 months, that is, the difference will be 141 yuan (386 yuan -245 yuan) every month.Unicom needs to pay the difference of telephone charges of 141 yuan × 24 months = 3,384 yuan, plus the deposit of 5,880 yuan, totaling 9,264 yuan.. So what is the specific content of the package at this time? On the whole, I personally think that China Unicom is dominant.
Finally, to sum up, the changes and advantages and disadvantages of Telecom 4S:

Telecom (left) & Unicom iPhone 4S (right)
1. The hardware supports GSM/WCDMA/CDMA2000, but it is soft shielded to only support CDMA2000.
2. The "Operator" option is cancelled in the "Settings" of the telecom iPhone 4S, and there is no "3G enabled" switch, but "roaming" is supported.
3. in the "settings"-> "about" of telecom iPhone 4S, the MEID code is added.
4. Telecom’s speed of using 3G network is not as fast as Unicom’s, but its upload speed is slightly better than Unicom’s.
5. Compared with the 0 yuan purchase package, the two-year contract 16GB telecom entry package has almost no advantage, but the total purchase price is not much different from the actual minimum consumption during the contract period.

16GB Telecom 4S "Deposit and Call Delivery" Contract

32GB Telecom’s "Save Call Charge to Send Mobile Phone" Contract

64GB Telecom’s "Save Call Charge to Send Mobile Phone" Contract

Telecom "Buy Mobile Phone to Send Call Charge" Contract

Details of Telecom’s Contract Package of "Saving Phone Charge to Send Mobile Phone"

16GB Unicom 4S "Deposit and Call Delivery" Contract

32GB Unicom’s "Save Call Charge to Send Mobile Phone" Contract

64GB Unicom’s "Save Call Charge to Send Mobile Phone" Contract

16GB Unicom’s Contract of "Purchasing Mobile Phone to Send Phone Charge to Network"

32GB Unicom’s Contract of "Purchasing Mobile Phone to Send Call Charge to Network"

64GB Unicom’s Contract of "Buying Mobile Phone and Sending Phone Charge to Network"