Is Verizon full-price superior to T-mobile b/c it has both CMDA & GSM?

[entlassen]

I'm looking to pay full-price for an unlocked phone. I know that the T-mobile no-contract phone on the Apple Store site is assumed to be unlocked. I've also heard that full-priced phones from Verizon also come automatically unlocked. I plan to travel internationally in the future and want a phone that can be accepted by as many countries' carriers as possible.

My questions are:
1) Is the Verizon iPhone 6 superior to the AT&T/T-mobile ones, since it has CDMA in addition to GSM while AT&T/T-mobile only has GSM capabilities?

2) I heard that Verizon iPhones don't let you talk and surf data simultaneously. Is that a limit of the Verizon service, or is it a limit of the Verizon model of phone itself (in which case it would be inferior to the AT&T/T-mobile models)?

2) How would I go about ordering a full-priced Verizon iPhone 6 (which comes unlocked) without committing to any Verizon plan? Specifically, what would I do if I want to buy the Verizon phone and then use it on AT&T on Day 1. The only full-priced option I see on the Verizon website is the "month to month" plan but I'm not sure what Verizon would commit me to (maybe a minimum of 1 month with them?)

 

[Jades]

1. Yes
2. Not related. Verizon, because it uses CDMA for calls, and there isn't a third antenna, that's why voice and data don't work. It will work perfectly on AT&T and tmobile because the calls go over 4G (and now LTE) which is designed to work without issue
3. Best way is to just do the two year contract plan and then just call them up the same day to cancel and wait for the ETF to come in. It all comes out to the same price, give or take a few dollars

 

[illutionz]

Yes and no because if you bought Verizon full price you still have to sign up with them despite the phone being unlocked and have CDMA capabilities (which not many countries in the world use it anyway as everyone is on GSM)

When buying T-Mobile Contract Free version, you don't even have to sign up with them. I am actually planning to see if AT&T can lower my rate once I get my T-Mobile unlocked version but if not then I'll switch. Otherwise I might stick around AT&T for now.

 

[maflynn]

My questions are:
1) Is the Verizon iPhone 6 superior to the AT&T/T-mobile ones, since it has CDMA in addition to GSM while AT&T/T-mobile only has GSM capabilities?

Most of the world is on GSM, I'd say CDMA capabilities do not make the verizon iPhone superior but the fact if you buy it, the phone is unlocked.

2) I heard that Verizon iPhones don't let you talk and surf data simultaneously. Is that a limit of the Verizon service, or is it a limit of the Verizon model of phone itself (in which case it would be inferior to the AT&T/T-mobile models)?

You cannot be on a call and surf at the same time with Verizon phones. They say they're working at resolving this but so far you cannot.

2) How would I go about ordering a full-priced Verizon iPhone 6 (which comes unlocked) without committing to any Verizon plan? Specifically, what would I do if I want to buy the Verizon phone and then use it on AT&T on Day 1. The only full-priced option I see on the Verizon website is the "month to month" plan but I'm not sure what Verizon would commit me to (maybe a minimum of 1 month with them?)

I don't believe you can at the moment. Perhaps through verizon's site but I think apple site requires a 2 year contract.

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3. Best way is to just do the two year contract plan and then just call them up the same day to cancel and wait for the ETF to come in. It all comes out to the same price, give or take a few dollars

If you cancel within 30 days, you'll have to return the phone.

 

[rui no onna]

2) How would I go about ordering a full-priced Verizon iPhone 6 (which comes unlocked) without committing to any Verizon plan? Specifically, what would I do if I want to buy the Verizon phone and then use it on AT&T on Day 1. The only full-priced option I see on the Verizon website is the "month to month" plan but I'm not sure what Verizon would commit me to (maybe a minimum of 1 month with them?)

This works.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1776008/

 

[entlassen]

You cannot be on a call and surf at the same time with Verizon phones. They say they're working at resolving this but so far you cannot.

Is the limit on talk-and-surf a defect of the Verizon network, or is it a defect of the phone itself? In other words, is the Verizon version of the phone missing a radio that the AT&T/T-mobile GSM phones have?

 

[HolyGrail]

I know you can't do it with the iPhone but could someone explain to me why my old Verizon HTC thunderbolt and rezound could surf web and talk at the same time.

 

[Diseal3]

I know you can't do it with the iPhone but could someone explain to me why my old Verizon HTC thunderbolt and rezound could surf web and talk at the same time.

All the LTE phones Verizon has except for the iPhone supports multiple antennas that apple refuses to include which is why Surf/Call works on all other LTE phones except iPhone.

 

[HolyGrail]

I know you can't do it with the iPhone but could someone explain to me why my old Verizon HTC thunderbolt and rezound could surf web and talk at the same time.

Found my own answer lol. It's an old quote but it answers my question.

Verizon's 3G data and voice network is CDMA, and only a device with SVDO technology can use voice and data at the same time (as opposed to the current standard EVDO) on CDMA. The first device to do this was the HTC Thunderbolt. The Galaxy S3 also has SVDO, so you can surf and talk at the same time if you have Verizon 3G service.

The VZW iPhone does not have SVDO, so it can't do it. The iPhone on ATT and Tmobile can do this, as those two carriers don't use CDMA - they use GSM, which can do voice and data already. I don't know why specifically, but just know that Tmo and ATT are GSM and Sprint and VZW are CDMA.

Finally, any 4G LTE enabled phone on verizon can do talk and data at the same time, as the data will run over the LTE network and the voice runs over CDMA. So, devices like the Moto Droid Razr and other LTE phones can do talk and data at the same time, but only if LTE service is available. If in a 3G-only area, the Droid Razr can't do talk and surf together.

 

[LoloBond]

If you cancel within 30 days, you'll have to return the phone.

What happen if on day one I put my ATT sim and never return the phone? will they then charge the ETF?

 

[entlassen]

So to summarize, what steps would I need to take to buy a full-priced Verizon phone and be able to use it on AT&T as fast as possible?

 

[rui no onna]

So to summarize, what steps would I need to take to buy a full-priced Verizon phone and be able to use it on AT&T as fast as possible?

Buy without service using the steps detailed in the following thread.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1776008/

 

[wannabepcuser]

So to summarize, what steps would I need to take to buy a full-priced Verizon phone and be able to use it on AT&T as fast as possible?

Go to Verizon, apple or some other retailer and pay full price for the Verizon phone. Then go to att and get a sim from them and insert that sim into the Verizon device. You're done.

 

[entlassen]

Buy without service using the steps detailed in the following thread.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1776008/

Cool I'll check it out.

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Go to Verizon, apple or some other retailer and pay full price for the Verizon phone. Then go to att and get a sim from them and insert that sim into the Verizon device. You're done.

Apple Store doesn't seem to let me order full-priced Verizon iphone 6. Either that I or didn't check hard enough?

Verizon's website has full-price but seems to link to to a month-to-month plan.

 

[silentbob007]

Cool I'll check it out.

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Apple Store doesn't seem to let me order full-priced Verizon iphone 6. Either that I or didn't check hard enough?

Verizon's website has full-price but seems to link to to a month-to-month plan.

I believe you actually have to go to a physical Apple store to buy a VZW full-priced phone.