gsm or cdma for iphone?

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
hello. this is my first post on appleinsider . just curious, with all these rumors going around regarding apple's new phone, curious whether apple's iphone will go gsm or cdma. curious reader who seeks insight. thanks in advance.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    newnew Posts: 3,244member
    UMTS and WIFI?
  • Reply 2 of 18
    mimacmimac Posts: 872member
    As a spokesperson for Nokia recently put it, "this discussion is not about technology anymore, but about market". Both technologies have their advantages and disadvantages though in the scheme of things GSM may be the de-facto standard used in the Apple cell phone simply because over 73% of the worldwide cell phone market is covered by the system.



    Interestingly quite a lot of the GSM operators are delivering 3G services on a coupled WCDMA/EDGE network which, combined with GSM/EDGE, gives those using GSM continuity of service.



    One can only speculate as to which technology Apple will decide on.
  • Reply 3 of 18
    GSM, 3G, GPRS/EDGE ? This are the keywords globally at this stage. EVDO sounds cool but too expensive to be mobile mainstream yet.
  • Reply 4 of 18
    there a post discussing this on the bottom of this pagee
  • Reply 5 of 18
    wmfwmf Posts: 1,164member
    Hopefully unlocked GSM. Apple has a chance to innovate here.
  • Reply 6 of 18
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wmf


    Hopefully unlocked GSM. Apple has a chance to innovate here.



    just wait for the data bill that $0.99 song truns in to a $10+ data bill
  • Reply 7 of 18
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Joe_the_dragon


    just wait for the data bill that $0.99 song truns in to a $10+ data bill



    idk know about cingular but t-mobile dosnt charge per kb. all there plans are unlimited.
  • Reply 8 of 18
    My understanding is that they're using an entirely new technology called TDHA, or "Thinksecret Discussion, Hot Air". Instead of using conventional radio waves, the phone transmits and receives rumours of Apple products. Passers by then repeat the rumours to a nearby tower, which broadcasts the rumour over the Internet via email, Usenet, and Bulletin boards, to a tower near to the other handset. The message is transmitted the same way from the tower to the other handset.



    To modulate the digital signal into rumours, an algorithm is used that converts basic binary information into waves of varingly ridiculous rumours. To ensure optimum signal quality, more important parts of the information are encoded using rumours of popularly awaited products, while less critical information is encoded using less interesting rumours.



    Despite the time taken to state a rumour in English, it turns out that TDHA has a latency less than more conventional technologies like TDMA and CDMA. This is because rumours generally spread at speeds faster than the speed of light.
  • Reply 9 of 18
    Heh. That's so geeky.
  • Reply 10 of 18
    Prediction: Apple iPhone is GSM locked to Apple Mobile MVNO
  • Reply 11 of 18
    tednditedndi Posts: 1,921member
    prediction: apple will sell bucketloads more phones if it is unlocked.



    If apple does the mvno it will be as a value added addition to .mac



    my .02
  • Reply 12 of 18
    Comment: They will sell more phones if unlocked but will lose the Apple Grip of Death on the end-to-end solution that is the Mac and iPod goodness.



    Imagine an Apple iPhone that allows you to download songs from other networks and services...!! Blasphemy..!!
  • Reply 13 of 18
    The only way you're getting Sexyback* ringtone on your Apple iPhone is through the iTunes Store buddy...

    *http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/M...92911&s=143441
  • Reply 14 of 18
    How about both, but the unlocked one is still tied into Apple's services?



    Unlocked means it works on any (face it people, probably GSM not least for the fact it allows smaller phones with better battery life due to lower power draw and simpler electronics. Technically yes CDMA is better. Big whoop) GSM network if you have a SIM card from the network. They should use the quad-band GSM chips that Motorola for whatever reason seems to utilize the most. None of this useless tri-band Nokia stuff. Plus whatever 3G bands the GSM guys are pushing.



    The unlocked version costs retail, but of course can be used on your network of choice. However because it's not being sold by the carrier it doesn't carry their software, so all of the features still tie into whatever Apple wants. Think Windows iPods. It's on somebody else's ecosystem but bypasses it for the most part to deal with Apple software and stuff.



    The unlocked version would also probably be the outside of America version (though given phone prices - zero with contract - in say the UK, I'm not sure if it would sell lacking a tied carrier version which I think Apple would balk at) until/unless Apple expands its MVNO.



    The locked version is cheaper depending on the plan and therefore is an incentive to sign onto Apple's own MVNO. Just like any other carrier.
  • Reply 15 of 18
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sunilraman


    Prediction: Apple iPhone is GSM locked to Apple Mobile MVNO



    I tend to agree with you on this. I can't see them doing both locked/unlocked; it'll either be one or the other.



    The MVNO thing seems most likely because it ties into all their other products/services. An ExpressCard for the MacBook Pros to use with high-speed data plans. A mobile iTunes Store for ringtones, games, maybe even short videos. Syncing contacts, calendars and photos with .Mac.



    On the other hand, it would be really super nice if they remained service-agnostic just like they do with Internet-enabled computers. Sell for retail price only (no carrier subsidies) and work with virtually any network in the world. Dual-mode, quad-band phones already exist in the market, so it wouldn't be that hard for Apple to do this, if they wanted to...
  • Reply 16 of 18
    I got confused with all the GSM band stuff. Here's a great article and country summary:

    http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roa...bandphones.htm



    Now, which carriers in the USA, DO NOT use GSM? That is, CDMA?
  • Reply 17 of 18
    Sprint/Nextel, Verizon, and most local carriers are not GSM.



    This is on the West Coast however. Not sure about which East Coast carriers aren't GSM.
  • Reply 18 of 18
    In Australia we got GSM, 3g (UTMS/WCDMA) and CDMA, and soon possibly a 850MHz 3g CDMA network. All 2 confusing.
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