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CDMA vs. GSM "Verizon vs. ATT"

Just to give everyone a general idea...

Advantages of CDMA include:

Increased cellular communications security.
Simultaneous conversations.
Increased efficiency, meaning that the carrier can serve more subscribers.
Smaller phones.
Low power requirements and little cell-to-cell coordination needed by operators.
Extended reach - beneficial to rural users situated far from cells.

Disadvantages of CDMA include:
Due to its proprietary nature, all of CDMA's flaws are not known to the engineering community.
CDMA is relatively new, and the network is not as mature as GSM.
CDMA cannot offer international roaming, a large GSM advantage.

Advantages of GSM:
GSM is already used worldwide with over 450 million subscribers.
International roaming permits subscribers to use one phone throughout Western Europe. CDMA will work in Asia, but not France, Germany, the U.K. and other popular European destinations.
GSM is mature, having started in the mid-80s. This maturity means a more stable network with robust features. CDMA is still building its network.
GSM's maturity means engineers cut their teeth on the technology, creating an unconscious preference.
The availability of Subscriber Identity Modules, which are smart cards that provide secure data encryption give GSM m-commerce advantages.
In brief, GSM is a "more elegant way to upgrade to 3G," says Strategis Group senior wireless analyst Adam Guy.

Disadvantages of GSM:
Lack of access to burgeoning American market.


GSM still holds the upper hand however. There's the numerical advantage for one thing: 456 million GSM users versus CDMA's 82 million.

That is why it is impossible for Apple to finance a network that is not going anywhere but down...
 
Will a Verizon iPhone 4 have a fix for the antenna issue

There are 2 options:
1. The Verizon iPhone 4 will be exactly the same as the AT&T one, except a CDMA instead of GSM.
2. As option 1, but WITH A FIX FIR THE ANTENNA ISSUE.

The fix can be as simple as a small patch or a plaster. But it can be something more interesting...

Would you, as an iPhone 4 owner, feel cheated in case option 2 is true? :confused:

Moti
 
There are 2 options:
1. The Verizon iPhone 4 will be exactly the same as the AT&T one, except a CDMA instead of GSM.
2. As option 1, but WITH A FIX FIR THE ANTENNA ISSUE.

The fix can be as simple as a small patch or a plaster. But it can be something more interesting...

Would you, as an iPhone 4 owner, feel cheated in case option 2 is true? :confused:

Moti
my blog: My Take On Technology


Last time I check "I did not have any issues with my AT&T iPhone 4 nor experience any drop calls, in my location I have 5 bars. If I touch the antennae it goes down to 3 bars, that is if I will touch the antennae. So, why would I feel cheated if I know how to use a phone. For those people who made an issue about the iPhone 4, check it out there is an App for the cavemen...
 
that john gruber can write a blog I tell ya. I'll be danged if I don't want me some Verizon iPhone action after reading that crap. Sign me up.
 
Seriously, whatever happened to that Verizon commercial "Can you hear me now, good"... I guess the can you hear me now thing got caught up with Verizon... 'Can you here me now, nope"
 
There are 2 options:
1. The Verizon iPhone 4 will be exactly the same as the AT&T one, except a CDMA instead of GSM.
2. As option 1, but WITH A FIX FIR THE ANTENNA ISSUE.

The fix can be as simple as a small patch or a plaster. But it can be something more interesting...

Would you, as an iPhone 4 owner, feel cheated in case option 2 is true? :confused:"

Does anyone think that "option 3" might be a 3GS that is CDMA for Verizon?
 
The Total Addressable Market for a Verizon iPhone is really small considering that a bunch of people on Verizon have re-upped their contracts this year for cheap or free Android phones.

Any CDMA device from Apple would be targeting China and other international markets with the US as an after thought (if at all).

Anyone who desperately wanted an iPhone 4 in the US already has one or is still waiting to upgrade as an AT&T customer with a previous iPhone model.
 
How does he know its for VZW? What if its for china or another country that uses CDMA?

VZW seems pretty into the Android movement right now. Would they try and pick up some iphone market too? Seems like it would bring a crash on their Android sales. Most people only buy an android phone on VZW because they love VZW and want a smartphone. If they could get an iphone AND stay on VZW, there'd be no need for android phones.
 
Touchy.

There's a far bigger untapped GSM market than there is an untapped CMDA2000 market, you'll probably see the iPhone in third world countries than Verizon first. <snip>

Not really when you factor in the Chinese market. iPhone knock offs sell like hot cakes there. Apple would be silly not to get their share of that cash.

Yes, there is also an untapped market for GSM phones that is worth pursing. It's just that Apple has to get out from under the exclusivity agreement with AT&T. Depending upon who you listen to it is not up until 2012 or next year according to others. At this point it is difficult to know whether the rumored phone is actually a U.S. model that is just a test mule or is one getting ready for introduction in '11. I hope that it is actually just a test mule (iP4) because the iP5 is not yet ready. I want to see the iP5 in Jan/Feb '11. We shall see.
 
<snip>That is why it is impossible for Apple to finance a network that is not going anywhere but down...

As far as I am aware, Apple is not financing anybody's network.

People make much too big a deal out of making handsets that use different chip sets for different networks. What do you think engineers are for?
 
As far as I am aware, Apple is not financing anybody's network.

People make much too big a deal out of making handsets that use different chip sets for different networks. What do you think engineers are for?

exactly...plus why to companies like RIM and HTC make handsets with different chips? one answer = $$$...and a lot of it

If apple is smart, they'll do the same :apple:
 
Just to give everyone a general idea...

Advantages of CDMA include:

Increased cellular communications security.
Simultaneous conversations.
Increased efficiency, meaning that the carrier can serve more subscribers.
Smaller phones.
Low power requirements and little cell-to-cell coordination needed by operators.
Extended reach - beneficial to rural users situated far from cells.

Disadvantages of CDMA include:
Due to its proprietary nature, all of CDMA's flaws are not known to the engineering community.
CDMA is relatively new, and the network is not as mature as GSM.
CDMA cannot offer international roaming, a large GSM advantage.

Advantages of GSM:
GSM is already used worldwide with over 450 million subscribers.
International roaming permits subscribers to use one phone throughout Western Europe. CDMA will work in Asia, but not France, Germany, the U.K. and other popular European destinations.
GSM is mature, having started in the mid-80s. This maturity means a more stable network with robust features. CDMA is still building its network.
GSM's maturity means engineers cut their teeth on the technology, creating an unconscious preference.
The availability of Subscriber Identity Modules, which are smart cards that provide secure data encryption give GSM m-commerce advantages.
In brief, GSM is a "more elegant way to upgrade to 3G," says Strategis Group senior wireless analyst Adam Guy.

Disadvantages of GSM:
Lack of access to burgeoning American market.


GSM still holds the upper hand however. There's the numerical advantage for one thing: 456 million GSM users versus CDMA's 82 million.

That is why it is impossible for Apple to finance a network that is not going anywhere but down...

Dude, the Ed Sutherland article (http://www.m-indya.com/gsm/CDMA-vs-GSM.htm) you cut and pasted from was written before 2001. Verizon alone reported 92.1 million customers last month. Then throw in China/Asia/Korea. I kinda don't believe the totals in your post. GSM has more users, but then again, so does Microsoft. And I think the cell provider finances the network, apple just makes the handset. If they do, they should use some of my apple money to build a freaking tower in my area.
 
Not really when you factor in the Chinese market.

China Telecom is the only Chinese carrier that has CDMA for voice service, even then it also has a GSM network. The rest that do have CDMA towers still running only have it for mobile broadband.

GSM *only* Carriers in China:
China Mobile - 527.398mil subscribers
China Unicom - 142.80mil

CDMA Carriers in China - 56.09mil

Just for fun Vodafone - 427.99mil


Verizon 92.8mil

Fun fact, the top 16 cellphone providers in the world use GSM technology.

CDMA is chump change in comparison.
 
Ahh, I don't follow 2degrees (no coverage here) but I didn't know that it sold iPhones. But yeah, I'm sure that Vodafone NZ isn't the only operator in the world with subsidies :)

Really? Because 2degress roams off Vodafone whenever they don't have their own towers. Or do you live in those rare rural areas where there is only telecom reception?

I smell porkies.
 
Really? Because 2degress roams off Vodafone whenever they don't have their own towers. Or do you live in those rare rural areas where there is only telecom reception?

I smell porkies.

I live in a valley and can get both of Telecom's networks but neither of Vodafone's.
 
It is. In most advanced countries it's been switched off. Ho hum...

And the countries that still have it just happen to be the homes of the heaviest hitters in the mobile industry.

Out of curiousity, are there any australian high tech companies?
 
China Telecom is the only Chinese carrier that has CDMA for voice service, even then it also has a GSM network. The rest that do have CDMA towers still running only have it for mobile broadband.

GSM *only* Carriers in China:
China Mobile - 527.398mil subscribers
China Unicom - 142.80mil

CDMA Carriers in China - 56.09mil

Just for fun Vodafone - 427.99mil


Verizon 92.8mil

Fun fact, the top 16 cellphone providers in the world use GSM technology.

CDMA is chump change in comparison.

Yes, but that is still a sufficiently large market for Apple to bother putting together a handset. There are also reports of Apple purchasing large numbers of CDMA chips.

Either way, Apple is going to offer handsets for more carriers or forgo the opportunities...which Android handset manufacturers will happily accept.

Personally, I like the SIM card format used with GSM phones so that you can swap things around to another handset whenever you want, not that that has anything to do with the actual technical standard.
 
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