Verizon 4G = Data + Voice at once?

[Reaper0bot0]

There are significantly more than two CDMA carriers selling the iPhone.


Verizon Wireless (USA)
Sprint (USA)
C-Spire (USA)
Cricket (USA)
au (Japan)
SK Telecom (SK)
ACS Wireless (Alaska)
Appalachian Wireless (Kentucky/Virginia)
Cellcom (Wisconsin)
MTA Wireless (Alaska)
nTelos (Virginia/West Virginia)
Bluegrass Cellular (Kentucky)
Golden State Cellular (California)
Nex-Tech Wireless (Kansas)
Open Mobile (Puerto Rico)

I'm not sure that's all of 'em.

 

[mrichmon]

The iPhone 5 at launch will not support simultaneous voice and data on Verizon. As other posters have pointed out, this was a decision by Apple to not include the extra antenna required to do voice + data on Verizon's current network.

However, this might not be the end of the story.

LTE is an all IP-based network. Specifically, it is packet-switched network rather than a connection-oriented network. Verizon is planning on rolling out VoLTE (Voice over LTE) to their network in 2013. It is conceivable that VoLTE support in the iPhone 5 would just be a software update.

My theory is that Apple decided that omitting the extra antenna would be a limitation for only a few months, so the business decision was to aim for the longer term.

 

[Applejuiced]

There are significantly more than two CDMA carriers selling the iPhone.


Verizon Wireless (USA)
Sprint (USA)
C-Spire (USA)
Cricket (USA)
au (Japan)
SK Telecom (SK)
ACS Wireless (Alaska)
Appalachian Wireless (Kentucky/Virginia)
Cellcom (Wisconsin)
MTA Wireless (Alaska)
nTelos (Virginia/West Virginia)
Bluegrass Cellular (Kentucky)
Golden State Cellular (California)
Nex-Tech Wireless (Kansas)
Open Mobile (Puerto Rico)

I'm not sure that's all of 'em.

Still very few compared to hundreds of GSM carriers worldwide.
And those you listed above have a very small amount of subscriber base.
I think Apple can care less and rather save room, money and battery than to include it on all iphones just for the very small percentage of CDMA networks worldwide that's all I was getting at.

 

[Fissure]

CDMA is dying

 

[Reaper0bot0]

So? All things do. It's still used by millions and millions of people. Plainly Apple considers the customer base large enough to serve.

I never understood the CDMA-bashing here at MR. Tribalism for or against a mobile platform is silly. And LTE is being built out in one heck of a hurry by VZW.