# Will Apple release a CDMA iPhone?



## motoyen (Aug 15, 2001)

I was poking around the system folder looking for menu icons when I came across a folder containing several phone carrier logo. Telus, TelecomNZ, Telstra, etc. These are all CDMA carriers. If I'm not mistaken I believe Japan operated on a CDMA network so is Apple planning to release a North America CDMA phone the same time it releases on in Japan?

System --> Library --> Core Services --> Menu Extras --> Verizon Menu --> Show Package Contents --> Contents --> Resources


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

I would imagine that those icons are for the PCI Express cards that those companies offer, for CDMA internet with MacBook Pros.


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## (( p g )) (Aug 17, 2002)

motoyen said:


> I was poking around the system folder looking for menu icons when I came across a folder containing several phone carrier logo. Telus, TelecomNZ, Telstra, etc. These are all CDMA carriers. If I'm not mistaken I believe Japan operated on a CDMA network so is Apple planning to release a North America CDMA phone the same time it releases on in Japan?
> 
> System --> Library --> Core Services --> Menu Extras --> Verizon Menu --> Show Package Contents --> Contents --> Resources


Not in a million years. CDMA is inferior technology whose market is limited to North America. Plus its per-phone licensing fees to Qualcomm are outrageously high compared to GSM.


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## Canuckmakem (Jan 12, 2006)

(( p g )) said:


> Not in a million years. CDMA is inferior technology whose market is limited to North America. Plus its per-phone licensing fees to Qualcomm are outrageously high compared to GSM.


How so inferior? EVDO is so much faster than EDGE:

EVDO: 2.4Mbps and averages 300Kbps to 600Kbps

EDGE: Theoretical top speed of 200Kbps, although real-world speeds will be closer to 90Kbps.


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

Canuckmakem said:


> How so inferior? EVDO is so much faster than EDGE:
> 
> EVDO: 2.4Mbps and averages 300Kbps to 600Kbps
> 
> EDGE: Theoretical top speed of 200Kbps, although real-world speeds will be closer to 90Kbps.


For one thing, you can't switch phones easily... That's enough to keep me away from it.


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## DrewNL (May 23, 2005)

(( p g )) said:


> Not in a million years. CDMA is inferior technology whose market is limited to North America. Plus its per-phone licensing fees to Qualcomm are outrageously high compared to GSM.



Not in a million years? I'll take that bet. Thats a little strong if you ask me

D


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## crawford (Oct 8, 2005)

Canuckmakem said:


> How so inferior? EVDO is so much faster than EDGE:
> 
> EVDO: 2.4Mbps and averages 300Kbps to 600Kbps
> 
> EDGE: Theoretical top speed of 200Kbps, although real-world speeds will be closer to 90Kbps.


But EDGE isn't the fastest data protocol for GSM phones. It is an old technology that is quickly giving way to HSPA-based protocols that are currently capable of 7.2 Mbit/s. One could safely assume that the next version of the iPhone will be launched with this higher speed data capability (which is already widely deployed in the US and Europe).


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

CDMA is faster for people who want the highest data speeds.

GSM is more flexible for people who like to switch phones often.

Japan and Korea does not have a single GSM network, they've had 3G CDMA-2000 networks rolled out since 2001, they already had video call phones back then.


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## harrytse (Nov 3, 2005)

actually in recent years both providers in Japan and Korea have adopted technologies like HSDPA that play nice with the GSM roadmap.


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## zlinger (Aug 28, 2007)

dona83 said:


> CDMA is faster for people who want the highest data speeds.
> 
> GSM is more flexible for people who like to switch phones often.


GSM also makes it possible for world travel with one unlocked phone. Hop on a plane, and buy a pre-paid SIM card once you arrive in the foreign country. With CDMA, you will have no option but to pay through the nose with roaming fees, or purchase global minutes ahead of time.


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## Trevor... (Feb 21, 2003)

I would bet anything the iPhone software is up and running on the Qualcomm MSM7500 platform - it is binary compatible with the logic of the GSM iPhone.

But there is a difference between something running - and something shipping.

Qualcomm CDMA is a rapidly dying platform, but not for the weakness of the technology but their patent troll business model. CDMA is also perfectly capable of using SIM cards called R-UIM cards, most Nokia CDMA phones have slots for them. Bell, Sprint, Telus and Verizon have simply opted not to use them.


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## DrewNL (May 23, 2005)

zlinger said:


> GSM also makes it possible for world travel with one unlocked phone. Hop on a plane, and buy a pre-paid SIM card once you arrive in the foreign country. With CDMA, you will have no option but to pay through the nose with roaming fees, or purchase global minutes ahead of time.


Actually, your CDMA phone won't work at all in most countries....roaming or no. The infrastructure for CDMA is just not there (Not invested in)

D


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## Trevor... (Feb 21, 2003)

Here in its limited glory - I give you the North American compatible CDMA networks of the world. Bolivia and Mongolia are also roamable, if you find yourself there dial *228 to update your prefered roaming list.

International Roaming and Dialing Instructions

It is interesting to note that some of these countries only have CDMA networks because they were built with American foreign aid that was conditional on buying hardware from Qualcomm. 

And in what is quite possibly the least attractive service in the history of the wireless industry, most CDMA carriers offer roaming SIM cards to be used in unlocked phones (or hybrids) rates on these SIM cards are as high as $5.99 a minute.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Trevor... said:


> And in what is quite possibly the least attractive service in the history of the wireless industry, most CDMA carriers offer roaming SIM cards to be used in unlocked phones (or hybrids) rates on these SIM cards are as high as $5.99 a minute.


I didn't know Robber's was involved in CDMA.


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## MACinist (Nov 17, 2003)

Interestingly, The Financial Post reported a while back on some Analyst's predictions that will see Bell shift from CDMA to GSM. This would be a very expensive change for them but may be worth it as Bell loses out big in roaming revenue by having CDMA. Roger's yearly roaming revenue is in the 450 million dollar range.


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## throwdownduffett (May 31, 2008)

I actually work for Bell, and when I got the chance to ask some suits about that switch none of them would go into detail, since the release of the world edition blackberry which is cdma and gsm compatible i dont think they care to much about switching the whole network. And CDMA has actually launched all across China so its not just bound to NA.


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

Most importantly when will apple release an iDen iPhone so I can stay with my beloved Telus Mike Service.


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## spitfire1945 (May 17, 2008)

NO NO NO NOO! iPhone will not come in CDMA version atleast for the next five years. Get it down your bloody throat mate - Apple has signed an exclusive contract with AT&T to only develop for the GSM/HSDPA(HSDA) technology. 

The day the iPhone comes in a CDMA version, will be the day I eat my own hair!


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## dmpP (Jun 1, 2004)

DrewNL said:


> Actually, your CDMA phone won't work at all in most countries....roaming or no. The infrastructure for CDMA is just not there (Not invested in)
> 
> D


When I was in Israel it worked... that was 3-years ago... I have a bell phone...


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## throwdownduffett (May 31, 2008)

Here's a map and list including all the major areas that have CDMA service, and you're right, israel is one of them.

http://www.bell.ca/web/wireless/en/all_regions/pdfs/worldphone_terms.pdf


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## DrewNL (May 23, 2005)

I said most, not all  

With respect to "Not for at least another 5 yrs", as I understand it, the AT&T exclusivity was US only. They have promised AT&T that they will not make an iPhone in CDMA format for rivals such as Sprint and Verizon.

D


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## spitfire1945 (May 17, 2008)

DrewNL said:


> I said most, not all
> 
> With respect to "Not for at least another 5 yrs", as I understand it, the AT&T exclusivity was US only. They have promised AT&T that they will not make an iPhone in CDMA format for rivals such as Sprint and Verizon.
> 
> D


Ahh! I see. The joys of having imaginary lines!


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## jeepguy (Apr 4, 2008)

My wife's business uses wireless credit card machines, she has 2 both made by the same company ingenico, one is a gsm (rogers), the other is a cdma(bell). They work by sending secure data packets, for what ever reason the cdma works everywhere, the GSM works only in a few areas, Example the enbridge center down town Toronto, GSM no signal, CDMA full bars, same with my cell phone(gsm) dead. I have noticed this when I'm doing a site visit for a project, that for what ever reason the gsm phones don't preform as well when it heavy metal and concrete structures, I was at Ryerson a last year and had to go out side to make a call.

Of course maybe it's just me, but I have been complaining about this to rogers for over 2 years, my phone currently is a blackberry 8700, and now I'm afraid of spending the money on an iphone only to have the same problems. 

What have you guys experienced.


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## ruffdeezy (Mar 17, 2008)

the GSM band 850mhz works great in concrete building, must only be 1900 towers around there.


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