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CDMA iPhone on US Cellular

Rodimus Prime said:
Thank your for proving how little you know about LTE and the change over because if you think in 2-3 years Verizon will no longer need there CDMA network and be all on LTE then you are truly clueless.

Verizon CDMA network will be up and running for at least the next 10-15 years if not longer. Hell AT&T and other GSM carrier EDGE network will be running for that much longer and require all the phones to support the older network.
We have had 3G rolled out now for what now 5-6 years and we still quite often have our phones use EDGE.
There is no point to turn off the old system when the other one rules out. It will take decades yes DECADES to complete get LTE up and running. The network is already built out on the older technology.

As for Verizon and Spirit rolling out their 3G network faster than AT&T 3G is because for them it was more of a software change over and not a hardware one. AT&T to get 3G up and running was a hardware change over and to top it off AT&T tower placement was optimism for TDMA style network and AT&T 3G tower network needed to be set up for a CDMA style network.
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Did I say Verizon were going to turn off their CDMA network? :rolleyes:

Verizon's OWN estimate is that they will have that level of coverage in 3 years. http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/25/verizon-lte-rollout-to-be-as-close-to-all-at-once-as-possible/

I agree that the CDMA 3G upgrade was software only. Also it is in Verizon's interest and that of all carriers to keep their old network on as long as possible. It is effectively a cash cow for them. But as far as a world phone is concerned. it's GSM/UMTS. As someone who doesn't live in a country with CDMA, I don't want to pay for that technology. Apple's stance is that one version of a product covers ALL markets. This is how they have done it since Steve returned. The big reason being it cuts down on costs. Apple is a business first.
 
cjmillsnun said:
Did I say Verizon were going to turn off their CDMA network? :rolleyes:

Verizon's OWN estimate is that they will have that level of coverage in 3 years. http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/25/verizon-lte-rollout-to-be-as-close-to-all-at-once-as-possible/

I agree that the CDMA 3G upgrade was software only. Also it is in Verizon's interest and that of all carriers to keep their old network on as long as possible. It is effectively a cash cow for them. But as far as a world phone is concerned. it's GSM/UMTS. As someone who doesn't live in a country with CDMA, I don't want to pay for that technology. Apple's stance is that one version of a product covers ALL markets. This is how they have done it since Steve returned. The big reason being it cuts down on costs. Apple is a business first.
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Again Verizon will leave the old network running for 10+ years and require all phones to be able to fall back on it.

Also their already are chipsets out there that can handle CDMA and GSM phones. One example of that chipset is in the blackberry Storm and Tour. It layman terms it allows the manufacture to make the phone work on any type of set up they want. It turns it into a software issue. Apple could very easily just start using that chipset.
 
Rodimus Prime said:
Again Verizon will leave the old network running for 10+ years and require all phones to be able to fall back on it.

Also their already are chipsets out there that can handle CDMA and GSM phones. One example of that chipset is in the blackberry Storm and Tour. It layman terms it allows the manufacture to make the phone work on any type of set up they want. It turns it into a software issue. Apple could very easily just start using that chipset.
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Would that be coast effective though to add that chipset to all iPhones?
 
Rodimus Prime said:
Again Verizon will leave the old network running for 10+ years and require all phones to be able to fall back on it.

Also their already are chipsets out there that can handle CDMA and GSM phones. One example of that chipset is in the blackberry Storm and Tour. It layman terms it allows the manufacture to make the phone work on any type of set up they want. It turns it into a software issue. Apple could very easily just start using that chipset.
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Where did I say Verizon wouldn't leave the old network running? :rolleyes: If they have the full coverage, they may not demand fallback (I suspect they would, but that is their call not yours).

Whether Apple want the dual technology chipsets is another question. They are more expensive. They require more radios in a tight space (quad band GSM, WiFi (more than likely 802.11n which is dual band as opposed to the single band 802.11b/g that has been used in the iPhone in the past), dual band UMTS HSPA, bluetooth, and then CDMA). It may not leave much room for the other stuff that Apple likes to put in their phones.

It's not just a software issue. If it was, the iPhone 3G and 3GS would work in 3G on T-Mobile's network in the US. It doesn't, because they don't have the radio for the frequency that T-Mobile uses for 3G.
 
jav6454 said:
No. Why? CMDA iPhone ain't happening.
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Apple not putting out a Verizon or another CDMA iPhone is dumb for apple at this point look how much Customers Verizon has if the iPhone was announced to verizon on June 22nd i bet your nearly any one who can get afford to buy it or upgrade to a new phone will go for one. Also if a CDMA iPhone wasnt happening we would hear by now apple signed another exclusive deal with ATT Jav we all know you hate Verizon and just because you say so isnt good enough all the eveidence points to a Verizon iPhone even WSJ is saying it.
 
aristobrat said:
That hasn't been my experience. As long as the provider is willing to accept the device on their network (i.e. Verizon has said that they will accept pretty much any CDMA device), it can work.
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Have you tried it? I have a spare phone here and I just tried to activate it through Verizon's website, but it tells me that the ESN is invalid (presumably because it's not in Verizon's database).
 
Applejuiced said:
Would that be coast effective though to add that chipset to all iPhones?
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That is the real question.

cjmillsnun said:
Where did I say Verizon wouldn't leave the old network running? :rolleyes: If they have the full coverage, they may not demand fallback (I suspect they would, but that is their call not yours).

Whether Apple want the dual technology chipsets is another question. They are more expensive. They require more radios in a tight space (quad band GSM, WiFi (more than likely 802.11n which is dual band as opposed to the single band 802.11b/g that has been used in the iPhone in the past), dual band UMTS HSPA, bluetooth, and then CDMA). It may not leave much room for the other stuff that Apple likes to put in their phones.

It's not just a software issue. If it was, the iPhone 3G and 3GS would work in 3G on T-Mobile's network in the US. It doesn't, because they don't have the radio for the frequency that T-Mobile uses for 3G.
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You should really look into the chip used in the CDMA world phones. The room eaten up for the cell radios is the same as the one used for the GSM world phones that lack the CDMA radios.

It is a pretty interesting chipset that gives the cell manufactures a lot more freedom on what they want to use
 
You can't have any discussion here about the iphone becasue Steve "jav6454" Jobs and Randall "jav6454" Stephenson has all the information and that's final. :p
 
Applejuiced said:
Yes but it wasn't a dual gsm/CDMA phone. They had different models for different networks.
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No, I agree. IIRC those chips didn't exist. Motorola had to build a whole different phone for those two years, still made a LOT of money on the RAZR. Probably be cheaper now due to more sophisticated and smaller silicone. The CDMA iPhone ought to be a slam/dunk.



Applejuiced said:
The CDMA model was noticeably bigger in size.
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Nope. Happen to have one of each right here in my desk drawer. The lower one is T-Mobile GSM, the other is Cellular 2000 CDMA before it acquired by Verizon.

They're identical in size and external configuration.

As you can see, the lower one has been submerged. I tried to take it back to Apple and get it replaced under Applecare, but they said "no deal". Cheap bastards.
 

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Hmac said:
No, I agree. IIRC those chips didn't exist. Motorola had to build a whole different phone for those two years, still made a LOT of money on the RAZR. Probably be cheaper now due to more sophisticated and smaller silicone. The CDMA iPhone ought to be a slam/dunk.





Nope. Happen to have one of each right here in my desk drawer. The lower one is T-Mobile GSM, the other is Cellular 2000 CDMA before it acquired by Verizon.

They're identical in size and external configuration.

As you can see, the lower one has been submerged. I tried to take it back to Apple and get it replaced under Applecare, but they said "no deal". Cheap bastards.
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My bad, I must have mistaken it with other models.
I remeber there was many cellphones that when built with CDMA tech they were larger in size compared to the previous gsm ones.
 
jav6454 said:
If that were the case, iPhone3,1 and iPhone 3,2 monikers would have appeared long ago... however, we only have data for iPhone3,1. Hardly means a second version is being tested.

AT&T is.
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You mean like this?

EDIT: crap, too slow.
 
Rodimus Prime said:
Also their already are chipsets out there that can handle CDMA and GSM phones. One example of that chipset is in the blackberry Storm and Tour.
Click to expand...

That chipset won't work with AT&T 3G.

Quad-Band: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks
Single-Band: 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA networks
Dual-Band: 800/1900 MHz CDMA/EVDO Rev A networks
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aristobrat said:
That hasn't been my experience. As long as the provider is willing to accept the device on their network (i.e. Verizon has said that they will accept pretty much any CDMA device), it can work.
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What I said was "There is no way for a user to switch a Verizon CDMA phone to use the Sprint or US Cellular network." What you are talking about is not something a user can do himself; it is something only the network can do.

Rodimus Prime said:
Tell you the truth their is something call and R-UIM out their that is a CDMA version of the SIM card. Just most CDMA carriers choose not to support it.
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Which changes what I said how?

Hell the GSM carriers could go the same way CDMA carriers use and choose to go by the IMEI number to link the phone to the phone number.
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No they can't. What you are describing would make them no longer a GSM carrier.
 
nick1516 said:
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/04/0...eferences-to-new-iphone-ipod-and-ipad-models/
:D
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Hmac said:
Whoops!!

Your take, Jav? Are we now back to just your word vs mine (and the Wall Street Journal)?
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I'll have my take on it...

Remember 1st Gen iPhone?

Well that's iPhone1,1

iPhone 3G? 1,2

3GS? 2,1

next Gen? 3,1 or 2,2? more likely 3,1

What does this all mean? well, the jump from 1,1 to 1,2 signaled a meager update (just GPS + X-Gold 608). The jump from 1,2 to 2,1 heralded faster CPU + 2x RAM + better webcam. The jump to 3,1? Well, I wildly guess front face cam + faster CPU + new X-Gold (to support 5.76Mb/s uploads) + redesign + new feature that 3GS can't have.

3,2? 3,3? Might be an A1 or 512MB RAM.

That all said and done, do realize that we only have a field tested 3,1 on file in Pinch Media. iPad SDK can reference iPhone3,2 or 3,3 but doesn't make their release certain.

A Verizon class iPhone would have long appeared in Pinch Media analytics.

Also, what the hell is iFPGA? We all know iProd2,1 is iPad 2nd Gen.... and that must include something juicy, or it wouldn't be an entire gen increase.
 
Applejuiced said:
My bad, I must have mistaken it with other models.
I remeber there was many cellphones that when built with CDMA tech they were larger in size compared to the previous gsm ones.
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Might of been in the early days but we past that point of it being any type of issue a long time ago. The argument that there is not enough room is pretty bunk as well since the size of cell phone today is not control by technological limitation but one of usability. I want to say cell phones were the smallest in 2004 or 2005 and since then the average size of a cell has been getting larger and we are not talking about just smart phones but across the board. Phone sizes just got larger to be usable.
 
Rodimus Prime said:
The argument that there is not enough room is pretty bunk as well since the size of cell phone today is not control by technological limitation but one of usability.
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Agreed. My dad used to have one of these old GSM phones and it was too small to be usable:

Sorry about the huge pic, thumbnailing only works once it exceeds a certain width, not height.

Panasonic-GD55.jpg
 
If you think Verizon is about to flip the switch on their 3G network, remember TDMA.

This thread is not about if there's a CDMA iPhone, it's about when.
 
Apple has virtually mastered the art of the incremental upgrade. They always leave themselves somewhere to go with the next upgrade.

The iPhone 2G left out 3G/GPS. The iPhone 3G left out the autofocus camera, faster processor, and lots of software features. The iPhone 3GS left out LED flash, higher than 3MP camera, HD video recording, OLED/IPS screen, front facing camera, larger storage, 1GHz processor, multitasking, and also multiple carrier support.

The iPhone HD (or whatever it might be called) could increase the hardware capabilities while extending the iPhone to other carriers.

Why would Apple wait so long?

It is easy to see Apple trying to extract more lucrative terms from Verizon as part of negotiating for access to the iPhone. In 2007, Apple didn't have the hottest handset on the market, but at&t was willing to place a bet. Now in 2010 Apple has the hottest handset on the market and they can come to the table with that.

Cheaper service plans from the carrier mean more phones sold. Who knows?
 
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