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Will the CDMA iPhone work in the U.S.?
- Thread starter TSX
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If anyone can answer this question, I would also like some lottery numbers from the future as well. 
Not the same CDMA used in the US. I'm just going to copy my posts from the original Chinese iPhone thread:
And since some people in that thread apparently didn't understand that:
Some people still thought you could use this thing on Verizon, so:
And I think that finally got it into people's heads that this iPhone is identical to the ones sold here (sans WiFi radio since it seems they took it out of the Chinese version) and will never work on Verizon or Sprint.
And if it did happen, it would be so crapped up from Verizon that it would be almost useless.
It's no rumor. Any iPhone 3G or 3GS is WCDMA. UMTS (3G) used WCDMA as its transport medium. We call it UTMS or 3G. I guess in China they call it WCDMA, hence, the iPhones are printed with the WCDMA label. China has UMTS networks, so if they're using the iPhone on it, it's WCDMA. It's just a terminology difference, not a technology difference. Simple as that.
Sorry. I meant that China Unicom purchasing iPhones is just a rumor. Therefore, some details could be wrong.
It doesn't matter. The "CDMA iPhone" you all are looking for doesn't exist.
Yes, and I'm sure many people in China already have. There is no difference between their major network and other GSM/UMTS networks around the world. The WCDMA is just a branding thing, other than that, it's the same iPhone sold elsewhere.
I believe as of 2008, both Verizon and Sprint announced they would have an "Open" network, meaning activation of any CDMA phone as long as it met current specs. I know Verizon did, not sure about Sprint.
That is true (about Verizon, I don't know about Sprint). However, most CDMA phones have firmware that is heavily customized by the carrier that originally sold them. So heavily customized, in fact, that they may need to be reflashed with what essentially amounts to brand new firmware in order to work on other networks.
(Even more heavily customized than the carrier custom skins or added functionality that often appear on carrier-sponsored GSM phones. The GSM system, remember, was designed from the ground up with the ability to switch either carriers or phones without needing to switch the other as a central feature.)
If your CDMA phone falls into such a category, then either you or your former carrier would have to supply carrier-agnostic firmware with which to reflash on the phone. Or else Verizon would have to have its own custom firmware available to reflash your phone. If they do have such firmware, then you're in luck and if they follow their word they should hook you up. If they don't have such firmware, then quite frankly there's not very much they can do about it.
That doesn't matter. The iPhone, from China or anywhere else, is not using CDMA. So it doesn't matter how "open" Sprint or Verizon claim to be, the phone simply will not work.
And if it did happen, it would be so crapped up from Verizon that it would be almost useless.
I believe you meant, it would be more useful and less controlled, than on ATT.
If it was like other Verizon smartphones, we would be able to use Slingbox and Skype over 3G. And get applications from any app store we wanted. Even put on our choice of theme.
Darn them. Darn them to heck.
Seriously, the only big deal would most likely be their desire to put on a Verizon logo. I have no problem with that. I use a covering case anyway.
There are 5 UMTS bands around the world. The iPhone only supports 3, which is not bad, as there are others which only support 2 from a region.
The current iPhone is more of an American phone. It lacks the 900 MHz band for Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Venezuela.
I believe you meant, it would be more useful and less controlled, than on ATT.
If it was like other Verizon smartphones, we would be able to use Slingbox and Skype over 3G. And get applications from any app store we wanted. Even put on our choice of theme.
Darn them. Darn them to heck.
Seriously, the only big deal would most likely be their desire to put on a Verizon logo. I have no problem with that. I use a covering case anyway.
your not honestly implying that any of those appstores are superior to THE app store, are you?
Although technically subjective, its hard to argue that point.
As for being able to use skype/slingbox on 3G...I'd rather have to jailbreak in order to do so (technically possible on iPhone), than NOT HAVE WIFI AT ALL to use them with, because Verizon is so controlling, they lock wifi out of the majority of phones on their network (storm, anyone?)
not to mention their awful history of crippling phone features (bluetooth on the razr, for 1 example) in order to force people to buy wallpapers/ringtones, etc, from their verizon store (can't make em yourself and bluetooth them over, gotta pay $3 for a 30 second clip of a $1 song)
throw on their classically AWFUL vcast software they cram onto every phone, and what are you left with?
-an iPhone that isn't an iPhone, because you don't have the iPhone software. Just some red piece of crap. Theme away....it still sucks under the hood
-the ability to use any app store...to download overpriced, garbage can apps from verizon, or maybe some decent apps from 3rd parties, either way, not nearly as good as Apples app store
-skype, slingbox over slow 3G! but not on your nonexistent WiFi
-iTunes syncing? but that'd allow you to add your own custom ringtones! we can't have that! Get em from VCast!
but be glad they don't take your camera. Probably the ability to use photos as a wallpaper (gotta pay for those, tsk tsk), but not your camera
I said that we'd have the freedom to choose what apps we wanted to install.
They don't lock WiFi out of anything. If a phone model comes with WiFi on other CDMA networks, it still has it on Verizon.
There's just far less need for it, because CDMA 3G networks aren't as limited as ATT's. That's partly because they didn't have to spend tons of money adding CDMA systems to get 3G like the GSM networks did.
You're talking about dumbphones. The rest of us are talking about smartphones. Verizon doesn't mess with the UIs or Bluetooth on smartphones.
The real crippling is what Apple and ATT did, and still do, with the iPhone. Almost no Bluetooth profiles from Apple. 3G apps blocked by ATT. Adult apps and third party "duplication" not allowed by Apple. MMS missing because of ATT slowness.
Verizon's a very liberal place for smartphones, in comparison.
And if it did happen, it would be so crapped up from Verizon that it would be almost useless.
I LOL'd at this. And why is it that we don't have MMS in the U.S. yet?
I do believe Apple controls what you can install on your NON-Jailbroken iPhone via the App Store, not AT&T.
And I'm sure Verizon would "advise" Apple on what they would like to not see in the App Store just like AT&T does.
Agreed, MMS is AT&T's F'up.