Short answer
Apple lists cellular bands by iPhone model number, and Google lists them by a Pixel model code, with a separate row on some phones labeled [ROW including JP]. Match each band number to the frequency range in the ETSI specifications for LTE and 5G, then compare that range with the ranges published by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, SoftBank, and au.
Which iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy models support eSIM, and how Apple, Google, and Samsung describe a carrier lock, is covered in Does my phone support eSIM for Japan, and does it need to be unlocked?.
Fact table
As of 2026-10-21
Each claim names its source. The full source list, with the date each page was read, is below.
| Claim | Source |
|---|---|
| Apple says to open the Settings app, tap General, then tap About. The part number is to the right of Model Number. Tap that part number to show the model number. On an iPhone 8 or later that has a SIM tray, the model number is also in the tray slot, on the side with the display. On an iPhone with no SIM tray, Apple says to look in the USB-C or Lightning connector, on the side with the display. | Apple Support, find the model number |
| Apple lists these iPhone 17 model numbers: A3258 for the United States and Puerto Rico; A3519 for Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; A3521 for China mainland; and A3520 for other countries and regions. | Apple Support, identify your iPhone model |
| On Apple's United States English iPhone 17 tech spec, the Cellular and Wireless section lists bands for model A3258 and does not name model A3519. Apple says cellular technology support is based on the iPhone model number and on configuration for GSM networks. For details on 5G and LTE support, Apple says to contact the carrier and see apple.com/iphone/cellular. | Apple Support, iPhone 17 tech specs |
| Apple's travel article, in the section for an eSIM-only iPhone you will use while living in a different country or region, says to contact the carrier to confirm that the plan supports eSIM, and to check iPhone cellular band support for country compatibility. | Apple Support, travel with eSIM |
| Google's safety and regulatory guide for Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL says electronic regulatory labels for the device are under Settings, About phone, Regulatory labels, and that regulatory information is also on the side of the device. The guide's Japan section lists model number GM45K for Pixel 11 Pro and G4HCD for Pixel 11 Pro XL. Its United States FCC section lists model numbers GPQQ7, G7SWN, and GBC0H and names Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL. | Google Pixel Help, Pixel 11 safety and regulatory guide |
| Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL spec lists model GBC0H under [US] and model G4HCD under [ROW including JP]. On LTE, the [ROW including JP] list includes bands 21, 32, 39, 42, and 75, and the [US] list does not. On 5G Sub-6, the [ROW including JP] list includes bands 75 and 79, and the [US] list does not. The [US] 5G Sub-6 list includes bands 29, 48, and 70, and the [US] row lists millimeter-wave bands 258, 260, and 261. The [ROW including JP] row does not list those bands, and it names FeliCa. | Google Pixel Help, hardware tech specs |
| Google's Pixel 11 Pro spec uses the same split: model G7SWN under [US] and model GM45K under [ROW including JP], with those same band numbers added on one row and missing on the other. | Google Pixel Help, hardware tech specs |
| ETSI TS 136 101 (V18.13.0) defines these LTE ranges. Band 3 is 1710 to 1785 MHz uplink and 1805 to 1880 MHz downlink. Band 12 is 699 to 716 MHz uplink and 729 to 746 MHz downlink. Band 13 is 777 to 787 MHz uplink and 746 to 756 MHz downlink. Band 17 is 704 to 716 MHz uplink and 734 to 746 MHz downlink. Band 28 is 703 to 748 MHz uplink and 758 to 803 MHz downlink. Band 21 is 1447.9 to 1462.9 MHz uplink and 1495.9 to 1510.9 MHz downlink. Band 32's uplink cell is N/A, and its downlink is 1452 to 1496 MHz. Band 39 is 1880 to 1920 MHz. Band 42 is 3400 to 3600 MHz. Band 75's uplink cell is N/A, and its downlink is 1432 to 1517 MHz. | ETSI, LTE radio transmission and reception |
| ETSI TS 138 101-1 (V17.9.0) defines these 5G ranges in its range-1 table. Band n3 is 1710 to 1785 MHz uplink and 1805 to 1880 MHz downlink. Band n28 is 703 to 748 MHz uplink and 758 to 803 MHz downlink. Band n29's uplink cell is N/A, and its downlink is 717 to 728 MHz. Band n48 is 3550 to 3700 MHz. Band n70 is 1695 to 1710 MHz uplink and 1995 to 2020 MHz downlink. Band n75's uplink cell is N/A, and its downlink is 1432 to 1517 MHz. Band n77 is 3300 to 4200 MHz. Band n78 is 3300 to 3800 MHz. Band n79 is 4400 to 5000 MHz. | ETSI, 5G radio transmission and reception, range 1 |
| ETSI TS 138 101-2 (V19.2.0) defines these 5G millimeter-wave ranges. Band n257 is 26500 to 29500 MHz. Band n258 is 24250 to 27500 MHz. Band n260 is 37000 to 40000 MHz. Band n261 is 27500 to 28350 MHz. | ETSI, 5G radio transmission and reception, range 2 |
| SoftBank says it builds 5G with millimeter wave, Sub6, and NR conversion of frequencies it used for LTE. SoftBank says it uses the 28 GHz band for millimeter wave and the 3.7 GHz band for Sub6. SoftBank names the 700 MHz band and the 1.7 GHz band, among others, as frequencies it uses for that NR conversion. SoftBank says its new-frequency 5G is limited to part of its area and points readers to its area map. | SoftBank, 5G network technology |
| au says its 5G uses millimeter wave, Sub6, and NR conversion. au says millimeter wave is the 28 GHz band, with a 400 MHz bandwidth, and Sub6 is the 3.7/4 GHz band, with 100 MHz of bandwidth on each. au says NR conversion applies the NR standard to 4G LTE frequencies. | au, 5G frequencies |
| Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, in a survey dated September 2025, says that as of September 2025 frequencies for mobile service had been assigned to seven mobile and nationwide broadband-wireless operators. The survey says the 4.9 GHz band was assigned to SoftBank in December 2024. It names NTT docomo, KDDI, Okinawa Cellular, SoftBank, and Rakuten Mobile as the mobile operators, and UQ Communications and Wireless City Planning as the nationwide broadband-wireless operators. The allocation chart is headed with the 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1.5 GHz, 1.7 GHz, 2 GHz, 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz, 3.4 GHz, 3.5 GHz, 3.7 GHz, 4.0 GHz, 4.5 GHz, 4.9 GHz, and 28 GHz ranges. | Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, mobile spectrum survey |
| Wakamo's compatibility page says to find your model before you buy, and that a compatible device must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. If the model is not listed, the page says to look in phone settings for an option named Add eSIM, Add Cellular Plan, or Download SIM, and to confirm with the manufacturer or carrier before purchasing if that option does not appear. That page does not list cellular bands. | Wakamo compatibility page |
| The Japan eSIM guide names the networks a Wakamo Japan plan uses. | Wakamo Japan eSIM guide |
FAQ
How do I find the iPhone model number the band list uses?
Apple says to open the Settings app, tap General, then tap About, and tap the part number beside Model Number. On an iPhone 8 or later that has a SIM tray, the model number is also in the tray slot. On an iPhone with no SIM tray, Apple says to look in the USB-C or Lightning connector.
Is a Japan iPhone 17 the same model number as a United States iPhone 17?
No. Apple lists iPhone 17 model A3258 for the United States and Puerto Rico, and model A3519 for Japan, along with Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. On the United States English iPhone 17 tech spec, the Cellular and Wireless section lists bands for model A3258 and does not name model A3519. Apple says cellular technology support is based on the iPhone model number.
Where does Apple say to check bands for another country?
In the travel article's section for an eSIM-only iPhone you will use while living in a different country or region, Apple says to check iPhone cellular band support for country compatibility, and to contact the carrier to confirm that the plan supports eSIM. The iPhone 17 tech spec also says to contact the carrier and see apple.com/iphone/cellular for details on 5G and LTE support.
How do I find the Pixel model code the band table uses?
Google's safety and regulatory guide for Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL says electronic regulatory labels are under Settings, About phone, Regulatory labels, and that regulatory information is also on the side of the device. The guide's Japan section lists model number GM45K for Pixel 11 Pro and G4HCD for Pixel 11 Pro XL. Its United States FCC section lists model numbers GPQQ7, G7SWN, and GBC0H and names Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL. Google's hardware spec pairs GBC0H with the [US] Pixel 11 Pro XL row and G4HCD with the [ROW including JP] row, and pairs G7SWN with the [US] Pixel 11 Pro row and GM45K with the [ROW including JP] row.
Do the United States and Japan rows on a Pixel 11 Pro list the same bands?
No. On Pixel 11 Pro XL, Google lists model GBC0H under [US] and model G4HCD under [ROW including JP]. The [ROW including JP] LTE list includes bands 21, 32, 39, 42, and 75, which the [US] LTE list does not. The [ROW including JP] 5G Sub-6 list includes bands 75 and 79, which the [US] list does not. The [US] row lists 5G Sub-6 bands 29, 48, and 70, and millimeter-wave bands 258, 260, and 261, which the [ROW including JP] row does not. Pixel 11 Pro uses the same split for model G7SWN and model GM45K.
How do I line a band number up with a gigahertz heading?
A heading such as 700 MHz is not a band number. ETSI lists several different ranges there, including LTE band 12 (699 to 716 MHz uplink and 729 to 746 MHz downlink), band 13 (777 to 787 MHz uplink and 746 to 756 MHz downlink), band 17 (704 to 716 MHz uplink and 734 to 746 MHz downlink), and band 28 (703 to 748 MHz uplink and 758 to 803 MHz downlink). 5G band n28 uses that same band 28 range. SoftBank and au publish 3.7 GHz, which is 3700 MHz, inside both n77 (3300 to 4200 MHz) and n78 (3300 to 3800 MHz). au also publishes 4 GHz, which is 4000 MHz, inside n77 and outside n78, which stops at 3800 MHz. The ministry chart's 4.5 GHz and 4.9 GHz headings, 4500 and 4900 MHz, fall inside n79 (4400 to 5000 MHz). Its 28 GHz heading, 28000 MHz, falls inside n257 (26500 to 29500 MHz) and n261 (27500 to 28350 MHz). It does not fall inside n258, which stops at 27500 MHz, or n260, which is 37000 to 40000 MHz. LTE band 21, band 32, and band 75, and 5G band n75, are ranges around 1.5 GHz. Overlap between a phone's listed band and a published heading is not a promise that the phone will connect.
Which frequencies do SoftBank and au publish?
SoftBank says it uses the 28 GHz band for millimeter wave, the 3.7 GHz band for Sub6, and, among others, the 700 MHz and 1.7 GHz bands for NR conversion of LTE frequencies. SoftBank says its new-frequency 5G is limited to part of its area. au says millimeter wave is the 28 GHz band with a 400 MHz bandwidth, Sub6 is the 3.7/4 GHz band with 100 MHz on each, and NR conversion applies the NR standard to 4G LTE frequencies.
Where does the Japanese government list assigned frequency ranges?
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications survey dated September 2025 shows the assignment status as of September 2025. It names NTT docomo, KDDI, Okinawa Cellular, SoftBank, and Rakuten Mobile as the mobile operators, and UQ Communications and Wireless City Planning as the nationwide broadband-wireless operators. The chart headings are the ranges in the fact table. The survey says the 4.9 GHz band was assigned to SoftBank in December 2024.
Does Wakamo's compatibility page check these bands?
No. Wakamo's compatibility page says to find your model before you buy, and that a compatible device must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. If the model is not listed, it says to look for Add eSIM, Add Cellular Plan, or Download SIM. That page does not list cellular bands. The Japan eSIM guide names the networks a Wakamo Japan plan uses.
Sources
Apple Support, find the model numbersupport.apple.com
Settings, General, About shows a part number beside Model Number. Tapping it shows the model number. A SIM tray or the USB-C or Lightning connector can also show it.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
Apple Support, identify your iPhone modelsupport.apple.com
iPhone 17 model A3258 is United States and Puerto Rico. Model A3519 includes Japan. Model A3521 is China mainland. Model A3520 is other countries and regions.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
Apple Support, iPhone 17 tech specssupport.apple.com
The United States English page lists cellular bands for model A3258. Support depends on the model number and GSM configuration. Apple says to contact the carrier and see apple.com/iphone/cellular for 5G and LTE support.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
Apple Support, travel with eSIMsupport.apple.com
For an eSIM-only iPhone used while living in another country or region, Apple says to confirm the carrier supports eSIM on the plan and to check iPhone cellular band support for country compatibility.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
Google Pixel Help, hardware tech specssupport.google.com
Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro each list a [US] model and a [ROW including JP] model. The band numbers on those two rows are not the same.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
Google Pixel Help, Pixel 11 safety and regulatory guidesupport.google.com
Electronic regulatory labels are under Settings, About phone, Regulatory labels. Regulatory information is also on the side of the device. The Japan section lists GM45K for Pixel 11 Pro and G4HCD for Pixel 11 Pro XL. The United States FCC section lists GPQQ7, G7SWN, and GBC0H and names Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
ETSI, LTE radio transmission and receptionetsi.org
TS 136 101 V18.13.0, Table 5.5-1. Ranges for LTE bands 3, 12, 13, 17, 21, 28, 32, 39, 42, and 75.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
ETSI, 5G radio transmission and reception, range 1etsi.org
TS 138 101-1 V17.9.0, Table 5.2-1. Ranges for 5G bands n3, n28, n29, n48, n70, n75, n77, n78, and n79.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
ETSI, 5G radio transmission and reception, range 2etsi.org
TS 138 101-2 V19.2.0, Table 5.2-1. Ranges for millimeter-wave bands n257, n258, n260, and n261.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
SoftBank, 5G network technologysoftbank.jp
SoftBank describes millimeter wave on 28 GHz, Sub6 on 3.7 GHz, and NR conversion of LTE frequencies, naming 700 MHz and 1.7 GHz among others. New-frequency 5G is a limited area, and the page points to an area map.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
au, 5G frequenciesau.com
au describes millimeter wave as the 28 GHz band with 400 MHz of bandwidth, Sub6 as the 3.7/4 GHz band with 100 MHz each, and NR conversion of 4G LTE frequencies.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, mobile spectrum surveysoumu.go.jp
September 2025 survey. Assignment status as of September 2025 for seven mobile and nationwide broadband-wireless operators. The 4.9 GHz band was assigned to SoftBank in December 2024. The chart is headed with the ranges named in the fact.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
Wakamo compatibility pagewakamo.io
Wakamo product information. Find the model before buying. A compatible device must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. The page does not list cellular bands.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
Wakamo Japan eSIM guidewakamo.io
Wakamo product information. The Japan eSIM guide names the networks a Wakamo Japan plan uses.
Accessed 2026-10-21.