[stuaw11]

Yes because YOU dont find a need for it NO ONE uses it right?

[stuaw11]

CDMA is gong to be around for at least 10 more years. The pricing structure on LTE has been hinted to be comparable with the speed. So going to a 4G network is going to be more expensive then the current 3G network.

Look how long it took the government to get rid of the analog signals. GSM has already been hacked. No infrastructure switch will happen very fast. People, maybe not some of us on Crackberry, keep for phones for 4 or 5 years. Heck, I had my last phone before my bb for over 3 years.

I still dont think Apple has much interest in a CDMA phone unless VZW coughs up BIG bucks, a portion of their data plans, and lets Apple have control over fixing the phones/support. I dont see VZW doing any of those, especially the third.

Whether CDMA will be around or not isnt really the issue, its offering the newest tech when it comes out. And dont forget, CDMA isnt CDMA isnt CDMA across the globe. Frequencies vary from 450mhz to 800mhz to 850 mhz to 1900mhz to 2100mhz. Its not like GSM where there's a quad band standard GSM chip and thats the end of the story it works 99.9% of the world. CDG : Worldwide : Worldwide Here's a complete list of every CDMA country and their frequency.

It just makes more financial and resource sense to stay with GSM where you can build one device and hit nearly every GSM country.

Also remember that GSM has 4.3 BILLION subscribers worldwide while CDMA only 522 million. Thats a HUGE disparity, and they still have plenty of GSM customers out there to sell phones to. Theyve sold about 35-40 million iphones to date, thats a mere <1% of GSM subscribers. There's plenty of room from growth in GSM without even touching CDMA.

[Capt Jack Sparrow]

So, it begs the question, why is CDMA still used, when it appears that quad band GSM would be the way to go?

[stuaw11]

well vZW is going LTE for voice and data, so theyre pretty much abandoning CDMA at some point. Same with ATT, so I think VZW with their Vodaphone GSM parent company decided universal standards in tech were the way to go.

Sprint, who knows, they have no clear plans for voice with WIMAX out.

CDMA has been in use for what, 10-15+ years? Its cost hundreds of millions to abandon it now, which makes no sense when moving to 4G anyways. If Sprint or VZW really wanted to stay CDMA then they would have invested in EVDO rev B and beyond. Its clear neither think CDMA is the future of mobile.

[qbnkelt]

I've had my iPhone since August last year and had my Bold since December. Not once have I need to use data while on a call. In fact, I hardly ever make calls since I'm usually texting/BBMing

This is the only weakpoint AT&T can come up with because they have garbage coverage and ****ty customer service.

I have an AT&T personal phone and a Verizon work phone. The AT&T gets coverage everywhere the Verizon does except for the DC metro. I see this every single day in very city I visit.
I see no evidence of AT&T coverage being any less than Verizon at all, and personally, based on my observations, I see it as an urban myth.
Now....I expect that someone will tell me how I'm wrong and how my experiences are not as I describe them....so be it. My experience is as I described.
Additionally, customer service is probably the same across companies - they all have scripts and they all have an IVR with similar departure codes.

[l.a.rossmann]

Nothing like talking to someone on the phone and hearing 125 clicks while they look up 'how not to look like a d-bag over the phone'.

This comes in handy.

Putting a booking in google calendar as someone calls in to make an appointment. Walking to my destination on google maps as someone calls, without having to tell them "I'll talk to you later, my map was loading"

[JRSCCivic98]

This comes in handy.

Putting a booking in google calendar as someone calls in to make an appointment. Walking to my destination on google maps as someone calls, without having to tell them "I'll talk to you later, my map was loading"

Unfortunately for you, you can't do that on the 8330/Verizon.

[mulishaman187]

I have an AT&T personal phone and a Verizon work phone. The AT&T gets coverage everywhere the Verizon does except for the DC metro. I see this every single day in very city I visit.
I see no evidence of AT&T coverage being any less than Verizon at all, and personally, based on my observations, I see it as an urban myth.
Now....I expect that someone will tell me how I'm wrong and how my experiences are not as I describe them....so be it. My experience is as I described.
Additionally, customer service is probably the same across companies - they all have scripts and they all have an IVR with similar departure codes.

Isnt that kind of a big deal not getting service in a metro area? Try going to NYC with your iPhone, you cant take 2 steps without dropping the call youre on. And just because you have service doesnt mean you always have 3G service. Even ATT admits that bigger 3G area, so you experience being what it is I doubt you have the nationwide stats the service providers have.

[Branta]

Isnt that kind of a big deal not getting service in a metro area?

I think Qbn means metro as in Underground Rail. Not many networks provide service underground and those which do have very limited cover and capacity.

[EnergyPlus]

It clearly does vary from city to city. I can tell you that in both Las Vegas and Reno, AT&T coverage suffers (especially in Vegas). In the NYC metro area, it's the same thing, inconsistency prevails. I have friends and colleagues in LA and San Francisco though, that say AT&T works just fine.

Help me out here though. For Apple to design a phone that is CDMA compatible (or, better yet, both GSM and CDMA like the Storm) can't be all that expensive...can it?

[Branta]

Think well into 7 or 8 figures just for the design team's payroll, and that has to be recovered from sales revenue. They won't make a completely new device in a few months. Think minimum 12 months (if nothing goes wrong) from project approval before it can be released for production then another few to make and distribute stock. Look how long it has taken for RIM with Storm2 or Tour2, and they are based on an existing platform and a lot of CDMA design experience.

If VZW users are lucky Apple will be working on the LTE designs now with a view to having a polished product in time for general rollout. They are unlikely to waste effort on CDMA for a technology which is known to be end of life obsolete before it a product is even designed.

OTOH maybe it would be good if Apple did make a CDMA phone, because it would divert skills from LTE projects and give competitors a head start.

[cajunrph]

I don't think VZN gets the iPhone that soon. Like others have stated it would not make financial sense to develop a CDMA version for use for a short period of time. And if they did they would surely give it to Sprint to be able to market it to their 50 million customers also. Unless they already had a CDMA chipset ready for the phone when they talked with VZN the first time. Apple must have surely looked from the beginning to be a global force in the cell phone world which would mean they had to have a GSM chipset in the works even if AT&T didn't get the exclusive agreement in the beginning. May be VZN gets the 1G iPhone. That would be hilarious. Couldn't you just see Jobs up on stage trying to pass that one off. "We have a retro iPhone for Verizion. It is the best iPhone that Verizion has ever had. Light years ahead of anything in their portfolio now. Blah Blah Blah Blah."

[qbnkelt]

Thank you, Branta - I did mean DC Metro. Should have capitalised it.

I have not had issues in Vegas. Just came back from Manhattan last month. Neither offered any challenges.

The places where I do drop - as in on the train into DC - both phones drop. And where I ride out in the back of beyond, I do drop in deep country. So let me be a touch more precise....I drop in the DC Metro with AT&T and a few miles afield.

[The_Engine]

I have it from pretty reliable sources that VZW is getting a 3G iPhone in June. The finances make sense since Apple with sell a Bazillion of them. I am sure a 4G one will come 2011 but as I have it the 'first' VZW iPhone will be 3G. Guess we all just have to see.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[mpneill]

I have it from pretty reliable sources that VZW is getting a 3G iPhone in June. The finances make sense since Apple with sell a Bazillion of them. I am sure a 4G one will come 2011 but as I have it the 'first' VZW iPhone will be 3G. Guess we all just have to see.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

4G (not the OS) will be later this year according to someone at CNET. That begs the question. Will the 4G be for Verizon? If so, than it won't be June that Verizon get's the iPhone.

[stuaw11]

I wouldnt trust CNET as far as I could throw them

[JRSCCivic98]

Think well into 7 or 8 figures just for the design team's payroll, and that has to be recovered from sales revenue. They won't make a completely new device in a few months. Think minimum 12 months (if nothing goes wrong) from project approval before it can be released for production then another few to make and distribute stock. Look how long it has taken for RIM with Storm2 or Tour2, and they are based on an existing platform and a lot of CDMA design experience.

If VZW users are lucky Apple will be working on the LTE designs now with a view to having a polished product in time for general rollout. They are unlikely to waste effort on CDMA for a technology which is known to be end of life obsolete before it a product is even designed.

OTOH maybe it would be good if Apple did make a CDMA phone, because it would divert skills from LTE projects and give competitors a head start.

Verizon's CDMA network is not going away when LTE is introduced. CDMA will be used for voice in conjunction with LTE for data. Soooo, Apple has no choice but to do CDMA no matter what if they plan on making an iPhone for Verizon. (Of course, this is all based on info that's been indicated so far as to VZW's near future plans for rollout.)

[stuaw11]

Verizon's CDMA network is not going away when LTE is introduced. CDMA will be used for voice in conjunction with LTE for data. Soooo, Apple has no choice but to do CDMA no matter what if they plan on making an iPhone for Verizon. (Of course, this is all based on info that's been indicated so far as to VZW's near future plans for rollout.)

No, but making an EVDO-only phone right now doesnt make a lot of sense, nor does LTE/EVDO/CDMA as the network isnt ready nor will be in July.

Theyre kind of stuck in the middle of a change-over thats not happening at least until the end of the year.

Thats another reason I wouldnt expect a VZW iphone until next summer, theyd wait until LTE is deployed in enough areas that they can make an LTE/EVDO/CDMA voice phone.

[raminuj20]

just thought i'd share this recent tweet from engadget.....

engadget: Is this proof of a Verizon iPhone?

is-this-proof-of-a-verizon-iphone/

[dmccraw1863]

Why wouldn't Apple release the iPhone on another network when their exclusivity runs out? It is no secret that many people do not have an iPhone simply because it is on AT&T. I am one of those people. I purchased my phone and returned it just a little over 2 weeks later. I was so furious with their phone service and customer service that I returned the phone and wouldn't even consider staying with AT&T. I absolutely loved the iPhone and prefered that over my S2.

There is no reason financially speaking that Apple would wait to sell their phone. I could understand waiting until Christmas, but I also think that it would sell just as well coming out in the summer. Why do they care if the phone is obsolete in 6 months? Their stock would go up in the meantime and they would be generating revenues. When the phone goes obsolete then they will release another one to keep up with the changing times and make more money. I am willing to bet that they figured out exactly how this would all play out well ahead of the ending of their exclusivity with AT&T. In fact, I am willing to bet that the exact day that they are no longer exclusive that they will release an iPhone on another network. The question is will it be VZW, Sprint, or both?

[muneton17]

Alright well I was at a Verizon store to check out of they were hiring and I got to talking to one of the employees and he was telling me that the iphone is supposed to be coming to Verizon in September. Now I don't think I trust his words because in an odd way, I knew more about what I was talking about then he was about blackberries and how Verizon is. Lol I thought that was funny.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[killswitchX13]

The iPhone IS coming to Verizon this year. The day I buy it is the day I cancel my AT&T contract and sell my 3GS unless it's sold before then.

[killswitchX13]

Why wouldn't Apple release the iPhone on another network when their exclusivity runs out? It is no secret that many people do not have an iPhone simply because it is on AT&T. I am one of those people. I purchased my phone and returned it just a little over 2 weeks later. I was so furious with their phone service and customer service that I returned the phone and wouldn't even consider staying with AT&T. I absolutely loved the iPhone and prefered that over my S2.

There is no reason financially speaking that Apple would wait to sell their phone. I could understand waiting until Christmas, but I also think that it would sell just as well coming out in the summer. Why do they care if the phone is obsolete in 6 months? Their stock would go up in the meantime and they would be generating revenues. When the phone goes obsolete then they will release another one to keep up with the changing times and make more money. I am willing to bet that they figured out exactly how this would all play out well ahead of the ending of their exclusivity with AT&T. In fact, I am willing to bet that the exact day that they are no longer exclusive that they will release an iPhone on another network. The question is will it be VZW, Sprint, or both?

Doubt it's going to Sprint. Not enough customers on there and that network is pretty much dead until WiMax comes.

[dmccraw1863]

Doubt it's going to Sprint. Not enough customers on there and that network is pretty much dead until WiMax comes.

Look at it from a profit viewpoint. They have no reason not to offer it to Sprint customers. If they choose not to because there are "not enough customers" as you put it then they are missing out on people who choose to use Sprint. They don't lose anything by going to Sprint but by not going then they will lose potential profits. So why wouldn't they go?

[stuaw11]

Look at it from a profit viewpoint. They have no reason not to offer it to Sprint customers. If they choose not to because there are "not enough customers" as you put it then they are missing out on people who choose to use Sprint. They don't lose anything by going to Sprint but by not going then they will lose potential profits. So why wouldn't they go?

Look at it from a common sense standpoint though. There are lots of reasons why not Sprint. Maybe Apple just doesnt think WIMAX is the future of 4G. Maybe they dont want to R&D and build a whole other model to sell to so few customers. I mean even if you get 10% of your customers to buy an iphone, thats only 2-3 million iphones (Sprint has 29 million or so post-paid (on contract) CDMA customers). ATT sold 1 million the first weekend alone!! Its just not enough volume to justify the associated costs sometimes.

Sprint has no one to blame but Sprint for using a 4G tech no one else is using in the US. If they had gone LTE and VZW was getting it, itd be an easy answer. But its not so since theyre on WIMAX