CDMA Verizon Iphone work on other CDMA providers?

[davedee123]

Hello,
I am on Sprint service, i have no plans on changing my service, however i would love to have an iphone.
Seeing that the Verizon Iphone is calibrated to work on CDMA network, is it possible to buy the Verizon phone and use it on another CDMA service such as Sprint without having to jailbreak the phone?

 

[ulbador]

With CDMA, the new provider has to put the phone in their system and the old provider has to remove it from their system. It will be interesting to see how this works.

The new carrier can refuse to accept the device on their network, which means you wouldn't be able to do it.

Usually, with CDMA, you actually have to Flash the phone to include the new carrier's settings. Again, I have no idea how this will actually end up working though.

 

[labman]

Already discussed but in short sprint has to give permission or accept the phone and Sprint most likely will not.

 

[dave420]

Already discussed but in short sprint has to give permission or accept the phone and Sprint most likely will not.

Why would Sprint refuse to allow the IPhone on their network? I've seen a lot of people say this, but never heard the reasoning behind it.

 

[palmerc2]

If I were in your position I'd just wait it out if you can, yesterday marks the end of the att exclusivity of the iPhone. I am sure apple and sprint are working hand in hand right now to bring the iPhone to their network

 

[nora47]

If I were in your position I'd just wait it out if you can, yesterday marks the end of the att exclusivity of the iPhone. I am sure apple and sprint are working hand in hand right now to bring the iPhone to their network

ohh your so sure huh? Just like im sure their talking with metropcs, tmobile, cricket, virgin...etc.....

 

[heisenberg123]

ohh your so sure huh? Just like im sure their talking with metropcs, tmobile, cricket, virgin...etc.....

i wouldnt think it would be a stretch to say other carriers will start to get it, in Canada ..Rogers was the first to get it, now all the major carries have it, cant see why Sprint and TMobile wont be soon after Verizon now that the monoply is over

Apple would be stupid to not allow any carrier to have it, since they dont have a contract with att anymore

 

[Applejuiced]

With CDMA, the new provider has to put the phone in their system and the old provider has to remove it from their system. It will be interesting to see how this works.

The new carrier can refuse to accept the device on their network, which means you wouldn't be able to do it.

Usually, with CDMA, you actually have to Flash the phone to include the new carrier's settings. Again, I have no idea how this will actually end up working though.

Yes, this will be interesting to see if Verizon or Apple will allow that to happen and have people try to use it on Sprint or MetroPCS for example.

i wouldnt think it would be a stretch to say other carriers will start to get it, in Canada ..Rogers was the first to get it, now all the major carries have it, cant see why Sprint and TMobile wont be soon after Verizon now that the monoply is over

Apple would be stupid to not allow any carrier to have it, since they dont have a contract with att anymore

I wouldnt be surprised if they held off offering it to Sprint or Tmobile untill the summer when the next iphone version will be out.
Leave VZ have their shot at it for 6 months maybe.

 

[Ikyo]

With CDMA, the MSID/ESN has to be provisioned in their network to be allowed. Because the device is for Verizon only at this time, Sprint does not have the ESN programmed into their network. They won't do it on an ad-hoc basis. If they activated the phone on to the network, they would then have to troubleshoot any problems or issues with it. Because they don't offer the phone, they aren't able to provide that.

 

[Paden]

Per a conversation I had with an AT&T rep on the phone yesterday evening, the exclusivity deal is not up until February, which is when you can actually get a Verizon iPhone.

 

[labman]

Per a conversation I had with an AT&T rep on the phone yesterday evening, the exclusivity deal is not up until February, which is when you can actually get a Verizon iPhone.

Rep stats the obvious. Just fyi they are not known as the best source for info.

 

[monkey28rb]

You could always try and clon your old phones esn and put it on the iPhone (if thats even possible with it) but who knows, everyone will just have to wait and see.

With CDMA, the new provider has to put the phone in their system and the old provider has to remove it from their system. It will be interesting to see how this works.

The new carrier can refuse to accept the device on their network, which means you wouldn't be able to do it.

Usually, with CDMA, you actually have to Flash the phone to include the new carrier's settings. Again, I have no idea how this will actually end up working though.

 

[Paden]

Rep stats the obvious. Just fyi they are not known as the best source for info.

Yeah I know. Just repeating words from the most credible source I have which is better than "a source in the know" like the wsj.

 

[lokerd]

Probably a stupid question, but I have an iPhone 4 with no phone service. I got it to have a wifi point and shoot camera. I ended up taking the chip out of my 3G iPad to make the iPhone even more useful. I hadn't planned on doing this when I paid 450$ for the iPhone on eBay, but now imam super pleased with how it is working out.

I am also on Sprint. Changing carriers is not an option because of the legacy Sprint plan I have for the early smart phone centro. I only pay $70 for two phones with a list full of unlimited features.

Anyway, just curious, if Sprint does accept the iPhone in, is there any way to make this AT&T SIM driven phone work on the Sprint network?

I think I know the answer...that they are different crunches and no. I guess I am jus wondering if there is a hack, or some other solution.

 

[Applejuiced]

Probably a stupid question, but I have an iPhone 4 with no phone service. I got it to have a wifi point and shoot camera. I ended up taking the chip out of my 3G iPad to make the iPhone even more useful. I hadn't planned on doing this when I paid 450$ for the iPhone on eBay, but now imam super pleased with how it is working out.

I am also on Sprint. Changing carriers is not an option because of the legacy Sprint plan I have for the early smart phone centro. I only pay $70 for two phones with a list full of unlimited features.

Anyway, just curious, if Sprint does accept the iPhone in, is there any way to make this AT&T SIM driven phone work on the Sprint network?

I think I know the answer...that they are different crunches and no. I guess I am jus wondering if there is a hack, or some other solution.

No, you will never be able to use a gsm phone on a CDMA carrier.

 

[Consultant]

Probably a stupid question, but I have an iPhone 4 with no phone service. I got it to have a wifi point and shoot camera. I ended up taking the chip out of my 3G iPad to make the iPhone even more useful. I hadn't planned on doing this when I paid 450$ for the iPhone on eBay, but now imam super pleased with how it is working out.

I am also on Sprint. Changing carriers is not an option because of the legacy Sprint plan I have for the early smart phone centro. I only pay $70 for two phones with a list full of unlimited features.

Anyway, just curious, if Sprint does accept the iPhone in, is there any way to make this AT&T SIM driven phone work on the Sprint network?

I think I know the answer...that they are different crunches and no. I guess I am jus wondering if there is a hack, or some other solution.

NO. Nope. Not possible.

GSM (used by 90% of the world) and CDMA (Sprint) are not compatible.

 

[thelatinist]

Yeah I know. Just repeating words from the most credible source I have which is better than "a source in the know" like the wsj.

Actually, I suspect that the sources the WSJ cites are far more knowledgeable than an AT&T service rep. They have been very accurate in their reporting in the past and must in fact have an inside source; in fact, there is widespread speculation that the WSJ is getting controlled leaks from Apple. The fact that their sources are anonymous does not make them necessarily wrong. On the other hand, I know an AT&T service rep who is emphatic that she is told nothing and knows nothing that you can't find online. Anything she tells a customer about the future of the iPhone is just speculation, just like ours, and imbuing it with authority simply because she works for AT&T is unwarranted.

 

[applerocks123]

jailbreak

You could jailbreak then unlock it and it MIGHT work but im not totally sure i know people do that for T-Mobile

 

[Paden]

Actually, I suspect that the sources the WSJ cites are far more knowledgeable than an AT&T service rep. They have been very accurate in their reporting in the past and must in fact have an inside source; in fact, there is widespread speculation that the WSJ is getting controlled leaks from Apple. The fact that their sources are anonymous does not make them necessarily wrong. On the other hand, I know an AT&T service rep who is emphatic that she is told nothing and knows nothing that you can't find online. Anything she tells a customer about the future of the iPhone is just speculation, just like ours, and imbuing it with authority simply because she works for AT&T is unwarranted.

Until the wsj releases their source, I will not trust it. Granted, a tier 1 rep might not know everything, but they have a clue. Regardless of all that, I'm really not trying to say that the person I talked to WAS more knowledgeable, just that it was the only source I had and that I don't trust sources that are unnamed.

 

[Paden]

You could jailbreak then unlock it and it MIGHT work but im not totally sure i know people do that for T-Mobile

Tmobile and att operate on the same GSM network/frequencies but different UMTS/WCDMA frequencies. This is why you can unlock an iPhone and use it on Tmobile. Sprint operates on a PCS network that utilizes CDMA. Thus, an iPhone on att will not EVER work in Sprint. EVER.

 

[McBeats]

Why would Sprint refuse to allow the IPhone on their network? I've seen a lot of people say this, but never heard the reasoning behind it.

as long as you are not locked in a contract with them, I don't see why they wouldn't.

 

[nebo1ss]

There is every reason to believe that Apple will open up to other carriers as well in the US. In Canada once the Rogers exclusivity ended all carriers eventually got the phone. Same thing in UK it was O2 only and when the contract ended all carriers now offer the phone.

SIM free phones from Apple only became available after the single carrier contracts ended. Perhaps they will also be available in the US soon with the end of the exclusivity contracts.

 

[labman]

as long as you are not locked in a contract with them, I don't see why they wouldn't.

part of the logic and hope is that you will pick or buy one of there phones. in many cases people renew there contracts etc. Sprint and Verizon both have a track record for not allowing phones from the other network. at the next WWDC around June there might be more carriers offered that would be my guess.