[evilhunter101]

Here's something I've been wondering about for a while: Why does RIM seem to think that they have to make GSM only devices, CDMA only devices, and CDMA/GSM combo devices?

Doesn't make sense to me. I would think it would be much easier and cost effective to make just one device in all the different forms we have, and shut down the parts that aren't allowed by whatever carrier you are on. Take the 9550 and the 9520 for example. The 9550 can do everything the 9520 can do and run on all the same networks the 9520 can even with 3G (if the right bands are active).

You could argue that carriers wouldn't like to have a single do-it-all type of device scheme but I believe that shouldn't be up to them. My whole reasoning in this is that if you only had one 9550 device to cover both the areas of the 9550 and 9520, wouldn't it be easier to create working OS's and distribute them a little more quickly?

I believe that if you could effectively cut the number of OS's that need to be compiled/written in half, you should be able to improve your OS quality, reduce costs in terms of manpower, and be able to compile new OS's more quickly since it would/should be more streamlined.

So, what do you all think? Would this be a good move? Or am I missing something?

P.S. did a search for threads of similar nature but didn't find anything quite along these lines. Maybe I didn't look deep enough in the search results. If that turns out to be the case, my humble apologies.

[pkcable]

We are heading in that direction with the next generation, LTE.

[syb0rg]

There are many post on this subject.

IF you look at the time line of the RIM line up they are stream lining everything.

you will have a
-CDMA & GSM Pearl
-CDMA & GSM Curve
-CDMA & GSM Bold
-CDMA Pure Touch
-GSM Touch and Keyboard...

they are streamlining..... you have too look @ the past and look at the current trends.

and the reason you have CDMA & GSM phones is the USA is one of the few countries that offer CDMA phones, so you have to allow for overseas use, which rely on GSM signals.... hence the "businessmen phone" will have both. So he has signal no matter where he/she is.

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[evilhunter101]

Yup Pk I hope we are, but I have heard that the methods of LTE that are being implemented will still need, in Verizon's case, CDMA in the device. I can't find the link right now but the article stated VZW would still need to have CDMA in order for voice services to work correctly. Doesn't make sense and I could have it wrong but oh well.

[syb0rg]

LTE = Long Term Evolution - meaning from 4g > 5g all you'll need is software updates.... not hardware updates.... from this point forward it's pretty much be data compression and needing a lingo that can read the encryption fast enough to process it.

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[evilhunter101]

There are many post on this subject.

IF you look at the time line of the RIM line up they are stream lining everything.

you will have a
-CDMA & GSM Pearl
-CDMA & GSM Curve
-CDMA & GSM Bold
-CDMA Pure Touch
-GSM Touch and Keyboard...

they are streamlining..... you have too look @ the past and look at the current trends.

and the reason you have CDMA & GSM phones is the USA is one of the few countries that offer CDMA phones, so you have to allow for overseas use, which rely on GSM signals.... hence the "businessmen phone" will have both. So he has signal no matter where he/she is.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Here's the 9100 Pearl 3G's specs. Notice, it is only GSM compatible. When/if they do come out with a Verizon or Sprint version it will most likely be named a 9130 or something along those lines. So no, RIM is not streamlining anything.

BlackBerry - Pearl 3G Specs - BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9100 Specifications

Look at the bottom right hand side of the page where it says "Wireless Networks."

[evilhunter101]

I know what LTE is, but, the article I had read which is now lost to me, stated that initially VZW would still need CDMA for voice to work. Something along the lines that they'd need it until they worked out the problems with voice over ip (VOIP) for LTE. Any info on that? I'm currently looking for the link...

[syb0rg]

Here's the 9100 Pearl 3G's specs. Notice, it is only GSM compatible. When/if they do come out with a Verizon or Sprint version it will most likely be named a 9130 or something along those lines. So no, RIM is not streamlining anything.

BlackBerry - Pearl 3G Specs - BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9100 Specifications

Look at the bottom right hand side of the page where it says "Wireless Networks."

you are correct, but it's a work in process. CDMA phone ALWAYS are released after the GSM counterpart... more of the world is GSM...

look how long it was from the bold to the tour,,,, and now the 9700 to the CDMA version....

there is less of a calling for CDMA phones... thus pushing back the release date.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[evilhunter101]

you are correct, but it's a work in process. CDMA phone ALWAYS are released after the GSM counterpart... more of the world is GSM...

look how long it was from the bold to the tour,,,, and now the 9700 to the CDMA version....

there is less of a calling for CDMA phones... thus pushing back the release date.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I understand what you are saying. I'm just thinking, that from the beginning, it may have been more cost efficient for them to have every device be able to do both. Who knows.

Anyway, the link I as looking for probably doesn't matter anymore as 1, it was around this time last year I saw it, and 2, this much more recent link clearly shows Verizon is looking at IMS for CDMA call connecting.

Verizon: We're ready for IMS-based voice on LTE - FierceWireless

For those who don't know, IMS basically switches a CDMA call into a VoIP call (and vice versa) which should mean that a CDMA radio would not be needed on an LTE phone for calls as long as you have LTE coverage. Man, that was a long sentence!

[Xopher]

There aren't a lot of CDMA+GSM BlackBerrys. Pretty much, the Storm (Verizon Exclusive) and Tour/Bold. They are pretty much considered high-end devices and world phones.

The Pearl and Curve series aren't world phones, so they only have one set of radios in them, either GSM or CDMA. Smaller devices, less cost, budgeted in a way that it makes sense to RIM to only have one radio set in each.

As far as the Storm, in the USA, it is still just a Verizon exclusive. The 9520 isn't available through any US carriers. It's available through Rogers in Canada, and Vodafone in Europe (who owns Verizon). I would say the V/V exclusive rights kept the Storm from being set up as a single device.

Even the 9630/9650 doesn't have ALL of the radios in it. It does have GSM/3G outside of North America, but within the US, it is EDGE only. Plus the GSM-only processor is faster than the CDMA counterpart. The 9700 has more available memory, faster processing, and better battery life than the 96xx series. It may be that those subtle differences keep the GSM/CDMA models separate.

It will be interesting to see how the LTE switch changes things.

[Masahiro]

As far as the Storm, in the USA, it is still just a Verizon exclusive. The 9520 isn't available through any US carriers. It's available through Rogers in Canada, and Vodafone in Europe (who owns Verizon). I would say the V/V exclusive rights kept the Storm from being set up as a single device.

Uuh, the 9520 is not available through Rogers. Bell and Telus have the 9550 though.

[RadioRaiders]

Verizon: We're ready for IMS-based voice on LTE - FierceWireless

For those who don't know, IMS basically switches a CDMA call into a VoIP call (and vice versa) which should mean that a CDMA radio would not be needed on an LTE phone for calls as long as you have LTE coverage. Man, that was a long sentence!

Voice on LTE will be VOIP/SIP based, but the implementation of that has not been decided yet. IMS and VoLGA are the 2 different methods, and 3GPP has to decide on which one to back. They should decide soon, and most likely will be IMS, as it's already in use in some UMTS networks today.

As for dual mode CDMA/LTE devices, yes they will be coming. As VZW said, their CDMA network will be around for some time still. It's a huge network and will take some time to phase it out anyway.