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Verizon iPhone More Likely When 4G Networks Arrive in 2010
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Yeah, I'm sure you'd be ecstatic if you had an iPhone and they gave you an el-cheepo flip phone and said, "here, use this". Presumably if the VZW folks on our trip had checked they could have gotten a GSM travel phone -- but they've been listening about how Verizon was the best for so long it didn't even occur to them.That's interesting. If I go to Europe or another country without CDMA2000 then my carrier will give me a GSM phone to use while I'm away (just a cheapie, a Nokia 6070). Alternatively I can supply my own GSM/WCDMA phone and just get a SIM card for it.
This will all change when my carrier launches its new WCDMA network in June
Certainly no seasoned traveler would make that mistake, but honestly I know of NO habitual travelers that are on VZW or Sprint precisely for that reason. Years and years ago I was on Verizon (with a Motorola StarTac - hah), had a similar rude awakening on my first trip, and switched to VoiceStream (now T-Mobile) the moment I got back.
Well, I wouldn't have an iPhone because it's not CDMA2000, so here we are back at square one again
Come June, I could start using an iPhone on WCDMA, and it of course could fall back to GSM if I go overseas.
Actually, they might be happy if that happened.
Apple doesn't allow people to use local SIMs, which is a major selling point for GSM phones... so a lot of users get an el-cheapo flip phone for travel anyway.
I don't think that's an Apple thing. Seems to be a carrier thing.
Apple appears to be selling the iPhone on 25 carriers where the iPhone comes unlocked out of the box, and there appear to be about 45+ other carriers that will authorize unlocking the iPhone for use with other SIMs.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1937
First, let me point out that, after 80 previous posts, someone finally makes the statement that if what you like about Verizon is the network, all bets are off for 4G. Thank you!
Not quite true, but close. Verizon's network is rock solid (in many of the high-population centers of the US) because it has rights to more of the low-band (800MHz) signals (which according to the laws of physics tend to travel farther and penetrate solid structures like buildings better than the alternative for US CDMA/GSM: 1900MHz range signals). Conversely, in other areas of the country, Sprint or AT&T got those early rights, and those are the places you'll see folks crowing about how great AT&T's coverage is or how much Verizon sucks. It's all about physics, frankly, and the vagaries of FCC frequency actions.
That having been said, there is a HUGE question about 4G, which operates variably in the 700, 1700, 2100, and 2500MHz ranges. Who took up those sweet 700MHz blocks in your area last year? [See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/700_MHz_wireless_spectrum_auction]. I'd bet dollars for donuts (and I don't like donuts) that whoever owns the 700MHz band in your area is going to be the absolute best 4G service provider, hands down.
That having been said, the 1900MHz advantages could be overcome quite easily: you just need either higher-power cell towers (although that's generally not allowed by local laws) or more of them. The problem is that "more of them" means more expense and more hassle. Which is why Sprint and AT&T both suck where I live.
Can't comment on the accuracy of this, although I've heard the same said both ways (that CDMA is more fault tolerant and that GSM is more fault tolerant). Seems like there should be a single answer to that question, but I can't find which is really true. Anecdotally, I've had really crappy but still connected conversations on both CDMA and GSM cell phones (my sister in law has a Sprint contract and all her phones have come through like they're being held underwater and shot with a BB gun, for instance; I've gotten calls from folks at work from their iPhones which sound better than that, but far from crystal clear).
Not quite true, but close. Verizon's network is rock solid (in many of the high-population centers of the US) because it has rights to more of the low-band (800MHz) signals (which according to the laws of physics tend to travel farther and penetrate solid structures like buildings better than the alternative for US CDMA/GSM: 1900MHz range signals). Conversely, in other areas of the country, Sprint or AT&T got those early rights, and those are the places you'll see folks crowing about how great AT&T's coverage is or how much Verizon sucks. It's all about physics, frankly, and the vagaries of FCC frequency actions.
That having been said, there is a HUGE question about 4G, which operates variably in the 700, 1700, 2100, and 2500MHz ranges. Who took up those sweet 700MHz blocks in your area last year? [See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/700_MHz_wireless_spectrum_auction]. I'd bet dollars for donuts (and I don't like donuts) that whoever owns the 700MHz band in your area is going to be the absolute best 4G service provider, hands down.
That having been said, the 1900MHz advantages could be overcome quite easily: you just need either higher-power cell towers (although that's generally not allowed by local laws) or more of them. The problem is that "more of them" means more expense and more hassle. Which is why Sprint and AT&T both suck where I live.
Can't comment on the accuracy of this, although I've heard the same said both ways (that CDMA is more fault tolerant and that GSM is more fault tolerant). Seems like there should be a single answer to that question, but I can't find which is really true. Anecdotally, I've had really crappy but still connected conversations on both CDMA and GSM cell phones (my sister in law has a Sprint contract and all her phones have come through like they're being held underwater and shot with a BB gun, for instance; I've gotten calls from folks at work from their iPhones which sound better than that, but far from crystal clear).
Under CDMA, the phone can be connected to more than one tower at a time, which is why there's so few dropped calls... it's a soft handoff between them.
Under GSM, the phone is only connected to one tower at a time. So it must drop one to pick up the next... a hard handoff, which can cause dropped calls.
Of note also is that GSM had to use CDMA for its 3G, to get more speed and simultaneous connections.
what do all you guys like Verizon so much for?!?!? I just got an iphone 2 wks ago and AT&T has been fine. I've had Verizon for years. I put up with the Blackberry Storm for 4 months thinking it was as good but it sucked compared to the iphone. Verizon is crap! They never get the good phones, they disable them (wifi anyone?), and they have all of their stupid VCast proprietary crap all over their non-blackberry phones. Their coverage is better? That's going to vary depending on where you are. I'm lucky I guess that they have about the same coverage where I'm at
Will new iPhone be compatible??
The question that should be asked is if a new iPhone comes out this summer will it work on a 4G network?? Is this going to be like EDGE and 3G?
The question that should be asked is if a new iPhone comes out this summer will it work on a 4G network?? Is this going to be like EDGE and 3G?
No carrier is perfect, that's for sure. Each usually concentrates on a particular sales area... price, selection, service, whatever.
Verizon truly believes (right or wrong) that the network is the core reason to select a carrier, and they bend over backwards trying to make theirs the best.
For example, whereas ATT and others make up coverage maps by computer analysis, Verizon has hundreds of trucks that roam the country actually mapping their coverage (thus the origin of those godawful "can you hear me now" commercials)... and they try to fix holes when possible.
In the Northeast, especially, this means almost no dropped calls. If you report a dead spot in NYC, they try to fix it. Heck, when the Trade Towers fell, Verizon was first on the scene with portable cells trying to find buried survivors. In NYC, they're king.
No, they don't remove wifi. And their other smartphones don't have vcast stuff either.
(Personally I like Sprint a lot, but can't use them where I go.)
I should say "not allow" rather than disable. There is no reason the BB Storm should not have had wifi.
I doubt Verizon was responsible. They have no problem with WiFi on other smartphones, especially since they took a page from ATT and Apple and now require a data plan.
More likely RIM figured that, as with their other World phones with CDMA and GSM, they had enough radios in it already. At least it had 3G, unlike the first iPhone.
Rumors say that the Storm II will have WiFi in September.
I have no idea whether this would be a good or bad move.
I just hope that reception improves drastically in the next year or so with the iPhone
I have had both iPhones on launch days and LOVE IT but the reception has been an absolute joke compared to past phones.
I just hope that reception improves drastically in the next year or so with the iPhone
I have had both iPhones on launch days and LOVE IT but the reception has been an absolute joke compared to past phones.
Thanks Jettred'
and you're welcome on pointing that out. Someone finally had to ya know?In my first statement that you said was close to true, you did catch that I forgot to mention the lower frequencies are the reason for better signal quality. I mentioned it in the sentence previous to it, and my brain was still linking the two ideas together. However, you are accurate in that correction. I did point out though that it depended on spectrum ownership and tower density.
Also, the reason CDMA/WCDMA have a lesser tendency to drop calls is due to the fact that CDMA technology connects to multiple towers at once, thus producing much smoother handoffs between towers and less dropped calls. Also, CDMA-based phones SEEM to hold on to, and make the best of a weak signal. GSM/TDMA based technology drops calls more because the handoffs are "hard handoffs" due to the fact that phones only connect to one tower at a time as opposed to multiple towers, thus producing more dropped calls if a GSM tower is overloaded or maxed out in its capacity.
I hope not
I HOPE THIS IS A JOKE.
Verizon and Sprint SUCK!
They are CDMA Networks. WHY would a prestigeous company like Apple want to partner with a crappy CDMA-based cell carrier? Verizon and Sprint are the absolute worst. The reason the iPhone is on AT&T is because it is the only network suitable to handle the demands of the iPhone.
And for all of you people who have reception issues, get out of the 2% area that AT&T hasn't reached YET and move to a bigger better city like Philly who has absolutely no reception loss. I have no problems with my iPhone. EVER.
So stop complaining. You don't need an iPhone if you're going to moan about it.
I HOPE THIS IS A JOKE.
Verizon and Sprint SUCK!
They are CDMA Networks. WHY would a prestigeous company like Apple want to partner with a crappy CDMA-based cell carrier? Verizon and Sprint are the absolute worst. The reason the iPhone is on AT&T is because it is the only network suitable to handle the demands of the iPhone.
And for all of you people who have reception issues, get out of the 2% area that AT&T hasn't reached YET and move to a bigger better city like Philly who has absolutely no reception loss. I have no problems with my iPhone. EVER.
So stop complaining. You don't need an iPhone if you're going to moan about it.
Clearly the article says a Verizon iPhone won't be likely until they bring out their new network so that answers your question.
As to telling people to move, I hope you aren't serious.
Bidding on a network that isn't ready for a phone that hasn't been announced.
Now that's a solid business.
Now that's a solid business.
I'm probably in the minority on this, but I've been happier with ATT since switching to get the iPhone (when it first became available in June 2007) than I was with Verizon before that.
I'm a bit confused here, as there are many CDMA phones with features similar to iPhones. Which iPhone features would CDMA have problems with?
Well I know it's been said before but here's what I saw when I got my new iPhone home today:
So I'm afraid the iPhones are going to have to go back tomorrow. Looks like I'm stuck with Verizon for now. I'm rural, but not QUITE the middle of nowhere.
So I'm afraid the iPhones are going to have to go back tomorrow. Looks like I'm stuck with Verizon for now. I'm rural, but not QUITE the middle of nowhere.
This would be great! The iPhone NEEDS to be on a better network. Can't wait
As some others have stated Verizon's LTE network won't be anywhere near as solid as their EV-DO network. Considering that Verizon and AT&T are rolling out LTE within a year of each other, the network with better coverage in your area will be whichever managed to score the 700 MHz spectrum in your area.
I live in Oklahoma and have actually, on more than one occasion, recommended that very thing to several customers at work who have come in to complain that they have no coverage where they live. Where did they live? In the middle of a 5,000+ acre cattle ranch.
Outside a tiny, unincorporated village. This area where I live/work is very densely populated, but if you drive in one direction for more than an hour, all signs of human population, including cellular towers, disappear. Well I know it's been said before but here's what I saw when I got my new iPhone home today:
So I'm afraid the iPhones are going to have to go back tomorrow. Looks like I'm stuck with Verizon for now. I'm rural, but not QUITE the middle of nowhere.
Well at least you can still make phone calls with the phone you're stuck with, even if it isn't made by Apple. I'm guessing you're a teenager???? because you sound like a little bit**.
AT&T is WAY WAY behind on technology when it comes 3G (and even 2G for that matter)to phones.You do relize that both Verizon and Sprint are rolling out(Sprint Wimax),or getting ready to roll out 4g,and AT&T hasn't covered most areas with 3G...
I laugh at you.Please,go educate yourself in a 3g forum....google is your friend.