Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Will the CDMA iPhone work in the U.S.?

kdarling said:
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. :rolleyes:

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.
Click to expand...

Okay, well I stand corrected, since you sound like you know more about Verizon than I do. I was mostly going by hearsay, to tell you the truth, and my own knowledge about how they are about other things other than smartphones. I only have Verizon for my home phone and DSL. Anyway, so much for hearsay.
 
kdarling said:
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.
Click to expand...

they specifically stopped the storm from being made with WiFi
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008...ry-storm-doesnt-have-wi-fi-or-tri-band-hsdpa/

you got me there. They don't mess with the software on smartphones. My mistake. It still is representative of business practices I don't agree with, however. If your going to limit your users, do it for a reason other than "it'll bring in the major bucks"

most of your claims about "crippling" are all on Apple, in this case. I'll agree, they have some pretty obscure and crappy app approval regulations. ATT did block some apps from accessing 3G, though it has been stated that this is mainly related to lack of bandwidth, not so much as greed (something that you cannot argue drives verizon)

they may have a better network (though not from my experience), but I'm much happier with the iPhone being on ATT. At least I'm confident that my money isn't going to a company that does business in a way I agree with.
 
kdarling said:
You're talking about dumbphones. The rest of us are talking about smartphones. Verizon doesn't mess with the UIs or Bluetooth on smartphones.
Click to expand...

Um, perhaps you are not familiar with the BlackBerry 8830 which Verizon crippled GPS functionality on, forcing you to use either a GPS puck or VZ Navigator. They also locked the GSM, yes GSM this is a world phone with both WCDMA and CDMA2000. Sprint took the high road on this and left all features intact.
 
funkdoctor said:
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.
Click to expand...

You don't get it do you.

WCDMA =/= CDMA

If you don't yet see how it works, hit some encyclopedia or Wikipedia.

WCDMA = UMTS and UMTS is 3G for GSM.
 
China Unicom is GSM like AT&T in the US. I know because I'm using 3G on their network right now.
 
alphaod said:
China Unicom is GSM like AT&T in the US. I know because I'm using 3G on their network right now.
Click to expand...

There we go, a real world example from an actual person currently using it explaining that their network is the same as ours.

Now will people finally stop asking if they can use the Chinese iPhone on Verizon?
 
These are the threads that will not end, yes they go on and on my friends, some people, starting posting about Verizon iPhone's not knowing what they were, and they'll continue posting because this is the thread that will not end....
 
yg17 said:
There we go, a real world example from an actual person currently using it explaining that their network is the same as ours.
Click to expand...

It's not the same.

AT&T 3G operates on the 850 and 1900 MHz bands

China Unicom 3G operates on the 1900 and 2100 MHz bands.

These are the 3 bands (3G) that the current iPhone supports.
 
cube said:
It's not the same.

AT&T 3G operates on the 850 and 1900 MHz bands

China Unicom 3G operates on the 1900 and 2100 MHz bands.

These are the 3 bands (3G) that the current iPhone supports.
Click to expand...

The iPhone supports 5 bands, not just 3 3G bands...

UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
 
westone75 said:
The iPhone supports 5 bands, not just 3 3G bands...

UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Click to expand...

I know that. I specified I was talking only about the 3G support, where all phones are still not fully global.
 
cube said:
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.
Click to expand...

I read somewhere that the Chinese iPhone will support WCDMA at 900 MHz. Of course it remains to be seen whether that model of phone will be sold outside China.

We have two big phone carriers here in NZ. Vodafone has the official iPhone rights but it's a 900 MHz network (GSM and WCDMA). Many users have switched to XT, which uses WCDMA at 850 MHz. Apparently the performance is significantly better.

Edit: I've just had an interesting thought. If Apple distributes the 900 MHz model worldwide then I expect Vodafone NZ to pick it up and halt sales of the 850 MHz model. I wonder what will happen with XT in that case; 900 MHz phones will not work on XT. Apple currently sells the 850 MHz model directly via the online Apple Store, but I wonder how long that would continue (Vodafone is the only official iPhone carrier so Apple may switch to only offering a 900 MHz model).
 
Nermal said:
I read somewhere that the Chinese iPhone will support WCDMA at 900 MHz. Of course it remains to be seen whether that model of phone will be sold outside China.
Click to expand...

OK, but it seems it has no WiFi.
 
Hmm. If Apple does intend to sell it elsewhere then it may have Wi-Fi hardware, disabled in the Chinese firmware. Of course, that's just me speculating :)
 
cube said:
It's not the same.

AT&T 3G operates on the 850 and 1900 MHz bands

China Unicom 3G operates on the 1900 and 2100 MHz bands.

These are the 3 bands (3G) that the current iPhone supports.
Click to expand...

It's the same technology. I know they're different bands but it's the same technology, and not CDMA.
 
yg17 said:
It's the same technology. I know they're different bands but it's the same technology, and not CDMA.
Click to expand...

That's right, but you were promoting some random "the network is the same" statement, which is not.
 
cube said:
It's not the same.

AT&T 3G operates on the 850 and 1900 MHz bands

China Unicom 3G operates on the 1900 and 2100 MHz bands.

These are the 3 bands (3G) that the current iPhone supports.
Click to expand...

westone75 said:
The iPhone supports 5 bands, not just 3 3G bands...

UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Click to expand...

mrochester said:
I count 3 3G bands there, not 5.
Click to expand...

rjohnstone said:
Perhaps reading comprehension is not one of your better skills. ;)
I know it's not mine at times, but I understood what he meant. :)

He didn't say it supported 5 3G bands, he said
Click to expand...

westone75 said:
I count 3 3G bands as well, that's why I said 3 3G bands:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

cube said:
I know that. I specified I was talking only about the 3G support, where all phones are still not fully global.
Click to expand...

I'm lost...

[30 minutes later]: Huh?
 
xbuddycorex said:
Why else would people in China be buying used iPhones for double the cost of it brand new?
Click to expand...
Rumor has it china is going to block some of the features on the iPhone like wifi and whatever else they feel threated by.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back