Personally, I'd prefer a CDMA iPhone, since Verizon is the only reliable service provider in my area.
It's mute point because it doesn't matter as we are talking about the USA carriers.
What matters in this case is whether CDMA is a good service in the USA and most importantly is CDMA and the iPhone a good match in the USA?
Both CDMA and gsm at least where I live are equally reliable.
Marc
2. People travel outside the US.
1. It's moot point, not mute point.
2. People travel outside the US.
I understand people travel outside the USA but one should choose the best coverage where they reside. If CDMA is better coverage where they reside they shouldn't make their decision on gsm because they might travel if gsm is not as good.
If CDMA offers better service than gsm where you reside why would you gsm even though you would travel outside the USA?
If you are a frequent traveler that's a different story.
Marc
You seem to forget Nokia also has phones that go to the Internet. Just because the iPhone is not used in large amounts does not mean that GSM data is not used.
Me too. GSM all the way.I prefer to be able to do data and talk at the same time.
So that means GSM for me.
If those events are outside the US, you're screwed. If you decide to travel out of the US, your iPhone is useless as a phone. Port your account to Sprint or any other CDMA network? No-can-do. I can take my GSM iPhone to Optus in Australia, Softbank in Japan, O2 in the UK, T-Mobile in Germany, Orange in France, or Rogers in Canada. All I'd need is the sim card for that network. Verizon, China Telecom (or China Unicom, whichever one is CDMA in China), and Sprint can't. So not only would you be locked to that CDMA network, you're locked to that carrier, and to the country it is used in.
That is why CDMA doesn't scale well with portability. VZW and Sprint will always have that problem as long as they keep their current CDMA network. When they get rid of it, they'll be on an even keel. Until then, GSM > CDMA.
BL.
What if Apple just releases an iPhone model that supports both CDMA and GSM (including all existing UMTS bands)
I just can't imagine not being able to sell my iPhone since it is an $800 phone that I'll be stuck with if I'm on CDMA.
GSM. SIM cards make more sense these days. Wherever you go, you can just buy a new SIM card and plug it into your phone and get service.
Also, if your phone breaks, the SIM card will still hold your info like contacts, phone number, etc. so you can just get a different phone and it would still work.
See my post. Because you would have a working phone outside the USA.
BL.
You travel to all of those places? My bet is that 80% of iPhone users on AT&T in North America don't travel outside of the U.S. Maybe once a year, for vacation perhaps - but the majority of people don't.
Only if it's unlocked. Which, due to some unfortunate coincidences, is impossible for me right now.
Oh, yes, AT&T will let me use data and phone service if I go abroad. They will just charge me thousands of dollars for the privilege, that's all.
I prefer to be able to do data and talk at the same time.
So that means GSM for me.
CDMA's real advantage is that you need less towers to cover the same area as you do with GSM. That's it.Wow, 70 threads later... I still say GSM. CDMA's only advantage is the fact that it was in North America first, and therefore has more towers - there are some places where there simply aren't the same amount of GSM towers yet. For example, I've found that if you head anywhere north of Portland, ME, on the 95 your service is spotty, and that's where the CDMA band would take over for you. Best of both worlds? https://www.macrumors.com/2010/10/11/mid-2011-iphone-to-utilize-dual-mode-gsm-cdma-chip-skip-4g/
CDMA is "popular" in the US and Latin America, but the rest of the world relies on GSM. China, India, Europe (where phone penetration has exceeded 100%) all use GSM. Compare this to the US market and you have a much bigger market outside of the US than in the US.
In reality, it all depends on whether it makes economic sense. There's no point spending however many dollars on developing a CDMA phone unless revenue exceeds development cost. However, in developing a CDMA phone you're instantly taking away one of the iPhone's strengths as a "worldwide phone". I can use my GSM iPhone in the States, just try using your CDMA phone here in Ireland.
CDMA's real advantage is that you need less towers to cover the same area as you do with GSM. That's it.
Personally, I've found (in the US at least) that I've usually got good coverage and speed in most areas of the country. Big cities with high populations are where it suffers and that's only because of lack of 3G speed.