Why does Verizon still cling to CDMA iPhones?

[WolfSnap]

Verizon has been a 100% LTE network for a while now; even if you have a CDMA iPhone, the odds that you actually use CDMA on a daily, weekly, or even yearly basis is almost 0%.

If you take an activated Verizon SIM and put it in a GSM only iPhone, it’ll work just fine. You’ll notice no difference in network quality. But, Verizon won’t activate a non-CDMA phone on their network — even though they sell a GSM only phone specifically for Verizon, right now. See: https://www.androidcentral.com/us-u...-support-verizons-cdma-network-and-thats-okay

So, why support the u11, and not the iPhone on GSM only? Sure, Sprint still requires CDMA functionality (but, let’s face it, who’s uses Sprint??), but Verizon’s CDMA days are long since behind it....

Now, it seems like CDMA is just a way to force you to buy new phones...

 

[eyoungren]

Verizon has been a 100% LTE network for a while now; even if you have a CDMA iPhone, the odds that you actually use CDMA on a daily, weekly, or even yearly basis is almost 0%.

If you take an activated Verizon SIM and put it in a GSM only iPhone, it’ll work just fine. You’ll notice no difference in network quality. But, Verizon won’t activate a non-CDMA phone on their network — even though they sell a GSM only phone specifically for Verizon, right now. See: https://www.androidcentral.com/us-u...-support-verizons-cdma-network-and-thats-okay

So, why support the u11, and not the iPhone on GSM only? Sure, Sprint still requires CDMA functionality (but, let’s face it, who’s uses Sprint??), but Verizon’s CDMA days are long since behind it....

Now, it seems like CDMA is just a way to force you to buy new phones...

1. Verizon is killing CDMA in 2019.
2. Some people actually still use their phones to make phone calls. Really. I'm serious. Phone calls. And guess what phone calls use on Verizon? CDMA.

Sure, Verizon has VoLTE, but there are still plenty of Verizon customers who do not have or do not use VoLTE.

 

[stulaw11]

I do agree though, it would be nice if they only sold 1 model of phone period for all carriers (at least in the US)

 

[Jimpilot]

1. Verizon is killing CDMA in 2019.
2. Some people actually still use their phones to make phone calls. Really. I'm serious. Phone calls. And guess what phone calls use on Verizon? CDMA.

Sure, Verizon has VoLTE, but there are still plenty of Verizon customers who do not have or do not use VoLTE.

They’re killing it? What are they going to, what about older non LTE phones.

 

[tromboneaholic]

It will be interesting to see what happens when T-Mobile and Sprint merge....

 

[eyoungren]

They’re killing it? What are they going to, what about older non LTE phones.

I assume they will provide offers to upgrade to an LTE device.

 

[stulaw11]

They’re killing it? What are they going to, what about older non LTE phones.

VoLTE and make people upgrade, its been enough years.

It's voice over data. Data is data; the voice portion is what is CDMA or GSM.

 

[Jimpilot]

They’re killing it? What are they going to, what about older non LTE phones.

Oh I googled it and they are just shutting down their 2G network in 2019. I always thought the call quality was better on CDMA than GSM


https://www.androidheadlines.com/2015/05/verizon-planning-retain-cdma-network-iot-devices.html

 

[eyoungren]

I do agree though, it would be nice if they only sold 1 model of phone period for all carriers (at least in the US)

Carrier exclusivity.

If you can only use your phone on a particular carrier how much more likely is that carrier to keep you or someone else as a customer?

When it comes to this sort of thing it's not the customer the carriers/Apple are thinking about.

 

[stulaw11]

Carrier exclusivity.

If you can only use your phone on a particular carrier how much more likely is that carrier to keep you or someone else as a customer?

When it comes to this sort of thing it's not the customer the carriers/Apple are thinking about.

yeh but you can already kinda do that. The CDMA phones already have GSM in them.

And carriers pay to buy your device out to come to them, so it's not the same large issue it used ot be to switch.

 

[eyoungren]

yeh but you can already kinda do that. The CDMA phones already have GSM in them.

And carriers pay to buy your device out to come to them, so it's not the same large issue it used ot be to switch.

Sure, but unless you are buying direct from Apple (and full price at that, unless on IUP) the phone is locked to a carrier.

 

[stulaw11]

Sure, but unless you are buying direct from Apple (and full price at that, unless on IUP) the phone is locked to a carrier.

Unless you tell them you are going out of country and they unlock it for you.

I think the days of carrier locked phones are getting behind us in the coming years though. There's also a big legal push to get rid of carrier locked phones.

 

[Superrjamz54]

Carrier exclusivity.

If you can only use your phone on a particular carrier how much more likely is that carrier to keep you or someone else as a customer?

When it comes to this sort of thing it's not the customer the carriers/Apple are thinking about.

Apple would love to not have to use a Qualcomm chip in their phones.

 

[WolfSnap]

Verizon uses VoLTE exclusively from my understanding. Literally, you’ll never use the CDMA bands, even when making phone calls.

Don’t believe me? Make a phone call and surf the web. Does it work? Congrats! You’re using VoLTE!

This whole “your phone needs to support CDMA on Verizon” just doesn’t make sense from a technical point of view.

 

[eyoungren]

Unless you tell them you are going out of country and they unlock it for you.

Which is an international only unlock, usefuly only outside of the US. If you are a foreigner who does this or someone who lives outside the US that's one thing. But return to the US and it will still be locked to the US carrier.

 

[WolfSnap]

Which is an international only unlock, usefuly only outside of the US. If you are a foreigner who does this or someone who lives outside the US that's one thing. But return to the US and it will still be locked to the US carrier.

I’m pretty sure an unlock is an unlock. It’s a binary thing; it’s either locked or it’s unlocked.

 

[eyoungren]

I’m pretty sure an unlock is an unlock. It’s a binary thing; it’s either locked or it’s unlocked.

That's correct. But the carriers can control whether it's international or domestic.

A domestic unlock will always include international. It's a full unlock. But international is international only. It's a concession from the carriers to allow you to use your phone on a different carrier outside the US while still keeping it locked domestically.