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What's With The Terrible CDMA Support?

All the U.S. Cdma carriers were late with the first wave of wp7 devices. I'm with Verizon and we didn't get the HTC Trophy until June. Sprint got HTC arrive a couple month earlier but by the time those devices were released in the U.S. they were already year old devices.
So 6 months later GSM is getting the roll out of the mango phones with front facing cameras and those of us with cdma arrives and trophies are looking with no signs of a cdma wp7 with a ff cam in sight. What gives?
How come HTC and Samsung aren't making cdma variants of their phones they give carriers and bringing them to cdma carriers? Like how they brought variants of the HTC touch pro 2 and the HTC evo to all the carriers?
Anyone else getting angry with the lackluster cdma support? Why aren't they launching more phones than just the ones that seemingly come out annually?
Sent from my mwp6985 using Board Express

My bet is that Sprint and Verizon are effectively done with bringing CDMA phones to market and they don't want a new phone unless it is an iPhone or 4G (LTE and/or WiMax).
I expect Verizon phones once LTE support hits with Tango.

It'll be spring.

I, for one, am really happy VZW got a 3G WP7 phone. I am in an area that prob will get LTE in the LAST phase of any roll out (we got 3G in Oct 2010). I was also able to get it before the end of unlimited data.
What is killing me isn't carrier support, but hack support. I would love to developed a ROM for the HTC Trophy, but I have the CDMA Verizon version, and it has yet to be unlocked.
I know part of this is that the unlock devs are in China and do not have access to the CDMA Trophy.. but it seems no one wants to get together and buy/send them a Trophy CDMA to work on. :/
I know I can't afford it myself.. and for some reason the price has increased on Amazon Wireless (the phone alone was going for $388, now its $479)... but perhaps if a bunch of us chipped in we could send them one.

I have talked to mwang and cotulla and offered to buy them both Verizon trophies . They have both told me that they have cdma devices in hand and are currently testing .. I know it's taking a while , but the good news is that it IS being worked on . I want a DFT rom as bad as anyone ...hell id settle for interop unlock .. I suppose we just have to be patient .
Sent from my mwp6985 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

Well, it's good to know that its a work in progress. I just pray that the unlock will be based on the 7.5 rom.. many people got burnt by installing the demo rom... (well, maybe you could base it on the demo rom??). The only way to get rid of the demo rom was to install the leaked 7.5 rom (I was refused RMA because of the demo).
Oh well, if I have to go back to the demo just to unlock, I'll pray that is a workable option (many can't unlock after getting 7.5 roms).

Well, there simply are much less CDMA carriers in the world than there are GSM/UMTS ones. Given that Verizon and Sprint seem not to be too much into WP7 that explains why developing those devices is a low priority to the manufacturers.

It is a bit strange considering the Sprint Touch Pro/TP2 were the more popular devices back in the WM days then any of the other carrier devices. Now with the Arrive being almost a direct successor of the Touch Pro 2, you would think it would have gotten the same dedicated treatment, sadly, this is not the case. I do hope Sprint continues with the Arrive and whatever comes next has the same keyboard and a more refined design with the Titan like upgrades.
A 4" screen with the same keyboard, 1.5Ghz processor, and all the other Mango bells and whistles would be grand.

The most frank response is very simple:
The entire world uses GSM.
I know of all of two, maybe three countries where there are even CDMA networks. If I was making a phone, I wouldn't even be thinking about CDMA unless I was selling millions of units and expansion was easiest by using the inferior (whether true or not technologically, CMDA is inferior in a pure business sense) technology.

I know this is true too.
I can't wait for LTE to roll out and put Verizon on the same playing field as most of the world, but I also know that my area will likely be the last, even if it is being used as the primary example of how broadband internet needs to be pushed out to rural areas.
I mean, the other carriers in this area just plain don't care. Dial 16407 as the zipcode into the AT&T and Sprint coverage areas, and you'll see that neither has even got 3G up and running in this area.. let alone 4G! T-Mobile = non-existent.
I can't even get DSL on my outer rims road because Verizon (which just happens to be my land line provider) won't run DSL down it because of a massive farm that takes up the first 1/3 of this section of road!?!
Anyone who says "just move" is ignorant and should be shot.

[Q] Buying a no-contract smart phone

I'm a T-Mobile Prepaid customer using a simple $19 phone but am planning to purchase a no-contract smart phone, say Samsung Galaxy S 2 or HTC Amaze 4G.
If I buy one of these for T-Mobile Prepaid, am I locked in there, or the phone is useful even if I might move onto another carrier such as Verizon or ATT, or to another Plan within T-Mobile later?

xdabyk said:
I'm a T-Mobile Prepaid customer using a simple $19 phone but am planning to purchase a no-contract smart phone, say Samsung Galaxy S 2 or HTC Amaze 4G.
If I buy one of these for T-Mobile Prepaid, am I locked in there, or the phone is useful even if I might move onto another carrier such as Verizon or ATT, or to another Plan within T-Mobile later?
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No you are not locked in if you buy a phone off contract. You will not be able to move to verizon or sprint with the phone though, because they use CDMA and not GSM like the rest of the world.

you can outright buy the phone, but check to see if they have a pre-paid plan/data plan for that phone, it will not be unlocked so you cannot move. You can request t-mobile to unlock it though, but you will not get the same 4g speeds

Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A

lowandbehold said:
No you are not locked in if you buy a phone off contract. You will not be able to move to verizon or sprint with the phone though, because they use CDMA and not GSM like the rest of the world.
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Thank you. Does that mean I can use the Samsung Galaxy S2 No-Contract Model I buy from/for T-Mobil Prepaid now for other carriers of GSM? May I understand from your reply message(s) that T-Mobile is a GSM format carrier(and so is AT&T?) as opposed to Verizon and Sprint being a CDMA guys? If so, I can use the phone as long as my next carrier is a GSM guy? Does this make sense?

djjuice said:
you can outright buy the phone, but check to see if they have a pre-paid plan/data plan for that phone, it will not be unlocked so you cannot move. You can request t-mobile to unlock it though, but you will not get the same 4g speeds
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To: djjuice -
Thank you. I will do some homework in order to understand what "locked", "unlock" and " . . . will not get the same 4g speeds" mean.

Even unlocked the phone may not support the 3G or "4"G data speed between TMobile and AT&T. The AT&T Galaxy S II will not run on TMobile 3G data, only Edge (2G) data, because they run on different frequencies, same thing with the TMobile Galaxy S II does not support AT&T frequencies. If you buy the phone off contract from TMobile, they should unlock it for you, but there is no guarantee it will work (fully) anywhere else.
If you buy a phone off of craigslist even though you are buying it off contract you cannot guarantee it can be unlocked freely. For example if you buy an AT&T phone used from someone, AT&T will not unlock it for you for free until it's a certain number of months old (based on when the first person bought it from AT&T). You would have to pay a third party for an unlock code (if there is no help here on xda to unlock it).
It's best to just buy a phone for the carrier you plan on using. That ensures its going to work, and that it will work at full speed. If you really think you are going to switch to AT&T buy one of their branded phones, or Verizon etc. Verizon and Sprint both use CDMA, but they are very resistant to allowing another carriers phone on their network. Plus their 4G networks are different types (Verizon uses LTE, Sprint WiMax) so they wouldn't work fully regardless.

Thank you, quarlow.
My budget is around $600 max. So I'm inclined to purchase an HTC Amaze 4Z or Samsung Galaxy S2 for use for T-Mobile Prepaid at Target or at T-Mobile. T-Mobile Net Shop is selling Galaxy S2 Re-Furbished at a discount price. Hear Galaxy S2 have high rate of initial failures and therefore maybe better to buy a re-furbished one that has failed once and was repaired by qualified repairman. Below is how I come to think of buying a smart phone now. I've been happy with a simple prepaid phone buying 100 minutes at a time, which lasts more than a year for me. I also use a Sony Clie, a PDA running Palm Desk Top, which has gone obsolete long time ago. With a smart phone such as Galaxy or Amaze 4Z, I can leave not only the PDA but also a digital camera home. I do not need to access my PDA data over internet. I will import necessary data from my PC to my new smart phone either via cable or via WIFI before going out. That's why I want to remain "Prepaid Customer" not a customer with monthly fees. (Besides, I am not so much interested in leaving my data at ISP's servers.)
Thank you.

I haven't heard of high failure on the Galaxy S II's for TMo. But I have seen several studies showing refurbished devices have lower failure rates because they can have problem components replaced, and have to pass full qa testing twice.
If you are going to put all your data on your phone via USB on the computer, or wifi, then data compatibility won't matter. That changes the whole issue of taking it to another carrier. Any att or TMo phone that is unlocked will make and receive phone calls, text messages and mms messages just fine on the other network. You will only notice the difference when web browsing, or downloading files. If you aren't going to do that, then it wont make a difference.
Knowing that and your budget I would say get a international version of the phone. Get the Galaxy S II (i9100), or the Galaxy Note, or the Galaxy Nexus. All of those phones are top tier, and international versions will receive updates quicker. The Nexus being the Google device will be the first ICS device to get the next version of android, so its the most future proof. The GSM version of any of those phones will likely come unlocked.
The i9100 has a 4.3" screen, and 1.2Ghz dual core Exynos chip. The TMo version has a 4.5" screen (same resolution) with 1.5Ghz dual core qualcomm chip. The bigger screens did have issues with splotches and vertical lines far more than the 4.3" screen. With them being the same resolution the smaller screen is crisper. The Exynos chip is made by Samsung and widely regarded as the better chip, even at a slower speed. It also comes with a more powerful gpu than the qualcomm chip. So, the graphics are better, and games run better. The att version (i777) is almost exactly the same as the i9100, except it has the U.S. norm of 4 buttons, vs the international 3 buttons. The dev support on xda for the i9100 is unmatched by any other phone, its an amazing device with a huge support and user base.
The Galaxy Note is a 5.3" half phone half tablet with a stylus, and 1.4Ghz dual core Exynos chip. Its screen is a whopping 1280x800 resolution. But, for some that's too big.
The Galaxy Nexus has a 4.65" screen with 720p resolution (this screen is pentile which means it doesn't have as many sub pixels as it could. Its hard to explain, Google pentile vs rgb and there should be plenty of explinations. But, most reviews say at that resolution you need a microscope to tell). But the real strength with that device is that its the pure Google device. Its running Android the way its meant to be ran, unbloated and unrestricted. That is the Rolls Royce of Android phones for the next year. The Nexus S is last years Google device, and will be the first gingerbread device with an official ICS upgrade, if it isn't already upgraded. Its like a Mercedes at this point, its got the pure android experience, but its running last years tech: 4" screen, 1Ghz single core hummingbird chip.
I'm sure that is way more information than you ever wanted to know, but I hope it helps.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)

quarlow said:
Even unlocked the phone may not support the 3G or "4"G data speed between TMobile and AT&T. The AT&T Galaxy S II will not run on TMobile 3G data, only Edge (2G) data, because they run on different frequencies, same thing with the TMobile Galaxy S II does not support AT&T frequencies. If you buy the phone off contract from TMobile, they should unlock it for you, but there is no guarantee it will work (fully) anywhere else.
If you buy a phone off of craigslist even though you are buying it off contract you cannot guarantee it can be unlocked freely. For example if you buy an AT&T phone used from someone, AT&T will not unlock it for you for free until it's a certain number of months old (based on when the first person bought it from AT&T). You would have to pay a third party for an unlock code (if there is no help here on xda to unlock it).
It's best to just buy a phone for the carrier you plan on using. That ensures its going to work, and that it will work at full speed. If you really think you are going to switch to AT&T buy one of their branded phones, or Verizon etc. Verizon and Sprint both use CDMA, but they are very resistant to allowing another carriers phone on their network. Plus their 4G networks are different types (Verizon uses LTE, Sprint WiMax) so they wouldn't work fully regardless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually the T-mobile SGSII supports AT&T 3g.

lowandbehold said:
Actually the T-mobile SGSII supports AT&T 3g.
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Click to collapse
Att 3G runs on 850 and 1900, with preference on 1900 generally. The TMo looks to have 850, but not 1900. So like the vibrant the support will be spotty at best. It may work in some places, but not everywhere.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)

To quarlow and lowandbehold -
Very informative! Thank you very much.
I will stay with the plan to go for a Galaxy S2(i1900) or an HTC Amaze 4Z for TMO Prepaid. If there be good prepaid phone service(s) available from other carrier(s), I'd definitely want to learn about.

Mobile Internet Question

Hi I am from the UK, but this is probably answerable by anyone who understands the topic..
Basically, I am looking at upgrading, however 4G is expected to be in the UK in 2013. However, Orange/T-Mobile (Everything Everywhere), have said they are looking at updating their network in Q3 of 2012, supplying the UK with HSPA+ - which is a fair bit faster than the current standard (HS(D?)PA). However, I was wondering if current devices released in the UK (cough, the HTC One X. or possibly the Galaxy S3) will simply require a software update for HSPA+ to work? But if the devices won't even be able to use HSPA+, I don't want to upgrade yet.
Thanks for the help

It will depend of the hardware ability of the network ship , if manufacturer will just allow further abilities by a simple software upgrade , devs will know the trick and make it available by custom roms or apps.
My advice : Wait and see ! New telecommunication standards are always a long time ahead devices able to handle it . Keep your device until the official release of new offers , upgrade plans...It's better than buying now an expensive one.

In UK on 3 with SGSII get H+ displayed to which is HSPA+
Samsung GT-i9100 Galaxy S II
Cellular-Data:Links
It's been available for a while in UK it's implemented into newer phones.

[Q] Purchasing a US N5 to use in the UK

morning guys
I've seen a few threads about buying in the US and using the N5 in different countries and the fact that although you can use it for 3G/GSM, being able to use 4G LTE is a no go due to the bands that are utilised.
Does/Would anyone know if this is changeable due to the radio being used or would it be a hardware matter as to me it would seem abit odd to produce 2 different phones using the same form factor where a piece of software enabling the bands would be more cost efficient. I appreciate that the software etc is probably being looked at by Dev's now but was wondering if anyone with previous knowledge of this would know.
Only reason I ask is as I'm in the US at the moment (the 32Gb works out considerably cheaper than in the UK) and the area I live in (in the UK) hasn't got 4G (and probably won't have for a while), whether or not to purchase one and then wait for a radio change, but if thats not possible I'll have to go with the expensive UK version
thanks for you help

There are two Nexus 5 models, the D820 (for the U.S) & D821 (for the rest of the world. According to this article by Android Central, it seems that there is a physical difference between the radios installed in each model. So I don't think you would have the option of flashing a radio from a D821 on to a D820 and suddenly have access to UK/European LTE bands. I'm no expert though so maybe others could confirm/deny this.

I too would like to know the same thing (hoping to take advantage of relatives in the US )
However reading around a bit I think it's a hardware limitation. They use the same software on the phones, but they enable the different LTE bands built into the hardware.
Pretty sure no amount of flashing radios will enable the different LTE bands...I'd love to be wrong though.
Shame, even after sales tax the saving would have been worth it. Might have to bite the bullet and buy UK price £££££££££

U.S. Unlocked vs International Unlocked phone

Hello
I'm looking at replacing my S4 with an S7. My carrier in the US is AT&T and that won't be changing. I've been looking at different unlocked versions and can't find a solid representation of what the real world differences are. I know they have different processors. Some say a band is missing, but does that matter. I don't use android or samsung pay, but i know there is a difference here too. I found one comment about some kind of samsung 'coverage' plan, but what is that?
Best Buy has US unlocked phones for about $700. B&H Photo has an International phone for about $640. Its a lot of money either way. Is one phone really better or different than that other?
I am planning a trip through Canada and maybe to Europe. I assume either would take a SIM from those areas and I could avoid getting raped by international fees.
Here is a summary of question I can think of:
Does the US unlocked phone from BestBuy have a warranty or insurance or anything like that?
Can the US phone be rooted. I only do this to remove apps I don't use.
Is the hardware one vs the other really better or just different?
Does a dual SIM do anything useful?
Does a band being missing make a real world difference?
Is there a good comparison somewhere to that can decide on a phone to purchase?

It comes with a limited warranty as stated on their site:
"This device is not warrantied through the manufacturer. This device has a limited 1 year warranty provided by CCR Warranty. To obtain technical or warranty assistance, please contact CCR Warranty at 866-579-8436."
What I don't know is how useful/limited that warranty is. I'd like the HTC 10 but the unlocked S7 is my runner up, and the warranty issue is one of the major factors in my hesitation.
I do believe it can be rooted.
As far as I know, through research, the only major difference between the two is battery life.

Hello, I'll just go straight to the answers.
1. I'm going to assume that if you go through a carrier (att, t-mobile etc etc.) they will offer an insurance plan. You will have to go to third party insurance for the international version
2. As far I know, the US version does not have a root option yet. Because of the locked bootloader.
3. Hardware will depend on which version you choose. Both are very good.
4. Dual sim is as the name implies, you'll be able to use 2 separate sim cards with their respective #s. that's the only benefit really.
5. Missing radio bands is something you may have to do some research on depending your location.
6. I'm sure YouTube or some online site will have some reviews/comparison of both.

I just looked at the best buy website again and something is different. The S7 listed for $690 is definitely the international version and not the US version. When I looked last month I was positive that the phone was listed as a US phone ... huh

A little late
a little late to the thread but just wanted to share what I learned while researching the matter.
There is an US unlocked version of the S7 (g930u) and available through a few places (Best Buy, B&H, Ebay). It goes for $679.99 retail and I have not been able to find one that goes for less. Probably because it just came out end of June. The biggest benefit of it is that it has a bunch of bands and CDMA-compatible. Thus, you can get full connection with AT&T and TMobile. Downside is no wifi calling or VOLTE (as those seem to be locked by the carriers to their own phones).
The international versions (930f/930fd) are both available on Ebay/Swappa for about $500. Upside are that they have the Exnyos chip and no bloatware. You can also root and flash them with new ROM. Another thing is that you get updates earlier. I got Marshmallow on my s6 a month or so before AT&T released its update. Downsides are no Samsung Pay or WiFi Calling/VOLTE and the biggie...missing bands. I had a g920i and it was missing support for bands 29 and 30 on AT&T...this led to poor LTE and indoor reception at times. I would have to turn on/off the mobile data switch sometimes to get good connection.
Finally, we have carrier based versions, which loads you down with bloatware and has the Snapdragon chip. But, it does support all features of your carrier. Slower updates also an issue and lack of support of all bands internationally are additional drawbacks. Cost is also about $500.
Personally, I am going with an unlocked 930a. Bloatware sucks but I can delete or disable almost all of them. Snapdragon seems pretty powerful to me. Samsung Pay, Wifi Calling, and Band support are just too important for me. Note, make sure you ask the seller on Ebay/Swappa about whether the phone is unlocked.
Hope that helps.

I did a lot of research into this before buying my S7 but was kind of screwed since I'm on Verizon (CDMA)...
Since you're on AT&T you have more options.
There are two different processors in the two different models, Snapdragon 820 in the US CDMA capable and an Eyxnos in the International GSM ONLY phone.
After doing my research, I personally recommend the Eyxnos, which I couldn't get :/
If for nothing else, better battery life, by far. Do some research into the comparison between the two.
However! When buying from Best Buy be careful!
Last I checked, on their website, the black/onyx S7 was an unlocked US Snapdragon 820 phone.... while strangely enough the other two, gold and silver? were both unlocked US (actually international) Eyxnos phones.
Also, last I checked Samsung themselves only sell the CDMA snapdragon processor model to the US.
Unless Best Buy made a mistake listing the Eyxnos processor, it is the only way to get that model without buying an "internationally sourced" phone on ebay.

Just a few notes:
1) The G930u is fully compatible with all the US Carriers
2) VoLTE works on both T-Mobile and Verizon
3) Wi-Fi Calling works on T-Mobile and potentially Verizon (but I am not positive about Verizon).
The big downside to the G930u is that for whatever reason it is not receiving updates from Samsung when its branded siblings are.