If iPhone were on Verizon 4G how would coverage be

[swingerofbirch]

OK....so first off I hope this question hasn't been asked because I know someone's gonna scream use the search function, and as far as I could tell, this question hasn't been asked.... (Ducks and hides in case it has)

Right now, Apple probably won't do a Verizon iPhone because CDMA is a dying technology (unfortunately it's also the only one that works well where I live...), so people have said when Verizon moves to 4G/LTE, that Apple may then make a Verizon iPhone.....my question is, would Verizon moving to 4G or LTE, or whatever, automatically make their whole network switch to a standard compatible with iPhone, or would it mean only the advanced areas where they upgrade to 4G/LTE would be compatible meaning that the reception would actually be worse than with ATT until they get 4G everywhere they now have voice coverage which I am assuming is with CDMA.

Does that question make sense?

Like basically, right now with ATT you have voice a lot of places and then Edge in some places and 3G in even fewer places, so my question to put it another way is, would Verizon moving to a compatible standard (4G) be analogous as just having coverage where ATT now has 3G, or would them going 4G blanket everywhere they currently have voice coverage with a iPhone compatible network for at least voice?

OK, I don't know if that helped clarify.....I'm having trouble expressing myself because I don't know a lot about networks

 

[xmnj]

OK....so first off I hope this question hasn't been asked because I know someone's gonna scream use the search function, and as far as I could tell, this question hasn't been asked.... (Ducks and hides in case it has)

Right now, Apple probably won't do a Verizon iPhone because CDMA is a dying technology (unfortunately it's also the only one that works well where I live...), so people have said when Verizon moves to 4G/LTE, that Apple may then make a Verizon iPhone.....my question is, would Verizon moving to 4G or LTE, or whatever, automatically make their whole network switch to a standard compatible with iPhone, or would it mean only the advanced areas where they upgrade to 4G/LTE would be compatible meaning that the reception would actually be worse than with ATT until they get 4G everywhere they now have voice coverage which I am assuming is with CDMA.

Does that question make sense?

Like basically, right now with ATT you have voice a lot of places and then Edge in some places and 3G in even fewer places, so my question to put it another way is, would Verizon moving to a compatible standard (4G) be analogous as just having coverage where ATT now has 3G, or would them going 4G blanket everywhere they currently have voice coverage with a iPhone compatible network for at least voice?

OK, I don't know if that helped clarify.....I'm having trouble expressing myself because I don't know a lot about networks

That would be the case if Apple released a LTE version of the iPhone. The only reason I think Verizon would not get the iPhone, or it would be a one off, is because Verizon only plans to use LTE for data not voice, they still have plans to use their 1X network to handle voice calls for some years ahead.

 

[kdarling]

Right now, Apple probably won't do a Verizon iPhone because CDMA is a dying technology ....

If CDMA is "dying" because of an eventual move to all LTE, then so is GSM for the same reason.

In other words, at some point in the future, no current GSM or CDMA phone will work in the USA.

LTE is not GSM. It is something new and totally incompatible with either old protocol.

 

[DaGreat01]

I have no idea what this voice and LTE means but i think it has something to do with what ima about to say though lol. The fact that Verison doesnt even use sim cards make is seem like it would make apple go too out of its way to adjust the iPhone for the non-sim card carriers. Just how the laymen person see it lol.

 

[swingerofbirch]

If CDMA is "dying" because of an eventual move to all LTE, then so is GSM for the same reason.

In other words, at some point in the future, no current GSM or CDMA phone will work in the USA.

LTE is not GSM. It is something new and totally incompatible with either old protocol.

So I'm assuming that means any LTE phone will also have to be GSM or CDMA...I mean unless LTE is some type of technology where you can rapidly deploy it, otherwise it seems like you'll be cutting a lot of service out for the sake of a faster technology.

 

[Mike2128]

So I'm assuming that means any LTE phone will also have to be GSM or CDMA...I mean unless LTE is some type of technology where you can rapidly deploy it, otherwise it seems like you'll be cutting a lot of service out for the sake of a faster technology.

Yes, most devices will have to be backwards compatible with one type of network. Verizon has stated it hopes to have LTE built out nationwide by 2013 and will be the only nationwide 4G for a while.

 

[Michael CM1]

Basically, Verizon would need the 4G/LTE coverage to compensate for the fact that Apple probably won't build in any legacy CDMA compatibility. Apple will most likely build in GSM legacy compatibility when 4G networks arrive on AT&T since it's what most of the world uses.

 

[swingerofbirch]

Hmm.....so this Verizon stuff doesn't sound as next year as others have said...that's why I've been asking all these questions....I want an iPhone, and was gonna buy whatever one came out, but I was both underwhelmed (mostly by the aesthetics..I'm a snob, I know), and then just not wanting to spend a few thou over the next two years and end up like one of these posters talking about getting kicked in the balls by ATT. Practicality and desire are battling each other in my mind....best phone on the market and bad network versus my boring flip phone and good voice coverage.