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How do you kill the CDMA radio on a Verizon phone?

For example, with any GSM iPhone, you can pull the SIM and use it like an iPod touch w/ GPS.

I had a CDMA iPhone 4 (trash device someone gave me), and there was NO WAY to turn off the cellular radio. It would drain battery all the time (as it tried to maintain a cell signal, even with no service).

Middle of nowhere with a CDMA phone = battery drain. No good as a GPS device.

Middle of nowhere with GSM phone = pull SIM. Great as a GPS device.

Assuming it is activated on a CDMA network just turn airplane mode on and then turn back on wifi. I can't speak for the 4, but for the 4S that I had if you had been using it on a GSM network and just pulled the sim while it wasn't activated on Verizon it seemed to work, or at least I didn't ever see a noticeable reduction in battery life.
 
Couldn't you just deactivate the cdma number that was on that phone and transfer that number to another phone thus leaving that iphone inactive?
Or wost case just put it on airplane mode so its shuts off all radios, avoiding battery drain and then just turn on wifi only to use data as an ipod touch?

We actually have experience doing this with my wife's phone. As soon as your pull the verizon sim and pop in another sim (maybe even before) the new carrier takes over. She never showed back up on Verizon after doing that.

EDIT: While what I said is true it does't seem to pertain to what you all are talking about. I am tired and confused lo.
 
Well, from these responses, I guess I'm NEVER getting a Verizon phone.

Putting it in Airplane mode kills GPS.
See here: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1355

Deactivating it from Verizon still causes it to seek cellular signal and hold onto it (how else could it ever reactivate?).

Everyone above me that responded saying to just turn on Airplane mode, make note: it does not work.

Going with an AT&T or T-Mobile iPhone is the only way to have a device you can truly separate from the carrier.

The Verizon one will either keep searching for a cell signal (bad for battery life), or won't have functional GPS (bad if you're out hiking or camping).

To make it simple:

*) AT&T or T-Mobile iPhone: pull the SIM and you have a fully functional iPod touch with GPS.

*) Verizon iPhone: pull the SIM and you have a CDMA device constantly searching for a cell tower.

Now which one would you want as a spare device or to take on vacation or a camping trip?
 
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The Verizon one will either keep searching for a cell signal (bad for battery life), or won't have functional GPS (bad if you're out hiking or camping).

Turning on airplane mode and turning wifi back on seems to work to have the GPS working fine for me, I just tested it again making sure that I wasn't connected to any wifi network and it got my location accurately.
 
Well, from these responses, I guess I'm NEVER getting a Verizon phone.

Putting it in Airplane mode kills GPS.
See here: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1355

Deactivating it from Verizon still causes it to seek cellular signal and hold onto it (how else could it ever reactivate?).

Everyone above me that responded saying to just turn on Airplane mode, make note: it does not work.

Going with an AT&T or T-Mobile iPhone is the only way to have a device you can truly separate from the carrier.

The Verizon one will either keep searching for a cell signal (bad for battery life), or won't have functional GPS (bad if you're out hiking or camping).

To make it simple:

*) AT&T or T-Mobile iPhone: pull the SIM and you have a fully functional iPod touch with GPS.

*) Verizon iPhone: pull the SIM and you have a CDMA device constantly searching for a cell tower.

Now which one would you want as a spare device or to take on vacation or a camping trip?
Except that putting it in airplane mode actually does work.
 
...so my tests are wrong and Apple is wrong?

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1355

When you enable airplane mode from the Settings screen, an airplane icon (
305975_2.png
) appears in the status bar at the top of the screen and the following wireless connections and services are turned off:

  • Cellular (voice and data)
  • Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth
  • GPS
  • Location services

Software developers:
http://support.motionx.com/motionx-...en-my-iphone-4-3gs-or-3g-is-in-airplane-mode/

When in airplane mode, the GPS chipset is disabled by the iPhone™. Third party iPhone™ applications cannot override or alter the airplane mode functionality to enable the GPS chipset.

Turning on WiFi gets Location Services working again, but that is based on WiFi AP triangulation (similar to how the original iPhone would determine location without GPS). It won't help if you're in the middle of nowhere and "off the grid" (camping or hiking, for example).

GPS will work anywhere outside.
 
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Now which one would you want as a spare device or to take on vacation or a camping trip?
Subjective matter. Each needs to decide using his/her own priorities rather than an assumption that one particular need/want is universal.

similar to how the original iPhone would determine location with GPS.
Odd choice of words given the distinction you were trying to make regarding WiFi AP triangulation and GPS. The original didn't have a GPS receiver so it wasn't "with GPS".

Just remember a Verizon iPhone is only GSM unlocked and not LTE unlocked. You can get Edge, 3G, and HSPA+. You will not be able to get LTE speeds.
Just remember the restriction that Verizon has to adhere to as part of its 700Mhz spectrum licensing:
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/2...s-required-by-fcc-network-access-regulations/

(e) Handset locking prohibited. No licensee may disable features on handsets it provides to customers, to the extent such features are compliant with the licensee's standards pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section, nor configure handsets it provides to prohibit use of such handsets on other providers' networks.

"Prohibited" doesn't mean that Verizon can pick and choose what to lock or leave unlocked.
 
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What is the rationale for disabling GPS when in airplane mode anyway? GPS only receives, it does not transmit, so it cannot interfere with an airplane.

I was really annoyed by this when I wanted to use GPS to see my location on an airliner. I didn't want to turn on the cellular radio while in the air, so I pulled the Sim card tray out a little bit and then was able to use GPS.

This shouldn't be necessary! Airplane mode shouldn't affect GPS.
 
This shouldn't be necessary! Airplane mode shouldn't affect GPS.
Better yet, Apple should just add a separate setting for enabling/disabling GPS like in Android. They already have one for bluetooth and wifi. What's another one for GPS?
 
Better yet, Apple should just add a separate setting for enabling/disabling GPS like in Android. They already have one for bluetooth and wifi. What's another one for GPS?

The funny thing is that the iPad gives you control over more things than the iPhone. I mean, it's not as good as a dedicated GPS toggle like on Android, but it's better than what the iPhone can do.

iPhone:
WiFi, Bluetooth or everything (Airplane mode)

iPad:
WiFi, Bluetooth, Cellular radio, or everything.

Yes, on the celluar-equipped iPad, you can turn off cellular. GPS remains on. No extra battery drain. No searching for service.

So the Verizon iPad can have its cellular shut off and keep using the GPS, but on the Verizon iPhone you cannot disable cellular without also turning off GPS (with Airplane mode).

I've traveled out of the country before, and I plan on traveling a lot more. I want to avoid roaming charges, but I also want GPS (I have offline maps, Navigon, etc).
I can use any cellular iPad (with cellular disabled), or an AT&T or T-Mobile iPhone with the SIM card pulled. I cannot use a Verizon iPhone.
 
The funny thing is that the iPad gives you control over more things than the iPhone. I mean, it's not as good as a dedicated GPS toggle like on Android, but it's better than what the iPhone can do.

iPhone:
WiFi, Bluetooth or everything (Airplane mode)

iPad:
WiFi, Bluetooth, Cellular radio, or everything.

Yes, on the celluar-equipped iPad, you can turn off cellular. GPS remains on. No extra battery drain. No searching for service.

So the Verizon iPad can have its cellular shut off and keep using the GPS, but on the Verizon iPhone you cannot disable cellular without also turning off GPS (with Airplane mode).

I've traveled out of the country before, and I plan on traveling a lot more. I want to avoid roaming charges, but I also want GPS (I have offline maps, Navigon, etc).
I can use any cellular iPad (with cellular disabled), or an AT&T or T-Mobile iPhone with the SIM card pulled. I cannot use a Verizon iPhone.

I noticed setting a SIM PIN will disable the cellular radio from power-on until you enter the PIN. Perhaps try this and see if it turns off the "verizon radio" too?
 
I noticed setting a SIM PIN will disable the cellular radio from power-on until you enter the PIN. Perhaps try this and see if it turns off the "verizon radio" too?
Seems like the SIM PIN would do the trick.

----------

The funny thing is that the iPad gives you control over more things than the iPhone. I mean, it's not as good as a dedicated GPS toggle like on Android, but it's better than what the iPhone can do.

iPhone:
WiFi, Bluetooth or everything (Airplane mode)

iPad:
WiFi, Bluetooth, Cellular radio, or everything.

Yes, on the celluar-equipped iPad, you can turn off cellular. GPS remains on. No extra battery drain. No searching for service.

So the Verizon iPad can have its cellular shut off and keep using the GPS, but on the Verizon iPhone you cannot disable cellular without also turning off GPS (with Airplane mode).

I've traveled out of the country before, and I plan on traveling a lot more. I want to avoid roaming charges, but I also want GPS (I have offline maps, Navigon, etc).
I can use any cellular iPad (with cellular disabled), or an AT&T or T-Mobile iPhone with the SIM card pulled. I cannot use a Verizon iPhone.
For a Verizon iPhone 5/5C/5S would pulling the SIM really leave it still connected and working on Verizon or another CMDA network?
 
For a Verizon iPhone 5/5C/5S would pulling the SIM really leave it still connected and working on Verizon or another CMDA network?

I'm not 100% positive on this, so someone will need to confirm/deny this claim, but I think the sim card in Verizon iPhones is only necessary for LTE and not 3G/EDGE.
 
I'm not 100% positive on this, so someone will need to confirm/deny this claim, but I think the sim card in Verizon iPhones is only necessary for LTE and not 3G/EDGE.
Just decided to try it out for myself using my Verizon iPhone 5, and while the main purpose of the SIM is for LTE in case of Verizon, there will actually be no cellular connection without the SIM in the phone. So sounds like removing the SIM should do the trick, as would locking the SIM with a PIN (after a restart).
 
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