'If Verizon's Droid is good, That's Bad'... (iPhone vs...)

[samcraig]

Just left a comment on this article..

http://www.businessinsider.com/if-v...-bad-2009-10#comment-4adc6f710000000000d2f539


My comment was:

There's a big hurdle Verizon has which often gets overlooked. They are only in the US. Which means if you're on their network - you can't use your phone if you travel abroad. That's a pretty big deal for many people (home users) and even more for business people. Otherwise you would still need two devices and have to deal with two networks. I switched to AT&T a few years back and my first phone on their network was a Blackberry (I own the 3gs now). I didn't switch because I was unhappy with my carrier. I didn't switch because I wanted a particular phone. I switched because I needed a phone I could travel with. Practicality, I believe, wins out more often than it's blogged or written about.

 

[rdowns]

Verision's 70+ million customers apparently don't agree with you.

 

[darngooddesign]

Verizon also sells world blackberries which are CDMA and GSM; its possible there will be a Droid one.

 

[eawmp1]

Everyone knows Americans rarely travel outside the U.S. (unfortunately). Clearly their lack of coverage outside the U.S. hasn't hurt Verizon.

 

[kdarling]

Verizon also sells world blackberries which are CDMA and GSM; its possible there will be a Droid one.

Not just the Blackberries either... the latest HTC and Samsung smartphones at Verizon have been world phones with CDMA and GSM.

And, as has been pointed out here repeatedly, Verizon will unlock the GSM side overseas so you can use cheaper local SIMs... something Apple and ATT do not allow.

 

[bruinsrme]

Sam

Verizon has more customers than ATT. Apparently it isnt a major hurdle.

If a verizon customer needs to travel abroad Verizon offers a free phone service with no required deposit for every subscriber.

For many its a non-issue

 

[ViViDboarder]

Sprint's Pre is also CDMA/GSM

If they really want this phone to compete I'm sure they will release it with the capability. The OS definitely supports CDMA and GSM drivers.

Not like you can use your iPhone overseas anyways without paying international fees considering it's SIM locked to AT&T.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Not just the Blackberries either... the latest HTC and Samsung smartphones at Verizon have been world phones with CDMA and GSM.

And, as has been pointed out here repeatedly, Verizon will unlock the GSM side overseas so you can use cheaper local SIMs... something Apple and ATT do not allow.

False. ATT will allow you to do it providing you have been a customers either 90 or 180 days. You have to call and ask for an unlocked code because you are going over seas and they will send it to you in 2-3 days after you request it.

As for the internation traveling argument. People make a huge deal out of this but in reality vast majority of people (both business and customers) do not need it because very few people travel that way. In companies it seems to only be the higher ups. The rank and file with cells phones never leave the country so it is a non issue.
Besides with carriers like ATT you get slammed with huge roaming fees which is not completely ATT fault but also the carriers in other countries charging huge fees for that. It free money to them to slam huge fees for international roaming.

 

[ViViDboarder]

False. ATT will allow you to do it providing you have been a customers either 90 or 180 days. You have to call and ask for an unlocked code because you are going over seas and they will send it to you in 2-3 days after you request it.

With the iPhone?

I've been on this forum for over a year now with people asking about going overseas and I have never heard of them unlocking because you were going to go overseas.

I imagine they do this for just about every other phone though.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

With the iPhone?

I've been on this forum for over a year now with people asking about going overseas and I have never heard of them unlocking because you were going to go overseas.

I imagine they do this for just about every other phone though.

Not sure with iPhone but the iPhone is a special case and I have a feeling part of that could be Apple doing not allowing it. That or ATT would have massive problems of people calling and requesting that and then turning around and selling the iPhone. I can see why they to not allow it for the iPhone but I do think part of it is apple doing not allowing it.

 

[ViViDboarder]

Not sure with iPhone but the iPhone is a special case and I have a feeling part of that could be Apple doing not allowing it.

Yea, I beleive this is the case. The iPhone unlock is handeled by Apple aparently, not even AT&T. The carrier can ask Apple to unlock it but I think the carriers use this as an excuse to say they can't.

I believe the poster you quoted was referring to the iPhone considering this Droid is meant to be a competitor of the iPhone and would (assuming it IS CDMA/GSM) be able to be used internationally without jailbreaking and preserving the basebands so you can unlock.

 

[samcraig]

Not sure with iPhone but the iPhone is a special case and I have a feeling part of that could be Apple doing not allowing it. That or ATT would have massive problems of people calling and requesting that and then turning around and selling the iPhone. I can see why they to not allow it for the iPhone but I do think part of it is apple doing not allowing it.

Or perhaps it's some sort of non-compete. I had a blackberry 8310 which AT&T gave me an unlock code on the phone the first time I called up (I had been a customer for about 13 months) without any issues or delays.

The iPhone has exclusivity with carriers around the world. Perhaps (at lesat AT&T) is not permitted by Apple to break exclusivity by unlocking causing an issue overseas where any sim could be put in and causing "harm" to the carrier of choice overseas. I don't know. I'm speculating.

 

[ViViDboarder]

Or perhaps it's some sort of non-compete. I had a blackberry 8310 which AT&T gave me an unlock code on the phone the first time I called up (I had been a customer for about 13 months) without any issues or delays.

The iPhone has exclusivity with carriers around the world. Perhaps (at lesat AT&T) is not permitted by Apple to break exclusivity by unlocking causing an issue overseas where any sim could be put in and causing "harm" to the carrier of choice overseas. I don't know. I'm speculating.

Makes sense. It'd kind of ruin exclusivity if AT&T could unlock phones for people to use on non exclusive carriers in other countries.