willzzz88

http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/22/iph...mode-cdma-gsm/

Very very interesting.

Finally gets to the point of what their corporate fortune 500 customers have wanted for YEARS.

ScottC

I'm no expert, but I call BS on that story. CDMA doesn't use MNC/MCC codes as described in the source. The only allocated MNC's for Verizon are for their LTE frequencies. So, unless the logs show an LTE access from Verizon, the whole story is fake, like so many other iPhone stories in recent weeks.

pdxer

only apple knows for sure, but i think it's very likely.

the verizon iphone 4 and ipad 2 use qualcomm's mdm6600 combo gsm/cdma chipset. a next generation iphone is pretty much guaranteed to use the same chipset or its successor, perhaps one that also does lte. it's also in apple's best interest to have a single model that works on any carrier, anywhere.

ScottC

Oh, I have no doubt there will be a single model, but the reasoning behind the BS story by TechCrunch is most likely bogus, like most others.

According to sources "in the know" all these stories are just lies created to boost hits.

javabytes

Why does it have to support GSM + CDMA to be a global phone? Isn't GSM enough, given that's what the world actually uses? Not sure why VZW and S have clung to CDMA...

pdxer

cdma is used in a lot of places:
http://b2b.vzw.com/international/technology/cdma.html

Lincoln

I'm hoping it's true, partly because the Verizon iPhone in particular doesn't have a dedicated chip for GPS use, so if you're using apps with particular heavy CPU usage, it weakens the GPS signal, an issue the AT&T iPhone doesn't have. It's the one gripe I've had since I've gotten the iPhone, that plus the fragmentation of varying iOS releases. Going back to one universal model for all networks would be a godsend, and I hope it comes sooner rather than later.

Steve M

I guess it all depends on one's individual usage pattern, but I would think that for most users, the inability to talk and use data at the same time would be a far bigger limitation of the Verizon version of iPhone than the GPS issue. And, if an upcoming iPhone model is simply a GSM/CDMA combo with no LTE support, then it still won't address that problem for Verizon subscribers.

dtsm

My question is IF it is combo cdma and gsm, does that mean we can have two numbers, one a Vz cdma and the gsm either tmo, att or other gsm network carrier at the 'same' time...in order words a dual-phone?

ScottC

You do realize Verizon is the largest operator in the USA? And that CDMA is actually the foundation for the 3G you are using on your GSM network?

People are quick to dismiss CDMA, but that technology allowed Verizon to offer 3G long, long before AT&T managed, and is still considered (by far) to be the most reliable network in the nation.

japaik

shouldn't people care more about what the upgrade path to LTE looks like for the iphone? don't know why people care so much about technology that will be unused in a few years...

cordelli

Because there is no upgrade path for the iphones.

People just buy new ones.

It's the ultimate business model, keep releasing new versions so close to each other that the true fans have to keep buying new ones at full price.

I don't think the vast majority of people with an iphone have a clue what LTE means for them.

pdxer

buying a new iphone is an upgrade path, especially since the user's previous iphone can usually be sold on ebay for more than the price of the new one. it's better than free.

it's also no different than any other cell phone. if a phone doesn't have lte in it, then it's not going to be getting it without replacing the phone.

they dont pay full price, they pay a subsidized price. also, the vast majority of any cell phone user doesn't know what lte means and many may not even care. 3g works fairly well. not everyone buys at every update.

Lincoln

It never bothered me, although it would have if it acted like my old Samsung. It used to take 2 minutes for me to connect to the Internet or get wi-fi going after a phone call, and that was only when it didn't crash. Worst phone I ever owned and swore me off from even going within 100 yards of a WinMo phone. With the iPhone it was instantaneous, so while I lose the convenience of simultaneous voice/data, still, I WAS one of the only people at SXSW who had a perfect signal, while everyone else tore their hairs out trying to get their AT&T phones to work. Tee hee.

I've never bought a phone at full price. Even when the Verizon iPhone came out, I got the New Every Two discount on it (grandfathered in) and paid less than what I would have paid for a Droid. When the iPhone 5 comes out, I'll just sell the iPhone 4 on eBay, and because it's still in pristine condition, I'll probably get a very good deal too. Paying $100+ for a brand spanking new iPhone 5 is leaps and bounds better than the full price of $600 plus.

willzzz88

dtsm, you can already do it if you have IT knowledge and a VZW Global phone (BB9650, etc, etc) that has CDMA+GSM.

The BB'es don't lock the GSM to domestic US so when the BB is unlocked you can have it in CDMA mode (native VZW) or GSM unlocked (ATT/T-Mo SIM chip) and it will work fine.

They route data differently and if you manually add the AT&T or T-Mo APN it works fine.

It is unsupported but if you are good with computers you can google for the solution... There are some people who do this...

You can't have BOTH at the SAME TIME though, one or the other as only one of the radios are active.