Probably simple questions relating GSM and CDMA... - General Questions and Answers

Hello. I don't understand differences betwen GSM and CDMA so i have few questions.
0. What is the differences betwen this two?
1. In europe GSM is most popular cell network but how is in USA. Is there CDMA network?
2. Can i take my european HTC Kasier to USA and it will be work there with sim card from USA?
Thanks for any help. Best regards.

0) CDMA is newer but expensive compare with GSM but CDMA has better control and quality in data compression when the system reach the maximun number of users in calls. The advantage of GSM is that always is advancing, there're a lot of phone models available, the GSM SIM is a plus, due GSM is old is really well established in the world, with this the roaming is easier..
1) In USA the most popular technology is GSM but there're much more CDMA markets compare to Europe.
2) If the phone is unlocked, yes!

GSM is the way to go, I think. Here in the US, you can't take a domestic CDMA phone out of the country and use it...it's dead in the water. But the GSM phone will work fine, so long as it supports the proper bands.
Now, do I ever travel to Europe and Asia where I need to have to world-phone abilities of the GSM phone? No. But if I did...

Related

Noobie Intl Question: CDMA refers to CDMA or WCDMA?

Hi,
In Australia we have two versions of the HTC Touch Pro 2:
T7373 (works on 3g networks 900/2100); and
T7381 (works on 3g networks 850/2100).
Both phones are GSM & 3G phones. Both phones take SIM cards. One is designed for Telstra (an operator that uses 3G 850 Mhz network) and the other is designed for the other carriers (Vodafone, Optus etc.) who use 3G 2100 Mhz network.
I am wanting to flash a T7381 model to get rid of the carrier firmware. I am guessing that I can't flash with the ROM file from "Flashing your First GSM Rhodium Rom (For Noobs) ".
Is there a flash file for the T7381 version?
The reason why I want to flash is because the carrier Telstra has designed their ROM to not allow the Internet settings to be changed to a different carriers settings.
If you are sure what you have is a GSM phone, then you are asking in the wrong forum. Go over to Rhodium GSM forum, download HardSPL from there, and then flash to any ROM you like.
I have the same question.
You have described the problem perfectly, just need a perfect answer. Anyone?
I can answer the question in the thread subject...
CDMA phones come from CDMA carriers, who don't require SIM cards in their phones, so you can call people without the SIM card. These carriers/phones are usually Verizon/Sprint/Telus. These phones use a different kind of technology.
WCDMA is just 3G. I have a T-Mobile USA (GSM) Rhodium. Under Comm Manager, I can set my Network Type (Band) as either "GSM" (2G/EDGE) or "WCDMA" (3G/UMTS).

Telus TP2 Radio Question

Hello,
I am a noob at this so please bear with me.
I have a Telus TP2 and I have unlocked it using the software provided by Olipro.
My objective is to switch my network over to Telus' new UMTS network, using one of their sim cards. Right now it is functioning on Telus' CDMA network.
My question is: Do I need to flash a new Radio to accomplish this? My phone still has the 2.05.00 WV radio on it now. I just need to know if I need to go get a WU radio in order to use Telus' new network.
Thanks in advance.
Hedake said:
Hello,
I am a noob at this so please bear with me.
I have a Telus TP2 and I have unlocked it using the software provided by Olipro.
My objective is to switch my network over to Telus' new UMTS network, using one of their sim cards. Right now it is functioning on Telus' CDMA network.
My question is: Do I need to flash a new Radio to accomplish this? My phone still has the 2.05.00 WV radio on it now. I just need to know if I need to go get a WU radio in order to use Telus' new network.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Telus TP2 supports UMTS 2100.
Telus uses UMTS 850/1900 for its 3G network.
In order to get the TP2 running on the UMTS network you'll want to grab a ATT GSM variant from the states and unlock that.
IIRC, Telus is jumping straight to WCDMA/UMTS so it won't be supporting the standard GSM bands. If that's the case, then your Telus TP2 variant won't have anything to lock onto when it is in "GSM Mode."
Ah dang, I guess I didn't really need to unlock the sim on my phone then because it won't work on Telus' UMTS network...
Oh well, if I decide to go back to Rogers I believe that the Telus TP2 will operate on their GSM network.
Follow up question:
Do I need to get an unlocked Radio to use the Telus TP2 on Rogers' GSM network or will the 2.05.00WV one that I have on now work?
yes, you'll need a WU unlocked radio in order to access GSM radios in the states, and canada as well, i believe.
You can find the link here:
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=578659
Hedake said:
Ah dang, I guess I didn't really need to unlock the sim on my phone then because it won't work on Telus' UMTS network...
Oh well, if I decide to go back to Rogers I believe that the Telus TP2 will operate on their GSM network.
Follow up question:
Do I need to get an unlocked Radio to use the Telus TP2 on Rogers' GSM network or will the 2.05.00WV one that I have on now work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on the specific radio firmware in the device.
If it is like the Sprint TP2, then yes, you would need a separate radio. Sprint does not SIM lock its TP2, however it ships them with crippled radio software which has the 850/1900 GSM bands disabled so that it won't work with US GSM carriers (it simply doesn't see the network).
If it is like the Verizon TP2, then no, you would not need a separate radio, though you would need a SIM unlock. Verizon doesn't cripple the radio software in its TP2. It simply uses a traditional SIM lock.
I've heard that the Telus TP2 is like the Sprint model, but I've not seen one to verify.
If you're not sure, then you can always flash the unlocked radio (assuming you're using the unlock software from Oli) and it'll work.
Hey thanks for the information gamescan. I scoured the Telus Mobility website and tried to find information about their new netowork but they just call it HSPA+. No where does it mention that it is UMTS or GSM. Oh well, now I know a little bit more about cell phone tech.
I don't even know if theres any real benefit to being on Telus' UMTS network compared to their CDMA. Im sure there has to be something....
Hedake said:
Hey thanks for the information gamescan. I scoured the Telus Mobility website and tried to find information about their new netowork but they just call it HSPA+. No where does it mention that it is UMTS or GSM. Oh well, now I know a little bit more about cell phone tech.
I don't even know if theres any real benefit to being on Telus' UMTS network compared to their CDMA. Im sure there has to be something....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quick 3G primer:
W-CDMA and UMTS are the name of the tech. It's also referred to as FOMA in Japan. Phones generally standardize on the UMTS name, so when you're poking around in your phone and see UMTS followed by a number, that indicates the frequency band that the phone will run on in 3G.
HSDPA, HSUPA and HSPA+ are all further revisions to UMTS. They allow for greater speeds on existing infrastructure so long as both the handset and tower support it.
A rough CDMA equivalent would be EVDO and EVDO Rev A. Older UMTS handsets will still work on a HSPA+ network, they just won't run on HSPA+ speeds the same as a EVDO handset will work on a Rev A network, just not at Rev A speeds.
UMTS is often referred to as "GSM" though that is a misnomer. GSM and UMTS are two separate (but concurrent) technologies. While they often exist together on networks that have been GSM and upgraded, they do not have to exist together. You can have a situation where a UMTS network exists but an underlying GSM "2G" network does not.
The most well known example of this is in Japan where GSM never rolled out, but in your case, where Telus is adding UMTS to an existing CDMA2000 network, is similar.
From a user perspective, there is no real reason for you to want to run UMTS over EVDO on Telus. Telus should have greater EVDO coverage so that's what you'll be wanting.
If you really want to run on the Telus UMTS network, look for an ATT branded Touch Pro 2 and get that. Of course that will not run on the Telus EVDO network.
Thank you again sir! I appreciate the replies.
Just curious about one thing, if Telus' new UMTS network isn't really any better than their CDMA right now, then why do they promote it as such a big deal?
I think I read that in order to evolve into the next big cellphone phase (forget the name) that this UTMS network was necessary but why would anyone care what network they are on as of today?
Also, do you know why CDMA is not the "way of the future" so to speak? I know Telus spent millions upgrading and putting in new towers all over...maybe I should go google this stuff lol.
The future is LTE (which is neither CDMA or GSM).
As for why Telus made a hop to UMTS before going to LTE, I couldn't tell you.
All I can envision is that Telus is looking to be more compatible globally with Europe and Japanese business travellers. It may also be a strategic decision to open up compatibility with more possible phone manufacturers.
Putting 1XRTT CDMA + EVDO + UMTS into a phone is an engineering pain. Adding in multiple frequency support (and properly tuning the antenna) is also a pain. HTC aside, many manufacturers are supporting GSM/UMTS because that's what carriers have. The biggest CDMA markets are the US, Canda and South Korea. While it is a lot of people, it also requires another phone variant.
By overlaying a UMTS network, Telus can suddenly work with any handset that supports UMTS 850/1900. That's what's used by ATT in the US. UMTS 850 is also popular in Australia while Europe and Japan use UMTS 2100. T-Mobile US uses UMTS 1700. Many UMTS phones offer tri-band UMTS 850/1900/2100 support. With one of those phones you can run on just about any current UMTS network in the world (excepting T-Mobile US).
Again, this is just conjecture on my part, but they are possible reasons.

Which version TP2 can I buy?

I'm planning to buy an TP2 from ebay but I couldn't decide which version(s) are compatible with my country's cellular networks. I use Vodafone in Turkey and Vodafone uses GSM 900 and UMTS 2100 bands. I read the forum a lot but I got very confused.
I'll use both UMTS and GSM networks because the UMTS covarage is limited in Turkey so far. I'm looking for Sprint or AT&T versions but I didn't understand if need to unlock these devices or not. In a thread I read that Sprint is unlocked for GSM networks but the same thread didn't mention anything about UMTS band. Please make suggestions to me.
I hope that I could explain my concerns clearly.
tasmania said:
I'm planning to buy an TP2 from ebay but I couldn't decide which version(s) are compatible with my country's cellular networks. I use Vodafone in Turkey and Vodafone uses GSM 900 and UMTS 2100 bands. I read the forum a lot but I got very confused.
I'll use both UMTS and GSM networks because the UMTS covarage is limited in Turkey so far. I'm looking for Sprint or AT&T versions but I didn't understand if need to unlock these devices or not. In a thread I read that Sprint is unlocked for GSM networks but the same thread didn't mention anything about UMTS band. Please make suggestions to me.
I hope that I could explain my concerns clearly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=566043
That should have the information about which phone you need. You can always unlock the phones, so make sure it has the correct GSM/CDMA networks and you should be fine.
*edit*
I should have mentioned this before. Sometimes carriers are really picky about which phones they will activate, make sure that Vodafone will activate the model TP2 that you get.
tasmania said:
I'm planning to buy an TP2 from ebay but I couldn't decide which version(s) are compatible with my country's cellular networks. I use Vodafone in Turkey and Vodafone uses GSM 900 and UMTS 2100 bands. I read the forum a lot but I got very confused.
I'll use both UMTS and GSM networks because the UMTS covarage is limited in Turkey so far. I'm looking for Sprint or AT&T versions but I didn't understand if need to unlock these devices or not. In a thread I read that Sprint is unlocked for GSM networks but the same thread didn't mention anything about UMTS band. Please make suggestions to me.
I hope that I could explain my concerns clearly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Sprint TP2 will work for you in its stock configuration.
It supports GSM 900, GSM 1800 and UMTS 2100 out of the box and it is NOT SIM locked. Basically all you'll have to do it pop in your SIM card and go.
Now, you will still have to register the IMEI with customs (assuming Turkey still has that stupid ass rule) so it doesn't get blocked from the network, but aside from that you're golden.
If you get the ATT version it will also work, however it will be SIM locked out of the box and you will have to unlock it to use it. The same is true of the Verizon TP2.
burtonsnow8 said:
That should have the information about which phone you need. You can always unlock the phones, so make sure it has the correct GSM/CDMA networks and you should be fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read that thread 3 times But the the explanations about GSM does not contain UMTS band so i need to ask. Thanks for your reply.
gamescan said:
The Sprint TP2 will work for you in its stock configuration.
It supports GSM 900, GSM 1800 and UMTS 2100 out of the box and it is NOT SIM locked. Basically all you'll have to do it pop in your SIM card and go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. This was the exact answer I expected to get.
On ebay i found a Sprint with bad ESN. In the descriptions it says that it can be used in any networks other than Sprint. Can I use a phone like this in Turkey with confidence?
tasmania said:
Thanks. This was the exact answer I expected to get.
On ebay i found a Sprint with bad ESN. In the descriptions it says that it can be used in any networks other than Sprint. Can I use a phone like this in Turkey with confidence?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. A Sprint Touch Pro 2 will work just fine with a Vodaphone SIM so long as your local network is one of the three frequencies that I listed.
You only need to replace the Radio ROM if you want to use it on US GSM frequencies.
gamescan said:
Yes. A Sprint Touch Pro 2 will work just fine with a Vodaphone SIM so long as your local network is one of the three frequencies that I listed.
You only need to replace the Radio ROM if you want to use it on US GSM frequencies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks gamescan. Does a bad ESN phone be a problem for me?
tasmania said:
Thanks gamescan. Does a bad ESN phone be a problem for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bad ESN means that the phone has been banned from its home network.
This usually happens because:
1) There is an outstanding bill that was not paid
2) The phone was reported lost and claimed on insurance
3) The phone was stolen
If you are using it on another CDMA network or on a GSM network, the bad ESN will not impact you (aside from possibly in a karmic way).
If it does have a bad ESN you should get it pretty cheap.
gamescan said:
Bad ESN means that the phone has been banned from its home network.
This usually happens because:
1) There is an outstanding bill that was not paid
2) The phone was reported lost and claimed on insurance
3) The phone was stolen
If you are using it on another CDMA network or on a GSM network, the bad ESN will not impact you (aside from possibly in a karmic way).
If it does have a bad ESN you should get it pretty cheap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the valuable information you give gamescan.

[Q] HTC TP2 CDMA in US Unlocked Internationally?

Hi guys, I bought a Sprint Touch Pro 2 that was being used on the CDMA network, but after moving to Ireland, I realized the phone was automatically unlocked hence any sim works on it.
I have used the Rhodium W Hard-SPL in the CDMA section for it, but am left wondering. Does my TP2 still fall under CDMA or is it now under GSM?
Coz i have tried loading some ROMS under the Touch Pro2, Tilt 2 Windows Mobile ROM Development and it failed and returned an ERROR.
So question is, is it still CDMA and can I upgrade to Android ROM?
Thanks.
1) Yes, the default Sprint radio is unlocked for the Euro GSM bands (900/1800 GSM and 2100 WCDMA) by default. No need to pay for a SIM unlock unless you want to swap radios ROMs.
2) NO, you CANNOT use GSM ROMs. The device can only use the custom "CDMA" ROMs. The CDMA TP2 hardware is a hybrid model, whereas the "GSM" versions are GSM only. The ROMs are incompatible.
DO NOT FLASH A GSM ROM TO YOUR SPRINT TP2 FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER.
As far as Android, yes, you can safely load Android via Haret.
Thanks Gamescan for that prompt and to the point reply. Much appreciated.
Just another question if you might know, so which would you say is has better hardware? If the CDMA is Hybrid and the GSM is GSM only, am I to take it that the CDMA is better as it's (for lack of a better word) more advanced, or is the GSM better and why?
Thanks, thinking of trying Android, but, first read alot and see if the advantages outweigh running WM on the TP2.
Same hardware, different radios.
If you're in Europe, it doesn't really matter as every TP2 model supports GSM 900/1800 and WCDMA 2100, which are the Euro GSM and 3G frequencies.
Model choice only matters if you plan on using the phone in the Americas, where the GSM and WCDMA bands differ.
ROM wise it matters because even if you're not using the CDMA radio, the hardware is different and the ROMs are designed to reflect that. For day-to-day use in Ireland though, you'll never know the difference between models.

Verizon to sprint

guys
just a general question on how cdma networks and phones work. Today, verizon 4g phones come with a sim card. If that's the case, why are there two editions of most phones - one for verizon and another for sprint? Are the two carriers still using cdma?
Thx
GSM & CDMA Explanation
sam008 said:
guys
just a general question on how cdma networks and phones work. Today, verizon 4g phones come with a sim card. If that's the case, why are there two editions of most phones - one for verizon and another for sprint? Are the two carriers still using cdma?
Thx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are two types of mobile cell phone communication technology, GSM and CDMA. CDMA phones cannot run on GSM networks and visa versa. While there are few advantages, GSM is considered to be better because it has LTE support, and used internationally.
Carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM, while Verizon and Sprint use CDMA. GSM uses SIM cards, and CDMA phones have a programmable radio inside of the phone.
But, Verizon and Sprint use SIM cards in there newer phones. They use GSM IN ADDITION to CDMA. The SIM card only gives the phone LTE though, because CDMA does not support it.
So, yes Verizon and Sprint use CDMA, for call, text, data, internet, 4G and they use GSM for LTE only.
GSM carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile), use only a SIM card, and the GSM technology for call, text, data, internet, 4G, AND LTE.
I hope this answered your question and heightened your knowledge!
can a nexus 6 purchased from verizon be used on the sprint network - thx
Yes, if unlocked
Yes, they will usually work but only if they are unlocked. Different carriers have different policies and requirements that you must meet before they give you the unlock code to bring the phone to another carrier.
You're at an advantage using the Nexus 6, unlocking solutions are plentiful. Go to the N6 forum for more. If you plan on going from CDMA to CDMA you should be gold (per the carriers you mentioned).

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