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iPhone 7/Plus AT&T iPhone 7 On Verizon?

Channan

Channan

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Mar 7, 2012
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New Orleans
Before you jump ahead and say it won't work, I already know the Intel modem inside the AT&T model doesn't support CDMA, so that's a no-go on 3G period, but the Intel iPhone 7 still supports all the LTE bands Verizon uses and Verizon does have VoLTE.

So I was just curious if an unlocked AT&T iPhone 7 would work on Verizon's LTE network or not at all, with or without VoLTE. I use Hangouts for all my calls and texts so all I need is data anyway.
 
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AutoUnion39 said:
Do a search on Reddit or Howardforums. There was a post asking this exact thing a few weeks ago.
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I already tried Googling it and narrowed my search down a ton before posting this thread. Couldn't find anything discussing it. But I'll go check Reddit. Thanks.
 
Channan said:
I read all the comments in that thread, and it seems like nobody understands why OP is having an issue with data on LTE. There doesn't seem to be any reason why the Intel iPhone 7 can't at least get data on Verizon's LTE network unless either Verizon or Apple is intentionally keeping the iPhone 7 from working on Verizon.
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That would be my guess, that verizon/Apple intentionally blocked it so it either fully works or it doesnt at all.
This way people cannot get partial service like data only on LTE network access but not any cdma connection etc....
 
Channan said:
I read all the comments in that thread, and it seems like nobody understands why OP is having an issue with data on LTE. There doesn't seem to be any reason why the Intel iPhone 7 can't at least get data on Verizon's LTE network unless either Verizon or Apple is intentionally keeping the iPhone 7 from working on Verizon.
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Perhaps because despite LTE the foundation of Verizon voice and even data (when LTE isn't available) is still CDMA and likely until that goes away the only phones that Verizon would allow are those that support CDMA (even if they would just work on LTE on its own).
 
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C DM said:
Perhaps because despite LTE the foundation of Verizon voice and even data (when LTE isn't available) is still CDMA and likely until that goes away the only phones that Verizon would allow are those that support CDMA (even if they would just work on LTE on its own).
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But there have been other phones that worked on Verizon's LTE network only. Apparently Verizon is not allowed to block them. And Verizon has more LTE coverage than most carriers have total coverage, which should be more than good enough for LTE-only devices. After all, it won't be much longer until Verizon starts selling phones without CDMA at all.
 
Channan said:
But there have been other phones that worked on Verizon's LTE network only. Apparently Verizon is not allowed to block them. And Verizon has more LTE coverage than most carriers have total coverage, which should be more than good enough for LTE-only devices. After all, it won't be much longer until Verizon starts selling phones without CDMA at all.
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Curious, which other such phones are working like that and how do they work exactly? I believe LTE coverage is certainly quite widespread for Verizon, but VoLTE might not be supported in all of those areas, which I imagine would be needed for voice. Thinking about it some more, perhaps it has something to do with e911 compliance as well, or something similar, as the phone might not be considered as such if it would only function correctly just in LTE areas (and perhaps only in those that support VoLTE)?
 
C DM said:
Curious, which other such phones are working like that and how do they work exactly? I believe LTE coverage is certainly quite widespread for Verizon, but VoLTE might not be supported in all of those areas, which I imagine would be needed for voice. Thinking about it some more, perhaps it has something to do with e911 compliance as well, or something similar, as the phone might not be considered as such if it would only function correctly just in LTE areas (and perhaps only in those that support VoLTE)?
Click to expand...
Z3 Compact.

And VoLTE is supported everywhere LTE is available on Verizon.
 
I remember widespread speculation in tech blogs last year that the HTC One A9 would become the first non-CDMA phone officially supported by Verizon. That never came to fruition. However it does raise an interesting question of at what point will Verizon's VoLTE coverage be widespread enough that it will begin selling and supporting non CDMA phones. The complete sunset of CDMA may still be several years away, but prior to turning off CDMA entirely, there will probably be an earlier point in time where non CDMA phones become supported.
 
Cardsfan85 said:
I remember widespread speculation in tech blogs last year that the HTC One A9 would become the first non-CDMA phone officially supported by Verizon. That never came to fruition. However it does raise an interesting question of at what point will Verizon's VoLTE coverage be widespread enough that it will begin selling and supporting non CDMA phones. The complete sunset of CDMA may still be several years away, but prior to turning off CDMA entirely, there will probably be an earlier point in time where non CDMA phones become supported.
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I thought it was supposed to be this year, but maybe it's next year that Verizon will sell its first LTE-only phone.
 
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Channan said:
And VoLTE is supported everywhere LTE is available on Verizon.
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Just curious, is VoLTE even able to call people on other networks yet? I thought I remember seeing an article that VoLTE isn't fully interoperable between all carriers atm. Also, what about if you have to call a business or landline?

Edit: Article from Nov, 2016 http://www.businessinsider.com/att-...together-for-high-quality-volte-calls-2016-11
At the time of writing, AT&T told me that the efforts to make AT&T and Verizon fully compatible with each other for VoLTE calls is still incomplete, and work will continue into 2017. So, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones to experience AT&T and Verizon's interoperability in its early stages.
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Update: T-Mobile has confirmed with me that it's working to upgrade the technology that will offer VoLTE interoperability with other carriers, and we can expect it "soon." It also said interoperable VoLTE service is partially dependent on other carriers updating their technology, as well.
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Hal~9000 said:
Just curious, is VoLTE even able to call people on other networks yet?
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It has always been able to call other networks. What you are specifically referring to is the use of higher-bitrate codecs (HD Voice) between two different carriers.

It seems to be active in the Northeast. I'm on AT&T. I call people with VZW VoLTE devices and the call quality is like an AT&T-AT&T HD Voice call.
 
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AutoUnion39 said:
It has always been able to call other networks. What you are specifically referring to is the use of higher-bitrate codecs (HD Voice) between two different carriers.

It seems to be active in the Northeast. I'm on AT&T. I call people with VZW VoLTE devices and the call quality is like an AT&T-AT&T HD Voice call.
Click to expand...

I travel an area around several areas, Baltimore, DC and NoVA, and Richmond.

I can only seem to get a clearly HD Voice call from one fairly new iPhone to another one!
[doublepost=1480295183][/doublepost]Oh, my goodness. LOL....

Is anybody else as old as me and can remember hacking the Motorola StarTAC to force it to deliver higher bitrate voice calls?

:)
 
George Knighton said:
So, has anybody done this, yet? :)

Can't help being curious.
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I feel like the only way I'm ever going to find out is to wait until late next year when my dad upgrades to the next iPhone and I can get his iPhone 7 unlocked, then put my Verizon SIM card in it.
 
Channan said:
I feel like it's been enough time that somebody has to have tried it by now?
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I switched from ATT to Verizon with an iPhone 7. Voice works great, tethering painfully slow - but works. Tried in multiple locations. Other Verizon devices are much faster with tethering in the same locations. Just need this phone until the iPhone X is delivered.
 
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