Benefits of GSM vs. CDMA, etc.

[AnthroAndStargate]

So I am in the market for a new smartphone/pda...

I have a REALLY great deal with Sprint so I dont really wanna leave - but I know sprint is CDMA.

Is there a benefit between CDMA and GSM? Is one better then the other? Thanks for info!

 

[imported_hscorpio]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDMA2000

Cdma is suppossed to be better technology than the older gsm, but I think is advantages are more noticeable/benefitial to the wireless providers (can allow more users per cell tower) than the actual end users.

 

[jmcoreymv]

I can't say I know too much of the details between CDMA and GSM, but I've heard from a number of EE's that develop communications test equipment that CDMA is technologically superior.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

i like sim cards

 

[Zenmervolt]

GSM is older, and is less secure. GSM is a branch off of TDMA and still uses the same scheme for keeping track of individual calls. GSM has lower theoretical maximum call quality (though in practice this doesn't make a difference. CDMA has much faster data rates however.

ZV <-- Employed by a GSM provider, is NOT speaking on behalf of his employer.

 

[ntdz]

All I know is that EVDO (from Sprint or Verizon) is a hell of a lot faster than the GSM equivalent, unless you live in one of a very few markets where Cingular rolled out their 3.5g service (the name of it slips my mind).

 

[Insane3D]

I had Verizon before up here in the NE with CDMA, and I now have Cingular which is GSM...

In my own personal experience, the quality of the calls are similar, with GSM having a bit of an edge. I've also noticed the CDMA seems to have a tendency to completely drop a call, while GSM will sometimes appear to drop out, but the call will come back after a second or to.

Between the two companies, I prefer Cingular...and even though Verizon has better coverage up here in New England, I haven't had any trouble with Cingular even traveling all over the country for installs.

*shrug*

Edit:

I should add I only use my phone.....as a PHONE. I have no interest in, nor do I use any data features or text messaging...

 

[Colt45]

GSM owns for the sole reason that it's open, and not liscenced from qualcomm.

It continues to own for the fact that every country on earth runs GSM, the concept of a SIM, etc.
The 3G successor to GSM is going to use CDMA signaling (CDMA technique and 'CDMA' phones are different) but still be open, and use a sim.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS

i like the fact how i can change phones at will. or change carriers at will too. And it doesn't matter if im in australia, austria or tibet, it works.

 

[RichieZ]

Originally posted by: ntdz
All I know is that EVDO (from Sprint or Verizon) is a hell of a lot faster than the GSM equivalent, unless you live in one of a very few markets where Cingular rolled out their 3.5g service (the name of it slips my mind).

broadband connect, its acutally WCDMA, quite fast. I use it when i travel

 

[Rogodin2]

There really isn't a benefit to using GSM.

Rogo

 

[aux]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
GSM is older, and is less secure. GSM is a branch off of TDMA and still uses the same scheme for keeping track of individual calls. GSM has lower theoretical maximum call quality (though in practice this doesn't make a difference. CDMA has much faster data rates however.

ZV <-- Employed by a GSM provider, is NOT speaking on behalf of his employer.

What are the CDMA data speeds?

 

[AnthroAndStargate]

is GSM what the rest of the world uses? I know when I went to China everyone with Cingular phones was able to buy SIM cards and use their phones in China.

 

[RichieZ]

Originally posted by: Rogodin2
There really isn't a benefit to using GSM.

Rogo

sure there is, the ability to change phones and use your phone overseas.

I have a work phone (treo 650) a going out phone (Nokia 8801) and a phone for snowboarding/mountain biking (nokia 6201b). I've used my phone in switzerland, italy, france, germany, HK, taiwan and china.

But I will admit that in the US I would rather have verizon.

 

[aux]

Originally posted by: RichieZ

Originally posted by: Rogodin2
There really isn't a benefit to using GSM.

Rogo

sure there is, the ability to change phones and use your phone overseas.

I have a work phone (treo 650) a going out phone (Nokia 8801) and a phone for snowboarding/mountain biking (nokia 6201b). I've used my phone in switzerland, italy, france, germany, HK, taiwan and china.

But I will admit that in the US I would rather have verizon.

QFT

 

[AnthroAndStargate]

So GSM Is the only network used overseas then? Dang!

Well - you can use your CDMA phone (like Sprint) over seas if you pay roaming right?

 

[aux]

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate
So GSM Is the only network used overseas then? Dang!

There are other systems used overseas, but many or most countries have GSM networks.

Well - you can use your CDMA phone (like Sprint) over seas if you pay roaming right?

Most countries do not have CDMA, so you can't use CDMA-only phone if there is no CDMA network. There may be some phones that use both CDMA (in the US) and GSM (abroad), but I am too lazy to check.

 

[JMWarren]

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate
So GSM Is the only network used overseas then? Dang!

Well - you can use your CDMA phone (like Sprint) over seas if you pay roaming right?

Not if there aren't any CDMA towers.....

 

[JMWarren]

Originally posted by: aux

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate
So GSM Is the only network used overseas then? Dang!

There are other systems used overseas, but many or most countries have GSM networks.

Well - you can use your CDMA phone (like Sprint) over seas if you pay roaming right?

Most countries do not have CDMA, so you can't use CDMA-only phone if there is no CDMA network. There may be some phones that use both CDMA (in the US) and GSM (abroad), but I am too lazy to check.

I've never heard of a Hybrid phone like that and would tend to say they don't exist...prove me wrong

 

[aux]

Originally posted by: JMWarren

Originally posted by: aux

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate
So GSM Is the only network used overseas then? Dang!

There are other systems used overseas, but many or most countries have GSM networks.

Well - you can use your CDMA phone (like Sprint) over seas if you pay roaming right?

Most countries do not have CDMA, so you can't use CDMA-only phone if there is no CDMA network. There may be some phones that use both CDMA (in the US) and GSM (abroad), but I am too lazy to check.

I've never heard of a Hybrid phone like that and would tend to say they don't exist...prove me wrong

There is no technical reason why they can not exist, kind of 2 phones in one.

 

[RichieZ]

Originally posted by: JMWarren

Originally posted by: aux

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate
So GSM Is the only network used overseas then? Dang!

There are other systems used overseas, but many or most countries have GSM networks.

Well - you can use your CDMA phone (like Sprint) over seas if you pay roaming right?

Most countries do not have CDMA, so you can't use CDMA-only phone if there is no CDMA network. There may be some phones that use both CDMA (in the US) and GSM (abroad), but I am too lazy to check.

I've never heard of a Hybrid phone like that and would tend to say they don't exist...prove me wrong

coworker has this one

 

[aux]

Originally posted by: RichieZ

Originally posted by: JMWarren

Originally posted by: aux

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate
So GSM Is the only network used overseas then? Dang!

There are other systems used overseas, but many or most countries have GSM networks.

Well - you can use your CDMA phone (like Sprint) over seas if you pay roaming right?

Most countries do not have CDMA, so you can't use CDMA-only phone if there is no CDMA network. There may be some phones that use both CDMA (in the US) and GSM (abroad), but I am too lazy to check.

I've never heard of a Hybrid phone like that and would tend to say they don't exist...prove me wrong

coworker has this one

just found another one

edit: changed the sprint link to samsung one so that it doesn't ask for zip code

 

[Mark R]

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate
So GSM Is the only network used overseas then? Dang!

Well - you can use your CDMA phone (like Sprint) over seas if you pay roaming right?

No. You can't - because apart from the US, Canada and a few small territories like the Dominican replublic - no other countries have CDMA towers.

The vast majority of countries are GSM only. And in those countries which do use other systems (e.g. CDMA) GSM is usually also available.

Roaming is the term which allows your phone to log-in to another provider's network, where your provider doesn't have coverage. However, it only works if your phone is compatible with the networks available. CDMA and GSM are incompatible - so a CDMA phone can't roam on a GSM network.

Yes, hybrid CDMA/GSM phones exist - but they're more expensive (basically they need 2 different versions of the radio system), so only useful where you have to have GSM roaming and the features of CDMA.

 

[George P Burdell]

I like GSM because of:
a. global roaming
b. the ability to use local prepaid cards in other countries

One country where I got owned for using GSM was South Korea. Those bastages don't have any GSM, although they offer CDMA phones for rent at the airport. Some of the phones they offer allow you to to put in your SIM card and the phone piggy-backs off the CDMA network.

 

[AnthroAndStargate]

Originally posted by: JMWarren

Originally posted by: aux

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate
So GSM Is the only network used overseas then? Dang!

There are other systems used overseas, but many or most countries have GSM networks.

Well - you can use your CDMA phone (like Sprint) over seas if you pay roaming right?

Most countries do not have CDMA, so you can't use CDMA-only phone if there is no CDMA network. There may be some phones that use both CDMA (in the US) and GSM (abroad), but I am too lazy to check.

I've never heard of a Hybrid phone like that and would tend to say they don't exist...prove me wrong

Sprint has one - it was linked earlier up in this thread. It has CDMA and GSM

 

[AnthroAndStargate]

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