Shopping for a newish iPhone is a great way to save money. But when you shop newish, as opposed to new from Apple or your wireless carrier — you need to make sure you are buying the correct model, or there is a risk your phone will not be fully supported. Apple has simplified the iPhone lineup over the years, but even the iPhone 12 mini is available with several different model numbers. While this may sound confusing, it doesn’t have to be anything to worry about. We’re outlining the different iPhone 12 mini model numbers here in this post, so make sure to keep reading so you will not have to worry about carrier compatibility.
This post is part of our Unlocked iPhone Buyers Guide, which covers everything you need to know when buying an unlocked iPhone.
Apple announced the iPhone 12 on October 13, 2020. The iPhone 12 becomes the 14th generation of the iPhone, and the full lineup consists of the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. In this post, we’ll be going over the various model numbers that are available for the iPhone 12 mini.
The iPhone model numbers all begin with the letter A, which is then followed by four numbers. In general, the different model numbers are for different regions or different countries. Also for reference, you can confirm an iPhone’s model number by navigating to Settings -> General -> About. From this point, you just need to tap on “Model Number” to reveal the “A” model number.
iPhone 12 mini model A2172
If you are buying an iPhone 12 mini for use in the United States, you will want the A2172. This model number is available for the U.S. market and it supports 5G and LTE connectivity for all three of the major wireless providers: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Model number A2172 also supports most MVNO carriers that make use of the big three carrier networks. This includes Mint Mobile, Cricket Wireless, US Cellular, Straight Talk, and many others.
The bottom line is that you will want iPhone 12 mini model A2172 if you are planning to use the phone with any of the three major wireless providers, or through an MVNO that uses any of the big three associated networks.
The iPhone 12 mini (model A2172) supports the following bands:
- 5G NR (Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38, n40, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79)
- 5G NR mmWave (Bands n260, n261)
- FDD‑LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 66, 71)
- TD‑LTE (Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48)
- CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz)
- UMTS/HSPA+/DC‑HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
- GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Earlier generations of the iPhone often had more than one model number available for each market. Here in the United States, that often meant figuring out if the model was compatible with GSM networks, or with CDMA networks. Apple has since simplified this, and the iPhone 12 mini has a single model number that supports all U.S. carrier networks. This means model number A2172 includes support for GSM and CDMA as well as 4G LTE and 5G networks.
If you are planning to use your iPhone 12 mini outside the United States — model number A2172 is not your best option. If you are shopping for an iPhone 12 mini to use in other parts of the world, keep reading to make sure you buy the correct iPhone 12 mini “A” model number for your country or region.
Carrier compatibility details for the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, and iPhone 12 Pro Max can be found using the following links:
- iPhone 12 carrier compatibility
- iPhone 12 Pro carrier compatibility
- iPhone 12 Pro Max carrier compatibility
Read more about how the iPhone 12 mini compares to other models of the iPhone in our comparison guide.
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Additional iPhone 12 mini models
The iPhone 12 model numbers for other markets (countries) include the A2402, A2403, and the A2404. The A2402 and A2404 each support a few countries, with the A2403 being a global model that supports roughly 200 different countries.
iPhone 12 mini model A2402
Model number A2402 brings support for Canada and Japan.
| 5G | LTE |
|---|---|
| n1 (2100 MHz) | 1 (2100 MHz) |
| n2 (1900 MHz) | 2 (1900 MHz) |
| n3 (1800 MHz) | 3 (1800 MHz) |
| n5 (850 MHz) | 4 (AWS) |
| n7 (2600 MHz) | 5 (850 MHz) |
| n8 (900 MHz) | 7 (2600 MHz) |
| n12 (700 MHz) | 8 (900 MHz) |
| n20 (800 DD) | 11 (1500 MHz) |
| n25 (1900 MHz) | 12 (700 MHz) |
| n28 (700 APT) | 13 (700c MHz) |
| n38 (TD 2600) | 14 (700 PS) |
| n40 (TD 2300) | 17 (700b MHz) |
| n41 (TD 2500) | 18 (800 MHz) |
| n66 (AWS-3) | 19 (800 MHz) |
| n71 (600 MHz) | 20 (800 DD) |
| n77 (TD 3700) | 21 (1500 MHz) |
| n78 (TD 3500) | 25 (1900 MHz) |
| n79 (TD 4700) | 26 (800 MHz) |
| 28 (700 APT) | |
| 29 (700d MHz) | |
| 30 (2300 MHz) | |
| 32 (1500 L-band) | |
| 34 (TD 2000) | |
| 38 (TD 2600) | |
| 39 (TD 1900) | |
| 40 (TD 2300) | |
| 41 (TD 2500) | |
| 42 (TD 3500) | |
| 46 (TD Unlicensed) | |
| 48 (TD 3600) | |
| 66 (AWS-3) | |
| 71 (600 MHz) | |
iPhone 12 mini model A2404
Model number A2404 brings support for mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao.
| 5G | LTE |
|---|---|
| n1 (2100 MHz) | 1 (2100 MHz) |
| n2 (1900 MHz) | 2 (1900 MHz) |
| n3 (1800 MHz) | 3 (1800 MHz) |
| n5 (850 MHz) | 4 (AWS) |
| n7 (2600 MHz) | 5 (850 MHz) |
| n8 (900 MHz) | 7 (2600 MHz) |
| n12 (700 MHz) | 8 (900 MHz) |
| n20 (800 DD) | 12 (700 MHz) |
| n25 (1900 MHz) | 13 (700c MHz) |
| n28 (700 APT) | 17 (700b MHz) |
| n38 (TD 2600) | 18 (800 MHz) |
| n40 (TD 2300) | 19 (800 MHz) |
| n41 (TD 2500) | 20 (800 DD) |
| n66 (AWS-3) | 25 (1900 MHz) |
| n77 (TD 3700) | 26 (800 MHz) |
| n78 (TD 3500) | 28 (700 APT) |
| n79 (TD 4700) | 30 (2300 MHz) |
| 32 (1500 L-band) | |
| 34 (TD 2000) | |
| 38 (TD 2600) | |
| 39 (TD 1900) | |
| 40 (TD 2300) | |
| 41 (TD 2500) | |
| 42 (TD 3500) | |
| 46 (TD Unlicensed) | |
| 48 (TD 3600) | |
| 66 (AWS-3) | |
iPhone 12 mini model A2403
Model number A2403 is the global model and offers support for a wide range of countries.
| Afghanistan | Guernsey | Papua New Guinea |
| Albania | Guinea | Paraguay |
| Algeria | Guinea-Bissau | Peru |
| American Samoa | Guyana | Philippines |
| Andorra | Haiti | Poland |
| Angola | Honduras | Portugal |
| Anguilla | Hungary | Puerto Rico |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Iceland | Qatar |
| Argentina | India | Republic of the Congo |
| Armenia | Indonesia | Reunion Islands |
| Aruba | Iraq | Romania |
| Australia | Ireland | Russia |
| Austria | Isle of Man | Rwanda |
| Azerbaijan | Israel | Saint Barts |
| Bahamas | Italy | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
| Bahrain | Ivory Coast | Saint Lucia |
| Bangladesh | Jamaica | Saint Martin |
| Barbados | Jersey | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Belarus | Jordan | Samoa |
| Belgium | Kazakhstan | Saudi Arabia |
| Belize | Kenya | Senegal |
| Benin | Kosovo | Serbia |
| Bermuda | Kuwait | Seychelles |
| BES Islands | Kyrgyzstan | Sierra Leone |
| Bolivia | Laos | Singapore |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Latvia | Slovakia |
| Botswana | Lebanon | Slovenia |
| Brazil | Lesotho | Solomon Island |
| British Virgin Islands | Liberia | South Africa |
| Brunei | Libya | South Korea |
| Bulgaria | Liechtenstein | Spain |
| Burkina Faso | Lithuania | Sri Lanka |
| Cambodia | Luxembourg | Suriname |
| Cameroon | Macedonia | Sweden |
| Cayman Islands | Madagascar | Switzerland |
| Central African Republic | Malawi | Taiwan |
| Chad | Malaysia | Tajikistan |
| Chile | Maldives | Tanzania |
| Colombia | Mali | Thailand |
| Cook Islands | Malta | Tokelau |
| Costa Rica | Marshall Islands | Tonga |
| Croatia | Martinique | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Curacao | Mauritius | Tunisia |
| Cyprus | Mayotte | Turkey |
| Czech Republic | Mexico | Turks and Caicos |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Micronesia | Tuvalu |
| Denmark | Moldova | Uganda |
| Dominica | Monaco | Ukraine |
| Dominican Republic | Mongolia | United Arab Emirates |
| East Timor | Montenegro | United Kingdom |
| Ecuador | Montserrat | Uruguay |
| Egypt | Morocco | USVI |
| El Salvador | Mozambique | Uzbekistan |
| Estonia | Myanmar | Vanuatu |
| Faroe Islands | Namibia | Vietnam |
| Fiji | Nauru | Wallis and Futuna |
| Finland | Nepal | Zambia |
| France | Netherlands | Zimbabwe |
| French Guiana | New Caledonia | |
| French Polynesia and Tahiti | New Zealand | |
| Georgia | Nicaragua | |
| Germany | Niger | |
| Ghana | Nigeria | |
| Gibraltar | Niue | |
| Greece | Norway | |
| Greenland | Oman | |
| Grenada | Pakistan | |
| Guadeloupe | Palau | |
| Guam | Palestine | |
| Guatemala | Panama |
Band support for 5G and LTE networks for the iPhone 12 mini A2403 are as follows:
| 5G | LTE |
|---|---|
| n1 (2100 MHz) | 1 (2100 MHz) |
| n2 (1900 MHz) | 2 (1900 MHz) |
| n3 (1800 MHz) | 3 (1800 MHz) |
| n5 (850 MHz) | 4 (AWS) |
| n7 (2600 MHz) | 5 (850 MHz) |
| n8 (900 MHz) | 7 (2600 MHz) |
| n12 (700 MHz) | 8 (900 MHz) |
| n20 (800 DD) | 12 (700 MHz) |
| n25 (1900 MHz) | 13 (700c MHz) |
| n28 (700 APT) | 17 (700b MHz) |
| n38 (TD 2600) | 18 (800 MHz) |
| n40 (TD 2300) | 19 (800 MHz) |
| n41 (TD 2500) | 20 (800 DD) |
| n66 (AWS-3) | 25 (1900 MHz) |
| n77 (TD 3700) | 26 (800 MHz) |
| n78 (TD 3500) | 28 (700 APT) |
| n79 (TD 4700) | 30 (2300 MHz) |
| 32 (1500 L-band) | |
| 34 (TD 2000) | |
| 38 (TD 2600) | |
| 39 (TD 1900) | |
| 40 (TD 2300) | |
| 41 (TD 2500) | |
| 42 (TD 3500) | |
| 46 (TD Unlicensed) | |
| 48 (TD 3600) | |
| 66 (AWS-3) | |
