gsm cdma differences- not technical - General Questions and Answers

so iv been with att since the 8525 i have a fuze now and i just lost my special employee rate and have to get a regular plan without a contract so im considering switching carriers.
besides the obvious differences like having the sim card and all.
is there any significant difference between say a touch pro gsm or cdma such as software you can run or rom limitations.
iv always got the feeling things were easier with gsm but just wanted to find out

Related

will a GSM logicboard work in a CDMA touch Pro?

will a Fuze GSM logicboard work in a CDMA touch Pro?
Is the handset hardware different?
Maybe if I explain myself better, someone may have an answer or opinion.
I have a friend with a Sprint touch pro with a bad logic board (motherboard). He got a new phone and offered to give me the touch pro.
I am on AT&T and was wondering, if I can get a logic board from a GSM touch pro would it fit and work? I would assume to save on production costs the phones are the same, with different logicboards for GSM and CDMA.
I could be completely wrong, but that's why I am asking before I take the time or spend the money to get the fuze logic board.
Thanks!
You are correct, the boards are different between the two (even more so as theyre GSM vs CDMA). Your best bet would be eBay for bad ESN/broken Fuze's. Also, seems like you're under the impression that Sprint is GSM, they are not. Sprint is completely CDMA (except in certain markets where they've bought out smaller competition and have some GSM towers).
RonDutt said:
You are correct, the boards are different between the two (even more so as theyre GSM vs CDMA). Your best bet would be eBay for bad ESN/broken Fuze's. Also, seems like you're under the impression that Sprint is GSM, they are not. Sprint is completely CDMA (except in certain markets where they've bought out smaller competition and have some GSM towers).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand Sprint is CDMA only, thats why I wondered if the GSM logicboard from a Fuze would work in the Sprint phone I got from my friend. Basically I want to convert a CDMA Sprint Touch Pro to a GSM Fuze for AT&T.
If the rest of the Hardware is the same and I found a Broken Fuze with a good logicboard, it would be a simple swap.

New phone selection

Hi guys, I recently acquired an HTC Wizard, I unlocked it and flashed a custom rom and I really like the phone but I'm looking to upgrade. The phones I've been looking at are the Dream, Kaiser and the Fuze. I've read the reviews on the G1 and it looks good but I'm not sure I'm ready to give up windows mobile (office is handy for work). But since I hear such good things, hows it compare to the others? Is the Fuze really worth me shelling out more cash over the Kaiser (about $150-$200 on ebay)? I'm also wondering if there are any other HTC models that offer everything I want without seriously breaking the bank. It needs to have mp3, video, net, keyboard, GPS, 3g, wifi, tetherable, touchscreen and needs to be unlockable or T-mobile based. Basically just looking for some advice on the best buy for my buck. Even if it's not necessarily an HTC (hope I don't get flamed for this =P). Also one more quick question, if I'm currently on T-mobile with the non 3g wizard and I pop my sim into a 3g phone, it will work at 3g speeds without me needing to do anything (provided coverage is in my area) ? Thanks in advance.
I miss my Fuze. I ended up returning it to get a Xperia, and I regret it, due to the Xperia's subpar keyboard.
On the other hand, the Touch Pro 2 will be out soon in the US (as the HTC Fortress on AT&T at an indeterminate date and the T-Mobile Wing II in July), and that should be everything the Fuze is and more (thinner, better battery life, larger and higher res screen, etc). I'd wait for that.
As for the sim swap question, yes, it should work, assuming the phone you pop your T-Mobile sim in supports 3G at 850MHz, as that's the only frequency T-Mobile uses for 3G (as opposed to AT&T, which uses 850 and 1900 depending on area). If you use a Euro phone, expect it to only work in 1900MHz areas in the US if at all. Phones actually marketed for the US will support both 850 and 1900 bands, which means you won't have a problem.
Thanks for the info. Any idea on the cost of the touch pro 2? I wasn't really looking to break the bank but I am intrigued.
Snakebear420 said:
Thanks for the info. Any idea on the cost of the touch pro 2? I wasn't really looking to break the bank but I am intrigued.
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Welcome to the forum
Depending on your conuntry the price varies
Have a look on expansys to ha an idea
$600-$800USD
That's without a contract, of course. AT&T and T-Mobile should both have the Touch Pro 2 for $150-300 depending on where you order it with plans, if my guess is accurate.
Yea just checked out a video on it and it looks really nice, I'm currently on a prepaid month to month thingy with t-mobile but if I can score this phone for $200 or so with a new contract I might have too. However for the time being I might have to go pick up a Kaiser, they are half the price of the fuze used and although not as sexy still do everything I'm looking for.
Doesn't T-mobile use 1700mhz for 3g and 850 for edge/gprs? From what I've been reading the kaiser wont do 3g on T-mobile.
Snakebear420 said:
Doesn't T-mobile use 1700mhz for 3g and 850 for edge/gprs? From what I've been reading the kaiser wont do 3g on T-mobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tmob uses 1700 & 2100 fro 3g (must have both)! Kaeser will not do tmob 3g!
Tmob edge uses 850...
Here's the TP2 new owner excitement forum section:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=488

Web Surfing while Talking

I know this is an odd request, but is there anyway to use the internet while talking on the phone. Normally I wouldn't care but I'm tired of the iPhone goons hassling me about it since those new commercials.
If not would there be a way if I unlocked my phone for GSM so I could talk on one frequency and surf on another?
Please direct me to a link if this has already been answered, I searched and didn't find anything.
Whoo boy, the old GSM vs. CDMA debate. No to your first question; it's a technology limitation of CDMA, which is why AT&T loves flaunting that fact. GSM also has the leg up in the number of simultaneous connections for conference calling. If you're looking for ammunition, CDMA generally enjoys better penetration of structures, and I know that I have found my service on Sprint to be stronger and much more reliable than my old plan with AT&T. Some people would even say that CDMA offers better call quality than GSM, but that's a huge debate with opinions on both sides. Also, GSM's encryption method was cracked recently, making calls potentially more vulnerable to eavesdropping. Finally, even when I had my old Tilt on AT&T I don't think I did too much surfing while talking on the phone; I really don't think it's as amazing a feature as they make it out to be.
For your second question, the CDMA Worldphone edition Touch Pro 2 used by Verizon and Sprint does have a GSM radio, but the question has been asked before if both networks can be used simultaneously and I believe the answer is always no. Anyone else feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
last I checked in order to use cdma/gsm phone networks at the same time can't you just pop in a sim card!!!!!
trogdor1138 said:
Whoo boy, the old GSM vs. CDMA debate. No to your first question; it's a technology limitation of CDMA, which is why AT&T loves flaunting that fact. GSM also has the leg up in the number of simultaneous connections for conference calling. If you're looking for ammunition, CDMA generally enjoys better penetration of structures, and I know that I have found my service on Sprint to be stronger and much more reliable than my old plan with AT&T. Some people would even say that CDMA offers better call quality than GSM, but that's a huge debate with opinions on both sides. Also, GSM's encryption method was cracked recently, making calls potentially more vulnerable to eavesdropping. Finally, even when I had my old Tilt on AT&T I don't think I did too much surfing while talking on the phone; I really don't think it's as amazing a feature as they make it out to be.
For your second question, the CDMA Worldphone edition Touch Pro 2 used by Verizon and Sprint does have a GSM radio, but the question has been asked before if both networks can be used simultaneously and I believe the answer is always no. Anyone else feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
one word IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!! GSM and CDMA are hardware radios an unlock is IMPOSSIBLE unless the phone is a world phone with both CDMA and GSM but your phone doesn't qualify so try getting a GSM/CDMA hybrid and then come back to me. However verizon will upgrade to LTE which is GSM based!!!!!!!! watch em LTE will allow voice and data at the same time. When LTE upgrade is complete say goodbye and good riddance to CDMA it will be shut down soon!!!!!
KW TP said:
I know this is an odd request, but is there anyway to use the internet while talking on the phone. Normally I wouldn't care but I'm tired of the iPhone goons hassling me about it since those new commercials.
If not would there be a way if I unlocked my phone for GSM so I could talk on one frequency and surf on another?
Please direct me to a link if this has already been answered, I searched and didn't find anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
qjsmartphone - I thought that the TP2 was a world phone and thus held both antennas for cdma and gsm?
trogdor1138 -thanks for the input.
now I'm with sprint, and they offer 4G. This may be an ignorant comment, but can't a world phone with both antenna's say call on cdma and use the 4G provided by sprint? Or am I missing something? I kind of new at this so forgive the question if it is stupid. If there is a wiki on it please give me the link and I will be glad to read up. Thanks
qjsmartphone said:
one word IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!! GSM and CDMA are hardware radios an unlock is IMPOSSIBLE unless the phone is a world phone with both CDMA and GSM but your phone doesn't qualify so try getting a GSM/CDMA hybrid and then come back to me. However verizon will upgrade to LTE which is GSM based!!!!!!!! watch em LTE will allow voice and data at the same time. When LTE upgrade is complete say goodbye and good riddance to CDMA it will be shut down soon!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure what you are talking about, but CDMA variant of Touch Pro 2 does have both GSM and CDMA hardware in them.
Also, LTE and WiMAX is a two new 4G technologies that will eventually replace 3G data.
LTE is not based on GSM, they are two different communication technologies.
Back to OP's question, if you are using CDMA branded TP2 you cannot surf and talk at a same time. It is limitation on CDMA technology.
4G and 3G is not compatible, is your grandparent's old 2G phone do 3G? no.
How about your 3G phone accesing 2G? yes. Usually when newer technology is being deployed, they make sure that it is backward compatible, so that they can lower battery consumption and remain accessible to area where new technology is not yet available.
Just be near wifi and then show them you can surf while talking.
segadc said:
Just be near wifi and then show them you can surf while talking.
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Click to collapse
I like the way you think
Or pop in a ATT or T-mobile SIM card and switch to GSM mode. The phone IS capable of voice and data when using GSM.
isdnmatt said:
Or pop in a ATT or T-mobile SIM card and switch to GSM mode. The phone IS capable of voice and data when using GSM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll jump in here...
I thought Sprint/Verizon phones with both GSM/CDMA radios cannot use AT&T nor T-Mo SIM cards. I thought they only accepted the GSM SIM cards of countries outside the US.
Wait... HardSPL fixes that, doesn't it?... Oh well, I think I should stop stalking the CDMA forums when I have almost no idea on anything CDMA-related!
But, I'm still in favor of the WiFi suggestion!
mac people live in their own little world. don't let them bother you. sure, they can talk and surf the web at the same time...if they have 3g coverage. but there are areas where they have no coverage at all let alone 3g. then they can use the 'paper weight mode'. i also love how they tout their app store meanwhile we've had multiple wm app stores for years already. also i get to choose what apps i want to use without htc or sprint telling me what i'm allowed to.
segadc said:
Just be near wifi and then show them you can surf while talking.
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Click to collapse
this is what i would do
sumflipnol said:
I'll jump in here...
I thought Sprint/Verizon phones with both GSM/CDMA radios cannot use AT&T nor T-Mo SIM cards. I thought they only accepted the GSM SIM cards of countries outside the US.
Wait... HardSPL fixes that, doesn't it?... Oh well, I think I should stop stalking the CDMA forums when I have almost no idea on anything CDMA-related!
But, I'm still in favor of the WiFi suggestion!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think you can use any SIM card you want if you phone is SIM Unlocked
yes you can use any sim card if your phone is sim unlock buy the Sprint TP2 is not working with us 3G
unlock
I called up VZW and told them I was going to Europe and wanted to use prepaid SIM cards instead of paying Big Red the $$. They gave me the SIM unlock code and now I can use T-Mo or AT&T SIM cards with no problem. Only downside is that their GSM frequencies are slightly off from the rest of the world so no high-speed data when using VZW on GSM carrier in the states...
Nate
qjsmartphone said:
one word IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!! GSM and CDMA are hardware radios an unlock is IMPOSSIBLE unless the phone is a world phone with both CDMA and GSM but your phone doesn't qualify so try getting a GSM/CDMA hybrid and then come back to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The CDMA Touch Pro 2 *is* a dual mode world phone with both GSM and CDMA.
sumflipnol said:
I'll jump in here...
I thought Sprint/Verizon phones with both GSM/CDMA radios cannot use AT&T nor T-Mo SIM cards. I thought they only accepted the GSM SIM cards of countries outside the US.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Verizon TP2 has a simple SIM lock on it which is similar to standard GSM SIM locks. Remove the SIM lock and you can use any SIM card with a compatible network, including US networks.
The Sprint TP2 doesn't have a standard SIM lock, but instead has the US frequency bands disabled. Hence the need for a new radio.

[Q] Factory unlocks, ebay and international carriers.

Hello gents, I'll start with a short story to get you into the thread:
Me and my girlfriend live in Venezuela, our service providers are not up to par with american or european carriers in terms of available devices, so we bought an HTC Magic for each of us last year to try out Android, everything was fine, I learned how to root it, install roms and such, and we had a pretty good run with the phone and the OS.
Last week we got robbed and they took away our phones, I decided to get a Nexus S for her and I found one at a good price on eBay(270$+shipping) however this one is branded for Sprint, will I be able to go to my service provider and just tell them to attach my account to the phone I bought on ebay? or are the Sprint and Verizon Nexus S locked to those carriers exclusively?
If the answer to the second question is yes, then a third question is raised, can I in any way unlock this phone to use it on my non-american service provider?
I have seen other threads and the replies are always "the Nexus S is factory unlocked." but I dont know if this refers exclusively to the ones sold in the UK or retail stores in the US.
I apologize for any noobish behaviour, I'm a big fan of devices and gadgets yet I lack a lot of the technical skills you all seem to demonstrate.
Thanks in advance.
-Gaash
There is no such thing as a Verizon Nexus S. Sprint Nexus S have different radio bands than the regular Nexus S (I9020T/I9020A/I9023) and features a 4G radio with it. You have to make sure that the phone is compatible with your carrier's bands. Another thing to note is that the Sprint Nexus S is CDMA (No SIM card) as well.
All Nexus S models come unlocked regardless if you're on the contract or not. Sorry to hear about your incident
The model I bought is GT-I9020T, according to people on the internet(random links on google) this model works on GSM frequencies of 850, 900, 1800, & 1900. It supports UMTS 900, 1700, and 2100 frequencies.
My current provider works on 850 and 1900 for GSM and 850 for CDMA.
Do you think I will have trouble using the phone I bought for my girl?
I feel terribly dumb when I ask this, I cant explain why, hehe.
Oh, I think I figured it out, I bought for her the non branded GSM version, so yes, it will probably work on my provider.
But what happens if I buy a Sprint CDMA one for myself? Those are definitely cheaper, and CDMA seems to be better down here, at least more stable.
Thanks for your replies, and simpathy, it's been a rough week without a smartphone for both of us.
Gaash said:
Oh, I think I figured it out, I bought for her the non branded GSM version, so yes, it will probably work on my provider.
But what happens if I buy a Sprint CDMA one for myself? Those are definitely cheaper, and CDMA seems to be better down here, at least more stable.
Thanks for your replies, and simpathy, it's been a rough week without a smartphone for both of us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure and I wouldn't say the CDMA version is more stable. I personally never used the Nexus S 4G but from what I can tell from threads is that there are problems with WiFi or something of that sort.
You might want to ask the carrier yourself via phone to see if it would be compatible or so. Just let them know about the bands the phone supports.
And that's interesting if your carrier supports CDMA and GSM.
CDMA = No SIM card
GSM = SIM card
GSM is more popular around the world. Just including that just incase!
Alright, so I talked to my carrier they said the following:
-If I buy a CDMA phone with no contract on the US I will be able to register it on their network.
-If I buy an unlocked GSM phone I can register it on their network.
I guess I'll have to buy a couple of GSMs just to be sure... even tho they are about 100$ more expensive.
Thanks for all the replies, catch you later!

[Q] Phone & carrier question

Hello Everybody,
I hope this is the correct place to ask these questions.
I currently have Virgin Mobile (US) service which is CDMA. The phone I have is a 510c. I really like this phone's form factor. The main thing is it is small! 101.3 x 59.4 x 12.4 mm (3.99 x 2.34 x 0.49 in). I like the service I have with Virgin Mobile (US). For a no contract $40 a month I get unlimited data & 300 minutes.
I want a rooted phone.
I've learned that CyanogenMod is made almost exclusively for GSM phones.
I'm looking for opinions on what GSM (US) carrier comes close to $40 a month and unlimited data.
I'd also like some opinions on a similar sized GSM (US) rootable phone.
Let me know your thoughts and thanks in advance!
Primaris
Primaris said:
I want a rooted phone.
I've learned that CyanogenMod is made almost exclusively for GSM phones.
I'm looking for opinions on what GSM (US) carrier comes close to $40 a month and unlimited data.
I'd also like some opinions on a similar sized GSM (US) rootable phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CyanogenMod, or any custom ROM, has nothing to do with GSM vs CDMA. It just happens that since most of the world uses GSM that most phones that get custom ROMs are GSM ones. CDMA is mainly used by Verizon and Sprint in the USA, and they have some exclusive phones, so development is naturally limited.
If you want a small phone with a cheap plan, look at MetroPCS and the Samsung Galaxy Light. The phone is small, cheap, capable, and easily rootable. And since it uses T-Mobile's network, it'll beat the hell out of Boost/Sprint.
Well with the 510C, marvelC processor, CDMA it is pretty much GSM, marvel processor, or no support with custom ROMS. I did not know CDMA was supported with other phones and ROMS. Since poor CDMA support is not the case with all phone models perhaps you can suggest a Virgin Mobile phone that is easy to root and is small?
Thanks!
Primaris

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