AT&T Hints At End Of iPhone Exclusivity > In the us only tmobile or att works with the sim based iphon

reply to Joe12345678

Re: In the us only tmobile or att works with the sim based iphon

reply to jtudor

reply to adisor19

reply to adisor19
I disagree with that slightly, while they do not want to make a product for a small niche market, they probably do want to release an LTE based phone.

LTE is backwards compatable with GSM, UMTS, and CDMA2000.

What that means for Apple, is that they can sell an iphone that will work on any network in the US. In fact, It would work on any network on the planet (except for NTT Docomo in Japan, and probably a few others).

That makes good business sense for Apple, single device, works anywhere. My guess would be that you are right about the time frame, though it probably has more to do with tweaking the combination of the LTE hardware and battery life. Figure late 2010 early 2011 is my guess.

reply to dlewis23
The major issue with Tmo 3g, it runs on an odd frequency band in the US. So apple would have to make a separate device just to work on Tmobile in the US.

Also, in the end, LTE has a much higher bandwidth rate (if memory serves me, up to about 300ish mbit down, 100ish mbit up), UMTS will never reach those speeds.

reply to dlewis23
There is a reason when that carrier is the biggest in the nation, and they have by far the best network. If other phone makers can easily make a CDMA version of their phones I’m sure Apple is capable of doing it!

reply to jvanbrecht
Wind Mobile up in canada (nationwide 3g) will be AWS. If they want an iphone and TMO wants an iphone, apple may be more likely to make an AWS version of the iphone.

reply to dlewis23
China Unicom has GSM 900 and UMTS/HSPA 2100, and had already ordered 5 million iPhones for sale.

»www.ibtimes.com/articles/2009081···mber.htm

I wouldn't expect any CDMA 1x/EVDO chipset in the near future, unless the CDG paid for it (not likely)

Stats: GSM / HSPA = 89%, CDMA 1x/EVDO = 9%
»www.3gamericas.org/index.cfm?fus···geid=565

More importantly ... growth:
»www.3gamericas.org/index.cfm?fus···geid=322

GSM base added more customers in the last year than CDMA has total.

reply to jvanbrecht
I agree... it won't be until an LTE platform is developed and sold by Apple. On a global scale, I think that it may be at least until 2011 before they have enough, or they'll have to sell existing and an LTE model as they do with iPhone 3G + iPhone 3GS.

reply to dlewis23

reply to adisor19
no way apple will make an cdma iphone??? Then why is Bell canada showing this?
»www.bell.ca/home/

reply to dlewis23
Where do you guys come up with this notion that "there is no way in hell" that apple would make a CDMA phone?

Seriously... what is hard to understand? dead or not.., which it's not, CDMA has a VERY large customer base of users and they are in the millions.. millions x that many customers equates to large chunks of revenue.

It's been proven that customers don't always defect a carrier for a phone, and this site also proves that daily.

Further, there is not just 1 carrier that uses CDMA.. Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular.. shall I go on? Even with verizon shifting away, they will still have a few years in CDMA and customers that would be willing to stay for a CDMA phone at this time, which would outlast their upgrade and phase out plans as they migrate, eventually, to another technology. Verizon isn't going to turn on a dime just becuase of the iPhone; an already saturated market. (Many of those new iPhones are upgrades, by the way)

And, its not like it's some HUGE deal to develop a CDMA iPhone.. many phone makers have versions in various technologies.. anyone heard of the Blackberry? .. and it has a FAR larger share than the iPhone does in the market.

So really - ask yourselves, all, why you guys think that iPhone is some exception to the rule when it comes to having a phone that works on more than one single system.. if they invested just a small amount of money, I believe that apple knows they'd make their money back even with the CDMA market in this country.. so why don't you guys?

I know it's fun to sit here on BBR and act like an expert and that you all have the answers to everything, but the point is that regularly, many people here are proven wrong.. time and time again.

For the record, apple has been recruiting CDMA engineers.

... oh yea.. and I could care less if it's 7.5 or 21 mb, does anyone think the current iPhone can really take advantage of those speeds? ... hardly. I have 50 meg in my house and through WiFi it's still slow as a pig... Those nifty fast speeds they keep talking about are going to be more useful for mobile computers and POSSIBLY tether plans than they are the phone itself.. and, too, when they start pushing out more traditional VoIP based calling on their handsets..

oh yea again.. one more last thing.. don't forget that the iPhone was originally targeted to Verizon - a CDMA carrier.. so it's most likely they are pretty far ahead on the "planning" of a CDMA based iPhone.

1. Yes, please continue listing your list of CDMA carriers.
2. Most are not upgrades, if you read the article earlier in the week, millions were new subscribers to AT&T's horrible network just for the iPhone.
3. Apple has recruited CDMA engineers for their upcoming projects (probably tablet/UMPC related).
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reply to adisor19
2011, 4G/LTE iPhone on VZW...
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reply to fiberguy
I never said there was no way in hell.. I said it was unlikely.

Sure, all that is really needed is a different radio and a driver change in the iphone for cdma to work..

Now Apple has to have 2 different devices made for them (by foxxcon I believe). The potential result may be an over production in CDMA phones which have limited use outside the US (yes there are millions of CMDA users, but thats the possibility is there).
There is of course the cost of paying someone to maintain 2 different lines of products.

Why, why bother spending all that additional money, when they can wait a few months longer, produce a single device that will work on all current and most likely future wireless network topologies... and not have to deal with a third device (the LTE one assuming they actually do start making gsm and cdma variants) in a year or 2 when everyone is pushing LTE. (Verizon already has 2 small test areas).

No one really knows at the moment, everyone is speculating, except people inside apple.

But from a cost/production standpoint over the long term, does it really make sense to produce 3 different devices, when they could produce a single device that works on all networks, and will most definitely maximize their profits

reply to dlewis23
A firmware change will do nothing, the radio unit inside the iphone is a hardware unit that only supports specific frequency ranges. For 3g to work on Tmobile, it would require a completely new radio.

reply to fiberguy
I bet its not very hard to do at all . I bet apple even has a working prototype that could quickly be turned into a production model.