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VZ iPhone: if it's the one from the video, why SIM slot?

MarlboroLite

MarlboroLite

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 29, 2007
582
5
the 13 colonies
I haven't seen this discussed really anywhere--it would appear that the Verizon iPhone being unveiled on Tuesday is likely to have the form factor of the parts that were leaked in that video earlier in the week that was later taken down by Apple. Interestingly it had a SIM card slot...now I think it's near certain that this phone will not be LTE enabled, and many claims say it's CDMA only, however wouldn't it make more sense that this phone be dual CDMA/GSM? Otherwise why even bother with a SIM card slot?

This is of course just speculatng that the video was showing the Verizon iPhone and not iPhone 5...so assuming that's true for a second, I think this might actually be a "world phone" enabling international use (I assume it would lock out AT&T though)
 
Maybe what we're looking at is the first real revision of the iPhone 4 that's resolved "Antennagate."
 
I'll be really surprised if the iPhone V (TM) is _NOT_ a "world phone" with dual CDMA/GSM capabilities. I won't be surprised to find out its not LTE-compatible.

World phones have been available on Verizon for a long time now. Then again, knowing Verizon, I also won't be surprised to learn that the SIM slot is totally locked down so its only usable outside the USofA as well. This is what they do today.
 
Perhaps it's a worldphone. If so, Verizon would make much more sense for international users than AT&T. Verizon has one heck of an international data rate plan. It's $65 or $69, I don't remember the exact details, but it allows for unlimited international data.

I took a seven day cruise with a Verizon worldphone and I switched my data plan to the unlimited international one for that seven day period. Verizon even prorated by data rate plan so they charged me only about $15 and I had unlimited data to use during the cruise and while in port at the other countries. When I was back in the US I contacted Verizon and they removed the international data. Got my bill the next month, and it was only about $15 higher than normal with a lot of MBs used internationally.

It was pretty slow on the cruise ship but I'm sure that was out of Verizon's control. Otherwise worked great.
 
Verizon has a couple of exclusive phones that have dual CDMA-2000 and UMTS radios in them. The Blackberry storm is one of these phones. The UMTS radio means that a SIM card slot is necessary.

It wouldn't surprise me if the upcoming Verizon iPhone had dual radios
 
Geckotek said:
Wow texan, that's really good to know!!



This is what I was thinking.

To be honest, I won't be surprised by any of the following:

1) LTE/CDMA iPhone
2) CDMA/GSM iPhone
3) CDMA only iPhone

At this point it's anybody's guess.
Click to expand...
yeah it will be a CDMA only iPhone because it will be a voice only phone meaning it will not received data from any towels
 
Yes, I too would wager ohhhh £1 that it's a world phone that will simply replace the current iPhone 4 and think it should fix the antenna issue. (iP4 drops 20db for me!)

I also hope it has a capacity bump to 64 gig (wishful thinking?) an increase isn't unheard of in January iPhone updates and will help make the iPhone relevant again for the next 6 months. It also makes it appealing to (most of) the rest of the world that don't really care if the iPhone goes CDMA or not :p
 
If it were meant to replace the current iPhone 4, Verizon woudn't be announcing it. This phone will work on Verizon and not on AT&T. I'd bet my paycheck on that.
 
Supraking said:
yeah it will be a CDMA only iPhone because it will be a voice only phone meaning it will not received data from any towels
Click to expand...

200px-508_towelie.gif

I have no idea what's going on...
 
Probably bc those photos of the redesigned antenna is of the next iPhone (June). Verizon will have the iPhone 4 that looks just like what we already have.
 
applefanDrew said:
Probably bc those photos of the redesigned antenna is of the next iPhone (June). Verizon will have the iPhone 4 that looks just like what we already have.
Click to expand...

Actually, the redesigned antenna coud be to tune it to Verizon's frequencies.
 
Geckotek said:
Yeah, I think Supraking is confused. Or the post was just very badly worded. Esp the reference to towels. ;)
Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure what all he meant, either, but I'm guessing "towels" was an accidental typo of "towers."

Why he thinks that the CDMA version would only be able to make voice calls and "not receive data from any towers," though...I couldn't hazard a guess.

-- Nathan
 
iZac said:
Yes, I too would wager ohhhh £1 that it's a world phone that will simply replace the current iPhone 4 ...
Click to expand...

Geckotek said:
This phone will work on Verizon and not on AT&T. I'd bet my paycheck on that.
Click to expand...

Haha, you're rather more confident than I am! Good thing I was only gazing at the spare change on my desk when I wrote that.

I'd rather hope (even for Apples sake) for the simplicity of just dropping in different SIMs (or R-UIMs) into the phone and letting the software and IMEI code deal with the carrier stuff. Better than having to churn out two separate products and having to deal with over/under supply of each.

We shall see come Monday, perhaps Apple is just trying to play nice with its latest bedfellow, letting them 'host' the event?
 
-Plenty of VZW phones come with SIM cards.

-LTE (if the phone is 4G) may require SIM cards.

-Its cheaper for Apple to use the SIM slot to save on new manufacturing costs that stem from rearranging everything.
 
NathanA said:
I'm not quite sure what all he meant, either, but I'm guessing "towels" was an accidental typo of "towers."

Why he thinks that the CDMA version would only be able to make voice calls and "not receive data from any towers," though...I couldn't hazard a guess.

-- Nathan
Click to expand...
yes, i meant tower; sorry im ashamed that i am not as perfect as
Gekotek or fliesen. g Gekotek said that the phone would be CDMA only, and I just replied that if it would be CDMA only then it wouldn't received data. How would it receive data if is not LTE or evdo supported?
 
Supraking said:
yes, i meant tower; sorry im ashamed that i am not as perfect as
Gekotek or fliesen. g Gekotek said that the phone would be CDMA only, and I just replied that if it would be CDMA only then it wouldn't received data. How would it receive data if is not LTE or evdo supported?
Click to expand...

Sorry, just yanking your chain on the towel thing dude.

CDMA carries both voice and data. (Just like GSM) A CDMA only phone still carries data. Most of Verizon's phones are CDMA only....even the smart phones.
 
iZac said:
I'd rather hope (even for Apples sake) for the simplicity of just dropping in different SIMs (or R-UIMs) into the phone and letting the software and IMEI code deal with the carrier stuff. Better than having to churn out two separate products and having to deal with over/under supply of each.
Click to expand...
That's what I was thinking. Apple likes to keep things simple. That coupled with the new photos of the redesigned antenna makes me guess this is the case.
 
QuarterSwede said:
That's what I was thinking. Apple likes to keep things simple. That coupled with the new photos of the redesigned antenna makes me guess this is the case.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Apple doesn't have multiple models of any other.....oh, wait a sec. :p
 
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